The Garden of Secrets

[Lief]

Akro Sicmus​

The Jedi Gardens​

Nar Shaddaa​

​

"A Garden on Nar Shaddaa... Huh. Learn something new every day."

The words had not been spoken to anyone in particular, not the young Journeyer at his side or the Rangers who waited patiently in the shadows to ensure nothing went awry. They were offered with a loose shrug, before the Anzat sniffed the air and took a few steps into the courtyard.

"Two registered as dead, one a guard and the other the Jedi who built this place. Bet he never expected it would become his tomb."

Akro was not known for being the most considerately spoken individual; his position was one borne from experience and expertise, not compassion as had been the case for some of the Council, blunt, to the point, in the eyes of many even somewhat callous, the Anzat had simply lived too long to worry over offending the dead.

When it came to the living, however, it was clear that he cared.

"Journeyer Lundgren," he said, finally addressing his Valkyri companion, "Check the ground for any sign of a struggle. CCTV shows Miss Hex entering, but there is no evidence of her ever leaving." Of course, it didn't help that some of the records were missing. No doubt to cover the tracks of whoever had broken one neck and made a mess with the insides of another.

The Councillor knew that there were plenty of other Je'daii who would have jumped to take on this case, and yet despite that he had chosen Lothar specifically. He wasn't too close as [member='Jericho'] and [member='Jyn Sol'] were, though they had proven the most vocal when it came to heading the inquiry, though he had spent enough time around the Hex girl that he knew who he was looking for.

Plus, he could use the experience.

"Seal off all exits," he said, to the small group of his own personal Guards, men and women he had trained specifically for such a task. "Nobody enters or leaves without my say."

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

The Jedi Gardens
Nar Shaddaa

Today was the first time Lothar had left the planet of Aurum since he had joined the Je'daii Order, and truth be told he had progressed quite a lot since his first arrival. When he first landed at the spaceport, he had only the slightest clue of what the force was. Now, not only did he atleast basically understand the concept, he could wield the mysterious tool a bit.

Lothar had been picked by Akro Sicmus himself to help him find Asha Hex. The Valkryi had not spoken to Asha much, but nonetheless he volunteered immediately upon hearing of her disappearance. No matter how little contact he had had with her before her disappearance, she was a member of his newfound family and he would not have anything happen to her.

But now, the Je'daii Journeyer walked into the Jedi Gardens with Head of Security; the last known location of Asha Hex. Akro mentioned the deaths of the guard and the Jedi that had fallen.

Then the Councillor ordered the Valkryi to check the ground for signs of struggle. Lothar gave a single nod of confirmation to the Head of Security, then went to work.

Lothar combed the grounds of the Jedi Garden, searching for anything pertaining to Asha. After a few minutes of searching, the Je'daii Journeyer came across what appeared to be scuff marks on the ground near a tree. Lothar kneeled down and began to examine the marks further. Once he was satisfied, he continued on in the direction that the marks led to. Suddenly, he kicked something in the grass at his feet. The Journeyer bent down and picked the item up, to find that it was a commlink that had been hiding. With peaked interest, Lothar rushed back to Akro Sicmus. He extended his arm out, offering the commlink to the Councillor. "I found this in the grass, perhaps it was Asha's."

[member="The Je'daii Order"]

 

[Lief]

In the time it took Lothar to hunt down the commlink, every entrance and exit in the place had been sealed up. One area of the corridor had remained untouched, even with these orders in effect, and once the young Valkyri was back at his side Akro figured it was time they headed toward it. He gave a sharp, oddly respectful given how gruff he seemed to be, nod to Lothar once he presented the item he had found.

"Good work, Journeyer, I'll have it analyzed to see if anything was caught on the frequencies. Never know, in a struggle anything is possible."

Gesturing for the young man to follow him, Akro ventured toward the doorway which led into the building which wrapped around the entirety of the courtyard. When they passed two of his Guards who were standing watch he made a slight gesture, and one of them extended a hand to request the commlink from Lothar without a word.

"Your kind are used to primitive warfare," he remarked, a little bluntly "So I doubt you're a stranger to blood. With energy weapons so rampant, you'd be surprised how many people are unnerved by the sight of it. Either way, try to keep your breakfast down... This next crime scene isn't the nicest."

With that they turned the corner and walked in on what looked to be a massacre. Blood soaked into the once beautifully polished marble flooring, two distinct marks which both spread far enough to suggest that bodies worth of life had been shed. Of course most of the blood itself was gone by now, only the stains remained. Not their work, they wouldn't be so stupid as to get rid of prime evidence before they had some of it harvested. Even so, even with it not being freshly coagulated blood, it was grim to behold.

The Anzat seemed unflinching.

