Owner	Pose
Athena	The moment has arrived. The Jedi shuttle has just dropped out of hyperspace, and they're approaching Coruscant's orbit. For some, this will be the first time seeing Coruscant, ever. For others, it's a welcome sight after having been away for so long. Either way, as the shuttle nears the planet, the massive, teeming ecumenopolis looms in the forward viewport in the bow... "Everyone, stay seated and prepare for landing," the Ugnaught pilot says through the intercom. "We'll be planetside in twenty." Meanwhile, Jorn might be following the white lothwolf into the underbelly of the partially renovated Temple. If he isn't, then the lothwolf is barking, as if summoning him to follow her down a winding staircase that looks potentially unstable.
Jorn	Looking about the temple as he moves forward following the wolf. "Did you find anything good, girl? Boy?" Jorn asks as he looks bac at the wolf. "I'll have to name you at this rate," he says honestly as he will return his attentions to thet emple.
Navi	"Be it ever so controversial, there's no place like second home," Navi observes, giving Zetha a grin from across their tiny cabin. "I don't know what I'll be happier to experience... real food or a real bed. Let's hope our part in the trial won't keep us from getting in that shopping trip we were talking about."
Zetha Rumir	Zetha is lounging in bed reading a holo-novel when the ship drops out of hyperspace and the message comes across for them to stay seated and prepare for landing. She glances up and over to Navi before putting on a frown. "I don't even know what my part in this trial is aside from giving testimony about the Chadra Fan what came into the junkyard and bought the part that wound up blowing up the drill..." She says this and then looks back down to her datapad. "The food on Teeno's not real?"
Cayde Alexis	For Cayde's part, it's enough of a welcome sight to get away from being cramped in a small ship with...too many other people for weeks. For the past several hours, he's been curled up on his bunk trying to get his court testimony buffed up enough to be presentable at the very least. There probably won't be much time to finish it once he gets planetside...
Athena	When Jorn asks the lothwolf if she'd found anything good, she just barks again, runs to Jorns side and tugs on his pants. Then she rushes ahead down the stairs. They make a lot of noise -- probably not a good sign. But it will be up to Jorn to follow or not. The stairwell isn't lit, but if Jorn peers down it, he'll be able hear the lothwolf barking at the bottom, somewhere down there. He won't be able to see her, though. Volken will recognize one of the marauders immediately upon approach. Zealot -- and the other is female, and likely Shani, but little else can be discerned about her. They're armed and look up, but at least they don't attack once made aware of his presence. Navi and Zetha's conversation might be interrupted when the shuttle suddenly lurches to a stop. The Coruscanti officials are performing their customs checks, and interrogating Jahni. But it's over in a few minutes and soon, they're touching down in the big bustling starport, the biggest Zetha will have ever seen in her life. Cayde will be disrupted by a knock on door of his room. He'll know by process of elimination who it is before he even speaks, because he won't be able to sense his mind in the Force. "Cayde? Let's see that testimony."
Navi	"I suppose it's real enough... there's just a lot of it that I can't in good conscience call food. At least a quarter of it makes me sick for hours, especially most of the fish," Navi replies, shrugging. "The nicest thing I can say about half the rest is that you can live on it. Your hyperspace mileage may vary." "To tell you the truth, I don't know what my part is, either. We're probably just witnesses," she adds. "So we'll probably be stuck answering questions." "What in..?" The shuttle's sudden halt derails her train of thought, until she remembers how the Core Worlds work. "Oh, right... customs check-in," she murmurs, grimacing faintly and picking up her datapad full of testimony. "Unless Xera's smuggling proton torpedoes in her corset, we should be planetside in twenty minutes or less."
Volken Mons	Volken's not really in a position to say too much to them. He's carrying what's probably five hundred pounds of Mandalorian over his shoulder, in air that is likely becoming more and more toxic by the second. "....I don't suppose...you know the way outta here back towards that temple.." he manages to grunt out, while not even bothering to charge his weapons just yet.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde doesn't even strap in for the landing, and just holds onto the bunk when the ship lurches. When they're finally down and ready to disembark, he gets up from the bed and was headed toward the door when Thaarin knocks.     Right...he'd expected that. He opens the door and holds out the datapad he was working on. The testimony is...better than last week's draft, but still features several places where the wording is rather confusing due to fragmented or run-on sentences.
Zetha Rumir	"The fish at Hap's isn't that bad..." Zetha offers, perhaps mildly offended that someone would say such about the food. Then again, she's never had food from anywhere that wasn't Hap's or some other place on Teeno. So there may be unknown bias there. "That makes me feel more like I just shouldn't be here. I feel like my testimony is going to condemn more than it is going to help..." She offers this just before the ship lurches and then Navi makes a comment about customs. That actually gains a chuckle from the Twi'lek. "I suppose I should be glad I left my own back on Teeno?" Then she grins and looks out the window as the spaceport comes into view. "...I think the spaceport is as big as Kublop Springs alone..."
Jorn	Jorn will actually rush off after the wolf curious about what she found. A blaster is drawn as he looks about. Coming down ready to open fire as he isn't sure what exactly to suspect. Life has gotten very weird lately. And so, he's meeting it with extreme caution.
Athena	The marauders don't say anything immediately. They exchange glances, and then the female says without pity, "You won't make it carrying him," she says, "At this point, you've both been exposed to the poison. So you can choose your own life, or his." Then, the two of them reach over and hoist the body that's lying on the ground up onto a hover stretcher that Zealot had opened while the female marauder had been talking to Volken. It's the Baron, and his armor is covered in that strange, bioluminescent powder. Cracked visor, just like Er'gi. "You could come with us," Zealot suddenly offers , and this seems to surprise the female marauder, but she doesn't object. Jorn will find that the vicinity seems safe from imminent attack once he reaches the bottom of the stairs. It's pitch black down here, could use the dark saber to have a look-see, but he'll at least espy the lothwolf's glowing eyes in the dark. She's whining impatiently, but he won't be able to see why. Yet, anyway, it's too dark at the moment. There's a loud hiss, and the gangplank will lower. "Alright everyone, we're home sweet Coruscant. Feel free to wander around, but don't go too far the loader droids should be along shortly to help with all the luggage in the cargo bay," Jahni announces over the intercom. Thaarin pages through the testimony, his expression unreadable. After a few moments, he hands the datapad back to Cayde. "Look... why don't you take a break, and then you can come back and we'll discuss your testimony."
Cayde Alexis	That 'unreadable' expression said it all. Cayde didn't need to reach into his mind to know Thaarin wasn't exactly pleased with the draft as it was. He sighs and nods--right, a break. Maybe he should head to the CSF HQ and check out that data vault again, see if he can find anything useful about Zetha's parents. Or about that mysterious cargo hauling company.
Jorn	Reluctantly, Jorn will pull out the blade. The blade blade extends as it growls to life. He brings it close ready to fight defenively if need be. Curious what willl happen next. The man looking around everything as he waits to see how things will devolve. The man's very distrusting of this planet.
Navi	"Bigger," Navi replies softly. "Coruscant's spaceports compete with Corellia's for the honor of being the second busiest in the galaxy. Kuat's are the busiest, but that's only because they've got a giant military shipyard in orbit. Those yards and the ships they make are too big to land, so they have to be supplied by smaller ships." She stands and picks up her jacket and her medical satchel. "Want to have a quick look around?" she offers. "This place is a shipwatcher's dream. Probably a tech's dream, too."
Volken Mons	That same cracked visor. It's too deliberate. Attacked somehow, likely to try and speed the effect of the poison through exposure. The helmets provide their own levels of protection after all but with the visor cracked it'd be that much easier to do the deed. Volken dips his head low as he looks over Caine and then watches as the Marauders come to his aid. Figures. THey were working for him after all but it's foolish that the Baron got him into this anyway. THey should have stuck together but that wasn't likely to happen. Which leads to: "I'm not abandoning him. I don't do that. Maybe you...folk have the wrong sense of what us Mandalorians are like but not all of us are just out for ourse-lves...." Caine and Ellari are one stock, so far as Volken is concerned. Mandalorians like Jorn and Er'gi or Thaelin...he'll not abandon. "I can carry him I Just need to know what way to go..." he rumbles.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha turns off her holonovel, checks her communicator for any messages that have come through and sends quick ones to both Crane and Wiis. Both of which to simply say she's safely on Coruscant and will reach back out when settled in her hotel room. Then she places datapad in her backpack, and makes sure she has everything. "I wouldn't mind a look around. I only have the backpack anyway...light luggage is best for me." Then she motions for Navi to take the lead.
Athena	Jorn will find himself in some kind of circular chamber. There's statues of people he won't recognize set into cavities in the wall, surrounded by pillars. They look like they might have been Jedi from the old Republic. There's four tunnels that branch off from this chamber, and the lothwolf is sitting at the entrance to one that leads downwards. There's cobwebs everywhere, and dark saber somehow seems to thrum brighter than it ever had in this dark, mystical place. "That isn't what I meant," the female interjects. "Eventually you won't be able to because you'll be dead. The poison is slow acting, but if you carry your ... friend, you won't reach the Temple before the poison becomes fatal." She starts to move the hoverberth along, intending to cart the Baron away, but Zealot reaches for her arm and holds her back. He watches Volken intently, seeming to want to know what the behemoth will decide. Clearly, the marauders had some plan for the Baron, otherwise, they'd have left him here. Zealot had made an offer, but Volken will have to decide if it's riskier than chancing it in the Gorge and trying to make it back to the Temple in time. Thaarin watches Cayde leave, his brow furrowing slightly. He watches Cayde go out, but doesn't immediately follow. Instead, he stops on the gangplank, where Zetha and Navi are loitering. "Any idea where the padawan is off to?" he asks them.
Navi	"I have a bag and a backpack, but they're not heavy. One of the perks of going on the colony initiative was getting proper clothes for the weather and the tasks of building a town," Navi observes, shouldering her backpack and picking up her duffel from under her bunk and heading for the ramp. "My Brotherhood robes were in no way adequate for Tenoo." As she reaches the ramp, she nods to Thaarin. "Hi, Thaarin. No idea. He didn't say a word to us before we landed. I'm guessing he didn't tell you, either?"
Jorn	Clearing out the cobwebs with a few swipes, Jorn pushes forward trying to go into the one of four tunnels that the wolf waited at. He notices the thrum, and just keeps himself focused. Everything just intent on staying alive. Nothing else. Sometimes it's easier to do that when the possibility of harm, or worse, seems very high.
