Lilla knew little of...

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla wondered what the sensation was – it was not exactly a warning, but nor was it necessarily a positive feeling she’d got from the Force.

As she wondered what Master Ike had sensed, she became aware of the ships – and the Jedi they carried. On the plus side, this gave them a significant advantage in overcoming the queen and the symbiotes – but that was not the whole story.

There was no telling what might happen if a symbiote controlled a Jedi – and no inkling if the inhabitants would settle for a surrender, or would fight to the very last person. The creatures, at least, she believed would not simply give up, but would protect themselves to the very end.

“I’m pleased we have reinforcements, but I suspect our role is not over yet. I wonder if we should be directing any initiative – given we have the local knowledge – or if we should debrief the team that have arrived and allow them to take the lead.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

She gave it a look towards the ship and then she was looking over the city itself. Able to feel and pick out the ones here. "Directing and giving them information from the ground it would and could be best. She was bringing up her wrist datapad while they were getting all of the information. She was putting what had happened, what they had been encountering here as she could fel some fo the jedi arriving. The image of another jedi appeared. "Rali, this is Matsu." Her speech changed to atrisian as it flowed out quick, crisp and the pilot was bringing up the information as she seemed to be moving. Matsu then came back while the jedi master looked out and the ships that were descending down but they weren't rushing. Instead they semed to be going into a formation and dropping some of the droids to work with scanners and set up small areas to attract any of the possible traps.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla knew she still had a lot to learn — and not just about the Force. She knew she had much to know about being a Jedi beyond that aspect of their life. And Master Ike just showed her one such way.

“Droids,” LIlla said, as if she’d never heard of them before. “I never thought to deploy droids. The symbioses would be useless against them. Too often I think of things like a stereotypical Jedi — as if the use of the Force is the only tool at my disposal. And this is despite me constantly reminding my Padawans of the folly of such an approach.”

Lilla pulled out a small datapad from her pocket and began to rapidly type up notes — details of what she’d seen and surmised. She made these available to the Jedi command centre on the fleet — knowing analysts would be able to add her notes to whatever they already had — and therefore create a bigger and more complete picture.

“I’ve uploaded all I can remember,” she said to Master Ike. “Is it time to flush out the queen — before she goes into hiding and beyond our reach?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

"Not quite." Matsu said it for a moment but the information from the two of them were already getting put through everything. THey had developed AI's just for this task and ones like La Rasa and Quiet who worked tirelessly to compile data and information about everything they were doing. THe jedi master paused as the droids were moving around though when they engaged some of the people ionicbeam weapons were well the ruu used them to capture being to entech them which was nasty work and dangerous, twisted and evil.. but the technology was a powerful non lethal means you coul put done or disable some strong beings like wookiee's in case problems came up. The datapad beeped as it was bringign up new information and scans of the area they were in including thermal to show the largest location. "Now we can begin.. I don't know if we can save but we can try. THe droids can disable the people and it won't be pretty but experimenting might find us a way to remove them safely." She didn't want to sound well wicked or like it was fun but the more they had the more they could test and try to find a means to do it... it would be skirting the line at best with them and she was going to have to proceed carefully.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla listened and nodded. She understood the dilemma they faced and it was typical of the sort of missions she’d had to undertake most recently.

There was rarely a best outcome – and often not even a good outcome, but typically she had to work towards a ‘least bad’ solution. And this was a case in point. How to remove the symbiotes without killing the host? It was likely to require an element of experimentation – and sadly that would result in potential casualties.

Sure, they would assess all of the data first and begin once they were sure they had a viable solution – but this may not be initially an exact science. The target was to have as few suffer and perish as possible. But it was a necessary trade-off, to save as many as possible.

“I understand,” Lilla confirmed. “And I’m ready to move out as soon as you are.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

Ah good. THe jedi master was moving while the droids were giving them all fo the ifnormation on holgram displays. She could see the largest concentration when fighting broke out with interest. The jedi master herself though moved through and took out a stun rod. The beamer was built into the hilt sos he could use it at a range or close. As she got closer to the citadel itself the sounds of combat rose up where the droids were engaging the symbiote infected people. Stunners smashing into some fo them and they were twitching on the ground a little and trying to fight before some fo the jedi moved in. The jedi master fired a shot to the leg of one person who was on the ground before they were being restrianed.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla was not keen on the plan — but the alternative was even less palatable, so she supported it entirely. But watching the hosts being subdued whilst the symbiotes were forced to vacate their human carriers was a challenge to witness, even for a Jedi.

