Ask A Most Dangerous Game

[Corran Velt]

Dac City, Mon Cala​

Denizens of the Core Worlds often spoke disparagingly about the Outer Rim. They envisioned lawless lands and desolate towns inhabited by unwashed, ignorant, impoverished colonists. Places too unclean to go. Why ever go beyond the elegant spires of Coruscant and Corellia? Urbanized paradise at the center of the universe. Those people had never been to Mon Cala. Descending from the clouds revealed an ocean world unlike any other. Deep, clean blue as far as the eye could see. The sun glimmered off the water like a giant mirror, giving everything a look of fantasy. Even the infrastructure visible above the ocean was unique and gorgeous. Unlike the blocky, industrial designs of humans, Mon Calamari shapes were organic and pleasing. As if crafted by nature itself and placed for their use.

The Core had felt like a prison to Corran since the worst weeks of his life in a long time. Darkened, metal shadows blocking out all sun and greenery. He felt himself trapped by their gravity. Pressing down on his chest and pinning him, despite the restless struggle against it. The politics, his work, the fragments of his shattered life. When a request for an investigation came through from Mon Cala, Lieutenant Velt pulled seniority to get it. It was a world he had always wanted to see up close. Only once before, during his tradeship years, had he glimpse this beautiful blue sapphire from orbit.

He had landed on one of the surface-level landing pads at Dac City, made specifically for land-dwellers. The Rangers were to meet a contact there from the Mon Cal police department and they would get a briefing on the case. As much as he felt the urge to work alone recently, protocol demanded Rangers always work in pairs. He hadn't specifically requested anyone as a partner for the mission and left it blank for anyone else to affix their name. Sort of a professional surprise, if nothing else. Lieutenant Velt stood in a glass walkway that connected the landing pads to the elegant, white central spire in the center of the city that contained all the transports down to the subnautic world below. He stared out, hands behind his back, at the ocean waves as they brushed against the structures that held everything aloft. They were mesmerizing in a soothing sort of way. Something to pass the time until his fellow Ranger arrived.

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Over the glass walkway, various ships could be see flying in and out of the Dac City spaceport. They were all shapes and sizes, ranging from starfighters to freighters and sometimes much, much larger starships. Lt. Velt would have been able to leisurely watch them all floating through the sky, going about their business, as he waited for his partner to arrive. That is, until he would have spotted an X-Wing streaking through the air, sometimes skimming the surface of the water of Mon Calamari, other times raising higher into the air and doing loop-de-loops and barrel rolls. As the starfighter got nearer, the bearded ranger would have recognised the paint job, the different styles of heart insignia all over it.

The X-Wing touched down more calmly on one of the landing pads and the hatch opened allowing the pilot to exit the craft. The individual then entered the walkway from the launch pads to the main spaceport. The 5'4" figure of a purple haired Pantoran woman stood in the doorway. She wore a form-fitting jumpsuit, heeled boots and a brown jacket commonly worn by a sector ranger. This was to be Lt. Velt's partner for this assignment. This was Ranger Rylee Asuchi.

"You're not getting away from me that easily, lieutenant" came the woman's distinctive Pantoran accent from across the corridor, "Coming all the way out here to Mon Calamari is not going to save you."

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

A pacifying calm washed over Corran like the waves that covered this entire planet. Only a few clouds dotted the sky. Ships of every kind and shape glided through the air, either arriving or departing. The Mon Cal ships looked like aquatic creatures of immense sense and were fascinating compared to the pragmatic sharp edges of Corellian design. One would have never guessed a great conflict brewed elsewhere in the galaxy. Peace reigned here and it could be felt even inside the deeply wounded man who looked outside the glass walkway.

A silver knife darted through the clear skies. Sun gleamed off its hull as it twirled in great loops before dropping to just above the ocean surface. Surf kicked up behind the craft giving a whole new meaning to the phrase 'show boat.' Even before Corran saw the X-wing's paint, he knew of only one person who could and would fly like that. His calm inhale became a long exhale. "Asuchi."

When the Pantoran came down from the landing page, dressed as she was, she found Lieutenant Velt turned away from the glass to greet her. He was dressed in his usual field attire of a jacket secured up the collar, a shirt underneath tucked into practical pants which themselves were tucked into polished boots. A Sector Ranger badge gleamed from his chest and two blasters adorned his hips in leather holsters. Unlike the usual, only a blast vest under the jacket provided any protection. He felt confident he could swim in his usual armor, but he didn't want to test that theory.

As Rylee neared, Corran put his hands on his hips. "Ranger Asuchi. I knew it was you who signed up for this investigation without even looking at the roster. Despite how subtle you were about it." His thumb jutted over his shoulder casually towards the sky out beyond the walkway. His voice remained monotoned without a thing of change. "Follow me. We have a political contact and local law enforcement chief to meet with." He waved an arm and waited for her to fall in line, shoulder to shoulder, before the two proceeded to automated lifts that took them to the central spire of Dac City.

The transports were small boxcars that could carry around 20 passengers, gliding along rails over the water. The pair of Rangers only had a small family and another solo passenger somewhere else on board. Corran kept his head facing out the window towards the water that stretched to the horizon. His eyes were still like a wall-cloud after a storm, covered in grey, but flecks of blue life seemed to shine here. The blond man broke the silence without any hint of previous conversation, "It's beautiful. The water. I always wanted to swim in the oceans of Mon Cala." Compared to earlier, his voice contained a small flavor of wonder. A man behind the badge, however subdued, was still alive.

