An Offer He Can't Refuse

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

Val felt the twinge of something in the back of her mind, and knew Xierra had followed her in. Hopefully that meant Elsie was with Rein and would be safe until they returned. Val took a leading pose, looking for the nearest, more sophisticated bar. She found one in the middle of a nearby room, serviced by a Zabrak who seemed to have little to do at the moment. She approached, resisting her natural casual wave and cheerful greeting for something more sultry and mysterious. At least that's what she hoped she'd pulled off, she couldn't quite tell.
"Evening madam, what might I get for you?"
"I've just arrived, how about something light?" She smiled, pulling on his behaviour like strings on an instrument. Credits were tight, and she needed this drink to be able to mingle. She also needed a way into asking this man questions.
"Certainly madam, on the house." The Zabrak smiled, pouring her a tall glass of something pink and sliding it smoothly towards her. She caught it delicately with a pair of fingers and pretended to take a sip.

"So, you give the impression you've worked here a long time. What could you tell me about where I should go if I were to be interested in arranging certain deals?" She gave a slight smile, narrowing her eyes and dropping her head, but not her gaze, slightly. The Zabrak began polishing a random shot glass that had already been piled in what seemed to be the clean area.
"Well, that would depend entirely on your cargo, miss. I can direct you towards certain individuals who would know more on this matter than I would." He offered, indicating over his shoulder at a pair of Gamorreans standing near a... human? No, a Chiss. Interesting...

She thanked the Zabrak, promising to try and return later so he could fill her up again, and with the drink made a less than perfect straight line towards the Chiss. She paused a few feet away from the bar, waiting for Xierra to get close enough to be able to whisper without being overheard by the other patrons.
"I'm not liking the look of that one in particular. We'll see what he has of interest to us though. Have you noticed anything unnatural?" She said this as she observed the surroundings herself. Everyone seemed involved fully in their own business. Maybe it was just nerves of being in somewhere so strange to her.

[Anackis]

Rein let Elsie lead him down the streets as they went looking for a 'place to eat'. He kept his head down thinking it more fitting for a blind child to walk that way, all the wile letting his view of things keep him alert to his surroundings. He watched as the people in the streets went about their daily tasks, most not giving a second glance at the Jedi or the sickly child walking down the street. Those that looked their way gave them little more then a glance.

Rein was so intent on watching the people, looking but not knowing what for. He wanted to be of some help on this mission, though he did not know what he could do. He hadn't even noticed that Elsie had stopped them infront of a deli. Something pricked the back of his mind regarding deli's, but he could not put his finger on it. He almost asked why there were here, but remembered he was supposed to be blind.

Instead he changed his questions. "Why have we stopped? Where are we.... uh...uh..." Rein realized he did not know how to adress Elsie. He did not remember anyone talking of changing their names, and calling her Master would not be fitting.

[Mara]

The Falleen tried to keep as silent and motionless as possible, with only her eyes and her Force senses darting around the room, keeping tabs on all the patrons. She did this while Val was weaving through the crowd and approaching a bartender in an adjoining room. Xierra stood there while the other Jedi bartered for information, keeping behind her but listening to what the Zabrak said and filing the information away for later.

She had noticed the Chiss on their way into this separate room, curious that one would be out here so far from their Ascendancy. Their race was a rare sight among Republic space. He was one of the few beings in the room she had tagged for curiosity sake and to keep an eye on. Beings that looked shady or nervous, or just generally didn't seem to belong. Besides the Chiss she had logged a pair of Omwatis in deep conversation as well as a Barabel standing by herself near the entrance.

But when the bartender subtly motioned to the side towards the Chiss, Xierra had glanced sideways quickly before turning her gaze forward, keeping herself as neutral as possible. She hadn't gotten a good second look, so she gently reached in that direction with the Force, finding the humanoid standing near the stunted minds of two Gamorreans. Whether they were together, she couldn't tell. If they were, the Chiss was hiding it well, and the Gamorreans, though weak-minded, were giving off nothing suspicious.

