Ask Help I've Falleen And I Can't Get Up

Caelian

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Hailee was an impenetrable enigma that Caelian couldn't seem to solve. Perhaps it was asking too much for them to make something from nothing, well, whatever it was that you'd call this. This emotional discussion was taking its toll and so he was happy that they'd decided to table it for the time and switch pace to the mission at hand. It was so far a subterfuge-type task, but he didn't doubt that they'd potentially run into danger when it came to killiks.

The handful of joined guards didn't seem too alert on the perimeter, which concerned Caelian slightly. Either they were extremely lacking in personal safety concerns or they felt safe and secure for whatever reason. The latter could only mean bad things for the pair, but between the two of them, they would probably be able to handle themselves quite well.

Caelian grinned as Hailee bounced herself up off the alleyway and onto the nearby roof with relative ease. Drawing on the force to join her, he quickly fell in beside her and took stock of the facility ahead of them. She didn't miss a beat and was faster than he was to the building, popping open a window. "Ladies first," he said with the cheeky smile that she was familiar with. As they both entered, they found themselves on an upper floor made up of metal grated walkways hanging up above the ground floor.

The paths didn't look particularly well maintained, nor did the rest of the building for that matter. It appeared to be the run-of-the-mill, old, and abandoned warehouse with rust and old paint chipped everywhere. They'd both quickly spot the large hole dug into the ground that led somewhere, and by the looks, it had been made recently. The hole was angled and large enough to drive a vehicle into which was presumably how it was dug so quickly.

From their vantage spot, they could also see three armed workers assembling electronics and some kind of devices on a bench about ten meters from the hole. Caelian looked back to Hailee with a worried look. "There are caverns below the city, if they're making bombs, they could be planting them anywhere before a major attack. We have to do something quickly!"

They didn't know how long they would have before this would occur nor how many such devices were already being deployed somewhere. Caelian wasn't being cautious enough as he slipped along the rusty walkway trying to position himself to drop down unannounced and surprise the joined workers.

That was until the metallic twang of twisted steel snapped underneath his feet, causing the Echani to lose both the element of surprise and balance as he tumbled downward. A loud bang signaled their arrival as the path slammed into the floor, slightly muffled by the ground below but still enough to be heard by the nearby workers. Caelian attempted to break his own fall with a tumble but being off guard ended up winding himself in the process with the impact and letting out a little pained groan.

If Hailee could find a way to stop the workers from raising the alarm, they could perhaps continue stealthily as the guards outside were just out of range to hear the crash but might soon be called upon. There was also the risk of whatever might be in the hole emerging, but for the moment there was nothing but silence in that direction.







@LadyRen
 

Hailee Lightwood

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Hailee's thoughts shifted onto the current events rather quickly, which positively surprised her. She needed to be focused as they were trying to rescue lives. She wondered whether he had received more details of the missing people as he had appeared out of nowhere in this alleyway and she had actually never reached the police department as she had intended...

As confident as he had led the way though, she was sure he had a plan and so she followed him, however questioning her blind loyalty a little. You cannot trust the Sith - this particular thought kept echoing through her mind, but then again she remembered how he was no Sith when he was with her. He was Caelian. And he immediately reminded her of that as he cheekily asked her to go in first.

She amusedly rolled her eyes before she actually did the exact same thing, entering the building as carefully and quietly as she could. They had to be cautious as they had no idea whether there would be many guards on the inside and so it was best to fully stay on their guard.

The corridor they soon entered looked very run-down and deserted, which made her hopeful for now though. They had gotten in unnoticed and no one seemed to be around, so as long as they'd move quietly, they'd-

and that was already when Caelian, who had entered the building right after has while she had started to scan the environments, went past her and suddenly slipped and crashed, causing a whole tirade of noises to echo through the hallways, not just scaring the crap out of Hailee, but also alerting the guards within seconds.

"No no no" she whispered in shock, both worried about Caelian and unbelievably stressed as they had to come up with something real quick, but for now she stared at him with her mouth open, momentarily frozen in time. Then, the panic came rushing in and without thinking, she started running, wanting to help Caelian up and knock over the workers that would obviously call for reinforcement.

She accelerated to full speed, wanting to be fast about all that, but what she didn't realize was that one of the workers was already pointing a gun right at her and as she was not in her right mind, she was too slow to stop him from firing. She attempted to slide to dodge, however the floor was oddly slippery to the dust, so that she landed on her rear with a painful crash right before the blaster bolt hit her.

