| abstract
| - Most, if not all of the crew, including Rook and Luke, spent much of the hyperspace journey resting, even asleep. About a half hour before the Voidstalker made the reversion to real space in the Nal Hutta star system, Luke chimed an announcement for the crew to get ready. After a low approach on the Smuggler's Moon of Nar Shaddaa, the Voidstalker comes in for a light, perfect landing, at the capable hands of Rook, who will be staying behind to guard the ship with the assistance of her trusty astromech companion, Spanner. Luke walks into the crew room, trailed closely by R2-D2, and he is the very representation of peace and control. His bright eyes show only one emotion - dedication. Dedication to the mission, and the insurance that this small team will not come home any lesser than it is now. He stops in the room and looks toward Snarl and Ai'kani. "How are you two feeling?" he inquires. Ai'kani has gotten out of her robes and has, instead, donned the look of a spacer including the tattered tunic and trousers with utility belt. However, she adds to that a duster jacket in which she hides her saber. She is just pulling on her shoes as Luke enters, causing her to look up. "Feeling ready," she replies and starts to lace them. "As ready as I am going to be, that is." It's always awkward sleeping in a harness, so Snarl had disengaged herself from her equipment prior to curling up for a nap. Roused by the announcement, the massive feline is back on her feet and busy running through a series of stretches that could very well be impossible for the human spine. Caught with the top of her head touching her heels in a ridiculously tight backbend, her golden eyes flick toward Luke briefly before she gives him an upside-down toothy grin. She moves her hands to the deck close to her face and then pushes upward, flowing into a handstand before she quietly lowers her feet and resumes a normal standing position. "In good shape," Snarl grunts as she shakes her fur smooth and then reaches for her harness. Apparently even she can't manage to speak when stretched as far as she was when he entered the room. "How long do we have?" The Horansi seems to be in constant motion now, and it seems to be her way when action approaches. Now in her harness, she begins a quick but thorough check of the straps. The deck of the Voidstalker shifts just slightly when Snarl comes to the floor, and Luke spares her the slightest of grins. "Not long," he replies. "Artoo?" He turns aside and watches as the droid rolls up to his side. Luke motions toward the floor before him and says, "Let's have a look at those scans." As the astromech droid starts beeping in rapid motion as he calls up something from his databanks, Luke turns to the others. "These are some scans Artoo was able to take of the Hutt's cargo facility." Indeed, the little droid had not only programmed a modified transponder mask so that the Voidstalker would seem to be registered under the title Sideslip, the little droid was able to perform an oscillated focused scan through the field and capture a perfect schematic of the compound. It appears in muted hues of blue and green, with red flashing lights. "These lights indicate heat signatures strong enough to be life forms," says Luke, motioning toward them. "I count twenty total, and Artoo's scans indicate we're dealing with a variety of sentients. Human, Rodian and Twi'lek registered, among a few other varieties, but we didn't have time to gather all of that information. There are two guards posted outside." He points to an entrance point. "Four more immediately inside." Another motion. "And the rest are scattered throughout the compound." Leaning over to see the scans and to tie her boots, Ai'kani glances up to Luke. "Well, what about where Sabrina is? Is there any information if she is still in the same place?" Maybe the little droid can scan for carbonite or something. Then again, it might get interference from other particles. "Do you suggest we just go in from the front? A quick get in and get out before they have a chance to call for backup?" She pauses. "What about any being that may be cold blooded? Does that scan pick up on them?" Even while still checking the integrity of her harness, Snarl shifts to where she can more clearly observe the schematic. "Hmm," the Horansi comments with a quiet grunt, "Only twenty?" She glances over at Luke as one ear flicks briefly, "Heavily armed and possibly armored as well, I bet." Finished with her harness, she makes certain her blasters and sword are in their proper places and ready for immediate use. Her final inspection is of her own claws, and once that is finished to her satisfaction, she shifts her weight back and forth from foot to foot a couple of times. "How is the cover leading up to the entrance? Any chance of sneaking close and then rushing the outside guards?" The question is accompanied by a predatory grin that shows a lot of teeth. At Ai'kani's comments, though, Snarl pauses thoughtfully. "She has a point there... Are there any other entrances we can try that might be less heavily guarded, but still close to Sabrina's location?" "Unfortunately," replies Luke, "There's only one entrance. No doubt it's a large cargo bay door, and no doubt Galla chose this facility for that very reason." He looks to Ai'kani. "No, Artoo can't scan for cold-blooded sentients, so that number could be much higher. As for the front guards?" He turns and looks to Snarl. "Cover's decent. We ought to at least get close enough for Artoo to jam their comlinks, then we'll emerge and give them the chance to surrender information and let us in, before we take matters into our own hands. As for where the carbonite is located?" Luke shakes his head and looks more predominantly to Ai'kani. "We'll need to let the Force guide us. Once we're close, I have no doubt we'll be able to sense Sabrina's hibernating presence." "Well, I do remember where they had placed her. If they have moved her, we