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

"Oh psh, you're just jealous. What reason do I need to be subtle? If you've got it, flaunt it" was the response from the Pantoran to her senior officer. Her demeanor was much more familiar, more normal, than in their recent meeting aboard the Lighthouse. Ever since the lieutenant had revealed he'd investigated her past and demanded answers, ever since she had told him the truth and swore she had changed, that she would do whatever it took to clear her name and earn respect, Rylee had been trying to live up to her promise. What was more, she was determined to repair any damage done to her friendship with Lt. Velt too. The second he had made it clear he was looking for a partner for this assignment, the Pantoran woman had put her name down. It was too good an opportunity to work with her tutor again in the field. One she could not let pass her by.

The blonde haired ranger asked Ranger Asuchi to follow him, which she did. "A politician huh? This assignment must be a pretty big one if those pencil pushers is involved" she said, glancing over at Lt. Velt as they walked along towards the lifts. When they got inside their carriage, there were a few civilians there. The two rangers went and sat together facing the window.

When they had their meeting on the Lighthouse, it was the first time Rylee had noticed a significant change in Lt. Velt's attitude and demeanor. At the time, she had believed it was down to the information he had learned about her. That he was angry and disappointed with her, and perhaps with himself for recruiting her and associating himself with the Pantoran. His eyes had lost their usual spark and his face had been totally expressionless. In the time since that meeting, Rylee had learned from other rangers that they had been having similar experiences with the lieutenant. As the Pantoran was, and still remained, a student of his despite what happened, other rangers would approach her and ask if something was wrong, because Lt. Velt was not acting himself. The truth was she had no idea why this was, but it had struck her that no matter how disappointed he may have been during her meeting, the gravity of his change in demeanor far outweighed that situation. Rylee had come to believe that he was not directing his changed emotions solely at her, but at everybody else too, which to an extent made her quite relieved, but at the same time, it meant that something was not quite right with her friend and she intended to figure out what was going on.

As they sat together in the lift, the bearded ranger actually started to open up a little; something he had not been doing very much at all recently. "It's an incredible planet. It's great to fly on too. I've heard they have a few podracing circuits here. No idea how they've managed to pull that off but the Mon Calamari must be pretty clever. They have the Shipyards here that make the MC80 Star Cruisers. Those things are unbelievable" said Rylee, sharing a little of her own interests, "Never had the opportunity to swim here before though. Think we'll get the chance whilst we're here?"

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Calm as the sky above, Corran's face didn't react at all to Rylee's addition to the conversation. His dulled eyes remained fixated on the scenery unlike any other world. Quiet made itself at home between them after the last question. A child said something in a hushed tone somewhere else aboard. Without fanfare or looking her way, the blond ranger finally replied, "Depends on the case. We might get a chance to swim a lot under the water. I'd like to swim on the surface." The same quiet as before reappeared for a moment. Corran blinked twice, as if finally realizing something. He turned his head to look at Rylee, "You like starships?"

The transport came to a comfortable stop at the end of its line. Doors at the front of the cabin hissed open welcomingly. Other passengers were the first to rise, eager for their personnel affairs. Lieutenant Velt was the last to rise to leave as he politely stood by the isle until all had passed. The terminal at the middle of the Dac City Spire did not mimic the platinum-and-marble architecture of many other spaceports in the Core Worlds. Everything was vibrant hues or orange, green, blue, violet, and yellow. Mixed together in patterns that mimicked nature around it and yet also in contrast to it. Instead of deciduous trees, aquatic plants complemented the artwork around them. The walls had fish tanks built into them that likely also connected to the ocean below so the fish could swim freely to and from.

Down a set of stairs a Quarren woman in professional attire held a datapad. She glanced down to it then waved them over. "You must be Rangers..." She double-checked her datapad for a split second, "Velt and Asuchi! Welcome to Mon Cal and Dac City. I'm Lyda Ruunon, assistant to the magistrate. If you'll come with me please." The pair would be guided to an office meeting room down a nearby hallway after passing through a lounge. The kind for frequent travelers with VIP cards. Inside sad a Mon Calamari, his skin orange with blotches of black, in a fine tailored suit for his species and rather portly Mon Calamari with light green skin with hints of tan. His attire was more slovenly but practical.

Lyda was the first to introduce the newcomers, "Sir, these are Rangers Velt and Asuchi." Corran nodded at his name to help confirm who was who. The assistant left with nothing further and the door shut behind her. The finely-dressed man stood up. "Greetings. I am Magistrate Argad and this is Chief Deld of the Provincial Police," he said in lisping Basic. The Magistrate and the Chief shook the hands of the Sector Rangers in greeting, but both shook Rylee's hand a few moments longer than necessary. "Take a seat, please."

Argad himself didn't join them around the table but went to stand at the head of it. He held the labels of his jacket loosely as he spoke, "I wish to thank you for arriving so quickly. We normally don't require outside assistance, but considering the nature of this matter, a little good faith from the greater Free Worlds community would be beneficial for the public." An orange fin gestured to the two off-worlders. "The people of Mon Cal will be expecting good things. If you help us, it'll go far in our efforts against crime and attitudes towards the galactic community." The Magistrate cleared his throat. "I have other matters to attend to, so I leave the details in the capable hands of Chef Deld. Thank you and good luck."