She expected immense pain, but instead, there was absolutely nothing. Not a single tingle, sensation or whatever. There was nothing. Absolutely blackness. But while she was falling, she problematically landed on her arm and hit her head, so as if all the bad luck had hit her all at once. Whatever the workers or the guards would do, there was nothing Hailee would be able to do. What had started as a promising lead was absolutely nothing now.


@Xorism
 

Caelian

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So it turned out that neither of them was really suited for this subterfuge stuff after all. Caelian had heard the stun bolt fly true and strike her centre mass, causing her as Hailee to fall flat, in a most unfortunate tumble from the above level to join him on the ground. He groaned as he struggled to catch his breath again, but now increasingly worried about Hailee as she didn't move.

Slowly rolling over towards her, he pulled her to the nearby cover and tried in vain to rouse her "Are you okay?? talk to me Hailee I need to know you're okay!" Only silence followed as he gripped her by the shoulder and shook. She wasn't dead, he was certain which brought some measure of relief but she was also out of the fight for now.

Caelian thought to himself about the handful of guards outside, no doubt they would be contacted and shortly here. He had to do something to delay them and buy some extra time to deal with the trio of workers already inside. When he had observed them earlier they hadn't looked like soldiers, in fact, they did appear to be just regular joes armed with blasters. The fact that they were possibly joined, or allied was still a large concern, however.

Focusing on his breathing the Echani attempted to use the pain to his advantage, summoning his strength in the force. Looking around for options he spotted the rusty railing running along the inside edge of most of the building, looking ware and bare in several places like the spot that had crashed for him. Contemplating for a second, he realized that they had little other choice, and from his seated position he reached out with the force and started tugging downward on the platform.

The metallic frame made a terrible noise as the thin durasteel creaked under the pressure, the fact that it was already damaged and ready to fall apart made it doable in a timely fashion, Caelian made the whole section collapse down and in effect blocked the inward opening door. A small smile crept across his face as the task was complete, now any guards outside would be hard-pressed to bother them before hopefully, Hailee came to.

The three workers quickly made their way towards the pair, already knowing one was down, it made the odds against the last intruder all the worse. As Caelian had finished pulling down the frame of the walkway, a pair of eyes broached the corner, blaster drawn and immediately fired at his torso.

Caelian flinched, with lightning reaction speed seeing the man appear in the corner of his vision. With a sudden telekinetic push, the armed man was flung backward and into the wall. But something didn't feel right as the colour began to drain from his vision and his limbs became lethargic. It was then that he realized that he too had been hit by a stun bolt, and without his trusty armor, it had full effect.

...

Hailee would wake first but the pair would find themselves now underground with no sense of direction. They'd clearly been searched for weapons as none of their equipment was with them but otherwise, they were untouched. Hailee was tied up and bound with rope, across the room from him while Caelian was chained to a heavy metal spike that had been driven into the wall.




@LadyRen
 

Hailee Lightwood

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Blackness. Nothing but blackness and numbness. Whatever they had stumbled into and whatever else was happening in that corridor - Hailee witnessed none of that all. She drifted into the realm of unconsciousness and it seemed like their attempt to stealthily help the missing people had failed.

-----

The scurrying in the distance was the first noise Hailee perceived. It was far off and metallic, but even if it was subtle, it was enough to make her jump. In fact, she didn't jump much as she found herself all tied up and on the floor. Her hands were tied to her back and they had secured her ankles as well, probably ensuring that she wouldn't run.

She shuffled and turned, luckily being flexible enough to sit up and realize that both her head and her arm was in throbbing agony. She gritted her teeth, trying to recognize the shape she could make out at the other side of the room, a pained wince escaping her. It took several minutes until her blurry vision faded thanks to repeated blinking, but the dizziness remained, just like the pain in her arm.

Was it broken? She truly wondered what had happened, lacking the memories of the corridor, but what she did suddenly realize that across from her was Caelian's limb body. "Kriff..." she whispered with a hint of despair, fidgeting around with her unharmed arm, trying to loosen the restraints, but so far they didn't budge.

"Caelian!" she kept her voice low, although loud enough for him to hear before she started sliding over to him. It pained her to move, but she tried her best to block out the pain and stay focused while the adrenaline started kicking in. Where the hell where they?! And what had happened?!