will know soon enough." Standing up, Ai'kani tapes the toes of her boots to get them settled on her foot and stretches. She really needs to wear this more often. It's far more comfortable than those robes sometimes. "Here's to hoping the guards value themselves more then their oaths, huh?" For a moment, the look Snarl gives Luke is a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and... concern for his sanity? "Give them a chance to surrender and let us in?" she echoes, her expression incredulous. The Horansi blinks her wide gold-hued eyes several times as though trying to convince herself that she'd misheard him. She casts a wry sideways glance at Ai'kani before muttering, "Indeed." Sighing, the massive feline half turns away from the pair of Humans as she runs her fingers through the fur between her ears. "Luke..." she says after a moment. "Jamming their comlinks is a fantastic idea, but I would not suggest just waltzing out from cover and demanding that they tell us everything." She turns her head to look at him, "If it is only two, we should be able to disarm them without making too much noise. Drag 'em back to cover and then we can worry about getting them to talk." Snarl cocks her head sideways slightly as she looks at him, her expression open and her manner indicating apology if she misinterpreted his intentions somehow. Luke nods his head to Ai'kani, then turns and listens patiently to Snarl's words. "These decisions can't be made inside the ship, my cousin. We don't know what kind of cover we're dealing with yet, and remember, the Force can have a strong influence on the weak minded. Just follow my lead, you two. That is all we'll need to do." His words don't ring with overconfidence, but they do ring with confidence. "The Force us our ally today. We will accomplish this task." Ai'kani looks to Snarl and nods. "Master Luke excels in manipulating the weak-minded where his students fall short. However... I don't think he likes using it, but it's sometimes better than out-right violence." It goes without saying the rare occasions she gets to witness it, she is always impressed. "I am sure once we are inside, there will no longer be a chance to be so pacifistic." After all, she can't side totally with the idea of love and not war. One has to make war when people are trying to kill you. "I suppose we just need to try not to kill anyone. Or at least do our best to make that a last resort." Her eyes look to Luke. "Yes?" It is an adjustment for the Horansi, no doubt. Used to commanding in the military and impressing by her size, strength, and skill - Snarl has to recall that this isn't HER mission. She's the only non-Jedi here, and probably the least impressive. The mental shift is probably visible on her face as she passes these thoughts though her mind and then adjusts accordingly. She can follow competent leadership, and Luke certainly fits that description. Snarl shrugs lightly and then relaxes her posture slightly before crossing her arms over her chest. "This is your mission, Cousin," she rumbles. "Just let me know when and where you need me. I will be right behind you." A faint glimmer of amusement touches her amber eyes as she amends, "Unless you want me to do something in front of you, of course." Luke nods his head willingly to Snarl. "Ai'kani is right. Remember, these people are criminals, not the Empire. They don't know or comprehend the true depth and meaning of Johanna's actions under Vadim's service. For all we know, their hands have been forced. Would it be fair for either of you to fall victim to the manipulating power of Vadim, for me to kill either of you? Of course not... crimes or not." To Ai'kani he says, "Be mindful. I will be connecting with you through the Force. If you open yourself and try to release yourself to the will of the Force, you may find the two of us working in such harmony that our actions will be nothing short of perfection." He then turns to Snarl and says, "As with you... I may communicate with you without speaking. Don't be startled." The Jedi Master turns then to face the landing ramp. "Artoo?" The droid bleeps in acknowledgement, switches off the holo-map, and positions himself behind Snarl and Ai'kani. "May the Force be with us," he acknowledges, then presses a button that opens the landing ramp. Outside, the wind blows lightly through the chilly evening that takes hold of Nar Shaddaa. The stench of grime, dirt, smoke and engine coolant is thick in the air. The Voidstalker has parked with its landing ramp opposite the cargo facility, so that the ship itself blocks much of the facility's view. There are a few other ships between them as well, providing some cover. Taking in a deep breath, Ai'kani nods. She has been meditating for days for this moment. Once everything has erupted into activity, she will be able to work just fine. It's the calm before the storm that is the most nerve wrecking. Staying behind Luke and Snarl, Ai'kani makes sure her IR is on her person, as well. After all, she doesn't want to release her saber against these people. Not unless they truly meant and was capable of harm. "You two are more experience than I am in these operations. I will be right behind you and follow your orders." A hint of insulted pride touches the Horansi's eyes as Luke seems to think she intended on killing people, but her jaws remain stubbornly shut. No one will ever likely truly understand Snarl's personality and thoughts, she realizes with an instant of sadness; but that is also thrown off. Down to business. By the time Luke turns back toward her after talking to Ai'kani, her face is composed almost to a blank expression. She merely nods at him, no longer startled when he mindspeaks her anymore. As they step down the ramp, Snarl drops to all fours for a couple of reasons; it drops her head-height to only five feet, and a Quadra pedal stance isn't as associated with sentient beings. She'll attract less attention this way. The chilly wind is actually