The politician bolted out of the room so fast that you didn't realize he was gone until the door whooshed shut again. Before Corran could say anything, the other alien in the room spoke in a bloated, fleshy voice, "Don't mind him. He's got an election coming up. The more he can distance himself from the case but hover around to celebrate its victories, the better." Deld leaned back in his chair, creaking under his weight. "Did they give you any briefing?" His large fish eyes looked directly at Rylee.

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

"Sure do! I love everything about flying. Have done since I was a little girl. Fighter pilots were always my heroes growing up" was Rylee's response to the lieutenant. She gave him a kind smile before continuing, "I had no idea you were so interested in swimming. I'll have to remember that." This was perhaps one of the first glimpses that the Pantoran had into who Lt. Velt was as a person, rather than a ranger. Every other time they had met, even before she had been recruited to the rangers, Corran had been working or at least representing the organisation, even at the new ranger induction on the Lighthouse. It was nice to learn something new about him that wasn't confined to their back and forth banter or work.

The architecture and atmosphere of Dac City was just incredible. There really was nothing else like it. Rylee soaked in her surroundings as they walked and eventually they met a smartly dressed Quarren woman who introduced herself as Lyda. "Nice to meet you Lyda. I love your dress by the way" she said, complimenting the woman. The two of them proceeded to discuss clothing and fashion as the rangers walked with Lyda to a VIP lounge commonly found in most space ports. The Quarren left as soon as she introduced Asuchi and Velt to the two Mon Calamari, who in turn began to introduce themselves. The finely dressed individual was Magistrate Argad - the politician - and the other, more casually dressed man was Chief Deld. Rylee gave them both a good, firm handshake, that you would expect from someone who came from a military background, but both the Mon Calamari held onto her hand longer than could be considered normal. They hadn't done that with Lt. Velt, so could only assume it was because she was a woman, or perhaps because she was Pantoran - maybe even both.

The pair took seats as bidden and the politician began a little introductory speech. Besides saying something about their presence being beneficial for public relations, his words were effectively empty and meaningless. Argad then proceeded to excuse himself and promptly departed. Chief Deld began to cover for him a little bit, explaining the politician had an election to prepare for and was concerned with self-preservation more than assisting with the case. Rylee rolled her golden eyes, something that would have been quite obvious to both Chief Deld and Lt. Velt. "The briefing I was given from HQ was that you've got a problem with illegal bloodsports, Chief" said Rylee, answering the Mon Calamari's question. Whilst answering, she crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, "Did they tell you anything further, Lt. Velt?" The Pantoran should probably have let her senior officer speak first, but Rylee still sometimes reverted to old habits, since she previously outranked him in her old job. Not only that, but she had always had a tendancy to do things that would get a rise out of her bearded colleague. Despite everything that had happened during and following their meeting on the Lighthouse, she was determined not to let things get awkward between them, even if Corran remained completely indifferent. She had to at least try to cheer him up.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Ranger Asuchi was certainly courteous to everyone they were introduced to. Her idle chatter about fashion was a welcome reprieve for Lieutenant Velt as it allowed him to avoid engaging in small talk. Especially with a woman. That didn't stop him from listening in, however. Being a hotshot starfighter pilot didn't lend itself to be fluent in modern fashion. Yet Rylee was chattering away like it was her favorite hobby. Maybe it was. Corran didn't know that much about that aspect of her life. The Pantoran was less cordial to the two Mon Calamari men they met privately, though they were plenty cordial with her.

The bearded lieutenant didn't mind that Chief Deld spoke directly to his junior partner first or that Rylee replied in kind. He rarely pulled rank unless it was for discipline or training anyway. As long as the basic rules were followed, everything else was pragmatic. Corran rested a closed hand on the table and tilted his head to glance at his partner at the mention of his name. "Yes, I did some groundwork for the case," he nodded to his partner before swiveling to face the Mon Calamari in the room, "Something about missing persons?"

Deld squinted his large eyes at the blond ranger. He didn't like that it was brought up, but with the Loth cat out of the bag, he allowed a blubbery sigh. "You're right on both counts. We've got an illegal bloodsport going on in the lower habs somewhere and some people are missing." The green Mon Calamari began rubbing his rotund belly. "I don't think they're related cases, but the big scales up top seem to think they are causing enough of a worry to bring in Rangers." He thumbed towards the door where Magistrate Argad had departed through. "My department has evidence the bloodsport involves Mon Cala electric eels. They can get pretty big and they are very aggressive. Poaching has risen in some local areas from the natural population. Likely being used in some sort of gambling den somewhere."

The green alien ceased rubbing his stomach and both his flippers clutched his jacket on either side in a show of satisfaction. There was no denying his local law enforcement hadn't done a great deal of ground work, but he hadn't spoken about the other topic and didn't seem particularly inclined. That didn't stop Corran from pressing. "And what about the disappearances?" He must have a knack for getting under the skin of police chief's because Deld flapped his large mouth in a show of annoyance. "It began with a bunch of bums. You know? Addicts and stuff. Those types don't linger long anywhere, so who knows. Then off-worlders started to get caught up in something. Mostly business people. They don't stay long here either. Only reason you," he pointed a flipper at Lieutenant Velt, "heard about it was because Karkaris is making a big stink. Some rich kids didn't call their parents on time. I bet it's more like they haven't swam off their bender."

