Black Marsh Investigation: Part 2

Jedi Master Katarine Ryiah was staring into the interrogation cell at Kor Vella maximum security prison. The prisoner, a blue skinned Dug, had recently been caught by Katarine and an Alliance army cadet Tarw Rhyfelwr . From this side of the one way mirror she could see hte prisoner but he could not see her. She was waiting for the local officer who had helped process the scene. It was important that the New Jedi Order remained on good terms with local authorities and respected jurisdiction lines. She heard the door open behind her and saw Detective Grelg, a tall male Ikotchi carrying the case file folder. She nodded at him and together they entered the interogation room.

Even though they had caught the Dug at the scene of the crime he still didn't seem keen to talk to authorities. He was purposely looking away from the pair of officers, and rubbing the spot where his prosthetic leg was usually attached. Prison regulations wouldn't let him have the artificial limb until it was processed, an annoyance he had not stopped complaining about. Considering he was responsible for the deaths of five people on Corellia, and possibly three more on Coruscant, Katarine wasn't really jumping at the bit to accommodate to the aliens comfort and honestly neither were the local officers.

She took a seat next to Detective Grelg and sat the case file in front of her. The Detective started the investigation.

"Look Tazrak, I know you didn't do this all by yourself. One of your victims weighed over three hundred pounds. That's a lot of weight to carry for your species, even without an artificial limb."

The prisoner huffed indignantly, ruffling hte folds on his face, but did not respond. This seemed to annoy Detective Grelg.

"Look you scumbag I know you had an accomplice and I want to know who it was! If you don't I'll make sure we find a place to stick the needle!" He pounded his fists on the table but the criminal didn't even react. He just kept rubbing his injured leg.

"Detective can I talk to you for a moment?"

Grelg growled and followed Katarine out of the room.

"If you are about ot lecture me about threatening that worthless lunatic save your breath! He killed five people on my watch!"

"I understand that Detective, but threatening him won't get you anywhere. Tazrak is a mission based killer. He's ready to die for his cause because to him that is all that matters. It's worth any punishment you can throw at him to complete his mission."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"We need to empathize with him."

"You want me to empathaize? He.. he cut out... he ... he removed their brains for Force sake!"

"I understand, but if you cannot do this you need to stay out of the room so I can."

Grelg glared at her for a moment and then grunted. "Youve got five minutes Jedi!" He stormed past Katarine and she sighed. Working with locals wasn't always easy. They often resented Jedi involvment in thier casses.

She entered the intorogation room again and took her seat, setting the case file down once more.

"Tazrak, I know you aren't a monster. You cared about these people didn't you?" She took out the photos of the crime scene and placed them on the table. At the sight of the images the Dug couldn't ignore her anylonger. He moved closer so he could see his handy work.

"I loved them!"

"I know you did. That's why you kept your lab so clean. You didn't want them to get an infection right?"

"Of course I didn't! Most surgeons don't understand how quickly bacteria can spread if you aren't careful." He stared at the photos almost wistfully and then rubbed his leg again.

"So you took care of them. You made sure everything was safe before you operated. You aren't a monster Tazrak. I know that. You took such good care of these people. But you have to help me get others to see that. They don't understand your mission. They think you wanted to hurt these people."

"I never wanted to hurt anybody!"

"I know you didn't. That's why you had help right? You didn't want to just remove the brain in any old alleyway. You needed to take them somewhere safe so you could give them the care they needed. Is that right?"

"Yes. I... I needed to get them back to a steril environment."

"And you had help doing that?"

"Yes, one of Froys throw aways."

"Froy Valz you mean? He was your cellmate in Black Marsh right?"

"Hmp well I don't know about mate. They kept us frozen you know. There wasn't a lot of time to socialize. Now can you get me my leg already?"

Katarine opened her mouth to answer him when suddenly the door slammed open and Grelg came back. He slammed his hands on the table and snarled at the Dug.

"Listen sicko you'll get your leg when you start cooprating! Was Froy your accomplice? Did you work with him on Bespin?"

"I'd like to speak to my lawyer now."

Grelg howled and left the room. Katarine sighed and picked up the images and left, closing the door behind her.

"Don't start Jedi! You are being too easy on that psychopath!"

"Tazrek isn't a psychopath. He feels just as easily as you and I do. He was cooperating Detective. He told us another dangerous criminal named Froy is alive, which means we know that Froy escaped Black Marsh. We also learned that Froy is powerful again because he's got guys working for him. Tazrak told us all that in there. This information could really help an active case on Bespin."

"Well that's just great for Bespin PD but what about MY jurisdiction? Who the hell was helpling Tazrek with the murders here?"

"You are looking for a low level thug who did nothing more than carry the bodies after they were drugged. He never knew what Tazrek was doing. He took his money and never asked questions. I'd suggest looking at local muscle for gangs."

"Oh I'm so glad you were here for that Jedi! A lot of good for nothing!" He walked past her and she sighed again. She didn't like to point out that she would have gotten more information out of Tazrek if she had more time with him. Instead she put the case file under her arm and headed to file a report. The accomplce was the locals problem but Froy Valz was hers. Unlike Tazrek, Froy was a psychopath and he wouldn't stop until he was caught.

It was her next lead in the black marsh files.

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