Ask Dantooine Extinguishing The Flame

[Jaikus Thorne]

Dantooine, Captial City​

Weeks had passed, and Jaikus had finally returned to Dantooine. It had not been so long ago that the Axxilan had stepped foot on the planet for the very first time, and his utter failure on that day still hung heavy on his shoulders. His actions - or lack thereof - had cost the Empire and his the man he loved dearly, and it was far past time that Jaikus made amends for those mistakes. Rebellion had seeded itself across Dantooine and enabled the planet to break away from the Imperial control, and it was imperative to act quickly if they ever had any hopes of regaining control of the lost territory.

Dusk had already fallen over the capital city of Dantooine, and the distant rumble above them indicated that a large storm was quickly approaching. Nevertheless, dozens of civilians still busily strolled about the open, merchant-filled medina. The smell of local spices and cuisine filled the air, and the gentle strumming of street musicians could be heard amongst the chatter. Jaikus remained ever-so-slightly removed from the main thoroughfare traffic - leaning his shoulder against an adjacent building where an alleyway began.

The Axxilan decided to forgo his signature Sith armor - instead opting for more inconspicuous mercenary attire. He wore a cloak over the top of his armor, a hood pulled up to shroud the majority of his face, alongside his weapons and the utility belt on his waist. The combination of the dusky light and Jaikus’ dark attire meant that he easily blended into the background, tucked out of sight and unnoticed by those passing through the market. Even if he were to be noticed, there was nothing about the Axxilan in that moment to make him stand out as anything but ordinary.

Jaikus allowed his citrine gaze to flit around the market, casually watching the civilians as they moved about. His eyes briefly drift and fixed onto his companion for his expedition. They had already discussed their objective before arrival, and Jaikus’ gaze only lingered for a split second before flicking away.

For the moment, Jaikus didn’t move from his perch - opting to observe the busy medina for a few seconds longer. He felt the first sprinkles of rain drop against his hood, and watched as the last vestiges of sunlight faded for the evening

Spoiler: OOC Note - PLEASE READ

24hr deadline. Thread is Intrigue-based, but PvP enabled if it goes that way. Open to 2 opposition - equal levels HEAVILY preferred.

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@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Owing to the fact that they weren't trying to be blantantly Sith here, Varyn had been forced to forgo using the IAC armor he had been using for his recent Sith missions. Instead he was a Jedi pretending to be a Sith pretending to be a neutral party. He had become a man of many faces, and so he had found it surprisingly easy to slip into a new one for this particular mission.

It wasn't his first time being to Dantooine, and so the stain of darkness that clung distantly to it following what had previously happened at the enclave was no longer as shocking or disorienting to him nor was the nexus that existed deep below the planet's surface.

The missions he was being sent on were higher stakes and more important, which he hoped meant he might be nearing promotion away from acolyte, but it was probably wishful thinking. Whether he had "trained under a Sith master" and actually had the skills to be a competent Champion was only so relevant. He had to prove he had the skills, and he had to do it without arousing suspicion.

He was dressed as a ubese, the perfect excuse to have his face covered and not arouse suspicion. His lightsaber was concealed, but easily accessible, though he hoped it wouldn't come to that. For the moment, the poncho would help keep him dry as the drops started falling as well.

He looked to his superior on the operation, moving only his eyes to do so as he picked through several fruits at a nearby market stand as if trying to decide what to buy. He knew they were playing the waiting game right now, he just didn't know for how long.

@Altaris

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Since Dantooine's liberation, the leaders have been paranoid. And could you blame them? They finally got a breath of fresh air after months of being suffocated by the Sith. And no one wants to lose that air again. As a result, the civilians were left on edge after the poor treatment, and the leaders built a secret meeting room where they spent the majority of their days, with high security and direct contact with the Jedi on duty.

Two of those Jedi being Clove and Felix.

Despite the fact that she still required her cane for long-distance walks, the medics gave her the go-ahead to sign up for her first patrol mission since the incident. And now she was back on her feet, dressed in her new pink armor with a durasteel breastplate, and armor weave padding her shoulders, knees, thighs, and arms, patrolling the Dantooine markets with Felix (@christhebetrayer). Her belt was adorned with a newly crafted lightsaber, a plain durasteel hilt with an azure blue kyber crystal.

Dantooine, the planet where it all started.

"Oh, I could really use some fresh fried fish right now." Clove sighed wistfully to Felix as they passed by one of the market stalls. It was one of the burdens of being on duty. Seeing all of the delicious-looking food and not being able to eat it. Although it was refreshing to see such normalities, Dantooine had been feeling off since the attack: there was a stain in the air that left an aftertaste in her mouth. A stain that would have crippled her with guilt many months ago. But now? Now I t only fueled her determination to help Dantooine in any way she could.

---

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Tag @Altaris @Phoenix
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[Felix]

The recent liberation of Dantooine was a major win for jedi and their relatively new rebel allies. But after any major fight on any world, people need to feel a return to normalcy, to safety and that's what clove and Felix were sent to do, to patrol streets to show a jedi presence on Dantooine, to know they are protected and are being looked out for.

