Private May The Truth Come To Light

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

D E N O N ,- S E V E N -C O R N E R S
S A K A D I -S I N V A LA -#1​

The odour of sweat and vomit lingered in the neon-lit street, only suppressed by the scent of drugs, greasy food, and alcohol. The crowds in front of the night clubs - with music so loud the vibrations could be felt in the streets - were comprised of thugs, outcasts, and addicts. Each with their own tattoos and scars to show. Some likely veterans of the galaxy's many battles. Others simply gamblers with dangerous debts.

It was exactly what she expected from the underworld of any ecunomopolis. A disgusting and broken down hole. Her mind went to Dagon Kaze . The Knight who had spent so much time fighting crime in these streets. And frankly, she didn't quite understand why. No matter what drew the attention of her lilac eyes, the lower levels of Denon seemed and felt like a lost cause. It was ironic, for that perfectly described the reason why she came to the city.

With the hood of her cloak pulled up, Sakadi weaved through crowds and bustling traffic of the main street. After reaching the third intersection with a broken traffic light, her destination finally came in sight.

The Blue Flame. One of the few known places where members of Darkwire once converged. It was the only place she could think of that had a possible lead. A lead to the information broker she needed.

Even for a bar, the Blue Flame was crowded. All tables were occupied, including the bar stools. She glanced through the room, taking note of the exits, closed doors, and the public. Some intrigued, others unbothered by her presence. None, however, struck her as openly hostile. Nor did she outright spot her target.

With a confident stride, Sakadi made her way to the bar. It was manned by a somewhat sleazy-looking Gran. One she hadn't gone unnoticed to.

"What'll it be miss?" He spoke in a heavy yet understandable Denon accent.
Sakadi, with no time for pleasantries, projected her thoughts immediately. "I am looking for Xan Deesa ." Her disembodied voice startled him, but she wasn't done yet. Sakadi unclipped her lightsaber from her belt and slammed it down on the table in one elegant motion. The long sleeves of her cloak concealed it from the general public. For the Gran, however, the sight and meaning of the hilt were unmistakable. "This is Jedi business. I'd recommend you cooperate."

Cadere

 

[Xan Deesa]

Even with her new body, Xan still found herself plugging back in to keep an eye on things going on around the galaxy. As horrible as it was to be without a body, to be stripped of her humanity, the knowledge and information she had access to was, without a doubt, the greatest advantage in the galaxy. If it wasn't written down or kept off any tech, she had access to it. Hell, even if it was written down and kept off any tech, she could still sometimes get her hands on it. Droids working without an independent system, cameras, microphones, she had access to it all.

It was in this way that she noticed a face of someone she never met before, yet knew a lot about. A face she also dug up from cases more than a hundred years ago related to a popular Sephi starlet who got into quite a few incidents regarding scandal, ridicule, and finally a medical record.

For many years she wanted to meet this Jedi... and what luck it was that the Sephi came to Denon.

Returning to her body, she gave a tired chuckle as she massaged her eyes. "Only after finding out he's fallen to the dark side... now I'm important enough to get visitors." She muttered to herself as she pushed off the chair in her room and wandered to the fridge for a can of soda. "Let's see what's up." Tossing the empty can into a bin, she exited the shabby apartment in the Slums and took to the roofs. Sprinting from rooftop to rooftop, she quickly made her way to the Blue Flame. Corpos had eyes all over that neighbourhood after the crackdown, luckily her face was still very much unknown, even among Shadowrunners she used to operate with.

Donning a rather colourful attire, she walked through the streets and into the bar, taking up a seat next to the Jedi. "I'd suggest you put that thing away, choom, it might draw some unwanted attention." She quipped as her disturbing mask turned to glance at Sakadi. The holographic display curled the maw into a menacing smile as she gave a nod to the door. "Been wanting to meet you for a while. Let's talk somewhere more private. Too many ears in the walls here." Getting up, she nudged the Jedi and made her way to the exit, her hood tugged further over her head as she passed a few cameras and CorpSec officers in the street outside.