Once she had reached him, she carefully nudged him with her feet. Why had they been out like that? As her head was in such pain she assumed she had hit it somewhere and this had been the reason for her to fall unconscious, but she couldn't tell for sure. "Please wake up" she worriedly whispered, then held her breath to check whether he was breathing.

@Xorism


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Caelian

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Caelian decided being stunned unconscious was perhaps the second least fun experience of his life so far. You could probably guess what the first was but in the pitch-black darkness that followed he succumbed to a dream-like state.

Waking up alone in a straw bed with the morning light just barely breaking through the curtains and pouring out into the room below. Caelian noticed the other side of the bed was empty, a small smile escaped his lips as it appeared that he had slept in a little longer than he'd planned. Slipping his legs over the edge of the bed, he looked down over the worn and scared body as he started to dress.

The years had been kind to them since they'd found this little neck of paradise in the middle of nowhere. A small log cabin, a small farm, and a field or two to keep them busy and healthy. Caelian slowly walked into the living room and saw the most precious sight of all, his family. "Good morning children, darling." His warm words filled the cool autumn air. "Good morning father, come see what we're making. Mum helped a little but we did the rest!"

Their eldest was a spitting image of their mother and just as headstrong for a girl of seven. Their son took more after an Echani for looks, sporting that handsome pure snow hair at five. Their youngest, sharing characteristics of both parents was only two but already she was advanced for her age.

Taking a position behind the children he looked over at the artwork that they had been working on. It was a valiant attempt and truly admirable, Caelian grinned ear to ear as he embraced them in a group hug. "Wonderful, children. I love it, and I love each and every one of you."

He then waltzed over towards his darling wife, taking her hand into his and twirling her on the spot before tucking her in closer for a quick kiss. "And especially you, my dear." She blushed, before asking something peculiar. "Caelian, please wake up."

The sudden disappearance of the dream shook Caelian awake as he telepathically shouted "Hailee!" The sudden realization that he was not where he had last remembered and was in fact not happy where he had been dreaming left a bitter taste in his mouth. The next two realizations struck him suddenly, that both he was now somewhere rather dimly lit, possibly underground and that in the nearby distance was another person. As his eyes adjusted to the light and started to focus, he spotted the familiar face again. "Hailee!" was all he could muster as he came to grips with being chained up against his will.

"I'm stuck, but I think I'm okay. How are you? did they hurt you? I uh..." he groaned under his breath from the chest pain. At first glance, he could see that she was also bound but appeared to have a little more freedom than he did. The rope was a bit easier to break free from but it would take a little bit longer for him to come fully back, but he had an idea.

"My belt, can you take it off me and use it against the rope to free yourself? If you pull it back and forth it might cut the strands, slowly but surely. Unless you have a better idea?"

A small giggle found its way through his system as his face changed from a somewhat pained expression into a smile. "Looks like we falleen for each other." making a very obvious play on words about their situation and the world they were on in the hopes of lightening the mood despite such grim circumstances.



@LadyRen
 
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Hailee Lightwood

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Since she couldn't actually use her hands, she sat there, worriedly watching for a few more moments, still using her bound feet to carefully nudged him, before she robbed over and placed her head on his chest. The movement caused her immese pain, but she wanted to check whether his heartbeat was unusually slow or anything. She held her breath, counting in her head, teeth gritted and eyes closed in agony, her brows furrowed. What the kriff had they gotten themselves into?

Just as her ear touched his chest, she could see his fingers twitch in the corner of her eye and she immediately pushed herself back into a seated position, her eyes worriedly searching his. She instinctively wanted to loudly ask him how he felt, but remembered that they had to remain quiet. She didn't know where they were, but he immediately started worrying about her wellbeing, which faintly made her smile. He cared so deeply for her, despite all the difficult conversations they had and yet there were many questions left unanswered.

While those doubts were nagging on her from the inside, he was suddenly sensing from Caelian, something she simply couldn't place. He suddenly seemed so happy, so hopeful, so...fulfilled. And then his voice loudly echoed through her head, his eyes flapping open. "Oh thank the Force" she whispered, obviously relieved, however wondering why he was so loud.

