| abstract
| - Dysfunctional Lift Turbolifts You're inside one of five turbolifts in the Jedi Temple. The main lift connects the Main Level with the Central Tower, rising from center of the temple into its tallest tower. The other four turbolifts lie at each polar edge of the temple, providing access to the four surrounding towers, the basement and sub-levels. Each turbolift's circular walls are a solid sheet of transparisteel, allowing a magnificent view of the surrounding area when rising into one of the towers. The shafts running through the temple building are surrounded by a see-through durasteel grillwork. The floors are warmly carpeted with earthtone colors, and the turbolifts are lit with a soft blue light from behind a series of grillwork panels on the ceilings. The transparisteel doors leading in part to one side with a soft hiss every time a passenger enters or exits. Holographic panels are projected down from the ceiling against a single panel of black metal. Sensors in the metal backdrop are activated when the user touches the holographic panel. Pressing a button (type 'level #') will get you to your destination. The turbolift stops at the following levels: ( ) Level T5 -- Spire of Reconciliation (Western Tower) (*) Level T4 -- Spire of Purpose (Southern Tower) ( ) Level T3 -- Spire of Meditation (Eastern Tower) ( ) Level T2 -- Spire of Wisdom (Northern Tower) ( ) Level T1 --Council Chambers (Central Tower) ( ) Level M -- Main Level ( ) Level B1 -- Archive Room ( ) Level B2 -- Sub-Levels High within the Spire of Wisdom, the turbolift door has been locked open, the brake set to keep the lift in place, while a pair of slippered feet stick out into the corridor belonging to the woman seated on the floor of the car. Jessalyn's toolkit sits beside her and the lift's control panel is wide open to reveal a series of diodes and wires. A delicate tool is in the pregnant Jedi's hands as she pokes around inside, trying to find the source of the problem. Now and then she's called on to help with the maintenance and repair of the Temple's electronics and machinery, being her old vocation, and today she's glad for the distraction, even if she's not glad about sitting on the floor to get to the control panel. She'll make sure no one is around to watch her ungracefully standing back up when she's done. Having to take the stairs because of a turbolift lock-down, Ona Rei peeks in on every wing as she gets to them. About ready to just peer in to the Spire of Wisdom, she pauses and blinks, noting the slippered feet. Stepping further into the Spire, she slowly starts to walk towards the turbolift, her head tilting to get a better angled look into it. "Who.." She starts and then her eye widens at the sight of Jessalyn. "Well..." She says and smirks a bit, lifting a brow. "Don't you have others to do that for you?" She looks oddly relaxed. A pair of fitted pants are cut short over the flat run shoes. A fitted and flared jacket is slightly unbuttoned to show the tank-top underneath. Her dark hair is pulled back from her features. Placing a hand on the side of the turbolift, the Commander leans in. "Did you need some help?" A little spark makes Jessalyn jerk back from the control panel as Ona Rei comes upon her, and she glances up with a surprised chuckle. "Oh, I don't mind doing it. Makes me feel useful," the redheaded Jedi says to her with a bright smile. She's dressed simply, in a long sleeveless shift and leggings, her green cloak discarded and folded in one corner of the turbolift. "Uhm, actually... could you hand me a... uh... one of those mini-spanners there in my toolkit?" she asks, waving a hand toward the open metallic box beside her as she twists a wire into place behind the open panel. Her head tilts downward at that and nods. "Sure, I can do that." She shifts and steps into the lift. Going to one knee she takes out one of the spanners and extends it towards the industrious Jedi. "Really you are far along as it is, you shouldn't need or want to feel useful." Siren smirks, resting her elbow on her leg and propping her head in it as she muses over Jessa's doings. "How much experience do you have with this sort of thing..should I be out of the lift while you do this?" Jessalyn spares a rueful glance down to her rounded belly, then grins at Siren as she takes the spanner from her. "Nonsense, as long as I'm able to do something. I'd rather do it than sit around and watch my butt get bigger every day." She giggles irreverently and tucks her legs beneath her, levering herself closer to the control panel for a better look. "Oh, you're safe enough. I was pretty much a mechanic before Luke trained me to be a Jedi," the woman explains, shifting her weight from knee to knee -- but then she suddenly groans and slips, the hand holding the spanner