"Must say, you had a great singing voice. Shame what happened." That should get her feathers ruffled up. Though her plan for a spicy reaction fell flat when she realized that Cas' stories of her communicating telepathically probably wouldn't work so well now. "Alright, uh... you got a datapad or something? Otherwise, there's a gadget shop nearby. You wanna go look for an annunciator to use?" She asked with a nervous chuckle as she removed her mask and turned to look at Sakadi.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

D E N O N ,- S E V E N -C O R N E R S
S A K A D I -S I N V A LA -#1​

She saw the movement in the corner of her eye. The figure concealed by a dark hood and contrasting neon lights. Yet, her eyes were still locked on the Gran. Until he finally confirmed the person's identity. "Well, ther' ya 'ave er." Sakadi turned to face her, shoving her lightsaber back in the sleeve of her robe. Out of sight, but within reach.

Looking the information broker up and down revealed little. She had no presence in the Force, and judging by the creaking of her chair she was deceptively heavy. Sakadi tilted her head slightly ajar. Was she dealing with a droid? This great information broker Mathieu had recommended was a droid?

Whatever she was, it didn't want to continue their meeting in a place like the Blue Flame. Odd, considering the nature of most deals here seemed to be shady. Then there was the second issue - Sakadi wasn't the kind to comply easily. Her Master had never outright called her stubborn, but she would never forget the condescending tone she so often received after sharing her opinions. In this case, however, Sakadi chose to comply. Simply because she had no other leads to work with.

Although this path made an attempt to test her patience.

The past was the past. That was what she told herself. What she lived by. And yet, the broker felt the need to bring it up. It struck a nerve, although hidden under layers of sand. She was not that helpless girl anymore. Far from it - she considered herself another person entirely. As a result, the sly comment glanced off her like it wasn't even directed at her.

What she did catch, was the slight unease of the woman when communication came up. Had this been any other day, she would have considered it funny. Today she just wanted to get this over with.

Sakadi reached for the pouch on her utility belt, taking out a small transparent hard drive for Xan to see. It was a standalone device with no wireless properties, therefore impossible to connect with without a physical input. Inside the see-through device were three tiny black memory chips. She carefully pried one out, and offered it to Xan with a mysterious smile playing about her lips. If this information broker was a droid, she could just plug the chip in. But even then - would she? The chip could be complex and disabling malware. The kind that broke a system through its own functions. It was a test of trust.

What truly was on the memory chip was data taken from her protocol droid TC-41. It contained the interpretations to Catharese war signalling and Isobian sign-language. Two arguably rare forms of sign language she used on an almost daily basis. If Xan would make the decision to download the chip's data, Sakadi would convey a simple message.

"Better? Because I did not come all the way to Denon to buy faulty holopads."

Xan Deesa

 

[Xan Deesa]

Xan's eyes narrowed at the data chip offered by the Jedi master. She didn't exactly like plugging random stuff into her head, one of the primary reasons why she wanted to get Sakadi some other means of communication. The only thing that stopped her from tossing the chip away was the simple reason as to why the Jedi was there.

With a scoff she shrugged and pushed her hair aside. "Let's see what you got for me." She muttered as she slotted the chip into a socket behind her ear. Her eyes flickered for a brief moment as she scanned and copied the information before she handed the chip back to the Jedi. "You came with a preem selection of surprises." She admitted with a chuckle. <"Can't say I've heard of these languages, you're smooth."> She conveyed with the hand gestures, more of a test to see how she handled the language and if she did it correctly. She was no stranger to sign languages, though those were mostly more universal languages for ease of communication and tactical operation, not to talk in secret.

"Alright, choom, seeing as we can talk now, let's take a walk." She turned and led the Jedi through the streets of Denon to her apartment. <"What brought you here? If you're looking for Cas here, he hasn't visited in a very long time. If you need anything, though, just ask. I want to find him likely just as much as you do."> She signed before slipping her mask back on. She chuckled as a thought entered her mind. <"What do you know about me? Cas ever told you anything or did he just keep a tight lip about me and him like he does with everything else?"> She asked with a grin hidden behind her mask.

