Uncovering the Unknown

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Tugoro could not say that Nar Shaddaa was one of his most favored planets, but it sure was fascinating to the young Knight. The force thrived among the city planet, it was so loud and vast, for so many people lived throughout the planet. The cries of despair from the poor and the laughs of satisfaction from the rich were so vivid and consistent, sometimes Tugoro even had trouble sleeping within the Enclave.Currently, the young man was actually situated within the medical bay, a droid tending to the robotic hand that he had carried upon his wrist for years.

If memory served him correctly, [member="Lyari Bonmi"] was most likely on the third floor, whereas Tugoro was on the second. Deciding to take the staircase, the young Knight would implement the method of silent movement he had been taught by The Dark Man, arriving at the third level of the Enclave quite swiftly. From there, the Jedi set out on finding the Togruta Padawan, tracking her via force sense. Whether she was sleeping in the living accommodations or ready in the conference room however, was totally up for grabs.

 

[Lyari Bonmi]

The trip out to Nar Shaddaa had been long and Lyari had gone up to rest a bit while Master [member="Tugoro Taidarious"] had gotten his hand checked out. She wasn't asleep exactly, the ecumenopolis thrummed with a vibration that was causing her echo sensitivity to be unreliable. It was going to take some getting used to, and she was hoping that quietly meditating would help her find a balance with the ambient energy of the city planet. It was getting a little better when she sat up, deciding that it was just as good as it was going to get.

She was rummaging through her bag, looking for a tin of mints she liked from her childhood on Shili. Her saber hilts sat on the side table, identical and green bladed. She wasn't completely sure why they were there, but Master Taidarious would tell her soon enough. It was a little odd that he was the same age as her but then again, she had only come to the temple when she was 8. She was a quick study in practical lessons but it had been disheartening to not be chosen for so long. Now, she felt much more secure about her path.

Master Taidarious found her and she stood, attaching her sabers to her belt, her cloak laid over the end of the bed.

"Greetings Master, so what's the plan?"

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Tugoro had joined the Jedi Order when he was nine years old, being rescued from a group of slavers by the glorious Jedi themselves. It was the reason that he was so loyal to the faction, for he owed his life to them. It was basically a life debt, for Tugoro had been raised on Kashyyyk among the Wookiees. He remembered how he had been forced into the shadow lands at the mere age of eight. Good times, good times.

He had managed to survive for a week before returning to the tribe, officially recognized as a warrior. Tugoro wished he could honestly say his time in the shadow lands had been good, however it had been subconsciously blocked from his mind, just as many battles he participated in had been. Stepping into the room, the young Knight would avert his attention to the two sabers upon the nearby table.

Now they were on the Togruta's belt. Lifting his arm and focusing on the metallic hilts, the Jedi would summon them to his position via telekinesis, fiddling with some sort of feature before walking over to [member="Lyari Bonmi"]. Handing the weapons back to her, the youth gave her a smile before speaking, "Careful, it's real now," he said, obviously referring to the sabers. "We're going to go investigate matters in the Undercity. Who knows what we'll find."

 

[Lyari Bonmi]

They didn't feel any different in her hands but there was a weight around her shoulders now that had not been there previously. Real. She clipped them back to her belt and grabbed her cloak, pulling it on over her rusty orange skin. She pulled the hood up over her montrails, and nodded her acknowledgement to Master Taidarious.

"I understand."

She followed him out of the compound, and into the belly of the Undercity. The further down they got from the top, the darker it got. The smellier it got. Everything seemed to be dirty and damp, no sunlight penetrated that far to dry out the steam, the mists or the precipitation that trickled down from the super scrapers on the horizon. Speeders sailed and zipped back and forth in the transit lanes around the walkways and stairways and lifts that ferried people around the Smuggler's Moon. There were a couple times Lyari had to grab a railing but as she became immersed in the heart of the city, she became better attuned to it. The vertigo subsided and she was able to keep up with Master Taidarious as he descended into the darkness at the heart of Shaddaa.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Before leaving the Enclave, Tugoro would grab a cloak from a nearby hanger, slinging the garment around his body. Flipping the hood over his head, he would leave for the staircase, eventually walking out along one of the bridges that oversaw the two specific sectors. Those being the Corellian and Refugee sector. Leaping off of the metal structure and descending into the darkness, the Jedi could only hope that Lyari kept up. The fall was brief, and thankfully clear of any routes that speeders may have traveled along. The young man's brown cloak would billow wildly in the wind, fanning out as his boots touched silently upon a rooftop. Standing up from a crouched position, Tugoro would look back, making sure [member="Lyari Bonmi"] was close by before continuing, jumping from skyscraper to skyscraper, eventually descending into the Undercity itself.

