A Call to Arms [Juzt, jedi334, NPCs]

[Mara]

(((Per plot discussion thread here…
Apologies for not getting this up much sooner…)))


[…from Into Thin Air – Part Two]

The birdlike droid soared on air currents high in the Coruscant sky, flapping her metallic wings only when necessary to correct her vector and to keep her momentum. She hadn’t far to go, but her path was wrought with obstacles in the form of busy airspeeder lanes, skyscrapers, skyhooks, and a few elevated pedways. For the most part, she was able to keep herself at a safe distance above it all, but at times when the jet stream she was riding did take her into the congestion, she ducked, juking and jinking around the traffic and tall buildings. There had been a close call as she had swerved too close to a vehicle and given the Ithorians inside a fright, but she had no time to stop and apologize. Or look back to see if the accident she heard behind her was caused in part by her passage.

Her designation was AER-05, more commonly known as simply Ofi. And she was on a desperate mission to save her friend and companion, the junior senator of Arkania. They had been enjoying a quiet evening at home but had been interrupted by the unexpected arrival of a Weequay thug. A fight had broken out between the droid and the alien, culminating in the capture and removal of her friend from the apartment and the imprisonment, albeit brief, of Ofi herself. She was feeling deeply guilty about her failure to protect Ina, a strange sensation for the droid, but she had been living with the Offshoot senator for over a decade, and the occasional organic sensibilities had invaded her mind along the years. But now she was going do everything she could to rectify things, if it was the last thing she did.

Finally she could see her destination up ahead: the Jedi Temple. Earlier she had made a quick calculation of the best possibilities for enacting rescue for her friend. Her first thought to just go after Ina herself had been quickly assessed and then discarded. Though confident in her own abilities, she realized now that she had a few shortcomings and couldn’t do it alone, especially unsure of what situation she would be flying into. Next had been contacting the Republic military or even the Chancellor, but she feared using those channels would only delay her by means of bureaucratic red tape. And the senate itself was a no go; Ina was not well-liked among the majority. That left only the Jedi in Ofi’s mind.

Coming up to the public entrance of the temple used for non-Jedi visitors, she tucked in her wings and dove straight down like a missile. At the last possible moment, only a few meters from hitting the ground, she came out of her position, unfolding her wings to slow her descent. Ofi hovered in the air in front of the imposing door, wondering if she needed to wait admittance or knock for service. But then it opened, and a couple beings in military dress came out. Making a quick decision, the birdlike droid flew through, buzzing the Cathar and the human female as she bypassed them.

Once inside the foyer, she flapped towards a hallway, following a schematic she had downloaded from the Holonet. Unsure of its authenticity, she kept her approach to a minimum speed, staying near the ceiling to avoid running into any Jedi or others, completely aware that she was bending, if not breaking, a few rules just by being inside the Temple without an escort. But she was desperate and couldn't wait for etiquette. Ofi took lefts, rights, even a few 'lifts, until she was almost positive that she had gone deep enough as to leave the public zones behind and enter into the Jedi-only sections of the structure. The birdlike droid passed by what looked like lesson rooms, training halls. Now that she was in the right place, she just needed to find a willing subject who would hear her out.

Ofi peered into the rooms one by one, finding them empty. She was growing frustrated at this, wondering if she needed to find another turbolift to gain entrance to a more occupied area. But then she increased her infrared settings and discovered a warm body around the next corner, moving away from her. It was a shorter image, but at the moment, she would take what she could. At the least, this youngling could lead her to someone who could help. The droid winged around the corner and detecting the boy was Miraluka, took him over and flew in front of him as he walked. Knowing that Jedi could not sense machines like her, she spoke in that unnatural mechanical female voice of hers. "Boy, I mean no harm to you. I am looking for a Jedi to assist me. Could you lead me to the Council?"

[Juzt]

Kalan, a small and very timid Miralukan padawan. He was short for his age and physically tough if not mentally tough. His hair was kept short but somehow it conspired to be untidy as was his general appearance, something he was often reprimanded for. He made a real effort to be more presentable yet untidy seemed to be his natural state. At his belt hung his lightsaber, he was very proud of it despite the fact that it was really verging on too big for his small hands. It was his off time, his Master Rune Oki had sent him off from his lightsaber practice. In many ways Soresu was turning out to be a boon for Kalan he was learning it well simply because it fit his timidity.

He never really knew what to do in his off time. He did not have many friends of his own age or at all, and was never really a child who played much. He meditated studied things in greater depth that his Master had taught him, and in darker moments curled up tightly in a narrow space where he always felt most comfortable. However, today was a nice day and even he was tempted to feel a gentle warm breeze on his face and so was heading to one of the many open courtyards in the temple, with a datapad under his arm. The datapad contained a history of the first Great Schism. History was always an interest of his and he loved pouring over the History of the Order very much. He hoped to 'read' this datapad in one of the emptier courtyards as too many people tended to upset him.

