An old friend asks a Jedi for help as trouble brews under Unity City. Looks like its crime-fighting time!

(( Denari’s past doesn’t have any connections to crime. She would like to offer her assistance regardless ))

(( I'd be happy to join in on this one. Eventough I don't have any direct relations with criminal elements, it is not unlikely for Macuy to have at least some knowledge en run-ins given his skills in Streetwise and Surveillance ))

(( I'd like to make note of my interest in joining, but seeing how there are already three padawan here I wish you an enjoyable mission ^_^ ))

A holo-message arrived for Padawan Macuy, marked "urgent". Oddly enough, it did not appear to be a spam message, which was a welcome change from the usual urgency impressed upon the reader to buy whatever product the message was selling.

L. was the nickname, if you could call it, used by Ellevyn'tarra, a Twi'lek girl from the undercity and one of Macuy's contacts there. She bounced between jobs as a waitress and petty theft, and had a good ear to the ground, but generally did not get up to anything too serious.

Enclosed with the message were several blurry images that depicted exactly nothing, as if whomever had made the image had cared nothing for getting proper lighting, framing or even bothering adjusting the lens. One of them had a finger on it.

The first one appeared to depict some sort of device, while the other two seem to depict blurry images of something going down with whomever took the pictures smack in the middle of it!

Conveniently, the message completely lacked any kind of information as to where to go, though Macuy would know where to find the girl under normal circumstances so the Black Ace cantina would probably be a good place to start. Looking at the images though... it might be prudent to get some backup.

Unbeknownst to Macuy, Kial was actually familiar with that Cantina, having aided Unity City police in the same area some time ago.

Denari had just finished regular maintenance of the Order's Diving Suit and was putting it back in its assigned place in the Quartermaster's Office.

After checking that it looked as organized as Quartermaster Akhta liked it, she turned to walk to the console to check it back into the inventory...

(( I'd like to give Macuy a chance to dictate how this mission starts/how Denari learns of the request he got. ))

After receiving the rather worrisome message from his contact, Macuy went to see Master Crular.

"Master," Macuy started as he shared what little intel he had,

"I know it is usually not our way to intervene too much in the undercity's business, but I would like to look into this further. Also, Ellevyn'tarra is a friend, I would hate for her to think that she couldn't trust me to help if it was needed.

Would you permit me to ask some of the other padawan to look into this with me?"

Kial was in the meditation room, meditating. Training her ability to use the Force by trying to strengthen her connection to it.

If she was successful or not, would take far longer then a single meditation session to determine. Something Kial knew very well and she would be meditating often in the coming time.

She was about half way through the time she had scheduled, when she felt something. She didn't know what it was or if it was good or bad. It felt like a familiar place was present, located about where Master Crular would be at this time of day.

Having declared the Unifying Force as her philosophy, it seemed only logical to Kial to follow the feeling.

Nearing where Master Crular was she saw Padawan Macuy and could just hear his last sentence.

"Look into what, Padawan Macuy? Master Crular."

She bowed towards the Jedi Master as she greeted him.

"You are concerned for your friend." Master Crular concluded, as if that was the key argument here.

"Of course you should look into it. And if there is danger, better you not go alone." he agreed "You may ask the others for help. I am sure some they have time to assist you between other duties."

He gave Macuy an encouraging smile "Trust in the Force. It will guide you along the way."

--

Meanwhile, Denari got an approving nod from the Quartermaster. She did not say anything, but the fact that she didn't even check up to see if it had been done properly demonstrated the trust she had developed in Denari's skill over the past months.

Hearing Master Crulars response, Kial concluded a friend of Macuy might be in danger. As the Jedi Master seemingly had failed to notice her for some reason, she decided she might as well offer her assistance directly to her fellow padawan.

"I've got time. And it sounds like you can use someone to watch your back. I suggest we stop by the Quartermasters office before we head out."

Then it dawned on Kial she had no idea where they would be going.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"Thank you Master," Macuy responded as Master Crular gave permission.

Macuy hadn't noticed Kial either and was a little surprised but grateful for her offer to assist. He then replied to her question and shared what intel he had whilst on their way to the Quartermasters office.

"It seems that way, I've received some troubling messages from a friend. I'm not quite sure what happened and where, but she can usually be found in the Black Ace cantina or thereabouts. Do you know the place?"

The two Padawan arrived at the Quartermasters office, still talking about their plans, where Denari had just finished with her work.

Actually, Denari might be the right person to ask, if Macuy needed some extra help. Between the three of them, this seemed like something they should be able to sort out, right?

(( I think Denari suggested you'd take charge and ask her Macuy, so I'll leave that up to you, though I also think Denari could overhear the conversation and invite herself if she prefers! :) ))

As Macuy and Kial came up to the office of the Quartermaster to make their arrangements, he also noticed Denari was there. And better yet, she seemed to have just finished.

"Perhaps you would also like to help me solve this little.. problem" Macuy started as he asked Denari, "..it looks like one of my friends got herself into some trouble in the City."

“A friend?” Denari responded, sounding concerned. “Of course I’d be happy to help. What kind of trouble is she in exactly?”

After giving Macuy some time to elaborate, she suggested taking the Bacta Medkit, and was ready to go.

"The bad kind. Most likely." Kial answered for Macuy. "That's why I'm coming along. Though hopefully that won't be necessary."

"Besides, I know the area. I've been to the Black Ace cantina before."

Kial agreed they should take the Bacta Medkit. Finishing her preparations she was ready to go.

"It's probably not good.." Macuy added as he showed Denari the message and the blurry pictures, "that why I'm concerned."

With that Macuy picked up the Bacta Medkit as Denari suggested and was ready to leave.

The three Jedi took the landspeeder and left the temple behind to travel out to the city. After parking the vehicle, they then proceeded on foot to the lower parts which were known as the "Undercity".

The Undercity was not any formally named suburb or area, but rather was what the locals used to refer to the levels below the surface. What had at one point in time been mostly a collection of maintenance and transportation tunnels, sewer pipes and supply routes to ship goods into the busiest areas without disrupting traffic had grown to include areas of cheap housing as the city grew. From there stations, even shopping malls and markets had developed, growing it into a bit of a hive city were those who couldn't afford anything better were able to eek out their existence.

Some rumours said that within the under city lay places like bars, shops and homes that had existed before the growth of the city and that had simply been built over as it expanded, though nobody was ever able to point to any specific example that actually checked out.

All in all, the undercity was a bit of a hive, busy, rife with crime and a lot of unpleasant smells, but with people who stuck together and had their own way of forming a community. Even so, it was definitely the place the less desirable elements liked to hang out.

Taking a huge freight elevator down to get in as close to their destination as possible, the heroes soon arrived in one of the undercity streets, buildings put up in a tunnel that had at one point been a parking garage but which now featured various bars and other establishments. People were moving about, though it was relatively quiet, those who were familiar with the area would know.

Moving along to the Black Ace, the heroes found that the cantina at the street corner had been closed. The door was locked and a security door had been closed over the outside window. Getting inside might require some creativity.

Next door, an eatery served what was supposed to pass for Gran cuisine, however, and several patrons were seated at a bar-like table while a greasy looking Neimoidian prepared various dishes in an open kitchen that really should not be open by any standards for cleanliness. The smell was good though, only ruined by the terrible music - if it could be called that - playing inside.

Above the eatery and accessed through a short hall and stairway, another facility was open, advertising more basic services of customers. It too made an effort to make itself be heard, mixing in with the music from the eatery to create a bit of a cacophony that small mercy at least wasn't too loud.

