Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Footsteps. Heartbeat. A shuffling of cloth. A silent gesture for quiet. Azurine. Aris kept his expression stoic as ever as he looked forward, just waiting for the moment. It came soon enough. A blank looking expression took over as he glanced to Aadihr as he called for Aris to run of all things. How did he not see Azurine coming? He sat up, cross legged with his arms crossed as he tried to yet again make sense of how Aadihr perceived the world around him.
Roman's jaw tightened, his blood pressure spiking. Scared? He wasn't scared. He was annoyed. And maybe, just maybe, a little impressed, which he would sooner choke than admit. Talking too much? He just enjoyed a good verbal sparring match, especially with someone as infuriatingly smug as Vera. He didn't miss the glint in her eye or the way she was practically vibrating with the thrill of getting under his skin.
Then, those glowing fingers went to work, swirling in the air like some kind of mystic artist, drawing those infuriatingly familiar runes. He remembered that dodgeball incident all too well, the way she'd used the same trick. It was more vexing now than it was then. He watched the thugs crumble without a sound, his eyes narrowing.
Vera straightened, that smirk plastered across her face. He scoffed, stepping out into the open, mimicking her movements, his own fingers tracing exaggerated shapes in the air. "Oh wow, look at that," he drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Magic fingers. Guess those runes are the only trick you know." He couldn't help the little bit of satisfaction he felt when he saw her playful grin fade for a millisecond.
He looked over at Tigris and nodded, "Sounds good. Always good to have a backup plan…you know, just in case somebody gets into more trouble than they can handle."
He pushed past Vera, his hand brushing against her shoulder. "Make way, Princess. We have an operation to run." He wasn't about to let her steal the show.
Inside the distribution center, the air was thick with the smell of industrial cleaners and something else, something metallic and acrid. The cavernous space was a maze of towering shelves, stacked high with unmarked crates and containers. The only lights were flickering neon strips that cast long, distorted shadows. It felt like they were in the belly of some beast. Roman kept his hand on his lightsaber, his eyes scanning the perimeter, his senses on high alert. Louise and Jax moved with the practiced precision of seasoned agents, their movements fluid and silent as they explored the first few rows of shelving.
"How does that even work?" Drystan shrugged, clearly unconcerned with the details. To the Jedi Knight, it was just another one of the many peculiarities encountered in his line of work. "Just don't go getting any gray hairs in the middle of this operation, alright?"
With Caelan taking the lead, Drystan gave a nod at the prince's observation and joined him, leaping across the rooftops. His demeanor remained casual as he kept pace, deliberately staying a step behind, content to follow. He moved through the urban obstacles with practiced ease, like someone who had spent a lifetime mastering the art—which, of course, he had.
"So, how have things been since we last met?" he asked, breaking the silence as they moved. The marked location was still a fair distance away—some small talk couldn't hurt, and he was genuinely interested in what the prince had gotten into since last they met.
As they spoke and continued navigating the rooftops, Drystan's datapad beeped. He glanced at the screen, one eyebrow lifting as he read the message.
"Hold that thought. Overwatch sent me something," he said, tone still light. "Looks like some syndicate thugs have been diverted near our area. Close to the supposed jammer but far enough to be consider out of the way. If you want to deal with them, it's your call." Drystan gestured lightly, sticking to his promise to let Caelan take lead.
"Got it!" Atlas cried out in relief and amazement when the security door slid open with a pleasing chime, "...karabast."
His eyeline slowly panned up the imposing slab of muscle standing with their arms crossed on the other side. Color drained from the captain's flushed cheeks. Looks like his luck was finally running out.
Before he could decide if this was better or worse than a stun baton, the Zualjinn enforcer grabbed Atlas and tossed him inside. When he looked up, he quickly reached the conclusion that this was worse. Definitely worse.
"Xin, buddy!" Drake smiled nervously, "This is all just a misunderstanding. I'm not with-"
He turned around to leave but was shoved back into Dean and Nos.
"Don't worry, boys. Xin Fors here and I go way back. Remember the Belsavis job? We made a lot of credits together."