welcome, as it lifts her thick fur gently away from her skin, helping her to cool off a little. The Horansi glances over her shoulder at Ai'kani and offers a mute, close-lipped smile before looking forward at Luke again. R2-D2 takes up the rear, rolling down the ramp quietly. He knows when to run silent, after having been scolded plenty of times by Luke about that. Luke leads them around the aft end of the ship as his mind delves into the Force. It becomes a current that runs through him and around him, and through it, he begins to forge a connection with Ai'kani and Snarl. With Snarl, his connection can only be one of mere communication. However, with Ai'kani, he begins to focus his own life essence to be in harmony with hers. It is most likely an unusual thing for the young Padawan to sense. If she were able to respond appropriately, she just might find it possible to align the tune of her own existence to his. That would make them quite a formidable team on their own. At the edge of the Voidstalker's large sublight engine housing, Luke crouches down, peering across at a bulky transport between them and the cargo facility. He makes a hand-motion for the other two to approach the transport, a classic marine-type flanking maneuver. Through the Force, he sends a silent whisper to each one's minds. 'When we reach the transport, make as if we're leaving it and approaching the guards.' He gently points out the location of the bulky transport's withdrawn boarding ramp, facing the Voidstalker. 'I will take the center.' Crouching down, Ai'kani takes a moment to try to comprehend this new connection with her Master. It is something she felt once before during a training with her brother. That feeling had only lasted a moment in her early days on the Light Side, but now is seems bright like a beacon... like unseen hands guiding her to be completely in tune with Luke. Pushing some hair behind her ears, the slight point of them seems to hold the strands in place as she nods to Luke's motion. Keeping behind Snarl, Ai'kani moves whenever the big kitty moves. Despite her body's length, Snarl is very good about getting low to the ground. The Horansi silently slinks to Luke's left and then stops once she's reached the proper position. Only the barest tremor in her black tail tip gives away her excitement, and in the pre-dawn light, that would be very difficult to spot indeed. Hearing Ai'kani still following her, Snarl shakes her head. The Horansi's prehensile tail snakes up to touch the woman's left shoulder, gently pushing her toward Luke's right side. For a moment, she wishes she could talk to Ai'kani in her head the way Luke can, but she'll just have to settle for visual and physical hints. The big cat isn't talking aloud if she can avoid it. One day, Ai'kani will learn how to initiate the harmony herself, but for now, Luke's invitation seems well received. Though Snarl is not sensitive to the Force, with the Jedi's combined strengths, communication with the Horansi's mind is nearly equal between the two of them. Ai'kani's "perceived weakness" does not hinder Luke's strength, and Luke's "perceived mastery" does not bolster Ai'kani's abilities. Rather, it is as if the two are one, their skills and strength flowing with the Force as one equal entity, bolstered by each other's minds, even though they still control their own actions. With a slight grin, Luke waits for Snarl and Ai'kani to take their positions, with Artoo sidling up behind Skywalker. 'Now,' he impresses upon them, and folds his cloak behind him so that his arms can be seen as he strides out from the nose of the bulky transport, and walks straight toward the two humans who guard the cargo facility. As the two grizzly looking guards turn toward this new company, R2-D2 engages a jamming signal, effectively silencing the pair's comlinks. Of course, Luke and his party's comlinks will be jammed as well, but you can't jam the Force. Guided by a tail, Ai'kani moves to Luke's right and nods. Sometimes a tail is louder than anything else! Ai'kani doesn't say anything in return. A nod is her acknowledgement. She looks ahead and when Luke begins to move, Ai'kani is along with him. As if stepping out of the transport, she walks alongside the two others towards the guards. Snarl may not be Force sensitive, but she has extremely honed physical senses and a good bond with the environment around her. She's never really tried to talk to anyone about it before; it never seemed necessary since everyone simply assumes that she's just good at what she does. Careful to keep her eyes partially lidded to prevent the ruby red eyeshine that can result from unexpected light striking her in an otherwise dim place, Snarl moves forward nearly the same instant Luke does. Her pace is smooth and easy, and her feline expression seems almost amicable and empty-headed. Certainly she doesn't look nearly as dangerous as she actually is - playing the part of a mush-brained pet, or what? "Who the hell are you people?" asks the guard on the left. Frustration and surprise are easily evident, both through the Force and the pheromones a Horansi could easily smell. The other one reaches gingerly to put a hand next to his blaster. Skywalker raises his left hand and motions gently toward the two guards. "Now, now, my friends, there's no need to be so startled." His words are bolstered by the sheer, overwhelming power of the Force, its influence causing the two guards to... actually... believe him. Hands move away from blasters, and frustrations are replaced by minor, minor confusions. A gentle suggestion is sent to Ai'kani to make her first attempt at negotiating with these people, remembering the Force's influence... and a gentle grin is sent to Snarl. She's playing her role quite well, and it will come in handy. Her eyes look to Luke for a moment in surprise. He doesn't mean she attempt mind altering! Surely not! She's never even tried that before! A moment of hesitation passes over her and