Damn Dirty Thieves!

[Subject 37]

Coruscant
[member="Riz Carter"]

Einhardt sat quietly behind the desk of his temporary office in Vanir's Coruscant headquarters, a frown was settled on his lips, his knuckles pressed against his face and his blue eyes staring at the report in front of him.

He had been in his new position in the Company for almost two months now, and although most things had gone fairly well he'd stumbled upon a rather large road block, one that was more unfortunate than he would like to admit. His frown turned into a scowl, his lips turning down as he slowly leaned forward in his chair and began to scroll through the information on the datapad in front of him. Eventually he let out a quiet groan, his hands rubbing his face for a few moments as he tried to get some semblance of control back.

Vanir Technologies was big, really big.

The company had operations quite literally all over the Galaxy, and that included Coruscant. When things were that big something was bound to go wrong, it was just a fact, unfortunately today it appeared that something had decided to go wrong for Ein and not someone else. It was unfortunate, especially because he needed to show the higher ups some results on this particular project.

It seemed that some thieves had stolen equipment from one of Vanir Technologies warehouses. They had broken in somehow, taken several dozen crates, and then simply disappeared. Ordinarily he would have called in Saeva to take care of the problem, but none of them were really investigators, and well...they had absolutely no mandate to do that sort of thing here on Coruscant. That meant he was stuck.

It meant he had to call the cops.

He let out another groan. "Marissa."

Ein let out another sigh as he depressed the small comm-unit on his desk, a rather chirpy voice answering him a few seconds later. Marissa was a nice girl, blonde, happy, with many assets that made her almost indispensable to the company.

"Please call the authorities." He said quietly. "Have them meet me here."

This was going to be terrible.

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

Since her transfer from Nar Shadda to Coruscant, she'd been settling in rather quickly. The detective still had ties to Nar Shadda and she certainly wasn't bound only to Coruscant. Her reach had just gotten larger, an expanded jurisdiction. Still, Riz found even the lowest levels of the city planet were nothing compared to the corruption on Nar Shadda.

Finger swiped the screen of her datapad, flipping the face of some suspect named Wes Spalding away. That was another case and a potential lead for another time. Parking the black speeder-car in front of Vanir Headquarters, she cut the engine and made her way to the front entrance and the desk inside. Keen, honey-brown orbs made mental notes and observations, noting security points and weaknesses.

Couldn't turn off that mind of hers. A lesson learned proven by the two knife scars on her back. Not to mention the blaster burn on her right arm.

Fingers slipped behind her, digging out her Planetary badge from her back pocket and flashing it for the security desk. "Detective Riz Carter. Got a call about a potential robbery?"

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Riz Carter"]

Riz was immediately redirected from the front desk back to where Ein was located, mainly the back office on the fifteenth floor where nobody could find him.

At first they had wanted to put him up someplace fancier, lots of windows, big table, even a few plants, but he had declined that offer. He was still trying to make an impression, and right now the best way to do that was to appear to be the humble little bug crawling around rather than the grand titavian soaring around. He shifted slightly as he heard the door slide open, turning his chair so that he could look at the police officer who stepped inside.

A frown pulled at his lips for a moment, but that was quickly wiped away. "Hello there."

His greeting was friendly enough, though it was clear from the expression on his face that Ein was more than a little bit stressed out. The robbery had hit his project hard, and he was pretty sure that without the supplies he wouldn't be able to complete what he needed to. It was an unfortunate reality, mostly because it likely meant reprimand from the Board.

"Einhardt Al'Kuhn." He held out his hand and gave Riz his most winning smile. "I'm the one that asked for you."

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

"Detective Riz Carter," per protocol, she showed him her badge before returning it to her back-pocket. Stepping forward, her darker-skinned hand grasped his palm, giving him a quick, firm handshake. Her palms were rough and calloused and she took note of the smooth skin of his hand. Anything else and the detective would've been a bit surprised.

'Course, she'd done her research on one Mister Einhardt Al'Kuhn: royalty bloodlines, very privileged, access to good universities, and related to Alric Kuhn. Born with that silver spoon in his mouth. And certainly far from blue-collared.

Still, honey-brown orbs couldn't help the quick sweep of his office. Didn't match the profile of a CFO. Her problem-solving mind wondered if it had to do something with playing the political-company-game. Hand released from his and she fished out her datapad, bringing up the files of the case.