Xierra followed Val away from the bar, nodding slightly at the Zabrak as they turned away. She stood there between the bar and the trio as her 'master' spoke to her, asking her thoughts. So the other woman had picked up on the unease she had felt about the Chiss, or she had had felt her own reservations about seeing the being's species in this upscale club. Either way, Xierra was sure there was something cloudy about the Chiss's emotions. Whether it was good for them or bad, she couldn't tell.

She leaned down to Val; the Falleen was over 6-foot-tall and wanted to make sure that what she said was for the other Jedi's ears only. Xierra picked her words carefully and quietly. "Nothing unnatural except his species being out so far. But I don't like the feeling I'm getting through the Force, either. I'm getting mixed signals from his presence when I try to lightly probe him. Let's see what he has to offer, but I will be on my guard." Then the Falleen stood up then, her tight ponytail of black hair swinging slightly before settling down again and resting against her back. She moved her hands to behind her back, folding them together and trying to stand casually, waiting for Val to move forward.

[sparrow]

Elsie bent down in front of the boy, presumably to adjust the rumpled collar of his shirt, but actually so that she could whisper to him without being overheard. "I'm only supposed to be a servant girl here, so first name will do just fine," she said with a smile. "We're here to get lunch. And if the reports are correctly, hopefully our first lead." She stood up and started to lead him inside. "So would you like? Roast nerf? Veggie?"

The inside of the deli appeared just like any other. Nothing out of the ordinary. A young Rodian worker taking orders and making sandwiches at one end of the counter, and a slightly bored-looking human cashier at the other. A small number of customers, less than half a dozen, sat scattered among the various tables. Everything normal looking... just like any other diner.

There was a door behind the counter, presumably leading to an employees-only area. As she approached the counter to make an order, Elsie made a mental note that that would be something worth further investigation, perhaps when there were less people here. But for now she was going to sit back, keep her eyes and ears alert, and observe.

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

Not wanting to linger in a quiet conversation for too long, especially as it could cause unwanted suspicion, Val continued on into a clearer view of the Chiss. He was more interested in the waitress at the moment, so she used the diverted attention to make it appear as though they had not actually spent a few seconds talking, and that she was actually heading directly for him. His attention snapped to her as she approached the 6 feet mark, and the Gamorreans looked at her with disgruntled looks. She was more focused on the blood red eyes staring at her from the shadowed blue face. She dipped her head a little, not wanting to start the conversation too quickly. She was aware of the Chiss, and had talked to one once. She recalled the icy, cool demeanour.

"Can I help you, miss?" The voice was as sultry as any male could manage, at least to her ears. She responded as quickly as she could recover.
"That depends. If I have certain cargo, of which I wish to... distribute, to the inhabitants here, where might I go about doing this?" She took a seat opposite him, not bothering to wait for an invitation. His eyes flicked from her, over her shoulder, and back immediately. He was calculating. She knew the type. Chiss were geniuses.
"Trade union. Get a taxi." He dismissed her with a tone of voice, but not with body language, so she pressed her issue.
"Let's hypothesise that maybe the cargo would be something the authorities would be unhappy to be seeing sold... And even less happy if it were being used around the streets?" The Chiss shifted slightly, maybe happy that she was using a hypothesis, maybe annoyed that she had stated hypothesis when she meant theory.

"I believe you mean theorise..." Damn... "But I see your point. I may know of contacts, though I doubt they would be willing to meet with an... offworlder, especially with just the definition 'cargo'." He sipped his drink, clearly waiting for more information, and she took the hint to take a sip of her own, swirling the beverage in her hand. Across the room she could hear a group of teens shouting, before the resounding yell of "Wonderbar" echoed from across the table.
Wonderbars? What kind of stupid idea is that for cargo? Think!
"Fine... spice... mainly... any type you can think of... Red, yellow, ginger, scary... I don't touch the stuff myself, but credits... Those I handle quite well. There's also certain weapons, and if I mention 'Cortosis' I think you'll get the picture." At least she'd hoped he'd get the picture. Cortosis was quite obscure, and Spice was a stupid idea for something she'd want to smuggle, but she didn't have much choice at the split second stuff.