There was now widespread fighting — and if there was a plus, it was the the Jedi’s droids were on the ascendancy and the symbiotes were denied the opportunity to find new hosts. But Lilla knew this was a planet — not a room full of infected people — and who knew how they might multiply and reinfect the population in time.

Lilla kept her wits about her — as an organic, she was a prime target for a symbiote to attack, and she held her saber hilt in her hand and immersed herself in the Force, glowing it to defend her without conscious effort.

But she managed to walk alongside the Jedi Master as they approached the citadel without being attacked.

“So far, so good. Do you think the queen is here?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

"I think she is." They were the organics among the droids. A few of the biots, organic droids were being attacked but it was not as easy. THeir security counter measures could ocme in and this was why the jedi master had made them... also the whole they don't completely breathe the air. It made them going into poisoned worlds and environments to treat others easier. Matsu herself finally revealed her saber when she moved and the white blade slashed into the symbiote going into the neck of one fo the droids or trying to. They were smart somewhat but they were also instinctual and driven to try and overtake a body when one came at her feet. She jumped up a little and slashed. She was looking at it and moving into one fo the buildings before force pushing another into the air as they were stunned middle of the arc. Falling to the ground a little painfully but she could still sense some life from them.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla’s mind was full of questions. How long could a symbiote survive outside of a host? Could a host survive a symbiote being removed? What could kill a symbiote when it was inside a host? If anything? What would it take to kill a symbiote outside of the host?

As well as questions, Lilla had ideas aplenty – but decided against acting upon them. Most, if not all, involved a high degree of jeopardy and were unethical given the level of support they had at their disposal. In a life or death situation, it was OK to take such a risk, but not here. Not now.

They reached a point where the hosts were in danger of outnumbering the droids. Here, Lilla felt more comfortable in acting – given the alternative was unacceptable. So, she reached out with her hands and rather than pushing the hosts away with the Force, or even pulling them – she instead used her abilities to hold them stationary. This allowed the droids to regroup and tackle the hosts in a controlled way – which seemed entirely a reasonable approach.

“I wonder just how many there are?” Lilla asked, the exertion of holding so many hosts in place was a little taxing. She knew she had to conserve energy for their inevitable journey into the citadel – to tackle the queen, or whatever the entity that was controlling them was.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

She was looking at them and trying to sense it, without getting to close she knew a way to sense and well feel out the size of a hive mind. It was something done with the jedi against the kiliks. though having to be close and have a way to connect to them was key... joiners were a little easier to feel though these you needed to be cloe to the symbiotes who were not as subtle as the other insects about you joining them. "There are at least a planets worth. If what she said is true, if this was used like a prison colony world then it could be over populated, it could be sparsely populated. I don't recall many records of it being in use but if the symbiots were here and the people being sent woke them up they could have been at this for years breeding themselves to have numbers... I don't know if they can make their hosts breed to produce more offspring which could add to it." And the possibility that there might be children infected and taken over did not sit well with her.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla had a look on her face that shared the fact she was deep in thought. Master Ike’s words had given her plenty to think about.

“I mean, a whole population’s worth? An entire planet of symbiotes? That doesn’t bear thinking about. But there must be another way, surely. If it’s a hive mind, then many such communities have some kind of a queen — and in this case we have a literal one. If she were to be negated, might we end this a lot quicker?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

She nodded in agreement. "it stands to reason most hive minds are directed by the strongest without that one they could go back to being docile for a moment without their influence." She moved her head while force pushing one back into a small tanglefoot field. Able to keep them from moving around she spoke. "It could also let another one who is strong and able to influence them appear like a line of succession." Sometimes a lack of real infomration could be bad, there wasn't eniough from when the jedi had faced them aside from how they were controlled and the strongest mind could exert control over all of them. The jedi master though was moving and went towards the citadel as it felt and showed the largest concentration of them. She was directing while the doors were being pried open.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla listened and followed the logic. “It stands to reason that, if the queen is removed, the rest will be subdued for a while and then, as you explain, nature dictates a new queen comes forth. But what if the queen is not necessarily removed, but is temporarily subdued. The rest should become passive until they can be rounded up and treated. We just need to keep the queen alive for long enough to deal with the others – but not in a position to exert control over the hive.”