When they eventually reached her dishevelled, little apartment, Xan tossed her mask and cap aside and opened the fridge. "We're safe here. You want a soda, water, anything like that?" She asked the woman as she pulled out a can of soda for herself.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

D E N O N ,- S E V E N -C O R N E R S
S A K A D I -S I N V A LA -#1​

Sakadi studied the mysterious broker with a hint of curiosity as she reluctantly accepted the chip and reached under her hood. The brief flicker of lights under the mask told her that her hunch had been right. The broker was a cyborg. And an extremely modified one at that.

"Of course I'm smooth." Her eyes rolled in annoyance, clearly visible under the drawn-up hood of her cloak. She kept it at that curt retort. With or without Jedi training, one could easily recognise the amount of cameras that faced the district's main street. If the corporations were thorough enough to identify and make an attempt to translate her sign-language, the duo might've just as well shouted their conversation from a rooftop. It made her reluctant to answer, although that didn't seem to stop the endless stream of questions.
"And here I thought I would be the one asking questions." She replied after a while. "Makes you look insecure." She pointed out. "Quite different from the tough act you tried to put up out there." She nudged her head in the direction they came from. "Pick one and stick to it please."
She knew how frustrating her attempts to read others were. But she wasn't in the mood to talk. Not when it concerned Cas. And to her, this seemed like the most efficient way to stop the other from asking questions.

Xan led her to an apartment building of at least seven stories high. It was one of the older structures, judging by the cracks in its foundation. That, and the unpleasant draft that seemed ever present in the dirty lobby. The apartment wasn't much better, she realized after entering. She glanced through the room as Xan closed the door behind her. The main lighting was still off, but the several screens strategically placed throughout the room gave enough illumination to make out the broker's shape, who casually moved toward the fridge.

Realizing she hadn't moved from her place since she entered, Sakadi strode into the room. She slid one hand over the back of the corner sofa, before taking place. on one of its two sides. Lifting one hand with her palm open and shaking her head, Sakadi refused the offer. She didn't need a drink. At least not until the information she needed was on the table.

"I know Cas hasn't visited in a while." She reopened the conversation Xan had tried to start earlier. "Contrary to what he believes, he's not all that good at keeping secrets from me." Yenna truly was a blessing. "Friends of mine told me you were one of the best information brokers on Sith activity." If it weren't for Mathieu Brion and Chaussidier , she would never have found Xan. "If I want to find Cas, I'll need that information." She leaned forward a bit. "I need your help for that." The Jedi doubted it would be that easy. That's why she added "Of course, I'm willing to pay."

Xan Deesa

 

[Xan Deesa]

Xan blinked at the passive aggressive quip from the Jedi Master as they walked, a number of thoughts already starting to circle. "Sheesh, no wonder Cas went dark. I'd do the same if I was stuck with you for a decade." She commented casually. "It's called small talk, choom. I could take out half your order if I wanted to, I don't need to act tough. I'm simply trying to see the part of my ex's life that he never expanded on." She flashed the woman a smug grin. This was going to be a delightful meeting.

When they finally reached the apartment, Xan shrugged and put away the Sephi's soda before dropping down into another sofa across from the girl. Her jacket was draped over the back of the sofa before she took a long and obnoxious slurp from her drink, listening to the woman's proposition. "I'm one of the best brokers in the galaxy with anything, and I certainly don't come cheap." She commented casually. The joys of not being human anymore, there was no way of sensing anything from a droid with a personality consisting of code. She was rather curious as to what the Jedi would do if Xan were to dig up some old records on the girl.

But the torment could wait, the more important bit was finding Cas. Perhaps she would mention the fact that she wouldn't charge anything after the woman coughed up some creds.

"You wanna find Cas, I wanna help him just as much. Here's a promo code for ya on the info." She rose from her seat and leaned in close to the woman. "If you're going after him, you send me coordinates and details. I want in as much as you." She muttered with a cold voice. Naturally Sakadi likely wouldn't bat an eye at her, what was there to fear? But an wanted to help him, and she didn't need to be human for someone to see that in her eyes. "Come on, let's get to it." She gave Sakadi a slap on the shoulder as she led the way to her bedroom. "Make yourself comfortable, it might take a while. And if you tamper with anything, I'll end you."

She dropped into a reclining chair behind a desk and started up her terminal. Multiple screens came to life in front of her as she pulled a wire from her wrist and plugged it into a socket. "See you in a sec." She muttered before her body went limp. Lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling as the droid's head fell back against the chair.

