Glitter & Gold

[Arage Bao]

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CORUSCANT​

CSF HEADQUARTERS​

[member="Cullen Rooker"]​

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The department was silent, choked in silence as every single soul seemed to be holding their breath. No work was being done this time around and that had a reason.

All of their attention was towards the corner office from where the raised voices were escaping every once in a while. The door was marked with a sign that read: Commissioner and a few minutes ago a Detective had stepped through it after his presence had been requested by the newly-minted owner of that room. The shouts had started only a few seconds ago and it had been enough to give even the Sergeant some pause.

Some more minutes passed and Jin Shao stepped out of the office.

The door was slammed behind him with enough force to shake most onlookers out of their revelry. Jin studied the tiles of the ceiling for a bit, hands clenching to fists and then relaxing again.

This couldn't be happening to him.

Looking up Detective Shao suddenly realized that not everyone had gone back to work. One Cullen Rooker was leaning against the desk and Jin got a touch sheepish.

"How much of that did you hear?"

 

[Mav Halo]

The cigarra blazed softly between a set of taped fingers, a lazy tendril of wispy blue smoke coiling upwards towards the stained ceiling tiles like an anorexic serpent. Framing a set of tired, battered features marked with cuts and bruises from the night before. An arrest gone awry or a cantina misadventure, the cause was unclear. His eyes were still alive, however. Sharp and keen beneath the harsh filament bulbs, scarcely blinking as the door leading to the corner office was thrown open and slammed closed in rapid succession. He took another laboured drag. Filling his lungs with smoke and his blood with the much craved nic-i-tain.

Jin Shao was shorter than he’d expected.

The way people talked around here, he’d envisioned the Division’s wonder child to be some six foot five, blonde haired and blue eyed wonder child. A prodigal son and all around messianic deity of arrest statistics everywhere.

The truth, much like the rest of galaxy Rooker had been treated to thus far, was decidedly disappointing.

“Enough.” A more empathetic man might have lied, tried to ease some of the tension that would likely form between the pair over the course of the next few seconds. Cullen Rooker was many things, a few even borderline complimentary, but empathetic was not one of them. Instead he made as much attempt to shield his new partner from the truth as he did to avoid sending an accusatory smoke cloud the man’s way. That was to say, none at all. “Tuned out around the second or third time you called me a… What was it? Oh right, 'a corrupt fethtard that would pawn his own badge if he thought he could get anything for it'.”

Blaze, smoke, breath. Repeat.

“Got a little too repetitive to keep my interest at that point. Strong start, poor follow through. That a habit of yours or just a personal choice? ” He pushed off from the wall, tossing the man his jacket from the coat stand as he brushed past, pausing only to spare the secretary behind the desk a winsome smile. Always paid to keep the administrative people on your side. Golden rule of good police work; Never feth with the bureaucrats. “Come on, we’ve got a case. Fresh body dropped over in Slum S27 has our name all over it. You can drive.”

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Bram Telavere"]

Cuts, bruises, all manner of crap attached to the black sheep of the precinct.

Seemed that the last time he had changed that shirt was before the One Sith's fall, the tie loose and grimy, there was even ash on his sleeves. "Let's hope you haven't sold the rims of our ride yet then." Jin retorted while metaphorically wiping the frown off his expression and letting cool discipline rule for now. In truth he didn't have a big problem with Rooker, possibly dirty, corrupt, but what did that make Jin?

So much worse.

But he was the golden boy.

The scowl reserved for Rooker melted away from the secretary's expression as Jin moved by. A wink, then the next steps 'round as he put on the coat and followed his new partner out of the room and down the stairs.

Fething elevator was waiting for repairs for about two years now. "S27? The Mynocks operate there." That could get a little bit complicated. They had always been testy and temperamental with their territory, but the recent turf war they had started wasn't doing them any favors. Once they exited the building Jin took out a cigarette of his own, letting the tip burn and settle the stick between his lips.

The burn slowly filling his lungs from the first tug felt good, it steadied his hands just the inch that was necessary.

"Who is the body?"

 

[Mav Halo]

“Day’s still young yet.” The reply was flat, but without any real form of edge. Delivered almost absently as they traversed through the crowded bullpen arena, Rooker’s attention instead flickering across the sea of suspicious and confused faces that observed their departure. Like him, they were no doubt wondering what the diminutive cop trailig in his wake had done to earn the Commissioner’s obvious ire. You didn’t just get saddled with the departmental black nerf on a whim after all. Perhaps that shiny gold star wasn’t quite so shiny after all.

“You can quote the obvious at least. That's promising.” Rooker cut back as they exited the building, boots echoing loudly on the cold, pristine duracrete parking structure of the speederpool. So painfully clean you could practically eat of it. A stark contrast to the seedy, debt riddled slums he’d been dragged up in. Good to see your taxpayer’s credits well spent. IA was barking at the completely wrong end of the tree. “Word from patrol is that it’s a middle-tier enforcer by the name of Dan-Shi, A.K.A. Dani the Mouth.”

The name would likely have meant little to Shao, but it was one that bore a semblance of familiarity for Rooker. He’d crossed paths with the muscle-bound spice addict once or twice back when he was walking the beat. Hard to relate the weedy, rat-faced wannabe gangster back then with the kind of muscle the Mynocks were fielding these days. But then, he was hardly the same fresh faced kid that had strapped on the shield.

“Took one to the back of the pan, point blank, execution style.” He continued with an absent shrug, tossing his cigarra away as they neared their vehicle. “Smart money says Dani finally ran that mouth of his a little too far and paid the price for it. If we're lucky, it was an in-house job. If not, there'll be plenty of more bodies to keep Dani company soon enough.”

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Bram Telavere"]

It ain't about what he had done, rather about what he hadn't.

Jin ignored the looks.

They didn't really matter at the end of the day. No, all that mattered was his record and that was spotless. iA wasn't on his ass either. This was the best that the Commissioner had been able to do to settle their particular score. Oh, Shao would resettle it once the opportunity arrived. The anger was real, it just wasn't focused as much on Rooker as some might have believed.

"Human?" Rooker shook his head and Jin grunted in retort. Of course they'd pawn the alien off to the black bantha, the fact that Jin was part of it now? Probably just a satisfying little twist.

"We will see what scene has to say."

There was no point in speculating about it here. They didn't have all the info, hadn't seen it with their own eyes yet, once they did they could start spouting and selling it as some sort of wisdom. Jin caught the keys tossed to him, settling himself down in the driver's seat. It didn't take long for him to get them in the air. Well, relatively speaking, the piece of shet only started at the fourth try.

"Pretty sure this garbage was last tuned pre-Sith time." A click of the button and music started to filter through the tight space.

Better than to talk right now.

It was... a short glance over to Rooker, before paying attention to the road again. Never would have expected him to be a jizz-lover.