"Given the circumstances, I'm alright" she answered, still trying not to focus on all that pain. She didn't know why her arm ached like that but it was almost numb. The elbow somehow felt...dislocated, but she couldn't afford thinking like that. "They seemed to have hurt me, but I'll be fine. We need to get out though" she was obviously worried and she wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. She nodded at his suggestion, edging closer to him and fumbling for his belt backhandedly. As this didn't work like she intended, she slid closer to his hands with her own restraints, before she quietly asked:"Can you try to loosen them?".

And then she found exactly what she had fallen for in the first place. His sweet way to lighten the grimest mood. He was no Sith. No. He couldn't be. Maybe he was loyal to the Empire, but he could never be someone to delve into the darkness. Yet she didn't know whether this was a thought worth holding onto or just wishful thinking after all, but in this moment, his surprisingly light mood was infectious and she started chuckling.

@Xorism
 

Caelian

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Caelian looked Hailee in the eyes before quickly looking over her for injuries when she said that. It was frustrating enough that they'd beaten him up a little but another thing that they had done the same to her. Though he was under heavy restraints himself, his hands were low enough that he might be able to help with hers, albeit with some difficulty.

Feeling his way around the knot, their hands would occasionally brush against each other. His work ethic was focused but each time lingering just a little bit as if to savor the moment where they weren't at odds with one another. It turned into a little bit of a gradual process where his hand would pull on one piece there, move, and try another hoping to find some leeway.

Even if he managed to free her though he didn't know what she could do with the metal restraints that had tied him in place. If he had some source of flame perhaps he could try some form of pyromancy, although he was just as likely to hurt himself doing so. Although if Hailee were free then she might be able to find her way out of the small room and locate something that they could use to spring him, either their weapons or something lying around.

There was a huge risk in being caught with only one of them free, but once they were both able to roam again, it would be quite straightforward to be able to overwhelm the first set of guards they came across and steal their weapons until they found theirs.

"Try that, is that loose enough for you?" he asked silently, with any luck she'd quickly slip the rope.



@LadyRen
 

Hailee Lightwood

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She had moved in such a position that he could reach that rope. It was uncomfortable for her to lean this way, but at least it felt like he was making progress. In the mean time, she tried to collect her thoughts and bring them into order, focusing on the Force and trying to start tending to that pain.

She tried to remember what had happened before she had gone down, but there were still a few pieces of information missing. She did remember that they had entered this dusty corridor and that they had alerted the workers...and there was also something about Caelian crashing down somewhere, but then there was a lot of nothingness.

After a few moments, she could feel her restraints loosening a little and with a little twisting and turning, she could first pull out her left arm, and then the right. The left one was the one that hurted the most and since she hadn't time to fix this, she tried her best to simply surprise the wince, gritting her teeth in the process.

"Yes...thanks. We've got to get out of here" she replied in a hushed voice, still, overplaying her actual agony. Why had they even locked them in here? Why were they being held here, alive? This surely meant they wanted something from them or just...talk or whatsoever but she was confused and her thoughts were racing.

She immediately turned to the rope that was wrapped around her ankles and removed that as well before she gave his chain a closer look. "Okay so they wanted you locked up good...but it seems like they've been underestimating me. You figure they still found the lightsaber and linked that to me?" she wondered, quietly asking him that while she tried to come up with a plan to free him as well.

Actually, as bad as they had secured her, they couldn't be expecting she was extraordinarily capable, so she decided to take her chances. "I've got a very straightforward idea" she whispered, pushing herself back to her feet. "Pretend your unconscious".

She was rather curt with her instruction, but she wanted to move quick as she didn't like any bit of this situation. "HELP! Please!" she started crying loudly, her tone desperate as she moved towards the closed door. Obviously, she tested whether it was locked first before she kept shouting. "He's not breathing!! Please! He's not stunned, I think he needs help!!". She triednto get as emotionally involved as possible, but given her actual panic, it wasn't hard. She just had to snap out of it at the right time. She had left Caelian not much time to prepare, but she didn't want to waste any time after all.

@Xorism
 

Caelian

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Caelian was quickly relieved when she reported that her binds were loose enough to slip, quick as a flash she then managed to undo the remaining rope around her feet and free herself. It was impossible to know what the guards had planned for them, but so far it seemed that they had been left alone after being tied up and chained.

The logical conclusion that Caelian could make was that they were simply being held to one side until the plan was completed, rather than any real concern about what the pair had been up to. But then again killiks and their joined were never really that simple.