[Anackis]

Rein let Elsie lead him into the deli. She was right, as could be expected from a Jedi Master, this could be a chance for them to get a lead. Though how he was not sure. He decided he would simply wait and follow the Jedi's lead and apperantly she was being led by her stomach. Rein really wasn't hungry, his nervse playing a key part in that, but he knew had had to keep up the act.

"Roast nerf, please." He stated his order to Master Therin and examined the deli. From what he could tell it looked fairly normal. A door to the back caught his eye, he was certain if this was one of the crime lords deli's it would be filled with torture devices. He hoped they didn't have to go back there. But to be on the safe side, he decided he would try to listen in to anything going on behind that door. He let the force flow through him as he concentrated hard on the door and what lay behind.

[sparrow]

Elsie's eyes scanned the room. It was a normal looking diner for the most part, with customers coming and going, business as usual. But that door... just an ordinary door, a plain wooden door, with no special markings or colors to differentiate it from any other door,... yet Elsie could not shake the feeling that there was something important behind it, that she needed to get to the other side.

She took a deep breath, and then took another bite from her sandwich. She needed to be careful. Whatever happened, she could not risk blowing her cover. It wasn't just for her own safety. Their group had very likely been observed as their made their way into the city; any trouble that she got into would no doubt bring trouble on their heads as well.

Yet she couldn't remain sitting there forever. Caution was all fine and good, but the mission was going to accomplish itself. What she needed was a distraction, and if an opening appeared during that distraction, she would take it.

One of the customers had gotten up from his table was walking near a display rack of QuikSnacks. Elsie concentrated for a moment, and with a quick nudge with the Force, the man's foot tripped on some invisible object, running straight into the shelf. QuikSnacks fell everywhere.

[Mara]

Xierra followed along after Val quietly as she approached the Chiss male. Though she kept most of her focus on those in front of her, she still retained a subtle hold on the rest of the room, including those she had tagged earlier in her recon: the Omwatis and the Barabel, the latter who was still standing idly by the doorway. The Falleen kept her eyes unfocused, however, hoping to put the Chiss man at ease as Val talked to him. He didn't seem to be one very willing to part with information, so anything she could do to help would be best for the entire team.

As Val sat down, Xierra posted herself behind her chair and just to the right, keeping her hands resting folded at the small of her back. Indeed, the blue-skinned humanoid was being very stingy with his inspiration, despite what Val was trying to get him to say. Knowing that they better keep their time in the Twi'lek Tails as short as possible, Xierra let out a small burst of pheromones, nothing romantic, but influential nonetheless. They wrapped around the Chiss slightly, causing him to shift a bit in his seat. But to those around the table, including Val, they would never know whether it was the Jedi's manipulating of the prose that got the man to reveal the information or another outside influence.

During the whole conversation, Xierra never revealed any outward sign on her face, staring off a few meters away into the wall behind the Chiss. Though she could still feel a slight uneasiness about the other being, Xierra was secure in her thought that he had warmed up to Val's words and would give them what they needed to know, eventually. So she plucked away her pheromones, shutting down her biologicals but remaining alert in every other way. Ready to influence the Chiss again if necessary.

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

The Chiss relaxed back into his chair, apparently contemplating what she had said. Apparently cortosis meant more to him than she had thought. Maybe some of his contacts had Jedi problems. Hopefully she'd find out who they were at another time. She wasn't a major fan of people who looked out for ways of beating lightsabers. Not a fan of Jedi dying. She controlled her thoughst suddenly, snapping back to the present situation. The Chiss was apparently still contemplating, which was good because it meant she still looked as though she was in the conversation, as it was his turn. His... move. She took another small sip of the drink, waiting for him to decide. She felt Xierra behind her. She seemed calm, which was a good thing.

"I know of several men. Those who would be interested in your merchandise. Have you heard of any of local bosses around here? Anything you might have heard in passing?"
Act as if you've at least looked at some possible buyers. She regulated herself. Lying was difficult, but something that was a fine art if done correctly. She paused, as though remembering the ones she had checked on.
"Not really. I mean, of course I had someone look for anyone of note, but there wasn't an apparent individual who stood out. That's why I'm looking to a more informed audience." She nodded in his direction, hoping he'd feel appreciated or important in some way. Or at least more generous with his information.