Their patrol dealt with everything from helping with disputes between locals to policing actions, they were mostly a stop-gap while Dantooine got back on its feet and could create its own local security forces to deal with these things but the jedi were happy to step in the role for now.

Felix was more than happy to accompany clove on her first patrol mission they were growing to be good friends and he was more than happy to help support her in whatever way she needed. "we can stop and eat but it means being ready to ditch it at a moment's notice should we need to."

He knew Dantooine was an important world to her because of what happened to her previously here but she was stronger and wiser for it now, hopefully, she will overcome anything that she has yet to deal with this strength.

@LilyNion @Altaris @Phoenix

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus didn’t immediately shift from where he was standing - allowing his gaze to travel across the bustling medina. Citrine eyes casually drifted from loaded-down carts that carried anything from fresh fruit or local spices, to fried foods that filled the air with a delicious aroma. The Axxilan didn’t look towards Varyn after that initial acknowledgement - not giving the Acolyte any more attention than anyone else in the crowd. A part of Jaikus still questioned his decision to bring an Acolyte along for this expedition, but he ultimately believed it was the right one. He had seen Varyn at work in the past, and knew the man was capable.

If nothing else, the high-stakes nature of their mission had the potential to catapult the Acolyte into championship. Higher-ups at the ISB were made aware of who had been assigned to this operation, and success here was bound to be recognized.

The Axxilan didn’t miss the sight of two Jedi that strolled into the open market - citrine eyes catching sight of the lightsaber that hung at the waist of Clove. With Dantooine so recently ‘liberated’ from Imperial control, the Axxilan had fully anticipated that their ranks would still heavily active on the planet. Nevertheless, Jaikus didn’t afford either of them more than a passing glance before his attention shifted elsewhere. Their ranks were welcomed amongst the general populace of Dantooine, and on the very slim chance that either of them looked Jaikus’ direction, he would give them zero reason to suspect he differed from the opinion of the majority.

After a few more moments, the Axxilan turned his attention back to Varyn - giving the Acolyte the faintest tilt of his head. It was a gesture that would’ve been meaningless to any bystander, but Varyn would know the signal he was waiting for - indicating that it was time to act. Without a word, Jaikus casually took a step backwards - further into the dark alleyway - and spun on a heel, starting to weave his way between buildings and towards his main objective. While their destination was the same, they would take separate paths to get there.

The pungent scent of cigarra smoke and spice hung heavy in the air, emanating from the various unscrupulous individuals who clung to the dim, shrouded alleyway. Jaikus’ footsteps carried him forward - carving a path that ran behind cantinas, markets and other establishments. It kept him far out of sight from the pair of Jedi and most anyone else, and he took care to actively avoid stepping into the line of sight of any visible cameras.

As he passed, Jaikus allowed a hand to slip beneath his cloak - flicking open the pouch that was attached to his utility belt. The Axxilan swiped one of the thermal charges from within the pouch and held it within the palm of his hand, facing the flat, adhesive side outward. As he rounded the corner behind another busy cantina, Jaikus subtly brushed his hand against the outer wall - planting the charge - a red light immediately clicking on and syncing to his commlink.

With no one trailing him yet, Jaikus continued on his trajectory unimpeded - repeating the maneuver of planting two more charges discretely onto different buildings surrounding the medina as he went. He left one charge tucked into his belt and unarmed, holding onto it for the time being.

His main objective still lied ahead, and Jaikus focused his attention there - picking up the pace ever-so-slightly as he rounded another corner towards the government district of the city.

@Phoenix @LilyNion @christhebetrayer

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn hadn't noticed the new arrivals of the Jedi. A lightsaber was an easy thing to miss in a crowd, but it wouldn't have changed much about how he acted anyway. He caught the cue to go, but didn't move right away.

He grabbed one of the fruits, throwing down a few credits, and shoved the fruit in his pocket. With his "business" done, he turned and headed out of the market and strolled down the street. He'd pored over the street maps in preparation for this. He'd learned... well, he'd learned most of the streets and how to make it to the HQ in question.

He tossed a glance back over his shoulder out of habit more than anything. Even if he weren't on a mission, he didn't like having people behind him or following him. He was a bit of a skittish person.

And it gave him time to think. He was here to assassinate people... people that were truly on his side of the war. Could he let that happen? He wasn't doing it, right? It was the Champion that was doing it. He was just... assisting. If it wasn't him it would be someone else. He needed to maintain his cover... climb the ranks. It was a war. He knew he would never get through being a "Sith" without getting his hands dirty, but this was... really dirty. But how many people died every day? More than he could count in a lifetime. What were a few more? That... that wasn't a Jedi thought.

@Altaris @LilyNion @christhebetrayer

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

"Hmmm." Clove paused for a moment, then nodded. "Okay! How about this, we buy the fish, and then we eat it while we finish our route? That way there's no need to stop!" The half-Annfyn smiled brightly, clearly pleased with how she had cheated the system.