That was a mistake. Now that he mentioned it, Drake vaguely recalled something about stealing part of Zualjinn's take from that Sith payroll over the prison world.
Dean let out a slow breath as the chaos in the cantina ebbed, tension thick enough to cut with a vibroblade. His sharp gray eyes scanned the room, taking in the blasters trained on him and Nos, the bartender's icy glare, and the unexpected intervention from the "barmaid." The moment his gaze landed on her — Katarine — his heart skipped a beat. She looked stunning, even in the ridiculous outfit, but Dean quickly forced himself to focus. He couldn't let even the smallest crack show. Her cover depended on it.
No winks. No smiles. Keep it professional, Walker.
His jaw tightened as Atlas, clearly drunk and clearly clueless, started blabbering about old jobs and shared history. Dean shot the spacer a sharp look, his voice a low growl as he hissed, "Shut up. You're not helping."
Without waiting for a response, Dean straightened his posture and stepped forward, keeping his hands loose and unthreatening at his sides. His expression was calm but steely, his tone firm and authoritative as he addressed the imposing figure of Xin Fors.
"Xin Fors, right?" Dean started, his voice steady but with just enough edge to command attention. "We don't want any trouble here. Clearly, something got out of hand, but I'm sure we can clear this up without things escalating any further."
He paused briefly, his sharp gaze flicking toward the enforcers around them before returning to Xin. "If you've got questions or concerns, we're happy to answer them. Let's just… keep this civil."
Dean's gut was a knot of tension, but he didn't let it show. They were in the lion's den now, and any wrong move could blow everything to hell. The only thing keeping him steady — aside from training — was the faintest hope that Katarine had a plan to get them through this mess.
Vera's smirk didn't falter as Roman brushed past her, his hand grazing her shoulder like some kind of triumphant declaration of superiority. Oh, he was feeling bold today. She didn't even need the Force to feel how much her little display had gotten to him, and that alone made this mission worth it. But instead of firing back immediately, she let him take the lead, her multicolored eyes gleaming with mischievous delight.
She followed close behind, her steps light and calculated, but her voice carried just enough sass to let him know she wasn't done with him yet. "Are you sure you want to take point, Roman?" she called out, keeping her tone light but dripping with playful sarcasm. "Because if your dodgeball skills are anything to go by, you'll be eating blaster bolts in no time."
She paused dramatically, letting her words sink in, then added with a grin, "At least that means I'll have a proper shield. Thanks for that, by the way."
She slipped past Tigris with a wink as they moved deeper into the dimly lit distribution center. The eerie, flickering neon lights didn't bother her — her focus was razor-sharp as she scanned the towering shelves and shadowed corners for any sign of movement. Her fingers twitched instinctively, ready to draw her lightsaber or summon the Force if needed.
Azzie couldn’t stop the soft laugh that escaped her lips, even as she was basically rolled forward. Sure, she probably could have found a way out of it given she had seen it coming, but the reaction was a bit too amusing knowing that she had actually gotten him when he wasn't expecting it. Rather than taking a thud to the ground, though, she tucked herself inward and rolled. No real damage, so nothing lost.
She crossed her arms, a teasing grin spreading across her face as she looked up at Aadihr. "If you wanted to pin me down that badly, you could have just asked, considering you dodged my attempts at sparring for months." Her tone was teasing, but that typical spark in her eyes and her aura betrayed her amusement. She stood slowly, dusting herself off in the process.
"Mastermind? Wait, this whole thing was your idea." Azzie shook her head with a quick chuckle, though at the same time she knew she tended to fall into positions of leadership even when she wasn't trying to. "Well, first off, you should probably fill me in on exactly what they're doing. A prank that could potentially cause real harm isn't much of a prank at that point, and I would rather not have to explain to my master that it's partly my fault if Vera ends up in bad shape."
She tried to focus on the auras of the group they were watching. They were quite far off, but if she really focused, she could at least read the patterns in their auras even if she couldn’t make out their physical details. "My first thought, though, would be that we follow them pretty closely and potentially relock every door they try to get open or turn off lights they've just turned on. If we're smart about it, they'll blame each other for the inconvenience. Or possibly think the place is haunted or something."