Volken Mons	"Alright..." says Volken tiredly, "Lead on then..." He could take his chances...but it's clear they are familiar with what's actually going on and he can't very well talk all of that talk about not leaving people behind and then simply leave Caine to ...whatever arrangemente he's got going on with these marauders. "I don't have much choice eh?" he adds at the end though his tone is more restrained. He's not ungrateful but the situation isn't exactly ideal here and he's out of options, especially with the jet-pack lacking fuel.
Zetha Rumir	"I do hope we can shop a little. I'd like to also find some things to take home for Wiis and Crane." Zetha offers as the two of them reach the gangplank. When Thaarin greets them and asks about Cayde she shakes her head. "Only other thing I know he was tasked with aside from the trial was something involving the Jedi Council and my parents...but I don't know what all that entails." She offers and then continues to descend to take her first steps onto Coruscant proper.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde heads for the taxi hub at the spaceport, promptly taking one toward the Federal District and making his way to the sublevels of that CSF facility where he'd met Black. The padawan hovers by the side entrance for a bit, looking through his things to make sure he has the access key the man had given him before going inside and taking the elevator down to the vault.
Athena	The lothwolf darts forward, and downwards, into the darkness. This hallway, unlike the first chamber, is devoid of anything interesting. There's a few burnt out lamps on the wall, but that's it. And halfway down the corridor, Jorn will get an uneasy feeling in his stomach. The dark saber crackles and hums, but there doesn't seem to be any change in its demeanor. The lothwolf, however, is plowing ahead. She seems excited. Zealot doesn't answer Volken. Instead, he just starts moving, and the female marauder does likewise. With one hand, he guides the hoverberth, and with the other he carries a blowtorch that burns away the debris blocking their path. The female marauder has flame retardant, putting out the blazes should the dampness of the surrounding bushes not cause the fire to flicker out. And so they carry on this way, heading deeper into the Gorge, away from those cursed vines. Thaarin sighs. "No, of course not," he says, "but if you see him about, do let me know. I've got to inform his master. Are you out to do some shopping?" Everything is as Cayde remembers it. The access key gets him in as per usual, and the console is on once he gets down there. The same access card unlocks the console, and then, he's in.
Navi	"We were planning on some shopping, and leaving our stuff at our new lodgings," Navi replies to Thaarin, starting to follow Zetha. "If we see him, I'll give you a comlink call."
Jorn	trying to light up a few of the burnt out lamps, Jorn keeps going. Just pushing aside that uneasy feeling. Yes, he's concerend. However, the Mandalorian knows that the wolf seems too eager. Andso, he will keep moving just overly concerned with how this tunnel will end.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha smiles and nods. "Maybe not in that particular order. I'm going to take a good look at the spaceport too." One cannot seem to take Zetha to any port and not have her interested in the yards around.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde makes his way downstairs, and accesses the console easily before begging to search for information about Zetha's parents, and anything concerning Vlaven's whereabouts or the hauling company that had transported him offworld.
Athena	The lamps don't light. Jorn will find that odd, they've oil in them, but for some reason, they just won't light. Perhaps he ought not to overthink that. Eventually, the corridor ends. It ends in a massive rusted door with a complicated lock that looks like it likely doesn't work anymore. The lothwolf looks to Jorn, then the saber, and then barks. She sits right by the door, expectantly. Her tail wags. The Chiss man smiles slightly, and nods. "Well, have fun," he says, "and be careful. And thank you. I don't want to be losing Cayde to a crowd in this massive place." He won't find much, really. All those profiles still say 'incomplete,' and there's very little outside of what he'd accessed remotely. He'll find single navigation log from five years back that's associated with the hauling company, but there's nothing interesting, informative or leading about it. However, he may remember that Black had told him he could contact him anytime he wanted to, and that he does have the mysterious man's contact information.
Navi	"Jedi are a lot more common and accepted here, so I doubt you have anything to worry about," Navi advises Thaarin, with a reassuring smile, moving to follow Zetha. "As long as Cayde doesn't draw attention to himself or do something foolish, he should be completely safe." She pauses, and her smile fades into a weary sigh. She covers her eyes with her palm and shakes her head slowly. "I can't /believe/ I just said that with a straight face..." she murmurs. "We'll keep a good eye out for him."
Jorn	Jorn focuses with the blade then lunges stabbling into the door. Slicing upward and trying to cut through the hinges in the motion. He's not sure if the blade willc ut through this thing like a vibroblade through synth butter, or if there's just layer after layer of thick rust here.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde sighs as there is nothing more than what he'd already seen, which was not much. Black had claimed he wasn't hiding anything, but now the padawan is wondering how true that actually was. But then he recalls that he does have Black's contact information, so he begins to call the man on the holo from the comms system in the vault.
Zetha Rumir	"If it wasn't marginally unethical, I would say we could always put a tracker on Cayde's robes." Zetha comments and then gives a little smirk. "I suppose that's kind of mean to say..." Then she looks between Navi and Thaarin before glancing back to the spaceport proper. "Do we even know where we're being shacked up at?" Meanwhile, Cayde's search yields three results. The most recent being the Rumir's on a manifest as crew of a freighter with last known whereabouts having been on Tatooine.
Volken Mons	There's not really much Volken can do but to follow them. With the poison, it's taking all he has to keep Er'gi aloft and to shuffle after the marauders. He's of no help clearing anything out of the way and sparing any energy to speak would be foolish. So on he goes.
Athena	"Don't say that," Thaarin says to Navi, "sometimes, I feel the mere thought or notion that Cayde won't get into trouble somehow incites him to get himself mired in predicaments of unfathomable sorts...! Well, anyway. Don't trouble yourself too much. Enjoy the city, and here's where we'll be staying," he says, handing Navi a small card with an address on it. Meanwhile, Black picks up before the first ring can even go off. "Hello Cayde," he says through the commlink, "It's nice to see you're back in town. Even kinder that I was the first person you thought to reach out to," he says. "I see you're making good use of the vault. But I imagine you're calling because you have questions about Vlaven, and one particular Zetha Rumir's parents." Unfortunately, the three results are all Cayde's getting from the vault. The trail seems to go cold as far as information after that. Age must have deteriorated the material the door is made of, because the saber does in fact, cut through the door like butter. There's a horrible screeching sound, and then the massive slab of mortar and metal falls forward, allowing Jorn and the lothwolf access to the room. Unlike the rest of the lower levels, this room is actually... lit. There are many shelves, covered in canvas cloths full of dust. And beyond the shelving seems to a ballroom type area, littered with many stone pedestals that stretch as far back as the eye can see. It's maze like, but that does not seem to deter the loth wolf. She's running for the pedestals, as fast as her limp will allow. They'll carry on like this for a while. It could have been forty five minutes, it could have been several hours. Time seems to blur together - the poison, slow acting but present will gradually start to make Volken feel weaker and weaker. At some point, he'll see a gigantic, oddly shaped ship mired in a bog up ahead. A lone marauder stands guard, but when they approach, he comes to meet them and assist with moving the Baron into the ship. He does not offer to help Volken, though. In fact, he'll give him a few wary glances before hurrying inside himself. But at least the leave the door open and the gangplank down for him.
Jorn	Out of pure caution, Jorn tries to note everything, but he does not touch any of it. Very much a situation where one looks with their eyes and not with their hands. He's not sure what kind of ancient things may linger. He'll try to note what he can without disturbing any of the natural, or unnatural, order of things about the place.
Navi	"One of his former Masters actually suggested something like that once, so maybe it's not /that/ unethical," Navi replies to Zetha, accepting the card from Thaarin and studying it thoughtfully. "But do you really want to have to deal with that pouty look he gets when he thinks we're trying to corral him? I don't." "If only it were that simple, Thaarin... Cayde is something of a trouble magnet. I'm beyond relieved that he's been trying to keep out of trouble more these last few months, but sooner or later he and trouble just have a habit of coming together. Usually noisily," she adds to Thaarin. "Nevertheless, we'll do our best to enjoy ourselves and still keep an eye out for him, just in case."
Zetha Rumir	"If seeing his pouty mouth means not watching trouble horribly explode around him, I think I'd be in favor of the pout if I'm honest. But then, I haven't suffered it as much as those who spend more time with him." Zetha offers this and then she tries to peak at the card Navi was handed. "Anyway, I'm going to wander off. You can follow if you want Navi, but I need to move or I'm going to collapse from excitement. Or something."
Cayde Alexis	Well, that was quick. Cayde nods and decides to just enter his messages into the comms console.     << Yes >> is the simple response he sends back.
Volken Mons	"Well looks like we made it..." rumbles Volken to the unresponsive Er'gi. The way the Marauders are looking at him is to be expected. They're right to be cautious just from a sake of prudency - but in his state all he can truly do is follow them and make his way into the ship.
Athena	Well, Jorn is being careful, but the lothwolf is doing everything but that. She's zooming around the stone pedestals, sniffing most of them until she finds one with a gilded saber in it. She barks, and pushes on it with her front legs. It wobbles, so she pushes on it again, and it wobbles more. But Jorn may find himself thinking, should she really be doing that? It's dark inside the ship - a few lights here and there. Zealot and the female marauder seem to have disappeared from sight, along with the Baron. Volken will find himself in some kind of atrium. Hanging on the wall are a wide of variety of those garish masks, in all shapes and sizes. There's a bench for him to sit on, at least. But he probably won't get much respite -- there's a shadowy figure looming a nearby archway to his left. "... long journey, I see." Thaarin waves dismissively. "He doesn't have to know... anyway, let's save that discussion for later. He hasn't gotten into trouble... yet. Or at least, it doesn't seem like it." Then he bids both Zetha and Navi goodbye and heads back into the shuttle. "Well, I hate to tell you this, but what we have on file is what we have on file." There's a long pause. "But... I could complete the profiles, if you want me to. I also thought it'd be worth mentioning that I could use some help with investigating the potentially criminal background of a certain high ranking politician. I'm down an agent, but you know that already. If you're willing, I'll work on completing whatever profiles you want completed, and then in the meantime, you can do a little fishing. What do you think?"
Volken Mons	The figure is barely spred a glance as Volken finally unshoulders Er'gi and then sets hi down onto the bench. He leans over to check on the other Mandalorian and then finally slumps down towards a seat himself. "Y'could say that...." he rumbles after a pause, finally addressing the figure and then glancing up to peer in that direction in search of the speaker and his identity. "Is there...some sort of antitdote? What's goin' on down here...? What's that thing?"