"I could name several, but I'd have to put you in contact with their contacts. I don't have any way of speaking to them directly at all." Val smiled, in a grateful way, but not too much.
"That would be very helpful." She edged closer a little, hoping the information included Templar Forge and his whereabouts. Or rather someone who had his whereabouts. The Chiss paused, before continuing.
"You have Jas Penguay in the Wookie sector about an hour away from here. He's good with spice, but the authorities are taking increased suspicion in him. Templar Forge, who is pretty all round, but has provoked Jedi interest. Max Harkin, the weapons dealer who makes regular trips between here and the Outer Rim. You also have the Duja brothers who are good with weapons and spice, but they aren't the most gracious with credits."
Act interested in someone else before Forge. He'll be suspicious otherwise.

"Well considering most of my shipment is spice, what can you tell me of the Penguay character?" She rolled her head to the side a little, as though interested, but was merely holding the conversation until she could move onto Forge. She needed to find a reason not to use the first.
"Well he's a Rodian, but he travels with Wookiees. One of them owes him a Life Debt. You heard of those before? Basically the Wookiee swears their life to the service of someone who saves them. Funny things if you ask me. Anyway, he arrived here... 5 months ago? At least I think it was, but he'd been busy on Coruscant for quite some time before that. Authorities drove him off-world." Val nodded, having everything she needed to move to Forge safely.
"Hmm, well I'm not one to go mixing with authorities on more planets than I can help, and it sounds that if he had to switch locations he can't be a solid investment. What can you tell me about Forge?" The Chiss smiled, possible impressed, she wasn't sure.

"And you're not worried about the Jedi attention?" He raised an eyebrow. She remained unphased by the question, before producing a small smirk.
"As I said before, Cortosis. The Jedi are highly unlikely to cause me much trouble. Forge may also give me quite the bargain on this Cortosis shipment I have if he's truly having problems with them." The Chiss nodded, pausing. He was probably deciding whether it was safe to let her go to Forge's contact. Finally he spoke once more.
"Very well, I can set up a meeting. I'm assuming you will want it as soon as possible?"
"Indeed. I'd hate for the port authorities to decide to carry out a 'random inspection' on my ship."
"OK, I'll get my contact's details. He might not send you to Forge right away, but he'll get you going in the right direction. He's a Human called Dau Born. I'll get him to meet you in the Market center in two hours, if that's OK with you?"
"I'm sure we'll find him. Do you... require a fee of some sort? A finders fee, or whatever you call it?" She wasn't certain how he'd respond to this, but she didn't want to seem impolite after the help he'd given.
"No it's fine, I'll get a cut of whatever your shipment sells for. A good system really, much better than just getting paid the odd few credits whenever someone turns up."

Val smiled, bidding him farewell and thanking him once more for the help, almost wishing she could actually give him some form of payment for the assistance, but she didn't want to jeapordise their cover. She moved away, finishing the last part of her drink and resting the empty glass on the counter. She turned to Xierra, who was right behind her, playing her role very well.
"It looks like we're heading to the Market. How did you find that went?" She whispered as she turned towards the exit, making a quick look around to check no one was observing her suspiciously.

[Anackis]

Rein let his sandwitch droop as he concentrated on the door. small voices began to echo through his head, the other patrons of the Deli, a few people outside, and two others so quiet he coould not make them out. He concentrated harder, ignoring the nerf meat that fell into the table. He narrowed the resounding voiced down as he focused more with the force. Straining to hear the two behind the door. They were quiet and he could only make out a few words.

"... want to do that..."
"no... We'll be fine..."
"Forge wont like..."

A sudden crash made Rein jump, his sandwitch flying out of his hand and spreading its contents all over himself as if a grenade went of in his hand. He had lost his connection with the voices in the other room and didn't know wether to panic or laugh at the sight of the man colliding with the shelves of QuickSnacks.