the woman decides to go with her instincts. "We were sent by Draga the Hutt to attain some shipments your boss is holding for him," she explains. "We were told it would be in the left containers on the south wall." That is where she last remembers seeing Sabrina, at least. Inwardly uncertain whether to laugh or die of shame at her performance, Snarl maintains a mildly silly friendliness on the outside. The dignity almost intrinsic to any proud feline has been willfully pushed aside for the well-being and success of the mission at hand. Very few Horansi would do such a thing, and almost all would scorn her for it if they witnessed her behavior now - thankfully, there are none. Not even giving any indication that she's listening to Ai'kani, a purring Snarl inches closer to the nearest guard and carefully... VERY carefully... nudges at his right hand with the top of her head. The guard gives the huge feline a funny look, but then awkwardly gives her a couple of rough pats on the head, which apparently delight the kitty. She continues purring and making herself as mindlessly cute and friendly as possible. Ah, yes. Ai'kani is surprised, and it brings a pleasing moment to Luke's heart. This is all so new to her, but that is the best way to learn. As she speaks, though, he gently reminds her by demonstration that they, for all intents and purposes, are one being in the Force. The demonstration, you ask? It comes in the form of a gesture, a simple gesture Luke makes with his hand as he directs the Force to influence the guards to believe every single one of Ai'kani's words. The guard on the left blinks once, as if he were trying to figure out why this makes sense, but he eventually looks to his counterpart, shrugs, and turns to press a button which causes the large cargo bay door to begin opening. The guard on the right turns to look into the large, cargo loading ramp inside, where four Rodian guards are standing holding disruptor pistols. Yes, disintegrators... one certainly doesn't want to be struck by one of those at close range. "Hey, escort these people to the south wall. They got a shipment to pick up for Draga." "Kleeto kumpa," replies one of the Rodians in a singsong voice. Two of them detach and move to lead the way, and Luke merely smiles gently as he follows along into the dirty facility, and down a hallway to the right that is lit dimly by cheap, yellow ceiling lights. The Force bends under Luke's will fluidly with Ai'kani's words and the woman remains outwardly expressionless. Inside, however, she is breathing a sigh of relief. Following along in the group, an amused pair of eyes looks to Snarl as she noticed the cat rubbing against one of the dirty guards. However, for her, the joke was funnier when she imagines Snarl trying to lick the stench off later. One of the two Rodians escorting them looks back and gruffs in rough Basic: "What you pick up?" The other jabs him in the side with a growl that would translate to roughly 'That ain't our business' and the two lead the group towards the southern wall. Still careful to remain in character, Snarl delays following Luke and Ai'kani for just a few seconds. When she does turn away from the guard she'd been 'making friends' with, the Horansi manages a creditable sorrowful pout of disappointment. Her actual thoughts - That man needs a BATH! Ugh! It is with great discipline that the feline's sensitive nose does not scrunch up with distaste at the offensive body odor. Entering now behind Luke and Ai'kani, she maintains a light-hearted step even while taking up a position to guard their backs. She has no trouble with the dim lighting in the corridor, but is careful not to seem too alert or interested as she absently glances here and there. Well... she's light-hearted until a dank draft of air beings a not-so-happy scent to her nose. Uh... the Horansi falters, uncertain as to whether or not either Jedi can hear her thoughts. Turns out, she's too late anyway. Around the corner comes a clearly aggressive Twi'lek. "You!" he snarls at the guards in Basic. "What are you doing back here! Return to your..." His words falter as his eyes settle on Luke Skywalker. "YOU IDIOTS!" he shrieks as he reaches for the blaster at his side. "THAT'S A JEDI!" The response is quick, as the two Rodian guards also make a grab for their weapons. Through the Force, however, Luke and Ai'kani are given a bit more notice than the others. The moment the group began following the Rodians, danger was imminent. Certainly Ai'kani would have sensed it, with their minds in harmony through the Force. The moment the Twi'lek steps around the corner, Luke sends a simple message to Ai'kani. 'Now.' His lightsaber suddenly flings from its hiding place into his outstretched hand, the other closing around it. "Artoo!" Luke cries, and as he ignites the green energy blade, the astromech droid behind him suddenly opens all of his ports, extends each of his appendages, and begins zapping and making as much noise as possible in the area immediately around him. The modulated grumble of looping energy rises and falls in pitch as Luke swings his blade about and brings it into contact with the flesh of the Rodian guards' wrists. The blade passes through each wrist with ease, causing the Rodians' disruptors to fall to the ground in the twitching grasp of dismembered hands. Screams of shock and pain echo through the hallway as Luke reaches with one hand to send the disruptor-wielding hands soaring off down the hallway away from the corner with one push of the Force. With a harmonious snap hiss, Ai'kani's blade comes to life in unison with Luke's. Turning around sharply, her blade deflects two bolts that have already been fired. The others are off to the side. It is just like her training back at the loft only now... there are real people trying to kill them. Taking a step back to join her group a bit closer, Ai'kani looks around with a narrowed gaze. "Looks like someone is an old friend," she grunts aloud. "Doesn't look like they're going to be willing to negotiate now." Beyond the light and hum of her saber, Ai'kani stares at the gathering group around them. 