Ask Coruscant Breadcrumb Trail

[Zathria]

As is the new standard for my OPs, thread is death enabled
Thread takes place after Yavin​

There were rumors going around about one of the Jedi who had disappeared some time ago. Varyn Atrix was reportedly one of the Jedi Shadows, and had been undercover in the Empire for some time. That was until he he had seemingly gone missing. Whether that was because the Sith had discovered who he was or something more... nefarious was what Zathria was here to find out.

The Knight had reportedly been born on Coruscant before going to the Jedi, and with some effort, she'd finally gotten access to the files that pointed toward his family's old home.

She'd set down on Coruscant without identifying herself as a Jedi. It was an odd and unsettling thing that the Jedi were now barred from New Republic worlds, but when one of their own had gone missing, Zathria was going to find them.

Having left behind her lightsaber and instead bringing a small assortment of other self-defense tools, she prepared to exit the shuttle with her partner in tow. Partner? Student was probably a better word. In truth, Zathria was a bit dubious about having someone so young and inexperienced on such a sensitive operation, but that was why Zathria was here: to make sure things went fine.

Don't bring your lightsaber. We're not Jedi here, she said. It was an odd statement, but this wasn't her first time going incognito. For that matter, it wasn't her first time dealing with Shadows either. She had worked with Sevrin when they had infiltrated Sullust all those years ago. At this point, it felt like a lifetime.

I've got some other things if you need, she said, motioning to an assortment of knives, batons, and other melee weapons that the Echani had procured for the operation... just in case.

 

[Tahiri]

Tahiri was no stranger to Coruscant, though nowhere near as familiar with the place as their query had been. She had spent the first sixteen years of her life not far from here, Corellia being but a quick jump away in the Galactic scale of things, and had accompanied her parents on visits to distant relatives on more than one occasion. Those were different times, when no one cared if she could use the Force, much less that she was training to be a Jedi.

So this was shaping up to be a very different experience compared to any of her prior visits to the planet. No comfortable hotels to stay in, no round the clock valets to drive her around where-ever she wanted to go, and according to Zathria's latest update, no lightsabers. Not a big surprise though, they were supposed to be going incognito, lightsabers would definitely have been a big give-away. What she hadn't expected was the wide array of alternatives that Zathria had on hand, and that Tahiri could pick something.

"Are these all yours?" She asked as she stepped up to take a closer look at the options, eyes jumping from one weapon to another, till she spotted an electro-sword and she almost jumped to grab it. "Where did you get this?" She pressed the pressure plate in the hilt that electrified the blade and whipped it around through a few kata rotations. "Can I really use this?"

Once the matter of the weapons was taken care of and they were on their way, the padawan falling into step with the older Jedi, Tahiri was forced to do her best to not act like a wide eyed tourist. She had never seen this side of Coruscant, and while she tried her best to hide her excitement, and did get better with time, she did manage to catch the eyes of those who preyed on wide eyed fools such as her.

"You ladies looking for a room? A cab to take you somewhere?" A shriveled old man, so grey that it was almost impossible to connect him with his original Zeltron complexion, he slid up to them without Tahiri even noticing his arrival. "Good deal on some nice Spucci bags? Whatever you need, old Jiraiya can get you whatever you need." All the while he was drifting closer and closer to the two, hand ready to jump towards the carrier bag that Tahiri had slung across her shoulder.

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria smiled sheepishly as she asked if the weapons were all hers. Yeah, I've collected quite a few over the years. As you can see, she said. She'd grown up training with a wide array of weapons as an Echani, and it seemed like it would come in handy today.

As she saw Tahiri whip the weapon around she hoped she wasn't going to regret it. Uh... yeah, just don't stab yourself. Or anyone else, hopefully, she said with a shrug. Yeah, Zathria may not have been the best kind of person to watch over Padawans.

They moved along through the bowels of the city, assaulted by a series of smells and dark alleys. A wide variety of panhandlers came up to them before the one that seemed to be trying to sell them a room, purse, and cab ride all at once.

Zathria stepped forward, placing herself bodily between Tahiri and the oncoming person.

We're good, she said, about ready to forcibly push the man away.

She kept pressing on, practically pushing Tahiri down the street and away from the man, half expecting she'd have to grab her stun baton out and beat him down with it.

Tahiri keep your valuables... not in a backpack, she warned.

 

[Tahiri]

Tahiri did notice Zathria as she put herself between her and the stranger, and only later, when she mentioned her backpack did it all click in the padawan's mind.