"I would say nice to meet you but I bet you wish it were under different circumstances, like all my clients. Care to fill me in from the beginning Mister Al'Kuhn?" Eyes fixated on the screen of her datapad flickered back up to hold Ein's.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Riz Carter"]

"Ein, is fine." The nickname was something that had stuck since his days in middle school. Most of his peers had found it rather difficult to pronounce his first name, mostly because it was high Tetan and everyone now just spoke Galactic Basic.

It had annoyed him at first, but as he'd grown up the name had eventually grown on him to a point where he used it voluntarily.

"One of our warehouses here on Coruscant was broken into." He explained to the Officer as he quickly wandered towards the desk and began to open the drawers. He searched for a few moments, frowning until eventually found what he was looking for. A moment later he pulled out a black datapad, pressing the button at the top of it before swiping through a few apps and selecting the one that he wanted. "They stole several crates of equipment."

He offered her the datapad. "This is our security footage of the event."

The warehouse hadn't been guarded, but they did have plenty of cameras.

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

"Hm, mind if I sync up?" Given the okay, she would've connected his sleek-black datapad with her somewhat dinged and beat up one. Hers had certainly been through a lot but still worked like a beauty. The security footage would load quickly with a final ping upon completion. Unplugging, she'd hand his datapad back.

Thighs leaned back against the corner of his desk, shoulders curved inward as she watched the footage closely. "Definitely not all human, though they do a good job of keeping their faces away from the camera lines. They knew where they were. I'm seeing four perps here. Potentially more involved."

Riz was silent a few moments, keen-eyes re-watching for minor details.

"I'd like to have a look at the warehouse." Chances were the site was already contaminated but it was still worth a look. "And what exactly was stolen, Ein?"

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Riz Carter"]

"I can arrange for us to go down there." That wouldn't be all that problematic. They had cordoned off the warehouse itself after the theft, allowing Saeva to do an initial walk through. The PMC of course had eventually told Ein that they couldn't do anything, not legally anyway. Hunting down the perps would have been easy enough, but it also could have gotten Vanir Technologies into quite a bit of trouble with the Alliance.

Better to do it straight.

"Unfortunately however." She wasn't going to like this. "I can't tell you what was inside the crates."

That was company policy. There were a thousand different things that it could have been, mostly because Vanir worked on everything from Starships to miraculous gloves that could mimic the force, and it was this variety that made this difficult. Half of what Vanir did was incredibly secret, hidden from both Governments and Corporate entities. "All I can tell you is that the stolen goods were a part of a new energy imitative."

That was all he could tell her.

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

"Can't or won't? You realize if I knew exactly what it was, it would help establish motive and make things a whole lot easier for me and faster to catch whoever did this, right?"

Honey-brown orbs held his warm gaze for several moments. She wasn't a fool. A company this size and important had to have their own privately funded security but for whatever reason, they'd decided to follow the book this time. But why? Once again, she found herself at a disadvantage with the availability of resources. Sure, being on Coruscant was fifty-times better than being the only clean cop working in a corrupt precinct on Nar Shadda.

But still.

She pushed off from the desk and tucked the datapad inside her coat pocket. "Regardless, as soon as you can arrange the site visit, the better. I'll also need a directory of all your employees here and those working the warehouse this past week. Do you have any reason to believe a current employee would be involved?"

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Riz Carter"]

"I understand that Detective." Ein replied simply. "But I'm afraid my hands are tied on this."

It wasn't that he didn't trust the Detective or the police, it was simply that Vanir Technologies was on the cutting edge of...well pretty much everything. Their competitors were desperate to get their hands on anything within the company, especially if it could get them a leg up on current or new operations. People likely didn't think about it all that often, but Corporate games were often just as cutthroat as any war out there. It was dangerous. "We can head there now."

Ein said as he shifted over to the edge of the desk.

He quickly called his secretary on the intercomm, shifting slightly for only a moment before gaining confirmation. He then motioned for Riz to follow him, not knowing whether she'd want to take her own speeder or simply come with him in one of Vanir's company owned ones. As they headed down towards the garage he began to answer her other questions.

"Vanir is one of the foremost technology companies in the galaxy." He explained. "We have competitors in every system, every world. Corporations, Terrorists, even Governments try to gain insight into our Company."