Dean, Atlas, and the Barmaid were corralled into the hall behind the security door. To their front, a firing squad of 6 enforcers with mass produced blasters. To their rear, two enforcers with shock batons and a third with a stool-shattered arm, clutching it to their chest.
One of the six enforcers pulled out a pocket communicator, and a holoprojection of an irate crime boss, the very same Xin Fors the SIA was searching for, appeared - evidently displeased to make acquaintance with three brawlers a with an unscheduled visit.
The security door to the cantina and exit shut closed behind them with a hiss.
The punch-drunk drunken puncher seemed to have some history with the man.
This was all falling together perfectly, Nos and Dean's job made easier by the minute. Not only did they have visual confirmation of the target and the location, they even had infiltrated without blowing cover. The wolves were practically welcomed into the sheep pen.
"Xin Fors, right?" Dean started, his voice steady but with just enough edge to command attention. "We don't want any trouble here. Clearly, something got out of hand, but I'm sure we can clear this up without things escalating any further."
"Nobata need Tah escalate Ma choobies! Uba come Wata An call Je Che this Kung? Uba have two minutes Tah explain before Jee blast Uba Tah poodoo."
Evidently, the boss had not, in fact, wanted to see them - which was enough for Nos to act.
At once Nos bust into motion, signalling alarm through his emotional telepathy for Dean to pick up on - Nos was relying on Dean to provide cover for the Barmaid while Nos would see the bystander safe.
The hulking Zeltron reached behind him, grabbing the injured bouncer by the broken arm while simultaneously heel-kicking backwards to knock Atlas Drake
's knee out from under him and drop him below the incoming blaster fire. As expected, the red beams fired over the intoxicated Spacer's head and into the bouncer that Nos had whipped around in front of him, a dozen blaster bolts turning the man into a scorched, limp meat shield.
The torso of the dead bouncer sprayed crimson mist back towards the firing enforcers - behind the dead bouncer used as cover, Nos had his Combat Pistol pressed against the back of the bouncer - below the ribcage, above the pelvis, firing right through the kidney at the enforcers, injuring one and encouraging others to back up towards cover.
-Six, seven, eight, Nos counted, reserving the last two slugs in the magazine. Reaching between the corpse he hefted and his opposite hip, he fired at one of the two remaining bouncers, hitting the chest, and neck
-Nine, ten
Nos hit the slide eject, dropping the magazine and tossing the first bouncer corpse forward, diving over the recovering Atlas Drake
before rolling into a kneeling position. His offhand was already priming a Hand Grenade thrown down the hall to the junction ahead. Recognition flashed in the enforcer's eyes as the explosive bounced down the tile flooring; they ceased their blaster fire and dove for cover.
The blast made Nos's ears ring and eyes water. He had managed to take cover from and shrapnel with the meat shield, protecting both himself and the spacer.
He quickly checked on his partner and the barmaid, seeing how they fared with the moments of blaster fire and the last living shock-baton bouncer as he slid another magazine into the pistol and chambered a round.
Katarine planned to take the men back to see Xin, since she assumed that was why they were here, but unfortunately they did not want to come quietly. She felt the emotions of the Zeltron, signaling his comrade. Deciding not to blow her cover just yet, Katarine screamed like any squeeze would when the real action started, her voice full of believable terror that her pretty little face didn't want to see. A second latter the strong arms she recognized had wrapped around her and pinned her to the ground, out of the way of the blaster. She hit the durasteel ground with a thump, Dean Walkers weight on top of her, protecting her as if she were any civilian caught in the mess. Under the cover of the mans massive chest she placed a very gentle kiss on his neck that nobody would see and grinned, her impish nature peaking through for just a moment. Dean was her partner on the Black Marsh Prison case so they had worked together before. He of course knew she was a Jedi but his friends did not it seemed. He also knew she was trouble so it shouldn't come as a surprise she'd do this.
The blast of the grenade sent everyone ducking for cover and Kat felt a ringing in her ears. A moment latter she started to realistically struggle against Dean and scream "Get your filthy hands off me you nerf!!"