When Hailee suggested her plan, Caelian didn't have much to protest and agreed to the plan. Though if something went wrong he wouldn't really be in a position to do anything other than perhaps use the force a little. Hopefully, Hailee would be quick enough to think of something on the spot, or else she'd be quickly overwhelmed.

A small clamoring could be heard as the guards in the next room jostled from their chairs, startled by the sudden cries for help. A pair of armed guards entered, one pointing a weapon at each of them initially to take stock of the situation. The first guard, and perhaps the more senior, looked from a distance and dismissed her pleading as a waste of his time.

"It's a waste of time, we don't need them anyway. If he dies, it does not affect the plan so why bother?"

The younger guard, still toying with his humanity, took less convincing.

"Do we not all serve the same master? how can we preach unity if we forsake our potential brother in his time of need? Besides he is a force user, his service to our cause would be ten-fold what we will do here."

Both guards looked first to Hailee, then to Caelian. The senior man grumbled something under his breath, still unconvinced but allowing the younger to investigate. Noticing the Echani's chest remained remarkably still, he looked back to the other guard and yelled "She's right, quick grab the med kit quick!" The senior guard considered his options momentarily before deciding to do so as requested.

For a few short seconds, they would be alone with the compassionate, young guard who had decided to help.



@LadyRen
 

Hailee Lightwood

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Admittedly, it was a cheap trick and probably one of the oldest ones in the book, bit truth was an innocent, sad, pretty face could quite literally open doors some times and this was obviously not any different. As she heard steps approaching she immediately stepped backwards, giving the guards enough space to enter while at the same time she telekinetically pulled the rope to her.

The guards stepped in, arms raised and readily pointed at them but while they started their quick discussion, none of them realized that Hailee had freed herself. They didn't pay much attention to her at all, so that all she did first was staring at them in shock before the older guard left, leaving them alone with the younger one.

Everything they said sounded shady and so she wasn't to keen on trying to negotiate or anything. Instead, she used the Force to pull the weapon out of his extended hand within a split second, leaving the guard started and speechless, before she insistently talked to the guard, her voice lowered to a bare minimum. "You'll go free him without saying a word". She nodded to Caelian, using the Force staining her more than usual as she was still hurt, but it seemed effective after all.

'You stay down' she telepathically added for Caelian, actually using his unconscious state as a plan B if something went wrong. She then quickly stepped out of the room, hurrying out and trying to locate the other guard as quickly as possibly and doing it stealthily. However, luck wasn't with her again as right as she stepped out of thr provisional cell, the older guard already faced her in the hallway, medpack in his hands and blaster raised in the other.

As the other guard had stayed in the cell with Caelian, she assumed he was in possession of the keys and so she had to deal with him in a not so subtle way. Before he managed to pull the trigger, she sent a strong push his way, shoving him off balance, but the blaster bolt was released after all and this time she realized that he was not aiming stun bolts at her. She red bolt missed her by a few inches and she gasped in shock before she darted after him.

Since she had secured the other guards blaster, she quickly checked its setting before she fired at the other one, obviously using the stun function and letting him collapse motionlessly before he could shoot back. She disarmed him as well, even quickly searching his pockets before she ran to the room he had apparently been coming from.

She was hoping for their gear but found nothing instead, so she immediately ran over back to Caelian. By now, the young guard had fortunately finished the task she had given him, and so with a genuine "Thanks...and I'm sorry" she stunned him as well. "Can you walk? We need to get out of here immediately. I bet others heard the shots" she said directed at Caelian, waiting for him to get up before handing him the second gun. The adrenaline was overshadowing the pain, yet she didn't actually feel well at all.

@Xorism
 

Caelian

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The plan was as simple as it was straightforward forward and Hailee pulled it off brilliantly. Summon the guards, distract 'em and then slip their weapons away to take control of the situation. Caelian continued to play the part of an unconscious smuck while she made the guard work at gunpoint.

The younger guard was quite aware that the stolen blaster was set to kill and was in no mood to test Hailee's will. He'd seen what a pair of Sith was capable of and without backup, the man wasn't about to throw his life away for what little money was being offered. When Hailee left the room he got to work removing the shackles from Caelian. He paused for a second to consider just running away, but those thoughts were dashed when he realized that the woman would likely see him leaving the room regardless.

He calculated that his best chance for survival was just to avoid pissing off the Sith pair and making a run for it when they had left.

