Refuge Interrupted

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The Weequay arched a brow, his glare fixed on [member='Ar'ekk'] as he began to speak. By the time the apprentice had finished with his own instructions, the officer's expression had softened, as he nodded in agreement and turned away. "Everything checks out," he mumbled, motioning for the trio to follow as he headed across the catwalk. "They're clean." The other officers present simply shrugged, letting them pass through the terminal and into the city. While Nar Shaddaa's planetary defense were coordinated by the Silver Jedi, it wasn't unheard of to have third parties managing certain areas, especially one such as the high-class promenade.

Fancy shops and clubs lined the wide streets, with all sorts of individuals going to and fro. "Not bad, kid," Cheedo spoke, impressed by how Ar'ekk had handled the situation, "Keep those sabers hidden, and we should be fine." Tugoro had put his hilt on the inside of his leather flight jacket, which he had changed into on the way here. He looked like any other spacer, here to enjoy what the strip had to offer. The only problem was that Tugoro had no idea where to begin, having only been on Nar Shaddaa for vigilante purposes. After walking for a bit, the group was hard pressed to find any shops that sold starship components.

The promenade was focused more around entertainment, not utility. "We'll probably have to go to the Corellian Sector, that is where most merchants are," Tugoro speculated, knowing he'd find what he needed there. "You forget we still need credits, fool! How do you expect us to get them?" Cheedo snapped, causing the Jedi to look frantically around the area. Nothing really stood out, except a dark clothed individual who was leaned against the wall of a popular club, and a seemingly homeless man, donned in rags who frantically tried to get the attention of those passing by.

 

[Arekk]

The mind trick was pulled off at perfection and Ar'ekk felt like for the first time things were going well, however this was only a small portion of whatever was coming ahead. The infructuous search for spacecraft components in the upper-class promenade made everything more difficult since neither Tugoro or Cheedo knew where to look unlike the Padawan.

"We are not going to find anything here. If we're to get quality parts, we must meet someone with contacts. Shops will only sell you scrap."

The homeless man was missing an arm and both legs so the only way he'd be able to be seen was sitting near the sidewalk. His frantic attempt to get the group's attention was successful enough for them to listen on whatever he had to say.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The old man had a look of genuine fear upon his face, a robotic and organic arm waving about towards those who passed him by. "They are here! Listen to me, people! Heed my warning before it is too late!" Through the force, Tugoro could tell that there was indeed something disturbing the man. Everyone else simply ignored them, too busy or disgusted to stop and listen. Noticing the trio that had approached, he began to shout in their direction. "You three, you must listen! They're here I tell you, here!" He gestured all around him, still slumped against the wall of an alley, away from the main pedestrian area.

Coming to a stop in front of him, Tugoro glanced towards Cheedo, who gave his ever insightful input. "Crazy war vet." The Jedi Master could not help but shoot the Rodian a dirty look, causing him to step away and let the Jedi handle it. "What are you talking about?" Tugoro questioned, kneeling down to level himself with the homeless man. "Look into the abyss, and he will look back! They are here! They did this to me!" Moving aside his raggedy cloak, the man revealed his legs, which had been severed from the knees down, the wound expertly made and even cauterized. "They took them... They will take you too!" He shouted, pointing directly at [member='Ar'ekk'].

 

[Arekk]

The eyes of the young learner demonstrated pitifulness and pain due to the state of the homeless man. The deduction made from those wounds would indicate they came from a lightsaber or some sort of tool given the perfect cauterization of the wounds. Ar'ekk kneeled next to his master and looked at the vagabond, making the next inquiry.

"Who are you talking about? What do you mean by they?" he asked. The whole situation seemed wrong and something rotten was in the air. Could this be a possible trick to lure the trio into a trap or this person really was teared apart limb from limb in perfect manner that only a surgeon or someone trained medically could possibly do?

Ar'ekk's eyes wandered around to verify if someone was possibly scouting them out from afar. He had laid his sight upon a dark clothed individual before approaching the homeless person but it seemed he had gone inside the club or simply left.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The vagabond stared towards [member='Ar'ekk'], glancing towards his wounds before reaching out to grab him in panic. "The.. They are here!" He concluded, his tone frantically raising once again. Tugoro narrowed his vision, focusing his senses upon the man before him as he began to feel the energy about them. The living force was always present, and so individual's own auras were always unique, changing from experience to experience. "Something is wrong," the Jedi muttered, standing up and taking a step back.