"Here's your credits, thank you so much!" She said sugary sweetly to the vendor owner after they ordered the fried fish, which was served in a small little plastic container. It wasn't the prettiest, but it sure smelled good! She took the plastic container and a small plastic fork in her hand after paying the man his credits and began walking forward, on track to the governmental district where their patrol would end. Despite the fact that she was partially focused on eating, her gaze remained fixed on the crowd, actively scanning for anything suspicious.

And everything went smoothly and neatly; they didn't notice anything suspicious or strange as they followed the main path that ran straight through the city. Which made it easy for Clove to chomp away at her fried fish until they reached a somewhat quieter section near the front of the government district. She quickly tossed the plastic container into one of the trash cans before returning her large chocolate brown eyes to the square.

That's when she noticed a man, hooded and dressed in what she assumed was mercenary garb, rounding a corner. While mercenaries were common throughout the city, they were far less common near the government district. Particularly hooded ones. Clove quickly nudges Felix with her elbow, nodding in the direction of the hooded figure. "See that hooded man?" She whispered to her fellow Jedi Knight, her eyes squinting slightly as she watched him make his way. "Suspicious. I'd say we keep an eye on him and maybe even ask what he's up to if he doesn't turn around soon."

With a small nod to Felix, Clove began to make her way forwards while looking as casual as possible. They had to go into the governmental district regardless of the hooded man, but now they had a new goal: keep an eye out and get close enough to approach the man without causing a commotion, just in case he was a harmless mercenary. They had to match his speed, if not be just the slightest bit faster to try and get close; thankfully for the light half-Annfyn, that was no problem.

---

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Tag @Altaris @Phoenix @christhebetrayer
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[Felix]

"By all means, go ahead" He knew he couldn't stop her even if he wanted to, she would just find some other way to get what she wanted and he wasn't opposed to the idea of eating he had been a long patrol.

"Thank you" he would nod to the vender as he paid and received his fried fish, beginning to eat out of the small container it came. He wasn't the biggest fan of fish but he was hungry and it did smell good. they would continue their patrol, side by side with each other as they ate.

Felix was still eating when Clove elbowed him and nodded towards the cloaked figure. observing him for a bit before he responded, "we should keep our back a bit from him and observe, we don't want to spook him" but he would match clove's because if she was going to talk to the guy she wasn't going to do it alone despite their difference in plans.

@LilyNion @Altaris @Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn's path was separate from the Champion, but periodically they would cross paths or spot each other from adjacent streets. The crowds had begun to thin and Varyn continued walking on though his mind was somewhere else.

It was in the moral questioning of what he was doing. He continued mulling it over, debating if he should find a way to tip someone off about what was coming and wondering what kind of impact it would have for his cover if he did. He needed to climb through the ranks and gain more access to information. This was... just a casualty of war. He had always wanted to be a Knight, but this didn't feel very honorable. Stop being selfish. This is about saving lives even if it hurts your dream. You job is to help this galaxy, he thought to himself. You can't save everyone.

He crossed one of the streets and spotted Wraith and behind him in the thinned out crowd, a lightsaber wiggling on a belt. It seemed they had drawn the attention of Jedi? Or perhaps it was just a coincidence. Either way, Varyn had very mixed feelings about how this might go, hoping to the Force that they would just leave.

Wraith, you've got Jedi a bit behind you on the street, he said, the comlink in his helmet letting him speak quietly and without doing anything to draw attention. He continued on, not lingering or staring long enough to draw suspicion.

@LilyNion @christhebetrayer @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

With his charges discretely scattered along his path, Jaikus kept his focus on the objective ahead of him - citrine eyes cautiously and discreetly scanning the path ahead of him. He spotted Varyn a few times as he strolled ahead, but otherwise didn’t regard the Acolyte beyond a cursory glance. By the time Jaikus rounded the corner into the government district, the sun had almost completely set over the horizon - streetlights kicking on in an attempt to illuminate the increasingly dark cityscape. The first droplets of rain began to fall from the skies above - tapping against the Axxilan’s hood and puddling on the duracrete below. His objective was still a couple of blocks down, and Jaikus had no intention of strolling right out in the open to get there.

Before he could make it much further, though, a familiar flash of pink armor slid across Jaikus’ peripheral vision and caught his attention. It was a memorable shade and one that the Axxilan had gotten a very good look at some minutes prior - and it meant that he didn’t need to turn his head towards Clove or Felix to know that the Jedi from earlier had arrived in the government district as well. Either they had been followed, or it was merely a rather annoying coincidence that they now had to contend with. He heavily doubted the former - knowing full-well that his path had been exceptionally discreet and the two Knight’s hadn’t so much as looked his way before.

Jaikus couldn’t help but grit his teeth slightly when the voice of Varyn echoed through the flesh-colored earpiece discreetly tucked into his ear. Still, even if his low-life disguise had drawn the attention of the Jedi, Jaikus knew that nothing about his attire had betrayed his true affiliations. He continued to casually stroll ahead, not stopping or otherwise glancing back. “I saw them,” He whispered in response, his voice carried by the mic that was attached to the side of his face underneath his bandana. He purposefully kept his voice incredibly quiet - even to the point where Varyn would have to pay very close attention to hear. The Axxilan was intimately familiar with just how sensitive the hearing of Sephi and their offshoots were, and a previous look at Clove’s fluted ears in the medina was enough for Jaikus to consciously control his volume. “Do not intervene or expose yourself. Keep on a course for the HQ, while I throw them off my trail.”