banging against an array of exposed wires so that a bolt of blue-white lightning lances out to arc between the wiring and Jessalyn's spanner. The lift shudders and the locked door whisks swiftly shut as Jessa lands on her backside, and she barely has time to do more than glance at Siren before her stomach gives out, the lift dropping ominously several meters before jerking to an abrupt stop. "I see, that I did not know. I think if I spend more time around you Jedi, I might learn such great secrets." She grins and starts to push herself off her knee when the arc of electricity shifts between. "JESSA!" Ona cries at first and moves forward to try to catch the pregnant woman and cushion her fall, not yet thinking what the small incident my mean. As her arms grasp at the flame haired woman, the Commander oofs with the backward impact, though not hard. "Are you.." she starts and then as the lift gives beneath them and starts to rush down, she lets of a startled yelp and freezes stiff. Her heart in her chest starts to go about a mile a minute, thudding heavily as she grips onto Jessalyn. It doesn't help that the turbolift has a transparisteel exterior that allows the women to watch their fall as the lift drops beneath them. When it comes to a stop, the Jedi swallows hard and glances outside, her own heart racing. "Thanks," Jessalyn whispers as Siren holds her in her grasp, but her voice is weak and thin. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to slip," she goes on. The spanner falls from her trembling hand to clatter on the floor, and she wraps both hands around her distended belly as she groans. "Oh, gods," she moans, inhaling a sharp breath. "Oh, no. Lieutenant..." Not realizing at first what she is oh noing about, Siren attempts to try to relieve her own frayed nerves. "Its Commander now.." she starts and then blinks as Jessalyn grabs her stomach. Slow realization dawns over Ona and the woman seems to become even more flustered. "Alright, its okay. Breathe..you are just upset. Calm yourself. Breathe. In ..out.." Siren is forced to breathe the same, her body seizing up with worry. "I don't have my comlink on me...is there...oh FREL!" "Nine hells," Jessalyn swears under her breath. "Oh. Commander, right," she gasps, giving Ona a helpless look as she clenches her hands into fists against her stomach, unable to keep from being amused by her reaction in spite of everything. "Comlink... in my cloak pocket." She nods toward the pile of green fabric in the far corner, then glances at the scattered contents of her toolkit that were jolted loose when the lift started shaking. The lights in the turbolift flicker and go out, and Jessa whimpers quietly. Calm. She had to stay calm. This was not an enclosed space, possibly having the ability to tumble a few more stories where they inevitably would meet the ground. No, don't think of that. Gasping to herself, Siren nods and reaches forward attempting to pull free the comlink. "Its okay...just keep breathing..in and out. Relax yourself. We will be fine. We are very close to dear friends." Finally grasping the comlink, trying very hard not to move the turbo lift at all, she pulls it to her lips and flicks it open, placing the thing to a general channel. "This is Commander Delamont...I am in need of assistance. Master Valios and are are stuck inside the Temple turbolift just short of the Spire of Wisdom entrance. Repeat, we are stuck inside the Temple Turbolift just shy of the Spire of wisdom entrance." She pauses, waiting and hoping as she smooths Jessa's hair a bit. "Its okay...the brakes will hold." She tries to smile at the woman nearly in her lap. ~COMLINK~ Starwind *sounding amused* Don't tell me the General forgot to have an emergency assistance button installed in that thing. Sit tight, I'll come knock. ~COMLINK~ Lance *another amused voice comes on the comm* Commander Delamont. I'm sure you've been in tighter spots than that before, and managed your way out. Are you telling me a turbolift has outclassed you? ~COMLINK~ Siren sounds a bit brief, "Yes, unfortunately, I have been outclassed, but I have a mother to be in here with me and she might be expecting rather 'soon' *she emphasizes the last word* So if you gentlemen could get here to help out sooner rather than later..that would be nice. Sooner because this lift may decide to plummet the rest of the way..not sure if the brakes will hold. ~COMLINK~ Starwind chuckles loudly. "Don't worry, I'm just about here. Turbolift to the Spire of Wisdom, you said?" Her back arches as Jessalyn gasps in pain again, and it's bad enough to take her mind off the fact that they're trapped in an out of service turbolift far up in New Alderaan's sky. She shifts position so that her head is indeed in Siren's lap, and sweat begins to bead on her skin. She