The ability all Miraluka had with Force sight was a great deal of use to him, it helped him avoid people so he could find solitude. This was why he was greatly surprised when he heard a voice in front of him from something he could not see. He almost walked straight into whatever it was. Kalan gave a terrified squeak and managed to save himself from falling to the ground. He searched all around augmenting his Force vision with other sensory techniques, however he could perceive nothing. The vague idea of energy running through something but that could be anything. Clearly unless he had gone mad, the speaker was therefore a droid. Kalan was ashamed that he was a little bit afraid of droids as he found it nearly impossible to 'see' them. Fortunately a calmer almost robotic part of his mind took over superseding the panicking nature of his regular thoughts.

The droid had asked to see the council, so it was not a droid that served the Jedi. He vaguely wondered how it had got in. Kalan knew simply bringing the thing before the Council would be stupid it could be dangerous, the best thing to do was to take him to Master Oki, in Kalan's eyes there was no problem to big for him and he was on the Council.

“Um... the .. the C-council? My M-master is a council member I will take you to him if-f you f-follow me.” He said nervously as if he expected the droid to go mad and savagely attack him at any time. He knew then he should never have borrowed that holovid 'Attack of the haywire droid.' from Knight Reiko Shae. She liked to tease him and all he could picture right now was the many ways a droid could hurt him. How very quick he was to forget his lightsaber and his training and become a frightened child again.

“Come with me.” He said trying to force calm into his voice, and he turned and started to head back the way he came.

[Mara]

(((Guess we might need Ghostie in the next round or two of posting...)))


She waited impatiently, bobbing in the air, her wings whipping up a small breeze, as the young Jedi in front of her reacted to her sudden presence. At any other time, she would have eased into conversing with an organic without sight; years spent with her deaf friend had modified her to be more sensitive around beings with a sensory limitation. But the situation Ofi was currently embroiled in called for more desperate measures, and she had needed to get the boy’s attention as quickly as possible so that she could move forward with her plan of rescuing the senator. And because her mind was focused on this important task, the droid felt no remorse for causing the Miraluka boy to panic.

Slowly but surely, the boy regained what Ofi assumed was his normality and answered the droid. She disregarded the young Miraluka’s continuing nervousness, instead plowing ahead to analyze the actual words. So this Jedi was a padawan and his master was on the Council. The birdlike droid couldn’t believe her luck at this meeting of happenstance. Ofi had thought to plead her case in front of the whole group, but on a second computation, it probably would have taken much too long to gather all twelve members together and to get them to make a quick decision on her quest for help to retrieve Ina. This unexpected option would be a better path, hopefully bypassing any bureaucracy and getting to the matter at hand sooner rather than later.

“That is most acceptable,” came the inflection-free female droid voice. Without Ina around, plus the urgency of everything, Ofi had somewhat slipped into her original programmed diction. It was something she hadn’t realized she was doing, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have been bothered by it. As long as she got her point across, nothing else mattered at the moment. She nodded her birdlike head. “Lead on, boy.” When the student Jedi was moving again, Ofi tucked in behind him, following in his wake. "And quickly… time is of the essence in this matter,” she added, hoping to motivate the jittery padawan into hurrying to find his master.

[Juzt]

Kalan, had always been a shy and timid child and now he was confronted with a situation and a creature he did not understand and could not really perceive with the force. Certainly not with any great certainty. He nervously pulled a loose strand coming from his eye wrap. However, the tone in the Droid's voice scared him a little as it tried to hurry him along.

Kalan tried to calm himself and thought that the sooner his Master was involved the sooner it stopped being Kalan's problem. Kalan in fact started to run, he darted round people in the corridors who stared at him confused as the small Miralukan hurtled round people as easy as any person who could see while a strange looking droid persuaded him. Kalan hated it, feeling his cheeks go pink at being the centre of attention for all these people. Kalan spend most of his life trying to go unnoticed and there were very few people in the Temple who really even knew anything about him except for his Master.

When Kalan was not in Master Oki's presence he spent his time avoiding people. His heart pounded the blood round his body as his brain fizzled trying to think where his Master might be. He almost feared what the droid would do if he could not find him, ignoring the fact that he was in a Temple filled with some of the most powerful Force Users in the Galaxy who could protect him from such a droid. However, a pessimist only sees the negative possibilities.

A thought entered his head, he saw Master Oki sat cross legged in a secluded part of the Room of a Thousand fountains, disassembling and reassembling his light saber over and over. A method he had seen his Master use on many occasions as a means of mediation. Rune Oki often seemed to Kalan to spend much time in that room, it seemed likely to him that was where he had gone after their training session. He raced in that direction.