Finally, there were some folks on the street, loitering perhaps or otherwise not doing anything that seemed useful. Some were gathered around an oil drum that was burning something, others were focused entirely on some conversation with a scantily clad Twi'lek woman. It wasn't possible to make out what they were discussing, though it might have something to do with the speeder bike parked on the walkway.

This left the Jedi to decide where to go next and what to do there.

"I don't suppose that's your friend?" Kial asked Macuy, nodding towards the scantily clad Twi'lek.

She noticed someone sitting against the structure the cantina and the eatery were part of. Sitting on the side walk left of the eatery.

She gave them a quick look to identify if it was just some drunk that passed out or someone less fortunate, a homeless person.

“Should we split up and ask around why the cantina is closed? I could take the eatery...” Denari proposed hesitantly.

She was a little out of her depth is such urban territory. While that was mostly because she specialized in wild territories, she was also a little young to be seeking out establishments in neighbourhoods such as these.

The Twi'lek girl definitely wasn't Ellevyn'tarra, Macuy would know. Kial's attention was focused on the person sitting against the structure on the sidewalk, taking a closer look to see what was what.

The human man seemed to not take much notice of the three Jedi, instead focused on his pet tooka. He didn't look like a drunk, but the chance he held a steady job was slim to none, judging by his appearance. Most likely a homeless person of some sort.

The undercity environment definitely wasn't the wilderness, though despite the lack of trees and plants, it was certainly alive in its own way.

The eatery certainly smelled inviting though, and with a few patrons seated outside at an open bar and several inside at small tables, it might be a good angle to try as well. Perhaps the Neimoidian proprietor knew something?

"No, that's not her," Macuy responded as he heared Kial question about the Twilek girl standing outside. "But we can ask, she might know where Ellevyn'tarra is."

Macuy noticed Denari's hesitation as she made her suggestion and continued, "I'd feel better if you didn't go just by yourself, not that I worry you wouldn't be able to handle yourself. I much prefer however to prevent unpleasantries altogether. Then again, it's not like we can go unnoticed here."

"Why don't you take the outside Kial, while Denari and I take the eatery first." Macuy concluded to suggest a course of action.

(( Apologies for my late reply. Despite the year being only a few weeks old, these are already quite busy. ))

"Yeah, didn't think you were into that sort of thing." Kial said, clearly in jest.

Noticing Denari's hesitation as well, Kial looked the girl in the eye. "Relax, just observe your surroundings and stay close to me or Padawan Macuy. And if you notice anything off, notify us."

Turning back to the task at hand, she took another look at the homeless man. Considering his proximity to the eatery and general look, she figured the man must be hoping to snatch some scraps.

"Fine by me, just give me a few moments before you go in." Kial replied to Macuy's suggestion.

She walked up to the outside bar, reaching into her pocket. She then loudly slammed an amount of credits on the counter that was more then enough to get a meal from the eatery. Confirming she had gotten the Neimoidians attention she spoke loud enough for him to hear.

"One of whatever is your finest dish. And if you make it snappy, you can keep the change."

After she had gotten the food, she picked it up and walked to the homeless man, leaving the credits on the counter.

She stopped some distance from the homeless man, far enough to be out of her reach. Crouching down she put the food (plate or bowl) on the ground in front of her and carefully shoved it towards the man as far as she could reach. Gesturing for him to go ahead and take the food, she waited.

After giving Kial the time she needed to make her scene and get the food, Denari followed Macuy to the eatery.

She choose one of the snacks that smelled good and were heated through before serving.

Once seated, she let the cacophony of music and noise wash over her, as she would in a forest on a stormy day, and started listening for the interesting sounds and conversations.

With Denari seemingly settled in with a snack, Macuy took up a seat on the bar, tossed out a small stack of credits, and ordered a drink. His hope was to glean some information on what had happened near the Cantina, these past few hours, and usually, the patron of eateries were quite well informed, especially when given the 'proper' motivation to jug their memory a bit.

"Anything interesting happened around here lately?" He asked, not paying too much attention to the credits laying before him.

After discussing some plans, all three Jedi approached the eatery, each for their own purposes.

Kial took out an order for a fine meal to go from the cook, taking it with her and delivering it to the figure sitting against the wall. The figure looked suspicious at first, but eventually accepted the food and starting to eat it.

"Thank you, stranger" he noted, giving a nod of appreciation, though keeping an eye on Kial to see if she wanted anything or if perhaps this was a scam of some sort.

Denari took a seat inside the eatery, trying to let it all wash over her, even if it was not the environment that came more naturally for her. Most of the people seemed to be talking either about themselves or others they knew, except one Gamorrean sitting in the back giving a deeply philosophical speech about the merrits of recycling to a date that couldn't possibly be less interested in the subject.

However, she also picked up on another topic that was being discussed: the closing of the cantina next door. Though she wasn't able to ascertain any cause of the closure, it seemed at least part of the current customers were regulars of the cantina, driven here by the closure of their usual watering hole. Perhaps one of those would know more, such as the Paaerduag patron playing Dejarik with himself on a portable holo-set

Macuy in turn found a seat at the barr and ordered a drink, asking about the latest news. The Neimoidian cook shook his head "All the usual bullshit." The look in his eyes though was not one of a bored patron with no news, but rather that of a suspicious man who wanted to keep what he knew to himself. There was definitely something interesting that had happened recently.

After finishing her snack, Denari decided she would probably not learn anything more by staying where she was.

She returned her plate to the bar and headed for the Paaerduag playing Dejarik.

She paused at a short distance, to give herself a moment to gauge if she was interrupting them at a terribly inappropriate moment. She then broke in with her question:

“I’m terribly sorry for interrupting, but I couldn’t help but hear you mention the cantina next door. I supposed to meet a friend there, but it’s closed. Do you know why? Or when they will open again?”

Kial watched the man eat for a moment, then spoke up.

"Something went down at the Black Ace cantina earlier today. I was hoping you might have seen or heard anything. Anything at all."

She kept her tone friendly.

"If you haven't, then perhaps you know of a back entrance? and how to get there?"

Kial kept her distance from the man, trying to look non-threatening. She even kept an escape route open for him if he wanted to run.

"You best wait here then, most of the patrons pass by when they check if they reopened yet. Though we expect it to take a while"

"You always take a while" the Paaerduag's opponent noted

"We need time to think about our moves." the Paaerduag noted as the other head rolled its eyes. "In either case, I understand there was a shootout, and the Sec closed the place to -not- do a trace investigation."

Faith in 'the Sec' was not very high, it seemed.

"In a day or two, the owner will pay to open the place up again" he noted, with a knowing look to Denari "If you wait outside for them, be careful of the people on the balcony above. Sometimes they think it is funny to drop objects on the folk below. Just last week, someone got hit in the head with a milkshake."

There were some chuckles from others in the diner, who seemingly remembered the scene.

Kial meanwhile got another suspicious look from the vagrant, who had by now figured out what the deal was. He'd get a free meal in exchange for information.

"I aint seen nothing" he made clear. Whether that was true or whether it was self-preservation wasn't entirely clear, but the figure obviously had no interest in being a witness in either case.

"The back door is locked up just as tight as the front though." he noted. For a moment, it seemed like no help would be forthcoming, but then the figure continued

"If you really want to get in though, there is a garbage chute by the dumpster over yonder" he pointed to the narrow alley aside the building. "It looks like it goes up all the way up, but the cantina kitchen access is only a short way up the pipe. You look small enough to fit."