That explained why the Magistrate seemed to care so much and why this case even came their way. Local police figured they had it under control, just needed more time. Politicians had their own problems and wanted to make a show of doing something. Corran and Rylee were stuck in the middle. The Chief sensed the situation and spoke before they did. "Listen, all you gotta do is dig out some clues, publicly hand them over to us, and we can handle the rest. You know, for the media. Something to tickle their sacks a little bit." A webbed hand jiggled its fingers in sync with the tail end of that sentence.

Corran didn't know Mon Calamari anatomy and he didn't want to know. Bypassing that comment entirely, the male ranger shifted a little in his seat so he could better face the Mon Calamari and Rylee. Mostly overcast eyes glanced at the Pantoran, looking for her thoughts. It seemed like the Magistrate cared more about the vanished persons and Deld wanted to shift them to focus solely on the bloodsport case.

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Rylee leaned back in her chair, listening to Chief Deld's explanation of the two cases. It was a good thing that Lt. Velt pressed him on information regarding the disappearances because otherwise it seemed almost as if the Mon Calamari was going to just brush the subject under a rug. She nodded her head as she listened along to the details, but at a certain point she stopped, raising an eyebrow at Deld's strangely enthusiastic sack-tickling gesture. Glancing at her bearded colleague, hoping to see maybe a look of amusement or surprise, Rylee saw that the lieutenant remained expressionless and proceeded to ignore the comment, instead turning to her as if to suggest she should share her thoughts.

"I wouldn't be so sure that the two cases are unrelated, Chief" said Rylee, her golden eyes looking from her senior officer to the Mon Calamari, "You said the first people to go missing were addicts and people visiting from off world. They're the types of people that the locals wouldn't miss. Nobody would think anything of it. They're the perfect targets if some unscrupulous people wanted to use them in a blood sport."

The Pantoran sat forward in her chair, looking between the two men again, then sweeping a stray purple hair out of her vision before continuing. "These poachers might be poaching more than just eels. Its possible that the bloodsport pits the eels against each other, but we can't rule it out, there's nothing yet to suggest that they aren't getting people to fight these eels..." Rylee said, now undoing her high ponytail and re-tying it as she talked to them, "Having said that, can you give us the locations of where these people have been reported missing? And where the eels are being poached from? We might already be able to ascertain something based on that alone."

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Without realizing it, the junior partner had taken her mentor's words right out of his mouth. Given the Pantoran's relative inexperience with investigations, her connecting the dots between the two cases was impressive. If she looked Corran's way, she would witness a subtle cocked eyebrow hinting his opinion. The thing about blood sports and their ilk was that the hunger always deepened. One morsel of two animals fighting would eventually lead to a grand feast of beast and sentient being alike. The thirst for blood and gambling always outpaced entertainment. There was no prove any of this was linked, but it wasn't a massive leap of logic either.

The green Mon Calamari furrowed the rubbery skin above his large eyes at Rylee's questions. He didn't reply immediately but instead stroked his jowls. As much as Deld was observing Ranger Asuchi, Lieutenant Velt was observing him. The Chief didn't seem like a bad cop. Politically astute, clever, and likely knew more than he led on. From his perspective the Rangers were interlopers. Outsiders whom he didn't know or trust. Still, Chief Deld sat upright, giving his laboring chair some rest, and began speaking, "There's no proof these cases are connected, but we've thought that possibility might exist. The eels have nesting grounds in a chasm not far from Dac City's lowest habitations. They make their nests in holes along the rock wall. You can only get there either walking along the sea floor or taking a submersible." The aquatic alien tapped a fishy finger on the table to indicate the chasm and then slid it across to another spot within arm's reach to indicate distance. "The lower habs are where the homeless started vanishing. Industrial docks, warehouses, that sorta thing. It's been sporadic. Those folks are often drifters. Hard to say who vanished and who left. Only recently did people start disappearing from all over the place." The green, rubbery hand waved in the air to indicate the whole spire of Dac City. "Seemingly at random. No pattern established. Not yet, at least. Luxury hotel rooms. Working class bars. Spaceport bathrooms. Just all over."

Despite his subtle misgivings, Chief Deld was providing more than he likely needed to. Corran shifted his jaw in thought and his eyes came to gaze at the center of the table, as if the answers would appear there. A hint of something was between the two cases but nothing concrete. The bearded ranger looked up at the police chief and nodded, "That helps. Was there any reason you can think of for the change in behavior from vanishing homeless to cause a shift to off-worlders?"

Deld waved his webbed hands in front of him as if warding them off, "No, no. We are still looking into the cases. Could still just be people moving to Mon Cal City or leaving the spaceport without checking out. You two are looking into the eels and possible illegal betting. Get me some evidence and you'll get out of here and back Coreward in no time." He grinned widely as best as his face allowed. Corran would have grimaced if he had any emotions at all. His teeth merely clenched at the idea of being 'Coreward' again.