Lilla was still thinking and decided to throw caution to the wind with her other hypothesis. “Or, one of us could perform a mind trick on the queen. If we control her, we control the hive. Get them to all come to a given point – it saves having to seek them out?”

By now they had reached the entrance to the citadel. Whatever they chose to do – they would have to do it quickly.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

Hmm she didn't know about mind controlling a hive queen but subduing it enough that it wouldn't be able to control the hive while still not being removed. That might be possible. A means to disorient and confuse she could and would love to look into more. On the fly and in a place like this right now though it would require some ideas of experimentation on their part without getting themselves in too much danger. The jedi master moved swiftly through ito the citadel and the open lift heading down into the vaults was the destination as she didn't go into the car. More jumping towards the area above it and through a grate to be in the shaft as the white blades illuminated the shaft... then she was moving to get into a small groove and slid down it using her feet to cushion and kick off of the small walls to control her descent.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla knew her ideas were little more than that – ideas – but she also knew she was smarter than average, and so her thoughts had some merit, even if they weren’t all feasible – or entirely accurate.

She watched the Jedi Master consider her suggestions, and awaited her response.

When none came immediately, Lilla suspected Master Ike was mulling them over, and if and when one appeared a viable option, she’d share that news with Lilla.

They made their way into the Citadel, more quickly now - and down. Using in part her climbing training, and in part the Force, Lilla was able to just about keep up with Master Ike as they descended towards the vaults.

“Do we have a plan?” she asked, as they neared their destination.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

Matsu moved and realized she hadn't spoken but it added and gave her a chance to think it over. "I am going to try and neural shock the queen's host. make them unconscious and place them in a hibernation trace. it should keep them from being killed but will also disorient the hive mind... maybe. I a hoping it will work." She was going for the most non lethal she could but still be effective. WHile they didn't need to kill... they also couldn 't just pick at them like gnats it would eventually become a numbers gav=me and they had more. So the jedi master was moving down quickly and carefuly until she reached the bottom and started to pry at the doors.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla listened to Master Ike. A neural shock seemed like a sensible idea – although it might be a challenge to determine how long it would be effective for. The Jedi Master was right – if it went well, it might induce a hibernation trance. Non-lethal and would have the added bonus of disorientating the hive mind – and the queen. But if it didn’t work, then they would be putting themselves in clear and present danger.

Shortly, they reached the bottom of the shaft, and Lilla focused her senses on what was beyond the doors, whilst the Silver Jedi master looked to prise them open. It wouldn’t do to walk straight into the jaws of the enemy.

“The immediate area beyond the doors is unoccupied, at least right now it is.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

Matsu looked at ehr and they seemed to have a plan as she got the door opened enough for the two fo them to move through quickly when she was going for now. Interest in a few things though as she crouched down lower with a saber in her hand but she didn't activate it. She was moving and with the room clear for them to go around she wa smore looking and listening for them to try and find the queen. She was the primary target but they couldn't just charge in there. THey needed to be able to have the least amount of distance for the maximum amount of gain before she checked out a few things. "We should be able to get around and into the next area quickly but we want to close the distance without being swarmed.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

The door opened sufficiently for them to slide though – and they picked up pace now. Time was of the essence.

The way ahead was initially clear, and she used her Force abilities to sense who might be in adjacent rooms – to avoid unnecessary confrontation and to find the queen.

Lilla presumed such a presence would have a powerful signature and she sensed nothing close by – but did appreciate that others were heading their way.

“I suspect it’s more than a coincidence that figures are heading our way.” Lilla closed her eyes and constructed a mental map based upon what the Force told her. “If we head around to the left, we’re likely to miss most of them. But I guess once we see one, the rest will automatically be alerted to our presence.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

"Usually what happens in a hive mind." Matsu was looking at it and she was going to the direction indicated. Letting the force for both of them move as she opened herself up to it fully and pushed thoughts around in the air. Interest playing across her face but the jedi master rose up along the wall as she spoke under her breath. The beauty of being older then some of the jedi was experience and learning skills from a number of sources. Like the witches on Dathomir and the singing mountain. Her hands glowed a little with greenish blue light and she stuck to the wall able to climb like a spider. She was moving with her head on a swivel motioning for Lilla to come along on the ground and she went to the ceiling to scramble quickly.