[Mara]

The remainder of Val's conversation with the Chiss seemed to go much easier after Xierra's first subtle influences with her pheromones earlier on. Now the Falleen woman just stood behind her "master," waiting for her to receive the information she needed, her face that of stoicism, blank as duracrete. However, though her outside features betrayed nothing, the insides of her were working hard as she kept tendrils of the Force flickering around the area of the two talking, plus elsewhere in the Twi'lek Tails.

Doing so, she only caught snippets of the conversation; enough to understand what was going on, enough to figure out whether the Chiss was lying or giving them truthful information. Val seemed to have put the other being at ease, able to get some good information from him. Xierra tried extra hard to keep her emotions neutral when the other Jedi finally asked about Templar Forge. This was it. This was what all the subterfuge was for.

Val got the contact... a human they needed to meet in the market two hours hence. Despite all of Val's verbal skills, Xierra still felt slightly uneasy at the ease in which the Chiss gave up the information. Lingering effects of her pheromones, Jedi mind tricks from Val, the Chiss's comfort of having decided Val was no threat.... or he knew what they were and was working for Forge. She didn't feel an deceit coming off the blue-skinned being, but she hadn't had much contact with his species. They were hard to read with the Force, sometimes.

They departed then, Val walking a safe distance away before addressing her. She lowered her voice and her head once again to speak to the shorter woman. "Well enough." Xierra paused, deciding how best to voice her concerns as she followed Val out of the club and into the street. "However, I can't help this feeling that he gave the information too easily, despite any of our influences. I think we should be on our guard. It could be a trap."

[sparrow]

"If you see an opportunity, take it," Elsie whispered as the commotion in the room began to spread. Their table happened to be fairly close to the front counter. A subtle wave of her hand, a few spilled drinks, and the men behind the counter rushed over the clean up. As their backs were turned, the back door suddenly swung open by itself. Elsie slowly stood, casually smoothed her skirts as she made sure no one was watching. She wasn't sure what the next step would be after they got inside. The masters at the Temple probably would've chided her for not thinking things completely through. Oh well, time to wing it. She give Rein a quick nudge on the shoulder. "Go."

[Anackis]

Rein shook his head, it took just a second to understand what Master Therin was implying. Quickly he jumped to his feet and headed to the door. The small commotion was a good enough distraction to get them through, but Rein wanted to kick himself for not remembering the two voices he had heard coming from behind the door. Rein stopped as soon as he stepped through the doorway.

The room was cooler and lined with shelves full of condements and trays. A large door sat at the back wall seperating the freezer from the rest of the room. The center of the room was open, except for a table and four chairs. A Rodian sat at the table, his saucer shaped antana twitching at the intrution. His companion, turning in his chair to see who was coming through the door, was human with shaggy brown hair. Both men seemed irate. Rein noticed a third, a woman, leaning against the wall. Her hand was at her side ready to pull a blaster pistol.

Rein stepped further into the room, against his better judgement, determined to show that he could do what was needed for the success of the mission. The Rodian stood up his chair squeeking across the floor, the man infront of him looking back just a second before turning his attention to Rein. Rein twitched his head to the side pretending he was trying to look towards where the sound had come from. The rodian narrowed his eyes and shouted, "What are you doing here!?"

His mind raced but his tongue moved before he could think, "Is this the bathroom?" He slowly walked forward with his hand out infront of him.

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

Val nodded. She wasn't sure whether she should accept the contact or not, it certainly seemed dangerous. In a street filled with people though, she could maybe look forward to not having to worry about something spectactularly dangerous going down. This lead ways to new worries about something extremely hazardous happening on a smaller scale, such as a poison of some sort, or a bladed weapon. There was also the further problem of having to make sure Rein and Elsie were somewhere nearby, but not putting her padawan in jeapordy. First though, they needed to find them. She could feel the pair not far away, so intended on making her way there to make a plan.

"I share your concern, but this is the only lead we have to Forge, and it's going to have to suffice based on what little information we have." She truly wished there was an easier way than going through city markets looking for a random acquaintance of Forge's that she was supposed to meet. Tas Bey would hopefully be alive still and this whole mission would, ideally, have a fruitful end for all of them. She emerged finally from the club, thankful that she did not have to experience more twirling Lekku than she needed to. Xierra was behind her.