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

The link between the eels nesting grounds and the original site of the disappearances was too convenient to just be a coincidence, as far as Rylee was concerned. It seemed to her that whoever was behind the disappearances had started out small, picking off people the locals would not take any notice of going missing, from the nearest source. The Pantoran had her own ideas about why the more recent disappearances had occurred outside of the lower habitations, but was not prepared to voice them now in front of the Chief. He was insisting on the pair of them focusing their attention on the eels and not to concern themselves with the other case. Rylee did not believe they would have any other choice but to become involved with the second case, particularly since Lt. Velt had already done the groundwork to discover the situation concerning the missing people, and it was possible that they might find evidence linking the two crimes when they investigated the nests.

Having now tied her hair back up into it's usual high ponytail, Rylee stood up, turning to look at Corran with her golden eyes. "I guess we had better step to it then, lieutenant" she said, assuming that they had got all the information and instructions from Chief Deld, "Unless there's anything else we should be asking of the Chief before we go?" Her gaze then turned to the green alien sat across from them. Rylee could not tell whether she liked Deld or not. On the one hand he was in the same profession and had given them a decent amount of information about the cases, but on the other she had the distinct impression he did not want sector rangers meddling in his own business. That was tough, because clearly the politicians wanted them to be involved, so Chief Deld was just going to have to suck it up, and maybe cut down on the sack tickling while he was at it.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Corran rose to his feet only a split second after his Pantoran counterpart. He met her golden stare with a nod. Always quick to action, she was. The Mon Calamari Chief of Police shook his head, jowls slapping against his neck. "I've given you all I can. Take a pod tram to the lowest habs. You'll find equipment that'll prevent you from drowning should you take a swim towards the eel chasm." Deld rose up and offered a flipper to both the Sector Rangers, "Good luck and may the Force be with you." Corran gave it a firm shake. "Thank you, Chief." Placing both webbed hands on his jacket labels, the green aquatic alien vacated the lounge and headed off to one of his many duties. Likely to put the spurs into his own officers assigned to the case.

That left only the two rangers. Lieutenant Velt swiveled his head to face Rylee and offered a tiny shrug, "That's our case. Literal bottom-feeding." If it was a joke, the delivery was terrible. A simple wave of the hand gestured for her to follow and once again out in the starport hallways, the bearded human walked along side his fellow ranger. More civilians of every shade began to appear as they moved closer to the trams mentioned earlier. Mon Calamari, Quarrens, Humans, Karkarodons, Dugs, Muuns, and every other possible species. Some clearly on vacation with casual attire and children while others stood or sat rigidly in business attire, clacking away on datapads as they waited for transport. Many gave the Sector Rangers a wide berth, some paid no mind, and others stared with unease. Corran's shaded eyes were indifferent to them all. He strode upright and with a steady pace.

At the very end of the long terminal hallway lay a nexus of large double doors. In the middle of this square room were efficiently arranged chairs for scores of people. Many of them were occupied but some sections were empty. Above the double doors were holosigns that labeled destinations: Upper Skyrange. Central Bubbles District. Coral Shores - Lower Habitations. The last door was the least crowded area of the nexus. Corran pointed to the set of doors and headed that way. To their luck, a tram had just arrived as they approached and only a handful of riders exited. Most looked working class heading to a shift. When the two rangers boarded, they were once again a minority among the forest of empty seating. The blond ranger took up a chair near the side of the tram that provided a viewport outside.

The tram shuddered to life and began its descent. A pleasing chime and a robotic voice confirmed the destination to what few passengers were aboard. Metal supporting struts slide upward and revealed a vast scene of dark blue, fluttering greens, and rolling rocks. Organic-looking, yet artificial, buildings of the Mon Calamari broke up the darkness of the ocean with their external lights. Some submersibles sputtered by in the distance. Packs of underwater animals glided in unison in a natural dance. All this life and color reflected in Corran's vacant stare.

"What do you think?" He said aloud suddenly, "About the cases. What we should do."

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Rylee had sat herself down opposite her colleague, making it easier for the pair to speak with each other. Their tram was eerily empty, leaving the pair largely alone with each other. It gave them an opportunity, now they were away from Chief Deld, to discuss what they really thought about these cases. Velt was the first to speak, which surprised the Pantoran, given how expressionless and grey he seemed to be these days. The fact he was making conversation was good, but it was a shame most of it revolved around work. The lieutenant seemed to be the type who threw themselves into their job when something was up with them personally and this was the impression Rylee had, but now certainly was not the time to question it.

"I think Deld is either hiding something or his force is just incompetent" said Rylee, her chin resting in the palm of her hand as her elbow rested against the armrest, "If they know people started going missing from the Lower Habs and these eel nests happen to just be located nearby, why have they not investigated that link themselves? I say we should check out the nests and see what we can find there. Poachers are bound to have left some kind of clue, and if Deld says we're looking into the eels, he can't get on our backs for disobeying his instructions. My hunch is that we'll find something linking these cases, and when we do, the Chief is gonna have to eat a big slice of humble pie."

The Pantoran lifted her head out of her hand and began to stretch as she sat there in the seat opposite Corran. "What do you think about all of this? Do you agree with me? Or the Chief?" asked Rylee, trying to gauge her superior officer's thoughts on his own question.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

One thing Corran genuinely liked about Rylee Asuchi was that she never feared to share her opinion, unmitigated and pure. She'd been like that since their first meeting. This appreciation didn't show at all on the stoic lieutenant's face as he took in the Pantoran's assessment. He nodded in silent understanding with no other movements besides twisting his neck one side to the other to pop his spine once. Getting some exercise in to stretch the muscles after all this sitting would do him some good. For someone with little investigative experience, Rylee was making some good points about where things sat. There wasn't any proof the eel blood sport and disappearances were related. Circumstances couldn't discount that possibility either.

