Just a quick experiment, we thought. See if the Mentats can make any progress with the palatreum, since I have not managed to get contact with So'Zen for the past couple of weeks.
They wanted me to settle down near the Night Sparrow's hyperdrive, then reach out through the Force to contact So'Zen, who has (supposedly) a connectible palatreum and the knowledge of how to use it.
The Force had other ideas.
The HS in the main room has a gripper attachment, so we find out after we disable its handkerchief-sized baffle cloth and its attack field. Reese and Chex determine that the gripper attachment had a piece of Librarian Roku's hair. It was likely stolen as a means to unlock the stolen container. Meanwhile, the miscreant -- disguised as a Library Initiate -- has escorted Librarian Roku out of the main hall, toward the medical wing, for "a concussion check".
Most Initiates probably do not fire weird green bocce balls of plasma from their fingers, when thwarted.
Once the opponent is in custody -- and boy oh boy, did that take a LOT of heavy stun blasts! -- we have a possible identification that she may be "Nassha", a Witch of Dathomir. Checkmate and I transport her to Medbay for a medical scan, removal of all gear including a microdot tracker, and a Conversation.
Nassha is primary contractor on this job because someone male, and strong in the Force, has taken away her options.
Sir Rock Tapna and Minsa Sol do their own interview. They tell me that Nassha has been "tethered" through some kind of Dark Side hijinx. The tether, according to what she believes, establishes a link that if she says this person's name, she can be harmed through the Dark Side even over extreme distances.
Okay: I sort of know how to deal with this problem. Namely, Chaplain Talks Through Spiritual Therapy.
Nassha is involuntarily serving Sargon Xan Duran, who we will nickname "Alex" for today's philosophy chat. If Nassha gives herself over fully to the Light Side of the Force, it could form into a spiral shell of protection that will deflect the Dark Side's attacks away.
A Dark Force Wraith turns out to be shadowing over Nassha, glaring at me, listening to all of this. Of course, Dark Force Wraiths are not resistant to cheerful chaplain distractions -- which sets up me being able to shove it directly over to Sir Tapna and Minsa Sol.
Minsa Sol devours it.
That leaves Nassha as a prisoner for now, which makes it useless for Alex to attack his hostages among her clan.
Chex advises me of a problem. Bishop has ceased responding to communications. He had gone down to the reactor core with the two Mentats.
Captain Alina Zargat, up until this past hour "mission partner" for Nassha, is probably there. She is not being coerced by Alex. She is also a Nightsister, formerly trained up as a Bene Gesserit assassin.
Captain Zargat is absolutely susceptible to the investigator's query approach. Why is the Bene Gesserit (female-only religious order) myth of a Chosen One centered on a boy? It's not like the contents of the trousers change whether any untrained sentient being has more or less resistance to The Voice.
That buys enough time, enough full distraction, for Almon and Kitkat to take necessary steps toward their own safety.