A moment latter Xin sounded on the hologram again.
"Nobata hurt one har on ma gurls hed!"He sounded angry now. Kat was clearly good at getting under the criminals skin.
So, as the bigwigs seemed to be more involved in delegating, it seemed like the little guys got to work. No problem here. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty. My father taught me that. He used to always say “First rule of leadership, don’t ask anyone to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself.”
Pleasure. Always weird saying that. I mean, whoever says something like "Man, I wish I didn't meet you just now!" Or "Displeasure to meet you!" Weird...
Jalen Kai'el said:
"Said you were headed to Naboo? I hear things are getting rather busy down there. I'd go, but the war has me rather tied up back here."
I guess he didn’t know when he asked me. No surprise really. No one seems to know, or care. I mean, I’m not looking for name recognition, but wow. I won’t elaborate, not worth it. It looks to be. Just moved there with my mom after what happened on Hapes. Not, not, NOT going to make a big attention grab about this. Not their concern, not why they’re here. I would say “we’re” but I’m along for the ride, really, if we’re being honest.
Jalen Kai'el said:
"If you're enthusiastic about planting you may as well give a hand," he noted. "Force knows everyone else around here is swamped to the Netherworld and back..."
"I'll remind you that I have a medical duty to uphold, Master Si," Jalen stated in a rather blunt, but by no means rude manner. It was just a matter of fact. "If you're looking for extra hands it's best to find ones that don't need to rush back to patients."
"I was kidding, thankfully." Jonyna ensured the teen, giving a smile to both the padawans. "I'm happy to help myself. Michael, would you mind assisting in planting some trees? A garden would make it so this temple better blends with the environment."
Jonyna often felt her heart was too big. While she cherished Jenn Kryze
, she couldn't help but think back to the days of her time as a Rebel, sharing her bed with two men whom she kept close.
Part of her wondered if Jenn would ever consider the option. She doubted it, the mandalorian was rather possessive, but Jonyna had to consider the question at least.
Something to bring up in the future, and a conversation she knew would probably be tense.
Damian du Couteau, Senator of Empress Teta
Location: Cerea Objective: Voices of Diplomacy Outfit
Damian stifled a yawn, his walk across the hallway had fortunately been empty, no wandering eyes seeing an undignified gesture. His appearance nearly always appeared tired as the young du Couteau heir could never find enough sleep. Even with trips across the galaxy it seemed that Damian always instead found one reason or another to avoid sleep and continue working. His trusty data-slate held firmly with his left hand as he scrolled through a few key reminders of the planet he was on currently.
The Alliance was made up of hundreds of planets, member worlds of varying cultures and government views. Most differences in the past had been solved easily enough with a few compromises among the ruling caste, but whenever firmer guarantees were required; Well, contracts and deals are what we in the Senate do after all. Damian had read a few detailed reports from previous agreements with similar scenarios as Cerea, one that came to mind was Chaldea and their requirements to join the Alliance.
Assurances of non-exploitative arraignments and other conservatory regulations against outside parties. Damian really had no issues with granting these to any new member world, if anything it was a rather basic plan. But one that the ruling body of Cerea needed to hear and feel assured with, after all the Alliance could ill-afford to waste resources forcing or even subduing a new member world. There were already stacks of data-slates back in his office, Damian wanted his workload to only consist of proper hyperlane and station construction and management.
Shifting his gaze up from his data-slate as he walked into the next room, Damian noted someone that he thought he had seen before but couldn’t be exactly sure. The woman wasn’t from Cerea that's for certain, Damian had studied a bit of the customs and their style of outfits. That and the nearby guard. Cautious with his approach, he stopped a little over a foot away from the woman.
“My name is Senator du Couteau, pardon my intrusion but are you from the Alliance delegation?” Damian introduced himself as he bowed his head towards the woman. Unfortunately he had skipped reading the Alliance member list of participants to get a head start on his work. An unfortunate mistake on his part, but the strategy of divide and conquer the planetary government’s body was always an effective strategy. Probably more effective if I learned what the rest of the delegation was talking about and the meetings scheduled.