'Master,' she asks Luke in a closed off mental link, 'we're not being left with many options.' Around them, a group of about fifteen begin to gather. Perhaps Artoo's scan was accurate. Maybe they lucked out and there are no cold-blooded sentients! "Call for back-up," one screams out. A Quarren quickly attempts; crying out about two Jedi and a Horansi, but soon finds it to be futile. "Comms are jammed! Damn you!" The angry squid raises his rifle and takes a shot at the biggest target. The big, bad kitty. "Oh, for the love of...!" comes an aggrieved comment from Snarl at all the noise as she jumps over an accidental disrupter bolt triggered by twitching fingers. "This will bring more of them down on us," she growls before pushing past Luke and silencing the screaming wounded with solid back-handed slaps. Clearly the Horansi is good at suiting actions to words, as the guards bounce off of the corridor's walls and land in disorganized, unconscious heap on the floor. Well... perhaps she did them a favor. At least they aren't feeling any pain right now. May be a different story when they wake up, though. Looks like she wasn't quite fast enough, Snarl notes silently to herself as the rest of the soldiers converge on their location. She'd risen to her feet to deal with the screaming injured, and she uses that to her advantage as the Quarren fires at her chest. The Horansi drops to all fours just in time for the blast to scream over her head, and then she lunges forward into the fray ahead, knocking down three people with her charge. Then all is a confusing fur ball as arms, legs, and weapons go flying everywhere. To judge from the blasters skidding down the hallway, the Horansi is disarming them first. There's still the Twi'lek to deal with, and as Ai'kani's deflected blasts pelt into walls with smoking thuds, Luke turns his saber to deflect two blasts from the Twi'lek up into the ceiling, following the motion through by thrusting forth with his hand. A shockwave lurches through the Force faster than the speed of light itself, striking the Twi'lek and knocking him unconscious midway through his flight back down the hallway from where he came. The phrase, 'When Twi'lek's fly' just became a reality. He turns to face the fight Snarl has entangled herself in, his eyebrows rising with surprise. He deflects two shots that manage to get pinched off toward he and Ai'kani, sending them up into the ceiling as well, raining down crumbled pieces of duraplast. "That way," he says, pointing further down the hallway. "I can sense Sabrina's presence." He pauses and sends the intuitive suggestion the Force has given him straight to Ai'kani. She will know now exactly where to look. "Take Artoo, in case the door's locked!" The astromech droid, having played his little part in taking the thugs off guard, has now withdrawn all of his appendages and turns to bleepingly oblige by Luke's orders, ready to follow Ai'kani. "We'll draw back there as soon as Snarl's finished," he says, deflecting two more blaster bolts into the air, raining more duraplast down before him. One particular Ortolan decides to be obnoxious and fires from two M-66s in his pudgy hands. As she tries to break away, Ai'kani turns towards the small criminal as he rushes towards her. Not wanting to slice his hands off (which would be murder for a species that loves to grab and eat), Ai'kani deflects one of the bolts right back at him; hitting him square in his trunk. "I apologize," the Padawan says quickly. "C'mon, Artoo." Trusting Snarl and Luke to be able to fend off what is currently their opposition, Ai'kani begins running down the corridor where she can feel Sabrina's life force pulsating through the currents. Two human thugs break away and begin to pursue Ai'kani from behind as her darting off has made it clear what their objective is. "They're heading for the red block! Stop them," one human shouts to another as they both pull out their blasters and begin shooting for Ai'kani and the droid. An outraged roar comes from the brawl on the floor, and the two Jedi might pick up on pain and then white hot fury coming from the Horansi engaged therein. The fighting appears to get a bit more violent as a thin spray of blood creates an arc across one wall beside the still writhing and struggling group. In less than thirty seconds, bodies are literally flying through the air in multiple directions as Snarl simply grabs and flings instead of worrying about carefully removing her opponents' weapons. As the pile on the floor gradually shrinks, the Horansi abruptly rises to a bipedal stance somewhat awkwardly and then hurls a six foot human male with all her strength down the hallway after Ai'kani and the two chasing her. It looks like he was the last one still fighting, because Snarl now stands quietly amidst unmoving bodies, breathing hard. After a quick glance behind her, she looks at Luke, "Better get moving." She seems somewhat restrained, but makes no effort to say anything else. Luke winces once at the pain he senses from Snarl, and observes as the human flung by the Horansi skids to a halt behind the two humans shooting at Ai'kani and Artoo. Luke lowers his lightsaber, extends his left hand, and with a grunt, makes a hard motion to the right. In turn, the two humans seem caught in their guts by an invisible hand, and are flung at blinding speed into the wall behind them. They don't even have time to see stars as their heads crack into the wall, and the crumble unconsciously to the floor. The lightsaber is withdrawn with a quick sound of hissing, captured energy, and he goes running down the hallway toward Ai'kani and the locked door that blocks them from Sabrina's chamber. "Artoo," he instructs, "Get that door open." The droid whistles an affirmative, and extends his data jack into a port in the wall nearby. The