Public Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok Leenic Ellsil

Red jumped back from the explosion. The ceiling fell, and rubble fell to the ground. Great, now, there was property damage. The Sith woman shoved rubble at him. Red narrowly dodged one piece of rubble, then another, twisting and turning. The distraction was what had allowed her to get away. Great. The Sith woman ran, but Red was too distracted with the caving ceiling falling in to worry about her.

Red reached out with the Force towards the ceiling. He held it up, stopping any more rubble from falling down. Once he was satisfied that it wasn't going to fall. The police entered the building, moving through it and searching, but they were too late, the woman was already gone. The other man came in and checked on the child, then asked Red a question. Red pointed up and said, "She escaped through the hole. The explosion and debris allowed her to use it as a distraction to escape. I might have been able to catch her, if not for the explosion, but now she is gone. She's using the crowds and using a Force cloak hide herself.at least we managed to rescue the child. I'm assuming that you caught her associate?" Red said.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Subject 73 Red

"Her associate..." Nimdok trailed off, distracted. He was looking at his daughter, who was being tended to by a medic that had been called to the scene to examine her. She was safe, the threat to her removed. But what would happen to her now? And what of the woman who got away?

He cleared his throat. "Yes, the police have taken him into custody. The Mandalorian roughed him up." He glanced at Leenic Ellsil out of the corner of his eye. There was no point in making a scene out of the bounty hunter's blunder for the sake of a flashy entrance—it was enough that his child was alive and secure. Still, the woman had yet to face justice, and more than that she would simply continue her operations, having learned from this failure.

"Excuse me, sir."

At the sound of a voice behind him, Nimdok turned around. The medic stood before him, a datapad in one hand and a medical scanner in the other.

"Are you the girl's father?" she asked once she had his attention.

"Yes. My name is Nimdok, I am a—"

"You'll have to take a DNA test," she interrupted him before he could launch into a lengthy explanation of who he was and why he was there. "Standard procedure. We have to have proof that you're related to her before we can release her into your custody."

Nimdok stiffened on instinct, but tried to hide it. There were plenty of people watching him and listening to the conversation, all trained to look for such signs of dismay, panic, or hesitation.

"Certainly," he replied.

The medic gestured for him to hold out his hand. Using her scanner, she took a sample of his DNA. The results were then uploaded to her datapad. Nimdok concentrated on her face as she studied the computer screen, willing her to see only what he wanted her to see.

At last, she nodded. "Confirmed. Sorry for the inconvenience." She lowered her hands, a curiously blank look on her face afterward.

"It was no inconvenience." Nimdok frowned, his brow furrowing with concern. "What about Miri—is she all right?"

The woman seemed to stir from a trance. "Oh, um—yes, she's fine. Just a few minor cuts and bruises, nothing serious. Though I strongly recommend a psychological evaluation and therapy after all this. You never know how the ordeal might have affected her young mind."

"Of course. Is there anything else you need from me?"

"No, that's all. I gave her a mild stimulant. She should wake up soon." With that, she turned and walked away.

The police had fanned out, some of them still trying to find the Sith woman, others examining the rubble or patrolling the area. Two had approached the Mandalorian, intent on pinning him with various charges for the stunts he'd pulled—vigilantism, aggravated assault, damages on behalf of the bystander he'd accidentally shot, detonating an explosive device in a public space, child endangerment, etc. It was amazing how careless bounty hunters could be, as if the mere fact that they operated outside the law meant that they were granted total immunity.

Nimdok turned to face the Jedi. He knew words were not enough, but he had little else to offer this man. "Thank you for your assistance. You've saved my daughter's life."