With that, Jaikus walked right along - tugging the hood a bit higher over his face. It had the effect of shrouding the few bits of his face that weren’t covered, but given the increasing rainfall, it wasn’t a gesture that would independently look particularly suspicious. Citrine eyes rapidly flicked across his surroundings, his mind racing at breakneck pace to formulate his next move. After a few moments, the Axxilan spotted a busy cantina on the other side of the street. While this district of the city wasn’t particularly known for its nightlife, there were still plenty of restaurants and similar drinking establishments to be found. And this just so happened to be one.

Without a pause in his step, Jaikus casually cut across the street and made his way towards the entrance of the cantina. While he had no doubt now that Felix and Clove were following him, and would likely catch up to him before long, the Axxilan was still closer to the cantina and moved at least a few moments ahead of them. Not to mention, Felix’ decision to observe from a distance gave him even more of a lead.

As soon as he reached the entrance, Jaikus slipped past the door and made a beeline for the densely packed crowd. The smell of cigarra smoke, spice and alcohol was heavy in the air, and the crowd was packed especially dense around the dancefloor - the steady bump of electric music filling the air. Knowing that he was being followed at this point, Jaikus purposefully weaved his way though the crowd - changing directions frequently in hopes of cutting off line of sight, if the Knight’s had managed to keep tabs on his thus far. Rounding a corner towards one of the private booths of the cantina, Jaikus’ attention was rapidly drawn towards a human sitting alone with a drink in his hands.

Passing by the man’s booth, Jaikus subtly curled his fingers - the Force extending outwards to brush against the man’s mind - influence seeping into his psyche before he had even realized Jaikus had approached. It was a subtle manipulation of the Force, and in a densely crowded cantina, not one that either Clove or Felix would be able to pinpoint with any accuracy.

The cloak is yours. Wear it.

Without stopping, Jaikus allowed the cloak to slip off his shoulders - pulling one arm free as the garment fell into his left hand. He extended the garment towards the man - who casually snatched it and proceeded to pull it over his shoulders - the hood pulled up to shroud his face, just as it had been for Jaikus. Left in only his mercenary armor and with an unwitting decoy left behind, Jaikus continued right along - narrowly avoiding bumping into other patrons as he walked. There was a back exit of the cantina - leading out to a side alley and the garbage bins behind the establishment. If uninterrupted, the Axxilan would advance in that direction and back out onto the street.

@Phoenix @christhebetrayer @LilyNion

 

[Felix]

They followed the man, shadowing him with Felix a bit further behind clove he was approaching a cantina and a busy one at that. Felix didn't know whether this was the man's intended destination or he had spotted them and was now trying to get them off his trail.

Activating his commlink he would speak to clove "Clove, if you want to talk to this guy it's going to be hard to find him in that cantina, so lets split up you go in through the front I'll go through the back, we can meet in middle, sound good?" he would begin to peel off and enter a side ally to get to the back entrance.

He would get to the back entrance where garbage bins were he gave it a quick scan, he could hear the thumping of music from inside as two staff were taking a cigarra break and a homeless person further down the ally that seem to be scavenging from the bins, nothing out of ordinary.

He was about to enter the door to the back but opened to reveal a man, "excuse me, have yo-" his voice trailed off as he realised the man roughly match the height and build of the hooded figure with merc armour. Felix's body language changed, he pulled his shoulder back and adjust his feet. creating a simple gesture in his hand at the side, brushing his mind with the force. "care to tell me where you're going?" hopeful he didn't have a strong will to resist the mind trick.

@LilyNion @Altaris @Phoenix

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove chewed her lowerlip for a second. Clove was much closer to the hooded figure than Felix was, because while Felix trailed behind to provide cover, she was borderline running to catch up with the man. He'd just snuck into a busy cantina, and if she didn't follow him right away, she'd lose the distance she'd closed. Luckily, she heard Felix's voice in the commlink attached to her fluted ear, giving her the go-ahead to enter the cantina almost immediately. "Sounds good!" She responded.

When she finally entered the cantina, it took her a few moments to look around for the hooded figure. Because while she was close, she wasn't by any means close enough to detect him right away like a hound dog. So she stood there for a second, staring around, until she spotted the hoodie she'd been following. And he was heading straight for the denser-packed crowd.

Fortunately for Clove, despite having never been to a proper party minus Altair's, she grew up on a resort where everyone was partying all the time. Despite the many sensations that would have otherwise tickled her senses and distracted her, she knew how to navigate just fine. So, rather than running after him blindly and getting squished in a crowd of people, which was a sure way to lose the man, Clove stayed on the side while trailing him, her gaze locked on whatever bit she could find; his boots, his arms, the top of his hoodie, never truly losing him out of sight.