“Not far.... Not Far I promise.” He squeaked.

He entered the room at full pelt, his stomping feet clashing with the sound of water falling. Many Jedi looked round in annoyance at the noises he was making. Kalan blushed and tried to ignore them as he raced for his Master's favourite spot and started calling out to him.

“Master! Master! There is a ….d-d-d-droid to see you!” he stuttered.

[Mara]

Ofi flew steadily as the young Miraluka led her through the maze of hallways and corridors in the Jedi temple. A part of her brain marked their passage on the set of blueprints she had downloaded, and the droid was surprised at the accuracy. If she hadn’t been so focused on the more important mission at hand, she perhaps would have brought this to the Jedi’s attention. That some being out there had leaked the map onto the Holonet and that the temple’s security could have been compromised. For now, she just filed the information away for a rainy day, or for the off chance she had cause to return.

The padawan increased his speed a few moments later, something that the droid was pleased with. Ofi hadn’t been sure if she had gotten the urgency of the matter through to the boy. Even after they entered more populated areas and had to weave in and out of the foot traffic, she had no trouble keeping up with the Miraluka’s quick movements. It was easy for the birdlike droid to pass through the chaos tightly behind the padawan, her wings flapping for optimum flight. She was almost unnoticed, as most of the Jedi they zigged and zagged around were staring—a few even glaring—at the boy’s jerky passage.

They had been traveling for seemed like an eternity to the droid who was anxious to get her plan in motion when the boy remarked that they were close to finding his master. And sure enough, Ofi was banking around a corner and diving through a doorway after the young Miraluka. She saw they had entered some sort of large garden courtyard area, filled with softly gurgling fountains and hundreds of trees and flowering plants. The whole effect was that of a calm, tranquil space for the Jedi who were gathered inside. A peaceful quiet that they had just interrupted, if the uplifted heads and eyes following after them were any indication, as the padawan started yelling for his master.

[Juzt]

[OOC- I apologise for how terrible this post is I am not used to using someone else's character.]


“Kalan Kalan! What is all this noise about?” The Calamari Jedi Master emerged in front of his young padawan. He seemed to regard the droid with a curious look for the moment.

Kalan was nearly always intimidated round his Master, who he seemed to simultaneously fear and love. Rune was almost always reprimanding him for being loud. “Its important Master I promise this droid this droid has been looking for the council. Kalan terrifyingly pointed out the droid that had been following him.

Rune Oki seemed only mildly surprised that the droid had gotten into the Temple. “You have found one of its members what can I do for you? Please be quick, my Padwan and I have to depart soon on a mission.” Kalan gulped missions were always a terrifying experience he was not a Padwan who relished the excitement of missions of any kind.

[Mara]

(((It’s fine… )))

Once inside, the avian droid had continued following the spastic young Miraluka, though at a safer pace. She had slowed her advance, only lightly flapping her wings as the boy dashed around, calling loudly for his master. The hard stares and obvious annoyance of the other Jedi patrons of the once-peaceful garden sanctuary only seemed to grow, but that didn’t bother Ofi. If this padawan was being truthful with her, his master would be here, a member of the Council, and she would be able to plead her case regarding her friend’s kidnapping. Any collateral damage, big or small, was unimportant.

Luckily, soon after the duo had rushed into the space, the being of the hour presented himself: an older Calamari. The figure was recognizable to Ofi as one of the twelve, per her research before arriving to the Temple. Though keen to get her request heard and plans in motion, she allowed the two Jedi a moment to greet each other and for the padawan to calm. She was content to wait to be introduced to the council member and hovered in the air beside the Miraluka’s shoulder but not close enough that the airflow from her wings would disturb the nervous child.

However, much to the droid’s delight, the boy skipped past any ceremony and blasted right to the point, announcing the mechanical bird’s presence, one that the Jedi master would have likely noticed right away. Upon this haphazard introduction, Ofi found a nearby flowering shrub and perched on one of its branches among the blooms before dipping her head in a fair representation of a short bow of respect. “Indeed. Well met, Councilor. I asked the boy to bring me to a member of the council. I mean no disrespect at this interruption,” she answered in response.

“Nonetheless, I am also on a urgent mission. A senator has been kidnapped, and I have come to request help from the Jedi. I dare not ask the Chancellor for fear of the bureaucratic process and red tape. As well, she is not well liked by the majority of the senate body and going to them is not an option. The Jedi are her only hope. I would go on alone, as I am her security force, but I know my own limitations and feel I need assistance in this matter. So if you could please help me rescue her, I would be grateful.” Ofi paused, fed up with the nauseatingly formal speech she was used to as the senator’s aide. “Please, she’s my friend… I need her back.” A strange notion for a non-sentient like the birdlike droid, but it was true.