Navi	"Take care, Thaarin," Navi says, giving Thaarin a little wave as she follows Zetha. "It's less the pouty face and more the emotional and relationship troubles that go with the pouty face. If we just got that when we kept him alive and safe, I could deal with it. But we get it a lot more than that. I'm just hoping his progress these last six months or so means a lot less of that," she adds. "Now, where shall we go first?"
Jorn	Taking the blade, Jorn inspects it and tries to set it back down. Just trying to be respectful of the blade while trying to see why this wolf wanted the blade so much. That's the strange part about this journey. It's the only thing he touches and it's to make sure she doesn't knock off the blade.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde arches a brow at this response. << You don't know more? >> he asks. If he -had- the information to complete the profile, couldn't he tell it all now?     Anyway, this was the sort of work he'd been hoping to get into, since his...gifts were well suited to it. << ...okay >>
Zetha Rumir	"Not entirely sure, but I really think checking in and dropping stuff off would be best before we hit the shopping district? I think I need to take Coruscant in small doses..." Zetha offers this to Navi with a somewhat nervous chuckle.
Athena	"Well of course there is," The shadowy figure says, then steps into the dim light. A Harch, female by the looks of it, with glowing green eyes. "A side effect of the monsoon destroying the Baron's laboratories, I'd imagine," she says. "I'd have you know," she hisses, "that I don't normally take in strays, and I certainly do not give out medical attention for free." "No," Black replies, "I'm sorry, you may have misunderstood. What I meant, is that I have the means and resources necessary to find out. It will take some time, of course. But you'll be busy in the meantime, anyway. Now, have a look." The console blinks, and there's suddenly a file glowing blue in the top right hand corner of the screen. "That's everything you need to know. I'd suggest starting in the Lower Levels, on 1314, Sector D. It's a hotbed of criminal activity, but nothing you can't handle I'm sure. The next train down there will arrive at platform 9 in about five minutes. It's recommendable that you get started now -- this fellow is involved in that upcoming trial for the Dug from Tenoo. It'd be ideal if we could have the investigation wrapped up with a neat little bow before it even begins, don't you think?" "Oh, and one more thing. I'd like to meet this Zetha Rumir. It will help me with the ... profile completion."
Navi	"That's actually a good idea. Coruscant's big and /busy/. Sometimes I forget how overwhelming it can be," Navi says, blushing faintly. "Sounds like our lodgings are the logical first stop. Let's go."
Zetha Rumir	"Yeah. My insides are screaming while also trying to feel fascinated and not overwhelmed..." Zetha offers this and then follows Navi's lead.
Cayde Alexis	<< But...you took Vlaven away? >> Cayde asks, finding it hard to believe that Black does not even know where Vlaven was taken.     The padawan copies the file to a personal device and notes the address. Yes of course it was a hotbed of criminal activity, he has been there plenty of times himself.
Volken Mons	"So everything's back to Caine's nonsense..." grumbles Volken as he leans his head back. "Well....can we have it then?" No sense in beating around the bush here. "My friend is dying and apparently so am I...and apparently so was Caine I guess so I guess there's some justice out there for his fooolishness...."
Athena	Navi and Zetha probably won't have much trouble finding their lodgings. As soon as they leave the spaceport, a fancy looking shuttle will pull up, escorted by two uniformed CSF guards. They ask if Navi and Zetha are the arriving part from Tenoo for the trial of the Dug, Weniscio. Once that's all been sorted, they're allowed into the taxi and taken straight to the Alisandre Hotel, a massive structure built to house the richest of guests - or so it seemed. There's a lavish fountain out front, hover lights, and an exquisite garden. A gilded cargo droid will present itself upon their arrival, and offer to take their luggage up to their assigned rooms. "Well yes and no," Black continues. "He was here, for a time, under going a sort of rehabilitation. But he wasn't responding very well to it, and Kurrnak wanted him taken somewhere, anywhere, that would reduce the risk of him landing in the public eye. So, naturally, I washed my hands of him and handed him off to some other Outer Rim scientist with a private hauling company who had promised ... results, of some kind. I said that was fine and that I didn't need coordinates or results. They could do as they pleased, Vlaven was proving to be a less and less interesting plaything over time, anyway." "If you're wondering who the scientist was, I don't actually know. I didn't reach out to them personally. I asked some of my contacts to put out a word about Vlaven, and they approached me first. They wanted to keep their identity discreet, in exchange for making Vlaven disappear from Coruscant. I didn't really care at that point, Kurrnak was putting immense pressure on me to have him sent away as soon as possible. But if you want me to do more digging, I can." "You wouldn't by chance happen to know where you, Zetha, and the others are staying for the duration of the trial, would you?" "Not my problem," the Harch hisses. "But yes, I'll be doing what I can to reverse the effects of the poison." Her eyes then narrow. "You will, however, be owing me a favor, once you're recovered." Meanwhile, Jorn's attempts to make sure the gilded saber doesn't fall off the pedestal the lothwolf is knocking may succeed, or they may not. The lothwolf has in fact, applied too much force and the pedestal is now toppling. Perhaps Jorn can catch it in time?
Navi	"We are, sirs. I'm Co-Deputy Marshal Navi, and this is Zetha Rumir," Navi replies politely to the security officers. Once the identifications are sorted out, she boards the shuttle and offers Zetha her hand to join her. Whether Zetha takes it or not, she does her best to keep the slightly overwhelmed Twi'lek grounded, pointing out landmarks through the shuttle's viewports. "Nice place. Canto Bight was almost this nice," she observes softly as they enter the grand hotel lobby. "Please, and thank you," she says warmly to the droid, transferring over her duffel and daypack. She makes sure to keep her medic's satchel, though. She's long since gotten used to expecting the unexpected, even here.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde frowns as Black explains further on what he knows about Vlaven's fate. He sighs...of course the man didn't care. The young Jedi nods at the offer of trying to do more digging. [Yes please] he signs. At the question of where they're staying, he thinks about it and realizes he actually doesn't yet know, so he shrugs.
Jorn	Jorn panics and he moves his hand, hoping he's quick enough to grab it. Yes, he probably shouldn't touch it. However, instincts and a desire for an antique to not potentially shatter override common senses. And so he's going for the item before his logical side can kick in.
Volken Mons	"Fine. I"m not in any sort of position to push back or negotiate. Help us." rumbles Volken. He doesn't want to expend too much energy here at this point and arguign about it is the last thing on his mind. "Him first." he rumbles, "He took a worse dose than me."
Zetha Rumir	Zetha is overwhelmed upon leaving the spaceport. Spaceports - regardless of size - are familiar territories. Junkyards and repair stations, gritty droids and even grittier people running them. As Navi points out landmarks, she may either look like a kid in a candy shop or a terrified orphan. Maybe even a mixture of both. Once they arrive at the hotel, she's amazed, impressed and terrified of it all at the same time. "Well. Certainly no expense being spared I suppose..." Offered as the two make their way inside. Then as the droid approaches them and offers to take their bags, Zetha holds her backpack tightly for a moment longer before actually releasing it and handing it over.
Athena	The cargo droid bleeps affirmative in binary and takes Navi and Zetha's belongings to the lift. The grand hotel lobby looks like something Zetha would have only ever dreamed of or seen in holodramas or novels. Everything's gold, or crystal. And there's another fountain, of course. Even bigger than the one outside. Rykard and Mondrian are there, getting checked in by the secretary at the desk. When he sees Zetha and Navi, he nods in greeting. "Good to see you made it here safely," he says to them, "... have either of you seen Cayde?" Cayde may realize that his commlink is pinging. There's a message from his master. <We're at the Alisandre Hotel. Where are you?> Black replies, "Of course. You and I will be both working hard. You out in the field, and me, behind the scenes. Just like it's supposed to be. Anyway, you'd best get going, the trial won't wait. Oh, and make sure to tell me where you are all staying, when you find out." Jorn will experience a particular surge of malevolence surge through his veins the moment he touches that gilded saber. The feeling is so strong, it's an urge to kill someone, anyone. But then it suddenly dissipates, and Jorn will find himself again, standing in front of the pedestal that had fallen when the lothwolf had pushed on it too hard. It's toppled now, and cracked in half. Another problem presents itself - the toppled pedestal had knocked another over. The crystalline case protecting it has shattered, and the relic inside of it is lying on the floor... a ruby ring. The lothwolf is barking now, nipping at the gilded saber Jorn had instinctually saved. The Harch's mandibles click in satisfaction. She seemed to think Volken would have put up more of a fight regarding asking for a favor. "Hm. Yes. Come then. We'll go to my laboratory." And she turns to leave, expecting Volken to follow.
Navi	"No, Master. We didn't see him leave, or where he went," Navi replies, with a soft sigh, reaching for her comlink. "Thaarin was looking for him, too. We promised we'd keep an eye out for him." "Speaking of people to keep an eye out for, do you know if Lady Graf and Lord San Tekka have checked in, or will be staying here?" she asks.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha's desire to reply with dry sarcasm is halted by a thought that it might not be best to offend a Jedi Master. Then Navi answers the question about Cayde so she simply gives a little nod of her head. "Coruscant is intimidating." Is all she comments after that.
Volken Mons	Volken is a man of extreme practicality when an emergency is taking place. He removed his armor to save another and didn't think twice about it. RIght now his priority is 'save Er'gi., save himself' - and then they can haggle out the specifics of the owed favor. As far as he's concerned....the particulars can be sorted after he's sure they're going to live. Having to haul Er'gi again isn't ideal but with the antitode being so close ... he'll do what he must and so he again lifts the other gigantic Mandalorian and then carries him like a sack, following after their benefactor for their lab.
Jorn	Jorn doesn't put on the ring, but he does pick it up delicately. He'll try to put that and the object in his hand back on the shelf. Yes, the container for them is ruined, but he wants them off the floor. It's him trying to put things back as he left them. That's the plan at least.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde nods, and disconnects from the call. He starts to leave the basement, and finds his commlink going off. Glancing at it, he notes that he will be staying at the Alisandre. However, he doesn't respond to the message, or contact Black to let him know the answer to his question. Rather, he's contemplating whether he -should- tell his Master where he's going. He probably should. But then Master won't want him to go, or will insist that someone else come along with him. Someone less familiar with the Lower City, no doubt. It would just get in the way of things.     So he simply puts the commlink away, and starts heading for the station platform.