 

[Leenic Ellsil]

Leenic stood with his hands clasped behind his back as both of the officers approached him with their weapons drawn. "Drop your weapons!" Shouted one, taking a step forward. "Come quietly an-" Leenic interrupted the man by raising a finger into the "Shush" position. "Let me put it this way officers!" Leenic replied, nonchalantly drawing his pistol. "You both leave, and I don't have to kill either of you!" "We have you like 16 to one buddy." Said the second officer, looking over at the first. "Hardly sounds like a fair fight." Leenic sighed and shook his head, then quickly pulled the sniper off of his back and jammed its stock into his armpit. Using this stability, he aimed the sniper at the first officer and his pistol at the second. "Fine, I'll give you to the count of three." He said. "One... two..." It was on the count of two that both officers opened fire, the bolts deflecting off of Leenic's armor and scaring multiple civilians nearby. Leenic shot the first officer with his rifle, but missed the second one before rolling behind cover and holstering his rifle.

While Leenic was distracted, a third officer walked up behind him and attempted to put him in a chokehold. Leenic, not appreciating this act, grabbed the officer by his armor, threw him over Leenic's shoulder, and promptly shot him with his pistol. He darted over to the Jedi and the mysterious man, bowing hastily when he arrived. "Pleasure to be of service!" He said, standing back up. "Now I normally dont to work for free, however, I am in a tight spot with the law and will already be paid for my service to someone else. Therefore, I will not be charging you for this job and will be leaving soon." He then flinched as a blaster bolt deflected off of his helmet. "Name's Rusty by the way, if we ever meet again!" He said as he took off running, the nearby security officers close behind as he disappeared into the nearby crowd.

 

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok Leenic Ellsil

Red turned to the man. Red had noticed him stiffen earlier when the medic asked for a DNA test. Strange. Why would he hesitate? There was something strange about that one. He took off his helmet and held it under his arm. "Of course. I always help those that need it." He told him. He turned to the small girl. "I wasn't about to let her fall into the hands of the Sith." He looked back at Nimdok. "You know, all of this, all of these events happening, it's kind of strange. First, you were in the same place as your long lost daughter. Second, she actually recognized you, which is even stranger. Thirdly, you somehow knew, which is also weird. And lastly, the Sith knew her potential, which means she's something else entirely." Red told the man. "She is very strong in the Force, especially for her age. You, well, you're not Force Sensitive, but there is a strange aura about you, something that I cannot deny is there. Perhaps there is a cosmic power beyond the Force that we do not know about yet. I don't know, but all of this is very strange." He admitted.

"Still, something is up. Either foul play, or a cosmic power we don't even know is there. She is very strong, and very dangerous. Untrained, she could do some real damage, and could even end up hurting people, including you. She will need to be taught. Of course, it's your decision. If you don't want her to go to the Jedi or the Sith, that's fine, but something will need to be done. I wasn't even taught by Jedi nor Sith on how to control mine. I come from a genetic laboratory where they experimented with genetics. They found a way to create supersoldiers by using fetus' still growing within the womb. They even managed to give us Force sensitive, somehow. They trained us to control it, and even weaponize it. The Jedi taught me how to better control it, and other abilities." Red told him.

Then, the Mandalorian was running from the cops. "Rusty? That's not a very Mandalorian name." Red told the Mandalorian as he ran off.

Red turned back to Nimdok. "Do you mind if I stick around. I would like to ask her some questions, if you don't mind." Red asked politely, he needed to know if there were anymore kids the Sith took.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Leenic Ellsil Subject 73 Red

Due to the fight that broke out between the Mandalorian and the police, Nimdok was distracted when his daughter awoke. The stimulant dragged her unceremoniously into consciousness, and while the drug was mild, she was left in a disoriented and fearful state, unsure of where she was or what was happening.

Nimdok’s attention was torn away from the brawl as the girl began to hyperventilate. A strange oppressiveness clouded the dusty air, making it difficult to breathe. When Nimdok attempted to approach her, he felt as if some invisible force was trying to repel him.

“Miri,” he said, speaking his daughter’s name for the first time. “It’s all right. You’re safe now.”

He held out his arms. She stared at him, the fear and confusion slowly fading from her eyes. The repelling force abruptly relinquished its hold on him as she hopped down from the chair and ran over.

Nimdok picked her up, surprised at how quickly and easily she trusted him despite not having seen him in four years. Evidently, her childish lack of understanding of the situation meant that she took their unlikely reunion at face value. That, and absence only made the heart grow fonder. “You’re heavier than I remember,” he murmured, adjusting her weight in his arms. She was trembling slightly, likely a side effect of the stimulant.

