The hideout is feeling livelier with the addition of two fresh members. Anna and Sara's return to consciousness was a smooth one, and what side effects they suffered were gone following a quick change of clothes. Back in their civvies they're sharing cups of instant coffee with the boys, relating over what had transpired the past few hours, as well as what happened at the Maenad's Retreat.
"I still cannot believe I got entranced. And I'm a flibbin' (retired) Sith Lord!" Anna groans. "What really gets my goat is that I would have happily played along if they'd just asked instead of brainwashing me. Play matron, knock some heads, entertain the guests, make some extra gambling scratch. Speaking of which, I hope I didn't bust you too badly, Jo."
"It was more my ego that got bruised, and it's familiar with taking a good licking."
"And begging for more," Alex grins before taking a sip.
"I can't believe he had me act all demure and shy. Like, I'm far tougher than I look, if he bothered to check," Sara adds her own gripes. "Scarlet was a good name, though. And I wished I could see those moves you pulled to take me off my feet, Will."
"After we retake the station we could go through the security footage. It'll be evidence at that point, and I'm sure there had to have been cameras in that place."
"Wait hold on," Alex says, going rigid. "If that's true, then surely Bob must've seen what was going on."
"Ah crap you're right!" Jo exclaims.
"Yet the fact the alarms aren't going off means we're still in the clear," Chris calmly points out with his legs resting against a slot machine. "You kept to the norm of the setting with your performance, and thus stayed under Bobama's radar. What's more, you got to learn a bit about the nature of the hypnosis field. Specifically, how it affects the Force."
"Yeah. Up on stage, it was like some kind of white noise clogging the edges of my brain. I just couldn't concentrate," Will recalls.
"A pretty apt description for what I also experienced," Alex agrees.
"But Jo had no problem using the Force to cheat at pool, did you Jo?" Chris asks.
"Nope. It was clear as a whistle."
"So I'm guessing it has something to do with emotional feedback," Chris proposes. "Whatever is hypnotizing everyone alters in nature in response to excitement. The more thrills are being had in greater concentration, the more it dampens the effectiveness of Force users. Yet conversely, becoming the center of that excitement enhances performance, as demonstrated by your sizzling comeback."
"What sort of mind control device operates like that?" Sara asks.
"Still no clue, and figuring it out would be a waste of time at this point." Chris kicks off onto his feet and moves about. "Only two more Jedi need rescuing, Angels. The sooner we get them, the sooner you can get answers straight from that swank dino's dinner hole."
"In the words of our forefathers: Let's Git er Dun!" Jo says, slamming his mug.
"Who will it be this time: Squishy or Sylvia?" Will asks.
"Or how bout both? Speed this along so we can cut to the frickin' chase."
"Sadly no such luck there, Anna," Chris says. "It's only going to be one. But given where they are… that's for the best."
The fairway is still as lively as it was as opening, although most of the foot traffic has redirected to the Big Top Arena. As the name implies, it's where the large-scale circus amusements are held… only on a far larger scale.
Dozens of daring feats are performed in an area as long as one and a half football fields before an audience of hundreds. High-flying trapezetake up the air space, with the likes of Blast Hornet and Gyro Man holding up the ropes at varying heights. Launch Octopus, in full clown costume and make-up, is juggling a myriad of impractically large items while riding a unicycle atop a tightrope above the arena floor, all while Gemini Man and his clone hops and somersaults over him repeatedly.
The floor space is utter chaotic delight for the spectators. Clown Man is actually doing clown things, twisting up "assistants" into fleshy balloon sculptures. Hugo is whipping a roaring Slash Beast, while Split Mushroom makes a human pyramid of himself. A clown car packed with military personnel revs and honks around the other performers before going up a ramp and through the fires of Flame Man before bouncing off one of Web Spider's trampolines and plunging into a giant cream pie, whereupon Toad Man belly dances to hose them down. Some of the blade-based Mega Man Bosses are throwing sharp objects around, and the ice and fire elemental ones are putting up beautifully deadly displays. It's essentially the rowdiest circus imaginable ramped up to eleven, and everyone is loving it.
Our heroes are watching this pandemonium from the crowded seats below the midpoint. While the Jedi scan the bedlam below, Chris chows down on popcorn and soda, making a mess of himself and his immediate surroundings.