"I'm a padawan, the most valuable thing I own is my...glowstick." She grinned sheepishly, and swung the bag around to hold it in her hands, showing the contents to the knight, some rations, a datapad, nothing much of value. "But I get your point, and I promise I'm not as green as I seem. It's," she paused, looking around them, taking everything in, "it's just that I've never seen this side of Coruscant. You think you know a place, but then you realize just how little you know."

As she spoke the real scope of the task before them hit her, and she realized just how the Jedi had lost track of this Varyn. You could drop the entire population of a small outer rim moon in here and no one would notice, add in the Force and she could only imagine how easy it would be for someone to lose themselves here. And that was just one planet, there was an entire Galaxy out there where he could be hiding, that is if he wasn't lying dead in some ditch somewhere.

Walking and talking, they soon found themselves at an apartment complex, as many levels above them as below. "Is this it?" She stepped up to the side of the walkway they were on, and leaned over to look at the lower levels. "That's a lot of levels, I hope their turbolifts work."

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria gave Tahiri a quick, soft pat on the shoulder for reassurance as the Padawan tried to reassure her that she wasn't green. It's okay, you're here to learn, she said. She didn't hold it against the other woman so long as she did what Zathria suggested. Even in the short time they'd spent together, the Echani could tell that her heart was in the right place.

She nodded as Tahiri pointed out that this was a side of the planet that she'd never seen before. Yeah, nothing in the galaxy is simple. Even things that seem simple aren't. They have an incredible depth to them. It's a good thing to remember, she said, feeling glad that Tahiri had the incite to notice such a thing. Some Padawans were... not as mature.

They walked along the pathway before reaching the apartment complex in question.

Sometimes when I see how lost everyone down here is, it's hard to take in. It seems so hopeless. How many Jedi are there and how many people in need? she said with a sigh and reached up to rub her face. She was being a bit of a downer, wasn't she?

One person at a time, though, right? she said before moving into the complex.

Well we're in luck because the one we're looking for is on the ground floor, she said, making her way through before knocking on the door.

It slid open, and an angry looking man with a massive beer-belly opened the door. Zathria couldn't see his right hand behind the door, but Zathria just knew it had a slugthrower or blaster of some sort.

What do you two want? I ain't paying either of you for any services and I don't want to buy anything from you, he said with a scowl.

 

[Tahiri]

"One person at a time," she repeated after Zathria, "yeah." It made sense, put a touch of control over the sense of existential gloom that might have crept up on Tahiri given her realization about the needle in a haystack nature of their search. One person at a time, even someone like her could manage that.

Tahiri followed as Zathria lead the way to the apartment in question, and when the door was answered the image of the man fit what she had expected given the state of the place. Immediately she felt a pang of guilt for that snap judgement, and in her guilt she didn't pay enough attention to worry about whatever might be waiting hidden behind the door in his hand. That someone would consider that to be the safest way to answer the door had simply not crossed her mind, given the mostly sheltered life she had lived so far.

"Mr. Atrix?" She spoke softly, kindly, and unknown to herself, in a manner that the old man found very patronizing. "We are with the Coruscant Census Bureau, we're here to ask about you and your so.."

The word son had barely left her mouth when the door swung open all the way, and the old man's hand moved with surprising speed to level a mean looking shotgun blaster at her. Having fended for himself for years, the old man was quick to act, and Tahiri had unwittingly pressed just the wrong button.

"All my paperwork says Bell, changed it years ago. Who are you, and how do you know that name?"

Realizing that she should have known that detail, and that she had fucked up, Tahiri simply raisesd her hands before her, palms open and facing him. Trying her best to appear submissive and non-threatening. She had said the wrong thing once, she really didn't want to get shot due to doing something else that he might not like.

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria raised her own hands as well, her eyes falling to the weapon in the man's hand. Her mind was already scrambling through the ways to take the man down when something else came to her mind.

We're not here to harm you, she said, waving her hand out further away from her. The man seemed to relax ever so slightly, still scowling.

The Atrix's are dead and gone. Have been for almost two years, and the title's already changed, he said, scowling.

What you wanting with them anyway? If you're with the gangs, I don't want any part of it. And if you're with the cops, I don't want any part in it either, he said.

I'm no fool, so don't treat me like one. You're no census buearu. What do you really want? he asked.

@Wit

 

[Tahiri]

Tahiri gritted her teeth at the reaction, and wondered what their next step would be. If he felt so strongly about the cops then she had a feeling he wouldn't be particularly happy to hear that they were Jedi, given how strong the anti-forcer sentiment was in much of the Core. Things seemed to be changing, the recent surge in support for that Senator from Kuat when she showed support for the Jedi was a sign that things were changing in their favor. But could they take the risk? No, there had to be another way.