[Juzt]

Rune looked carefully at the droid for a moment, with his large eyes assessing it. He then looked at Kalan, and sighed.

“This is indeed a grave matter. Unfortunately neither my Padwan nor I can attend ourselves. I have already received my own instructions from the council.” He pondered for a moment. Then reached into his robes for a comlink. He pressed a button. “Reiko Shae this is Master Oki, you are wanted.” There was an audible sigh on the other end as he sipped it back into his robes.

“The Jedi have many responsibilities, we will not ignore this one. I am sending Jedi Knight Reiko Shae with you. She is young and foolhardy, but ultimately she is fearless and tough.” Rune looked to Kalan. “Run to the hangar young one I will be with you soon.”

The small Miralukan boy ran off at his break neck speed after a quick nod. Not long after, a tall blue skinned woman appeared. She had long dark hair that reached to her waist, her yellow eyes shined. She was dressed atypically for a Jedi. It was purple, and an odd combination of robe, tabard and dress. It showed off her arms and on her right shoulder was a tattoo of Wroonian design. Several Jedi frowned at her ostentatious appearance. Even her lightsaber hanging at her side seemed gaudy and over detailed.

“Master?” She said to Rune barely regarding the droid by him. Rune frowned dissaprovingly at her.

“Reiko, as senator has been kidnapped.” He waved a had in the droid's direction. “The droid has all the details.” He looked sternly at her. “This is an important mission, not an opportunity to show off yes?”

Reiko scowled sullenly like a child being scolded. “Yes Master.”

Rune shook his head. “I must go now, I will leave you two to the mission, I want regular reports Reiko.” Reiko blew some of her fringe out of her face defiantly, as Rune disappeared from view. “Huh anyone would think I was a child.” She muttered and then looked at the droid. “Come on then... details please.” She said rudely.

[Mara]

Ofi waited on the branch quietly and still, all her servos inside screaming out for action. She listened to the Mon Cal master as he spoke of prior commitments to his padawn, the nervous young Miraluka. It had been a long shot that the first appropriate Jedi she ran into would be able to drop everything and help her, so the avian droid didn't worry. As long as the councilor could point her in the right direction in gaining the aid she so desperately needed there was no reason to panic.

And the Mon Calamari did just that, almost immediately comming for another Jedi to meet him there in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Ofi felt a little anxious at the words "young and foolhardy," but she would make no rash judgements until she met the young woman herself. After all, she was only engaging the help of the Jedi for this rescue mission as a supplement to her own abilities. Not as an equal partner or even a leader. The PF droid was equipped with a fairly substantial arsenal of weapons; the Jedi would be there as merely support and to help with any logistical matters that required the talents of an organic being.

She watched as the padawan boy sprinted off, and was soon replaced with whom she assumed was the requested young knight. A quick scan of her appearance, the blue skin in particular, told Ofi she was of the Wroonian race. When the master introduced her, Ofi bent her head in the droid equivalent of a bow. Again, she waited as the Mon Cal instructed the young woman before taking his leave, her body case almost thrumming with the anticipation to get this rescue on the move on.

When the Wroonian Jedi finally deigned to turn her attention to the avian droid, Ofi actually paused a moment, fully seeing the councilor's warning about the young woman. Even for an inorganic, she could almost feel the impatience dripping from her. Finally, she nodded; she could deal with that later. "My friend, a senator of Arkania, was kidnapped from her apartment, not less  than an hour ago. A male Weequay talked his way in and grabbed her, exiting through the window. I was unable to stop him." The droid stopped, reliving her inadequacies for a moment before continuing. "I can track her through a pedant she wears. Her signature is coming from the vicinity of Coruscant's atmosphere and heading out. If we hurry, we can catch their vector and follow them."

In response, Ofi lept off the branch and flew towards the exit of the room, not waiting to see whether the young woman was following her. Checking out the blueprints she had taken off the Holonet, she took the quickest route to where the hangar was listed to be located. On the way, she added, "I do not know who this Weequay works for and who has ordered this foul deed. The senator has many enemies and dissenters among the senators and their retinue. We  must assume the worst." She looked down at the Wroonian behind her. "I would feel more at ease if you found another Jedi to accompany us." Though it was left unsaid, it was obvious Ofi doubted this knight's skills in what could be a tough rescue mission.

[Juzt]

Reiko sighed, would indignities in this temple never end? Now she was being doubted by this damned bag of bolts. “Now look here you!” She snapped before calming herself down. It was pointless arguing with a droid she sighed. Well she supposed she might need someone to carry the equipment and fly the ship she supposed. “Fine fine..” Then came the question of who she would bring with her.