listens to the conversation going on via the comlink and laughs softly. "Maybe we can fix it," she says, pointing to the open control panel. "I don't want anyone to go to too much trouble." Apparently the Jedi is a bit embarrassed at the situation she's gotten them into. "Do you have any technical skills?" she asks hopefully. Technical skills?! Siren colors a bit, "No...not really. I think I could make matters worse." She smirks, but a look of concern furrows the brows of the Commander as a hand lowers to smooth Jessa's hair back gently, trying to make the mother more comfortable. "Do not worry, I don't think its trouble. Its best not to fool with anything as long as the lift has stopped its fall." She looks outward, down through the clear transperisteel at the many floors below and the small insects moving about. Insects that really are people. Turning back, she gazes down at Jessa, holding the comlink in her other hand. "Tell me how you feel...and continue to breathe." Ona presses two fingers to Jessa's neck, checking for her pulse and how quick it may be. Wetting her lips, she counts softly and seems somewhat relieved. If it hadn't have been Jessalyn, Snal'Fashtalli might not have been quite so concerned. But once the man and the translator droid that always dogs her heels around the Temple gave her to understand that the pregnant female she had met the other day is in trouble, the Horansi was ready to involve herself. Not knowing her way around yet, she had simply followed him until they reached the non-functioning lift door. Lifting a hand, she knocks on it experimentally. "...not sure how far up they are," Starwind grumbles as he follows the Horansi through the unfamiliar halls of the Jedi Temple, peering around curiously with the simplest of all tools in hand - a crowbar. As they near the lift, he cranes his neck to peer up the spire, his brow furrowing and lips pursing in concern. "...maybe I needed more than this thing. Hnnh." Shaking himself, he puts a pair of fingers to his ear as he watches Snal'Fashtalli poke at the lift door. "Commander? Do you know how many floors up you are, per chance? I may need to find us a proper tech." Though it's much more soothing to lie here upon Siren's lap with the woman's cool fingers brushing back her hair, Jessalyn knows that's not going to get them out of here. "I'm breathing, I'm breathing," she insists. "It's not so bad now. Maybe I can..." She scoots back over toward the control panel and tries to make sense of the mess she's made -- but the wires are melted together and there's no fixing it as it is now. Jessalyn groans in disappointment and looks over at the Commander fretfully. "Any idea how far away they are?" she asks. As the comlink beeps to life with Starwind's voice, Siren furrows her brows. "I would guess we fell from the Wisdom's entrance a few meters.." She says, holding down the comlinks button to answer both. "Where is the entry hatch?" She asks, looking about as she gets up now that the Jedi has seen fit to sit up. She moves carefully, not sure what might trigger another downward fall like the one before. "Not truly certain..., but my guess is that the hatch is at the top of the lift, best to come down from the Spire of Wisdom's top entrance..' She instructs and pulls the comlink away. "Master Valios..please its best if you rest for right now..all we can do is wait." Although it takes a minute with all the necessary translations, Snarl is brought up to speed on the situation and is able to consider the difficulty rationally. Glancing at Starwind the Horansi asks, "Is she in labor?" Pausing a beat to let the droid repeat her query in Basic, she then poses a second question. "Can we climb down and get her out that way?" Although not restored to her proper weight and muscle tone, the Kasa seems confident that she can handle Jessalyn's weight with little difficulty. Starwind takes a few steps back so that he can peer up the spire to where, theoretically, the car is stuck. "I think we'd be hearing more screaming if she was," he replies to Snarl once the droid has translated for him, glancing to her and flashing a wry smile. Not one to be satisfied with the humorous response, though, he looks up again and keys up the comm, making a go-ahead gesture towards the Horansi with his other hand. "We're on our way up. Is she in labor? I can have a medic on the way," he offers. After a pause, he looks after Snarl again and, if she hasn't gotten too far yet, offers the crowbar. With those claws, she may not need it, but hey. Polite. Jessalyn eases into the corner of the lift and picks up her discarded cloak, wrapping it around herself as she leans against the wall and watches Siren with wide, frightened green eyes. "They'd have to climb all the way to the top and then come down to find