For a moment, Lieutenant Velt regarded his partner with subtly moving eyes. Like he was taking in something curious and unknown. "I can see Chief Deld's point of view," the blond ranger finally said with a half-shrug, "I don't think the Dac City police are inept. He is hiding something, but not for nefarious reasons I think. He doesn't want off-worlders solving the case before his teams." Corran gestured a hand towards the former soldier, "How would Pantoran command feel if their units had been shown up by FWA squadrons out of nowhere?" Rivalry between friendly factions wasn't always a bad thing. Deld was likely confident his department could bag the serious case and the Rangers get the small stuff. Teamwork all around. That very rivalry mentality might have blinded him to a bigger picture. Maybe.

The descending pod came to a slowing halt, shuddering as locks grappled it into place. A pleasant chime indicated passengers had arrived at the Lower Habs. Doors slid open and the few people aboard began to filter out. The lieutenant did not rise to exit with them. He sat patiently; grey, hollow eyes lingering on the Pantoran woman that sat across from him. Unreadable and unmoving, yet Rylee might get a feeling more was going on than an indifferent stare. Without a word, Corran rose to his feet and nodded his head towards the door, "Come on."

Compared to the spaceport above, the terminal into the Lower Habs was akin to walking straight onto any urban street on Coruscant. Passersby made their way to and fro, heading to work, home, or any other distraction. Unlike the busy streets of surface worlds, there were no speeders here. At least not traditional ones. More like speeder carts that went much slower and had thinner routes around the enclosed roads. Stalls with holosigns hawking their offerings lined the opposing sidewalk. Dwellings of various income types could seen practically reaching the ceiling just behind those. Mon Calamari and Quarren who recognized the badges adorned on the Sector Rangers gave them a wide berth. Indifferent others just passed them by.

Off to the right, a flickering, staticky holosign promised 'external ports and exosuits.' Corran pointed and said rigidly, "That's our ticket. Let's check it out." A thoroughly practical durasteel door hissed open after circular locks spun open. An additional level of security should water breach the hull. This was no store. More like a publicly accessible maintenance room. Swim gear and encased suits stood stored on individual racks. A few were marked 'USED' with a tag. A sign pointed to a hole in the floor downward with two rungs on either side, indicating a latter. 'SUBMERSIBLE' it read in flickering blue. "Looks like Chief Deld wasn't too keen on sharing resources either," Lieutenant Velt said with a small sigh through his nostrils.

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Lt. Velt remained even-handed in his assessment of Chief Deld where the rookie ranger was skeptical and critical. It showed the difference in their experience in the line of work and maybe some day Rylee would learn this trait. Of course, there was always a chance she wouldn't, and coming from a military background there were some habits and behaviours that would be tough to correct. When Corran asked the question about Pantoran command's response to being hypothetically shown up by a squadron of FWA fighters, the former squadron leader simply smirked. "Ha, puh-lease, the FWA squadrons couldn't fly their way down a one way space lane, let alone show up a Pantoran military squadron. We're number one!" she laughed. Nobody, in fact, was adjudicating this fictional competition, but Ranger Asuchi was a proud Pantoran who had served her homeworld for a number of years. She wasn't about to let someone else make out that they could be bested.

Eventually the pair reached a place in the Lower Habs offering the use of swim gear and exosuits that they could use to investigate the eel nests. What they had thought was a store turned out to be nothing more than a storage cupboard filled with racks of submersible swimming equipment. Rylee raised an eyebrow at the sight of some of the "USED" tags on them and huffed, unimpressed with Chief Deld for yet another reason. Reaching into a pocket of her brown ranger jacket, Rylee pulled out what looked like a scrunched up piece of fabric. On closer inspection, Lt. Velt would be able to see that it was in fact, a one piece bathing suit. "There is zero chance that I am putting one of those things on, without something between me and whatever last touched the inside of one of those suits" she said, looking at Corran, "I'm not sure I even trust the ones without 'used' tags on them. Could very well have the next variant of AMS virus lingering on the insides of some of them." Her last comment was clearly another one of her jokes, but the Pantoran was quite serious about not wanting to get some sort of infection from wearing an unhygienic suit.

There were some changing rooms down one end of the room, which Rylee head over to once she had picked an exosuit that looked least likely to be a health hazard. She would be in there for a few minutes as she undressed and changed into the outfit required for the pair to investigate the nests. Rylee finally emerged, fully suited up and ready to roll. "Chop chop lieutenant, pick your gear and get it on, we've got some investigating to do! said the purple haired woman, strutting past him to store her clothes in a locker. The rest of her gear, such as her badge and handy fusion cutter she would keep on her person.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Soldiers were rugged types. Boot camps made them tolerate mud, rain, and exhaustion. That type of grit against 'gross' didn't extend to Pantoran Squadron Leaders it seemed. Corran folded his arms and listened to Rylee without a hint of judgement on his face, though he didn't expect her to react this way to some old wetsuits. His hollow eyes glanced to the tiny, packaged swimwear in her hand. She had come prepared. More so than him, for once. Lieutenant Velt's gaze rose to her face and he stared seriously, "You're lucky other species aren't present. Assuming they are an unhygienic people is pretty speciest." It got so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The blond ranger's face remained as unmoving as mountains. Then a tiny smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Kidding."