"Dang, it's like half the military's down there," Will says.
"The 'excitement' field is really strong here," Sara notes with a raised voice. "It's really weighing down on my senses."
"Not helped by all this noise," Alex adds.
"I don't see her. Isn't she one of the acts?" Jo asks.
"Nof yef; she ill be ouf shorfly," Chris says through a mouthful of kernels as he produces and munches on a fresh corndog.
"Then why'd we come so soon? So you could stuff your face?"
"You were free to grab some. And had to make sure we got good seats." Chris shoves a wad of cotton candy into one corner of his mouth before pouring a box of Icees into the other. "Very crifical we ave some."
"At least slow down with the eating, you animal!"
"Can't Anna; too hungry. Haven't had anything to eat since the banquet and the coffee doesn't help."
"But that's nothing but sugar!"
"And a whooooole lotta carbs, Sara." Chris shoots forward amid a shower of Milk Duds. "Hup, here we go."
The arena floor is miraculously cleared of busy bodies, making room for the ringleader to appear, and it's Jennings of all people! Wearing a dazzling red coat and tophat, he's looking like the Greatest Showman… minus the height, facial hair and Australian pedigree.
With a smile as brilliant as his sequins, the private-turned-master of ceremonies brings up a mic and gets everyone's attention.
"LAAAAAAAADIES aaaaaaaand Gentlemen! Boys and girls of all ages! Are y'all having a most splendiferous time this fine fun-studded evening? Cuz we at the Big Top make it our life mission to delight, excite, and ignite your hearts with the finest displays of daring, pantomiming, comedy, daredevilry and acrobatics that you have ever or will ever see! So in the spirit of that oh so inspiring and enticing note, we're moving on to our next sensational showcase: The Gladiatorial Exhibition!"
The ringleader waits for several seconds for the eruptive cheers to quiet down. "It's great hearing your enthusiasm. We have us a wowzer of an opening act, starting with our combatants. Our challenger this evening is fresh off the boat of ambition and looking to make a name for himself in the biggest way imaginable. Give a welcoming round of applause for the Hardened Heartthrob: Rico Suave!"
From one end of the arena a lanky dude with thinning, shaggy hair, wearing glasses, a jerkin, loincloth and a mishmash of armor plating covering random parts of his body comes strutting out (it's Ted from Trilogy Ten, so you know). He riles himself and the crowd, clanging his sword and shield together and shouting all the way to the center of the arena.
"Yeeeeeeeah! You know why you're all here! That's right, give it up give it up! The Rico is pleased! All you ladies scream louder so I can see you! Yeah, that's what it's all about!"
"I didn't know circuses held gladiator shows," Sara says.
"In places like Nar Shaddaa they do," Jo points out.
"That there's a real go-getter, folks," Jennings continues. "Now, let's welcome back the defending champion. The Big Top's own pride and joy; a marvelous marriage of muscle and machinery; the merciless eviscerator who's earned a place in your hearts and mine; let's hear it foooooooooooor THE BEAST!"
A loud dong, and a section of the arena floor splits open to reveal a hole. From the depths a platform bearing a most frightful creature rises. Saurian in nature, but standing ten feet tall with dimensions of ludicrous and terrible bulk, it's more metal than flesh. However the yellow slitted eyes through the metal head covering are unmistakable, as are the red-scaled limbs visible through the rig. Flexing elongated claws and gnashing teeth both natural and artificial, the abomination whips its absurdly lengthened tail and screeches high to the heavens, shaking the audience into rampant cheering.
"That's Sylvia?" Anna says, jaw a-dangling.
"Yes. A literal piece of work. And just look what they did to poor Jennings: turned him into a shameless grandstanding oaf. Nothing at all like the humble subservient aid I dearly know."
The Jedi turn and give Chris a singular look.
"Always a crowd pleaser that Beast of ours. But y'all have waited enough, so let the opening melee BEGIN!"
Jennings retreats to the outer edge of the arena, allowing the challengers to square off.
"Yeah, that's what it's about! Get ready to feel my stride you sorry overgrown liz—"
The Beast screeches and charges forward, the Rico responding with his own panicked cry as he turns tail and flees to the shouts of the audience. He flails his sword wildly while blubber-shouting, which gets snagged and tossed by one of the mecha-raptor's lengthy claws. It's simultaneously terrifying, embarrassing and hilarious to watch.