A few moments later a hologram appeared in the bedroom with a smug look in its eyes. "Maybe if he wasn't such an idiot, you might recognize me with this look." She snickered away as she looked to the body in the chair. "It's a long story, you can ask me whatever you want if you wanna know." She offered the woman as the hologram leaned against the wall. "I'm running scans on everything I can find. Current and past patrols, sightings, scans for systems, anything and everything in the galaxy I can find. Holonet ain't as secure as people think. You might wanna think about hunting down any past videos and records of your past exploits. I must say you got a colourful history." She chattered away as she ran through everything in the background.

After a few moments, the hologram perked up with a look of surprise. "Oh? Hello there. Gimme a sec." The hologram disappeared entirely as silence fell over the room. The only noise was the fans of the terminal, and the music thumping from outside the apartment.

Xan finally returned again just as Sakadi's datapad went crazy with notifications. "HOLY CRAP I HIT A JACKPOT!" Her hologram returned in front of the Jedi with pure shock on her face. "You want info, I got you info. As in... there is a lot of info, just a pain to decrypt. But I got it... and you're gonna love it!" The hologram disappeared and the body came to life with a heavy cough as she sat upright.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

D E N O N ,- S E V E N -C O R N E R S
S A K A D I -S I N V A LA -#1​

"I'm one of the best brokers in the galaxy with anything, and I certainly don't come cheap." said Xan casually, as she sat down opposite of Sakadi.

She nodded. "I expected as much." Sakadi gestured in her ever-lasting silence. Credits were no issue to her. While she held the strong belief that her life - the life of Jedi - was one free of material possessions, there were... unused funds from long before here Jedi life. Funds and bank accounts that had steadily, over the last century, only grown in value. And when it concerned something as personal as Cas, whom she felt responsible for, she wouldn't hesitate to spend it all.

"If you're going after him, you send me coordinates and details. I want in as much as you." Xan muttered as she leaned in. Sakadi kept her composure, not flinching nor moving a single inch. Neither did she respond. It was understandable why Xan wanted to join her. But the broker did not mince words. With a case as subtle and sensitive as someone fallen to the dark side, roasts were the last thing that would actually help.

Besides, she wanted to spare the woman the sight of a corrupted friend, if she could help it.

"Come on, let's get to it." Xan's words were accompanied by an ill-received slap on the shoulder. Sakadi let out a sigh. How much longer would she have to put up with the mannerisms of this cyborg?

Xan appeared moments later. This time as a hologram, making Sakadi tilt her head a little in curiosity. "Maybe if he wasn't such an idiot, you might recognize me with this look." said Xan, snickering. "It's a long story, you can ask me whatever you want if you wanna know."

"I don't know you," Sakadi began. "but I do know how traumatic it can be to lose a part of yourself." Perhaps a voice was nothing compared to a whole body. But the powerlessness that came with it, the loss of who you were and what you could accomplish on your own, that she recognised. "So don't shield yourself from the trauma by snickering about it. It's not a cruel joke the Force played on you. It's just..." she sought for words, but couldn't find any. "something we learn to live with." She rose from the couch. "Also, I'm not fond of small talk." Sakadi added.

"I'm running scans on everything I can find. Current and past patrols, sightings, scans for systems, anything and everything in the galaxy I can find. Holonet ain't as secure as people think. You might wanna think about hunting down any past videos and records of your past exploits. I must say you got a colourful history." said Xan, earning her an eye-roll of the Jedi Master. "I don't much care for the few gossipers and perverts who stumble upon those."Xan disappeared right after, intrigued by something on the holonet.

She returned after a while, to find Sakadi holding one of the very few personal pictures that stood almost hidden in the room. The Jedi Master gave her wide-eyed look at first, but the hologram seemed too distracted to notice that Sakadi had been rummaging through her stuff first chance she got.

"HOLY CRAP I HIT A JACKPOT! You want info, I got you info. As in... there is a lot of info, just a pain to decrypt. But I got it... and you're gonna love it!"

"We need information related to a certain 'Darth Insatious.' I have reason to believe that Cas operates as his apprentice. If we find him, we find Cas."

