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Faction Digging up the Roots | The Investigation of Ido Bastra's Murder

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The file dropped on Bernard's desk with a clap. A blue hologram of the Alliance Starbird flickered to life above it and began turning slowly. Bernard read the case name.

"I want you to look into the Bastra case," Pech said. He stood next to Bernard, leaning over the desk. The Alliance Marshal tapped in the file's lock code.

"Why me?"

"There's a peculiarity regarding this case which places you in the unique position of being this department's best-suited expert for the investigation."

Bernard glanced up at him, eyes narrowed.

"I'm not trained for Senatorial affairs, that's-"

"Not what I meant, you'll see," Pech cut him off. He cycled through the case file, tapping abruptly to halt the scrolling. "Here. Ido Bastra Ido Bastra , formerly a member of the Corporatist Party. Multi-trillionaire. Used to be a major entrepreneur in his younger years, but retired to take a step into politics. Found dead in his personal residence here on Coruscant with no signs of forced entry and no one on the security team dead or missing. We have no idea who or what did this and why."

"There are bound to be countless motives. His speeches in the Senate, he didn't make himself popular throwing his weight behind the Senator of Kuat. He would have plenty of enemies on the list from that manoeuvre alone."

"There's a reason you're on this one, I can't say more. Get your gear, you're scheduled to be at his mansion in one cycle to get acquainted with your team."

"Now? I still have- wait, Team? What team? Isn't Sarn-"

"Less talking, more doing. You have your assignment, get to work," Pech put his hand on Bernard's shoulder. "I'm counting on you for this one."

Pech made his way back to his office, leaving Bernard to study the case file as best he could in a cycle.



Bastra's residence was cordoned off with barriers. The entrance to the skycutter was guarded by a few Marshals, while several more regularly patrolled the perimeter. They were more heavily armed than usual and had a squadron of CSF's latest droids backing them up. Bernard figured the CSF presence didn't sit well with the assigned Marshals. The rivalry between the two groups had grown considerably over the last months, but that seemed to be the case with most planetary policing agencies and the Marshals. The GA's finest took a lot of pride in their work.

One of the Marshals stopped Bernard as he approached the main entrance, and requested his ID. While Bernard fished for the card inside his jacket, the Rodian bit her tongue to not comment on his appearance. In accordance with Pech's wishes, Bernard studied the file deep into the night, making the most of the cycle he was given. The dark circles under his eyes were pronounced, his hair was less orderly than it usually was, and he held a half-finished stimcaf, while keeping a dark blue satchel stenciled with the starbird in subtle white tucked under the other arm.

Late-night shifts were a well-known curse in their line of work. There was a measure of mutual understanding when he handed her the wrong card at first. He was waved through eventually, into the reception hall.

The entire building had belonged to Bastra. It had been reserved for only himself and his staff, but since his death, it stood empty. The only visitors now were forensics teams, and the security chief insisted they only work under strict supervision by himself. Still, the man had appeared cooperative enough with the Marshal's investigation, from what Bernard had read. There hadn't been any intrusions into forensic's work, and the only objections the chief had made were regarding the treatment of the deceased's personal effects. It seemed unlikely that he was trying to hide anything, but only a conversation or two could rule him out as a potential accomplice.

Bernard kept his ID ready as he stepped past the double doors, expecting a barrage of questions from the sec chief, but was met with silence instead. The lobby was empty and unlit. No sign of the chief, or the rest of his team.

He took a sip of the stimcaf.

"Huh."

 
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Why am I here?

The question raced through her mind as she was escorted towards the residence, flanked by a couple of clanking droids with faces like grim, metal walls. It was late at night and Linny shoulda been somewhere warm. Preferably in bed, with a hot drink and a long book... or a cheezy vid. Only the palpable excitement in the air kept her going.

You're here because of the murder. Because they asked for volunteers, and you're the only person there who finds the words 'murder' and 'conspiracy' a turn on. Even when they didn't want to send you, you argued. So don't complain, Alienor Rennis.

Even her brain had started calling her by her full name, so she was clearly in trouble. Still, how could anyone resist? A shocking murder, the details sketchy. An incredibly rich, powerful and well-connected victim with nothing to indicate who, or what did the deed. Where some might've found frustration, or sensed a stitch-up, Linny felt excitement.

If I help find out who did this, if I helped solve it, then they won't turn their nose up when I ask again. The droids stopped her at the gates, one of the marshalls scanned her ID. Presumably checking if she was actually a Jedi, not just some stray they'd rounded up off the streets. Once verified, the droids continued to lead her up to the door.

Linny imagined what she might find. A collection of detectives, muttering about clues? Marshalls and Coruscant Security having a lively 'debate' about jurisdiction? A full-scale holo-construction of the crime, based on what they'd found so far? Surely, on a case like this, the whole place would be a hive of activity, activity that she was about to walk right into and...


And... where is it?

A dark, vast lobby. Very little noise but the echoing of the droid's movement and her own feet. Linny squinted in confusion, seeing someone a little ways in. Someone with long, white hair and a tired look, sipping something casually. She wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Is this it?" she asked quietly, her words bouncing off the empty walls. Oh my, did I actually say that out loud?


"We have escorted your teammate/burden to you," one of the droids announced, with characteristic brutality. "Have a pleasant evening." Linny blushed, unused to being so effectively burned by a cop-droid.