Athena	"Hm...." Rykard says pensively. His brows furrow and there's a pause. "Well that's alright. I'll speak with Thaarin and then I'll see if I can't go find him myself. Good luck, both of you. I hope you enjoy Coruscant. There's a lovely noodles house just down the street, if you're keen the try it," he recommends, and then starts for the lift. Another message pops up on Cayde's commlink <Good luck. Let me know where the group from Tenoo is staying, soon>. Soon, Cayde will find himself on a train headed back to his old familiar haunts - the Lower Levels of Coruscant. Volken might suddenly find himself in a place that makes him take a stroll down memory lane. The Harch had led them down a hallway, to a large, expansive room that visually fits the stereotypical mad scientist lab. There's test tubes everywhere. White washed walls, fauna from varying planets that look like they're just begging to be put out of their misery. There's a wall lined with cages that look large to hold a sentient being that human sized or smaller. It looks... hauntingly like the place he had been rescued from as a boy.... Picking up the ring seems to transport Jorn into some kind of parallel reality. The room is the same, but darker, and everything looks distorted. He won't be able to hear the lothwolf barking anymore. But somewhere, emanating from some place that seems to be everywhere all at once, is a scream that somehow sounds silent and deafening at the same time. Jorn will feel it -- there's something, someone else here. And him picking up a ring has drawn its attention...
Volken Mons	It's familiar to him, indeed. But Volken doesn't want to think to heavily about that. Yet. Yes, a certain abhorrence wells up inside of him but he can't risk not getting that anttidote for himself and Er'gi and he'd have no idea where to look and what to do on his own. Not to mention the ship is full of marauders who would likely turn against them at the drop of a hat. 'You got some interestin' hobbies..." is all he states on the matter while trying to not linger his gaze for too long on any particular part of ther room. "How..much further?"
Navi	"Please be careful, Master," Navi replies. "We have our comlinks, so please keep us informed." Even as she speaks, she's slipping her comlink earpiece into her ear. She touches the back of Zetha's hand reassuringly with her free hand. "It takes some getting used to, definitely." Touching the transmit button on her earpiece, she says, "Cayde, where are you?"
Jorn	Hearing that deafening scream. The one that sounds silent one second, loud the next just causes Jorn to freeze in place. He closes his eyes and hears the lessons from long ago. <"What do we do when fear sneaks up on us, Boy?"> Jorn hears himself reply. His voice higher, a lot more innocent, <"We push past. We push past fear."> Jorn just hears his reply over and over, before some part of him just tosses the ring onto the shelf. He breathes hard, eyes wide with panick from underneath the helmet. Quietly, he goes down to return the other part knocked over, the other it. Just what he first caught. Keeping that there, Jorn shakily walks past the whole thing. Not wanting to touch that ring, or any other jewelery from this place, again.
Cayde Alexis	Familiar haunts indeed, Cayde often had a nightly habit coming down here looking for trouble. Well--looking problems to -solve-! In fact, he has ridden this very transport line several times. As he waits for his destination stop, he starts studying the intel that Black had given him regarding whatever it was he needed to do down there.
Zetha Rumir	"I think this is going to take a bit more than simply getting used to. And I feel that by the time I begin to accept any of it as real and not some sort of fantasy in my head we'll be heading back to Teeno. Or I will be. I guess I shouldn't assume you'd be coming back..." Zetha offers and then watches as Navi reaches out to Cayde so she simply steps forward to the desk to check herself into her pre-acquired room.
Athena	"Of course I will," Rykard says to Navi has he takes his leave. Navi likely won't be surprised that Cayde doesn't reply to her. When did he, ever? But it's probably not a good sign, that he's not responding, and he's missing. The woman at the desk checking Zetha in glances at her credentials. "Zetha Rumir?" She peers at her through horn rimmed glasses. "Mmkay. Just wanted to let you know, you've been upgraded to the Senatorial Master Suite on the seven thousandth floor. Room service is included. This was a personal request from Senator Burkenn of Nakadia himself." The intel Black has given him is very comprehensive, at least. It gives a couple locations of known hideouts belonging to a particularly deadly gang called the Verpine's Venom. It details their insignia, a record of their criminal activity, and their highest profile members. Several of which had been seen associating with a Dowutin Senator named Draconis Grindle, who had been slated to oversee the hiring of a third party jury counsel for Weniscio's trial... Whatever it is that's noticed Jorn, is coming. He won't be able to see it, but he will be able to feel it. It feels like sweat on the back of his neck. It feels like pure evil, coming to consume. The scream, silent but loud, seeks to overwhelm him. And then, in the middle of it all, he'll see a vision of a girl. She's young, couldn't be older than fourteen. She's crying, curled up somewhere dark, her head in her hands. But then she looks up, staring at Jorn with bloodshot, tear stained eyes. 'Help,' she mouths. '... help me' And then Jorn drops the ring, and it's all over. "I'm not a doctor," the Harch tells Volken frankly. "I'm a toxicologist, a poison expert. And if you mind my hobbies -- well, you're free to leave." She stops walking and motions to a rusted berth with shackles on it. "Put him here," she says.
Jorn	Jorn looks at the wolf, as if they would have answers. "What the Hell was that?" His mind reels as it starts to catch up to the vision. Breathing out hard and deep. Trying to center himself as he tries processing what exactly happened. "How do I even find her?" Oh. He doesn't like this one bit.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde's commlink keeps going off, but he keeps ignoring it as he's busy perusing the intel Black had given him. He starts looking for as much info as he can about the hideouts, so he'sll know what to expect upon arriving. That's what he'sll be doing until he arrives in the Lower City.
Navi	"I'll be going back. My two years isn't up, and I don't really see this trial lasting months. Besides, we've still got work to do there," Navi replies to Zetha. She steps up to the desk to check in, repeating, "Cayde, where are you?" into her earpiece. She has a feeling she's wasting her time, but she keeps trying. "Wow... that's incredible, Zetha! That's got to be the best room in the house, or close to it. You're sure to be very comfy there," she says, with an encouraging grin to Zetha.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha stares at the woman behind the counter for a good few heartbeats before she shakes her head. Not in refusal, just in a sort of denial. Navi comes to break the moment and the Twi'lek gives a little smile. "The Senator is very kind for arranging such a thing. I should try to convey my thanks at some point I guess. It's only polite." Stunned beyond belief but she finishes the check in process. "Can trials last months? That's a little disheartening... anyway. Back to Teeno then once it's all over. Nothing from Cayde yet?" She'll pull out her own commlink and message Cayde <You know if you keep ignoring everyone they'll send a search party after you. Thaarin and Master Rykard especially....at least let us know you're okay?>
Volken Mons	"Right.." Well that looks ominous. "Why the shackles?" He does comply however and lays Er'gi down before stepping back and looking at him, then the rest of the room and then..the toxicologist. "You can have wahtever hobby you want.. Just as long as by 'helpin' Er'gi..and me...you don't turn us into one of them."
Athena	"Certainly," the woman behind the desk says with a smile, "After what you did for his wife, it only makes sense! The droids have brought all your baggage up to your room," she tells Zetha, "And here's your key card. Don't lose it. Now enjoy your stay!" And she gestures towards the lift. It's all there. The coordinates, detailed descriptions, and several photos of every angle of each hideout. It's everything Cayde needs, to get there, get in, and get whatever information he needs, and hopefully get out quietly. Hopefully. The train suddenly lurches to a stop, and Cayde will find himself a mile or so from the first hideout. The lothwolf is sitting in front of Jorn, that gilded saber he'd put back earlier in between her teeth. She seems happy. She tilts her head to one side and wags her tail, as if to say that the answer is obvious, but of course, she's just a canine who can't speak basic, so what that answer is remains a mystery. "The only promise I'm going to make is that I am going to try. And if that doesn't work... well," she shrugs, and glances at one of the cages Volken had seen earlier. "You're good as dead anyway. This poison isn't like any old cocktail you'll find on the black market. The plant seems to have some kind of defense mechanism that causes the poison to perfectly tailor itself to individual victims. That's why it's slow acting - the poison is mapping out your genome, and actively figuring out a way to deconstruct it piece by piece." She almost looks happy for a moment. "It's very intriguing. Anyway, don't worry about the shackles. They're just there... in case."
Jorn	"Lead the way," Jorn waves a hand thinking the wolf is more force sensitive than he is. And so, Jorn has a strange trust in this beast. That's when he will take a few steps expecting the animal to move. That's the hope at least.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha steps back from the counter with room key in hand and then tucks it into one of the many pockets on her cargo pants. She might just have to get something practical to begin carrying everything in. Also, she wasn't sure what bags would have been taken to her room. She didn't pack much for this trip and is about to go shopping for at least one or two outfits. Something to match a necklace and something practical. Or as practical as one can look on Coruscant. Now it's just waiting for Navi to check in and then deciding what their next destination is going to be.
Navi	"You've been handed a once in a lifetime opportunity, Zetha. Go ahead and get settled in, and enjoy it," Navi says to Zetha, smiling. "And if you need help getting unpacked, I'll be just a comlink call away, once I get my room keycard." She turns back to the desk to finish checking in.
Volken Mons	"Try. Hard." rumbles Volken, tone growing more moinous now as she further expounds on the dire situation and her glibness about it begins to rub him the wrong way. "Cause if a Mandalorian is backed into a corner...and there's no other option but death... they like goin out in a blaze of glory..." Volkens' eyes narrow behind his helmet's visor. One can practically feel it.. "...And nobody wants that..."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde gets off the train and starts heading toward the first den belonging to these 'Verpine's Venom' people.     He goes to silence his commlink, noticing Zetha's message. The padawan frowns somewhat indignantly. It hadn't been -that- long! He sighs and she at least gets a response. Although it's just << Yes okay >>
Athena	The woman at the desk then continues on and checks Navi in, handing Navi a key card as well as telling her the same things she'd told Zetha. But as Zetha and Navi are headed up, the lift doors open and out steps Master Rykard. He doesn't look happy. "He's not in his room, and he's not back at the ship or at the starport," the elder Ikkrukki Master announces. "That can only mean one thing." And his stride takes him straight for the exit of the hotel. "You can join me, if you like, Navi. But I would understand if you'd just like to rest up here at the hotel..." The commlink dings a little too loudly when Cayde goes to silence it. The young padawan will just barely be able to send off a message to Zetha when suddenly, he'll hear heavy footsteps approaching. "I like favors too much to not try," the Harch says, "but I can tell. There's something -special- about this place that's bothering you," she says, "isn't there?" The lothwolf does not move. She just watches Jorn for a moment, then goes up to his pocket and begins to sniff around for another ration bar. At least she drops the gilded saber on the floor to do this.