us," she says to the officer, raking a hand back through her hair and blowing out a sharp breath. "Alika... the Jedi Healer. Can you contact the medical wing?" Though she's felt a few mild contractions in the past couple of weeks, none were as alarming as these, and she doesn't want to take any chances. "Maker... Paul's not here, either. I'm not ready for this, Commander." Jessa's voice grows high-pitched with worry and a hint of panic. Moving to kneel beside Jessalyn, Siren furrows her brows in growing concern. "They will get us out, do not think about how, but they will. Just rest right now and concentrate on breathing." Starwind's voice draws her attention away, though a hand remains upon Jessa's arm, soothing her gently. "I think its best we get a healer and staff here just in case. Alika is a Jedi who Jessalyn suggests. Have someone get her. You should be able to get the doors open at the top...then climb down to us. The wires in here are fused together." She says, eyeing the panel and then she smiles softly at the Jedi before her. "It will be fine." She says, drawing her own calming breath. Fingers brush up to smooth the woman's hair again. "We are just sitting here chatting and the medics will be here to double check your contractions, but everything will be fine. Talk to me." As the droid translates Starwind's comment about screaming in a monotone voice, the Horansi blinks a few times and then shoots the man a close look. Damn aliens... no tail, no fur, strange scent. She can't really tell much of anything about his mood. At his gesture toward the lift doors, she again turns toward them and experimentally extends her claws, digging the sharp tips at the edge of the door seal. They aren't made of metal though, and when he holds out the crowbar she accepts it with only a glance to acknowledge and offer her thanks. One might expect awkwardness with such a tool from someone like the massive Horansi, but she is quite experienced in wielding metal - albeit in a somewhat different form. Jamming the crowbar into the seal with surprising ferocity, Snarl successfully wedges it between the two panels. Readjusting her grip, she throws her weight forward even as the muscle in her arms and back tense visibly beneath her fur. With a screeching protest, the doors admit defeat by showing a gap between them. Wedging a hand into the space and then her knee, the Horansi gradually forces the panels far enough apart to allow Starwind room to step in and lend a hand. ...which Starwind does, without hesitation, pressing his back against one side and tucking a leg up to get his boot against the other. He may be FleetOps now, but he was a marine for a /lot/ longer, and he hasn't let any of that strength (or apparently flexibility) go. Granted, the much more powerful Horansi contributes more to the movement of the doors, but not for a lack of effort on his part, teeth grit as he helps widen the gap. "Ohhhh, I'm going to regret that," he grunts mournfully, shaking himself before he peers around. "I'll find Alika. You go on up... ah." He rummages in his pocket for a spare com - it's far less effective than the one he's wearing, but he can't just hand his shiny hardware off, even for a good cause. The spare will do fine, besides. Once he's tuned it to the right frequency, he offers it to Snarl. "So you can hear them." The older woman tries to do as Ona advises, closing her eyes and leaning her head back until it comes into contact with the wall. She blows out her slow breaths through open lips and rubs her rounded belly with both hands, relieved when Siren gives the order to find Alika. Jessalyn also extends her other senses, magnifying the mundane ones through the Force, and hears the faintest metallic screech from many floors below as the Horansi's crowbar manages to open the door to the turbolift shaft. "I think they're coming," she murmurs as Siren massages her bare arm, her gaze still worried, but she tries to smile at the suggestion that they're just having a pleasant conversation and there's nothing to worry about. "It can't be too much longer... right?" "No of course not...not long at all." She says warmly. "Just a small accident and nothing that can't be fixed." Siren brushes fingers over Jessa's forehead. "We can go have a nice soak later. Relax your muscles, just breathe." She begins to hum softly as she tries to soothe the Jedi Master in their small space. But poor Siren's head is pouring with sweat now, the small enclosed space with fear of further plummeting is wearing on her nerves. She gazes at Jessa, keeping her gaze there instead of looking out through the transparent sides of the lift. With a low growl, Snal'Fashtalli gives a final shove with her shoulder that leaves the doors fully open and the two of them panting slightly. Looking