"Apologies for the question, I have yet to communicate with any of the other delegates today."
Drake groaned as one of the transients cut him off sharply with a reasonable sounding plea for Xin's mercy and compassion. Even half-drunk he knew that was like baring your throat to a Zualjinn crime boss. Especially this boss. Sentients had suffered gruesome fates for far lesser infractions. These two looked handsome enough they might get sold as slaves, but for all his charm Atlas was well past his prime.
"It's actually a funny story, old friend. There was this pair of rodians-KARABAST!"
His knee exploded in pain and not for the first time tonight Atlas planted face first into duracrete. Starlines flashed as if the frontier captain's body had blind jumped to lightspeed. Gratitude for saving his life from blaster fire failed to materialize in the string of exotic curses he uttered at both the zeltron and the zeltron's parents.
While the human selflessly tackled some poor barmaid out of harm's way his partner moved like a blur. Some kind of explosive device nearly deafened the captain. In moments there was only one active shock baton left in the room, looming over Dean and the innocent that he shielded.
Captain Drake's blaster struck the Zualjinn goon hard from behind with a loud thud knocking them out cold. Before anyone could stop him, Atlas blasted the locking mechanism for the door leading back out into the bar.
"That should slow the rest of them down," he turned back to the agents and grinned, "Little lady, please tell me you know a back way out of here."
Dean threw himself over Katarine as the chaos erupted around them, his larger frame shielding her entirely from the blaster fire and the concussive force of the grenade. His arms wrapped protectively around her as they hit the ground, the cold durasteel pressing against his forearms. The metallic tang of smoke and scorched ozone filled his senses, but it wasn't the only thing that lingered.
He felt her lips brush against his neck — just a fleeting, impish kiss that only she could sneak in under such circumstances. For a moment, a faint blush crept up his neck and into his cheeks, warmth blooming where her lips had been. His gray eyes narrowed slightly, though more out of the effort to focus than any true irritation.
"You're trouble," he whispered.
He pressed her down firmly but gently, ensuring she stayed low and safe under him. Even as she struggled theatrically, screaming curses that sounded far too convincing, he didn't waver. He knew what she was doing — playing her part to perfection. But that kiss… it lingered, and for a fleeting moment, his resolve faltered.
The chaos of Nos and Atlas clearing the room jolted him back to reality. As the last of the enforcers fell and the door behind them was blasted shut, Dean shifted slightly, rising just enough to loom over her. His sharp gray eyes locked onto her emerald ones, the intensity of the moment bringing a flutter to his chest that he struggled to suppress.
He held her gaze for a beat longer than he should have, the professional mask threatening to crack under the weight of emotions he couldn't afford to indulge. With a quiet exhale, he pushed those feelings down, offering her a hand to help her up.
"Good to see you, Kat," he murmured, his tone softer than he intended but still edged with the tension of the moment. Once she was on her feet, Dean straightened and turned toward Nos and Atlas, his focus shifting back to the mission at hand. He adjusted his stance, his gaze flicking between the group before settling on Katarine again.
"You know a way out of here?" he asked, his voice steadier now, though there was a subtle warmth beneath the surface — a reminder of their familiarity amidst the chaos. "Because something tells me we're not done with these guys yet."
The Chiss’ eyes were glued to the screens as she watched the scene in the cantina unfold. What was initially a chaotic mess, fell into a tense silence as a female behind the bar made herself known.
Welcome to the party, Miss Ryiah.
The SIA were aware of the Jedi Master going deep undercover, and officially speaking they had no involvement in the matter. But it was their business to know everything, especially when it involved future operations.
As the group were pushed towards the backroom, Amelia made quick work of masking over the camera positioned in the room. Intercepting the live feed and looping it the moment the holoprojection of Xin Fors appeared.
It would fool whoever was working security there, but only for so long. Even a simpleton would eventually figure out something was off. The agents’ time was steadily running out.
Suddenly the backroom erupted into chaos, blaster fire going off in all directions. Well, if they weren’t alerted to something being off now, the sudden sounds of weapon fire was most certainly going to do the job.
