Finding the Gnost Dural

[Jsc]

"Excellent"

Monica slapped her hands together with a loud thap!

"Jedi Velus. Jedi Fyre. You're welcome to leave for the Lion's District on the mainland at your leisure. Again, the location is the Denon of Academy of Science. The Diner on the 103rd floor. You're contact is Chu Lon. A librarian. Get as much detail from him on where the Autumn Triads are holding their prisoners, yes? Good. And remember. The less bounty hunters you tangle with on your way there and back, the better. Alright. Enough lecture for the mistress I suppose. Get to it gentlemen. And may the Force be with you."

She turned her attention back to Sykes and Golden now,

"Master Sykes. Welcome aboard. My my. Such a dashing chap to have on my team. What a lucky girl I get to be today. Charming. Glad to have you dear. ...And Captain Golden. Since you've so willingly volunteered your home and vessel here to this rag-tag group of million dollar bounties in the making? Might we also now set a course for the orbital shipyards then? As, to be perfectly frank, ...a yacht would certainly attract less attention that a squadron of military-grade starfighters. Hehe. Don't you think?"

She paused to smile,

"Oh. And yes dear. We'll just be asking him questions. Nothing too tawdry. Hehe. I promise."

Ah. Poor Bato. He really didn't have any idea of what a target he had painted on his back just for allowing these Jedi to stay on his ship. Yep. It was probably a good guess that right about now every single bounty hunter in the system would be all to0 happy to blast him, and his vessel, back into the stone-age. Kapow. All for a cool million credits a head. Tsk tsk tsk.

Now? Did Monica worry about Bato betraying them for a Golden fortune as illustrious as his very own name? Nah. Because Bato was also a smart man too. And, the last thing any smart man wants on his conscience is a group of really, really pissed off magical Jedi super-humans who can melt your brain into pudding with just a thought. Think about it. Just, glace. Zap. Pow. Then, ugh, pudding brain. Bleh. Gross. Nobody wants that. Really now. Ugh.

Well. Ya know. Probably.

"Okay everyone!" Monica slapped her hands together one last time, "Time's up. You all have your assignments now. Let's get to them. Hehe. Class dismissed!"

Oh yeah. It was go time.

_

[member="Bato Golden"] [member="Velus"] [member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

Dax nodded and then turned to leave, waiting for his new partner at the bottom of the ramp. The Rogue offered up a hand as the other approached, "You already know my name, doesn't seem fair that I don't know yours." he said in a friendly manner. Better at least know who he was working with before they ran headlong into what would eventually become a firefight. Rescues pretty much always did.

First though, there was the good Doctor to address. Dax could only hope that the man was as willing to share information as [member="Saint Monica"] claimed. If not, well the Knight was sure they'd be in for one helluva time.

[member="Velus"], [member="Audren Sykes"], [member="Bato Golden"]

 

[Krayzen Dratos]

Velus listened to everyone peak, then focused his attention on [member="Dax Fyre"]. He offered his hand in return, as they both shook there hands in a friendly gesture. "Name's Velus. I've mostly served in the The Kathol Outback." he said.

"I believe you are Dax?" he replied, wondering if he was right.

"Do you mind if I get my weapons?" he said. This was part of the truth, since he wanted to get the item he had that had a picture of his -dead- family, but he also wished to arm himself, since he knew he was entering a warzone.

He awaited Dax's response, as he saw the others speak to each other.

 

[Dax Perl]

Dax smiled at the mention of the Underground, "Another KO man huh? Good to know you got my back." he said, slapping the man on his shoulder. Upon being asked to retrieve his gear Dax nodded, "Course. Wouldn't want to walk in with no way to defend ourselves."

As he let the man go and retrieve his gear Dax leaned against the wall of the port and winced, clutching his abdomen. This blasted stomach was doing more harm than help...Dax could only hope it wouldn't affect the mission. He'd be blasted before being the cause of a friends death.

[member="Velus"], [member="Audren Sykes"], [member="Saint Monica"], [member="Bato Golden"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

Audren's only visible reaction to the woman's fluttering - that really was the best word for it - was a raised eyebrow. His amusement would no doubt be easily sensed through the Force though. He wasn't flattered, wasn't frustrated, just amused. That was tinged with a little surprise though, when he heard about the million credit bounty. He had to wonder who carried the majority of that money...as far as he was aware, the bounty on his head was only one hundred thousand, just a tenth of what was stated.