"Before you ask: no, those aren't permanent modifications. It's merely power armor she has on," Chris says, munching pop rocks while the sad show of combat plays out.
"Looks really frickin' extreme," Sara says uneasily.
"Yes, it does. But a few twists and yanks and she'll pop out perfectly fine."
"Then I'm guessing we need to get down there to do so."
"Correcto, Jolilo. In what's looking to be a few short moments you'll get your chance, meaning you'll be needing this."
Chris digs into his pocket and holds out a long object, but realizing it's a deep-fried twinkie he stuffs it back and brings out an injector, which Alex takes carefully with his fingertips.
"There's a gap in the armor where the neck meets the shoulders," he explains. "With the five of you working together, you should be able to reach it no problem."
"Like back at the cabaret?"
"Only there's absolutely no way you can botch it this time, Will."
"Shut it, Jo."
After knocking her feeble foe around a few times, Sylvia snatches him up in her steel jaws and shakes him wildly like a chew toy, throwing off armor bits and scraps of clothing before releasing his screaming self far out into the seats, ending the farce of a fight to resounding applause. As the Beast settles down, Jennings walks back to center field.
"Wow, talk about a fly-by! Bless that boy's heart: he didn't put up much of a fight, but he held out longer than any of us expected. Now I do wanna mention that all our participants are fully aware of the danger involved in our venue and thereby waive the Big Top of all responsibility pertaining to any grievous bodily harm they may experience. Anyway, that little exhibition could not have been terribly satisfying to all ya thrill-seekers out there, so we're moving on to the Main Event. First things first, I'm going to need five brave volunteers. Preferably ones who think they have a better chance than the last combatant did."
"I got five volunteers for you right here, chief!"
Chris points a fried banana on a stick at the five Jedi beside him, and instantly a spotlight shines on the seated quintet.
"ALLLLLL-Right! That's the kind of initiative we in the Big Top adore!" Jennings spouts. "You lucky group will get to test the full abilities and tenacity of The Beast. Five versus one sounds pretty fair, wouldn't y'all agree?" Many claps say yes. "It's a real no-brainer, really. But no sense keeping you up there away from all the fun, so without further ado, come on down!"
The seats pop up under the Jedi, ejecting them from the stands and onto the arena floor so quickly they barely have time to yelp before landing in a heap.
"Of course it wouldn't be very sporting for you to go up against our marvelously malicious mauler with whatever change and lint you got in your pockets, so here's some weapons to bolster that courage, on the house."
As the Jedi get on their feet, racks holding various weapons pop up around them. They take a moment to arm themselves: Jo taking a short sword, Will an axe, Alex a mace, Sara a bow and quiver of arrows, and Anna grabbing a sickle and chain. They move into a more defensive formation, facing their ferocious foe while Jo gets into Leader mode.
"Alright gang, there's a lot of open ground, so we can easily distract and get around her even with the Force being suppressed. It'll be disappointingly brief for the audience, but I really don't feel like d***ing around."
"Me neither," agrees Alex.
"Ditto. Save our energy for the big fish," Anna says.
"Okay, the combatants are ready and rarin' to go! Let's bring up the Battle Cage and get this started!"
Chained fencing suddenly spring up from the ground and snap together, enclosing the Jedi in a walled-in, narrow ring running in two directions, with one being occupied by a hulking, snarling murder beast.
"Best of luck, y'all!"
"Uhh…"
Sylvia roars and charges with claws raised.
"RUN!"
The Jedi turn and run away as Donkey Kong Country Returns' Rocket Barrel theme comes on. There's some boos mixed with shouts from the stands, but they're wholly ignored as our heroes focus on keeping away from the stampeding bipedal thresher behind them.
"And they're off to a running start already!" Jennings declares. "But let's see if we can make their jog more interesting."
At that, spears shoot up from the cage floor.
"What the freak?!" shouts Will as he and the others juke and weave past the spears without slowing down. When they hit the upcoming curve of the ring, buzzsaws suddenly pop out from different directions, forcing our heroes to implement ducks and slide. The Beast merely ignores the hazards and plows through them.