The Jedi approached him, having removed his helmet, and prevented him from leaving the scene. It was clear that Red had become curious and somewhat wary of Nimdok, who predicted the vague accusation in his words even before the Jedi spoke.

"You know, all of this, all of these events happening, it's kind of strange. First, you were in the same place as your long lost daughter. Second, she actually recognized you, which is even stranger. Thirdly, you somehow knew, which is also weird. And lastly, the Sith knew her potential, which means she's something else entirely."

“I agree with you,” Nimdok admitted. “But stranger things have happened. You are a Jedi, you know that the Force has a will of its own.”

It was a somewhat lame, deflective answer, but not even Nimdok was sure how to explain the series of coincidences that had led him to this moment. Out of all the spaceports in the galaxy, he happened to be on the same one his daughter was on. It almost seemed too good to be true. Or, the more likely answer was that it was a deliberate setup… But Nimdok could not reveal his background with such matters to anyone. Not even a Jedi.

"She is very strong in the Force, especially for her age. You, well, you're not Force Sensitive, but there is a strange aura about you, something that I cannot deny is there. Perhaps there is a cosmic power beyond the Force that we do not know about yet. I don't know, but all of this is very strange."

Nimdok’s brow furrowed, but he offered no response to the Jedi’s words. Yes, the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place, and he didn't like it one bit. He himself had felt that repelling effect from the girl only minutes ago, an obvious sign of great power. As for Nimdok's own “strange aura”, well, he had no control over that.

The Jedi wasn’t done talking. Nimdok listened in silence, his frown deepening as Red told his story of genetic experimentation. He dared show no reaction. It would be really pushing the boundaries of the coincidental into obscene territories, but if Red was indeed a product of the same experiments conducted years ago by a Shi’ido scientist named Arimanes Bosch… No, that would be too much. Other similar experiments in the same vein had been attempted many times before. There was no reason to believe Red had any connection to him, except perhaps in the most vague and indirect manner. Perhaps the experiments conducted on him had built upon Bosch's prior work in attempting to artificially create Force sensitivity in individuals who had no natural attunement.

After the Mandalorian fled (his leaving was largely ignored by both Red and Nimdok, who had both had enough of his antics), the Jedi asked to stay and ask Miri some questions. Nimdok sighed. After all the excitement, he would have preferred to either get on a shuttle out of there or find accommodations in order to sleep it off. But he now had the responsibility of a child on his hands, and the stimulant running through Miri’s veins would probably keep her up for a while longer. He might as well comply, if only to avoid making the Jedi any more suspicious than he already was.

“Very well,” he said. Turning his head toward Miri, he spoke gently to her. “This man is a Jedi Knight. He helped save you. He wants to ask you some questions about the people who took you. Will you help him?”

At first she didn’t answer. Then, she raised her head and nodded, wiping dirty hair out of her face. She looked at Red with enormous eyes, both in awe of and frightened by the Jedi.

 

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok

Red listened to Nimdok as he replied to his previous statements. If Red wasn't suspicious before, he was now. That answer was obviously deflective. Nimdok was trying to hide something, and Red was getting close, but Red didn't know what he was looking for or how close. Nimdok frowned at the thing he said about her Force sensitivity, and about Nimdok's strange energy. So, that was another piece, huh? But what was it adding to? It just didn't line up.

Red nodded. "Alright." He turned to the girl. "Hi, Miri, I'm Red, a Jedi. How are you feeling? Your father is right, I did help save you from them. Can you tell me anymore about them? Their names? Where they're from? Anything at all will help. Please, I need your help." Red told her.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Subject 73 Red

The Jedi asked her how she was feeling.

“Okay,” Miri mumbled. In truth, she felt a little funny—her heart was beating like the wings of a trapped bird in her chest, and there was a tingly sensation in her limbs. But she wasn’t scared anymore.

She thought hard about what had happened to her, her forehead wrinkling with the effort. Her memory of the past few weeks was a little fuzzy.