Reiko, looked about her quickly, plenty of old Masters and the odd padawan or youngling running about. Not really what she was looking for, then she thought she spotted someone she vaguely remembered as being another Knight, she would do. What did this droid need another person for anyway. People were always questioning her abilities or her attitude or her self control and it made her furious. She pushed through the people in between her and her target and grabbed her on the shoulder. “Chias right? Come on got a mission for you, rescuing a kidnap victim right up your street. Come one hurry up!” She said rudely.

[jedi334]

“Well, while I do enjoy Naboo spices in my broth I have found a Ryloth blend that definitely has a certain kick too it and when it comes to noodles I must say---AHH!” Chias Nero was cut off mid sentence as she watched the female Consular she was talking too get smaller and smaller she was dragged through the busy crowd

“Excuse me.” Her voice was quiet and timid as always at first, still processing what was happening as she saw an odd looking droid flying after them as it maneuvered through the crowd and Chias dropped her holo pad as they moved.

“Excuse me!” her voice a little louder as she looked at the person, seeing the blue skin and yellow eyes of a Wroonian and then taking in the robes that were as unique as her own one as she realized who it was instantly.

Now frustration took over as she used her Echani dexterity to twist out the woman firm grip and stood front of the Wroonian and droid as her blue eyes flared for a moment. “EXCUSE ME!” she shrieked, surprising herself with the volume level of her voice and seeing a few surprised Knights and Masters giving them looks as they walked pass.

Chias knew of Reiko Shae through encounters with her during rare visits to the Archive as she did research for a mission and with each visit she was rude & dismissive. Not that only that she known as somewhat of a show off as a Knight, using missions to show her skill with a lightsaber or ability with the Force, she was the type of Jedi that Chias disliked the most…brash and unthinking.

“Knight Shae.” she said with a tinge of annoyance as she breathed deeply centering herself “Only you could be so blunt. As you know I am a Historian and I have duties within the Archive. You can not drag me out of the Temple and recruit me to a mission I know nothing about…I require some at least some basic details of what we are walking into yes?”

She her eyes moved over to the small birdlike droid fluttering next to Reiko her pale arms crossing over her chest, her leather wrapped feet peeking out of her gown as her legs crossed over each other.

“And who might I ask is this?”

[Mara]

The avian droid said nothing as the Wroonian Jedi erupted with obvious displeasure at her suggestion. This Reiko Shae was demonstrating exactly what Master Oki had warned her about. And though at first glance, it had worried Ofi, now that she had spent a few more moments with the young woman and had had a chance to analyze preliminary data, she was thinking it was a positive element. A brash and young Jedi who wasn't afraid to head straight into danger was just possibly the type that was required for this mission. It could end up getting the young Jedi killed, but as long as the droid rescued the senator, it wouldn't be for naught. Casualties were a necessary side effect in battle.

Just as quickly as she had thrown her mini tantrum, the Jedi had calmed considerably and rushed into the nearby crowd. Ofi was relieved that Reiko Shae had found her request for another logical enough to follow through with the plan. She stopped her forward movement and hovered in the air, wings flapping steadily to keep her body aloft. The droid waited as the Wroonian Jedi grabbed and dragged another Jedi over to her, quite literally kicking and screaming. Unorthodox methods used without tact, but Ofi could appreciate the urgency in the Jedi the Mon Cal  master had assigned her.

Ofi took a moment to look the new Jedi over. Instantly her database identified her as a member of the Enchani race. The droid took this as an added bonus, her vast knowledge including mention of the deadly Enchani martial arts. However, this was at odds with what Ofi was seeing through her photoreceptors: a petite, unassuming girl who looked more bookish than warrior-like. Something confirmed with the young Echani's sputtered indignant words towards the Wroonian. But she had experienced more than one instant in which appearances had be deceiving. She hoped this was one of those times. Otherwise... Ofi didn't want to compute the 'otherwise.'

There was no time to make any changes, though, and she would have to make do with what she had been given. Precious seconds were ticking away, their window of opportunity shrinking. Her attention turned to the Echani Jedi. "I am called Ofi. I will explain the rest on the way. We must hurry before we're too late." At that, her wings sped up, and she continued on her way down the hall, following the schematics in her brain in the direction of the hangar. She added, without bothering to check that the Jedi were following her, "A senator has been kidnapped, and you two will be assisting me in liberating her from her captors."

At the entrance to the spacious hangar, she spun to look at her partners: the brash and foolhardy Wroonian and the calm and collected Echani. Along with herself, Ofi knew they made quite a sight for anyone that might be looking. She spoke, "We will need a ship, a fast one. Something that can depart immediately before we lose the trajectory of the transport the senator is leaving on. I can track her a fair distance, but hyperspace muddles things." Ofi paused before continuing, her electronic feminine voice as heavy with the gravity of the matter as it could manage. "I cannot stress the importance of extreme haste in this matter."