Ranger Asuchi was quick to go change while her more experienced partner had trouble finding a dive suit for one reason only: size. Working out for strength and endurance, especially as a coping mechanism, meant that sometimes 'regular sizes' were odd fits for him. Unlike Rylee, he also hadn't brought any swimwear along. When she reappeared, Corran didn't roll his eyes but he did squint at her for a moment before grabbing three different wetsuits and heading for the changing room.

Trying the underwater gear on was like a child's fable. Too small. Too short. Just... well, tolerable. The shoulders felt too snug but it would have to do. These weren't custom make after all. Corran came back to the main locker area twisting his neck and rotating his shoulders, trying to wedge into the glove of the suit. The zipper wasn't fully secured up to the neck and held in the middle of his chest. Two pistols hung in holsters on his hips and a badge over his heart. He never went anywhere without those. The blond man stuffed his belongings in a locker and secured it. "We'll be taking the submersible over there. No point in swimming the whole way. We'll grab exfiltration gear on the way." All business with this guy.

Along the way to the ladder that went down to the sub-speeder, helmets and oxygen tanks were available. Corran grabbed the necessary equipment and tucked it under his arm. Without a word, he took the lead in heading down the metal rungs with rubberized grips to keep people from falling. The bottom opened up to a room with a fully-encased machine floating in a pool just big enough for it. It looked like a speeder-bus in size but had a smaller cockpit and two propellers instead of thrusters. Mechanical curiosity made him wonder if it handled like a speeder or a starfighter more. The lieutenant glanced over his shoulder and tilted his head to the craft, "Do you want to drive or should I?"

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Rylee waited for her senior officer to emerge from the changing room. The Pantoran had an interest in fashion and in her off time would check the holonet for the latest fashions, or if she was lucky enough to be stationed on a planet with good stores she would visit them and see what they had to offer. Lt. Velt was a very well built man and even in the time since she had known him, Rylee had noticed somewhat of a size increase. She had suspected that this might have tied in with how he had been acting recently. He had not quite been himself and she figured something in his life was bothering him - something perhaps more personal than finding out about her own past, though she did not know what. People often had vices, it could be smoking, drinking or gambling, but sometimes it manifested itself in other ways. Obsessively aiming to improve yourself, pushing yourself to the limit in the gym, was also something she had seen before. Soldiers in the Pantoran military who had lost comrades, worked their bodies to the bone trying to deal with the trauma, to occupy their mind, to stay sane. It worried her a little, but until she could get him to open up somewhat she was never likely to know what was bothering him. For the time being however, the Pantoran wondered whether a man of his size would be able to fit inside one of these stock exosuits.

When he reappeared, Rylee, leaning against the wall had reverted to her usual teasing. "And I thought my cleavage was bordering on breaking the dress code" she grinned, seeing that the exosuit wasn't quite able to zip all the way up his chest. Once Corran had deposited his belongings in the locker as well, he explained they'd be traveling to the nests by submersible and the pair head out. Rylee collected the necessary equipment, helmet and oxygen tanks, at the same time as the lieutenant and descended into the speeder-bus sized submersible. Corran, looking over his considerable shoulders, asked if the Pantoran wanted to drive. "I'm not giving up a chance to pilot one of these things" she said, her golden eyes scanning the submarine, taking it all in. Though she was a pilot by trade, she had a knack for operating vehicles, and though this one happened to be under water, the concept was roughly the same as any above ground speeder. "Besides, this is much smaller than the freighters you're used to driving. We wanna get to those nests some time this side of Boonta Eve" she chuckled, squeezing past him and parking herself in the driving seat. The Pantoran fired up the submersible very quickly and the two rangers were well on their way to the eels nests.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

If there ever was an opportunity to tease and harass her mentor, Rylee Asuchi took it. Corran gave back an unphased, indifferent look with a small twitch of annoyance in his brow. "I think your attire does break the dress code," he stated back dryly. She would know that was a fabrication merely to counter her teasing. The Pantoran might get right up close to the line but never crossed it. Might even make a show of leaning over it, but never across. Not since the revealing of her past transgressions. This was all part of their eternal game of quips between one another that began on a space station in the Outer Rim long ago.

At least the rookie displayed some exuberance in flying the submersible. The lieutenant could have piloted it, but there was no denying that Rylee had superior instincts and reflexes for smaller craft. Plus he'd never piloted anything underwater before. His eyebrows dented in retaliation to her second tease. "At least'd we get there instead of ending up debris on the ocean floor," the blond ranger said with a mocking grimace. Hot-shots, he thought derisively.

Corran pressed his back to the wall to let the Pantoran get by and followed her into the sub after she'd gotten down the entire set of rungs. Once inside it became clear the craft was clearly designed for hauling of cargo over short distances between city spires. Like a moving speeder. Some crates sat in the back undisturbed and possibly empty. The cockpit held two seats, one for the pilot and the other for a co-pilot or passenger. Taking up this spot, Lieutenant Velt began carefully pressing some controls. Not for the sub itself, but for the docking bay it sat in. Rylee dove the craft downward from its half-surfaced position and the gate into the wide open sea lifted out of the way.