Xan Deesa

 

[Xan Deesa]

When Xan looked up after another cough, her eyes went wide at the sight of Sakadi holding a picture frame in her hand. A picture of her and Cas, from her previous life. Practically in the blink of an eye, Xan was in front of her and hurriedly snatched the frame from the Jedi's hands, placing it back on her desk next to a picture of her and Cartri. A harsh glare remained on the Jedi for a moment as she took a deep breath and let out another cough. "... If you got something snarky to say, I'd suggest you don't." She muttered as she straightened out and relaxed.

She did spend longer than necessary to adjust the picture perfectly where a line in the fine layer of dust indicated its spot.

"I did find a mention of that dude, but nothing substantial. Found a bunch of other stuff, though. Sent it all to you. One thing I picked up, though. There was activity on Korriban recently linked to their stuff, some Sith's library got raided. On top of that, I saw a mention of a genetic facility. I'm still working on the translations and codewords, but at the moment, that's all I got that's clear enough." She explained calmly to the woman. After a few seconds of silence, a smile grew along her features. "By the way, you were up to some wild stuff back in the day. You make me look like a saint." She teased with a laugh as she gently nudged the woman. Her earlier comment didn't go unnoticed. While she didn't say anything about it, Sakadi nailed it with her reference to losing a part of herself.

Horrible memories surfaced, but the Shadowrunner did her best to keep her composure and not lash out. She simply resigned to the thought of the Jedi being ignorantly optimistic. "That facility's on the planet, by the way. We can go check it out... it's just in a really crappy neighbourhood." She opened a closet and rummaged around until she found a rebreather and tossed it over to the woman. "You're gonna need that. Smoking a couple packs a day and huffing speeder fumes is healthier than the air we're gonna be breathing." She explained, leading the way back to her front door.

Outside, Xan opened up a garage and got into the driver's seat of a speeder. The engine started with a low rumble as she waited for the woman to join her before they flew off, deeper into the Suicide Slums. Eventually they reached another district, littered with old factories and businesses that have long since been closed off. The only remnant of inhabitants were those too poor or unlucky to afford somewhere even in the Slums... or cast out from civilisation entirely. Xan halted by a crumbling factory and shut off the speeder, pressing a button on her mask to seal it off and activate a rebreather system before she opened her door.

"You were wrong, by the way." She couldn't keep quiet anymore. "I didn't just lose a part of myself. I lost everything. Imagine even your being gettin' taken from you, turned into nothing but an artificial intelligence and shoved into a databank. So between you and me, if there ain't some snazzy 'one with the force' thing for me when I flatline... you'll see an entire planet burning on Holonet News." With her frustration somewhat vented, she walked with her into the old ruins.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

D E N O N ,- S U I C I D E -S L U M S
S A K A D I -S I N V A LA -#1​

"... If you got something snarky to say, I'd suggest you don't."

Sakadi dismissed her threat with a wave of her hand. She was focused on the task ahead. Her priority being to gather intel - the opposite of the information broker who yet again tried to get to her.

"By the way, you were up to some wild stuff back in the day. You make me look like a saint."

Sakadi rolled her eyes in annoyance. It was plain hypocrisy to jab at the Sephi's background, while not wanting snide comments about her own. Knowing that it would deter her mission again, she chose to ignore it. "Sith libraries and tombs are 'desecrated' on a daily basis," she began, unperturbed. "but a genetic facility? That is worrisome."

"That facility's on the planet, by the way. We can go check it out... it's just in a really crappy neighbourhood." Sakadi watched as the cyborg rummaged through her closet. "Fine by me." she signalled, before catching the rebreather tossed at her.

The ride toward the district was mostly silent. Only at the end, Xan spoke up. "You were wrong, by the way." She started. "I didn't just lose a part of myself. I lost everything. Imagine even your being gettin' taken from you, turned into nothing but an artificial intelligence and shoved into a databank. So between you and me, if there ain't some snazzy 'one with the force' thing for me when I flatline... you'll see an entire planet burning on Holonet News."

"Everything that lives will one day become one with the Force." Sakadi stated. "And since I don't know any databank or droid half as condescending as you, you must definitely be alive." She stepped out of the speeder. "So I wouldn't worry about it."

Xan Deesa