Zetha Rumir	Almost as if on some weird cue, Zetha's commlink pings. She glances at it and looks up just as Rykard keeps moving. "Cayde's okay." She offers this. "He...didn't tell me where he was. I simply told him what he could expect by being silent, asked if he was okay and he told me yes, okay." She offers this and then shrugs. "Not that I am telling you to stop whatever..." she motions, "this is. But..." Then she has to wonder why Cayde would answer -her- and not anyone else who may have tried to contact him. "And if it's all the same to you all...I am going to go settle into my room I guess. Let me know when you're ready to go shopping, Navi."
Navi	Navi pockets her keycard and follows Zetha to the turbolift banks, just in time to meet Master Rykard coming out of them. "I had a feeling he'd taken off somewhere," she murmurs, giving Zetha a quick hug. "I have a feeling he's not quite as okay as he says, given his close relationship with trouble. Go ahead and get settled in. I'm going with Master Rykard to find him. Hopefully we won't be gone long." She turns to follow the elderly Master. "Lead the way, Master. If you can get in contact with him telepathically, we might have an easier time finding him," she suggests.
Volken Mons	"What is this, an interview? Just get him back on 'is feet." grumbles Volken as he steps away to find something to lean on. Lean on and watch, glowring...but nervous on the inside. Ater a moment, he sighs and tries his comm again. Now that they're not in the gorge maybe there's a chance he can reconnect with the others and if Jorn or their Jedi Minder was also caught by that poison... he needs to know. <<Jorn. Anybody. Answer me...>>
Cayde Alexis	Cayde puts the commlink away and continues toward the coordinates Black had given him, appearing as if unaware of the approaching footfalls. However, he does reach out into the Force, attempting to identify who the footsteps belong to.
Athena	"Thank you," Rykard says to Navi. He looks relieved, and grateful. "I know this is not how you imagined you'd spend your first night back here in Coruscant. But I'm sure tomorrow you'll have plenty of time to relax..." And he starts heading for platform, intending to head for the Lower Levels. When Zetha arrives in her room, she'll likely be even more shocked by how lavish it is. A king sized bed, with shimmersilk curtains. A plate of food, covered up and warm, waiting for her. At least fifty different varieties of expensive teas, a mini-bar, a caf machine, and ten different bottles of wine. And then there's an envelope, sealed with gold wax, addressed to her specifically. It's sitting on the bed, neatly tucked between the pillows. "There's no signal down here," she says, pulling out a needle that will, once again, remind Volken of his traumatic childhood. That needle and syringe are plunged into Er'gi's arm, and the bright blue liquid in it drains from the capsule, into the other massive Mandalorian's body. Er'gi twitches, and his skin starts to turn a pale shade of blue. Was that 'supposed' to happen? Once the lothwolf finds that there's no ration bar in his pocket (or she just doesn't find it), she'll trot off, and then right before Jorn's eyes, sink through the floor, disappear, and then reappear, right at the base of the steps. It may suddenly occur to Jorn, that that is how the lothwolf had gotten him here. It's how she'd transported him the first time, too. She could go anywhere on this planet, likely. A world of opportunities has opened up for Jorn. He could probably find Volken, and maybe even the girl. He just has to tell the lothwolf to go back to where he'd last seen Volken...
Athena	Guards. A couple of Verpine Venom henchmen doing patrols around the perimeter of the hideout. They'd heard the commlink go off and are now coming to investigate, fully armed....
Jorn	Jorn will see how the wolf teleports. Then he will look at the wolf. "Do you know where the girl went?" Because between a scared girl and a big scary mandalorian, it's very apparent who could handle themself. If the wolf doesn't know, then he would go to the big scary Mandalorian. To him it's a matter of need.
Cayde Alexis	Well Cayde might as well start looking for information. He tries reaching more deeply into their minds, in search of anything regarding Senator Grindle. However, he doesn't otherwise move.
Volken Mons	This poison is a bixzarre thing. The fix may be a bixarre thing and whatever ER'gi is going through..he's going to have to as well. So for the moment, Volken just watches. A change in pigmentation ...hopefully temporary...is the least of his worries. But...yeah...ideally it's just temporary. More pressing besides that is the lack of respons eon the comm and the confirmation they can't get a message out. "Dammit..." he grumbles, giving up once that's said. "This gorge is crazy... Shouolda just lit the whole place up from above..."
Navi	"It's okay, Master. I'm used to it," Navi replies, following Master Rykard and reaching out through the Force, questing for a sense of Cayde's location. It's been a long time since she's used this particular power, but the Force is with her. "I was afraid of this... he's in trouble," she reports. "We'd better pick up our pace."
Zetha Rumir	Zetha's mouth just drops as she makes her way into the room. It's a lot. It's almost too much. "All I did was pull a piece of trash out of a ship..." She mutters to herself and then shakes her head. As soon as she notices the scent of food her stomach rumbles but the envelope on the pillow catches her attention first. So she goes to retrieve that before she'll settle at the table where the food is to reveal the meal and whatever the envelope contains at roughly the same time.
Athena	"Oh, I know," Rykard says, "I know..." And then he grabs her hand, and Force leaps both of them onto the top of a passing train, one that's making a beeline for Sector D. Navi will need to call on the Force to steady herself as soon as they land, as the train quickly starts to descend. The letter itself looks like it probably cost whatever Wiis' mortgage had been for the entire year. There's a nice message from Senator Burkenn, written in gold ink and signed personally, that thank her for helping his wife and something something he had to repay the favor, and that he'd love to meet her in person and have her meet his daughter Gianka, as well. If she turns it over she'll see that it's not just a note, it's an invitation, to Gianka's 19th birthday party, hosted at some extravagant opera venue in the Federal District. She might be taking this all in when her commlink goes off... They know him. They've seen him several times. In fact, he used to be a member of their gang. But then... But then, suddenly someone is grabbing Cayde by the back of his shirt and hoisting him up into the air. "Look wot I found, boys!!" Cayde will find himself looking into the eyes of a massive Dowut male who's at least nine feet tall. The lothwolf doesn't seem to understand Jorn. She tilts her head to one side curiously for a moment. She does seem to understand that Jorn is trying to tell her something, so she suddenly moves forward and puts her snout under his hand. Jorn will feel the blade's mood shift suddenly again, and he'll experience a strange sensation, that's hard to pinpoint with words. But it's a feeling of connection, a connection to the lothwolf. She's trying to understand what he wants from her. "Hmph," the Harch says, "if you're just going to sit there and disrupt my work with your idle chatter, I'd rather not have you around." She makes a shooing motion. "Just don't wander too far if you value your life. After all, you're going to need a workup too, eventually."
Zetha Rumir	Zetha sets the invitation aside and considers heavily whether she wants to attend or not. Attending may require something better than a tank top and cargo pants while looking like she climbs through engines for a living. Then her commlink goes off and she reaches to see who the message is from while also deciding that thinking all this through on an empty stomach is a bad idea. So she begins eating.
Navi	"Eep!" Navi squeaks as Master Rykard suddenly grabs her hand and drags her through a prodigious, Force-fueled leap onto the roof of a passing train! She has to call on all of her physical training and the Force to steady herself on landing. Falling off of a train moving this fast could be fatal! "Geez, Master... you could at least say, 'Hang on' first," she grumbles, struggling to steady her wobbly legs in the wake of the stunt.
Jorn	Jorn feels that probing sensation. Then he'll hold the blade. Then he feels a connection to the wolf. Although Jorn will ask general questions like, "Hello?" When they're first connected. This is still as trange sensation, whether it's a human or an animal.
Volken Mons	"Yer the one that was trying to ask me twenty questions. I"m not goin' anywhere until Er'gi is awake and I know he's fine. And also not blue." Volken's response is curt and to the point. An edge to his voice as well. Try and move him if you dare. "Just get 'im done and then get to work on me and we'll be on our way. I got others who might be in trouble."
Cayde Alexis	Ah, so that's why Grindle had been associating with them. He used to be in their membership. But, why'd he leave? Perhaps it would be worth visiting the Senator's office later.     But then, suddenly a massive male Dowut has grabbed him and dangling him in the air. The first instinct would be to struggle, but then, he thinks better of it. Instead, he continues probing their minds, looking for more information, and also what they plan to do with him. Maybe he'll get a chance to meet someone in leadership.
Athena	Zetha might be both happy and dismayed simultaneously to see that she'd received a text from Crane. <hey...u got to Coruscant ok, that's good uvu :) > He isn't calling though, even though they'd both agreed, they'd get on a holocall as soon as she arrived on Coruscant... "I'm sorry!" Rykard says over the sound of the rushing wind, "But there's no time! The other option was hijacking the nearest vehicle!" Well, he was probably right. Navi will sense that Cayde's actually in imminent danger - hopefully by the time her and Master Rykard arrive, it won't be too late! "Look at 'im! Helpless! Haha! Maybe he's worth somethin' tho, looks like a wee Jedi, maybe they'll pay good to get 'im back..." They start dragging him away, towards the permacrete complex that is the Verpine Venom hideout. Unfortunately these guys don't know that much. They've met Grindle before, and known him back in the day but hadn't been close to him. They aren't exactly sure why he left, or if he's actually fully severed ties with the gang or not. Jorn won't really get an answer from the lothwolf. It's just all... feelings, and sensations. She's looking to see what Jorn wants, and mostly ignores his hello. All of a suddenly, she's leaping forward and tugging Jorn's sleeve again. And then, that strange out of body sensation, once more... The Harch doesn't further address Volken. She turns turns around and continues her work, but something may catch Volken's eye. There's a comms console showing a bunch of really old text transmissions logged to it. And one of the contact names showing up under the text transmissions logged there, Volken will recognize. Merrick. Merrick Ren.
Volken Mons	The immense man falls silent and just watches with a heavy glowring gaze. But when he sees the text messages he leans up and starts to move towards the console. He was told to go for a walk and move aorund after all. So his curiousity moving him to the comm console shouldn't be that strange. He inclines his head and leans in slowly .. looking to see what he can see of the text messages.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde just lets them take him toward the complex, hoping that someone there will know more than these guys. He also keeps searching for what they plan to do with him once they arrive there. Hopefully, show him to someone with some -rank-. Especially since someone with rank might be pleased with their catch, might give them a reward. A very nice reward....