The duo, after about half an hour of trekking, would finally find themselves in the slums of Nar Shaddaa. The Jedi would land upon another rooftop, one that belonged to some sort of establishment that most likely dealed in illegal activity. However, Tugoro was not here for the small fries, he wanted the big fish. Opening his mind further to the force, the Knight would allow his energy to connect with the flowing current that surrounded and bound everything, giving him an enhanced sense through the force. There was a clear disturbance, one that possessed a certain dark aspect to it. It was located in the warehouse district, and was not very far from their current position. "Let's go check something out. Keep alert." He spoke, hopping from the roof and into the dark alleyways. The Jedi would continue to traverse from there, until arriving at the warehouse district.

 

[Lyari Bonmi]

She was able to keep up with him easily but the excitement of being here away from the temple was almost distracting her from what she was supposed to be doing. Master Venci had given her some pointers before she left. For starters, don't try to impress Knight Taidarious. Just follow his instructions and pay attention to her surroundings. She had further explained that many padawans took unnecessary risks the first time in the field. There would be a time for stepping up and leading, but the first mission out was not it.

Lyari had thanked Master Venci and thought heavily on her words during the trip out. She could follow directions. She could, no would be mindful of her master's teachings and her surroundings. They were going to Nar Shaddaa, the stakes demanded it. There was something nearby that Master Tugoro wanted to investigate so they crept towards the warehouse district, blending in with the shadows as a feeling of cold, cruel hatred poked Lyari's senses with a thousand needles of alarm.

She dared not speak aloud, lest they give away their position. Her voice spoke quietly in his mind.

<<There's something or someone very bad in there...>>

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

A brief smile would form across the young Knight's face, as the sudden presence of dark side energy made itself apparent. The smirk would disappear shortly after however, as Tugoro turned to face [member="Lyari Bonmi"]. Usually when he faced the Sith, he was alone or had been accompanied by one of his masters. Opening his mind to the force, he would allow himself to receive her telepathic message, dropping the mind barrier he had formed moments earlier. <<They'll have to wait,>> Tugoro would reply telepathically, standing up from his crouched position as he looked upwards. Upon the roof, was a couple of plain clothed individuals, ones who wielded blaster rifles in their hands.

The barrels were aimed downward at the Jedi duo, beginning to release volleys of blaster fire at them. Knowing there was no time to slap himself in the face, the Knight would spring into action, drawing the metallic hilt of his lightsaber from beneath his brown cloak. The bright blue blade would spark to life as Tugoro dashed next to the Togruta, lifting his saber into the air and implementing the form of Soresu in his stance. The deadly bolts of energy would be swatted to the side by the young Jedi's speed and tight bladework, most likely buying his Padawan enough time to do something about their attackers before they moved on.

 

[Lyari Bonmi]

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

As Master Tugoro intercepted the blaster bolts, her saber hilts jumped to hands, ready to be ignited but rather the snap hiss of their illumination, Lyari aimed a force push at the pair of shooters to throw them back from the roof edge. It would either buy them some time to get inside the building or time to scale the roof and take them on face to face. A part of her did want to jump up to the roof and kick their teeth in, but there might be bigger problems inside the warehouse. She waited for a sign from her Master on which route was the likely one.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Tugoro knew that there were bigger problems in the warehouse, that much was evident enough thanks to the two 'thugs' who were attacking them. Even so, Tugoro was smart enough to realize that these individuals were no ordinary street crooks, the way they stood and fired their blasters was a way only disciplined soldiers could. [member="Lyari Bonmi"]'s force push would travel upwards along the warehouses wall, connecting with the attackers and causing them to fall backwards. Giving a nod of approval to the Padawan, Tugoro would bend his legs at the knees, focusing force energy into his lower limbs before leaping up into the air. Landing on the roof, the Jedi Knight would waste little time, knowing that he couldn't waste time playing around with a few henchmen. Swinging his saber in a circular motion, the young Jedi would have his plasma blade rotate through the air, cleanly slicing through the blaster rifles and rendering them useless.

Lifting an arm to do as Lyari had did moments earlier, Tugoro would release a focused blast of force power, knocking the duo backwards and unconscious. Smirking confidently at the display of teamwork, the Knight would remain calm and composed as he lowered his blade, concentrating on the interior of the warehouse as he sensed out the dark presence. It was basically right below him, there was no way to sneak inside, for whoever was inside definitely knew they were here. Thrusting his blade into the surface of the roof, Tugoro would begin to spin on the heel of his foot, carving a circular entrance in the warehouse. The Jedi duo would drop down into the building once ready, most likely coming face to face with whatever threat they had felt through the force.