"Reports state that the Jedi Master was found here," he said, gesturing to the blood mark closest to them. "There was no sign of whoever the other puddle belonged to... Could be Miss Hex's blood, could be some other bystander. Question is, why were they removed? The Jedi and the Guard were both found in the building..."

He gestured for Lothar to follow as he deftly stepped around the patches of blood, careful not to contaminate any of the evidence... Though the likelihood was that someone already had. "We'll need samples of both, if anything is even salvageable at this point. Keep your eyes open for anything else which might contain DNA, or be indicative of who else was here. We're talking hairs, thread or fiber for clothes, discarded cigarettes or gum... Anything at all."

Part of him was hesitant to allow the Journeyer to assist on this part, there was such limited evidence to work with. But another set of eyes could prove invaluable, and he had to remind himself that this was an important lesson.

Crouching down, Akro was quick to take a swab of the secondary blood patch himself. Just in case Lothar's became contaminated. It was, at all, the biggest chance they had of figuring out if it was Asha who had lain there or not.

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

The Jedi Gardens
Nar Shaddaa

Akro Sicmus was not wrong, his kind were primitive compared to the ways of the rest of the Galaxy. This was evidenced further by the sword Lothar carried on his hip. Nonetheless, the Valkryi flinched a ittle bit upon seeing the blood-stained floor. Even still, Lothar Lundgren tried to view the scene objectively.

Lothar listened intently as the Councillor restated what the reports told, nodding silently in acknowledgement.

Following Akro, Lothar stepped around the blood samples, so as not to contaminate the blood pool. Then Akro Sicmus ordered to keep his eyes open for any DNA that may be laying around. "Will do." Was the Je'daii Journeyer's response, at which point he bent at the waist to swab a sample of the blood he was near, letting Akro sample the other. Now, Lothar began scanning the ground for any of the other DNA samples Akro Sicmus had mentioned; hair, fibers or gum. The Journeyer continued searching, picking up anything of interest with a gloved hand, so as not to contaminate the material.

[member="The Je'daii Order"]

 

[Lief]

It seemed, at first, as though they were out of luck.

For so apparent a crime scene, there was virtually nothing that gave away who was involved beyond the bodies which had been recovered here. A partial print in blood, but it was just the toe and not enough to get any real information from. Not that they wouldn't try, of course, but in a Galaxy this large there were so many different brands that partials could throw up hundreds of possibilities if not more.

But then, when all hope seemed lost, the Journeyer held up a baggy with a single strand of hair inside. Quite out of character a grin broke out on his expression, and he stepped forward to pat Lothar on the back.

"Good work, Journeyer. We'll get that back to the lab, and see if we can't figure out who it's from. I've had Master Shif sent for, he's Kiffar and should be able to gleen something from the commlink you found earlier."

Crossing his arms, he took one more glance over the scene and let out a sigh. They had maybe 6 baggies of evidence, nowhere near as much as he would have liked but it was better than nothing.

"In the meantime, Miss Hex was here investigating black market deals... Specifically concerning trafficking of people and animals. We managed to bring one of their contacts in, it's a long shot but if they found out about her purpose here then they might be the ones responsible for what took place here. Come."

Stepping around the crime scene, allowing the planets own investigators a chance to get in on it now, he gestured for Lothar to follow as they made their way back out of the establishment.

"Still doing okay there, kid?" he asked, once they were away from everyone else, his tone surprisingly somewhat more concerned and sympathetic.

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

The Je'daii Journeyer followed on the Temple Master's heels, wondering if there was any relation between the contact they were bringing in and Asha Hex's disappearance. Lothar pondered on this thought for a few moments, when Akro Sicmus turned and asked the Valkryi if he was doing alright.

Slightly caught off guard by the sudden change in the man's tone, Lothar hesitated before he gave a quick nod. "I'm doing fine. It's rough seeing those poor victims but... It's silly to pretend these things don't happen in the galaxy." Lothar stiffened, then continued, "Either way, we must find Miss Hex soon."

[member="The Je'daii Order"]

 

[Lief]

"Good man," the Anzat responded, patting Lothar on the shoulder as the pair continued to exit the small complex and ventured out into the streets. It seemed as though the Council had chosen well when sending him along for this task, he seemed to have a keen enough eye and a steel stomach - something which few could boast at first. Such typically took months if not years of adjustments.

Nar Shaddaa was as fluorescent and hectic as ever. So many people rushing about, merchants shouting their wares from trashy stores, red lights flickering over many of the buildings, music blaring out into the streets, compared to Aurum this was a sensory nightmare... Yet compare that still to Midvinter, and Akro was surprised the boy was still functioning at all. Stark in its contrast.

"Now you just stick close, and if someone offers you something you say no. You'd be surprised how many folks get hooked on spice by being foolish enough to take something from a stranger in these parts."

Easy way to get new customers, cost a little at first of course but after that? Well, it paid for itself.