jack begins to turn and spin as he process information. Luke turns back to Snarl and nods his head at her. "Are you hurt badly?" he asks. "The guards at the door will have called for reinforcements by now, Artoo's jamming range only goes so far." Stopping at the large doors, Ai'kani looks over to the droid and nods. "What do you say, Artoo? Think you can get it open?" There seems to be a moment for all of them to gather themselves and with a retraction of her saber's blade, Ai'kani looks over to Snarl and Luke. "Are you two okay?" Her golden-green eyes look towards the strewn bodies and are thankful to feel a shallow life force from most of them. Most.... maybe all. It's hard to tell, but even so, there's nothing they can do currently. Snarl had immediately dropped back down to a four-legged stance after her brawl had come to its conclusion, and she follows behind Luke as rapidly as she can. There is a gash a few inches above her left hip that oozes blood, but it doesn't look at bad as it might on someone else, since the Horansi's primary color is a reddish-orange anyway. "Dagger," she growls. "Missed the joint. Do not worry." As she arrives at the door Artoo is working on, she closes her eyes briefly and draws in a deep breath. Although her eyes are shut, her ears are alertly flicking this way and that, alert for sounds of pursuit. Skywalker reaches to place a hand on Snarl's nearest shoulder, and sends a burst of pain-controlling willpower into the Horansi's body. This is how he passes the seconds that tick away as R2-D2 works on that lock. The Horansi's perception will note the pain subsiding almost completely. "Go easy on it," Luke instructs, then turns as R2-D2 bleeps happily, and the large cargo door begins to open. Inside, the cargo capsule is empty, save for a single black slab of carbonite. Contained within is the form of Sabrina Rheatis, her eyes clinched shut with an expression of eternal pain. At this sight, Luke's breath catches in his throaght, his harmony with Ai'kani snapped like a piece of celery. In the blink of an eye, a hundred thoughts race through his mind and heart, an ache evident through the Force like a clap of thunder. These are thrust aside when he senses danger approaching the complex, and he tilts his head down with determination. It all happened in a matter of two seconds. "There's no way we're going to get her out without unfreezing her," he muses. Noticing her Master's fumble, Ai'kani quickly reattaches herself with the Force and wraps a blanket of assurance. "At least she is alive and unharmed," Ai'kani replies; trying to avoid the entire dilemma of her Master's fluxuating emotions. As dangerous as it is for him to lose his concentration now. She looks around a moment and sighs. "Is the carbonite chamber even here? I don't remember seeing it." Initially, she looks over to the small droid still at the door. "Artoo, can you scan for any place in this warehouse that has a high amount of power centering to it." Her eyes back to Luke and Snarl, she nods. "Anything that can do that would have to use a lot of power, I wager." "That was my intention," Snarl replies quietly as one golden eye opens slightly to regard Luke. The Horansi has taken a lot of knocks and injuries throughout her career and it takes a lot to incapacitate her, but her gratitude for the unsolicited assistance is obvious as she favors him with a faint smile. As the door opens to reveal the prisoner within, Snarl blinks as she can't help but notice Luke's reaction. Lowering her head slightly, she gives her cousin an encouraging and gentle bump with the top of her head before cautiously padding into the room. As she reaches the frozen form, the Horansi carefully rises to her feet and inspects the carbonite curiously. Luke closes his eyes as brief encouragement comes in unique ways from Ai'kani and Snarl. Brief, but critical. When he opens them again, he finds Ai'kani's attempt to recalibrate their spirits a noble gesture, and a vivid attempt. She is learning quite well! He looks back to her, smiles dimly, and makes the effort to find harmony with her once more, relaxing as the effort opens the Force to him again. Then, he ponders. "Well... somehow, Leia managed to bring Han out of carbon freeze in Jabba's Palace, years ago, and he didn't have a carbon freeze facility." He goes to join Snarl in inspecting the carbonite. There are a number of dials and small, meager displays built into control panels on the side of the carbonite, but it doesn't seem to make much sense. "We are running out of time here," he says after a moment. Just then, R2-D2 bumps into Luke's leg, gives him a groan of discouragement, and rises up on the tips of his legs. Out comes a small adjuster arm, and he reaches for one of the knobs. "Artoo?" asks Luke, hesitant to let the droid proceed, but hesitant to doubt his best friend's capabilities too. He takes a step back, concern on his face. "Did she? Really?" This little tidbit catches the woman's interest. She would definitely have to ask about that later! As the droid seems to take over, Ai'kani's back straightens and looks towards the red block's doors. "There are more coming," she warns aloud. Damn. If she knew Telekinesis, she could help close that massive door they just went through all that trouble opening! From the dark corridor, red bolts fly towards them once again. Ai'kani's saber snaps back to life and she steps forward to deflect them. However, this time, there are far more bolts and they're being fired straight down. One catches Ai'kani in the shoulder and almost throws her back. She would've spun around had another one not hit her in the other arm. "Argh! And they brought friends!" Snarl merely watches the little droid with interest, apparently figuring he's the most suited to the job at hand. Particularly since time is of the essence. The Horansi remains out of Artoo's way, but hovers very close by, not quite certain what may happen next. What actually /does/ happen next