Cause and effect: The Grand Inquisitor (Imperials, those involved)

[Neive Undant]

Prazutis put his hand out, briefly sensing the now deceased guard and searching for at least one of the items in question required for the Grand Inquisitor.

The light sound of metal dangling from the belt clip of the guard...

Prazutis pulled the source of the noise to the mechanical palm of his prosthetic right hand, and in a moment, he held the key to the Grand Inquisitor’s bindings.

Prazutis took to the female’s cuffs, moving to unlatch them to free her.

“We’ll find your weapons before we depart. Have you any way of locating them?“ he asked the Grand Inquisitor, as respectfully as possible. Being who this was in front of him, Prazutis knew even if it was he who was rescuing her, he must show the respect she deserved.

Respect...

In a flash, he remembered Dromund Kaas, and Ben Kenobi. The feeble man who he carried out of Spire Prison even after losing a fight to Slade in the flooded lower levels of the facility.

Snapping back to reality just as fast as he fell into the memory, Prazutis looked to his colleague of which he was still ignorant of the man’s name, nodding in acknowledgement of his statement, and turning his attention to finding the Grand Inquisitor’s weapons.

[Professor Mors]

Despite expectations, Doren had managed a decent facade. The dice rolls were narrow, and apparently fair to the oblivious onlooker. He won and lost games as much as was necessary to keep the players tossing their bets with zeal. Peering over a shoulder while one disgruntled Weequay pondered whether to raise or fold, Vassyl’s eyes widened as the Grand Inquisitor’s confines were rent asunder- and the guards’ focus with it. Without a word of warning, the Captain leapt up and balanced atop the bench with both feet.

“Gentlemen, I’m afraid my time is up for today”, the Jaeman announced with moderate enthusiasm, “And thus- to the victor go the spoils!”. Holding the enticing ruby where all could see it, the young Imperial then threw the gem as hard as he could down the opposite end of the corridor. Doren fought especially hard not to snicker with amusement as multiple bodies bolted past him, alien whoops and errant laserfire quickly echoing forth from the back of the service hall. Hopping down from his perch, Vassyl then withdrew his own concealed sidearm, and started off towards Prazutis and the others as fast as he could.

[Lady Kota]

She shook her head no as to the question of where her weapons were. As she was freed Fett held his arms up. "How about it sweetheart?" He said. She eyed him, she knew what freeing him would do. However she wasn't going to deny him vengeance. She used the key to free him. "You know one day we will have to finish things." He said as he went to touch her face. Kota stopped his hand. "Times have changed, I am not what I was. There is nothing to finish as far as I am concerned." She said as she pushed his hand back. He smiled. "I have a hutt to kill." He said and rushed out towards the hutt.

Kota signed. "Let's find my weapons and get out, we have about twenty minutes before this place is razed to the ground." She said. Fett was free and he would go on a spree that would bring the building down.

[Xavius Bain]

Fett’s blatant disregard for Xavius would trigger some sort of response from any man, but the Shadow Lord wasn’t simply any man. Fett wasn’t his target, Kota was. The Shadow's only interest was bringing her back, and whatever destruction Fett caused was not his concern. He noticed the reach for Kota’s face, and while he had an urge to separate Fett's head from his body for a moment, it wasn’t the time. They would likely cross blades eventually, but Xavius Bain could not estimate any scenario in which cutting an unarmed Fett down in front of Kota left him in a favorable situation. His primary objective was to bring Kota back to their child and this would not be jeopardized by a display of dominance, however satisfying it may have been.

He looked into her eyes, and for a moment it was as if he was her apprentice once more. Awaiting her orders.

But only for a moment.

The Shadow Lord was no longer anyone’s apprentice. He followed no group or faction but himself. He was a force of nature, one of the most skilled men with a blade in existence, and a master of the force. While Xavius and Kota's relationship was complicated, it was the moments where a semblance of emotion would punch through the soldier’s persona that kept Xavius coming back. Only she was capable of bringing that out of him. She was the one keeping him human. She was the exception to his rule, the rule ruled by logic and reason. The rule that could consume him so easily if she was no longer a part of him...

But only for a moment.

The Shadow lord tossed Kota his own lightsaber to use until they located her weapons. Though she was more than capable weaponless, Xavius dual wielded a lightwhip and saber, and was also more than capable with only one of the two weapons.

"No sense in splitting up. The weapons are likely not far from here. Worst case they're by your hutt, but I imagine Fett will cause enough chaos for us to get them and get out."

[Neive Undant]

Prazutis nodded at the words of the seemingly temporary ally, taking a moment to search through the Force... he could feel the power around him, and just for a moment, it nearly scared him, however he kept his composure.

The life forms throughout the building... the items they held dear... Kyber crystals, with a bond to someone nearby...

“They’re close.” Prazutis said. He couldn’t pinpoint them, but he could feel the woman beside him drawn to them, almost like they had been apart too long.

Prazutis followed this calling, like hijacking the hand that reached out to her, moving towards the source himself. Down the same hall that Captain Vassyl had recently thrown the item into, just to the right, on the closer side of the hall relative to the Crowd that fought over the object.

A single door, possibly to an armory? A prisoner item storage room? Prazutis wasn’t sure, but he would find out in a moment, as he waved his hand briskly and opened the simple lock on the door.

[Professor Mors]

Keeping his blaster leveled at his side, Doren maintained a wary eye on the greedy mob that was still knee deep in fighting over the discarded jewel. Waving a hand to encourage the rest of the party to retrieve the items in a timely manner, Vassyl yelped in surprise as his astromech companion bumped his hip. “No I did not leave you behind”, the Captain hissed, his face screwing up in annoyance as he glanced at the orange-and-white-striped automaton, “I was busy keeping my cover!”.

A series of angry chirps followed thereafter, causing the young Imperial to roll his eyes, “No I do not need your ‘heavy duty firepower’- you and I both know its a class D ion burst at best!”. The droid, incredulous at this remark, proceeded to reverse and drive forward over and over to try and make its point. “Alright! Fine! Prepare to vent auxiliary coolant on my command-”, Doren growled, his voice trailing off as he observed a rather large Noghri knock the gem-coveting crowd about and sending individual members crashing into the adjacent wall, “And maybe your shock prod too- just in case”. The Jaeman shunted his peripheral vision to the side, in the earnest hope his companions had stolen back whatever had been lost. The Captain’s distraction wouldn’t last much longer, and his alternatives were quickly dwindling.

[Lady Kota]

She followed suit once she was free, she flet her power rush to her like a wave, but she figured Fett had things covered as she heard rhe blood curdling screams of death. As they were making their way out someone handed her weapons to her. Kota didn't pay attention to who. There was really no time to waste, getting out of here was highest priority. She iginted her blades to cut some guards who attempted to get in their way as they made it to a shuttle.

Once on board she was suprised to see Tann and shocked to see their daughter. "Someone is going to explain." She said as Tann lifted off once everyone was aboard.


*once in space on their way back*

She didn't like what Tann had told her in quiet. It meant the shadow artifacts where out there somewhere and once more their daughter was without a place or protection. Carefully she approached Xavius. "You're going to have to take care of they, I can't" She said. Kota could see that he was troubled by Fett on the world. "Maakeihd osn loak sio sly. Dyjen spbwe sukd." She said in shadow to him. (There wouldn't have been any shadows without him. Without the shadows I never find you.) She touched his cheek gently and kissed his lips softly.