It seemed like Kials careful handling of the figure had paid off!

Denari chuckled along with the rest of the patrons, thanked the Paaerduag for the warning and wished them good luck with the rest of their game.

She walked back to Padawan Macuy, who did not seem to have a lot of success yet hearing out the Neimoidian cook. She tugged softly at his sleeve to get his attention. “The Sec? closed it after a shootout apparently.” She said softly. Perhaps knowing that he could not get credits for that information anymore, might make the cook more willing to at least sell the rest of his info, she thought.

She then turned to leave Macuy to his inquiry and said: “I’m gonna go warn Valian that someone might try and drop stuff on her.”

Kial considered pushing the vagrant for the information she wanted...

but decided against it.

"Thank you. Make sure you return the dishes when you're done." She said getting back up.

Kial looked around for a moment. Then moved towards the people around the burning barrel.

"Excuse me. Have any of you seen what happened at the Black Ace cantina earlier?"

"We didn't see nothing" the trio by the burning barrel was quite adamant, eyeing Kial suspiciously. From how fast and firm the denial was, Kial got the distinct feeling that these folk might know something, but she also realized they were probably not inclined to talk about it to someone they didn't know, especially someone who came around asking questions. This was the Undercity after all. She would probably need some sort of way to convince them that went beyond asking politely.

Denari meanwhile found her way outside to join the blue Padawan, just so happening to overhear the denial - she got the same impression.

With Denari heading out, Macuy remained seated at the bar a little while longer. The patron didn't seem that interested in earning some extra cash, so whilst finishing his drink Macuy started to pick up his cash.

"So what else can you tell about the Sec? Do they come around here often?" Macuy tried with the cook, not expecting too much.

Kial just looked at the trio for a moment. She took a deep breath and exhaled. To someone who watched from a distance it might seem like a sigh of exasperation.

But an observer that was closer would notice the focus that took hold of Kial as she exhaled. The penetrating stare she gave the trio gave of the impression she was staring into their very souls.

Like that she raised her hand, guiding the Force from her to them. With a small wave of her hand she embedded a single sentence in the Force.

"You WILL tell me what you saw."

With those words she imparted her jedi Mind Trick on them.

As Padawan Valian did not seem to be needing her help, Denari slipped away and looked around to see is the Twi’lek woman they saw earlier was still around.

Perhaps she could overhear what they had been arguing about earlier, or, if the Twi’lek was alone again, she could try and ask her about the cantina or Ellevyn’tarra.

That was of course, if Denari’s instincts would allow her. She was trying not to cause any trouble, so if approaching would make her feel uncomfortable, she would instead wonder around looking at things until her fellow Padawan had finished their own investigations.

The cook shrugged "I aint got nothing to say about the Sec here. Certainly not to someone asking around and leaving cash lying around. That's asking for trouble."

Speaking of cash, as Macuy tried to pick up his cash, he noticed that some of it was missing. Additionally, there was a slight layer of sticky slime left where it had been. It looked like someone might have had some very sticky fingers.

Beneath him, a Huttlet (a Hutt child) appeared to be eating the credits, though the fact that it made a "shh" sign with its hand to Macuy suggested that this wasn't a baby getting its hands on something it shouldn't put in its mouth but rather something else. The Huttlet then pointed to an area in the back which was darker and less prone to observers.

It seemed as if rather than being unwilling to take his money, people were unwilling to take his money *publically*. But a more secluded arrangement might be more viable.

Kial meanwhile used her mind trick to get her target to talk.

"There was a blasterfight in there. Several people shooting at eachother." one of the trio noted

"But this wasn't no normal bar fight it wasn't." another added "There was like, a team going in raiding the place. They were coordinated going in, I saw them stack up by the door. Wasn't Sec either, no uniforms."

"I heard several people were killed, but when Sec came in, all the bodies were gone" the third chimed in

"Something must have eaten them" the first concluded.

"That's just speculation" the third noted "Nobody could eat a body that fast"

"They could if they had a really big mouth"

"You have a really big mouth!"

The conversation went downhill from there, though Kial got the distinct impression that any actual testimony about what they had seen had turned into wild speculation well before talk of eating anyone came up.

Denari meanwhile moved to get a bit closer to the Twi'lek woman outside, finding her still arguing with the men there though the conversation was just coming to an end. Apparently it wasn't an argument so much though as a friendly talk about speeder bikes, horse power (which was a really weird measure considering the environment they were in) and new brands of vehicles. Just in a loud and argumentative tone of voice. Was this how city people talked to one another all the time?

The Twi'lek woman was just moving off though, giving Denari a chance to chat with her if she wanted. Based on the fact that the woman hadn't been arguing but rather admiring the vehicle, she was probably in a good enough mood to be talked to.

"Ellevyn'tarra...?" she looked surprised a moment when Denari inquired "Wait, you mean the barmaid? Yeah I've seen her, are you a friend of hers?"

“Yes. Well, I haven’t met her yet, but she is a friend of a friend.” Denari replied.

“She sent him a message this morning, asking him to come quickly.” She continued, “So he came, and since he worries that she is in trouble, I came along to help.”

“Do you have any idea where Ellevyn’tarra might be?”

As the trio devolved into argument, Kial considered what they had told her.

The apparent coordination worried her. She found it likely the people raiding the cantina had a specific target or goal. She could think of several reasons why there were no bodies. The one that worried Kial the most was that the assailants had only hit their target and then took their target.

Turning back towards the eatery, she noticed Denari. She decided to join the Theelin girl.

Macuy noticed the Huttlet and picked up on the hint towards the darker and a little more secluded corner. As he handed the child a few more coins, he walked over and sat down, surely it couldn't hurt to try and see what would come of it.

Kial joined Denari as she was talking to the Twi'lek woman.

"Fraid not" she shook her head to the question on Ellevyn'tarra's whereabouts "Though I am sure she will be back, she was obsessed with this guy called Arkenplier. Not really sure what that was about, never seen anyone named anything like that around, so he's probably foreign, I'm guessing"

It didn't seem like the woman had ever actually met this figure, and she was mostly speculating.

"Anyway, I hope you find her, she's a good person. Not good enough to get out of this place" she motioned around the undercity "but maybe good enough to help make it better."

With that, she seemed ready to get back to her business.

Macuy meanwhile found a spot with the Huttlet to talk.

"So you want to know what happened in the Cantina, ey?" the Huttlet noted "Well I sees some things, I did... But I knows one better even."

The Huttlet had a similar story to the three men from the alley - blasterfire and a coordinated raid. But he had one additional fact.

"So when Sec came, they checked the place out, locked it down and then left. Like, they just left. I mean, everyone was happy about that, but when was the last time Sec just locked down a place after a shoot out and left? Shouldn't they like, check for evidence or some stick?"

The Huttlet's tone was almost as if he was accusing Macuy, as if the actions by Sec were somehow his fault. Clearly that wasn't what the Huttlet thought or he'd probably not talk that way.

"My guess is whatever happened there, someone with contacts asked Sec to look the other way."

Macuy being familiar with Streetwise and Surveillance knew something else: if Sec hadn't done an evidence check, then there might still be evidence inside to find.

Denari thanked the woman anyways and let her get back to her business.

As Padawan Valian had joined her, now seemed like a good opportunity to share with her what she had heard.