somewhat bemused as Starwind holds out a small object, she accepts it from him gingerly and then nods as the droid standing beside them translates. The Horansi refrains from mentioning that she won't be able to understand anything she might hear once she begins her climb and is forced to leave the droid behind. At least she will be able to make sure that Jessalyn isn't trapped in there screaming. Tucking the comlink away in a pocket, she nods again to Starwind as he prepares to go and fetch more help. Once he is gone, she pokes her head into the lift shaft and examines it briefly for good claw-holds before simply leaping out into space and reaching out with her claws confidently. Treating the shaft like a rather bizarre tree, the Kasa moves toward the trapped lift at a quick pace. As she nears the lift itself, she slows her approach and then calls out, /"HELLO?"/. They won't understand her, of course, but at least they'll know she's there. Starwind only takes a short moment to catch his breath after getting the door open, but then he gathers himself up and turns to the rest of the Temple. While he does jog a few steps from the lift, he doesn't go far, relying instead on his comm - the Jedi /have/ to have one, and if they can't sense the Master's panic by now, something is amiss. "If an Alika wouldn't mind reporting to the Spire of..." He squints. ".../Wisdom/," he says wryly, "we have a stuck lift car and a Jedi Master in labor who is quite kindly asking for you by name," he chirps into the comm, running a hand over his hair. "Bring some techs. The wires're fused." A few moments after Starwind's transmission, a couple of young Knights approach him in the corridor, with a robed Healer escorted behind them. Alika Kiben is a diminutive blonde human woman whose short curls frame a round face and sparkling blue eyes. A smirk is on the small woman's face as she catches sight of Starwind and lifts her hands, commanding the others silently to stop. "Are you the one looking for me?" she inquires. "It's the turbolift in the Spire of Wisdom, correct?" Alika keeps walking without waiting for a reply, and the two youths look at each other before following along, carrying toolkits -- apparently the techs that he had requested. Meanwhile, inside the turbolift, Jessa is doing her best not to look outside, either, afraid she'll be overcome with a sense of vertigo. "Mmmm. I'd love a nice soak," the Jedi murmurs distractedly, trying to think about anything but being trapped up here and the spasms of pain that wrack her body every few minutes. She notices Siren's nervousness and gives her an apologetic look. "Commander, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to get you stuck in here with me." Through the Force, she can sense the Horansi's rapid approach, and then hears her feline voice echoing in the shaft outside. "Nonsense, what is off duty time but dull. You have given me an adventure." She offers the Jedi a wink as she tries to warm her smile. "See.." She says, hearing the sound of the Horansi outside. "Help is here already...not much of a tale, but it is still one. I am just glad you are alright." She smiles softly and reaches out a hand to give the other woman's a squeeze. "No harm done..just a delay in the days activities." Not understanding the language, Siren attempts to lift the comlink. "I will open the hatch if I can." Releasing Jessalyn, the Commander lifts to her toes and reaches up towards the top of the turbolift, working at the closures to unpop the opening. Aware of the lift's questionable stability, Snarl merely clings to the shaft walls just above it rather than risk setting her weight on it. At the rattling noise coming from the panel just beneath her, the Horansi's ears perk forward and she shifts her position slightly. She doesn't know what the voice inside the lift is saying, but hopefully that won't prove to be too much of a problem. Waiting until the hatch moves before doing anything else, the concerned cat peers down through the opening once it does. /"Are you able to be moved?"/ she asks, directing her words toward Jessalyn in the hope of conveying at least something of her meaning. Starwind blinks twice at the trio of approaching Jedi before answering her smirk with a lopsided grin of his own, bowing his head politely. "Yes ma'am, I think so," he replies, whether she waits or not. He turns to follow the trio back to the lift, bobbing his head and clasping his hands behind his back. "That's what they figure, yes ma'am. It dropped on them a bit, but she's just hangin' there now. The Horansi from out front is climbin' up to check on them - didn't see any repulsor belts to make our lives easier," he explains with a sheepish grin. Information relayed, he glances up, speaking into his comm again. "Ladies, I believe your