The guards had been toying with the two lightsabers when they first found them near the workers, activating them both and being somewhat intimidated by their crimson glare. Clearly, the Sith were here for a mission and the young man was no fanatic to the cause, here only for a small payday.

Whispering under his breath, assuming that nobody would hear him he complained. "I'm sorry about Georg, he's really into this stuff. I don't know what I'm doing here messed up with them, but a man has gotta provide for his family right?" the man worked in silence until Hailee returned.

As quickly as she arrived and saw that Caelian was now free of his binds, she stunned the man where he stood. Caelian opened his eyes and went to say something but she was too quick to shoot. Looking down over himself before attempting to stand, he groaned. "Yeah, I think so. Let's hurry."

The Echani's step was a little slower than usual, while he pushed through the pain and tried to keep up with Hailee he stopped both of them for a second. "This way." Through a small hallway, they came out into the original cavern from which the group was built into. There was a distant sound of machinery and people working, heavily preoccupied with their tasks.

A tall Falleen overseer was directing workers in and out along a busy stretch of path. Civilians entered a nearby fabricated building and workers exited before being sent off to somewhere to work. Caelian looked to Hailee with a smirk.

"Should we roll the dice again to stealth by or find another way through?"






@LadyRen
 

Hailee Lightwood

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With Caelian in tow, she hurried out of the cell as quickly as possible with that throbbing pain coming from her head and still making her dizzy. She glanced back regularly, checking that he was doing okay while at the same time looking around for their stolen lightsabers, which were still no where to be seen.

They moved further inside or outside, it was hard to tell, until the sounds of the factory or whatever it was got louder and louder. There was some whirring, clicking and other metallic noises she couldn't fully place, until she could see shadows moving against the wall. They were apparently getting closer to the spot they had been close to when they entered.

She slowed down until she came to a halt, observing the scene for a moment beforebe telepathically turned to Caelian:'I'm not testing our shit luck again...let's find another way'briefly, a sheepish smile crossed her lips before she nodded behind them. They had to find a different way out indeed, figure out how to retrieve their lightsabers and figure out more information quickly.

She tried recalling the details she had already picked up, but soon realized that it simply wasn't much and she hadn't talked to him about it yet either. 'You've been at the police department, haven't you? I've got to admit that I didn't come here as prepared as I wanted to be...do you have any ideas how we should continue?' she asked him while they slowly moved forward, still using that inner voice.

@Xorism
 

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Caelian attempted to subdue a laugh at her comment about their luck. So far the mission had been something of a disaster but he was nothing if not persistent. Whatever delays or setbacks they would encounter didn't matter as at the end of the day the mission would still be completed.

"The police didn't know much, unfortunately. You're pretty much caught up to what they informed me but no matter. I think I saw another route, follow me." Caelian nodded towards a dark cavern entrance off to the side of one of the paths. It made sense that whoever was running the operation had their equipment and so logically if they found them, they'd find their gear too. The tricky part would be doing so without being caught again and before the guards they stunned woke back up.

Caelian grabbed a torch from the wall that was burning low, taking a glance at Hailee before entering the darker area of the cave. The path was certainly more dangerous and unexplored but that was both a blessing and a curse as it meant that it was less likely that they would run into anyone but also increased the danger to them.

At one point they reached a ledge with an old wooden bridge tied up to it. The planks looked passable but even then it was risky for both of them to cross at once. "I'll go first, if I make it won't be a problem for you." The planks creaked under his weight but otherwise held up as started to cross. Step by step he cautiously avoided any that looked particularly dodgy and without realizing it, began holding his breath.

After a very long tense minute, he took the final step over the bridge and arrived on the other side, turning to signal her to follow. Turning to look at the path ahead, the torch lit up a long corridor ahead from the natural cavern. He estimated that they had passed the building that previously blocked their path and would be soon coming up alongside where the workers had been heading.

What they were doing and what they might find ahead, was unclear and an ominous silence loomed in the air.




@LadyRen
 

Hailee Lightwood

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Not freaking out in such a situation was actually getting harder and harder and now that Caelian was telling her he didn't even have a plan either, the situation didn't get much better. She pressed on regardless, trying to stay focused and attentive even when she was still in pain.

Hailee didn't like the idea of exploring the caves any bit either, but it was actually a good idea as those caves definitely had to lead somewhere and additionally they could stumble about their belongings. Still, time was running against them as the cells probably wouldn't stay unchecked for ever and so while still moving quietly, her pace was quick.