[Juzt]

Reiko, folded her arms irritably and quite obviously glared at the Echani while she squeaked and squawked away, and then proceeded to give her a lecture that many a Master would have been proud to give her in her life time. Her yellow eyes burned as she looked at the other jedi and then to the droid. Master Rune Oki, and his wet padawan had fobbed her off with a mission they did not want to do, and the tin can thought she could not do it on her own, then this little pipsqueak twittered on while there was a job to do.

Why was it no one listened to her or took her seriously in anyway? It was almost like she had never passed her trials, and indeed those things were aptly named. The image of that poor boy Jatt, dead by her hand still bothered her and twisted and contorted her heart into unbreakable knots. At the centre of it all was an overcompensation. She had gotten to where she was by having to kill the one she loved and adored, even if he was just a shell filled with the darkside. She had never felt on a certain level that she deserved to be a Knight, so every day was a battle to prove herself, to the galaxy at large an her mind.

She said nothing and merely followed the droid, sullenly nodding to Chias to hurry up and follow. Reiko was absolutely not above sulking, in fact she had the practice of sulking and insolence down to a fine art. So a senator had been kidnapped? In some ways it might be a better thing if there were far fewer of them, that way the damage they often did in their own selfish interest could be minimised. Finally reluctantly speaking she said in her clear sing song voice, “A ship like that should not be too difficult to find here. Also I am good pilot even if I say so myself.” She said arrogantly, not really letting on that she had only logged a few hours hear and there in a ship.

She shrugged, “Anyway don't worry tin can, with me at your side we should fix this in no time.” She said with all the diplomacy people had come to expect from her, for some reason she never understood why she was never called in to negotiate anything. She looked along the rows of ships in the cavenous hanger, her soft leather boots squeaking on the polished floor, there were ships of all sorts here, but mostly fighters and shuttles.

[jedi334]

“Kidnapped you say?” a shy awkwardness came over the young Echani’s face as she looked up at Ofi. “Then I apologize for my rudeness just now, you and Knight Shae simply caught me off guard. I shall do all that I can to help in rescuing your friend.” Her eyes locked with Reiko briefly as she spoke “We all will.”

She walked up and stood next to the Wroonian, her deep eyes took in the vast assortment of shuttles and transports, she then saw a large human male she recognized as her shy face became very business like.

“Wait here a moment.” She said and began to walk to him, her wrapped feet padding quietly on the waxed floor as the man gave a big board smile.

“Chias!” he said smiling “Have not seen you here in quite a while…taking the little ones to Tython?”

“Not this time Melos.” She said, glancing over to Reiko and Ofi “I am going to need to use one of your fastest shuttles…Jedi business.”

His face looked apprehensive as looked at medium sized shuttle and then back to her. “Well I have the A-23, but there going to be forms and I will need you to—“

She cut him off with a firm shaking of the head “I am sorry Melos, but this is a time sensitive matter, I will handle the formalities once we have returned from our mission.”

“C’mon Chias.” He said “You how much of an ass the hangar administrator can be.”

“A member of the Senate has been abducted.” She said her voice quiet but very firm “Each second wasted means is less time for us to rescue her and it will be because of bureaucratic nonsense such as this that she is injured or worse. Do you really want that on your consciousness?”

He sighed, not looking at her as she spoke. “I’ll uh, clear you guys for departure…runaway 3.”

She set a hand on his beefy shoulder and smiled “Thank you.” She glanced over to her companions giving a nod to them she walked toward the shuttle walking up the boarding plank as the rear doors opened.

[Mara]

Ofi looked down to the Wroonian Jedi after her admission. "Excellent." If she was indeed a talented pilot, then she had been lucky to have been assigned Reiko Shae to find her friend the senator and was willing to ignore the woman's 'tin can' comment. Though the droid could run a ship herself to some degree, generally engaging the autopilot, it was much preferable to have an organic at the controls. One of the few skills she was willing to concede to a living and breathing being. However, if she had had a more bipedal carapace instead of her small avian one... the situation would be very much different.

With that role settled, Ofi turned her attention to their need for a ship. She had been prepared to scan all the available transports, even hacking into the hangar systems, for the likeliest contender when the other Jedi, the Echani, stepped further into the hangar. Ofi followed her at a distance, wanting to know what she was up to. And she was relieved to discover that the young Jedi--Chias she remembered Reiko had referred to her--was conscripting help with their urgent mission. Perhaps this seemingly unassuming Jedi would work out after all.