Clove took a few quick steps forward to ensure she didn't fall too far behind when he rounded the corner, rounding the corner not long after him. Then, much to her surprise, she felt the Force being used. She had no idea who did it, and she couldn't pinpoint it with any degree of certainty, but she knew it was close enough. While there was no reason to be on high alert, there were neutral Force Users after all, it did make her on tad bit edge.

Her large brown eyes darted around the room, spotting the man in the hoodie in one of the private booths. Huh? So he was actually innocent after all? Her smile curled up into a faint but warm smile as she approached the man in the booth, a little puzzled about what was going on. She was about to say hello when she noticed the glass in his hand. A glass?

That wasn't the hooded man she was following. No, there was no way. Sure, she might've lost him for a second or two every now and then, but none of that was long enough for the hooded figure to head to the bar, order a drink, wait for it to be served, and then sit down casually with it. She'd also gotten a decent look at the man's attire. And this stranger was not dressed in anything remotely resembling mercenary armor.

No, this wasn't him. And he was acting very suspiciously. While she initially thought he'd gone to the cantina for a drink, she was now convinced he was trying to get rid of them. And that never meant any good.

Clove jumped onto the table closest to her without hesitation, her cane supporting her to hop on relatively smoothly, giving her a bird's-eye view of the cantina. He had to be there; there was no way he could have gotten away that quickly. She pressed into her commlink while looking around at the crowd. "Knight Vanhoop here, there's a suspicious person running around in mercenary armor. It could be nothing serious, such as a common thief, but be prepared for a small-scale lockdown, just in case. I'll keep you informed." She spoke to the head of command. She hoped she was overly dramatic and paranoid like everyone else on the planet. That he was, in fact, a thief and nothing more or less. But this wasn't the time to take risks.

Clove narrowed her eyes as she caught a glimpse of a man walking towards the exit with a similar posture, matching boots, and, most importantly, no hood. While she wasn't certain it was the man she'd been looking for, it was the best lead she could get. Clove motioned for one of the few bouncers to go to the private booth with the hooded man, just in case he was involved, before leaping off the table and sprinting over to the exit, where hopefully Felix would be close by.

---

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Tag @Altaris @Phoenix @christhebetrayer
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[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn had his orders and he followed them. If the Champion was killed or detained then things would become a bit more precarious for Varyn, but he would do what he had to do.

He headed on to the HQ, wondering what would become of Wraith, but turning his attention back to making sure that there was no one following him. There wasn't.

He made it to the capital building shortly, and as the merry chase through the cantina continued, Varyn observed the exterior of the capital. He spotted his way in quickly. Evaluating weaknesses like these had become a key part of his day to day lives so he could assist commando teams in their infiltration of Sith buildings.

His eyes swept around the capital building and then he pulled the Force to himself. He leapt upward, landing on an upper ledge to the building and then sprung off again, landing on another upper level and making it into a window.

Well, he had access to the building now. It was just a matter of the next steps now.

@LilyNion @Altaris @christhebetrayer

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Moving a few paces ahead of both Clove and Felix, Jaikus was fairly confident in his ability to outmaneuver both of the Jedi had chosen - rather abruptly - to follow him into the busy cantina. If nothing else, the Axxilan knew that their fixation on him meant that Varyn had almost certainly reached the Command Center at this point - bringing them one step closer to completing their objective and achieving what they had set out to do here. Just as he was about to pass through the back-exit and continue out onto the alleyway behind the cantina, Jaikus watched as Felix stepped through the door - having clearly split up from the half-Annfyn to cover both sides of the establishment. It was becoming increasingly clear just how aggressively the pair were attempting to hunt him down, and while Jaikus couldn’t help but be slightly surprised by the development, he didn’t allow it to jeopardize his cover or what he had planned.

Rather than shying away from Felix, Jaikus played right into his surprise at the Jedi’s sudden appearance - continuing forward and bumping right into the Knight as if he hadn’t seen the man at first. “Shit,” He muttered, accent a bit thicker and voice a bit more slurred than usual. “My bad, dude–” He began to walk around Felix - only for his eyes to widen ever-so-slightly when Felix adjusted to stance - shoulder drawing back as if preparing for a fight, while the Jedi’s fingers waved with a brush of the Force.

Almost equal with Felix in the Force, the attempt at a mind trick would go absolutely nowhere. However, It was a maneuver that Jaikus truly couldn’t have predicted in a million years, and he immediately leapt at the opportunity to exploit the opportunity it presented.

The moment that Felix lightly brushed his hand to the side, Jaikus body abruptly toppled to one side - moving in the direction of the Knight's hand before banging against the side-wall of the establishment - appearing to knock the Axxilan right off his feet. Fear momentarily flashed in his eyes as he stared up at the Knight, pushing himself backwards and away from the man. “What the fuck!?” He exclaimed, his voice raised loud enough those around them to hear. “You both have been following me like a bunch of creeps,” He pointed to Clove. “And you’re a Force Users!? What the hell is your problem, man!?” To everyone watching and the security camera footage mounted above, it would appear as if Felix has deliberately thrown the Axxilan for doing nothing but bumping into him.