The atmosphere inside the caverns was eerie and the dim light of the borrowed torch didn't make up for the lack of natural lighting and so she was even more tense than before for her. Yet, she carried on, only nodding when he said he'd go first. She was worried, but knew they didn't have a chance and so she watched him go, breath held.

As he made it, a smile immediately landed on her lips and she pressed on to follow right after. She was concentrated, yet she couldn't shake this strange feeling in the pit of her stomach at all. This was just all so wrong and out of hand. "I can't believe this is all happening" she whispered once she had gotten back to him, shaking her head. "But let's end this". With determination, she started moving again, glad that they've at least made it over here.

The cavern was narrowed and the air was growing thicker as they went in deeper and the uncertainty about what laid ahead worried her. However, after they took the next turn they reached something that looked like a storage room with countless of closed boxes, containers and bags. "Is that...where they are collecting all the stuff they're stealing from the ones they capture?!" she mused, her voice lowered and in disbelief, eyes widened in horror as the pure mass of stuff. Where their lightsabers potentially hidden here though? Now this would have been good news after all.

@Xorism
 

Caelian

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After he had made it across the bridge he wasn't too concerned with her ability to do so unless she had hidden a neutron star in her back pocket, she'd be fine. Moving deeper into the cavern they came across a storage room of sorts with a path that appeared to lead back to the main area again. Caelian looked to Hailee as she posed her question but he shook his head.

"Surely not, unless the workers that stunned us didn't realize what they were and threw them out before the guards got to us?" At the very least it was worth looking around, either on the off chance that they had been packed there or perhaps they could find something else useful there.

Cracking open the door slightly, the Echani peered through the small opening and saw no movement nor light. For the time being, it seemed that it was just the pair of them at this building, but that didn't mean they could take their sweet time. "Okay, you look low, I'll check high but move quickly, we don't know how much time we have left."

The first box he opened contained what looked like spare parts, tools, or other objects that had been discarded for various reasons. None of which were helpful nor useful for the mission and so he moved on to the next few. Box after box produced barely any results, frustrating Caelian. They were burning precious time but it would be worth it if they could just find them.

Suddenly his face lit up with excitement. "Hailee, I found them." He pulled a pair of lightsaber hilts from one of the last boxes in the back of the room, passing over hers. There was no time to celebrate however as the clock ticked on the mission. Directing her back outside to the cavern they started their way around the end of the path and came across a raised platform above a handful of workers. Above them stood a pair of foremen that were clearly dressed as overseers and stood out as out of place in a mining operation.

"Those two must be in charge, and by the looks, they must be joined. We can't afford to let them escape or else the planet will continue to be in danger. If we take them out, the others will surely flee and then our job will be done. Are you ready?"




@LadyRen
 

Hailee Lightwood

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After crossing that precarious bridge, Hailee was relieved that the chances of finding their stuff were rising. She immediately nodded as Caelian lied out his plan with quickly splitting up to cover a broader sphere during their search.

She was immediately going low to check, but after she started to forcefully open some containers, she could already hear his relieving message.'Oh! Great!' she telepathically replied, more than happy and immediately moving back to him, the borrowed blaster still in her hand though.

They pressed on without hesitation, knowing damn well that they had to hurry and avoid getting spotted if they wanted to save the abducted. 'Yeah...the way they're moving seems...off. It does add up. They might keep them here before they try to infect the others with their brain-controlling -...I don't even know what they're doing, but yes, let's stop them'. The answer came telepathically again and despite her still existing pain, she was fully focused.

'Wait. We've got to make sure nothing happens to the abducted victims. They might try to kill them so we've got to be careful' she stopped him by the elbow for a moment, her expressions indeed a little worried. She hadn't been in direct contact with the Killik before, but had seen what they were capable of and her feeling wasn't actually good.

The Force still pointed her forwards, perhaps even urging her to start right away, so she nodded. 'But let's do it. We'll save them'. This was for what they've come for and their time to strike was now. The adrenaline pumped through her veins again, letting her forget about the pain for a moment. 'Ready' came the final confirmation because she'd time her attack with him and charge forward right as he did the same.

@Xorism
 

Caelian

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Caelian nodded as Hailee spoke, he'd dealt with joined before and it had been something of a spooky experience. They had their work cut out for them as it would be impossible to know who else might show up in the fight that would surely break out. "Let's move then," he said somewhat confidently, quietly hoping that they could sneak up and dispatch them without the rest noticing them.