Stepping down a particularly seedy alleyway Akro stopped before one of the backdoors to what looked to be a nightclub and rapped against the metal. Once, twice, three times. And then it opened, showing a particularly large gamorrean who ushered them down a dimly lit hallway.

Another door, one to their right this time, was then pulled open, revealing the bloodied trafficker sat upon a stool, stuncuffs on his wrists which were attached to a particularly short chain.

"Feth, did you have to rough him up so soon?" the Anzat spat, before stepping inside and waiting for Lothar to do the same.

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

The brights lights and sounds disoriented the Valkryi slightly. There were so many of them. How people dealt with this, Lothar could not understand. Let alone deal with it day in and day out. In his stupor, he lagged behind Akro Sicmus slightly, but heeding the Master's warning he rushed back to the man's side.

Not a minute later, a hand grabbed out at the Journeyer. "Got sum' premium Spice right here. Only cost ya' a bit..." A gritty voice came from the equally gritty being that held Lothar's arm. Displaying a disgusted face at the vendor, Lothar aggressively ripped his arm away. Now understanding the audacity of these creatures, a hand rested on the Journeyer's blade. Not that he was going to use it... But just in case.

Soon after, Akro Sicmus turned into a sketchy alley, which somehow seemed more comforting than the street they had just left. Not comforting enough for his hand to leave Odiiran, however. Lothar watched as Akro knocked on a dark door, and they were inside as soon as the door opened. He followed the Master, but his eyes scanned the walls of the hall. Never in his life had he been in a situation this dark, and it excited him somewhat.

Everything seemed to be moving so fast, and Akro Sicmus stopped at another door. Another door opened and another room was entered. Instantly, his gaze was set upon a man sat in a chair, beaten bloody. He looked to Akro for guidance, he was unsure how to take this all in.

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

The room they stepped into was so dark and dank and oddly humid that even compared to where they had just come from it felt suffocating.

Once Lothar was inside the room Akro pulled the door shut again with the Force, not bothering to look back at it, and stepped closer to the man in the chair. With a wave of his hand he dismissed all but one of the other men in the room, and the latter seemed to know his place and merely stood by the other door. Watching, waiting, ensuring nothing went wrong in the meantime.

There the Anzat leaned in, looking the man who hung his head in fatigue right in the eye.

"Tired?" he asked, voice barely even audible despite the pindrop silence of the room, "Hungry? Want this all to end?" There was a soft lilt to his voice that didn't quite match him, in fact if one listened hard enough it might even be taken as sarcastic in nature. Though to the man in the chair it was simply soft. He was too far gone to really know any better.

"You know what it is we're after... Who are you trying to protect, hm? Do you really think they'd go through all this if the tables were turned and it was your name we were after? Don't be so stupid... You're not that stupid, right?"

For a moment after he looked over his shoulder at Lothar, trying to deduce how much the boy could take seeing, and before he turned back to the man in the chair he spoke to the Valkyri. His tone was just as soft, though lacking the sarcastic undertone.

I won't judge you if you wish to wait outside, he said, directly into Lothar's mind, before turning away from him to lean closer to the cuffed man.

"You see... My friends here? What they did was childsplay compared to what I have to offer..."

As if on cue the proboscises known to his people, which had previously been tucked away within his cheeks, began to sprout forth, and a look of sheer distress fell over the man in the chair when he realized what kind of monster he was being confronted by.

"Tell me where they're being kept, and give me a name... It's that easy, son."

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

The door behind the Valkryi slammed shut after he entered. He startled slightly and looked back at the door out of instinct. Lothar shook it off and looked again at Akro Sicmus, who was leaning towards the bloody man that was presented to the duo. The Master seemed to taunt their prisoner, speaking in a soft tone. But Lothar knew that the soft tone was a farce. They were here for one thing, and the appearance of the man displayed that nothing soft had been in his recent past.

Then, in the middle of his interrogation, Akro Sicmus turned his head. His eyes met the Journeyer's, and Lothar felt one of the most strange sensations he had ever felt. Akro spoke clear as day, yet his lips had not moved an inch. He had spoke directly into Lothar's mind, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. It was an interesting trick that could definitely prove useful... But that was not what concerned the duo currently.

In response, Lothar shook his head ever so slightly and just once. For whatever reason, he felt that allowing the prisoner to witness their little conversation would break how he perceived the situation, and it seemed that Akro was in full control so Lothar didn't want that.

And just like that, Akro Sicmus turned his head back to face the prisoner. This time, his demeanor and tone of voice changed entirely. He was gentle and soft before, and almost immediately became more harsh. Lothar approved of this technique, as it was likely to bring out the answers that the Je'daii required, but it was odd witnessing an interrogation being conducted right in front of his own eyes. He crossed his arms as he watched it unfold, eager to continue their investigation.