“I was in an orphanage,” she explained. “I was there for a long time. It was on my home planet called Alderaan. The man and the woman came and took me away on a spaceship, and I went to sleep.”

Nimdok’s expression became drawn as she spoke, hit by a wave of guilt. He hadn’t even thought to search for her on Alderaan, the most obvious place to look. In truth, ever since his return, he hadn’t thought of her at all…

“The man’s name is Elwick Wesley Fenton. I know it ‘cause the lady would say ‘Elwick Wesley Fenton!’ whenever she got mad at him.” The corner of Miri’s mouth curled. “They didn’t like each other very much. I don’t think, um, they were married, ‘cause they sure didn’t love each other.”

She chewed on her thumbnail. “I dunno what the lady’s name is. She wanted to go to a planet called Telos, which is really far away. I told her I wanted to go home, and she hit me. Right here.” She pointed to the still-healing bruise on her right cheek, her speech becoming more animated. “I hit her back without touching her, and she went flying, and the man put a needle in my arm. And then I went to sleep, and I woke up lying on a bench, and there were all these people, and I saw my daddy from the pictures at the orphanage. And I went after him, but the man and the lady grabbed me and I fell asleep again.”

“...I believe Mr. Fenton is currently in police custody,” Nimdok murmured after she was finished, looking at Red. “You may be able to question him yourself if you can get the police to cooperate.”

 

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok

Red listened to the girl aptly, giving her his full attention. "They were more coworkers than in love." Red told her. "Telos? Yes, that is far away." Red admitted. Red looked at her cheek, then raised his eyebrow when she said she sent the Sith flying with the Force. Red kept count of how many times she said she went to sleep, so, first they drugged her, then, the Sith might have used the Force to make her go to sleep. Red raised an eyebrow at Nimdok when she said she recognized him from the pictures at the orphanage. So, he was from Alderaan too, huh? Why didn't he go back? Some of the stuff the Sith woman said was starting to line up. He would need to talk to him later. The girl also didn't say that the woman and the man did anything to her, but they might have done something to her while she was asleep.

"Here, let me." He said. He waved a hand over her cheek. Through the Force, the injury started to heal, and the bruise started to fade away.

"They'll cooperate when I tell them it's Jedi business." Red told Nimdok.

He turned back to Miri. This girl... She was curious. Definitely. "Alright, that information was helpful. Did they every do anything to you, like, something that seemed to change something inside of you?" He asked her. He needed to know if they had done something to her.

"Now, this one is very important. I need you to think carefully. Were there any kids they picked up besides you? Did they mention any names?" Red asked her.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Subject 73 Red

Miri rubbed her healed cheek in wonderment. Red’s next question confused her. She wracked her brain, trying to figure out what he meant by “changed something inside her”. The phrase made her think of holovids she’d seen showing doctors in a hospital. This connection triggered a memory.

“One time I woke up in a… a container that I could see through like a window,” she tried to explain. “There was water droplets on the inside, and they dripped on me and one got on my mouth and it tasted weird. I wasn’t wearing any clothes, and there were tubes all over my body, like I was sick in the hospital. So maybe they did some surgery on me.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t see anybody else.” Wanting to be helpful, her lack of knowledge caused her some distress, amplified by the fact that she knew Red was a Jedi and therefore scary powerful if he were to get angry with her. She went back to gnawing anxiously on her finger and turned away from him, hiding.

“I don’t doubt there is a bigger operation of which Mr. Fenton and the woman were a part,” Nimdok suggested. “Miri seems to have spent most of her time with them unconscious, presumably drugged, and it may be that she simply wasn’t awake when in the presence of other children. Since Telos is within the limits of the Sith Empire… Could she have been subjected to these Force sensitivity experiments at a facility somewhere here in the Outer Rim, and then intended to be taken back with them to the Empire for Sith training?”

 

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok

Red listened to her. The container sounded like a bacta tank, or a growth pod of some sort. Of course, it could be something different. But Red couldn't be mad, or even annoyed, at the girl for not knowing much. She was scared and confused, understandably, and often times it makes it harder to think. "It's alright. There is no reason to be afraid. You're safe now." Red assured her. "Don't worry about not knowing much more. Your information has already proven valuable."