There were a multitude of cantina patrons sitting nearby who had seen the exchange, and Jaikus’ own raised voice had the effect of drawing the attention of dozens more. Within mere moments, several others had started to gather within the hallway - a small crowd forming as the scene unfolded. Clove would have to push her way through them in order to reach the pair. One of the patrons even reached out to help Jaikus back to his feet, while accusations were lobed by others present.

“What is the matter with you?” One woman said towards Felix.

“What are you, some kind of Sith!?" One of them hissed venomously - the words immediately picked up by the others and proceeded to put them on visible edge. While the Jedi were a welcome sight on Dantooine, past treatment by the Sith had many amongst them naturally wary of Force Users - especially those who would use their gifts against ordinary civilians. Which, on appearance, was exactly what Felix was doing.

Before long, the Toydarian behind the bar - the owner of the establishment - began to flutter his puggy ass over to the scene - a scowl already present on his face. The man had a full view of the security cameras and didn’t need any explanation to know what had occurred. “No fightin’ in my fuckin’ cantina! And none of that Force magic, either. Both of you,” He gestured first to Felix, and then to Clove - spotting the lightsaber that hung openly at her hip. “Out.” He pointed back towards the main entrance of the cantina. If they didn’t immediately get the message, the pair would spot the pair of bouncers - the same ones Felix had seen taking a smoke break - approaching from behind - prepared to ‘encourage’ them on their way.

Jaikus’ meanwhile, used the commotion as his opportunity to slip away from the pair of Jedi. Dusting himself off, the Axxilan walked right past Felix and the bouncers - making a beeline for the exit. “Never fuckin’ comin’ back to this place..” He muttered loud enough for those present to hear - just before slipping out the back before. Unless Felix and Clove wanted to physically push their way through the bouncers to get to Jaikus, they would need to go back through the main entrance and attempt to intercept him that way.

Just as Jaikus rounded the corner, the Axxilan brought his commlink to his lips - speaking into the communication device. His voice was deliberately loud enough for Clove’s sensitive hearing to pick up on, even if the Axxilan was no longer visible to her. “I was delayed. I am on my way back to the Medina - is everything in place?” As soon as the words left his lips, Jaikus turned down an alleyway going the opposite direction he suggested - once more resuming his path towards the government building. The statement - in reality spoken to no one but himself - wasn’t suspicious or incriminating by itself, but Jaikus hoped that it would be enough to throw Clove off his trail and in the opposite direction.

With that, Jaikus picked up the pace and continued right along towards the Command Center - purposeful steps bringing him not far from where Varyn had been only a few moments ago. If uninterrupted, Jaikus would quickly glance around his surroundings - scanning the corners and eeves for any security cameras - before drawing the Force into himself and jumping towards that same window into the building.

@Phoenix @LilyNion @christhebetrayer

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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The drama had already begun to unfold by the time Clove arrived at the hooded man and Felix. Felix was accused of assaulting the suspicious man, who had done everything he could to ward off the two Jedi just minutes before. And, based on the reaction of the crowd and the owner of the cantina, they were no longer welcome. It was enough to make the half-Annfyn's face fall and make her way to the exit as quickly as possible without saying anything.

On her way out, she overheard the remainder of a sentence coming from the hooded man's direction. Something about being on his way, and if everything was in place. So he had an accomplisher. That wasn't all that surprising, because she had wondered if the man in the private booth was involved, but this confirmed it. Whatever it was that drove the man to flee the Jedi, he wasn't doing it alone. While walking, Clove sighed and reached for her commlink. "Knight Vanhoop here, we lost sight of the suspicious individual after a brief 'chase.' Please send some reinforcements up to scout the area; I overheard the man talking to some sort of accomplisher about Medina?"

"Knight Vanhoop? Please report back this instant. We've just received a report of the Jedi engaging in violence against a civilian." Clove's jaw clenched. She knew they were innocent and that they would be able to prove it, but it was getting pretty old. "On my way. Please raise the alert level and dispatch some officers to scan the area between the cantina, the district entrance, and Medina. Something isn't quite right. Thank you." "Fine, just get here this instant."

Clove turned to face Felix with a slight scowl. "I'll be going to the officials because they require a report. You are welcome to join me or scout the area to see if you can locate the guy. OH! Regardless, can you tell the head of command what you saw?" She smiled faintly before turning onto her heels, making a bee-line for the command center. Unlike Jaikus, who was sneaking through alleyways, the half-Annfyn took the straight and unobstructed path to the command center, moving at a fast pace because she knew the officers were not known for their patience.

However, Clove looked over her shoulders twice, once up and once down, instead of going towards the main entrance. After making sure that nobody was following her, she turned to the right. Within a few big steps, she disappeared behind the eastern side of the government building's walls and a couple of tall fences obscuring sight. She came to a halt in front of a secret door hidden between a few grand pillars.

Clove leaned towards the wall, her iris being scanned by a small camera hidden inside. The small door unlocked after the iris scan was approved. Clove slipped through the open door, which closed right after they entered, and started down the stairwell, following the path down the tunnel to where the higher-ups worked during the day. She had to show her ID to one of the many security guards before being allowed to pass through the final door and into the meeting room.

