IC: Sun in the Shadows

OOC: *crickets*

Realizing that she was the only one who heard Ashur speak, Sidralaynu decides to answer him.

“I think that’s a good idea. Tenah and Valco are a bit too busy ogling that ship over there, so I doubt their minds are on the mission. We might as well take the initiative,” Sidralaynu responded, rolling her eyes.

After glancing through the crowded dock, she spotted a teenager casually leaning against a speeder parked near a large ship that had just landed. Motioning to Ashur that they needed to move that way with all haste, she strode towards the vehicle. They catch the boy’s eye just as a he starts waving down another potential passenger. Fortunately he turns towards them, and putting her most winsome smile on, Sidralaynu calls out a greeting.

“My companions and I would like to find a guide, if you would happen to know one who is trustworthy, sir. We are looking to find a place to stay near the Van Fluyt mansion, if possible. We need someone who is discreet and can give us information. I’m sure a fine man such as yourself might be able to make a recommendation for where we could procure such help?”

"Blast off," the punk says, your ||persuasion failing||. "Do I like a taxi to you? Do you even know who I am, peasant?! I am the heir of High Lord Bal Jasset of House Melantha!"

OOC: You rolled a natural 1, which is an automatic failure. You could always stay in your speeder if you could find your way to the mansion--its seating can be converted into beds for three.

Suddenly, an old woman in plain ochre robes approaches you. She motions for you to follow her; if any of you try to speak to her, she cuts you off with a terse noise. She leads you outside the city to a district of luxurious mansions. She leads you to the gates of one of the most gaudy, baroque, and extravagant and points at it. She then walks away. Above the gate you see in electrum lettering the name "Van Fluyt" in Aurek-Besh.

OOC: I know; it's random. I felt whimsical and I wanted to move the story along now that finals are over.

As the woman turned and left them, Tenah spoke under his breath. "I don't like her."

Valco overheard him and responded. "Why? She just helped us find our target."

Realizing that he had been overheard, Tenah responded coldly. "I don't like it when people know things they shouldn't. I prefer to rely on no one but myself."

With that he pulled his computer out of his pack and hooked up to a terminal built into a nearby building. Foreign symbols drifted across the screen, and as Tenah tapped furiously at his keyboard, images and maps began to float across as well.

OOC: I'm trying to hack the system to retrieve maps, locations of security sensors, and guard location trackers. So I need a dice roll of some kind...

Tenah ||accesses the city mainframe as easily as a child might slip through a window||, giving him access to a variety of classified data. He brings up a floor plan of the elaborate Van Fluyt mansion with details of important areas. The map conveniently shows red dots to signify the droid patrols. It seems that there are security cameras at just about every corner; the security center is in the mansion's basement. There are three main entrances to the mansion: the front door, the back door, and a servant's door--the latter two are locked. There is also a garage for the marquis's speeders. The windows are all transparisteel--it would take some effort and a lot of noise to break them. There is a hypothetically unlocked French door on the balcony on the third floor if you could reach it--it leads directly to the marquis's master suite, which is just down the hall from Alija's bower.

IC: After hearing Tenah's explanation of the situation, Ash says, "If we can sneak up to the house, my ancestors can carry me up to the top and then lift the rest of you. Or perhaps we can try another way, if you prefer."

Looking at the nearest security camera out of the corner of her eye, Sidralaynu decides to voice her skepticism.

“Is that what we really want to do? There is probably someone watching us right now with all of the cameras. Wouldn’t it be better to go in through the front door with a logical, if fabricated, reason for being here? I’m willing to break in if that’s what we have to do, but do we want to risk getting caught for that?”

"Of course, if they don't buy our story, we'll have to fight through the entire house," Ashur-Zannukan says. "And my ancestors are no good at influencing the minds of droids."

Tenah spoke to the group. "I much prefer the indirect approach. While I can fire a weapon if necessary, subterfuge is my game."

"If the ancestors guide us properly, perhaps no blood need be shed at all," Ashur says. "My lady? We await your word to reach consensus."

“Please, Ashur, call me Sidralaynu when it is just the four of us, there’s no need for such formality. I really do think we should try the front door approach. I know it has risks of its own, but since we are trying to recruit an ally, we need to be as honest as possible so that we don’t alienate the girl. This rescue attempt will be seen by the opposition as a kidnapping or a betrayal by the girl, and either way, it would benefit us to have Alija on our side. Rushing in and snatching her might only frighten her, and we don’t yet know what she’s capable of. What we need is a plan.”
Sidralaynu let out a large sigh, hands on her hips, after delivering this lengthy speech, and hoped that whatever they did, they could come to a conclusion that was both well thought out and agreed upon by everyone. Still, she was ready to move on with it.