It was an unfortunate truth. "We pay our employees well...but bribery isn't out of the question."

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

"I understand. Nine times out of ten, it's an inside job." She paused, her own datapad back in her hands. "I'll put in a call to get traffic cam footage in the area. See if we can identify the speeder the crates were taken in. We have time stamps and location, so hopefully that'll give us a lead."

A stylist was held in her hand and she gnawed lightly on the end. Old habit.

"I'll just ride with you," she murmured, eyes glued to the screen, mind churning over the few facts she had. It would give her more time for questions. "And I have to ask, Ein, do you have an alibi for when these items were stolen?"

He might not like it but it was part of the job. Not personal, just professional. By now, she'd gotten a pretty good lead on him and his tells. He was smart and he'd given her no reason so far to doubt anything he said as the truth.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Riz Carter"]

He blinked a few times, not really expecting the question. For some odd reason it had never actually occurred to him that he could be a suspect, mostly because he was the one reporting the crime in the first place. After a few stunned seconds however he answered. "I was at a party."

They stepped onto a turbolift as he continued to speak.

"Hosted by Former Senator Grayson." The party had been an entirely boring experience, both for him and others, but half of business was creating a network of friends and allies. That was mostly why he had come to Coruscant in the first place. "I'm sure people there can corroborate."

Though a few might lie just to get him in trouble. "Over here."

He gestured towards the end of the garage where a rather plain, but clearly luxurious speeder was waiting. A droid sat in the drivers seat already, and as Ein approached he opened one of the doors and held it for Riz, clearly a part of his more noble manners.

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

"Don't worry Ein. Just following protocol. Your alibi sounds solid to me." Didn't mean she wouldn't have her people confirm it though. All part of the job. Naivety and face value got you killed in this line of work. She'd dodged the blaster and knife too long to get wiped off the grid now. It'd be a crying shame after surviving so long on 'Shadda.

The detective paused for a moment as he opened the door. Took her a second longer to realize it was for her. Her turn for widened orbs of honey-brown. Last time she met a man who was polite like this was Locke. Weren't many left in the places she lived and worked. Maybe that's why the blonde at the front desk was all googly-eyed for Einhardt. That, good manners, his royal blood-line, and the credits in his pockets.

"Thanks," she grunted and slid in and over, leaving the man room to get in after her.

Her speeder would've had fast-food wrappers and caf cups littering the seat. This one was clean and didn't smell like burned blaster carbons.

"Notice any disgruntled employees lately?" She'd also request a list of those who had security access for shipment information and the shipment data logs. Some slicers at the precinct might be able to find a lead that way, too. No one could ever say Riz Carter wasn't thorough.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Riz Carter"]

He shrugged.

"Not sure." Ein said as he closed his own door and slid his seatbelt into place. "Keep in mind, we're a pretty big company. I generally don't talk to warehouse workers or people on the lower end of the company."

That was just how it worked. Though he'd made a few tours, it was simply impossible to actually meet everyone who worked for Vanir on Coruscant. Even if he wanted to it would likely take him months, and forget remembering names or anything of the sort Riz would actually need for her investigation.

Still, after a moment of thought. "There are a few within the company...they might get involved."

Just to see him burn, or make some more money. Ein frowned for a few more moments.

"I can get you a list." He said quietly. "I wouldn't call them disgruntled, but definitely greedy."

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

"Good. Any leads, no matter how small, will help with this investigation," stylist came away from her mouth and she tapped the screen of her comm thoughtfully. Any leads or resources.

She quarter-turned in the seat, fighting the natural urge to be pressed back as the driver-droid took off and they proceeded out of the garage.

"Has your company started any investigation of its own?" So he wouldn't get defensive, she quickly added, "I'd like to compare notes and collaborate, if so." Her comm pinged.

Honey-brown orbs drifted back down to the screen and away from his red-bearded face.

"Traffic feeds just came in."

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Riz Carter"]

That was a question he would have to dodge. Though Saeva had been called in initially they had decided not to utilize them for a full investigation. Doing so would have been dangerous, not to mention difficult. Saeva had no real legal recourse here on Coruscant, and Ein didn't want things getting out of hand. "No."

It was at least somewhat the truth. Saeva had looked around, but they hadn't conducted any sort of investigation.