"The h*** kind of s*** is this?!" Anna yells after narrowly slipping past one spinning blade. She goes unanswered as Jennings continues his commentary.
"This is sure one nimble group, folks; mighty impressive dodges."
Following the second curve turn, the path ahead splits in two. Wasting no time to deliberate the Jedi split into two groups: Alex and the ladies down one, Will and Jo down the other. Sylvia goes after the latter, who themselves stumble over newly-appeared spike traps. The other three face no such difficulties, looping around and rushing into a wide square section of cage.
"When did this appear?" Sara asks as they come to a stop, shortly before a grate slams down blocking their exit.
"I have no clue. Can you see the others?"
Alex gets his answer as the sound of pounding metal grows louder.
"Watch Out Watch Out Watch Out!"
Jo huffs his warning as he and Will come charging in with Sylvia hot on their heels. The two leap aside to let her pass, and the other three dive sideways to avoid getting smashed against the grate by the stampeding beast. She whips around and growls as the other exit shuts.
"Well that's enough exercise: time to see some metal clash!"
The stadium vocally approves Jennings' announcement as the Jedi get together.
"Guess we have no choice. Focus on disabling—"
Sylvia rushes them with claws swinging, interrupting Jo as he and Alex dodge roll from the swipes. Will tries swinging his axe but gets knocked aside as Sylvia lunges to bite down on Sara, who slides under the saurian and rolls to avoid getting slammed by the extended tail. Jo runs to bring his sword upon the appendage but he too gets smacked away. Anna twirls and tosses her sickle in an attempt to bop the lizard lady's head, only it snags onto a claw extension and goes taut, with the owner glaring at her attacker.
"Uh-oh," is all Anna can say before Sylvia pulls back the chain and swings the Jedi around, slamming her against the ceiling and floor as the crowd shouts in exultation. On the reverse swing Anna flips right side up and lands on her feet, bracing her legs as she wraps and pulls the chain to hold the snarling Beast in place.
"Alex, get behind her!... Alex?"
Anna looks across the way to see Will prying up a grate with his axe blade, and once it's up Alex jams in his mace to hold it there.
"Let's go!" Will says to the others who make a hasty exit.
"Oh come on; how about some teamwork!" Anna yells before tugging her chain, prompting Sylvia to yank back and fling the Jedi over her shoulder. Anna grabs her sickle in passing before flipping and landing behind the Ssi-Ruu, then immediately sprints after the others. Sylvia screeches in anger and goes in pursuit of her prey.
'Well shucks, it's like they don't want to fight or something," Jennings says half-mockingly. "That's certainly not fair for our Beast. Maybe we can slow 'em down for their benefit."
As the Jedi make it around a curve in the chainlink corridor, the cage shudders before cranking upwards at a steep angle. The heroes stop only briefly, as the sound of the approaching Beast is enough incentive to take to the slope and climb.
Anna catches up and climbs as well, but in her hurry she slips and begins to slide. Luckily Alex spots her and hops back, grabbing her wrist while taking hold of the meshing above.
"Way to leave me behind, you jerks!" she berates as she regains her footing.
"I had assumed you would be right with us," Alex replies.
Further banter is stymied by Sylvia's arrival at the foot of the slope, who growls before surging upward like a steamroller. Alex and Anna smartly book it after the others.
"You can dooo it!" Chris cheers, holding a loaded hotdog and a drizzled funnel cake. "Wear her out!"
The couple get to a level landing, then immediately swing around a corner and take to another slope, catching up with the rest. The structure shudders again as everyone hups over the top of the slope, and upon getting onto level footing the corridor before them splits and pulls back like a loose spring.
Everybody skids to a halt at the newly-formed edge and teeters slightly before taking in the thirty foot gap laying before them.
"What fresh bulls*** is this?" Jo exclaims, and Jennings expounds as though in answer.
"Oh no, it looks like our scampering scrappers have nowhere to run. This could very well be the end for them, unless they're willing to make their last stand against the Beast…"
Right then, Web Spider drops down and shoots out a thick springy web string at the edge by the Jedi's feet, fastening down his end to the other side before reeling up out of sight.
"Or tiptoe their way to safety!"
The Jedi say nothing as they line up and take to the silken tightrope. With arms held out and backs straight they balance their way over the gap, leaning and ducking when objects are thrown or swung at them, be it potted plants, axes, bowling pins or the claws of Crush Crayfish.