“As far as I’ve heard, there’s been a shoot-out and then ‘the Sec’ closed the canina without investigating. Any idea what this Sec is or who Arkenplier might be?”

"Sec is probably the police, or whatever goes for law-enforcement in these parts." Kial answered. "And I've never heard the name Arkenplier before. I was told there were no bodies after the shoot-out."

She paused for a moment.

"I suggest we meet up with Padawan Macuy. I have a way into the cantina."

Kial started to go back to the eatery.

Denari nodded and followed her fellow Padawan to the eatery.

Macay thanked the Huttlet by leaves some more of his credits as he got up to find Denari and Kial. They needed to find a way into the cantina, and he was also interested to learn what Kial had found out from the bystanders outside.

Having finished, the three Padawans gathered back at the eatery. As Macuy had mentioned, the next step was to find a way into the cantina.

Now, Kial had heard a suggestion for that: the garbage chute by the dumpster in the alley would offer access to the cantina kitchen, though someone not too big would have to squeeze in through what was likely not a pleasant entry point.

Alternatively, they could break open the main door. While locked, a lightsaber would probably be able to burn a hole through, though that was somewhat less than subtle approach.

Of course, the Jedi might have their own plan to gain access beyond these two options. Regardless, it did not seem likely that any of the other witnesses anything to offer in terms of entryways, so they'd have to make a decision or form a new plan based on the information they had available.

Denari wrinkled her nose at the smell of the dumpster for a moment, and then proceeded to estimate of she could fit through the chute. Petite as she was, it seemed just about large enough for her to fit, while leaving just about enough room for her to drag herself through.

“If it is possible to open something up for you from inside, I could get myself in via the chute. However, if it requires breaking things to open up from the inside too, we might as well save us the time...”

Hearing that the squad have high up contacts gave Kial serious pause...

Her earlier suspicions were seeming more likely with this information. She stood frozen for a while. The thought itself caused quite the conflict in her head.

Kial shook her head. She didn't know if she was ready for that confrontation.

She prayed to Death and the Force her suspicions were wrong.

"I'm sorry. What did you say Padawan Merelle?"

Breaking out of her daze, Kial asked. She looked more stoic then usual, if one thought that was even possible.

Denari cocked her head, and then paraphrased:

“If it’s possible to open the cantina from within, without breaking things, I’ll let myself in via the garbage chute.”

The blue Padawan’s behaviour seemed out of character to Denari, so with a concerned look on her face she added:

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you OK, Padawan Valian? Is there anything we need to know?”

Macuy was concerned with Kial's sudden daze, but since Denari already asked he remained silent for now.

In the meantime, he considered the options for entry. Probably it was better for Denari to try and enter through the chute, mainly because it would most likely draw less attention.

"I'm fine, really." She replied, looking at her fellow padawans. Kials eyes lingered on Macuy for a moment as she leaned closer to Denari. Her hand hid her mouth from him so he couldn't read her lips.

"Time of the month." She whispered to the girl. Technically it wasn't a lie, but it didn't have anything to with her daze just now. Not that either Denari or Macuy would have any way of knowing that.

Al Kial had was a suspicion and some circumstantial evidence. The possibility she was wrong was still high. If they found any direct evidence of her suspicion, she would say something.

Straightening herself out she spoke to the group again.

"I suggest we go in from the front. As conspicuous as possible, so we can see who comes running. That might help us find who started shooting up things here."

She looked to Macuy.

"I know finding your friend has top priority, but I can't turn a blind eye to public shoot outs and corrupt police. Not on my watch."

As Kial leaned towards her, Denari started to back-off a little, until she realized the other Padawan intended to whisper something to her. She then leaned in as well to hear what Kial had to say.

She responded with a ‘ah, okey’ that sounded half understanding and half suspicious, but didn’t press any further.

She listened to Padawan Valian’s proposal and had too admit it had merit. Though to her, it did not seem to be the only way to accomplish it.

“Can’t we still cause a scene to attract such attention after we’ve given ourselves time too look around?”

"I agree with Padawan Valian here," Macuy responded as he looked at Denari to explain his reasoning,

"I'd rather make sure to get at least a chance to look around and perhaps secure some evidence. Letting you go in through the chute would help with that, but it would also expose you to greater risk without us being able to help.

Whereas if we enter through the front, we are able to protect against any surprises inside. Since Sec simply locked down the place, that seems to suggest there isn't anyone left in there. Or, it might mean that they weren't equipped for whatever is left in there."

"It would take some time before anyone would arrive. And most likely it would either be police or whomever raided the place."

Kial explained.

"The former will either let us do our thing when they learn we're jedi or I'm fairly certain I can stall them if they try to stop us. Which would allow the two of you to continue.

The latter will likely just observe rather than confront three jedi or if they try to use aggressive negotiations..."

She paused.

"Well that's why you brought me along, right?"

“Well, that’s decided then.” Denari said with a smile, as she took out her lightsaber.

Her training in music, acrobatics and theater had certainly taught her how to attract the attention of a crowd.

If neither of the other Padawan objected, she’d activate her lightsaber, walk over to the front door and, making a slightly more noise and moves than necessary, take it down in a flurry of colour.

Kial didn't object.

What she did do, was observe the reactions of people in the surrounding area. Specifically she looked for any unusual behaviour or attempts to communicate. She knew that it was likely any communication people were trying was to be with the police, but noted them non the less. In case someone other than the police came running.

Macuy smiled as Denari took the initiative to break down the door of the cantina. Just like Kial, Macuy took to observing the reactions of the folks outside, focusing in particular on those that might choose to intervene directly with Denari's actions.

The activating of the lightsaber drew some eyes, but when the weapon flashily slashed against the door, sparks flying, the street mood seemed to swiftly change: the fellows at the street corner by the drum suddenly decided they had places to go, the Twi'lek woman they had spoken to rushing inside rather than dillydallying as the diners all seemed suddenly intent on focusing on their dinner.

It seemed nobody was paying attention to the Jedi, but they were all doing it in such an obvious way that it was quite clear they had all taken notice and knowing how rumours spread in places like this, soon everyone would know no doubt.

In the game of rock-paper-scissors, it was clear that lightsaber beat lock, and shortly after the flashy display started, the Cantina was now open for business - or at least open for Jedi - the smouldering remains of the lock giving a yellow afterglow to illuminate the entry hall.

Beyond lay the main bar, conveniently lit up by lamps that were apparently still activated.

Surprisingly, this room was mostly intact, with neither battle damage nor in fact any sort of mess. In fact, not a single cable appeared to be out of place. This was very odd and not at all consistent with the story they had heard so far.

Cantinas in a place like this were of course bigger than the one room, so perhaps this room had been mercifully spared?

Then again, it seemed ridiculously clean for a cantina in this part of town. There weren't even any smudges on the glasses! What on Unity was going on here?

As it seemed safe enough at the moment, Denari carefully started to wonder around looking for other rooms, or signs of a shoot-out.

"Well there goes finding clues." Kial remarked after she entered. "This place seems scrubbed clean."

"I say we look for a security system, perhaps we'll get lucky and whomever did this got sloppy and forgot to erase any recordings."

There was, of course, the possibility the cantina had no security system. Or that it had conveniently been disabled during the raid.

In any case, Kial looked around too see if there were any security or recording devices around the cantina. And looked for a possible security terminal.

She also kept an eye on the door, in case of possible guests showing up.

Macuy couldn't hide his surprise as the door's opened to reveal a bar that seemed as if nothing had happened.