"Sorry. Hi. I'm Linny. I mean, Padawan Rennis," she announced to the stranger. "I didn't mean- I just, well... is this it, seriously?"
 
Silence is Golden
Factory Judge

TASK FORCE XESH
SIA CONTRACTOR ASSET: WHISPER

CORUSCANT | IDO BASTRA RESIDENCE
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"CONSCIENCE CLEANER"



Whisper had been pouring over the holofootage from the late senator Bastra's residence for quite some time. Obsessing over it in truth. The greatest lead they had Whisper stopped after, rewinding it and playing it once more.

"Cancel the Zeltros contract,"

Eyes narrowed behind the mask that they wore as their driver came to a stop in front of the residence. Marshals approached the blacked out speeder as Whisper stepped out. A polyfab hard-case was carried in Whisper's hand and their usual accompanying kit on his plate carrier, ND40 Kaze repeating blaster slung under their cloak on a single point sling so that it would ride high under their armpit, out of sight and out of mind. That little suppressed pistol that was a new acquisition for the SIA on their thigh. Whisper always dressed to kill.

Before any of the marshals could speak, Whisper held the identification card on the lanyard around their neck out with the hand that wasn't carrying the case. The irony that their identification card bore a photograph of them still masked was smothered by a cold, dead stare emanating out of their hood. As much as the Marshals detested this weirdness, the SIA emblem made them hold their tongue. They'd been informed to expect an agent or two and a maybe a contractor after all. If one required such anonymity bucking against it would only cause needless friction.

Whisper steadily made their way up the steps towards the lobby passed marshal and droid alike. Their distant, cold gaze regarded their two counterparts for a moment as they stood there. Slowly, they raised the holocom that they'd been watching the tapes on. The scene sprung to life once more, the figures backtracking through their historic roles until once again, the cloaked figure on the holotapes was offering the late senator the phone.

"Cancel the Zeltros contract,"

It had to have been at least a dozen times Whisper had listened to it themselves. Now they played the line in front of the padawan and the other investigator, head cocking to one side to ask the unspoken question.

TAGS: Bernard Bernard Linny Rennis Linny Rennis Allyson Locke Allyson Locke
 
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//: Bernard Bernard //: Linny Rennis Linny Rennis //: "Whisper" "Whisper" //:
//: S E C R E T S //:

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"Locke."

A voice entered the office; footsteps followed behind it and stopped at the edge of her wooden desk. "Locke." The voice roughly repeated her name, sounding frustrated that the Corellian was ignoring him. "LOCKE."

The man's heavy hand slammed against the desk. It shook it slightly, causing the cybernetic eye to shift in its socket to stare at the intruder. A faint blue light flickered where the iris would usually be, examined the man, then returned to the screen. The man's large form shrank as he stumbled backward away from the desk, a hand clutching his chest tightly. He had heard the woman had lost it during a mission, but knowing Allyson's vanity, he assumed it would have been closer to normal-looking than cybernetic.

"What, Matthews." She asked lazily as her hands moved carefully over the keyboard in front of the terminal. Matthews, as she referred to him, gathered his composure and returned to the desk. He cleared his throat and spoke again. The tenor sound of his voice quivered slightly, still unsettled about the eye. "Ido Bastra, his murder is being investigated. You told --" Allyson held up her hand, causing the other agent to stop talking.

The Corellian Agent said nothing more. Through the Force, a hand waved and activated the radio in the room to play loud but easy on the ear classical music. Her desk drawer opened, and hands moved blindly through the knick-knacks she collected until they felt the soft cloth material of her eyepatch. Putting it on, she stood from the desk and moved till she was in front of it with her arms crossed gently across her chest. Matthews was used to the Corellian spy's eccentric nature, but it didn't ease his mind. Whatever was going on with Bastra's case, it went deeper than he liked to be involved with.

He spoke again. "They're investigating Ido's case finally. Gathering a team - seems a Marshall by the name of Bernard is heading it." Concern grew on Allyson's face as she nodded along. Bernard was good at his job, and despite her making her moves early on - she didn't expect them to put him on the job. "Did you get me assigned to it?" Her voice was not giving away her concern; it was almost threatening. If she wasn't on the case, it would be problematic. "O-Of course." Matthews knew that tone and quickly handed Allyson the files. "Thanks, Matthews, you should go on vacation - I heard Naboo is quite lovely this time of year." Fingers began to make their way through the files as she read through them, absorbing the information that the SIA had found. As she read, Matthew took a few steps back and forced a small laugh. "You're right. I do need a vacation." The man turned to the door quickly and left. Allyson, on the other hand, waved the music off and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was problematic after everything she had done to try and prevent this. Pushing herself off the desk, Allyson quickly made her way toward the apartment.

It didn't take the woman long to arrive; she had gone to Bastra's apartment several times before this. She also had scrubbed enough of the building's cameras to know where they were located. Upon entering the lobby, she caught the recording being played in the public entrance. Frowning, she quickly recognized the figure as a Xesh operative and contractor. A wave of her hand and the device that was playing the recording began to quiet down and eventually shut off. "I suggest keeping any evidence wrapped up and only played in a secure room. We haven't swept the area - looks abandoned, but again - we don't know." She walked past Whisper. "Hey, Bernard, new kid, and Whisper, right?" As she greeted everyone, she removed the eyepatch and let it scan those there. "We are heading up or what?"
 
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