Soon they get to the other end and dismount the rope, which Jo cuts away with his sword right as Sylvia's metal head pops out into the open back on the other side.
"Give it up for our participants' amazing balancing act, folks! And they've just awarded themselves some breathing room."
Syliva ignores Jennings' play-by-play, instead clawing a hindleg against the grating, rearing back, then throwing herself with a roar over the divide.
"Although our determined Beast won't be havin' any of that!"
Her hefty suit makes it look like she will fall short, but some hidden boosters on her back push her up and put her on a straight landing path.
"She's got frickin' jump packs?" Will exclaims right before the cage shakes with their pursuer's heavy landing. Immediately everyone turns and starts scaling the chainlink wall, with Sara getting up a few yards by the time Sylvia comes snapping at their feet.
"Now things have gone full vertical, ladies and gentlemen! Will our flighty fighters make it to the top, or will they wind up being Beast chow? Hopefully they're as dodgy climbing as they are running."
"What did he mean by that?" Sara asks, then gets her answer as a plume of fire bursts out several inches above her head.
"Oh come on!" Jo gripes as everybody hurries to get out of this latest deathtrap. Alex bends sideways to avoid a spear to the gut, Anna drops a hand to avoid losing it to another, and Will leaps and grabs onto the side wall to avoid a line of buzzsaws heading his way.
Below, Sylvia crouches then jumps up with the help of her boosters, grabbing the chainlink forcefully enough to make the whole thing shake. She then leaps to the opposite wall, then back to the other, elevating herself in this leaping manner. Eventually she gets just beneath Sara and swipes at her, the fair Jedi barely managing to pull her legs away from danger. Will looks down from his higher spot, and holding out his axe he chucks the thing at the saurian. Sylvia spots the weapon and smacks it away, giving an angry screech right before a large spear juts into her chestplate, pushing her off the wall.
"Oooh, come on, Beast! Ya can't go gettin' distracted like that!"
The Jedi finally get to the top and pull themselves into another enclosed corridor. They see the wide distance of open air between them and a raised platform ahead, as well as the long drop to the safety net-lacking arena floor. But then the solution to this latest dilemma literally drops down: several ropes and trapeze bars, being held by a number of aerial Mega Man bosses.
"Time for a high-flying escape! Hope none of you are afraid of heights!"
"He really needs to shut up," Sara mutters, then looking across the way she asks, "How confident is everyone feeling about acrobatics?"
"I feel limbered up," Will answers.
"I'm pretty sure we all are," Jo adds. Just then, the cage shudders, and a quick peek behind confirms Sylvia is back in pursuit.
"It's make or break, kids!" Anna shouts before everyone leaps.
Sara grabs a swing bar while Jo soars by on a rope like Tarzan. Anna and Alex take to a floating line of gymnast rings, but when some rings drop away, the taller Jedi throws himself on the bar vacated by Sara after she flies over to Will and his rope. The couple release and land on the platform beside Jo, and Anna joins them after doing some sick aerial somersaults.
With everyone waiting on him, Alex readies to let go, but as he's swinging forward the bar jolts away from the platform, forcing him to keep his hold. Looking above, we see it's being held by Gyro Man, who is hovering in a zig-zag, up and down and side to side.
"D***it Gyro Man, what are you doing?" Alex curses, looking up as he helplessly pendulums.
"I think the Beast deserves a little reward for all the teasing that's been done," Jennings says. "So here's a little nibble before we can get to the finale."
The other implements lift away, and Alex looks back to see Sylvia standing on the ledge with claws open and looking ravenous for meat. Alex panics and kicks his legs to keep away, but Gyro Man steadily putters his catch closer to the awaiting monstrosity.
Luckily Sara gets into action and puts her bow to use, notching and drawing back an arrow before letting it loose. The arrow bounces off Sylvia's metal muzzle with a snap, and several more are similarly repelled off her face and limbs. Awfully ineffective, but they do the job of drawing her attention, making her swat and growl at the projectiles and ignoring the beanpole of a man dangling before her. For some reason Gyro Man moves away from the lizard, which is great relief for poor Alex. Unfortunately, all that jostling has loosened something important in his pocket.