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

To say that the Valkyri kid had courage would have been an understatement in his eyes, not that he'd admit as much. Especially not in the moment. Here he was, face to face with what could easily become a very gruesome scene, and the opportunity to leave, yet he stood his ground. Akro could feel his eyes even fixed over at himself and the prisoner. Nerves of steel compared to many of the green faced children often sent their way - both Je'daii and otherwise. It was amazing how many newbies some police forces had laying around.

"D-Duros...." came the breathless voice of the man in the chair, who spat blood near his feet moments later, eyes transfixed upon the proboscises which were inching closer by the second.

"The Duros Sector?"

The man only nodded, muscles tensing as he once again tried to pull against his restraints to no avail. A vein bulged on the right of his head, face turning ever so slightly red, yet in response Akro only tssk'd and shook his own head.

"Where in the Sector? And you still owe me a name..."

He pressed his lips firmly closed and looked away. With a heavy sigh the Anzat reached out through the Force, likely causing the smallest of shifts in the air around himself and Lothar, and a few moments later the fool in the chair was looking back his way. His eyes seemed hollow, mesmerized by something unknown to the Valkyri, and his lip moved soundlessly in a murmur of disdain. Still nothing was said.

"A shame, truly."

His body stiffened as Akro leaned in closer, the proboscises snaking up his nostrils. He began to quiver and shake, eyes wide with horror; it had been quite some time since he'd been able to feed, yet he managed to find enough restraint to comb the mind of the idiot before him whose defenses had severely weakened in those moments to get the answers that he wanted. By the time he had names and the location the man was too far gone to bear saving. His brain was practically mush.

It took another few minutes before he was completely finished, and the man before him had turned into a complete husk. Outwardly he didn't appear any different aside from the lifeless expression which revealed his deceased state, and as the Anzat stepped away his head slumped down against his chest.

"I have what we need," he said, turning and heading back to the door that Lothar was stood before and opening it without once glancing back at the body which now occupied the room. "Speak of this to no one." The street beyond the safe house was refreshingly cool. Thankfully a speeder had already been sent their way, and was waiting in the alley for them, so he opened one of the doors and waited for the Valkyri to hop inside.

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

The Valkryi's arms remained crossed as Akro Sicmus continued the interrogation. Mention of the Duros Sector was pulled from the captive's teeth, no doubt narrowing down their search ever so slightly. The Duros Sector would take a while to comb through to find whomever the duo was searching for, however...

What if the suspect they were pursuing had already left the Duros Sector? They were making progress, but Lothar had no doubt in his mind those they were chasing were making progress as well. He was not well versed in this investigation business, but for now it seemed to him that the criminals always had the leg up? How could they be expected to catch them with such a great disadvantage?

Suddenly the Journeyer's thoughts were disrupted. Akro was leaned towards their prisoner, doing... something. The man's eyes were wide, nothing but pure fear inhabiting them. Lothar felt a little bit of that fear aswell, completely ignorant as to what was happening. After a few minutes the Master turned away from the man, and the man's head slumped downward. Still slightly shaken he had barely caught his first sentence, but his command to keep silent about the event was well heard. Lothar did not reply, and only followed Akro Sicmus to the speeder, quietly hopping inside.

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

Prior to joining the Je'daii, many moons ago, Akro would not have given a second thought to forcing answers from a man's very mind the way he had just now, supping on the soup his people required for sustenance and pulling forth the memories he needed, but these days it was something he'd utilized so infrequently that he almost felt bad. Though he supposed he had given him enough chances to speak.

The Valkyri had been quiet since they stepped into the 'interrogation chamber', if one could even call it such, yet he had not balked nor had he heaved so that was something. As they began their journey through the cityscape and out toward the Duros Sector Akro pondered on what would come next.

This was a sensitive mission. Not only due to the loss of one of their own, but also the fact that countless lives were hanging in the balance. Trafficking of any kind disgusted him, but the men they were hunting were brutal, indiscriminate. They tore apart families, yanked children from the safety of their homes. They were a blight, vermin who had to be eradicated one way or another. If he had it his way they'd be cut down, root and stem, but he knew that justice had its place. The families deserved as much.

Reaching to one of the various screens inside the speeder, he took the time to bring up any and all information they had on the names he'd extracted. An image flashed up on the screen, accompanied by a name: Trubb Xro.

"Damn Rodian," he muttered under his breath, before glancing across to Lothar, "Get a good look at him, son, he's the one pulling all the strings."

A few other faces and names flashed up, a bith, a wookiee, and a trandoshan to name a few, but it was the rodian who had his attention for the most part.

As the speeder crawled to a slow, Akro reached up to his ear to activate the small commpiece found there. "This is General Sicmus; currently within the Duros Sector. In pursuit of a target, named Trubb Xro. Rodian. Feed me any information you have outside of his criminal record."

"Ready, Kid?"

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]