He wasn't sure what had happened, but it had definitely been a result of the dark side. "This man's mind has been warped, Ar'ekk... Only the cruelest of dark abilities are capable of such," Tugoro spoke, glancing to his apprentice with a worried look. "If we combine our power, we may be able to find out something within his mind." With that, Tugoro closed his eyes, beginning to block out everything around him, until he was left only with the force. Together with Ar'ekk, he would hopefully be able to break through the dark veil that had enshrouded this man's mind, in order to get a glimpse of the truth.

 

[Arekk]

The look on the vagabond's face just showed how lost and crazy he had gone due to being imprisoned by a dark aura. The Padawan's eyes closed to get tuned in with the Force and block out all sorrounding things, doing as instructed by [member="Tugoro Taidarious"].

They'd be able to catch a glimpse of the truth beneath the dark veil that was clouding the poor man's mind. Whatever Ar'ekk was sensing, he could feel a strong pull to the darkness. Something suffocating was dragging him along during this mind read although he was able to pull back and focus again on the task at hand. The light side of the Force seemed to prevail over for the first time in a long period during this occurance. However, the key to the answer remained unknown until the duo made the final breakthrough.

Who, why or what was behind this malevolous trick?

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The duo would experience a variety of memories throughout the man's lifetime, that seemed to flash by in seconds. Even so, they would understand, for what had happened was now more clear than ever. What appeared to be merely homeless man, was nothing of the sort. He had been a Jedi all his life, operating out of the enclave with a group of Padawans.

In the brief images that had cycled through Tugoro and [member='Ar'ekk']'s mind, they had felt immense suffering, whatever they could see clouded by a dark shadow. The Jedi group had been caught off guard, perhaps captured and tortured... By the Sith.

Opening his eyes, Tugoro would release a deep sigh, stressed by the prospect of having to face the Sith once more. It wasn't something he truly wanted to do anymore, but he knew his duty as a Jedi. "Where are they?" Tugoro questioned, desperate to get more details out of the old Jedi.

"J-Jekk'Jekk Tarr... By the ship docks.." Unfortunately, that was all they managed to find out, as the old man passed out, unable to handle the strain. "Cheedo, get this man on the ship, lock him in the medbay if you have to." Cheedo didn't like the suggestion, muttering some things in Huttese as he picked up the limbless elder. Jekk'Jekk Tar didn't ring any bells in Tugoro's mind, and so he glanced to Ar'ekk, hoping he may know.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk's eyes became bright as the Smuggler's Moon at the mention of Jekk'Jekk Tarr, so he immediately jumped to answer the inquiry made by his master.

"It's a cantina not so far from here. We'll have to take a taxi to get there. Also, the air inside the cantina is lethal for humans but I'm sure we can manage, master." he concluded, pointing at one of the nearby ports where taxis were parked to take patrons and civilians to different areas of Nar Shaddaa. Most of the drivers were grimey and greedy individuals, running some sort of racket to extort customers into paying more than allowed in their fare.

The Padawan laid eyes upon the now unconscious homeless man. This person was once someone powerful, someone's teacher, a keeper of peace and justice in the Galaxy but nothing remained from that individual.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Tugoro too was disturbed, by what had befallen upon the man, and what it represented among the bigger picture. Looking upon [member='Ar'ekk'], Tugoro's immediate thought was that he would be fine, luckily he had his mask. He caught himself from saying such a foolish thing, not wanting to touch upon the subject. Besides, the young Jedi still controlled his breathing, and so the force power Tugoro knew would be useful regardless.

"I think we'll take the automated transit," Tugoro decided, grinning briefly after looking over the choice before him. A droid speeder pilot had just landed, and so the duo headed for the vehicle, hopping in and buckling up. "We'll be fine in the cantina, as long as we trust in the force. We must focus our minds to steady our breathing, which is only the first step. We may also need to summon a barrier."

During their ride, Tugoro tried to explain the intricacies of these powers as best as he could, before they were dropped off. Luckily he had a small sum of credits on his chip, and so he used them all to pay for the ride. Walking past the rows of warehouses, the two arrived at the entrance of the cantina, the large docking piers and control tower looming in the distance behind them. "Ready?"

 

[Arekk]

"Prepared as always, master."