"I feel Elsie and Rein aren't far. We should try and get a transport to the markets as fast as possible. They could be quite a distance away." She pointed out, probably stating something Xierra was already well aware of and had already considered.

[sparrow]

Elsie quickly slipped in the door after Rein, closing it behind her, and found herself suddenly face-to-face with three suspicious looking beings. The Rodian and shaggy-haired man had both stood up. Neither looked very happy to see them. The woman in the back continued to rest her land on her blaster, ready to draw. Alright, so much for slipping in unseen...

"Errr... the commotion outside was too much for the young master,... sensitive hearing, you know. And we just needed to go somewhere quiet..." she stammered. There was a long awkward silence. The woman drew her blaster and pointed it at them menacingly. Obviously her explanation had not worked.

Elsie sighed. Council's sooo going to chew me out after this with a lecture on looking before leaping... She took a deep breath. Herself, Rein, and the three,... no other witnesses. "Master always did say to play to my strengths," she muttered, reaching down to lengthen the slit on the side of her dress by tearing through the cloth. She'd be needing the extra freedom of movement for this. "Rein, get behind me," she said as she stepped forward, ready to attack.

"No sudden moves!" the woman yelled. But before she could fire the blaster had been pulled out of her hand, and she herself was yanked upwards by an invisible force, head impacting the ceiling. The Rodian barely had any time to look surprised when Elsie's foot met the side of the face. He crumpled to the ground. The shaggy man leaped forward with a loud yell, throwing a heavy punch. Coming quickly out of her kick, Elsie sidestepped to avoid the blow, grabbing the man's wrist, pulling him within range for an Echani nerve strike to the neck.

"Okay,... maybe I shouldn't have done that," she said when she had caught her breath again. "That wasn't the most... Jedi-like... way that could've been handled..." It probably would have been best if she had left at lest one of them conscious for questioning. She supposed that they should at least search the bodies for any evidence before hiding them in some corner.

[Mara]

Xierra remained silent a moment as Val thought about the Falleen's opinion regarding the information given to them by the Chiss. The information leading them to one of Forge's contacts. A possible trap. Her Force graps of the other woman's aura was light, and so she briefly could feel the Jedi's concern as well. That was good; they should be wary of anything they learned and who they got in touch with, even more so the deeper they got.

Then Val voiced her thoughts outloud, echoing Xierra's own of a couple minutes before. Though she didn't like it, she had to agree as well. They had such little information on Forge's whereabouts that they had to take anything they could get, no matter how shady it may sound. But they were Jedi Knights, and they should be able to take care of any trouble that may arise, though Xierra was hesitant to drop their cover, wanting to keep it as long as possible. If this contact proved to be a trap, she would have to rely on her other combat skills to get them out of the ensuing mess.

She hoped it wouldn't come to that, hoping that it would be easy to get in touch with Forge and then find Tas Bey. The only thing that might stand in their way was Val's noblewoman disguise. In her experience, usually the rich had underlings to do their under-the-table dealings, not going around looking for information themselves. But their situation was what it was, and she would do anything she could to make sure it succeeded. Her master hadn't taught her any less.

Subtly she checked the position of her weapons, specifically her two lightsabers as she joined Val out in the street outside the club. Good, both were still secure, and so she turned her focus to what the other Jedi was saying. Xierra nodded in agreement. It was best to meet up with the others before putting too much more distance between them. After getting to the market they could split up once again. The transport was another good idea; they needed to be at the marketplace in two hours to meet the contact. Better to find the other two and get a move on. The best option would be for them to arrive early and make a show of browsing a while before they found the contact... instead of showing up exactly at the time appointed. "Let's go."

[Anackis]

Rein watched in amazement as Elsie pulled the weapon from the womans hand and tossed her into the air. The woman collided with the ceiling and crumpled to the floor unconciouse. Rein was still staring at the woman as Elsie moved kicking the Rodian and slipping past the last humans attack. Rein glanced up from the woman in time to see the man crumple to the floor. He didn't know what to say, or if he should speak. He had always thought Jedi were supposed to take a more peaceful approach to things. Then again, he was certain Master Therin saw something he did not and had acted on her well trained Jedi experiance. She had even left the battle without and trace of Jedi involvement. This was a good thing, since they wanted their presance there to be unknown, though Rein couldn't help but wonder what the ruffians would say, or to whom they would say it, when they woke.