Meanwhile, a group of armed cops began making their way towards the cantina, slowly scouting the section of the district Clove had reported, looking for anything suspicious.

---

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Tag @Altaris @Phoenix @christhebetrayer
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[Felix]

Felix wanted to go after the suspicious man, he wanted to push past bouncers and go straight for him but that would cause a scene, something they didn't need right now, he had won that round but he did learn something things from the encounter. A partial look at his face and that man had clearly dealt with force users before given he knew what he had tried to do and used it against him.

Felix would it leave the cantina without a fuss, biting his tongue all way through until the entrance where he met clove's slight scowl "I know, karked up" he would say before she spoke then listening to what she had to say ."let's get to HQ, whatever he's up to I don't like it, the man has experience with force users no doubt."

Felix would follow quickly with clove keeping pace as he also bee-line it to the command centre. keep with her as she made her way to the secret door he would keep an eye out as she scanned her eye. he would give another look around before entering the doorway and heading down into the tunnel below, handing his own ID to the guards.

once in the meeting room they would be greeted by a few officers. "knights clove and Felix reporting" he would speak as looked at them "I would first like to say that incident was my fault, the civilian was the suspicious individual we were following, he tried to use the cantina as a way to lose us, so i made the decision to split up, clove continued in while i made way to the back of the establishment to cut him off, i was successful doing so but i underestimated and believe mind trick would... reveal his intentions but it seems he was strong-willed and knew the effects of force on him he used that to his advantage to cause a scene and escape."

"Did you at least get a look at the man's face?" the officer's tone was passive-aggressive towards Felix. "only a partial one, he wore a bandana across his face but he has green eyes, olive skin, dark brown hair and is roughly about 6'1 6'2, he was wearing dark armour" he ignored the unimpressed looks of the officers, staring at the wall behind as he addressed them

@LilyNion @Altaris @Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Having not participated in the merry chase at all, Varyn made it inside the target building far in advance of anyone else and went to work immediately. The fact that many of the leaders were apparently in a nuclear bunker could certainly be used to the Sith's advantage.

Varyn started making his way through the building, heading deeper inside and finding the power generator shortly thereafter. He pulled his lightsaber from its concealment and quickly slashed the coolant tubes before burying his saber into one of the generator's largest gears. Within moments the generator began to overheat and Varyn made his retreat.

It melted down shortly thereafter but thankfully without detonation. The tricky thing about bunkers was that in the age of electronic locks, biometric scans, blast doors, and technology that they lived in, everything required power. Now, they would all be trapped inside said bunker, the walls thick enough to prevent outside communication, and no way to let themselves out anymore.

Meanwhile, Varyn continued unopposed on to his next objective. He didn't want to murder a bunch of people, but he was a Jedi and a Shadow at that. He had to be clever, and if he could accomplish his objective, gain praise from his superiors, and spare lives in the process, he'd do just that.

@LilyNion @Altaris @christhebetrayer

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

With the Jedi sufficiently stalled and misdirected, Jaikus had no further obstacles in reaching the target building - vaulting through the opened window before proceeding deeper inside. It didn't take him long to notice the power was cut to the entire building, and he could only assume that Varyn had reached the generator room. While it would make getting into sealed, restricted sections more difficult - it wasn't anything Jaikus believed he couldn't handle. The fact that Dantooine's recently installed leaders had taken up residence elsewhere meant that the Axxilan had more more unobstructed access than he initially anticipated - and that was an advantage he had every intention of utilizing.

Tugging the bandana a bit higher on the lower hemisphere of his face, Jaikus swiftly slinked his way through the hallways of the building - purposeful steps carrying the Axxilan past the generator room and towards the Weapons Defense Center center within the building. It was his priority target in this operation, and it would allow them to advance towards the next stage of seizing the planet. As he approached the sealed doors leading into the Weapons Defense Center, Jaikus’ gaze fixated onto one of the armed guards posted at the door. Even with the power cut to the building, the man hadn't abandoned his post.

Without hesitating, the Axxilan walked right up to the armored individual - the Force flowing out of his fingertips and sinking its influence deep into the mind of the guardsman. As a fully fledged Sith Champion, there was very little resistance in piercing the mind of the ordinary guardsman. “You are dismissed for the evening. Leave your keycard with me, and you may go."

“Yes sir,” The guardsman said after a split second, giving a nod of his head. Without argument or question, the man unclipped the keycard from his belt, handed it off and strode right past Jaikus - vanishing down the hallway and far from where the Axxilan now attempted to breach. Finally left alone, Jaikus took a moment to inspect the blast doors leading into the control room. As he anticipated, the lack of power meant that there was no way to physically open the doors - and the Axxilan knew that attempted to cut through the blast doors with his saber would only waste time and risk exposure.

After a few moments, Jaikus took a step away from the door - turning away from the door in order to take a good look at his surroundings and other options. After a few moments, the Axxilan's gaze finally settled upon a ventilation entrance on the ceiling just a few steps down the hallway. While it wasn't ideal, maneuvering through the ventilation system was far less of a risk than attempting to force his way through the blast doors.