Red turned back to Nimdok."Yes, perhaps. The Sith would have turned her fear against her, and used it to mold her." He said.

He turned to Miri again."Thank you. Your information is very helpful. Is there anything, anything at all, anything else that you can seem to remember?" Red asked her.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Red's final query was met with silence. Miri didn't look at the Jedi. She had run out of things to say, and seemed to be refusing to talk. She was, after all, only a child, and prone to petulance when tired or unhappy.

Nimdok adjusted his hold on the girl, carefully moving her into a more comfortable position against his side. "I don't think we'll be able to get anything more out of her," he muttered, giving a pointed look to Red that clearly said leave her alone already.

He was equally determined to know what exactly had happened to Miri, but he could recognize when patience and tenderness were needed. The investigation would have to be delayed until she had a chance to rest and recover from everything she'd had to endure.

"Since I've missed my shuttle out of here, I'd better go and make new arrangements. I recommend you follow up on Mr. Fenton, Jedi."

Remembering that he still had Red’s blaster, he handed it back to him. “I believe this is yours.”

***

At the spaceport's police station, Elwick Wesley Fenton, a self-styled "escape artist", was attempting to sweet talk the two officers in charge of questioning him. This was no easy feat, since his nose was broken and he was missing a few teeth after his spat with the Mandalorian, but he liked to think he was managing in spite of these impediments.

"What were you doing with the girl?" the female Ithorian interrogator asked patiently.

"Tha' girl?" he echoed the alien's question with an air of incredulity. "I ha' nothin' to do wi' her. It was all 'hetis doing. She was the ma'her'mind behind ev'ry'hing..."

The other officer, a Pandoran male, cast a weary glance at the medical droid trying to patch the suspect back together on short notice. False teeth were surprisingly hard to come by in the Outer Rim.

"Who is your partner?" the Ithorian pressed gently.

"I tol' you awready, her name is 'hetis S'us'r'n." Her name was quite difficult to say without one's incisors. That, or he was deliberately slurring his words in an attempt to prolong the inevitable.

Subject 73 Red

 

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok

Red nodded. "I agree. It seems that is all she can remember for the time being." Red nodded. His brief questioning finished. If they had more time, he may be able to go into further extent, but there was already little time remaining. He also wanted to ask Nimdok some questions, but Red had already taken up enough of his time, so it would have to be on hold.

"Thank you for your time." Red told them. "Here, you can contact me on this frequency. Contact me if you manage to find anything else out, or if you are in need of assistance." He said, giving Nimdok the frequency.

Red took his blaster pistol and holstered. "Thank you. You might want to hurry. The next transport leaves soon." He told him.

Red walked off. He approached an officer, and told him something. The officer nodded and started leading him to the police station. Red followed after him. Red commed his pit droid to meet him at the station. Soon, they would get answers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
​

Red arrived at the police station, his pit droid right behind him. He walked inside, and the police officer directed him to the interrogation rooms. Red waited while the officer let the others inside the room know he was going to come in.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

After nodding in acknowledgement to Red, Nimdok left the dusty ruins of the bookstore behind. He returned to the check-in area and found it looking the same as it had before the fight broke out between Fenton and the Mandalorian. A droid cleanup crew had swept away any trace of the brawl and shooting, and business had resumed as usual.

Upon reaching the computer terminal, he hesitated before selecting a one-way trip to Coruscant. He narrowly managed to stop himself from paying for only one ticket out of habit, and finally went on his way.

***

The Ithorian and Pandoran interrogators turned around as a third officer entered the room.

“There’s a Jedi here, says he wants to question the suspect.”

The Pandoran groaned. “Great. Here comes the magical space wizard to save the galaxy's children.” But he grinned at Fenton. “Looks like today is your lucky day.”

Fenton grumbled to himself, chafing against his cuffs and running his tongue nervously over his newly replaced teeth. The two interrogators got up and filed out of the room.