Rein slowly stepped further into the room, "What do we do with them, Master Therin?" he asked finally getting over the inicial shock of the attack.

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

They continued through the streets, and she felt the presence of the other two Jedi growing slowly stronger. They hadn't moved far, and Val got the feeling they'd run into them quite soon, or at least find out where they were. She didn't sense anything to put her at disease, though that may be because of the distance between them at the moment. Though if something was wrong, shouldn't she feel it in her padawan? No... what she was thinking of was the padawans and masters who had been together for years. She had only just met Rein. Nice boy, but she found it strange that the Jedi council had so eagerly placed the Padawan upon her rather than allow her time to adjust and get used to being a Knight. The only thing she'd done before this was security detail at the Senator's Gala. Not a particularly interesting night, really.

She ensured that she remained in her firm posture as she continued to walk. She did not want to walk too quickly, in case she would appear rushed, or too slowly or she would look suspicious. She made eye contact with no one, but she could tell that didn't stop others looking at her. She didn't blame them, though, knowing she was probably not the typical type of person to be walking the streets like this. The Force signatures of Rein and Elsie were growing stronger now, and she finally paused outside of a small restaurant. Peering inside she noticed a mess and several people cleaning up, with others watching. A half eaten sandwich lay on the table right in front of her. Turning to Xierra, she raised an eyebrow.

"I sense they are in there, but I feel our presence at the moment may be unwelcomed." She didn't need to motion any further. Xierra was smart enough to figure it out, she could tell.

[sparrow]

Elsie knelt down to check the bodies. All three were alive with no permanent damage, just knocked out cold. "What do we do? First, she search them," she responded to Rein's question. "Let's find out if they have anything that can tell us what they were doing before we arrived and what this place is used for. If we're lucky we might even find out where Forge is hiding." She didn't think they were actually going to be that lucky, but it was worth a shot.

She began rummaging through the pockets of the Rodian. The first thing she found was a comlink. As she took it out of his pocket there suddenly came the sound of static followed by a voice. "Are you still there? Hello?"

[Mara]

When Val got in motion, Xierra followed in line behind her, keeping up without much effort and make sure she moved easily and not as if she was rushing. She extended her senses with the Force, gradually increasing its diameter of influence to get a better tab of where Elsie and Rein were. It was entirely possible there were no longer in the area she had seen them walk towards when they parted at the Twi'lek Tails.

The Force tendrils Xierra was feeding out finally grabbed hold of the other two Jedi, and upon first glance, didn't seem to be hurt. Though, she was registering something that wasn't exactly calming. The two had been involved in something, but Xierra wasn't sure what. The sooner she and Val got there, the better. They weren't hurt yet, but they could be soon, held prisoner or worse.

As they got closer, the Falleen barely registered the stares they were getting from other passers-by. All her attention was focused on the Force, and what it was telling her about Rein and Elsie. Out here in the open, she was sure Val could protect herself if they were attacked, leaving their disguises behind. No longer was she mainly thinking as a bodyguard at this moment. Lives of their fellow Jedi could be at stake. They could be acting brave, not sending feelings of distress into the Force. No, no one would die on this mission. No Jedi, at least.

Val stopped and so did Xierra, keeping her muscles at the ready in case of danger, her arms at her sides, resting on the balls of her feet. The restaurant seemed innocent enough except for the carnage they could see inside. It could be just unruly customers, but the Force signatures of the other two Jedi were almost beaming out at the Falleen, and she knew there were inside, but it had to be a backroom, as they weren't apparent through the windows of the restaurant.

And there was more: she could feel other beings lightly through the Force. Almost thready, probably unconscious. Not Elsie and Rein but perhaps who had attacked them. She looked at Val and nodded. They could be putting them in more danger by bursting in to save them. But they really had no other choice, unless... "I agree. Perhaps we can call them out with the Force. Might be safer for all of us if they exited without us entering."