healer is here, technicians in tow. We'll have you down in no time, Master Valios." Smiling at Ona's words of reassurance, Jessalyn returns the squeeze of her hand and then watches as the woman stands on tiptoe to reach the hatch in the ceiling. When it finally releases, the Jedi Master looks up from her seated position, chewing on her lower lip when she hears the Horansi's familiar voice outside, as well as Starwind's words over the comlink. Though she doesn't understand Snarl's words, she can guess at her meaning. "I can use the Force so no one has to lift me," Jessalyn offers with a self-conscious chuckle, bracing her hands on the wall and readying herself to rise if need be. "We don't really need repulsor belts," Alika says to Starwind as they approach the bank of turbolifts. She puts her hands on her hips and stares at the door that's been wedged open with a crowbar, then peers up the shaft, barely able to make out the small figure of the Kasa clinging to the side of the shaft near the turbolift far above. "And just last week I told that woman she was lucky. I'm going to have to take it back," Alika sighs. With the hatch open, the Commander rests back on her heels and looks towards Jessalyn. "Do not strain yourself overly..." She presses her lips together in disapproval. Even this small amount of fresh air seems to put Ona at ease. She moves over towards the Jedi and takes her arm lightly, trying to help her up. Siren's one eye turns to consider the Horansi. "Will the use of the Force not bother you?" She asks, still unsure with what little she knows about it. Bracing to take most of Jessa's weight, the Commander spreads her feet. As Jessalyn looks up and says something, Snarl manages a fair approximation of Starwind's earlier wry grin as one side of her muzzle quirks upward. She can't understand a damn thing, but at least the woman seems to be in one piece. The Horansi isn't quite sure who all Starwind was going to call or what the overall plan is, so she stays where she is and considers the two below her in the lift. Climbing would be risky with a belly that big. Jessalyn wouldn't have to do the climbing, but she would have to be able to hold on while someone else did. /"Hmm,"/ the Horansi huffs thoughtfully, the sound actually coming out so that no translation is needed. "We should all be so lucky," Starwind replies on the note regarding repulsorbelts, smiling brightly and coming to a stop near the bottom of the turbolift, craning his neck to peer upwards. Well, he isn't hearing any metallic screeching or panicked screams, so everything must be fine - relatively speaking. "Oh, I don't know. This is still pretty lucky, I'd say. If it wasn't, it'd all be a mess down here," he notes, gesturing into the shaft. "Fortune smiles." He glances to one of the techs, tilting his head questioningly. "Any way to fix it from here?" Knees wobbling as she gets to her feet, Jessalyn doubles over, clutching her belly with one hand and Siren's arm with the other as she groans. The turbolift creaks under the shifting of weight inside it, and Jessa tries to concentrate on her surroundings. She casts Siren a soft smile and chuckles. "I'm a Jedi... I'm almost always using the Force in some way. This doesn't require too much effort." Still, she coils her knees as she reaches up, then leaps with the aid of the Force until she's past the opening and rolling onto the roof of the vehicle. Jessa cries out involuntarily with fear but then catches herself before she reaches the edge, the lift's brakes squealing in response as it gives under her weight, and she looks over toward Snarl clinging to the side of the shaft. "Fancy meeting you here," the Witch says to the giant cat with more than a little amusement. Alika moves out of the way as one of the techs replies, "Let me see if I can get the emergency system to kick in." He goes to an outlet near the turbolift bank and calls over a service droid who plugs into the system. Alika smiles over at Starwind, approving of his optimism until Jessa's scream echoes down the shaft. "However, it's not over yet," she says with a worried frown. Feeling the lift start to creak and shift, Siren watches the opening to make sure Jessalyn is okay. Hearing the cry, the Commander tenses a moment and then bites at her lip. Hearing the woman speak again, she lets out a sigh of relief. It is short lived as another creak comes from the lift, a guttural chortle that as the hair on her arms standing on edge. Hurry. Her mind reels a moment and soon the FleetOps Officer is shucking off her civvie jacket, baring her tank top. The lift shifts again and she feels it move downward not even a centimeter. Drawing a deep breath, she starts to lift on her toes and reach for the top of the hatch, though the outside of it is far from her grasp