"It is certainly, .. unexpected," He then responded, "but I know it had to clean out absolutely everything. We should look around, but we also shouldn't neglect to keep an eye out for whoever might want to come crashing in now that we are here."

With Kial and Denari already working on findings clues inside, Macuy kept an eye out for the street, making sure that they would be able to get out fast and safe, should that be needed.

As the heroes moved to explore the Cantina, they soon found that the cleaning job that had taken place was not done yet. By the door to the next room stood several large containers of bleach, as well as a garbage bag that was half full and still opened, containing various gathered goods.

The room that lay beyond was partially cleaned up, and in one corner, a pile of red stained cloth had been gathered up, as if someone had been wiping up some red liquid. One of the walls had fresh paint on it, while another was partially covered in plaster in what appeared to be a cover up of blaster holes, and a paint roller was set up nearby on a closed can of paint. It looked like whomever had been cleaning up was still at work.

Was it simply the cantina owner trying to get his business going again as soon as possible? Maybe, but it seemed odd to see the amount of effort they were going through - this wasn't exactly the best neighbourhood, so a few blaster holes in the wall certainly would not detract any visitors.

Soon though, it became very clear that it was not the bars owner cleaning up, as two Zabrak men came out of a side alcove carrying something heavy wrapped in a carpet. Where they even got a carpet was a mystery that might never be explained, but it was quite clear from the lumps in the shape that there was something in there... or someone.

Upon seeing the Jedi, the carpet was unceremoniously dropped as they grabbed for their blasters!

As the men reached for their blasters, Denari subtly reached for her light saber.

In an attempt to de-escalate the situation however, she did raise her other hand in an seemingly apologetic manner and loudly said:

“Wait! We’re not here to get you in trouble! We’re just looking for a friend!”

Her stance did however allow her to jump to the left for cover at the bar, should the Zabrak decide to start shooting anyways.

Seeing Denari withhold from activating her lightsaber, Kial move past the girl on the right. Kial now had a staggered position in front of Denari, not blocking the other girls line of sight towards the opponents but in an excellent position to give cover.

As Kial did this she drew and activated her lightsaber. Taking her position she stopped. Holding a basic stance, feet apart, blade between her en the opponents with the tip angled towards them.

In case Denari managed to stop the fight before it started, she withheld from advancing further. The way she kept her eyes on her opponents though, showed she was more than ready for if Denari didn't manage to succeed.

If the two Zabrak did open fire, Kial would rush forward to close the distance and protect Denari and Macuy. She would aim her blade for their weapons or the arms they held them with, 'disarming' them if needed. Mostly though she would try to subdue them without using lethal force. Perhaps a left hook or a kick between their legs if the opportunity and need arose.

Macuy respected Denari for attempting to defuse the situation, and he also respected Kial for her swift but patient response, given their opponents at least a chance to reconsider their next move.

With Kial taking up a spot slightly to right and in front of Denari, Macuy took up a position next to Denari as he drew and activated his lightsaber, keeping it between the Zabrak and them.

With Kial already eager to attack, Macuy mostly readied himself for a more defensive role focussed on deflecting any shots that might come in. Doing so would hopefully dissuade the Zabrak from anything too foolish.

And perhaps their challenge was enough to get them to reconsider.

Seeing Denari call to defuse the situation, one of the Zabrak hesitated, but the other opened fire immediately, aiming directly for her head.

Denari jumped for cover behind the bar as Macuy stepped in to defend, the blade of his lightsaber moving into the path of the bolt just in time and deflecting it into the wall harmlessly.

Kial's blade meanwhile swooshed through the air, using the opening the of the hesitating Zabrak to close the distance to their partner, a clean slice cutting through the blaster, the front landing on the ground with a metallic clunk.

The other Zabrak tried to act now, firing a bolt but by now Kial had already pushed his hand up towards the ceiling, the bolt leaving a black scorch mark there. The struggle ended a moment later as Kials knee found a particularly sensitive spot, causing the Zabrak to double over and drop his weapon.

With a swift turn, Kial's blade pointed at the other Zabrak, now holding the back half of a blaster, which was swiftly dropped as hands were raised.

The fight was over as the two surrendered.

"You guys aren't Sec..." the one not doubled over concluded

Kial used one foot to shove the dropped blaster away from the two. She kept her blade trained on the Zabrak, and kept her eyes on both.

"Some professional advice, know whom you're pointing your blaster at before you start shooting."

Not taking her eyes of the two suspects, Kial asked her companions something.

"Macuy, Merelle, would you mind searching these two for any additional weapons?"

She paused and made room for the other two jedi to pass if needed. While keeping it pointed to the Zabrak.

"After that, we can question them. And if they answer them satisfactory I might even take assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder off their list of charges."

With the fight already over, Denari put her lightsaber away again.

She smoothly slipped past Padawan Valian to do as requested, and padded down the Zabrak at the end of Kials lightsaber, and the other one if necessary. She was careful not to get in her fellow Padawans way as she did so.

After the search, she remained quiet, preferring to let the other two do the interrogation. They seemed to know what they were doing.

Instead, she started to look around this room better, and if possible poke her head through adjacent doorways to inspect what was beyond.

Kial and Denari were able to pad down the two, finding one had a second blaster and the other was carrying a large knife-like weapon.

As Kial and Macuy made sure the two were secured, Denari noted that unlike the first room, some areas of the cantina had not been cleaned yet. In fact, there was blaster damage and what looked like the remnants of an explosion, black charred spots and molten plastic. Maybe a grenade went off?

Whatever happened, someone had been in the process of cleaning it up, industrial cleaning supplies standing by and a pile of junk swept aside. One of the walls had been scrubbed and the blaster holes had been filled, two cans of paint waiting to be applied once the plaster dried.

Being somewhat familiar with the underworld, Macuy would know that this kind of cleanup operation was not what commonly happened in the under city. Cantina's like these were no stranger to bloodshed or damage and besides the most superficial cleanup, everything was usually left 'as is'. It added to the rustic atmosphere, or more accurately, the owners of establishments like these didn't care. The fact that things were not just being cleaned with industrial cleaner, but actually repaired, was suspicious.

From the looks of it, the two they had arrested might be the cleanup crew! That meant they probably knew at least something useful

Denari pointed out the state of the other rooms to the others, in case they wanted to gather evidence, but otherwise left them to the interrogation.

Only after the additional weapons were taken from the two zabrak did Kial deactivate her lightsaber.

"You're right..." Kial told Denari when pointing out the state of the room. "Quite sloppy." Was that a hint of relief in her voice?

Turning back to the zabrak she eyed the two of them up. She looked for hints at how well off they were. Were they clean? What was the quality of their clothing? Did they have any obvious scars or tattoos? She was looking to identify if these were more organised and educated criminals rather than the regular thugs.

Regardless of what she found out, if anything, Kial started asking questions.

"Let's start with names, shall we? Followed by what exactly you were doing here."

Kials tone of voice was rather commanding. Even if she started off easy on them.

As Kial got started with questioning the two Zabrak, Macuy took the opportunity to look around the rest of the cantina and look for more clues as Denari had pointed out. Maybe what was there could help figure out what happened here, and also.. where his friend was.

After he would join Kial in questioning the Zabrak, with the aim of extracting as much information from them as they could. Perhaps they could also prove to be useful informants.

The two Zabrak seemed reasonably well put together, though they were clearly involved with one gang or another, given their style of clothing and the way they behaved. Several scars were visible from possible earlier fights they were involved in.