Zetha Rumir	Zetha reads the message and then relaxes just a little. Then she'll type out a reply. <Yes. Here. Safe. Call when you can, I have a -story- to tell you. And a room to show you. I love you. <3 > Then she sets her commlink down and decides best to keep eating. Everything else can wait, and she has no idea of the peril her friend is in. So food is good. Food is very good.
Navi	"I won't second-guess your choice, Master! The sooner we get there, the better for everyone! Especially Cayde!" Navi replies, raising her voice to be heard over the noise of the train. At least it's a hovertrain, levitated by maglev or repulsorlift technology, so the racket could be worse. She steels herself for an all but guaranteed confrontation when they get where they're going. The only thing she knows for sure is that Cayde is in immediate danger, and that's enough to make her worry. A lot.
Jorn	The dog leaps forward. Then that sensation comes again. However, he doesn't know what any of this means yet. Also, he's not sure if he's in his body, out, on planet, in the temple or anywhere else.
Athena	Zetha will find that just three of the snack sized pastries will make her incredibly full. They're small, but really, really rich. She might patiently await an answer from Crane, but she won't get one until about forty five minutes later. <hey... sorry. Can't right now. Tomorrow?> Zetha might feel that horrible pit in her stomach again, but she'll be distracted by a knock on her door. The train races downward, and eventually, Navi and Master Rykard arrive at the very same platform Cayde had been at earlier. Rykard leaps off the train and hurries towards the complex, discreetly. "This way," he says to Navi, "Hurry." Cayde is dragged away, down, down, down to somewhere dark and wet. There, he's thrown rather violently into the cell while the guards who'd brough him jeer and laugh. Well, not quite how he'd expected things to go. But Cayde will be able to tell that they plan on telling their boss about him, who isn't at the hideout right now. He'll be returning but it might not be until tomorrow afternoon... The messages Volken may peer at are over forty years old. He'll see that the Harch woman had deliberately searched for those old messages. They'll bring back childhood memories Volken probably would have liked to forget. He'd sent her some of his research data, on subjects who had shown significant resistance to certain poisons. And there's... pictures too. He'll recognize the poor souls in them. They'd been there with him, at that terrible, terrible place. After the moment is over, Jorn will find himself lying on the ground again in a bed of wet ferns, staring up at the sky. The lothwolf is licking his hand. They're not very far from that outcropping he'd been on the first time he'd been approached by the lothwolves. It's the last place he'd seen Volken. But, it looks ... different. There's massive green vines covered in weird bioluminescent powder curling around all the trees in this area.
Navi	Navi vaults down from the train's roof and hurries after Master Rykard, resting her hand on the lightsaber clipped to the outside of her medical satchel. She's fully aware that there isn't a second to be lost. Even as she runs, she stretches out with her feelings, aided by the Force, reaching for the Padawan's mind. << Cayde... where are you? Master and I are on our way! >>
Volken Mons	Volken remains still. Almost perfectly so. A sudden coldness comes over him and his hand twitches slightly as he resits the urge to reach out aqnd crush the console into scrap metal with one huge hand. His body quakes slightly but then seems to re-assert control over itself and he finally turns away to look over to her and the work being done on Er'gi. After a second passes he turns and starts taking slow deliberate steps forward to get closer and see the status of Er'gi now. "Looks like yer hobbies are pretty expansive..." he rumbles as he draws closer to her. "And you got some research to really put things to the test..."
Zetha Rumir	Zetha cannot believe that small things could taste so big and fill so quickly. She also is not greedy and so when she feels full, she stops. At the message from Crane, she droops just a little but then replies just as the knock comes to her door. <Tomorrow then. I might be shopping with Navi, just fyi> Then, despite everything that tells her no one should be knocking on her door because no one is here that knows her room, she also has to remember there is staff and it might even be a message about the trial. Or something. So she goes to open the door.
Cayde Alexis	Tomorrow afternoon is noted. Now Cayde waits until they leave, and then checks to see if anyone else is nearby. Did the guards patrol the holding cells? He also checks the lock on the door, to see if he can open it without damaging anything...
Jorn	His eyes narrow as he figures they may not be in the right time. Like somehow this beast time travelled. It's why everything looks so different. He'll look around to see if any of the items they used to clear out the brush is ther.e If not, he'll try to push forward trying to move past the powder, not really trusting this place at all.
Athena	Rykard ducks behind a broken piece of permacrete jutting out of the ground, watching as several Verpine Venom guards continue their patrol of the area. He tells Navi, <I believe he's inside. They've already taken him hostage... I think> He reaches out to the Cayde telepathically, <Cayde, where are you? I told you not to come down here alone!> She may or may not be surprised to see it's Thaarin. He offers her a polite smile and a bow. "I heard you were moved," he says, "this is a nice upgrade. May I come in?" The cell door is a forcefield, one that can only be deactivated by a keycard from the guards. They do patrol the hallway his cell is in, and there's a lot of them so it won't be a problem for Cayde to remove one from one unwitting gangster. However, the issue now is whether he can sneak past them once the field has been shut off... The Harch's eyes narrow. "I told you not to disturb me," she hisses. But then she notices where Volken had been coming from and her eyes narrow with intrigue, "Oh? And what interest would -you- have in whatever Merrick Ren sent me...?" Er'gi is still on the berth, that same pale shade of blue. He doesn't look better, but he also doesn't look worse. The lothwolf yelps and jumps in front of Jorn suddenly. She doesn't seem to want him near the vines. And she's a good tracker, apparently - she'd found the flamethrower they'd used earlier. She drops it at his feet.
Navi	"He's telling you more than me, then," Navi whispers to Master Rykard as she slips into cover beside him. "I've tried to talk to him, but he's not answering my telepathic calls." She palms her lightsaber. "Just give the word, Master."
Cayde Alexis	Or, he can force one of them to simply unlock the cell. Cayde will begin to attempt this as one of them is passing by, when his focus is interrupted by Navi and Master Rykard.     Sigh.     Indeed, he doesn't respond to Navi, but but Rykard will at least be able to tell that he's not actually in distress, per se. In fact, he seems a bit...annoyed. < I know Master > Yes, he knows. He knows what he's doing.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha gives as neutral an expression to Thaarin as she can before shifting to step out of the doorway so he can walk in. "Yeah. Apparently news traveled fast and Senator Burkenn arranged to have me upgraded I guess..." Once Thaarin is in the room and the door shuts she'll also say, "Also, I got Cayde to message me. He said he was fine...but Master Rykard and Navi went to go look for him anyway. Not sure if they managed to tell you anything." She pauses a half breath. "How are you? Managed to settle in any yourself?"
Athena	Rykard grumbles. "He's not telling me much either, I've just become experienced at guessing...!" He peers out from behind the permacrete. "Not yet," he says, then, after a moment, he nods towards a shadow to their left that's been created by a pile of scrap metal. Then he darts towards it, while the guards aren't looking. The guard Cayde had been trying to convince is now wandering away from Cayde. And the rest of the patrol is now too far away.
Volken Mons	Volken has taken some steps around now, looming behind the good scientist as her work continues. He eyes Er'gi with growing unease ..and something more. Building rage. "...Why is he still blue? What're you doing exactly? Tell me. No more flyin' blind..." After a pause he then adds, "As to that data.. Looks t'me like yer conferrin' with a Republic criminal known fer unethical practices. In fact...thought someone collected the bounty on 'im long ago. You busy pickin' up tricks of the trade from him?" His massive hands spasm slightly as he speaks but he just looms behind her. Blessedly, his helmet is still on, hiding the cold expression and the pinprick size of his eyes as he stares down at her and Er'gi. "Whaddya know?"
Cayde Alexis	Ugh! Cayde sighs, exasperated. Why won't anyone just trust him? He sits down and folds his arms, waiting for another patrol to approach.
Navi	Navi follows Master Rykard into cover behind the scrap pile. Peeking around the side of it, she spots an unguarded basement window. "Master... I think we can make entry through that basement window. Nobody seems to be hanging around there," she whispers.
Athena	"That's ... both good news and bad news, I suppose," Thaarin says, stepping inside to have a look around the room. "But I suppose all we can do right is hope and trust that Rykard and Navi have him handled." He offers her a small, hopeful smile. Then he spots the invitation Burkenn had given her. His expression becomes mildly curious. "What's this?" At least Cayde doesn't have to wait long. A group of three of them are coming now. But this is a bit trickier because if one of them starts to behave strangely, the others might restrain him, or call for backup... "Excellent," Rykard says, "you go first. I'll bring up the rear, and make sure the patrols don't return prematurely..." "The antidote I'm trying takes time to reverse the poison and may have some slightly unpleasant side effects like numbness and tingling." Her multiple eyes narrow. "If his condition starts to deteriorate within the next couple of hours, I'll switch to something else." A pause. "I'll have nothing to do with Merrick now," she hisses, "that was years ago, when we worked together on a few projects. He might have been made into a Republic criminal as well but we both escaped with our skin intact. But he took more than what he was owed, and I'll never forgive him for that." The lothwolf nudges the flamethrower she'd found towards Jorn, tilting her head to one side. It would make clearing the debris faster, certainly.
Jorn	Jorn snags the flame thrower. "Alright a weapon, but she was in the crystal. Is that a memory? A prison? Something else?" Jorn sighs knowing that the creature wouldn't answer him. Then he eyes that stone. Thinking it requires him to go in there or something similar.
Zetha Rumir	"Ah. That. Is both a letter of thanks from the Senator...and an invitation to his daughter's 19th birthday party. At an Opera. So he can both meet me and I can join the celebration." Zetha explains this and then seems to hesitate. "I fear accepting the invitation. Having no idea how to dress for such an occasion... much less how to act. And being in a place filled with no one I know is absolutely terrifying..."
Navi	Navi nods firmly to Master Rykard. After waiting a moment to ensure no one is coming, she steals across from the scrap pile to the basement window. Taking a peek to ensure that nobody is inside, she hastily picks out the broken glass with a gloved hand before slipping inside and beckoning to Master Rykard.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde will attempt to affect all three of them at once. One of them to unlock the cell, and other two to simply...look the other way or become distracted by something that isn't actually there in reality. A phantom shadow, or footsteps in a distant corridor. Better go check out that noise!