at the moment. When Jessalyn looks over toward Snarl, she is greeted by a pair of wide golden eyes. Apparently her performance nearly scared the Horansi half to death. One large hand remains extended toward the woman as the Kasa eyes her with apparent misgivings. She hadn't intended to allow the Jedi to fall and had actually moved in order to catch her if her roll didn't stop in time. The shifting of the lift is yet another thing to worry about and the feline bristles slightly as her long tail lashes slowly. Muttering soft curses in her own language, she shifts carefully so that her tail is dangling about a foot down into the lift. She is easily close enough for Jessalyn to grab onto if anything goes wrong suddenly and she braces herself in the event that the other still trapped grabs the offered tail. Hopefully that won't be necessary, but in an emergency... Starwind's expression doesn't so much as twitch as the scream echoes out of the lift's shaft, but his pause is hard to miss. After a beat, he 'huh's quietly and nods in agreement with Alika. "True... but if the Force isn't with your Jedi in your own Temple, ma'am, I'll be very perplexed indeed." There isn't any cynicism in his tone at all. It doesn't stop him from taking a few steps to the side to get him away from the open doorway, mind, but it never hurts to be careful, and he'd be even less useful if he wound up catching a bunch of debris in the face. Fingers to his ear again, he keeps his smile. "Commander? The techs are working on getting the emergency system going... everything all right up there?" Realizing the need to hurry, Jessalyn licks her lips nervously and eyes Snarl's extended paw. She puts her pain out of her mind and gathers her legs beneath her very carefully, trying not to put any undue stress on the brakes, and grabs onto Snarl's waist with both arms. "Thank you, thank you," she says to the feline, hoping by now she's learned at least that simple phrase in Basic. She looks back toward the lift and closes her eyes, using the Force to guide and cushion Ona's own climb out of the trapped car. Alika moves back from the open lift door, as well, apparently thinking Starwind has the right idea about avoiding any flying debris should it fall. "Fark it," one of the techs mumbles. "They fried something good up there, it's cut off from the rest of the system. We're gonna need to get inside the car to fix it." Eyeing the tail, wondering if its meant as a token of help, she doesn't exactly grab it right away. Siren pauses for the moment, the lift giving of a soft moan. "No..." She starts and eyes the brakes outside. "Jessalyn is unharmed and out..but I don't think our lift is going to last much longer.." The Commander observes and quietly curses her shorter height. Looking about for a foothold, she realizes the central position of the hatch makes it nearly impossibly for her to use the outer railing as a step up. The design of the lift will have to be discussed, AFTER she gets out. "Get her out!" Calls the commander to the Horansi. Perhaps with less weight on top, she won't have to worry about falling. Biting at her lip, Ona waits for the two to clear a bit and gives a good running push and launches herself at the opening, possibly getting a tail in the face. The lift jerks and shifts with that sudden movement from Ona within. She gets a hand upon the edge of the hatch opening and swings for a moment before getting her other up. There is a jittering creak and a slight heave, the lift stays, but is starting to shift down, a spark or two flaring out with the loss of the brakes. As Jessalyn grabs her around the middle, Snal'Fashtalli keeps herself firmly anchored to the wall of the shaft and allows her passenger to settle as comfortably as possible. When the other woman still down in the lift yells, the Horansi's ears flick and she glances downward, not sure what is going on. Thankfully, Siren's command has already been carried out by Jessalyn's decision to accept a kittyback ride. As the lift quivers and begins to spark beneath her, Snarl is thankful to see the other female Human make it to the roof of the lift. Nodding her head toward the wall, the Horansi encourages a complete abandonment of the sinking ship. Starwind listens to the report over his com, pursing his lip and glancing over to Alika. Something changes in his eyes - a decision being made - and he nods once, glancing to the techs. "All right, then, forget the repairs. Can you catch it?" he asks, glancing between the trio with him. He knows at least /one/ of them is a Jedi of /some/ ability - maybe the techs are, too. "It's coming down one way or the other. Whether it's with the Force or a repulsor field, it's going to need some help doing so at a reasonable speed, and I'm fresh out of repulsor fields and Force