While reluctant at first, Kial and Macuy were finally able to get something out of them.

"I'm Mize, and this is Ranz." Those names were probably 'basicafied', which was not unusual for species with exotic names, as the actual names might be unseemingly long or very difficult to pronounce.

"But you don't want us, we're just the cleaning crew" Ranz noted "We go to places and clean up the mess, restore it and such... and maybe make sure there's not too much evidence..."

While an admission of guilt, it seemed the Zabrak were trying to score some points to help them later.

"The real person you want to talk to is the guy who sent us. We're just cogs in the machine"

While probably true, it was also quite convenient for them.

"We got this one directly from the boss" Mize explained "Said we had to do it real careful and proper and that we'd get paid ten times the usual fee."

"Was a real mess here too" Ranz interjected "Lot of blood, blaster damage, and low level radiation too."

For a moment, the Jedi might worry about that, but clearly it wasn't a dangerous level of radiation, otherwise Mize and Ranz would have been wearing protective gear.

"If you want to talk to the boss, he's usually in his hideout a few levels down, in Tunnel 163-B."

Macuy, being familiar with the underworld, would know exactly who that meant was involved, and Kial might have an uncomfortable inkling as well, having done some work here before:

Leba the Hutt

With little else to do at the moment, Denari decided to take her chances sorting through the rubbish the Zabrak had collected so far. If they had collected evidence, perhaps she would stumble upon something useful.

Unless the others wanted to move on, of course.

Whether it was a good idea to leave the interrogation to a woman born and raised in a fascist military dictatorship, by and for said fascist military dictatorship, apparently didn't occur to the other two jedi. Fortunately, having been with the jedi for a few years and the fact the two zabrak were cooperating, Kial didn't need to use 'standard' interrogation methods.

"How many bodies? And were any of them Twi'lek?"

Kial asked, a coldness creeping into her voice and a hint of disdain on her face.

Kial's demeanor seemed to have had a clear effect on Mize and Ranz - they were from the underworld and knew people who'd be ruthless when they saw them.

"We didn't deal with any bodies" Mize noted "They took those with them already... we do not usually do that. Taking care of bodies is an entirely different set of skills. So first you need a hacksaw to cut them up - certain species are harder to cut though and you have to be aware of acidic blood in..."

"They don't care about that" Ranz interjected "But I hear they took a female Twi'lek with them..." he noted "Though they said she bit someone, so I recon she was still alive at the time. She will probably still be in the Boss' hideout... if they did not kill her yet"

This was sort of good news? It sounded as if Ellevyn'tarra was still alive, though it wasn't quite clear for how long that would be the case. They'd best finish up with these guys quickly though and get to Tunnel 163-B to make sure they wouldn't be too late.

Before heading to the tunnel though, the heroes would have to decide on how to deal with Mize and Ranz. There were a lot of options, from the brutal plan of simply killing them to leaving them tied up to be retrieved later or calling the Sec to come and arrest them. Macuy had some underground contacts too who might call in an anonymous tip, though they weren't likely to be willing to guard prisoners on the Jedi's behalf.

Once the heroes had dealt with the two Zabrak, the next step would be to head towards the Tunnel. Leba the Hutt would probably have guards, but they might not be able to stand up against three trained Jedi. Alternatively, some sort of ruse to get inside could work, given that a crime lord in a place like this was likely to receive a somewhat steady supply of petitioners - though he would be unlikely to welcome Jedi if they just announced themselves as such, so some sort of plan might be a good idea.

To Denari it seemed the Zabrak were doing a job that other peole would be doing, if they refused, and they weren’t really hurting anyone directly. As far as she was concerned, they could let them go, or tie them up and have them picked up by the sec. With her survival experience, she could probably tie them up well enough.

She would however strongly and verbally object to killing them, as it was unnecessary for the mission, and hardly helped anyone else either.

As for a plan to get into the Tunnel, Denari drew blanks once again. If she knew a role to play, she could probably provide a diversion, or act her way inside to start searching for Macuy’s friend. The act would however require some suggestions by the others…

If the others didn’t have a better idea, she could always try and ask for a job as musician at the door. She would first leave her robes with the others, or hide it somewhere, and hide her lightsaberin her hair, of course.

Once inside she would probably find some way, or excuse to sneak away, too look for Ellevyn’tarra.

With Kial finishing the questioning of the Zabrak, Macuy took a moment to consider before suggesting the following course of action:

"I have some history with their boss," Macuy explained, "and while I don't really fancy meeting him again, I guess that he is probably our best option to find Ellevyn’tarra."

"As for these two," Macuy pointed towards the Zabrak, "We should leave them here for the moment and come back from them later. They might prove useful for us in the future. Or, we could simply bring these two to Leba, sure he would grant us an ' audience' if we point some weaknesses in people in his employ. I'm fine with either option, as I'm confident we'll get to see Leba eventually, but I'd rather not risk delaying too much.

"What do you think?" Macuy asked the others..

“If using them to get an ‘audience’ is likely to get them killed soon, I’d prefer to just lock or tie them up properly and deal with them later. We can move faster without prisoners anyway.”

Kial listened and contemplated things.

Back on Thanda, she would have been well within her rights to execute the two Zabrak. In fact it would be expected of her to enforce the law in such a manner. UPT justice is very quick and very decisive, or very cruel and tyrannical. It depends on who you ask.

However, Kial knew very well things worked differently on Unity. She also knew the jedi would not accept such actions.

"I do not trust the local police for taking these two into custody. We have reasonable suspicion of corruption and I am not letting two criminals escape their just punishment."

"That said, I do agree we can move faster without these two in tow and that getting them killed by Leba the Hutt is undesirable. They might have useful information on other criminal activities."

Kial thought for another moment, then closed her eyes, trying to let the Force guide her path.

"I can get us in." Kial finally said, with a confidence that surprised even her. "I can probably even get them to release Ellevyn’tarra without a fight."

She looked her fellow jedi dead in the eye. A very serious expression on her face.

"There is a condition though... I need the two of you to promise me never to speak of anything I say over there, to anyone or anything. And that includes the council."

Denari had a somewhat uneasy feeling about Padawan Valian’s condition, however in life it is sometimes necessary to accept such feelings. Besides, the promise covered the spoken words, not the actions done in her presence. For the latter she would probably have asked for more details before agreeing. Finally, Valian did mention things that indicated not intending to do unnecessary harm…

“I promise I won’t speak of what you’ll say at Leba the Hutt’s.”

“So do we let them go for now, or do you still need me to tie them up?”

Macuy had no problem with Kial's conditions.

"Let's tie them up for now, and then go see what Leba has to offer us."

With the construction materials the two Zabrak had brought, it was easy to tie them up securely and safely. Denari knew quite a few useful knots for the purpose, owing to her extensive survival skills, and they were sure that without an outsider coming in to free them, they would not be getting out - considering how hard it had been for them to get inside, that wouldn't be an issue.

Once the Zabrak were secured, the heroes made their way to tunnel 163-B. The route there itself was dimly lit by emergency lighting - clearly the route wasn't intended as a major traffic way, but they passed several members of the hive of scum and villainy that hung around the area, none of them paying much attention to them. They had their own troubles to worry about no doubt, and it was good street survival to mind your own business, Macuy would know.

The entrance to the tunnel was a metal stairway, covered by a chain-link fence to prevent anyone from simply jumping - or flying - down. Even so, the area of the tunnel - or more accurately, the tunnel junction - was more open than one might expect, giving the Jedi a good view through the fencing of what was what, even before entering the area proper.