Without wasting any more time, Jaikus positioned himself directly beneath the vent and lifted a hand above his head - the Force flowing from his fingertips to coil around the metal plate. With a lift push, Jaikus lifted the plate out of the way and to the side - leaving the way open for him to leap inside. He was careful to cover his tracks in case anyone patrolled the hallway behind him - placing the plate back into place before proceeding to crawl his way ahead - where he could only reasonably assume there would be a vent leading into the control room.



@Phoenix @LilyNion @christhebetrayer

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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The entire building blacked out as Felix finished describing the suspicious individual and Clove began to explain how she heard the man talk on his commlink. For a brief moment, there was complete silence; the usual humming of machines and the chatting of people vanished, leaving them with only the sound of their breathing. Clove was on the verge of despair, to put it mildly; she'd never known she was claustrophobic, but seeing the lights go out and knowing it meant the doors locked them all in the same bunker was one hell of a way to learn.

Luckily, the building, like most in the government district, had at least one backup generator. And in the case of the HQ, there were at least two: one to power the entire structure, and one at the bunker reserved solely for the bunker in worst-case scenarios. Within a minute, the backup generator detected a power outage and kicked into action. The familiar humming of power restoration finally reached the men and women's ears, and a dimmer version of the usual lights replaced the brief darkness.

It only took a split second for the Head of Command to act. While the power outage could very well be a coincidence, the fact that Dantooine was liberated only a few months ago would have been reason enough to take drastic safety precautions. When that was combined with reports of at least two suspicious individuals roaming the Government district, it was safe to say there was a sense of panic coursing through everyone inside the bunker. "Set off the alarms and begin the lockdown procedure. Send every nearby officer, guard, or law enforcement officer to the entrances. Nobody without ID is allowed to leave the building until we have confirmed what is going on. Examine every CCTV camera and double-check with the guards on duty. I also want a security team to go to the generator room and see if it has been tampered with." The Head of Command began to instruct the people in the bunker.

While a few people left the bunker to get to their posts, many women and men rushed to their positions. There wasn't much in the bunker: a meeting room, two tunnels (one serving as an entrance and one as an escape route), a ventilation system, a backup generator, and a small control room where the Head of Command could contact his officer and access communication lines. It wasn't the most complex system, especially for a secret bunker hiding important people, but that was to be expected given how quickly it was built after the invasion. It got the job done.

Within seconds, a loud piercing alarm began to ring throughout the entire building, warning everyone inside of the hopefully false crisis. The same alarm began to alert the nearest law enforcer, officer, and guard to rush to the building and surround the entrances.

Soon the first reports came back in. "Guard Kalon is missing from his post; we've tried to contact him, but all he can say is that he was dismissed and was on his way home. We can't convince him to return." Clove chewed on her lowerlip for a moment, recalling how Felix's Mind Control didn't work on the hooded man, and Felix suspecting the stranger was aware of the Force's effects. Could this be the work of the stranger? She couldn't say for sure, but it was a shot in the dark and their only lead. "Where was he stationed?" Clove asked. "The entrance to the Weapon Defense Center." The grumpy old man responded. "Okay, send some men in there right away. Keep an eye on the camera as well. Can you join them, Felix, just in case? I'm going to stay here." Clove had mostly calmed down after witnessing the door finally opening and closing several times. At least calm enough to keep an eye on the doors.

While the security in and around the HQ began to hurry, the law enforcement officers dispatched further into the district at Clove's request finally arrived at the suggested locations and began their search.

---

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Tag @Altaris @Phoenix @christhebetrayer
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[Felix]

As the darkness and silence engulfed the room and Felix stared up at the ceiling wondering what was going on up there as they waited for the emergency power to kick in.

He watched as everyone moved to their station as the power began to flow again. the alarm blaring as the base was now high alert. it seems there were already peculiarities happening besides just the power, there was a guard missing from his post too. "I can and will, just keep me updated on things" and with that, he would make his way back up to the entrance where he and clove had come from.

He would meet with the rebel guards gathering outside the HQ."It appears we might have intruders in the building, we don't know, the main power generator is out and we are on back upas, I want one squad to check on it while another comes with me to investigate the Weapon Defense Center. The guard there has abandoned his post for unusual reasons." the guard seems to have symptoms of a mind trick but Felix couldn't be sure. "Alright let's go."

The two teams would approach the front door which was now sealed, he would stop by it and show his ID badge to a security camera above the door. the protocol was that if in lockdown all doors were sealed and all IDs wouldn't work, they had to be unlocked from the security station, and they would confirm the identities of those wishing to pass through all doors.

The doors opened as his ids were confirmed they entered the building, "tell security to keep the front door opened and station security at it, I don't like the idea of being completely trapped in there given don't much of what's going on inside." He called into the bunker as the two squads split up as planned, Felix dropped his cloak revealing his armour and pull his saber as their team made its way to the Weapon Defense Center.

@LilyNion @Altaris @Phoenix