"But according to Sabé, Alija is our only ally in the building," Ashur points out. "Rich men like this do not trust the protection of their homes to living beings like your or me--they use their metal skeletons over which the ancestors have little influence and which do only what their masters tell them. By my foresight, the front door can only lead to violence."

"May I propose an alternative? Rather than putting all our eggs in one basket, how about we diversify our portfolio? I propose that two of you use the front door approach, while another member and I go to the back. If the plan in front doesn't appear to be working, then I shall make my own attempt.

"I will not be part of any front door operation - only a handful of my people have ever been seen in this galaxy, and I prefer to keep it that way."

With that, he pulled his cloak over his head and took a step back into the shadows of the alley.

"I'll accompany you through the back," Ashur says quickly. "Sidralaynu, Valco, you two may try the front door."

At the mention of preperceived danger, Sidralaynu is instantly curious and alert. However, she likes the idea of splitting into two groups for the mission.
"That sounds like a good plan, Tenah. I'm all for it. Though first..." Hesitating, she turns to Ashur. "Before I go in the front door, I would like to know what your "ancestors" have shown you. Some of my people have powers, so I have learned to take such things seriously. If I have an expectation of the danger to come, I may be able to avoid or prevent it."

Ashur closes his eyes for about a minute. "I do not know what power you hold over droids," Ashur says, "but you will find no living beings within the house. My ancestors foresee that violence will come of entering the front door; bluffing will do you little good against the metallic minds of droids. Unless you know some power that I do not."

OOC: Ashur used the "sense your feelings" feature of the Use the Force skill, which allows you to sense the consequences of a given action out to fifteen minutes in the future. Usually this only gives you vague generalities, but Ashur may gain more specific results on account of his Guardian Spirit talent.

Sidralaynu's eyebrow rose, and she laughed. "Well, if you can't sense anyone in the house, then there's no use going in right now. We want in the house to get Aliyah, but if she isn't there, there's no use in forcing our way in."

She glances around the group to gauge their reactions.

"If you don't mind, I would like to try to scan the house myself though. I have some telepathic powers that I'm still working on developing. And don't worry, I haven't tried it out on any of you." At least not intentionally... she muttered, too low for them to hear.

Closing her eyes in concentration, she reaches out with her mind, attempting to sense the presence of any other minds in the mansion.

(OOC: Ok, I don't know if this needs a dice role or not? Or if it's complete rubbish and I should just bust my way in the front door despite the impending droids so we can have some action.)

"I meant that there would be no living guards or secretaries," Ashur explains.

Nevertheless, Sidralaynu stretches out with the Force to detect life within the mansion. She detects at least two living beings.

OOC: You take ten on your "sense surroundings" roll.

Tenah just watched as his companions made utter fools of themselves, each taking turns closing their eyes and waving their arms, each claiming the ability to detect life signs withoit a computer. Finally he tired of the spectacle and turned away.

"You may continue to argue concerning life signs, but whether the guard be human or droid makes no difference to me. I shall be by the back of the building if anyone wishes to join me."

With that he took his blaster into his hand and began walking away from the group and farther into the shadows.

Ashur follows the Chiss. "You'll need my help to get in," he says.

Miffed at the psychic wave of distrust and disdain coming from Tenah, she turns on her heel.

"Come on Valco, the front door it is."

OOC: Until the party rejoins, for convenient identification GM posts for Sidralaynu/Valco will be in indigo while GM posts for Ashur/Tenah will be in cyan per usual.

Sidralaynu and Valco enter the front door of the Van Fluyt manor into an entry hall. Inside is a posh library with marble floors and velvet curtains. At the front desk is a ||3D-4 administrative droid||. At the back of the room is a turbolift guarded by a pair of ||IG-86 assassin droids||.

"Citizens," the administrative droid says in a prissy and precise voice. "This is a private residence. What business do you have here? I do not have any appointments scheduled for this time."

Ashur joins Tenah beneath the second-floor portico.

"I'll jump up; then my ancestors will pull you up," Ashur says.

Ashur leaps onto the porch. He then uses the Force to lift Tenah and his sandpanther up. The door inside is locked. Ashur, however, walks through the door and unlocks it from the inside. The bedchamber is empty.

OOC: The usual dice rolling site is down, so I did the rolls myself.

As soon as he took in his surroundings, Tenah rushed to the closet, throwing the door open to check for people or droids. Finding it empty, he went to the door which led to the hallway, and peeked around, scoping the hall for enemy positions, while also hoping to glimpse their quarry.