At the bottom stairs they could see a door in the chain-link fence, with a Rodian and a human guard on the other side, each carrying a heavy looking rifle. Owing to her military experience, Kial would recognize them as fully automatic blaster rifles, DC-16C model, with modifications. Very much not legal for civilians to carry.

The whole setup did not seem to be the most tactical way to secure the area, from a military perspective, but Macuy would know that groups like this relied at least in part on reputation for their security. And it was probably wise to presume everyone here was armed and ready for a fight, even if they looked like they were innocent.

They could see from above that area was lit up by construction lights that had been set up to provide better vision and prevent anyone hiding inside the area. The platform in the back had a big security door, which would likely be where the leader of the operation was set up. Other than that, there were various people going about their business.

While looking through the fence, Denari paid special attention to any places where the others would have trouble seeing, because of the lighting.

As she did that, she waited for Padawan Valian to take the lead.

Before taking the lead, Kial turned to her fellow jedi once more. She did this a little before they came into sight of the gate and their guards.

"I don't think I need to tell either of you to keep your eyes peeled and your guard up."

Without waiting for an answer she turned back around and took the lead.

She approached the gate at a firm pace, yet seemed with an air of nonchalance. She noted the modded blaster rifles but seemed unaffected by them.

Kial stopped an appropriate distance from the gate and the guards.

"Good day, I'm Commander Kial Valian of the Unified People of Thanda Military Caste. I'm here to speak to Leba the Hutt about the UPT asset you acquired earlier today at the Black Ace Cantina."

The Rodian and human looked at one another when Kial came down the stairs to ask entry. They seemed to hesitate a moment, but then the gate was opened.

"The boss is in the back" the human noted, motioning for the UPT commander and her escort to follow. It seemed like Kial had secured them an escort right to their destination, avoiding not just a fight, but any need for sneakery as well. Someone had a decent clue what was going on it seemed!

The guard walked them through the area to the large security doors. These were pretty heavy, designed originally as shelters for workers constructing the city back before it had shields, and were later integrated into the cities underground infrastructure.

Inside, a cold and dimly lit hall awaited the heroes, with a large and well rounded Hutt laying comfortably on a raised platform. That would probably be Leba.

The crime boss was attended by two serving droids who were holding trays of various snacks, and a Gungan woman wearing a tiny dress with cat ears and tail. The Gungan was dancing to the music played by two Bith musicians, who's cheerful tune provided a dissonant contrast to the otherwise gloomy place.

To the right of the Hutt was a Gamorrean trying to find the bottom of his huge mug of ale, sitting on top of a cage holding a blue Twi'lek, which was being refilled by a Rodian man with a rifle hanging over his shoulder in what seemed like a drinking buddy exchange.

To the left, two Zabrak guards were having a discussion with a Wookie with tribal patterns dyed into his fur and a couple of small Utai playing catch with what seemed like a live grenade.

Finally, behind the Hutt was a small table with small piles of credits and several crates with a tarp covering them, guarded by a Jawa that was trying to count the piles of credits.

"Who do we have here?" the Hutt inquired as the Jedi were led inside

Kial walked up to the raised platform the Hutt was laying on. Stopping a respectful distance from it. She seemed to be ignoring everything except the Hutt.

"Leba the Hutt, I presume?" Kial asked. "Commander Kial Valian, UPT Military Caste." She snapped a quick salute.

After a short pause, Kial sighed.

"I assume you were unaware that the Twi'lek your people took from the Black Ace Cantina in a public shoot-out earlier today was a UPT asset? Seeing as neither you nor your people look like they just picked a fight with the UPT. Which is why I came here personally. To ask why you took her. Then perhaps we can clear up this misunderstanding without the need for violence."

Denari mainly noted the musicians and the Twi’lek in the crate. She shot a glance at Padawan Macuy to inquire if that was his friend. She did remain quiet however.

While entering the room behind Kial, Macuy quickly looked over the room and wasn't too surprised to see Leba attended to by a dancer with some music.

The Twi'lek in the cage, however, piqued his interest and he gave a small nod to Denari as she seemed to have noticed the cage as well.

For the moment though, he left the talking to Kial whose plan seemed to be working thus far.

Macuy definitely recognized Ellevyn'tarra in the cage. Unless she had a twin he was unaware of.

Kial meanwhile put on a good show of half true half not so true as she approached Leba. The big Hutt looked them over, trying to size up the trio.

"That is what you are here about? The Twi'lek?"

He pondered a moment longer

"Fine, you can have her. She is not much use to me anyway - she bit one of my guards." he noted.

Somewhat disgruntled, the Rodian stepped away from the cage, though the Gamorrean needed a moment longer to realize what was expected of him. Slowly, he got to his feet, lifted up the crate-like cage, Twi'lek and all, and offered it to Denari, as if she'd lift it up just as easily as the massive space orc.

Trying to lift, hold, haul or carry the cage did not seem like a very good idea to Denari, weight and danger of shoot-outs considered.

So, as if it was the most normal situation in the world, she said:

“You can put it down here, thanks. Keys?”

She kept paying close attention so she would not be caught off guard by blasters instead of keys or other tools to open the crate.

Kial maintained her composure. Which wasn't as easy for her as it might sound. Alarms were going off in her head. This was going far too easy, at least for her taste.

Was Leba calling her bluff? Was he just maintaining appearances for his subordinates and actually fearful of UPT reprisal? Why go through all the trouble if Ellevyn'tarra wasn't of much use? Why had Kial not asked for backup from the UPT embassy?

All these questions shot through Kials head in an instant. She cut them off, because speculations like that were pointless in this moment. She would let the Force guide her.

"Thank you, kindly, for releasing her." Kial said.

Then she took a step forward towards Leba. She could easily reach him with her lightsaber now, but still had a little distance.

"But you failed to answer my question about why you took her. I would also like to know who at sec you bought to keep them out after your raid on the Black Ace Cantina."

Kials tone had a very subtle, but definitely noticeable, darkness to it.

The Gamorrean sighed and finally put down the crate in front of Denari as the Rodian searched through a set of keys to find the right one.

"Wait, I thought it was your raid?!" Leba exclaimed. That was certainly not the expected reaction. "We figured you had set up the raid and held her as she was acting like she might have seen something she shouldn't."

"I mean, look at my men, we do not do commando raids."

Leba had a point there. His men were certainly battle hardened criminals, but they were the loose affiliation of scum and villainy types, not the types to set up a military precision raid on a cantina.

Having found the key, the Gamorrean put it down on the crate for Denari

"Look, if your people are not telling you things, that is not my fault." Leba noted "Why don't you take your asset and we'll call it even?"

The words Leba was saying pointed to shady business, that much Denari could recognize. However, her priorities were elsewhere at the moment.

She quickly took the keys and opened the crate to help Ellevyn’tarra out. She joined the mission to help Padawan Macuy’s friend, so now her attention was mainly on keeping her safe till they were in the clear.

Kial blinked twice at the news Leba wasn't responsible for the raid. She wasn't really surprised, she had suspected the UPT to be behind the raid early on. She had been concerned they had taken Ellevyn'tarra, fortunately they hadn't.

Kial let out a sigh of exasperation, she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I've told Raid Squad a thousand times to check with me before heading out."

She said to no-one in particular. Straightening herself out she looked back to Leba.