The duo entered the cantina and once inside they were greeted by the biggest variety of creatures and species from different planets. A thick fog covered the whole interior, toxic as ever although the Jedi duo would have no problem to breath in such conditions thanks to the force. The whole place was crowded and it was loud, chatter going back and forth from all places and glasses clinging. The music in the background made it even more difficult to hear.

Ar'ekk took a good look around to see if anyone stood out although he knew no Sith would be that evident unless they would want to be found. Perhaps the dark clothed individual from before was here, so atleast he had a clue.

"Do you see anything?"

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

"No," Tugoro whispered, standing still among the tendrils of toxic gas that swirled around them. His breath was steady and regulated, supplying him with what he needed and nothing more. His body did the rest, numb with force energy to prevent any harm that may have been done. "I sense them."

Taking one last look around the first section of the alien establishment, the Jedi noticed the looks they received, for it was quite unusual for humans to show up, especially without any equipment to keep them alive. Wherever the Sith was, they already knew someone was on their trail. "Be extra careful. Go and find them." Tugoro instructed, turning from [member='Ar'ekk'] and heading towards the bar counter.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk frowned at [member="Tugoro Taidarious"] as he made his way to the bar counter, so he felt the necessity to ask the obvious.

"Where are you going, master? They could be anywhere."

The looks from the aliens made the young apprentice uncomfortable. He could feel a dark aura sorrounding the Jekk'Jekk Tarr, something that clouded his vision and made him feel suffocated. That same feeling when the dark side takes him over during battle, sounds of despair and pain covering his audition.

In front of him, the band played different armonious tunes to keep the patronage happy. Multiple female dancers covered the stage and joined the clientele, offering multiple types of beverages and conversating with them. A metallic door on the right with a sign in aurebesh and a Noghri guard standing up front seemed to be a good place to start looking. Whatever was behind, it seemed to be important.

He felt someone was watching him closely, measuring every step he took inside the cantina but couldn't tell who or where. Ar'ekk gave the last glance to Tugoro, expecting an answer.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Looking over his shoulder, Tugoro smirked at his apprentice briefly, before speaking. "For a drink." Leaning against the counter, the Jedi waved over the bartender, receiving a dirty look and a cold glare. The alien immediately poured a glass of water, placing it forcefully upon the table. Tugoro could only stare back in shock, as the events leading up to this moment cycled through his mind. Even the visions he had saw earlier became clearer, all pointing to one inevitable fact.

As [member='Ar'ekk'] made his way through the Jekk'Jekk Tar, the eyes upon him would only increase, the tension in the air thicker than the fumes that filled the room. Noticing the human's stare, the Noghri guard took a step forward, waving the apprentice over. "The back rooms are thisss way, human," he spoke, pointing towards the door with the aurebesh sign above it. "Private shows, high stakes gambling... You get the idea. Think you can handle it?"

 

[Arekk]

He looked back at [member="Tugoro Taidarious"] for reassurance, nodding to him. He was going inside the back room as planned and in case something happened, his mentor would come in his aid.

"Show me the way, please." he gestured to the Noghri guard, giving his approval to the question. The idea of being in a back room so secret with illegal activities going on meant that he'd encounter the worse scum in Nar Shaddaa. Criminals, bounty hunters, assassins, crime lords, you name it. If they found out he was Jedi, things would get ugly really quick for him and Tugoro. His appearance smelled Jedi from a thousand miles away although he was wearing robes to conceal his figure.

The interior was even more clouded and louder than the first one. Creatures laughing, screaming, chatting and gambling their life savings away were the first things the Padawan saw upon entering. Glares would lay on him but quickly dimissed as he looked like any other visitor, despite being a human.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The Noghri stepped to the side, typing an access code into the panel beside the door, causing it to slide open, allowing [member='Ar'ekk'] to enter. Beyond was a corridor that stretched forward for some time, with separate rooms along each side. Most were sealed, to ensure privacy and safety from the other patrons, while other rooms were wide open, such as a big game of Pazaak being played by a Gand and a Quarren. It appeared as if they had played many rounds, with a large sum of credits on the Gand's side of the table.

In another room, there seemed to be an auction going underway, as a Devronian smuggler tried sell a droid to a small crowd of aliens. It wasn't half as noisy as Ar'ekk thought, for this seemed to be an area for the more refined, and civilized kind of criminal. Those who passed by the human glared in a strange manner, which did not feel to be out of hatred or anger. Even so, the dark presence they had sensed earlier was still present, but ever so faint.