 

[Lyari Bonmi]

Lyari followed Master Tugoro to the roof in time to see him knock the pair of mercs out. While he cut a hole into the roof, Lyari watched the approach and made sure there were no others on their way to interrupt the pair of them as they gained entrance to the massive building. The plug cut from the roof fell through the opening, clattering to the floor below. She looked at him, waited for his signal then followed him through the hole, igniting the verdant blades on the descent as she landed on the duracrete floor in a crouch.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Sinistra]

They had made plenty of noise coming through the roof, after dispatching some fairly worthless guards it turned out. So much for Kyla's best men. She would have to visit that back on him. Her guests had not arrived yet. The only way they agreed to see her at all was under heavy guard, on Kyla's ground with his men. This was unraveling and she hadn't even gotten a line on where the missing weapons were. She did not relish drawing the attention of Techno Union patrols, her citizenship of the OS meant nothing to the TU.

She could feel them coming for her, the sound of lightsabers outside and then the bright flash of one cutting a hole in the metal ceiling. She watched it all rather amused, fully armored and masked to hide her identity. As the pair of Jedi dropped in on her, she aimed a force push at them to throw them towards the other side of the warehouse from where she was going to make her escape. This was compromised, mission scrubbed. She alerted her ship to to initiate rendezvous and Demarus acknowledge the command with a ping in her ear.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

After slicing through the roof, Tugoro would land upon the warehouse floor, making sure that [member="Lyari Bonmi"] was still with him. Wasting no time, the young Jedi would scan area immediately, spotting [member="Sinistra"] almost instantly. The woman's armored attire basically screamed Sith, and now Tugoro knew who their target was. A surge of force energy was launched by the Sith Lady, causing the Knight to go over many strategies in his head. First and foremost was protecting his Padawan, for he had managed to get her into quite the mess. Lifting both of his arms, Tugoro would begin to focus and gather his energy, allowing his mind to connect to the living force that surrounded him as well.

Drawing on the vast amount of power, he would form a strong barrier in front of himself and Lyari, hoping to negate most of the damage that would have been dealt. The push would connect with Tugoro's defense, making him slide backwards briefly due to the impacts brute strength. Even so, the youth had everything under control so far, glancing to Lyari before looking back to where Sinistra had been. She had fled quickly, and would most likely have more guards nearby. Holding his blue lightsaber firmly, Tugoro would break into a sprint, hoping to catch up to the woman before she disappeared. Looking back, he made sure that the Togruta was close to him, for they would be more effective in battle if they worked together.

 

[Lyari Bonmi]

Lyari kept a firm grip on her saber hilts and as Master Tugoro started after the villain, she took took up running after him, her eyes sweeping to the sides to make sure there were no other guards or Sith that might surprise them from the side. A couple rows fo stacked pallets into the chase, the telltale pew sounded and Lyari spun on the balls of her feet in order to get her sabers in place to deflect the shots back at the henchmen who had fired upon them. Another force push from her sent them flying and she caught up to Master Tugoro, just behind him.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Sinistra]

Great. The kids were better prepared for a curveball than she was used to. Someone must be stepping up their training regimen in the midst of the war. Of course, that was not a guarantee. She had been up against plenty of Jedi who looked a little too young to be flung into the war and were sufficiently wet behind the ears enough that she hadn't even broken a sweat getting through them. Most of the time though, she was out of armor and smiling her way across war lines.

Credits must flow, commerce will heal all ills. Or something like that.

She burst out the front of the warehouse and leapt to the roof of an adjacent building, taking off into the darkness in an attempt to lose her pursuers.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Hearing the blaster fire from behind, Tugoro would skid to a halt, looking to [member="Lyari Bonmi"] as she deflected the bolt of energy. Nodding his head and smirking in approval, the young Jedi would turn around once more, taking off down the corridor towards the front of the warehouse. His Padawan was by his side, and hopefully together they could confront this Sith Lord. They had already managed to foil their operation, whatever it might have been that they were doing. The duo would need a team to quickly seize the warehouse and anything that may have been within it, and so Tugoro would activate his commlink, whispering into it and issuing a command. A small task force would depart from their hidden locations, having been waiting in the shadows for their moment to strike. It was Strike Squad, a group of soldiers Tugoro had hand picked to help him in certain assignments. They were dedicated men, willing to put their life on the line for the Republic's cause.

Atop a building, Viktor had set up his XS-09 sniper rifle, surveying the warehouse district for signs of conflict. Upon receiving an order from his Jedi superior, he would set his sights upon the warehouse entrance, waiting for the moment his target emerged. The doors would burst open, and it seemed as if his target was jumping. Extremely high. Aligning his cross hairs with the armored individual, Viktor would take the shot, releasing a powerful blast of energy that was capable of ripping through lightly armored vehicles. There was no guarantee that it would hit, though it could prove to be a useful distraction. Arriving at the warehouse entrance, Tugoro would look up into the air, spotting [member="Sinistra"] who was making her escape. He also heard the sniper fire, knowing that this was his moment to strike. Jumping up after the woman, the Knight would release a powerful burst of telekinetic energy from his feet, launching him into the air towards her.