"The starfighters would certainly make a statement though."

It was said in jest, the sort of understated truth as it was. The results of that 'statement' would be the shipyard locking down under anti-piracy protocols and quite a lot of bureaucratic nonsense while things were sorted out. That would take time, time which would be better spent elsewhere. Of course, she was her normal peppy self. Yet underneath that, the Sephi had no doubt that she was aware of all that was going on. That had always been the case under her old name. He'd yet to hear why that had been changed too, seemed there was a bit to be caught up on.

He had to admit that, as he settled into one of the couches in the common area, he could certainly get used to the luxury it provided. Then again, luxury was not the Jedi way. Quite the opposite: it was usually the Sith who surrounded themselves with opulence. With only the barest hint of using the Force, he found and pulled out the straps to secure one into the couch as it took off; pretty much every piece of furniture on spacefaring vessels had them, even if they were concealed.

"Who are all of these people, Monica? Names are one thing, but as far as I can tell you're the only link between us all."

[member="Saint Monica"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member=Velus] | [member="Bato Golden"]

 

[Jsc]

Ah. How Monica had forgotten [member="Audren Sykes"] 's sense of humor. A welcome trait amongst missions such as this. Not as deviant or as brash a sense of humor as some of the other Silver Jedi companions Monica had meet before. But still young enough to smirk at a world that orbited out of balance.

"A statement indeed Master Sykes. God save them that fear us. Hehe. Oh bother."

She tapped her nose with a smile. Then turned to examine the room for a bar or food stuffs,

"To be honest Aurden, I'm not really sure. The Director was just a name given to me by Admiral Keys. An old Intelligence contact back on Fondor. Honestly, can't believe that old man is still alive really. Bah. Clever little goose, that one. But it will pay off. I know it."

She shrugged. It was obvious she was loosing her touch. This last year she had seen herself recede greatly from galactic politics. Shameless attempts at leaving the Game entirely. As always though. Ugh. With no great success. Something always brought her to strange missions such as this one.

"Luckily, I do believe the Director will be of great help to us. And, be friendly. Though I cannot explain a woman's intuition, you understand. I simply sense a connection."

Any Jedi would understand that. Better lucky than good, I suppose.

"As for Denon. I've spent many years since Corellia broke working with the Sections of the Denon Academy of Science. Trying to create a holo-graphic Library that exists outside of the traditional Jedi control schema. Yavin was supposed to be our sanctuary after this manner of knowledge retention but... Damn the Mandalorians. They are nothing if unpredictable. Indeed. I must confess defeat in my attempt. I was unable to give the Holonet the knowledge it needs to break free of Force User control."

She kicked the carpet with a frown. Remembering that Sasori would probably have succeeded where she had failed.

"Anyway. During that time I knew Chewy. Erm, Chu Lon. Good man, if remote. As far as scientists go he was less lab-coat and more university boy. Gosh. Honestly it's been months since I've seen him. Poor fool. Never could get a coffee order right. Tsk."

Monica finally sat down opposite Sykes and nodded.

"I'm sorry Audren. If this mission seems desperate? It is only because it is. I wouldn't have asked for help like this unless I was truly tugging at strings here. I'm sorry you got dragged into this. Looking for a needle in a haystack really must be above you by now. Hehe. Ah... Such as it is."

There was a sadness in her voice that could only come with the passings of time. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

 

[Krayzen Dratos]

[member="Dax Fyre"]

"Same here bud." he said.

The Ephicanthix then went to his room. He then immediately went to wear he had hidden the necklace, and held it, remembering the memories of his family, and more importantly, those that he cared for that had died. He would make suer that his new ally, Dax, wouldn't suffer the same fate, although he knew the man was most likely capable of defending himself.

Velus then got all his weapons, such as his Mandalorian RIpper, FGW-5 Flechette Pistol, and so on. He would make sure he was armed, and prepared to fight a variety of opponents, as he intended to let the hatred he now had for the criminals that had captured young lings be unleashed, as well as the fact that he wished to rescue them as soon as possible.

