Bread crumbs

[Jacen Voidstalker]

OOC/ working on Jacen's career as an investigator and also honing his sense abilities.


Even though he had seen horrors in his time, Jacen visibly blanched at the scene before him. The human was cut from sternum to crotch, and the bath it had been taken was now full of her innards. Fortunately he'd been warned to wear a mask before entering the scene. Probe droids still lingered at the scene, blue lights shimmering in the dusty air, indicating they were in scanning mode.

"So they couldn't even send a full Knight?" the Republic police officer asked, and not for the first time.

"No." Jacen replied stoically. "This doesn't seem like the brief stated," he added. His eyes scanned the room slowly.

"Do you even have experience as an investigator?" asked the officer with a sigh.

"Military," Jacen replied.

"Well, I guess that's something," the officer offered. He was a relatively stout gran, not clad in a ground pounders uniform, but a crisp suit, indicating his role as a detective.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

"Which also means I know how to track, how to look beyond the obvious. You requested a Jedi to help with your investigations before of an increase in dangerous gang activity. Now, I can read people all right and I can help in a fight. But this looks like a professional job. No sign of struggles, no one heard a peep. Doesn't seem to tie to 'gang message' we were informed about." Jacen replied, turning his gaze to the officer. He wore simple civilian clothing, no need to attract attention by coming out in Jedi robes.

There it was. The faint tremor in the Force. Fear, or at least surprise.

"We think it might go further than that too. Spooks came and had a word. Want us to investigate, but didn't give us any details. Even advised on requesting Jedi assistance," the Gran, Bilto - Jacen thought his name was - replied wearily.

"Good. I'm going to need you to be honest with me Bilto. I'm not an experienced hand here. Want to make the most of my abilities, keep me in the loop eh?" Jacen replied with half a smile.

He dropped to his haunches, looking at the murder weapon, sat neatly on the floor. “Details?” he asked. A droid immediately bobbed over to him. A holo projection appeared above the blade, providing him with the results of scans and tests.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

“No powder or residue from gloves, yet no prints. Narrows down the species of the assailant?” Jacen asked. “And the blade was placed, not dropped. So, what leads do you have?”

“A few,” Bilto replied. “Two suspects so far, known and well paid killers. They’ve gone to ground. We want to get you in near our undercover men, get you close to the leads, see what you can pick up.”

“Got it,” Jacen replied. “I’ll need everything you have on those two suspects. That way I might pick up an errant thought if the line of questioning leads someone to think about them. Need a start of a trail to follow. The mind is a big place.”

“Got it. And sorry if I seemed curt. Glad to have you with us. Really. Some scary stories in the papers about Republic Intel and Spynet clashing. Like kark from a novel. Not something I wanted to get caught up in.”

Jacen could agree with that sentiment.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen’s hand trembled slightly as he reached for the glass. The faintest frosting in the glass stirred memories. It had been a while since he’d had a nice cold ale. As he lifted the glass he couldn’t help but look over his shoulder. This was not a nice bar. Dark corners, shady individuals sat on their own…

“Don’t look so worried,” came a gruff voice from the other side. Voidstalker near jumped from his skin. He turned to see a wiry man in spacer gear, his face hidden in a dark beard.

“Kaelar?” Jacen asked.

“I’ll have one of those,” the man called down the bar, as he slid into the next chair. “Don’t look so concerned. We’re not meeting him here. Thought I’d watch you for a bit, see how dreadful you’d be at this.”

“That bad?” Jacen asked, taking another swig.

“You lot even allowed that?” Kaelar asked. The man was law enforcement, and was supposedly getting Jacen close to one of the leads tonight.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

“It’s non-alcoholic, obviously,” Jacen replied.

“You’re a dreadful liar. Fortunately, I’m not letting you talk to anyone. No offense.” Kaelar replied as his own drink arrived.

“None taken,” Jacen replied with a smirk. Some had been taken, of course. Lying wasn’t really necessary as a soldier. Frankly, he’d thought to have an opportunity to train in a manner which would really help the community. Getting caught up in shady underworld and intelligence business hasn’t really been on his “to do” list. He wouldn’t be able to fight as a front line Jedi or soldier his whole life, and he’d given up a military career and potential routes into command when joining the Order.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

The airspeeder was relatively nondescript, as much as one could be with blacked out windows. Jacen relaxed in one of the back seats with Kaelar, whilst another man drove. The man in the front had a shaved head, several obvious and lewd tattoos. He looked like he chewed gravel for breakfast.

Kaelar slid over a metal case. “Any weapons you thought to bring, put in there, and take what’s in this.”

Jacen clicked open the case, surprised to see a set of straps and a fairly hefty repeating blaster pistol. “Not too easy to conceal?” he asked.

“That’s the point. I’ve got a nice easy cover story for you. You’re an ex-mercenary who now works private security, namely my private security. Conceal the weapon, but not too much; they’re expecting you to be armed.”

“Ah, should be easy enough,” Jacen said as he slid off his jacket and adjusted the holster straps.

“Be curt, but not rude. Answer questions simply, but you’re new: you don’t know much about my operations. With any luck all you’ll have to do is sit to one side and enjoy a drink whilst I have my conversation. Try not to look too nervous. These are not nice people Jacen, but they’re sly. If you look nervous they’ll assume you’re expecting violence. In turn that will make them feel nervous.”

“Sit in a corner, do nothing. Got it.”

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

“Now you’re seeing how exceptionally clever my plan is. They said you might need me to direct the conversation.”

“I’ll probably need you to get him to think about the killing. It needs to come up in his mind for me to skim his thoughts,” Jacen replied.

“Feth. That’s going to be a bit tricky without being obvious. Can’t seem interested in it, I’ll try to make it come up in conversation. Alright, we’re here.”

The airspeeder landed street side in a nasty part of town. Two bouncers stood either side of a rope. Probably the least appealing looking private bar Jacen had ever laid eyes on. A few times on operation the lads had been allowed to let off steam. Occasionally they’d gotten so drunk they’d ended up in dodgy joints like this, and been asked to leave quite firmly. Once he’d heard a story about a private mouthing off in the wrong place and ending up in the boot of some gangster’s car. Feth this had been a bad idea.

“Stop looking nervous.”