Negotiations apparently completed for them to take a medium-sized shuttle, the Echani Jedi gestured to them to join her before entering the transport herself. Ofi looked to Reiko Shae. "Let's go. We'll see if you are as accomplished as you boast." The droid's wings sped up, and she flew down the hangar towards the shuttle that Chias had just disappeared into. After they had all joined up in the cockpit and gotten seated in their respective places, she spoke, addressing her hastily assembled team. "Hurry. We must make make atmosphere before the fiend's ship enters hyperspace, so I can decipher the vector and calculate possible destinations."

[Juzt]

Reiko, folded her arms and watched the other Jedi at work and felt a faint hint of jealousy. She had the distinct impression that if she had asked for something of that nature people would have been suspicious. Other Jedi in her view tended to treat her like she was a bomb waiting to go off at any moment. It never entered her head for a moment that her erratic behaviour and overcompensation for her failings and mental frailties could be the reason she was not well liked or trusted. Her psyche was best described as a huge glass tower, beautiful dominating but ultimately fragile. A crack here a mistake there was likely to bring the whole edifice of her ego down around her ears as it had been when she had defeated Jatt.

However, despite her hang ups most of her motives were based in a will to do good even if she went about it a very overbearing way. Chias in her eyes certainly seemed efficient, it was a good job Reiko had spotted her in the crowd of Jedi. She had Melos the Dock Master, willing to give her a ship without the usual paperwork and a good one at that. Reiko returned the nod, and quickly followed her up the boarding plank into the ship. Unfortunately, the bird like robot twittered and chattered in her ear raising the Wroonian's irritation with every word. Even this droid doubted her, this glorified calculator. However, without a word she settled into the cock pit.

Looking around the make sure Chias was fastened in, she quickly started turning on the thrusters, she heard them test fire, and then deactivated the magnetic clamps. However, the droid continued to fuss a twitching above Reiko's right eye gave warning of an explosion. “Secure yourself and Shut up!” Snapped the Wroonian furiously her voice low and dangerous. She slammed her hand into the controls pushing the craft quickly forwards and out of the hanger. “You do your job and I will do mine.” She said this a little calmer, the Jedi code running through her head not that it ever actually made her feel any better. She instead remembered some of her favourite music and kept it running through her head as the ship shot up for the atmosphere.

No one requested permissions or tried to stop them, the Republic generally did not keep track of the activities of Jedi considering how trusted a group they were. Once the had broken the atmosphere Reiko transferred access to the navicom and sensor activity to the station nearest the droid. “Can you spot them?” She asked powering up the Hyperdrive, for a quick move in what ever direction the droid decided. The Hyperdrive;s activation was heralded by a dull hum from the back of the craft. The droid would know the craft they were chasing better than she.

[jedi334]

Chias brought down the safety harness as she felt the shuttle move higher into the sky, sliding the seat over to the small terminal as she switched it on. The shy expression was gone from her face as she concentrated, blocking out Rekio’s barking and Ofi’s twittering as she logged into the Jedi Archive via the Holonet as she clicked on the voice command.

“Access User: Historian Chias Nero.” she said “Passcode: TK-427.”

She waited for a few seconds as the female computerized voice chimed back. “Access Granted Level 3. Welcome Historian Nero.”

She took a breath before speaking. “Access Senate Records. Current assembly roster.”

“Accessing…” the computer said “Search parameters?”

Chias blinked for a second, through the confusion of her sudden recruitment she had not even asked the Senator’s name, she bit her lower lip briefly then looked at the avian droid as her eyes brightened.

“Computer.” She said as it chimed “Scan current droid in this craft. Cross reference with any Senator, junior senator or staff member it is associated with it.”

“Acknowledged.” The voice said as a blue beam scanned over Ofi briefly, Chias giving the little droid an apologetic smile as a wired image appeared as hundred of faces of varying races shuffles across the screen. A minute or two passed and then shuffling stopped on a young Arkanian female came on the screen.

Chias tilted her head slightly, while the girl had dominant Arkanian traits she could also see traces of human as well. The Echani had not come across many hybrids in her life but it was interesting to see nonetheless.

From what Chias read her name was Irrina Icharus, a junior senator from Arkania, unlike many of the Senators she did not come from wealth or a was tied to political family on Courscant always doing her best to help where she could…she had a kind face and warm eyes. Why anyone would want to kidnap her was something this unlikely team of rescuers needed to discover quickly.

“Access Junior Senator Irrina Icharus’s Senate records." she said "look for any political opponents, detractors or vocal critics for any recent activity against her.”

There was a silence for a time as Chias rested her chin on her hands as her elbows rested on the chair arms, ignoring the slight pain from cybernetic shoulder.

A list then appeared of names, it was short but had no name that Chias recognized, she massaged the bridge of her slender nose as she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then looked to the avian droid.

“Ofi.” She said softly “I need you to look at these names and access your memory core. Would anyone here have the resources or motive to kidnap your friend?”