He then returned to Dax. "I'm ready when you are," he said, cracking his knuckles in the process.

 

[Dax Perl]

The Knight nodded, "Alright then, lets go find our doctor."

Ever a slave of public transportation, Dax headed towards the first public speeder transport he could find. "Denon Academy of Science please." he said to a Taxi driver who'd pulled over. The man didn't seem the slightest bit disturbed by the fact that two armed men just called his cab. In fact he greeted them with enthusiasm. The driver made small talk as he took the two to their destination, and Dax would reply in kind.

"So what brings you two to our fine planet?"

[member="Velus"], [member="Saint Monica"], [member="Audren Sykes"], [member="Bato Golden"]

 

[Krayzen Dratos]

The world reminded him of Nar-Shadaa, and that only made him more angrier. Denon, once a shining star in the galaxy was in ruins. The planet's government was in ruins, former Suravi loyalists being hunted down while crime lords wished to go and declare a stake on the planet. He hated what had occurred, and wished he could help, but he didn't know how. That saddened him, but the Padawan kept his emotions in the deepest depths of his mind, something he had learned over the years.

A taxi-driver arrived, and Velus nodded at him, hiding his uneasiness, and ready to strike if need be. He gave Dax a look of "Do you want me to answer this question first?" If he need be, Velus would respond with "We're looking for a few people. " He then wondered if he had done a good job of being vague, as he looked down on the window, seeing smoke arise practically in all directions.

May the force be with them he thought to himself, as he waited for them to reach their destination.

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

Dax gestured in a manner that said 'have at it' and the other Outbacker answered the taxi driver's question. "Everybody's looking for someone." he said cheerily despite the smoke which had begun to rise in the distance. A few stray rumbles rolled through the busy hyper lane, some far off explosion vibrating the air around them.

Dax leaned forward and stuck his head around the driver's seat so that he could look at him as he spoke, despite the driver not being able to see him, eyes on the lane before them, "What kinda shape is the Academy in these days? Can't imagine that education is foremost on most peoples minds right now."

"Oh well, you know...its still standing. Not like theres anything in there to be looted. Even if there was the gangs wouldn't know how to use it!" the taxi driver laughed heartily, his chest heaving as the cheery sound escaped his lips.

[member="Velus"], [member="Saint Monica"], [member="Audren Sykes"], [member="Bato Golden"]

 

[Krayzen Dratos]

[member="Dax Fyre"]

Velus was happy had given what Dax considered to be a satisfactory answer. He then saw him inquire about the new academy; Velus saw the man give an answer with a laugh. He thought he was trying to mask his sadness of the situation with a laugh, but he wasn't sure.

"How are the surrounding areas like? Is there a lot of gang activity?" he wondered. The Ephicanthix waited for his response, as they flew past buildings on Denon.

 

[Dax Perl]

"Oh you know...they aren't what they used to be." the driver said, a tone of melancholy tainting his jovial tone. "Ain't all that bad though. Most of the time the gangs leave the rest of us alone. Mostly go after each other ya know?"
"Yeah, yeah I get that."

A few speeders zipped passed them, going the same direction as they were. A honk and some kind of expletive, one Dax didn't quite catch, signified a few unhappy drivers around them. "Man, these guys gotta lighten up a little."

[member="Velus"], [member="Saint Monica"], [member="Audren Sykes"], [member="Bato Golden"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

The answer wasn't at all what Audren had expected. Heck, it wasn't an answer to the question he'd thought he'd asked. He'd been asking about the other three, Dax and Velus and Bato. It was an eclectic group all around, and that was before factoring in their sources. That said though, her answers gave him an idea of what she'd been doing since the last time they'd spoken. Despite owning and operating a major company as well as a paramilitary group - or at least, she had done both last time he'd seen her - the woman had a tendency to bounce on and off the grid.

Contradictory to what the other Master was saying, it didn't sound desperate. It sounded like how Jedi did things when they didn't have major government backing. Which, given how consequential most Jedi plans tended to be, may in fact allow the word desperate to be applied. Even so, sometimes the needles needed to be found. Audren had long ago learned not to hold much as above - or below, as it were - his position in life.