Athena	The lothwolf barks and biting the arm with the flamethrower gently, leads him towards the strange vines covered in powdery glow. She then whines, looks at him, then to the vines, then at the flamethrower again and barks once more. Thaarin's eyes light up a little. "Why, don't fear accepting, it's an honor. And even if Senator Burkenn isn't as kind as he seems, it's an opportunity to learn more about him." He chuckles softly. "Navi and I can go with you, I'm sure. You won't be alone." Rykard follows Navi. The two of them will be able to sense Cayde nearby, on the floor just below them. Rykard looks around and finding an abandoned stairwell, motions for Navi to follow him down into it. Unfortunately, Cayde's distraction works a little too well. Two of the guards immediately start running down the hallway away from Cayde towards the stairwell where Navi and Rykard are descending, immediately starting to open fire, without even realizing the two of them are there! Well, at least the third guard comes to unlock Cayde's cell?
Cayde Alexis	Cayde hurries out of the cell, but makes a note of its location so that he could go back to it should the situation call for that. But for now, he heads in the opposite direction from Navi and his master, going to search for someone with more rank and thus hopefully more information.
Jorn	Jorn looks over the device slowly, he starts it up. Then slowly begins to work over the vines. Just keeping everything focused on the growth of the plants. His attention focused. Seeing if something strange would happen.
Zetha Rumir	"You say that like invitations don't sometimes arrive with teeth." Zetha says this to Thaarin before shaking her head. "I'll consider it. More so if you and Navi can come with me." Then she looks around the room once more before glancing back to Thaarin. "Remind me when the trial actually starts?"
Navi	Navi nods firmly and follows Master Rykard, her lightsaber in her hand and ready for use. That precaution seems very much warranted; a pair of thugs at the bottom of the stairs, barely in sight of herself or the Master, open fire with blasters! She ignites her lightsaber, using the bright bluish-white blade to turn the blaster bolts back toward the thugs...
Athena	Cayde's wandering won't get him very far before he runs into another patrol of thugs. Upon seeing him, they shout and immediately open fire upon the young padawan! The vines immediately go up in flames, burning to a crisp quickly. The bioluminescent powder burns a bright purple and releases a noxious odor that Jorn will need to use his helmet to filter out. By the look and smell of it, Jorn will likely guess it's poisonous, and that's why the lothwolf had warned him. Rykard mirrors Navi's reaction, pulling out his saber to deflect the shots. Strangely enough, the shots are going very wide of them, so they won't actually need to deflect very many of them. One of the thugs gets knocked out by a deflected bolt, while the other suddenly seems confused and frightened. He runs off shortly after.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde ends up with a few blaster burns, but instead of drawing his lightsaber, he just Force pushes them out of the way and hurries around a corner to get out of their line of sight. Hopefully it will take them a few moments to recover from getting knocked about.
Jorn	Jorn will have the helmet on, and then he'll lean down. Trying to cover the wolf's nose. Just to cover the things' nose as the fumes go into the air. He'll still aim upward and try to shoot. Aiming for the clouds while trying to keep the wolf safe.
Volken Mons	She said the right things....just in time. Volken forcibly calms himself down and then is left to ponder things carefully. He doesn't know ..well...anything about this antidote. Little about the poison. He can't afford -not- to let her do what she's doing but he can't afford to let anything happen to Er'gi either. Then there's the fact Jorn is still missing. Unfortunantely he's in no condition to go out looking for him and wandering in that poison again. "I want you to give him the same treatment that you're giving Caine. He was taken out by that poison mist as well." Volken rumbles. "Nothing can happen to Er'gi. You undrestand....?" Volken leans forawrd now, looming over her. A certain barely restrained menace in him. "...You make sure Er'gi pulls through and is back to the way he's supposed to be..." IT begins as a threat...but then he adds, "...And I'll show you what Merrick's 'work' can produce..."
Athena	"Oh, they might," Thaarin says to Zetha, "but you certainly aren't being prohibited from showing up with a set of your own," the Chiss man says with a wink. "Alright, give it a good think. It would be good for you. That's my opinion, anyway." He stands up, continuing to look around. "Four days from now. Do you feel ready? How's your testimony coming along?"
Navi	"I think Cayde's very close by, Master," Navi says as the second thug flees the scene with all possible speed. "Let's find him and get out of this dump." Lightsaber still in hand and humming, she advances into the corridor with Cayde's cell. "Master, can you sense Cayde around here? I remember feeling his presence very close to here."
Zetha Rumir	"I believe you just want to see how I'll look all cleaned up and dressed pretty." Zetha chides gently with a grin. "I'll think about it. I'm already thinking about it. I just wasn't sure if I should go at it alone." When the conversation turns to the trial she hesitates. "I don't have much of a testimony...I'm not even sure what my role in all this is. Except to provide the truth of the part that was purchased from the yard is likely what caused the drill to explode.."
Athena	The lothwolf sneezes and whines, but seems otherwise unhurt. The clouds of glowing blue burn violent and then green, and then dissipate, but they take a little bit to completely disappear. Well, this might be a long night for Jorn, there's a lot of vines. But the lothwolf is plowing forward, sniffing the ground, tracking... something. Maybe Volken, maybe the girl. Who knows... The Harch narrows her eyes again. "Alright, then answer me this. You were one of his pets, so where is he now? Surely, you didn't just forget about the fact that he just disappeared, and possibly evaded ... punishment?" "Yes," Rykard says, brows furrowed. "I sense him nearby... he's... blast. He's running from us. We'll just have to try to catch up." He then force leaps into the corridor, hoping Navi will follow. No thugs for now, apparently. Meanwhile, as Cayde rounds a corner he'll find himself face to face with another huge Dowutin. "Alright! That's enough from you!" he says, reaching out to grab Cayde by the back of his robe. "We're taking you to -him-." Well, maybe that's the guy Cayde wants, anyway. "You wouldn't be wrong," Thaarin says with a smirk. "You won't, I assure you. A bit selfishly, I do actually want to attend myself. He's connected to Cayde, and I want to know just what he's all about, especially regarding the whole scandal with the former Chancellor." "That's good enough," Thaarin reassures, "but you should write it all down, at least."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde stares up at the towering Dowutin. Another one? There weren't many of them around Coruscant to begin with. But why were they all gravitating toward this particular gang?     Anyway, at least this -was- what he'd wanted. So he doesn't struggle, but does try to probe the Dowut's mind, attempting to learn what he can about this 'him'.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha nods and then moves to sit...somewhere. There's a lot of somewheres to sit really. She finds one near where her backpack is and pulls out her datapad. "Admittedly I had thought about asking you to go with me as a friend, and because I trust you to know how to navigate things like this better than I ever could. You just have to promise not to disappear on me five seconds after arriving..." Then she begins typing on the datapad. "Which also means, as always, your timing is impeccable. And annoying."
Volken Mons	The way she phrased that question was unusual. "So you knew already?" he asks bluntly. "If so that casts a different meanin' on this..." After a pause--Volken rumbles: "I was a child. Of course I dont' know what happened to him. I was taken in as a foundling and then stuck on Mandalore. I had to 'grow up'. Become Mandalorian. Learn their ways. I was a foundling. Not born into the culture but taught by them. Adopted by a man. A good man. I may look human but I'm not exactly human to begin with. My people have traits similar to the Dowutins. Just not as ugly." Volken turns away now to look at Er'gi. "So obviously I didn't continue lookin' for the guy. Why would I? I was to busy gorwin' up ahnd learning to try to control what his experiments did to me and hurtin' alot of people around me in the process. B y the time I was able to make decisions for myself about where to go, for who, and why - I had last heard he'd been caught - maybe killed. It was out of my hands at that point. The fact he owes you money was the least of my concerns."
Jorn	Hearing the wolf wine, "Sorry girl. I'm trying. Alright, I gotta give you a name," he pulls the trigger working on some more vines. "Something I can use to confuse people when I call you, too," he says knowing that may be odd, but it could help in a pinch. Yelling out some kind of weapon term, may keep thinking he's pointing out something. In reality, he's calling hairy backup. "I've spent too much time making sure you're walking away from this to let some vine crap put you down," he keeps focused on those vines. "Stay close if you need cover."
Athena	So they drag Cayde away. Up a flight of stairs, down a hallway. It's not going to feel on those blaster burns he'd gotten earlier, but maybe this was all worth it? The Dowutin carrying him doesn't seem to know Grindle personally, but he does know about him leaving the gang, and that it caused a stir amongst the gang members. Eventually, he winds up in a big room in front of yet another massive Dowutin, armed to the teeth. He doesn't look happy to see Cayde. "Who's this?!" he demands as soon as Cayde is brought in. "I promise I won't," Thaarin says, coming to sit down next to her. He rests a hand on her shoulder briefly. "I promise. And if you want me to help you write, I can," he says with a nod. "I'm no fool," the Harch says calmly, "you made yourself clear when you said you'd show me what Merrick's work could produce. I'm very familiar with his work and you look like one of his experiments." She then looms over him. "And yet," she says, "he is still a concern, isn't he?" Then suddenly, like a phantom, Zealot appears. "He lives," the marauder says, "And he might be... here." The lothwolf wags her tail, suddenly halting her search. She barks, and runs back to Jorn's side. Then she tugs on his sleeve again, impatiently.
Cayde Alexis	Wow, -another- one. Cayde is certain there is a connection here, somewhere. He stares at the grumpy mob boss, already attempting to reach into his mind as well in search of more details about Senator Grindle and the upcoming trial. Outwardly though, he just seems to be staring at nothing a vacant look in his eyes.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha doesn't question it mostly because to do so might damage the friendship. She simply smiles. "Good. Then we'll go. I'll ask Navi when I see her later if she wants to attend as well." Saying this and then she looks to her datapad a moment before looking back to Thaarin. "Actually, I wouldn't mind the help. I can write out a rough draft and you can look it over?" Which, she already begins typing even as she suggests such a thing.
Volken Mons	A table dents as Volken's massive fists plunge downward into it and his weight presses down. His body tenses up, his armor straining and the straps creaking against his impossible physique as his anger boils upwards furiously. "All I care about right now is Er'gi. Get him back on his feet!" The moment of rage subsides and he visibly and physically clams down. "...How do you -know- he's here. -Why- would he be here? Is he with the cloners?" Volken then shakes his head furiously. "No, no. I want Er'gi back on his feet and I want out of here and t'find Jorn. This is too much. I'm going to go crazy."