"My apologies Leba. It seems one of my colleagues jumped the gun and caused both of us some grief in the process. I assure you, this will not happen again."

"Thank you for returning our asset. We'll be taking our leave now, as it seems someone needs my boot up their ass."

Kial snapped another salute, took two steps back before turning in place and heading for the direction they came in. She wanted to leave quickly if possible, without looking like she wanted to leave quickly.

If no one protested, Denari intended to follow Padawan Valian out, with Ellevyn’tarra.

As Denari freed Ellevyn’tarra, Macuy picked her up and planned on carrying her out. Not only would it convince Leba that they intended to just leave without much more trouble, he also didn't trust Ellevyn’tarra to walk just now.

(( I don't think she's injured or something, I just wanted to pick her up ))

Ellevyn'tarra did not appear to be seriously harmed, though she had clearly been shaken by her experience and she had no objection to being princess-carried by Macuy.

As the heroes made their way out of Leba's lair, Kial kept a close eye out to make sure there wasn't any last minute backstabbery, but it appeared Leba did not want to mess with the UPT and whatever operations they were involved in in the capital. Crime lord or not, Leba knew where profits lay and interfering with intergalactic politics was not profitable.

Once there, the Twi'lek girl seemed a lot more at ease and coaxed Macuy to put her back down.

"Are... are you working with them, Mac?" she inquired somewhat confused - it seemed the ruse had worked on the Rutian Twi'lek as well, and she was now under the impression that the Jedi and UPT were in cahoots on whatever plan she happened to stumble into.

"No..," Macuy replyed as he helped Ellevyn'tarra back on her own feet. He then realized he hadn't offered much information and then added, "Kial here is a friend, and she has seen some service with the UPT. It seems that still commands some respect with Leba, and it offered us a way to get you out without many... problems."

Kial shrugged. "A fellow jedi needed help, so I volunteered."

She decided not to mention she was technically still an officer of the UPT Military Caste. She did need to know if her current objective, Ellevyn'tarra's safety, had been secured or if additional action was required.

"I would like to know what you have seen and anything else that might be related to it, though. You may not be safe yet, so I suggest we stay on the move."

“I’m also just here because Macuy wanted to help you” Denari added. “So who’s ‘them’?”

Ellevyn'tarra nodded, reassured by Macuy's explanation.

"Well, like, thank you for rescuing me...?" she realized "I am not sure what would have happened if you hadn't gotten me out of there!?" She seemed quite appreciative about that.

She looked at Denari a moment because it was a fair and obvious question she asked.

"Well, the guys who raided the Cantina? Like, no offense, but you sort of ooze 'military'?" It was an observation of fact more than a judgement, though Kial probably wasn't the time to take that as an insult anyway.

"I am not sure who exactly is doing what, but some dudes were, like, selling this big yellow mechanical device? At first I thought it was like a droid, but it was mounted on an anti-grav carrier, so I figured it might be broken?" she continued.

"Anyway, I know this -person-" she noted knowingly to Macuy as if he was supposed to be aware of what she was talking about "who repairs droids, so I figured there might be an opportunity...? and I sort of, like, scanned the device? To see if they might be able to help?"

She reached over to get a holodevice from where she habitually kept it, but of course found that obviously it was no longer there - she'd probably have been sending more messages if she had had it.

"So like, my scanner was going all -beep- -beep- and giving all sorts of warnings about radiation and about explosion dangers? And people were like looking at me? And then these guys in dark clothes kicked in the door and started blasting, and someone yelled about a grenade?"

Ellevyn'tarra continued to ramble about noises and flashes and details of the fight, which seemed to have been between the people with the yellow device and the guys in dark clothes that the Twi'lek hadn't gotten an entirely good look at, though she was absolutely adamant they were a military unit of some sort, possibly special forces.

"So anyway, by the time I woke up I was in the cage and this guy was poking at me so I, like, bit his finger?" she concluded

Things started to fall into place for Kial. Based on Ellevyn'tarra's description Kial thought the big yellow device was likely a nuclear bomb intended for asteroid mining or a similar industrial application. A very dangerous device that could cause a lot op death and destruction if used with ill intent. Most definitely something the UPT would act decisively on, even without proper preparation in advance. That was, of course, assuming the UPT were the ones who raided the cantina.

What really concerned her though, was how something like a mining nuke got into the hands of criminals in the first place. One didn't just 'misplace' a potential weapon of mass destruction.

"Do you remember seeing any markings, words or numbers on the device?"

Kials walking pace slowed down as she asked.

"I am not, like, sure how helpful it will be, but I did see some letters on it?" she nodded "It was, like... XRILE or something? Or maybe, like, XR-17-3? Something like that? It was, like, a little bit chaotic, there were people, like, shooting and everything!?" she explained.

"Also, can I, like, sleep at the temple or something? I do not think it is, like, safe for me to go home right now?"

At the mention of the letters, Kial stopped dead in her tracks. "XR-17-E..." Any doubt about the original purpose of the device had vanished from Kials mind. The massacre of the XR-17-E mining operation by the central computer system gone berserk was not something she would forget any time soon. Kial had taken part in the mission after the rescue team had gone missing.

She took several deep breaths before speaking again.

"I think you'll be fine at home. If whomever raided the cantina wanted to eliminate witnesses they would have killed you then and there. From what you've told us so far, it doesn't sound like you would be able to identify any of the raiders. You're not a big enough threat to them to eliminate. But I'll walk you home if that'll make you feel safer."

Kial needed to talk to one of the Jedi Masters when she returned to the temple, and contact the UPT embassy after that.

“Although we probably can let you stay at the temple for a while if that makes you feel better…” Denari added, to make sure Ellevyn’tarra knew that her concerns were taken seriously.

After bringing her home or to the temple, they should probably still go by the cantina to release the cleaning crew or bring them to the police or something.

Ellevyn'tarra did not seem entirely reassured by Kial's words, not seeming to have the same instinct for when and how people would be eliminated, and not really keen to experiment. Also, sticking with Macuy seemed wise since she knew him.

Since Denari also agreed, she accompanied the Jedi back to the temple to stay there for a day or two. She'd not stick around, being a free spirit and obviously not a Jedi, but it made her feel safe.

The cleaning crew meanwhile was taken to 'Sec' to deal with. No doubt the information they provided would curry at least some favour once they were up for trials.

With those loose ends out of the way, the padawans were able to find Master Crular to report to, and of course the Jedi Temple had communication equipment to contact the UPT.

With Ellevyn’tarra safe and at ease, and the other things taken care of, Denari sought out Master Crular.

She did not really have a concrete question in mind, but she had been feeling somewhat out of place and unsure of her contribution during the mission. It gave her an uneasy feeling, but she could not quite make sense of it…

Master Crular pondered Denari's question a moment.

"You were in an environment you are not as familiar with as the other two Padawans on your team" Master Crular observed "It is no wonder you worry about that - the constructed environment of the city is not your usual domain."

"So this mission was a bit out of your regular element" he agreed "If what I have heard is correct though, you played a crucial role in talking to people at the eatery next to the Cantina.

You also took good care of the Twi'lek girl. I am sure she appreciated your kindness." he noted.

"In either case, I suspect your specific skills will be important soon enough." he gave Denari a warm smile. "Do not worry."

The Master’s words did put Denari at ease. After all, it was the way of the world that things tended to specialize themselves to thrive in certain environments, but that did not mean they could not survive well enough in others.

She thanked the Master kindly and left to meditate on the impact of this realization some more.