"Do you really think we'd be sitting here being nice to you if we'd found Stro'to?" Xizran raises an eyebrow. "On that note, you said you knew where he was. Where is he?"

"Where is my lightsaber?" Layla asks, deliberately ignoring the Falleen.

Fennec moves over to scoop up the deactivated hilt where it has come to rest halfway down the steps, glancing questioningly at Xizran as she holds the weapon.

"Answers first, then lightsaber," Xizran says firmly.

"I'm not telling you where Stro'to is," Layla replies firmly, eying Xizran coldly.

Xizran narrows his eyes coldly.

"Fennec? Since it seems she has no desire to cooperate with us, we are wasting our time here. Shoot her lightsaber. If I'm to be disappointed, I will not be the only one disappointed today."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 03:09, Mon 14 Mar 2022.

Layla narrows her eyes.

"No one has to be disappointed today. Give me my lightsaber and we can go and find Stro'to together. All I want from him is the location of the Compeer. He's all yours after that."

"You plan to walk with that stomach?" Xizran says dubiously.

"I'm fine," Layla lies as she pushes off from the wall and approaches the rubble pile, "I suggest you keep those eyes up and we focus on finding Stro'to."

She glances up at the opening in the roof.

"This your handiwork? Or should I say not so handy work?"

"Perhaps we should just shoot her and find Stro'to on our own," Fennec says coldly.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:28, Mon 14 Mar 2022.

"Give me the lightsaber and I'll show you how one goes about slicing through stone with elegance," Layla continues, extending a hand expectantly.

"...Give her the lightsaber," Xizran decides. "I will be interested to see if she can do it better than you did." (The 'and she's more expendable if someone needs to get squashed by a cave in' obviously goes unsaid.)

Layla gives Fennec a smug look as the latter reluctantly hands the weapon over. The Twi'lek then proceeds to raise her lightsaber and circle about, albeit shakily as she cuts a more or less smooth hole in the roof. No more of the roof collapses save the pieces she intentionally cuts off and by the end of it the hole looks quite stable enough to take hold of with something to stand on to reach it.

"And that's how it's done," Layla says in a self satisfied tone as she finishes, deactivating her weapon.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:44, Mon 14 Mar 2022.

Fennec remains obstinately silent.

"Not bad," Xizran says, grudgingly impressed. "It would seem you are better at hitting your targets when they aren't moving."

"And not trying to attack you back," adds Fennec as she starts off back down the stairs, "I'll go and get a cannister to-"

Fennec breaks off as Layla crouches beneath the center of the hole, wincing briefly before leaping with superhuman ability into the air and clearing the three meter high roof to land gracefully perched on side of the roof above.

OOC: Layla Secura rolled 27 using 1d20+8. Force Flight.

"...Or that works too," Xizran allows. "I still need that cannister though, Fennec, so you can fetch it anyway. We can't all of us jump like frogs."

"Mm-hmm," Fennec agrees as she jogs off to search for the cannister. It does not take her long, and a minute or to later she returns, dragging a battered steel cannister with her.

"Want me to go first or bring up the rear?" she queries, panting slightly as she places the cannister beneath the opening.

“You may bring up the rear,” Xizran says unchivalrously, pulling himself laboriously and ungracefully out the hole.

Fennec waits for him to climb out before leaping onto the cannister after him. She curses as the cannister topples sideways and she is sent crashing unceremoniously onto the ground. She glances sheepishly up at the opening above as she quickly picks herself up, wincing as she pushes the cannister back into place and climbs carefully onto the cannister and pulls herself up after Xizran.

OOC: Fennec Kang rolled 3 using 1d20+2. Climb.
Fennec Kang rolled 22 using 1d20+2. Climb.

Xizran snorts but wisely doesn't comment on Fennec's climbing skills.

The morning sun shines brightly down upon the trio as they stand atop the rough stonework that forms the roof of Stro'to's palace. The faded paintwork is covered in graffiti in several places, and stained with rusted watermarks from a nearby pipe. A moderate wind whips about them, sending dust circling in air and covering the rooftops about them in a redish brown haze. In the distance spires and taller apartments rise, with a range of dark, rugged mountains rising beyond the city.

"This will be the audience chamber," Layla calls to the other two from to a low domed section of the roof across to their left which appears to have more than its fair share of graffiti. She crouches to examine it as the other two arrive, squinting as a wave of dust whips about her.

"We can cut through here," she says as Xizran and Fennec arrive, "We'll just have to be careful entering in case there are more-"

Layla breaks off as the roof beneath them gives an ominous crack. A moment later it completely gives way, sending the trio falling in a cloud of dust, stone and rubble into the darkened chamber below.

OOC: End of Chapter I...
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:35, Fri 18 Mar 2022.