 

[Lyari Bonmi]

She was only half a second behind Master Tugoro as he burst from the building and followed the Sith to the rooftops. Lyari mustered another leap, landing rather heavily and took off after him. The sound of a sniper drew her attention and she slowed up briefly until she saw they were aiming far enough ahead that they had to be targeting the perpetrator.

The roof tops were uneven, with gaps across streets and alleys, forcing them to continue jumping and running. None of the obstacle courses at the temple were this strenuous, but far be it from Lyari to complain. She silently redoubled her efforts to keep up with her Master.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Sinistra]

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

If she had been a hair slower as she ran, the blaster shots from the sniper would have caught her square in the middle, instead of a glancing blow off her pauldron. The armor plating singed with carbon scoring, and she seethed at the heat transfer beneath it. It wouldn't burn her but the skin would be red and angry beneath that arm. There was no time to think about that now. She ran and jumped and ran some more, listening to the inbound chatter as Demarus followed her movement, out of sight as she ran for open ground. He was feeding her directions to get her to where she could be extracted.

A landing pad, megascraper roof. Four blocks over, two up.

She didn't bother to acknowledge, just immediately changed directions to get to that point. With any luck, she could lose the kids behind her.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Tugoro was managing to keep up with [member="Sinistra"], even though the sniper blast had not completely made its mark. He gave his soldiers credit however, for this was an extremely formidable opponent. The young Knight would be displeased if they allowed her to escape at this point. The soldiers would now focus their efforts on the warehouse, sweeping through it and collecting anything that was deemed suspicious. [member="Lyari Bonmi"] was just behind the young man, their obstacle course of buildings and open spaces being quite the challenge. Even if the Padawan didn't know it, she was getting a decent bit of training at the moment. Gritting his teeth at the sudden change in direction, Tugoro would land against one of the buildings towering walls, pushing off of it with his booted feet in his chase against the Sith Lord. Knowing he would have to show his true potential if he wanted to turn the tide, the young Jedi would act, lifting his arm and aiming it at Sinistra while mid air. He hoped she wore basic armor, for anything fancy and enhanced by Sith magic might be able to shrug off the incoming blast of electricity. A bright glow of emerald light would emit from Tugoro's eyes as he focused, summoning an immense amount of light side energy that would expel itself from his palm. A powerful stream of green lightning would surge through the air, attempting to make contact with the Sith Lord and drain her stamina upon impact.

 

[Sinistra]

The tingling sensation of precognition caused the Ataru master to vault over a obstacle and twist in midair to face her pursuer. The green lightning connected with her armor but rather than drain her, she turned the tables on him, absorbing the attack. The charge still overloaded her coms system and shorted out the electrical components in her suit, but she could still see and hear enough to continue her escape.

The absorbed power was re-channeled and as she landed, she backflipped, twisting again to drop to street level, dashing through the crowds of people. She would use them for cover. True, she could not move as quickly, but the Jedi would be far less likely to fire shots or throw lightning at her if the risk of collateral damage was high.

The Techno Union also tended to frown upon open shootouts in the streets between Sith and Jedi. In a pinch, she could get some other heat on the Jedi to call off the chase but right now, she dashed through the streets, jumping speeders and knocking people over she neared the building where she had to meet Demarus.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

A thin frown would stretch across Tugoro's lips as he watched [member="Sinistra"] absorb his emerald lightning. Tutaminis was a technique taught to most Jedi during their training, though Tugoro himself had never actually attempted it. Now that he had seen it, he'd have to give it a try sometime. However, now was clearly not the time to use any energy based attacks, for it seemed the Sith Lord was capable of countering easily. Watching the armored woman drop into the crowd of civilians, the young Knight hoped that [member="Lyari Bonmi"] would be able to keep up.

Pushing off a nearby building and flipping into the air, Tugoro would begin to descend, following Sinistra's trail as she attempted to cloak herself in the local masses. The group had already caused quite the scene so far, but Tugoro did not want to gather anymore attention at this point. He could tell this Sith Lord knew what they were doing, though ultimately their skill would be put to the test during a confrontation. Determined not to lose this opportunity the Knight landed swiftly among the people, using his agility and he crouched down, darting side to side between the moving crowds.

It was easy to move, just difficult to keep track of the Sith Lord's position. Every now and then he would get a glance, but that was about it. The chase was nearing it's end, Tugoro could feel it now. He only hoped that his Padawan was ready.