Jorn	Jorn stops the flames. He looks toward the wolf. "What is it girl?" he asks looking down at the tugging dog. Jorn will follow knowing this dog must be some kind of force sensitive beast or really good at tracking. Getting outside of the temple, he'll focus and turn on the short range communicator the group has been using. <This is Jorn. Volken. Er'gi. Anyone read? over.>
Athena	Well, yes. This grumpy mob boss would appear to actually be related to Grindle. They were brothers. At some point they'd had a falling out, Grindle had left, and this mob boss had been sore about it ever since. When Grindle had left, a large number of their gang had decided to depart as well, vanishing into the Lower Levels, into places he couldn't find. So naturally, he feels bitter. But sometimes... Grindle would leave him credits. Why, remains a mystery. Cayde will be able sense it's complicated, and not at all black and white. But it's deeper than he can perceive, and the mob boss has now grabbed Cayde and is attempting to rag doll him on the ground. "Answer me boy!" He rages. "Perfect," Thaarin says. "I'm sure the two of you can find something proper to wear as well." He offers her another small smile. "Certainly," he says when she asks for help with the draft of her testimony. The Harch doesn't flinch, instead, she looks to Zealot. "How can this be?!" she hisses. "We've surveillance," Zealot says, "nothing concrete. But it's leading." He turns to Volken when asks if he's with the cloners. "Yes." Jorn will find still that the signal's awful. It's unclear whether he'd been successful in sending the message or not, but the lothwolf is leading him towards a small clearing just a few hundred meters to the left. There's a small grove of trees, and in the center of it, is a glowing something, that isn't the vines...
Zetha Rumir	Zetha continues typing on the datapad. It's not going to be eloquent by any means. Just factual and probably with technical Zetha jargon that no one but a handful would understand. She slides the datapad towards Thaarin. "Be gentle. I don't ever write much..."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde is thrown onto the ground, the impact sending pain reverberating through his body. But he barely notices it as he is focused on sifting through the Dowut's memories regarding Grindle. And what was this brother's name? Yes, it was complicated, these things were always complicated.     He gets up off the floor slowly, dusting his robes off with his hands before looking up at the angry mob boss. [Angry with your brother] he signs simply. [...or...not angry. Bitter...jealous] Maybe it's just bitterness. [But he helps] he continues, nodding. [Why not follow] he offers.
Volken Mons	"-Why- is this all comin' back on -me-." hisses Volken before putting a hand up to his helmet as if to nurse a headache through the beskar. "I need Er'gi on his feet. I need Jorn. What about Caine? He was down from that poison as well wasn't he? Is he alright?" That he had tried to break Zealot in half - and was at one point contracted to take him out is far from his mind right now. Only this rolling chaos and the increasing hue of red he's seeing in his eyes. "He was brilliant. Merrick. If he's with the cloners that can't be good. It means that they could be makin' good on whatever crazy scheme they have. We gotta take 'em out!"
Navi	"He's running from us... the /least surprising/ part of this whole side trip," Navi grumbles, leaping after Master Rykard and continuing to follow him. She does deactivate her lightsaber, since it's a lot easier to run with that thing extinguished. "Not far now, Master... and I think somebody might be beating him up. Another Tuesday for Cayde."
Jorn	Jorn looks about the vines, slowly, carefully. The darkness may have obfuscated his vision or he could be looking in the wrong spot. It's hard to tell.
Athena	Thaarin laughs softly and briefly, glancing at it briefly. "Well it's certainly nothing like Cayde's draft, which is a good thing." He mulls it over a little bit more, skimming it thoughtfully. "Not bad," he says, brows furrowing pensively, "not bad at all..." Though he starts to make some edits. This just appears to enrage the mob boss. He lets out a feral cry, and points at Cayde. "Kill him!!!" And then the thugs start shooting. "You're right!" Rykard says, "and we -must- hurry!" he Force leaps towards the room where Cayde is being held hostage and just as the thugs start shooting, he knocks the door down with a Force push. "Navi, to me!" "It takes time," Zealot says, and the Harch turns to Volken. "I don't know about the Baron. He's faring worse and there's not much I can do at this point except hope that the medication I gave him to remedy his allergic reaction to the antidote works." "We need a geneticist," Zealot says, and Volken may suddenly realize that even as much as he hates the Baron, if Merrick is involved... they -are- going to need him. There's a small, glowing amulet sitting on a stump in the middle of the small grove. The lothwolf is nudging it with her snout.
Jorn	Going to the gem, Jorn does try to delcitately pluck this up. Using his gloves to make sure he's careful to touch it. Gems and this place are not normal things. He's afraid of another vision because Jorn's still wrapping his head around the first round.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde finally does draw his lightsaber, the blade crackling into existence and deflecting at least some of those bolts. However, some of them result in a few -more- blaster burns. Well, it seems he will have to pay this Senator Grindle a visit.     Oh, look, Master and Navi have arrived with perfect timing.
Zetha Rumir	"It's just the truth from my perspective. Though I still wonder why it's even needed. Are we trying to clear someone of charges or make the charges stick? I can't remember what this whole thing was for. So much has happened since we first talked about it." Zetha offers while watching him make edits.
Volken Mons	Hate is too strong. He finds him a nuisance. Aggravating and he'd enjoy bullying him into the ground but Volken is practical in matters of war and destruction and the more Mandalorians the better. It's just ... can he be trusted. But it's becoming clearer to him now that he's just as much a victim of this as anyone. Caine, for all his insanity, certainly didn't intend to get poisoned by a plant that is increasingly turning out to likely be artifical in origin and the work of these mad scientists. "Unbelievable.." Volken rumbles while stepping away to take a seat. He seems to come to terms with that htey are legitimately trying to help Er'gi so him looming there furiously isn't helping. And he's poisoned as well. "Looks like you all were trapped here by this mess as well..." he concedes. "We can't do much here. There's maybe a guy that can be helpful. A missin' doctor..." He'd been carrying the pack with him this whole time and he brings it out to begin looking through it again.
Navi	Navi has just enough time to register the words, 'Kill him!' as she and Master Rykard burst through the doors of the room. With a burst of speed, she sprints half the length of the room, her lightsaber igniting and coming up into a guard position, and then another, and another, turning back blaster bolts from the Verpine Venom thugs and the Dowutins. "Didn't you ever read that wherever you see one Jedi, there's at least five that you don't see?" she demands of the gang leader. "Now you can either tell us what you want with the Padawan you kidnapped, or we can keep turning your little pals into Navi's Wroshyr-Smoked Thug Bites. Name your flavor!"
Athena	"Make the charges stick," Thaarin says, that pensive look on his features remaining. "Every criminal has to be tried, and generally, if the government can do its job properly, they'll get put away for life. But, on occasion, things can become complicated and these criminals are sometimes pardoned and allowed to freely roam the galaxy. I've seen it happen before." Rykard immediately assists Navi in deflecting the blaster bolts, but then immediately notices Cayde's here, just in time to find the young padawan incapacitated on the ground. "Navi! He's here, and he's injured. Take him, and make sure he's well when you can. I'll cover you!" And then he goes to leap in front of the attacking thugs. Zealot seems to be frustrated by what little Volken has to offer in the way of clues as to where the doctor is. He examines the pack and the test tubes, then shaking his head, sweeps it up and tosses it aside into a drawer. Then he disappears back into another dark, adjacent hallway. The Harch hisses. "We've -been- trapped here. Our vessel has been grounded in the Gorge for months. But we're survivors, and we always do what we must in order to stay alive." She turns to him. "Now. Lie down. It's your turn now." Well, Jorn will get another vision, but this one feels less attached to reality. It feels like a mindscape of sorts, but not a bad one. <Hello?? Soren...? Is that y-- oh...> the voice of a young female... it's the girl!
Jorn	<"Not Soren. I thought I saw you in the other crystal."> There's a pause as he waits for a response. To the outside world Jorn is probably still. His hand on the saber though, just force of habit. <"Are you trapped here?"> it's a genuine question.
Navi	"On it, Master!" Navi hastily scoops Cayde up in both arms, with a strength that might seem surprising for the relatively slender Sethi, and darts back the way they had come. "Now if I can just get someplace quiet and unpolluted with thugs, I can get you back on your feet..." she murmurs, running as fast as she can with a double armload of Padawan.
Zetha Rumir	"Okay so what's the crime then? How does this go from the Chadra Fan who bought the drill mechanism from the junkyard under protest that I don't tell anyone to someone being charged with a crime that leads to trial?" Zetha seems genuinely curious or helplessly confused. Likely a bit of both. "I should probably put in the part about you bringing the drill back to the yard so we could reassemble it for further assessment?"
Volken Mons	Zealot's intense frustration doesn't go unnoticed but it could just be...well..what she just said. Apparently they are less hiding out here and more trapped here. Maybe if you all spent less time on Caine's wild goose chases you wouldn't be trapped.." he grumbles before obliging and laying down on an indicated table to let her get to work. "The doc was clearly leaving in a hurry and headin' further into the gorge. If he'd have stayed and not gone stompin' off I mighta been able to tell 'im something about what I saw before I came across Er'gi..." Either way, Volken just lays down and waits now.
Athena	<Oo-oh. I-It's.. it's you> Jorn will feel the presence draw nearer. <I'm sorry I hurt you!> There's no sound of sobbing, but Jorn will feel it in his soul. It's a piercing feeling. <You're safe here. I promise> But the girl sounds like she's in immense pain. <h-how did you find it> Rykard at least is able to make short work of the thugs. Soon, he's by Navi's side, and they're heading straight back for the platform. "How is he?" he asks the Sephi girl, his tone laced with concern. Thaarin laughs again, softly. "If I explained it all right now, you'd never get your testimony done. And don't worry, I added a note in there about mentioning that." "Hard to refuse a million credits each," the Harch says with a sigh, "even so, some of us have left, to go work for the cloners." As soon as Volken lies down, a syringe full of blue liquid goes into Volken's neck. It doesn't feel good at all. It burns and feels ice cold at the same time.
Navi	"I don't think he's badly hurt... just in shock. Once we can stop and I can work on him through the Force, I'll have a clearer picture of what's wrong," Navi replies. "Aside from maybe him needing to lose a few pounds, I mean..."
Zetha Rumir	Zetha nods. "Very well then. But maybe lets make some time to discuss the specifics as much as I can know and so that I understand what's going on." She looks down to the datapad then back up to Thaarin. "If that's alright I mean. And you have the time."
Volken Mons	There's not much else Volken can do but just lie there. Lie there and think. It's not a good feeling but he wouldn't be ...well ...who he is ...if he wasn't able to take it. He'll suffer but it is what it is. Especiall if the alternative is dying.
Cayde Alexis	Once Navi and Rykard have arrived at the station, Cayde suddenly wakes up to find the Sephi girl carrying him.     Which he definitely has a problem with.     He quickly scrambles out of her grasp and steps away from her before hurrying toward the station platform, even though she hasn't yet seen to his wounds.