clearly catches Snarl by surprise. Ducking behind the carbonite, which is more blaster-proof than her own hide is, the Horansi draws her A280 and promptly returns fire with a vengeance. "Get out of the line of fire!" she practically roars at Ai'kani, resisting the urge to grab the Padawan and yank her behind the carbonite block to take the best place of cover instead of herself. Luke would have been content to watch, were his own senses not picking up on the same as Ai'kani. He spins about, saber igniting as the blaster bolts come in. With this many reinforcements and Ai'kani being injured, the time to play nice is over. He ducks down to give Snarl a good shot, but very quickly realizes that this course of action is a bad idea. R2-D2 screams wildly, and drops down from the control panel, which has changed from green to flashing red. The process has already begun! Soon enough, Sabrina will no longer be a blaster-proof shield, but a living, breathing, and helpless target. "Snarl!" Luke cries, his intentions clear. This he will handle. He draws in a breath, drawing the very Force into his body, and lurches forward with such speed that he nearly becomes a blur. The green blade spins and twirls about before him, turning the blaster bolts into a concentrated burst of return fire. Each bolt is deflected with perfection, finding its way into the flesh of an attacker. There is no anger, there is peace. A phrase of old, thought lost in the Jedi Purge, but this is the manner with which Luke systematically dispenses of the first wave of reinforcements... all ten of them. Many are dead, but that's the price they wagered when they raised the ante. Meanwhile, the form of Sabrina begins to glow and hum as the carbonite is suddenly infused with energy and the unfreezing process begins. The energy whines and screams as pinpricks of light start to form, first at Sabrina's fingertips, then at her eyes. R2-D2 beeps madly and backs away behind the carbonite, and Luke Skywalker is a blur of black and green as he defends not only his love, but three of his dearest friends. Ai'kani's eyes widen as her Master rushes into the crowd and disposes of them. She's never seen him like that before. When she looks back, she sees that her sister is starting to unfreeze and suddenly she understands why. Her arms are losing the energy to hold up her weapon, but she has to keep their defenses up while Sabrina is being unfrozen. She doesn't rush forward to join her Master. It would cause him more distraction. Instead, a tremor of her own energy and focus is thrust towards him in order to help him in this fight while she physically remains back. Looking back to Snarl, Ai'kani manages a slight though sad grin. "Looks like there is no more room for sparing lives, huh? When sister Sabrina gets unfrozen, we will have to make a break for the Voidstalker before they realize which ship we truly came on." Responding instantly to Luke's unspoken command, the Horansi's weapon is quickly returned to its sturdy clips on her harness. As it becomes apparent that Sabrina is... thawing, Snarl steps around and places herself between the glowing block and the approaching enemy. She has nothing to protect her now than Luke's prowess since she has no shielding to make use of, but her very stance indicates that she's acting as a living shield for her cousin's love interest. To say that she has no fear would be a lie - the big cat's heart is pounding like mad behind her ribs, but her eyes are on the melting carbonite. Ai'kani is heard, but her words don't register immediately with Snarl, whose wide-eyed stare indicates considerable emotional and mental activity focused elsewhere. The instant that Sabrina's limp body falls free of the dissolving carbonite, the Horansi's sturdy arm is there to catch her before she can slump to the floor. "Got her," comes the tense growl from the massive feline as she picks the comatose Jedi woman up in both arms now. "We need to go now." Ha! Understatement of the year. Luke slows just slightly as the rest of the defenses retreat down another hallway. The blade twirls up artfully to frame his face with a green hue, and he inspects the carnage that was just left before him with a mixture of sadness and finality. Then, his eyes form a frown, which spreads to his mouth. Ai'kani will sense it through their harmony. A new, different type of threat has just come into the picture, and will manifest soon. Not blasters, or daggers, or disruptor pistols. "Flash bombs!" Luke calls out to those behind him. They have precious few moments before the first of them comes 'round the corner and shocks them all with a deafening clap of sonic sound paired with a blinding flash of light. An extended hand draws a carbine from the hands of a dead Quarren, and he turns to fire down at the east hallway, rapid blasts impacting in the wall beyond. 'Diversion,' Luke zaps telepathically through the Force to both Snarl and Ai'kani. Clearly, he means for them to go the other way, and judging by his stance, he means to take up the rear. Flash bombs. Anyone's worst nightmare. Even more so if you are heavily in tune with the environment around you. Deactivating her saber, Ai'kani covers her ears quickly and shuts her eyes, bracing for the impact of those dreaded things. In this time, Ai'kani tries to remember the mental map of this place in her head. A moment of confusion passes her, but while gaining her bearings from the first flash bomb, Ai'kani tries to contact Luke through the haziness. 'Can't we just cut our way out? The west wall is an outer wall and this place is otherwise empty.' Physically, Ai'kani raises to her feet and looks back to see if Snarl needs help with Sabrina. Though she reacted as quickly as possible to Luke's warning, Snarl doesn't quite get the sound dampener in her headset com activated in time to spare herself the initial sonic burst. A loud, agonized howl escapes the Horansi's lips before technology intervenes with soothing near silence. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her vision, she staggers off toward the indicated avenue of escape, still carrying Sabrina. "Whatever, just DO something!" comes an uncharacteristically savage-sounding yell from the big cat. She breaks off of Basic and starts swearing up a storm in Horansi and Sullustan. Apparently that sonic treatment hurt her worse than is outwardly indicated. Sometimes acute hearing is a curse. Fortunately, the flash bombs all went off in the east passage, the one where Luke had shot. Diversion, indeed. He braces for the impact as well, squeezing his eyes shut as the first series blasts through the hallway. R2-D2 goes immobile for a few moments, warbling error messages in binary before his secondary systems are cut in, and he rolls out after Snarl. Ai'kani's message, however, is loud and clear. The Force always is. 'Yes!' Luke speaks telepathically, echoing the words with a painful voice. "Yes." He scurries past Snarl, igniting his lightsaber and thrusting it into the wall, deep until his fingers can feel the heat radiating from the duracrete as it's melted before him. He beckons Ai'kani over with his free hand, then begins to cut with all his might, moving at nearly an inch a second. Lightsaber or not, duracrete is not easy to cut through. Two more flash bombs come rolling around the east corner, and Luke catches it in time to thrust out with his hand, causing them to spin back and go rolling back toward those who threw them. That ought to give them something to think about, and as the bombs go off, it's much more bearable. If bearable is anything when dealing with flash bombs. At least Artoo won't go into total shutdown this time. Allowing the big cat's aggression to pass understandably, Ai'kani quickly follows Luke's lead and with a snap, thrusts her saber into the wall on the other side where Luke is working. Indeed, duracrete is a lot harder to slice through than she could have imagined. Bracing with both hands, the Padawan forces the blade through as fast as she possibly can; aiming to meet up with Luke's at the top of their jagged circle. Down the corridor, there is another tremor of noise and this time, it is their assailants that are left crying out in pain. However, they are not out of hot water as the pounding of full-suited thugs are heard approaching. Those who go unaffected by flash bombs. The muscles in her arms tense and cause both wounds to pound with pain as Ai'kani tries to push her blade through the duracrete and around faster. Knowing that Ai'kani is injured in such a way as to make what she's trying to do very difficult, Snarl finds herself uncertain. She could potentially help strength-wise, but she has no idea about lightsabers... Frustration colors her voice as she growls, "Tell me if you need me." She moves about ten feet away and gently places Sabrina on the floor. "Brace yourselves," she says grimly before turning and stalking, rather stiff-legged, toward the hallway containing the power armor wearing assailants. The next instant, the Horansi utters a fierce battle-cry and flings something down the corridor before turning and running back toward the Jedi. Behind her, the hallway literally erupts. Smoke rises from the slices made by twin lightsabers, and as Snarl goes to handle the guards single-handedly, Luke calls upon the Force for an extra burst of strength. He shares the strength with Ai'kani, and joins her in harmony. The two now move as one, and their lightsabers double in speed as they slice through the duracrete. The eruption rocks the building, sending pieces of clothing, metal, charred flesh and other unmentionables along a gust of hot air that blows through the corridor and causes R2-D2 to screech once more. But, at long last, the Jedi's lightsabers reach each other, and Luke draws his out simultaneously with Ai'kani. He glances toward his student for a brief moment, bolstering both his morale and his centering upon the Force, before disengaging the weapon, clipping it to his belt, and giving a heave with every ounce of energy and will he's got left in him. Master Yoda had lifted an entire X-Wing before. Today, Luke has moved a slab of duracrete, a fraction of the weight, but still quite a feat. The slab shudders and shifts, slipping out and falling with a loud crash onto the tarmac outside. With her saber back on her belt, the Padawan lets out a heavy breath and looks to make sure Snarl is okay. She knows she doesn't have to tell Snarl to "c'mon" or "grab Sabrina." Those are all givens. Instead, she looks to her and then to Luke before jumping out of the hole and to the outside. If they can get to the Voidstalker before the others realize which they they're going, they will be home free. Thermal detonators sure do pack quite a wallop! Along with the debris, Snarl flies through the air and slams against the wall not six feet from Luke and Ai'kani before dropping down to the floor. Apparently she wasn't quite fast enough in the retreating part of that hair-brained scheme. Dragging herself to her knees and then to her feet, the wobbling Horansi goes over and mutely picks up Sabrina again. Turning, she wordlessly follows Ai'kani through the new exit in the wall and takes off running for the Voidstalker. Thank the Maker she's able to get the right direction and her legs still work. Poor Sabrina, she's going to have a real serious headache when she wakes up. She might, in fact, have the impression that the duracrete circle just fell on her head. It's a flashing thought through Luke's mind as he grabs Artoo to help him through the hole in the wall, then goes running after Snarl and Ai'kani. It would seem that their plan has worked. The brunt of Galla's thugs are still inside the facility, which now lets off a huge column of smoke from the south-eastern corner, where Snarl's thermal detonator did its duty. The team is able to make it back to the starship... uninterrupted.
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