As soon as Red entered, accompanied by his droid, Fenton blurted, “Your mind tricks won’t work on me, Jedi, so don’t even try. I am as unassailable as a Hutt.” His expression soured as he realized too late the implications of that comparison.

If Red were to disregard his words and attempt to influence him anyway, he would find Fenton was telling the truth. Something was blocking his thoughts. Whether it was some sort of implant, special training, or a natural immunity wasn’t clear. Either way, while his presence could be felt through the Force, his mind was shielded from any Force user’s view or grasp.

“As for your questions, sir, I have resolved not to answer unless I have a lawyer present,” Fenton went on. He was eying the pit droid with contempt. “And even then, I don’t suppose it would be in my best interest to talk to you.”

Subject 73 Red

 

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok

Red entered the room, and nodded to the officers leaving the room. The door shut behind him. Red turned to Fenton. Red listened to the man. Red didn't doubt him, but good things Red wasn't planning on using mind tricks. "Good thing I'm not planning on using mind tricks, Mister Fenton." Red told the man. "You see, I'm a highly trained supersoldier, and one of the things I'm trained in is advanced interrogation. That includes torture, Mister Fenton. I may be a Jedi, but I have no qualms about causing pain for you, or even killing you. I'm different from the rest of the Jedi, you see." Red told him. He motioned at the large assortment of weapons he had. It was true, it was all true. Red wasn't even bluffing.

Red pulled out a small case, and opened it. Inside, there were three syringes, filled with liquid. Red picked up one. "Mister Fenton, do you know what this is? This is a psychoactive drug. It makes you more susceptible to questioning. Basically, it's like truth serum, but that doesn't exist. This is just the start, Mister Fenton. The next syringe is full of psychoactive venom that will make you hallucinate, and make you see terrifying things, and have you experience your worst fears. And I have even worse things planned for you after that. Still don't want to talk." Red told the man. Then, Red's face broke into a kind of creepy smile. It made him look psychotic, and unhinged. It was all a front, of course, meant to unnerve the man, but Red would enjoy putting his skills to the test.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Fenton grimaced at the sight of the three syringes, licking his lips nervously. After a few more seconds, he nodded his head vigorously, cracking under pressure like a leaf.

"I fear I was a bit too hasty with my words... I may be able to answer a few of your questions in exchange for... not injecting me with drugs of any kind," he said. "Ahem - what is it you wish to know?"

Subject 73 Red

 

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok

Red nodded and placed the syringe back into the case. "I thought you would come around." He said. Then, Red pulled out an armband and placed it on Fenton. "This is a heartbeat detector. It will monitor your vitals, and if you answer me and then your heart rate goes up, I will know you are lying." He informed Fenton.

"First. Tell me about your partner, the Sith. I want to know everything about her, her name, her age, where she's from, everything." Red said.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

The heartbeat monitor was already going haywire. Fenton stared at Red, his expression clearly conveying distaste, if not outright disgust.

“My partner?... Hmmm, which one?” At the slightest threatening move from Red, however, he quickly dropped the smartass act.

“Thetis Suzerain. Her name is Thetis Suzerain. That’s T-H-E-T-I-S S-U-Z—all right, you got it.” The heartbeat monitor was still thumping away, and Fenton was sweating profusely. “She’s, uh… well, she looks young, but you know how it is with the Sith these days. Everyone’s an ageless Dark Lord with ‘powers some may consider to be unnatural’...”

He gulped. “I don’t know where she’s from. We were headed to Telos… That may not even be her real name. All that I know about her comes from what little she told me. I’ve worked with her before, but not in a job like this. I’m an escape artist and a con man, so she hired me to…”

He hesitated, struggling to get the words out without condemning himself.

“...kidnap an orphan. Not that it was particularly difficult. Shameful, really, how little security there is in Alderaanian orphanages. But Thetis wanted this girl in particular. I don’t know why…”

The heartbeat monitor spasmed. Fenton glared at the device, then groaned in pathetic defeat.

“All right, I do know why! It was the girl’s father. She said he's some sort of scientist—or he was. But I looked him up for curiosity’s sake, and all the records said he was a history professor!”