At this low of level, there wasn't much traffic. Other subs were either closer to the surface or moving between the underwater spires that kept all sentient life contained against ocean pressures. The sub the two Rangers were in was only about 20 feet from the current plateau of the sea floor. Mon Calamari cities, like the capital of Mon Cala City, could go much deeper. Always focused on the task at hand, Corran swiveled his seat to face away from Rylee and began adjusting the sensors. "If these readings are correct, we should be nearing the eel nests shortly. Slow down when we get closer. We'll want to detect bio-readings." Mon Cala was a civilized world and while large predators darkened their waters, it would be pretty unlikely for one to accost them at this depth.

For a moment there was some quiet. Only the subtle beeping of the sensors reaching out into the darkness. "You're doing a good job piloting," Corran suddenly said quietly and totally unwarranted. His hand reached over and flipped a switch, turning on the front lights of the vehicle to illuminate their path for the time being. No jest followed that, though there was space for one.

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Rylee acknowledged Lt. Velt's update regarding their proximity to the eel nests. She had been quite happily piloting the submersible as her human colleague had been busying himself with the duties of a co-pilot, handling the docking bay controls and monitoring the navigation console. There was a brief period of quiet during which they could only hear the vehicle's engines and beeps from the sensors. The silence was only broken when the bearded ranger next to her paid the Pantoran a compliment.

"Thanks. We had a little training on submersibles in the army, but I specialised in space combat so never had too much reason to pilot many of these. The ones we used were a little more sophisticated than this, but I don't exactly get many opportunities to try my hand at this these days" responded Rylee. Knowing that it would be safe to do so whilst driving, the female ranger glanced over at Corran and gave him a smile before turning her golden eyes back to the water way in front of her. There was another gap in conversation, permeated by silence, after which the Pantoran spoke again in her distinctive accent.

"Couldn't help but notice you seem to have been hitting the gym pretty hard lately. It's no wonder you had trouble finding a suit to fit you, you're bigger than you were when we met and you weren't exactly small then either..." she said idly, her tone conversational with no hint of a joke this time. Ranger Asuchi had her eyes focused on what she was doing, but being an experienced pilot, she had the capacity to hold a conversation whilst she drove. "You got a goal you're aiming for?" she asked. The former squadron leader knew that they wouldn't have much time before they reached the nests, but she decided that since he seemed to be in the mood for conversation, to pick his brains and find out if there was something going on with Corran Velt.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Submersible training for fighter pilots was an interesting fun fact to learn about the Pantoran military. The lieutenant actually froze in what he was doing and looked over his shoulder. He was no soldier himself, but multi-disciplinary training was fairly rare in the history books. Few Imperial fighter pilots ever learned to drive an AT-AT, after all. Pantora, being as small and isolated as it was, must have put major focus in their elite units to prepare them for a variety of hazards and combat situations. Corran didn't know if Rylee Asuchi counted as special forces, but she certainly was skilled. Incredibly lethal for law enforcement, but skilled. With an small nod, the man turned back to his console.

Quiet filled the confines of the craft. Only the small hum of the sensors and the pulse of the engines in the deep water made any sort of sound. Silence like this used to make the blond man uncomfortable but now it was a natural preference. His mouth kept shut, focused on the task at hand. It left less time for thinking. A Pantoran accent poked through the empty air but Corran didn't look away from his sensor quite. Idle chatter was fine. Until she asked a question. Visibly, his shoulders slouched yet the human ranger did not turn to face his counterpart. "Just need to be stronger for the job, Ranger Asuchi," Lieutenant Velt replied monotoned and matter-of-factly, "Sith, AMS infected, criminals of every type and creed. Fitness helps us be prepared."

It was rattled off so resolutely, that Rylee would likely know it was practiced. A deflection. Yet a unspoken hesitation could be felt between the two Rangers. Quietly, almost a whisper, Corran muttered, "Smaller goals are easier to keep my mind on these days." He stayed unmoving over his terminal, as if gripped by some giant's invisible hand. Finally with an almost imperceptible sigh, the lieutenant's hands moved backed to the sensor controls and fidgeted with a knob. "No bio-signs detected yet. Background interference is still pretty high or we are too far out. I'm not sure if this works the same as in space, so keep a steady course."

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

The lieutenant's response to her fairly innocuous question seemed distinctly guarded. It was to be expected. Lt. Velt had been like this for a little while now and she had born the brunt of it in that meeting room on the Lighthouse. It was plain to see that he did not wish to talk, despite Rylee's thoughts that talking could perhaps help, and the Pantoran would not force him to do so. Knowing that she had regular contact with the lieutenant, many other rangers had approached her, telling her their stories of Velt acting colder than usual, being confused and wondering if they had done something wrong. It was this that made her feel slightly better about her own situation, knowing that his attitude towards her may not be as personal as it seemed.

"Listen... a few people have said to me that you haven't seemed yourself lately and I just want you to know, if you did ever want to talk - about anything really - you can always come find me" said Rylee. Her golden eyes remained focused on piloting the submersible. Her tone remained calm, conversational but sincere. Whether Corran would ever take her up on her offer, she did not know, but all she could do was try. The pilot would say no more on the matter and turned her focus to the job at hand.

"I'll try and get us closer. There's a lot more stuff floating around down here than there would be in most parts of space, so there is going to be more interference" explained the former squadron leader as she maneuvered the craft along the ocean depths in the rough direction of the eels nests.

@TerranSteel