[Mara]

She didn't bother dignifying the Wroonian Jedi's outburst with a response or really, dwelling on it any further. It didn't make any difference to the droid whether she got along with either of her companions, and she had not the time or patience to lecture on etiquette and protocol. They had been brought together to accomplish an important task, and as long as they could work cooperatively and be successful at rescuing the senator, nothing else mattered to Ofi. Reiko was correct in that one thing: they each had a role to fill and should focus on that.

Ofi dropped down on the seat back of Reiko's chair and dug in her talons in order to stabilize herself for liftoff. Despite the Wroonian's temper, she seemed to have taken the droid's commanded suggestion to heart. Her hands were a flurry as the shuttle's engines fired and the repulsors engaged. Though hurried, the shuttle made a smooth enough transition and was soon shooting away upwards into the sky. Whether she had the experience she bragged of earlier or not, the Jedi did know the proper procedures for getting a ship into space, and Ofi had hope for her yet.

It wasn't long before the shuttle and the three slapped-together team members inside were in Coruscant's atmosphere and putting the city planet farther behind them. Chias was typing away at a console while Reiko had focused back on the mission ahead and not on her obvious annoyance of the droid's taking control of the situation and planning. Keeping her backup processor directed towards the Echani Jedi, Ofi leaned her avian head forward to check out the display that the Wroonian had tilted towards her. She easily merged the image with what she was picking up from Ina's tracker, and while she didn't see the ship itself, she could identify its location. "There..." The droid named off the vector. "Soon as we break from the gravity well, jump."

The droid switched priorities, putting the Jedi pilot on hold and turned her head towards the bookish Jedi. She quickly scanned through her memory cells and was caught up on what Chias had been doing. It made her realize that in her rush she hadn't filled in all the details on who exactly they were going after, which senator and who she was. Ofi would have to try to remember to slow down in the future. Forgetting even the smallest note of explanation could make their mission all for naught.

But she honed more fully on the intent of Chias's pursuits. Ofi thought it was a waste of time for the Echani to be trying to figure out who had masterminded the kidnapping. The droid did not consider it important who did it, only that they found the senator and got her out safe. Any host of beings could have been behind it, not to mention others Ofi was not yet aware of; the list would be staggering, considering Ina's newness to the Senate. She said as much aloud: "Many beings oppose her and would like to see her taken down; we do not have the time to investigate them all. We only need to get Ina back; who has her is not significant."

[Juzt]

Reiko's brow furrowed as she examined the vector that Ofi had given her. Had she been an older more experienced Jedi she likely would have known the system. It was new to her, as she had been only on a handful of assignments since completing her trials. In many ways her trials had been more challenging than anything she had done since. The worst had been an unfortunate entanglement with a dangerous sociopathic Rodian Bounty Hunter but even that was nothing compared to the trials. This however, she sensed would be different, a challenge both mental and physical. Any doubts as always remained suppressed by her subconscious buried under various neurosis.

It took a few moments for the navcomputer to calculate the appropriate hyperspace route, at this point she heard the droid's comments to Chias. She shuddered at the thought but she actually agreed with the self important toaster. What did it matter? Reiko would ride in there crack a few heads, rescue the senator and just be all round heroic and magnificent. Her ego in her head was happily beating her doubts over the head with training sabres. Doubts could be debilitating to her, but also doubts were sometimes needed for balance and reason. Her mind could be a frightening place to herself espcially.

The navcomputer beeped attracting her attention again. The calculations were made. “Well then.” She grinned over her shoulder, “Lets get this show on the road!” She flipped forward the control, the humming of the engines grew louder and the feeling of a hard pull at her naval signified hyperspace. The stars flashed over the surface of her eyes.

[jedi334]

“It doesn’t matter? Is this droid serious?” Chias thought, her pale brow furrowing a bit as she chewed her bottom lip in annoyance.

Though no expert in war and tactics Chias knew that gathering intelligence on any enemy was key in an operation, if they knew who they were going up against they could be better prepared in dealing with any threat that came their way while also securing the junior Senator safety.

And even if they rescued the girl and got her back to the Capital safely there was no guarantee that the person or persons responsible would not try again, if they figured out the mastermind behind this they could route them out and then the girl could be completely safe.

But Ofi was so worried about her friend and getting her back while Rekio was just keen on get into trouble that neither saw the bigger picture and it could end up coasting them all dearly. 

Despite all this she doubted either would listen to her.  “As you wish Ofi.” She said quietly “I will follow your lead.”

She pushed the terminal away and secured her safety harness as she heard the Hyperspace engines come to life. They were going in blind into a very dangerous situation with no back up or allies to aid to them with life of a member of the Senate in their hands and one simple thought entered the young Echani’s mind as they shot through space.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”