 

[Arekk]

The on-going auction of the droid caught his attention immediately. Such a refined piece of artificial intelligence must have taken a dedicated enterprise behind to be developed, so his next line of inquiry would be there. He joined the rest of the aliens to hear what the auctioner had to say about the piece he was trying to sell, staying away from everyone's view and rather low-profile.

The droid seemed to resemble the ancient Magnaguards or atleast he thought it was a variation of the same kind. They were used by the Separatists and the Galactic Empire as their bodyguards, highly capable killing machines. This could only mean that a highly knowledgeable individual of such times was behind the creation of such complex droids.

The group of aliens commenced the bidding, offering a generous amount of credits for starters.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Cheers could be heard a few doors over, sounding like the Quarren had won back some of his credits. Everything else was fairly quiet however, as the small crowd of aliens in front of the auctioneer listened carefully to what he had to say.

"This droid is a fine model, it would probably be banned on this world!" A few laughed, understanding the comment, already knowing the capabilities of the MagnaGuard before them. "Advanced adaptive programming, it can perform many tasks," the Devronian continued, knocking his fist upon the droid's metallic skull.

"It can do more than just kill Jedi." With that, almost everyone in the room set their eyes upon [member='Ar'ekk'], either smirking subtly or laughing outright. "The bidding starts at fifty thousand!" Many hands raised, flashing holographic signs that indicated their interest in bidding as the price raised.

MagnaGuards were not sold separately, and so this was a very rare find. From outside of the room, the dark clothed individual glanced in at the auction, before continuing on into the main section of the Jekk'Jekk Tar.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk sensed the dark clothed individual's presence through the Force, like an almost instant tingling and managed to catch a glimpse of his back as he returned to the main section of the Jekk'Jekk Tarr. He went after him in a cautious manner, trying not to catch anyone's attention so he walked casually. The Noghri guard allowed the apprentice to leave the back room by typing the code into the panel on the wall. It was a complete change of sights, from being hand-to-hand with the most refined criminals in a high class backroom to being with the most horrible scum of the galaxy on the main section of the cantina.

The dark clothed individual passed behind [member="Tugoro Taidarious"], who was still enjoying a drink by the bar. He seemed to be in a hurry, trying to reach the exit in a rushed manner. The Padawan approached Tugoro: "Looks like our friend has an urgency to leave, master. Also, you will not believe what I've seen inside."

The Padawan showed his signature one sided-grin as he mentioned the latter. However, it seemed like the dark individual remained inside the Jekk'Jekk Tarr, blending with the crowd.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

"I could say the same," Tugoro replied, a slight tone of worry in his voice. Across the counter, the bartender held a small holdout blaster, that was pointed directly at the Jedi's torso. Upon closer examination, some others within the round room had also drawn their weapons, knives and blaster pistols at the ready as they held their glare upon the two Jedi. "It was all a trap, intended for Jedi I'd guess," the Master mused, trying to recall which military force had control over the planet.

Silver Jedi space was nearby, but so was the Galactic Empire. There was no telling who was responsible, or if they would eventually get any outside assistance. It all seemed unlikely at this point, as the odds were against them. That old Jedi had probably been purposefully dumped on the streets, unable to go anywhere, thus stuck in one spot. Sooner or later, whoever did it must have known that the Jedi would return.

"Move, and he dies, boy," the bartender quickly spoke, making sure that [member='Ar'ekk'] understood the situation he was in. The duo had foolishly stumbled right into the hornets nest, and had no choice but to go along with whatever they had planned. "Now, we got something special planned. Into the backrooms!" The Noghri by the door couldn't but smile, baring his teeth at the apprentice, as he readied his blaster rifle, before opening the sealed door. If they were to comply, they would be led back into the auction room.

 

[Arekk]

Rage invaded the apprentice's entire existence, his blood boiled and his robotic arm formed into a closed fist. He looked like he was about to burst into an angry rampage but quickly realized it'd be the end of both if he pulled anything now. The best course of action was to allow themselves to be captured and moved into the auction room where had been before. Considerably, he had surveyed possible exits in case they needed to leave in a hurry.

"Any ideas, master?" he asked [member="Tugoro Taidarious"], trying to spark up any thoughts for their possible escape. The situation turned dire as they didn't know what would happen except having their limbs torn off their bodies like the homeless Jedi in the alleyway.