sensitivity. Right now, that leaves you three. I don't know how much the Horansi can carry." Wide-eyed, Jessa clings to the Horansi for dear life, her attention divided between making certain she doesn't slip from the felinoid's silky fur, and making sure Ona doesn't tumble to her death. She sees one and then two hands clinging to the hatch's opening, and a small gasp of dismay leaves her lips as the brakes shriek in protest. Acting without thought, Jessa thrusts out a hand and lifts it upward, and suddenly Siren mimics the motion, plucked out of the hatch and hanging in mid-air -- just in time for the turbolift to lose its hold and start streaking down the shaft with a stream of sparks and echoing metallic screams. Jessa watches the lift fall as she clings with one arm to Snarl, and with her mind she moves Ona over to the wall where she too can get a purchase. Alika frowns at Starwind's words, but she knows he's right. Her eyes lift to the shaft and she gives a nod of understanding. "Here it comes -- help me catch it, Averon," she says to one of the young men. The two Jedi assume similar postures and expressions of concentration, and what had been a cacophony of high-pitched metallic sounds begins to slow down. Caught in the side by the hinge of the opening as she is lifted and the thing falls, Siren oofs a bit. Just a faint bruise will be all after a near plummet to death. Though for now, her concern is why she is floating in mid-air. Gasping, she gazes down past her feet and watches as her jacket flutters after the lift, hitting the top of it once it starts to slow. Ona's feet move, as if she would need to try to control herself where the Force is concerned. The wall, growing ever closer is grasped for and held onto along some of the different impressions and recesses of the shaft. Once stabilized, she looks back over her shoulder and down the shaft, her eye-patch sliding slightly. Ripping it free, she stuffs in one of her pockets and looks to Jessa. "Thank you.." She studies Snarl a moment and the nods upward as she begins to carefully pull herself towards the opening. Unable to help herself as the ear-rending squeals of the lift echo up the metal shaft, Snal'Fashtalli lets out a howl of protest as her ears flatten firmly against her skull. Her hold on the now vibrating wall is still firm, however, and the Kasa's prehensile tail wraps itself around Jessalyn just below her bulging stomach. Watching the unfamiliar Human floating in mid-air of definitely an interesting sight in her opinion. Only when the other is secure on the wall does the Horansi feel at all reassured. Realizing that climbing down would be harder than going up given their current situation, she simply nods once and then starts climbing toward the closest set of closed lift doors. When the Jedi move to catch the car, Starwind falls silent - the last thing he wants to do, after all, is break their concentration. One of his eyes does narrow slightly at the cacophony of noise, between the shrieking metal and the Horansi's howl, he waits for it to quiet down a little before shaking his head as if to rattle the noise out of it. Out, out. He edges forward to peek into the shaft once the metallic shrieking, at least, is over, making a thoughtful noise. "Good catch," he smiles, glancing between the three before reaching for his com. "Since I don't see you three down here with the car, I'm guessing your hands are busy with climbing. Hang tight. I'm sure we can get someone up there to lend a hand and help you to the medbay." Medbay. Halls of Healing. Same thing, really. Relieved when Ona finally catches hold of the wall, Jessa blows out a breath and replies. "Oh, you're welcome," though it probably isn't heard over the slowed squealing of the turbolift's descent. It doesn't crash and splinter at the bottom of the shaft; rather it arrives with a slow jerk, plopping down unceremoniously as it reaches the ground. Jessa cringes, unable to cover her ears since she needs her hands to latch onto the cat, but soon they are moving again and as they come near the first set of turbolift doors, Jessa makes a slight movement with one hand. Without so much as a protest, the doors whisk open as they answer her command. Although she blinks a couple of times as the lift doors swish open just as she reaches them, the Horansi doesn't hesitate to drag herself and Jessalyn through and onto solid ground. Gently setting the Jedi down on the floor beside her, Snarl turns on her knees and reaches down to offer Siren a hand up. Surely it won't be long before a med-team will come pounding down the hall to get to the expectant mother. Once everyone is safe, the big cat sits down with her back against the wall and closes her eyes with a long sigh.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)