"Alex! The injector!"
Too late Jo's warning comes, as Alex sees and feels the cylinder slip out and go falling. But Anna takes a running leap into action, reaching out one hand to snatch the injector while flinging her chain upward with the other hand, wrapping it around Alex's leg. The chain goes taut as it bears Anna's weight, and Alex gives a loud exhale as he musters his whole being into keeping his fingers from letting go.
Sylvia tires of waiting and does her own leap, kicking on her boosters and going for Gyro Man, who has lowered from the added weight. A devastating slash of her claws obliterates the Robot Master in sparks and sends the trapeze rope falling. Alex barely manages to swing forward and let go as the drop begins, flailing his arms to grab the edge of the platform with considerably more strain.
The flying reptile hovers over to her dangling prey, and Sara gets to firing more arrows. Sylvia's focus remains on Alex and Anna unfortunately as she glides along letting the arrows bounce off her without mind.
"Somebody get us up!" Alex cries, prompting Will and Sara to assist him. Jo meanwhile follows Sylvia's approach and decides on employing his own style of diversion.
With a running start he jumps far from the platform and grapples with Sylvia, making her snarl as she spins in place trying to snap at the frisky Grand Master. Jo clambers about the angry Ssi-Ruu, eventually maneuvering himself around to her back and, more importantly, the jump jets. Taking up his sword, he plunges the blade into the exhaust, getting an immediate burst of smoke, flame and sparks.
"Oh no, we got some interference! Hang in there, Beast!"
Sylvia growls loudly as she loses stability and altitude before dipping sharply in the direction of the platform with Jo holding on for dear life. The mechanized she-lizard slams into the pillar holding up the platform before her jets give out, sending her roaring downward with her unwanted passenger. The support crumples and tilts over, causing Alex to finally lose his grip and send him and Anna plummeting.
The audience gasps seeing the structure tip over with a terrible groan, though Will and Sara leap off onto the raised walkway below. Jo also makes a saving leap, getting off the falling Beast to grab onto the cage on the opposite side. That just leaves Sylvia to hit the arena floor with a terrible clankity crash, followed by the awful clamor of the platform's own messy collapse. The Ssi-Ruu barely has time to stir before Anna lands on her back with a thud, followed by a far lighter Alex who simply bounces off to welcome the floor with his face.
Sitting up and rubbing her aching bum, it takes Anna a moment to register the shifting mass of synthetic metal that broke her fall, and notably the exposed patch of red scales beneath her. In a snap she raises and plunges the injector into the spot, eliciting a squawk from the reptile before she goes still.
"Now wasn't that some landing? Super devastatingly spectacular I gotta say!" Jennings hails from the sidelines. "Of course a little fall isn't gonna keep our Beast down. This is where the Final Round begins!"
Our happy ringleader looks over in anticipation for the next phase of thrills to commence. Instead we have a slumbering lump of metal that Anna starts prying at.
"Yessiree. Just bursting to get back into the fray!"
The audience isn't buying the emcee's enthusiasm, murmuring among themselves as the other Jedi climb back down to the floor.
"Huh, that landing must've tuckered 'em out. Just a few more moments and they should be up and running again, folks."
In those few moments Anna manages to yank out some plating before her comrades arrive to assist. With their added help they quickly open the suit and carefully extract the snoozing raptor who, true to Chris' word, is free of permanent alterations.
"Well golly, it seems the Beast is truly knocked out. Certainly wasn't expecting that," Jennings admits as our heroes quickly carry their prize stage right. "Let's hear it for our new champions, everyone, for giving us an incredible display not to be forgotten anytime soon. And there's a lot more to come right here under the Big To—"
Right then Chris sidles up to Jennings and jams an injector into his neck, and catching the fainting yokel he assumes the top hat, takes the mic and announces, "We'll be taking a five minute recess to prepare our next line-up of entertainers, ladies and gentlemen. In the meantime, feel free to discuss and reflect on your thoughts on the exhibition while listening to the musical stylings of Tom Petty."
Dropping the mic and plopping in the lollipop that's stuck to his cheek, Chris hurries after the Jedi with Jennings slung around his shoulder as "I Won't Back Down" plays them out. Another wild encounter overcome, another hero restored.
Just one left before showtime...