Subject 73 Red

 

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok

Red looked at the heart rate monitor. Okay, so the man was clearly in a panic, but it would still be easy to figure out when he was lying, as it would pick up even more. The man started to speak. Good thing Red was having both his helmet and his pit droid recording the entire conversation. He got the Sith's supposed name, and where they were going. He also lied, but then he confessed about knowing why they took the girl. The Sith had told him something very similar, so their stories were starting to check out. "Elwick Wesley Fenton. That is your name, yes? Calm down, you're safe here, unless you lie to me. You know, the Sith told me a very similar story, about the girl's father, and that he is not really who he says he is, and that the girl's parents were killed in a transport accident. I've looked into that, there were no survivors, but apparently, a couple of years later his status was changed back to living. Weird, right? Also, the man is not Force sensitive, but his daughter is. Mind explaining that? The girl herself has elaborated about waking up in a container like a pod, with tubes all over here. Mind explaining that?" Red asked.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Yes, yes, that is my name. I'm sure you can see the full criminal record from here. It's long and colorful. But you don't care about all that..."

Elwick Wesley Fenton was a career criminal, but while the rogue's crimes were numerous, they were generally not very severe, at least in terms of morality. He'd stolen a starship, for instance, and had been involved in multiple cases of busted smuggling operations, (including one bizarre episode wherein his cargo was a group of mail-order brides bound for a lonely mining colony) but he had never killed anyone (a surprise, considering the sort of company he kept) and always got off with no more than a fine, community service, or a few months in the slammer as punishment for his misdeeds.

As Red asked more questions, Fenton sagged and pouted, but at the same time he dared to hope that he might not be in such big trouble after all. He was more than happy to cast suspicion upon the girl's father in hopes of drawing the Jedi's attention away from himself.

"That's right, her father was here at the spaceport, wasn't he? Showed up out of the blue. What do you call that? It can't be a coincidence, surely." Fenton's eyes darted as though he were making sure no one else could hear him before he added, "Do you suppose Thetis may have been trying to save that poor little orphan from a far worse fate? Maybe the man claiming to be her father is an impostor with even more nefarious intentions. Ever think of that, Jedi?"

He leaned back dramatically, a smirk on his face. It didn't have the desired effect, as Red's final question - about the pod - caused his pulse to spike.

"Oh, um... well, I... I'm no scientist myself, but Thetis might've... done a few things to the girl. Not that I know anything about that stuff. I'm not even sure what she was trying to accomplish with this whole operation, okay? Her motives were a mystery to me. I knew why she picked this girl in particular, but not the significance of the child being the daughter of this man specifically. And anyway, how do you know her father isn't Force sensitive? Or maybe she got it from her mother--"

He broke into a coughing fit. His face was flushed. "Goodness, it's hot in here..."

Subject 73 Red

 

[Subject 73 Red]

Jacen Nimdok

Red listened to him. Yes, Red had thought of that, but who was he going to trust more? A lowlife criminal and a Sith, or a man with no criminal record who wants his daughter back? Really, it was a choice most people would have made. "Yes, I did consider. And, Thetis told me something very similar about the man. I too have my own suspicions about the man, his story is odd, and there is this strange aura about him. It isn't the Force, no, it's something else. But really, who am I going to trust more? A low-level petty criminal and a Sith? Or a man with no criminal record whatsoever who wants his daughter back, but just 'feels weird'? Also, he is her father, the DNA tests came up positive, confirming he is her father." Red told Fenton.

Then, it came to the question about the pod. Fenton definitely knew something about this. "I know he isn't Force sensitive because, you want to know something? That Mandalorian that beat you up? He's Force sensitive, too. We both didn't feel anything from him. And he even told us that his wife was not Force sensitive." He replied.

"But, I think you do know more than you're letting on. I think you do know the Sith's motives, and that you do know what she did to the girl." Red said, pressing him even more. The tone of his voice also increased, as to incite responses from Fenton.

Red tilted his head when Fenton complained about the heat. "You alright? Want something to drink?" He asked. He may be an intense interrogator, but he wasn't an animal. He understood the needs of other people.