"Our internal security force secured the Warehouse, but other then that have done nothing." Save for tell Ein that their method of getting to the bottom of all of this would be somewhat bloody. He frowned for a moment, glancing out the window of the speeder before looking back at Riz.

"I'm sure you can interview the guards they left behind." Vanir wasn't stupid, they had made sure no one touched the warehouse since the robbery. "Though how much they can tell you I don't know."

Couldn't read minds after all.

The Speeder churned along the streets of Coruscant, eventually passing into The Works and nearing the Warehouse itself.

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

"I see," she spoke softly, probing gaze lingering upon the CFO's features. There was something he wasn't sharing. "I'll question them once I have a look around and take some scans of the scene." Warm-orbs returned back to her trusty datapad as she watched the feeds come in.

"Looks like a dark-green speeder pulled in just before the robbery. Matches with time codes for after."

The speeder slowed to a stop as they pulled in front of the warehouse. Before Ein could object, she popped her door open and stepped outside, the smell of machinery and oils lingered heavily in the air as a very slight breeze pushed against her face, drifting through silky-strands of dark hair. Wandering a few feet away, she took a knee on the duracreet and switched her datapad to scan mode near a blackened spot on one of the factory walls.

"Looks like an exhaust blast from a speeder. Might be something," she mused more or less to herself, adjusting the blaster slightly on her hip.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Riz Carter"]

Ein didn't say anything as she began to inspect the scene of the crime.

Growing up he, like almost every other little boy, had been somewhat fascinated with law enforcement. It was something that of course had quickly gone away as he'd grown up, but there had been a few years where he had been truly interested in becoming a Security Officer. The idea of course had caused quite a bit of amusement for his father and mother, but it was something he was reminded of as Riz began to inspect the area around the warehouse.

He stayed silent most of the time, following after her but ensuring that she had enough room to maneuver. "The Guards will be inside."

One would be stationed on the roof of course, and would have already spotted the both of them. Saeva was a professional organization, and they took their jobs seriously. They would recognize Riz for what she was and would know Ein was the man that assigned them. As soon as those things were noted both the men that had been watching the Warehouse would make their way towards the first floor.

"They broke in through the front door." He explained. "I believe they sliced it, though I'm sure you'll know better."

She was the officer after all.

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

She stood, wiping her darker palms against the fabric of her pants. "No, you're probably right, Ein. Especially if it was the front door." She frowned and her neck craned back. Hair shifted along her shoulders. Most thieves, well, the good ones, entered a building the easiest way possible - if they could. Why expend the extra energy?

"Wait, that look on your face. I got something on my face or something?" He had been staring. Fascination? She turned.

"You spot something else?" She turned back slowly to face him, walking over to where he was at the front door counsel.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Riz Carter"]

"No." He said with a shake of his head.

Perhaps if these people had committed some sort of financial crime, stolen money from Vanir's vaults or just something more...in his wheelhouse he would be some help here, but rather sadly Ein was completely useless when it came to this type of investigative work.

"This isn't really my area of expertise." He told her. "I can look but that's about it."

It was easier for him to read into data, information, than it was a place like this. "I'm really more of a people person."

That was one skill he had in abundance, reading people. Perhaps if she was going to interrogate some people he would be more help there, but as it stood he was next to useless trying to find signs of...well any sort of crime apart from what he already knew. He just hadn't been trained in this.

 

[Riz Carter]

[member="Einhardt Al'Kuhn"]

"Must be that winning smile of yours," she quipped. It was hard to say if she was being serious. Fishing out a small scanning device, she hooked it to her datapad and scanned down the entrance system. "Hm. Looks like whoever it was had the codes. No forced entry."

The front door swished open, the two guards coming out as a pair. The detective nodded to them. One was a Zeltron. The other a human, male. "I'd like to ask each of yah a few questions. Detective Riz Carter. Coruscant Precinct Nine-nine."

The Zeltron nodded. "Yeah. We know who you are. Got quite the rep back on Nar Shadda."

Dark-brows lofted in mild surprise.

"Word travels fast, eh? Alright, what can you tell me about last night?"

The zeltron spoke first, with details added by the human male. Names were Joe and Salvi. They confirmed the identity of the dark-green speeder. She followed them inside the crime scene, leaving her scanner out the entire time as she made a sweep of the area.