Such ideas were ridiculous in hindsight given their luck so far, no sooner had they entered the large expansive cavern were they noticed by one of them. A second later the other turned, spotting the pair approaching, and began to bark orders.

"Ah, shit" Caelian remarked suddenly as the handful of guards nearby took notice of the commotion and raised their weapons to fire. "Guess it doesn't matter now, move your ass and take 'em out!" Caelian grinned as he ignited his lightsaber and eyed up the closest guard, holding his blade to redirect his blaster shot back toward him.

Heading towards the trio of armed guards left, Caelian weighed up his options. The two overseers would perhaps be too much for Hailee to handle, but if he ignored the guards they'd shoot them both in the back while they were engaged. He'd have to quickly dispatch the guards and then find a way to join her before the situation got too much out of control.



@LadyRen
 

Hailee Lightwood

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They started pressing on, ready for the next phase, but Hailee didn't like how she was still suffering from the injuries and that the other alerted guards could surprise them from behind. This was just another reason why they had to hurry...She nodded and moved, however she hadn't expected to alert the rest as well and began to wonder whether this mission wasn't cursed. Was that because they had crossed each other's paths again? Was that the twisted irony that now led to a series of unfortunate events?

He didn't have to tell her twice though...They had to move immediately. She briefly considered switching her lightsaber to stun mode, however then remembered how those were obviously Joined. There was no saving them and even if she would only cut them down reluctantly, she knew she had to. Falleen was still in danger and so were the hostages, so she charged and activated her lightsaber in the same moment, immediately meeting one fired bolt mid-air and sending it back against the wall behind them.

Within a split second, a vicious battle had begun and while they were getting closer, some even switched to spears. She had seen them before on the holonet. The Killiks and their spears. There was no doubt something odd was going on here and they had to end this quickly. Despite the heated intensity of the battle and her pounding head, those guards were rather easy to deal with. As she approached the overseers, the lightsaber collided with the spears a couple of times, but she was not managing to cut through just yet, which was why she dulled over to him while continuing to parry the blows. "Can you-" the hissing sound of the lightsaber shot through the air, "-help". All he had to do was to yank one away.

@Xorism
 

Caelian

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Caelian went to work against the three guards, quickly banking left to avoid a blaster bolt and deflecting another back to its sender hitting him squarely in the stomach, dropping him. Now with just two to deal with it was a much easier prospect, although he knew he couldn't just ignore them.

He heard Hailee's call for help and knew he had to act soon. With a blast of force energy to push the pair back and over themselves, it would take a few seconds for their threat to re-emerge.

This would be the window of opportunity he would take to assist Hailee as she fought against the pair of joined. Fortunately for him, they had both attempted to overwhelm her in a 2 versus 1 engagement and would not be fully prepared to deal with him so soon.

Outstretched with the force, a dark tendril of energy sprung from his forearm towards the second overseer closest to him, wrapping its dangerous talons around the man's throat from the side. With its grip secured, Caelian yanked back suddenly and hard, wrestling the man off balance and away from Hailee towards the floor with a hard thump. This would hopefully give her enough time to deal with the first while he returned his attention to keeping the guards away.

Once they were taken care of, the overseers wouldn't stand a chance.



@LadyRen
 

Hailee Lightwood

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Hailee began to struggle against the two as they somehow moved in perfect unison. Was that how this hive-mind worked? Without taking, they coordinated their attacks perfectly, leaving her actual vulnerable after some moments as she was literally running out of ideas.

This 2 v 1 situation against two actually well-trained foes wasn't excellent and thus she was grateful for Caelian's help. At first, she was just thankful and finished them off with his support, however then another realization hit her once again. The dark side was powerful, yet it was absolutely dangerous.

She had felt this twisted, chilled shift in the atmosphere when his dark tendrils had dealt with the one guard, yet she couldn't let herself get to shaken. She cut the first one down before she brought her blade through the second one, however heavily grimacing as she ended their lives.

They had been forsaken as they had been infected with this horrible disease or whatever one could call it and thus beyond saving, yet it pained her to kill them. "Let's end this" she said to Caelian as determinantly as still possible, wanting to deal with the rest before freeing the hostages right away. She pressed on to the overseer, however after waiting for Caelian to do the same.

@Xorism
 
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