Hawthorne bit down a sigh as she decided to tune into the comms again. “That would be an understatement, Agent Walker.” Her voice rang in not just Dean’s ear, but Nos’ too. As well as the others, if they were tuned into the encrypted Intelligence channel.
Well, maybe not Atlas given the captain’s drunken state…
“You’ve not just poked the hornet’s nest, you’ve outright kicked it. Orders are being sent out to lockdown the surrounding area, and more men are being dispatched to the cantina.” It was possible to slow down the former, but it was only a matter of time until someone clued into the fact their system was compromised. “You need to get out of there asap, and if I can provide a suggestion.” Hawthorne paused, her eyes lingering on the screen where Katarine was standing. “Use the lovely barmaid as leverage to reach Xin Fors. He’s notorious for not liking his ‘property’ being taken from him.”
"Xin can show us the way out personally, if he's feeling like surrendering."
Nos slapped the shoulder of the spacer as thanks, "Sorry to get you wrapped up in this, but assist us here and we'll forget about your attempted assault on Galactic Law enforcement, deal?"
It was a gamble, trusting Atlas Drake
, but if Nos pulled out of the operation now Xin would go to ground and months of preparation and surveillance would go to waste. "A good deal if you ask me - considering the alternative for witnesses with potentially compromising Intel." Nos continued as he walked to the unconscious enforcer he pressed a foot on their back and zip-tied their wrists together. Nos's first instinct was to deliver a mercy cut, but the man may have Intel and there were bystanders - bad optics for the SIA.
The emotions within Dean were easy enough to read. "C'mon loverboy, we're lucky enough to be ahead of schedule. Can your sidepiece fire a blaster?" Nos asked Dean, motioning towards Katarine.
"Oh sorry D, I didn't realize you were the sidepiece"Nos said with the faintest of a slight grin, mostly deadpan to the casual observer."**
Nos touched the inner-earpiece to respond: "Negative on the exfil, Overwatch. Door's operating mechanism's busted, we'll have to take the rear entrance. Proceeding to target neutralization."
Nos let off the comms and continued, "I can leave you a thermal charge to blast the door open if you want to back out with the girl and the drunk, D, but I'm seeing this through. This bastard's not slipping us again.
Internally, he knew this wouldn't go over well with overwatch or Sylvia, but they already knew he was a hardass. This opportunity was worth the mark on his record.
With the precious time available Nos holstered his silenced Pistol, pulling out a compact firearm, folding out the stock, inserting the magazine and chambering the first round of the Compact automatic Slugthrower from inside his jacket.
Nos took up a firing position at the Hall's junction, tallying up the grenade's casualty count. Three unresponsive, two missing and retreated, one severely injured and crawling away further into the backrooms of the 'cantina', quickening their pace upon seeing Nos.
"Your call, Loverboy." If the girl was someone special to Dean, Nos couldn't blame him for wanting to get her clear of the situation. Especially if she was Xin's property up until now. Cold as he was, Nos wasn't heartless. Not entirely.
Nos grabbed the crawling enforcer by the ankle, dragging them back around the corner before drawing a knife from his boot and delivering the mercy cut. Nos's vibroknife silenced the brain stem - quick and painless.
Well, like I have already written, I’m more than willing to put in a hard day’s work. Always been that way, and frankly, planting is therapeutic, and always wanted to plant trees. I believe that planting trees is an important part of preserving an environment for future generations. I'm confident that I can help with this, it will make a difference. I'm ready to take on this challenge.
Jonyna Si said:
"I'm happy to help myself. Michael, would you mind assisting in planting some trees? A garden would make it so this temple better blends with the environment."
Absolutely! So there, I rolled up my sleeves and went to get to work. I wish I was as big as Uncle Caltin but there’s equipment here to move these trees. I’m no great Jedi, may never be, but I know how to do this, and I can contribute to something. Heh, I should be a landscaper.
"You too. You boys certainly know how to make an entrance." She smirked at him and then glanced at the Zeltron and the drunk captain. The Zeltron started to talk and called Dean "loverboy" which made Katarine grin ear to ear and smile impishly at Dean. Another nickname in the making it seemed.