"We're Jedi. We do what needs to be done, within reason. As far as your needle in the haystack, maybe we just need the right kind of tool to find it. A magnet, for example."

[member="Saint Monica"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member=Velus] | [member="Bato Golden"]

 

[Jsc]

It hadn't occured to Monica that [member="Audren Sykes"] might have been inquiring about the people on their team. She had thought he was inquiring about her contacts. Perhaps it was because her mind so was so narrowly focused on the mission. Perhaps she just hadn't sensed the subtle inflection in his voice. Selphi's were... Well, alien to her. Perhaps even unknown to her in many more ways than one. In fact. She had once heard a wild rumor back on Sullust that Selphi were born with more than one heart? Haha. Bah. Rubbish. Well? Probably.

She smiled,

"Ah. A magnet. Ha. Such cheek darling. Very clever."

Monica gave a heavy sigh and displaced her feelings once more. Taking a moment to remain in the present. Bato had already left to crew the cockpit. Surly they would be in the air soon.

"I'm sorry. Do forgive my sudden melancholy. It's been a long week. Ahem, so, can I answer any more of your questions Jedi Master Sykes. We appear to have a few moments before we reach orbit."

She stood up and began pacing. Darn. Why didn't this cabin have a bar. Poo.

 

[Krayzen Dratos]

[member="Dax Fyre"]

"I see." Velus said. He knew there was a lot of gang activity but he wasn't sure if the taxi driver was simply fainting his tone.

As they passed through two speeders, the Rebel saw them carrying a mysterious symbol. He wasn't sure what they were, but he looked at Dax, wondering his opinion on the matter.

"It must be tough being a taxi driver here right?" he asked.

As he waited for his response, he saw that they were close to the library, Velus being able to see it from the front window. He then prepared himself mentally, in case they were going to run into trouble.

 

[Dax Perl]

"You got that right." the driver said as Dax shrugged. He had no clue what the symbols meant. "No one really comes around here cause of them. People that live around here mostly stay indoors."
"You ever uh...get stuck in a firefight or something?" the Rogue asked.
"Can't say I have. Been pretty lucky in that respect. I guess Lady Luck's taken a shining to me." he joked. As they got nearer to the Academy, the driver told them that it was they're stop. "You two stay safe now." he told them as Dax paid the man and got out of the Taxi. Well the man had been right. The academy was virtually untouched.

"Nice man, huh?"

[member="Velus"]

 

[Krayzen Dratos]

[member="Dax Fyre"]

Velus continued to hear them speak. He stopped listening for a second, his mind wondering what the younglings were going through. When they had reached the academy, Velus was focused again, and nodded at the taxi driver.

"Thank you." Velus said in return.

He then heard Dax speak to him.

"He is undoubtedly a nice man. It's a shame he is stuck in this world." he said.

"Shall we begin?" he asked, as they entered the academy.

 

[Dax Perl]

"Shame it is...let's go." The Academy seemed to have everything. Beauty, elegance, advertisements for classes and competitions, posters cheering on the school's teams in whatever sports, even those useless little office plants. The one thing it lacked however, was students. The halls, classrooms, all seemed to be empty. It struck Dax to be almost eerie...an opinion he soon voiced. "Where the feth is everyone?" he asked, "Chit's getting on my nerves."

[member="Velus"]

 

[Krayzen Dratos]

[member="Dax Fyre"]

It was certainly beautiful, but as stated before, the lack of students was disturbing. I guess this is what you get for a planet that's at war.

Velus then looked around, remembering that they had to find the librarian.

"Isn't the librarian upstairs?" Velus asked, as he motioned for Dax to follow him. He doubted that he/she was here, but it didn't hurt to check, at least in his opinion.

 

[Dax Perl]

Dax nodded, "Yeah, hundred and third floor. Some diner." The Rogue followed the other Outbacker as they approached the turbo lifts. Pushing the button, the bell rang dutifully, noting the arrival of the lift. Dax stepped into the small space, the transparent walls offering a view of the outside world. It was beautiful in an awful way. Debris in the street, a few crumbling buildings, fires and columns of smoke. Distance made everything beautiful.

[member="Velus"]