"Use the lovely barmaid as leverage to reach Xin Fors. He's notorious for not liking his 'property' being taken from him."
"Your commander is right. If you don't act fast this is going to get ugly. If you head straight down this tunnel and swing a right you will head right into Xin's main operation. There will be enforcers there, as well as some civilian slaves being forced to cut spice. I suggest you take Xin into custody and head out the back. It's a secret entrance so should buy you some time. Use me to get to him. If we do it right we might be able to free some slaves as well."
Her concern was the male Zeltron who seemed to want to do things his own way. She could admire that but she also didn't want him getting anybody killed. His main concern seemed to be getting Xin however and they could arrange that, especially if they did use Katarine as a bargaining chip.
It was good to see Valery on the other side of his struggle. He was himself again, and she could see it. A slight chuckled in Taam's throat accompanied his smile. The past was behind him, even as the way forward was still in works. His amber gaze shifted over the Grandmaster's shoulder at Jonyna Si
. She and Jonyna had an...understanding, Of course, Taam still harbored feelings for his fellow Cathar Jedi but, after wise council from Valery, those emotions were kept in a healthy place.
His gaze returned to the orange-like eyes of his friend. He could see the admiration of the serenity of Cera in those eyes as they surveyed their surroundings. They reflected his own sentiment about Cerea and the Galactic Alliance's presence on the planet.
The conversation continued, the glimmer of inquiry in the Grandmaster's countenance. Taam had come unannounced. His grin widened, almost boyishly. "Maybe a bit of both." The Cathar chimed. "There has been plenty of war and strife. The prospect of being part of something more positive brought me here. I want to help." He shrugged innocently, but his smirk betrayed him. "Meeting up with some other Jedi is a bonus." Taam added idly. His visit to New Cov had not been merely to make amends to the Jedi Council through Valery. He was put to work while there by the Grandmaster. He was offering his help on this project as well. "Again, Grandmaster, I am at your service." Taam offered a small bow, his smile growing wider.
Dark, almond-shaped eyes peered at Vera and Roman. "Ugh." She murmured under her breath. The two younger padawans continued their incessant taunting of one another even as they stepped past the incapacitated guards and into the facility. Tigris did offer Vera a brief smirk as the passing girl offered a wink. The dynamic between those two padawans just helped to exemplify how the Jedi were different from the Seyugi knew so long ago. Vera and Roman bickered like siblings, revealing the closer relationships the Jedi share with one another. The Dervish assassins were hard, private and cold, trained to work alone. She still had a lot to learn about being Jedi, lessons Vera and Roman already knew.
As Roman and Vera disappeared into the building, Tigris' keen gaze scanned the surroundings. The pair of SIA agents nodded, confirming the tattooed padawan's role as look out, and after dragging the guards into the shadows, moved inside as well. The black-clad Tigris then wrapped a cloak of the Force around her with the intent to stalk the perimeter for other entrances or guards.
Tigris took a few steps then halted. She felt eyes on her. Dark eyes again surveyed the surroundings. A couple of drunk Bothans giggling as the staggered down the street, too intoxicated to know they took a wrong turn. It wasn't them. Then her gaze lifted upwards. A couple heads peering over the roof of the adjacent building. The details of their faces were too far to discern, but both had very light colored hair.
"Hmm..." Tigris hummed to herself. She didn't sense immediate danger, so didn't yet alert the others. But clearly they could see, or had seen her and the others. Tigris continued in the cloak of the Force and employed her well-trained skills in stealth to sneak to the building next to that of the spies. Summoning the Force, she leapt atop a pair of plasteel crates, then up to window ledge, then to the top of the roof. From there, she could see both the entrance and a large part of the warehouse and the mystery observers on the adjacent room. Tigris didn't know if she had remained undetected by those on the next building, but she looked their way to figure out what they were up to, and if they posed any danger.
Aadihr Lidos
|
Azurine Varek
|
Roman Vossari
|
Vera Noble
|
Tigris