"I'm sorry, my name is Tahiri," she spoke calmly, hands still raised, "just pulling out my ID." If he didn't threaten to shoot her she would slowly drop a hand into a pocket and pull out her identity chip, the one that identified her as a resident of Corellia but did not state that she was a Jedi. It was authentic, so there wasn't much reason for him to question it.

"I am.." she paused, giving Zathria a nervous glance, putting on an act for the man, "I was Varyn's girlfriend. Varyn Atrix." She paused, giving the old man a sad smile before continuing.
"I lost track of him, can't find him anywhere. We're here looking for answers, any way to find where he went. I.." She looked down at her stomach, recreating scenes from a holodrama she had seen not too long ago, it was always easier for her to fool people if she was recreating a scene instead of just making something up on the spot. "I'm pregnant you see, and I want him to know...and know how he feels about me, about this."

She was laying it on thick, and though she could not tear up on a whim like all the actors seemed to claim in their holo-interviews, she did a good job of acting like she was genuinely worried about the possibility that something might have happened to Varyn.

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria watched as Tahiri went into full sop mode, playing her part far better than Zathria could have anticipated. Honestly, the Knight was just going to sit back and let her do her work. She was pretty sure she would have been more in the way than helpful at this point.

The man looked at Tahiri and while he still had that gruff look on his face, it seemed to soften ever so slightly.

Look, he hasn't lived here in a long time. one of the local gangs killed off his old man about a year or two ago. Most of them popped up dead, and he sold everything off around that time and disappeared, the man said.

This perked up Zathria's attention. They may not have a direct lead on where Varyn was - probably somewhere in Sith space - but they might be able to piece together what had happened.

Is this gang still around here? she asked. The man looked at her, once again suspicious looking and Zathria held up her hands. Last question, she promised. That seemed to give the man some hope for getting them out of his hair and he pointed up the street.

Only two of them survived. They set up in a drug den down the street. Stoned out of their minds most days. Palok and Zoltar, he said before quickly closing the door. Well, it was a lead...

@Wit

 

[Tahiri]

Tahiri's eyes widened when she heard about the gang popping up dead. There was an obvious connection to be made between his father's death and the near eradication of the gang responsible, but this was a Jedi they were looking for. The implication was enough to make her break character, but either the old man didn't notice, or he mistook it for shock over the death of her supposed boyfriend's father, and Zathria was able to get the details they needed.

She waited till they were a slight ways from the apartment before the words came bursting out of her. "Do you think he did it? Killed all the gang members? Wow!" She shook her head, digging her hands into her pockets as they walked. "That's not good, that's so not good. Do you think he fell?" Her eyes widened as another thought crossed her mind. "I..I thought the worst we were looking for was to confirm if he was dead. It could be worse, right?"

As the old man had said, the den was not too far away, and the two women found themselves outside the den in almost no time. Tahiri had thought the apartment complex had been run down, but this was even worse, and she was very glad that she wasn't really pregnant as they entered, just breathing the air was liking to be harmful for anyone, much less someone with child.

"For two?" A twi'lek missing half a lekku nonchalantly asked as they entered, barely looking up from the holomagazine she was engrossed in. "A hundred credits for half an hour, one ffity if you want an hour."

"Uhh, an hour?" Not really sure how long they needed, or if their queries were even there, she erred on the side of caution, and slid the credits across the counter. The twi'lek scooped them up, and she must have pressed a button as a door leading deeper into the den opened up. Shrugging at Zathria, Tahiri walked through, and immediately broke into a fit of coughing as they were surrounded by a sea of smoke.

"How are we going to find them in here? I can barely see my hands in front of me!"

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria had a worsening feeling about this whole thing and it just seemed to confirm what had already been rumored. The disturbing reports just seemed to be more and more likely.

She reached up and rubbed her hands over her face as they walked down the street, trying to figure out how she was supposed to explain this. For that matter, she wasn't sure a padawan should really be here for this anymore.

I don't know. It certainly sounds that way, she said. We shouldn't jump to conclusions... she said, but the hesitation about what she was going to say next was quite obvious. ...but I think it's likely that Knight Atrix is alive and no longer a Jedi, she said. It was a grave accusation, but it was why they were here.

Some of the security logs from Yavin suggest he may have assisted the Sith during the attack, she said. We're not just here to figure out the "what" but the "why," she said. Being a Justicar wasn't just about the facts, it was about much more than that: the deeper issues that led to where they were now.

Tahiri plowed on and had them inside the spice den in no time, and Zathria... couldn't help thinking how she wasn't going to be able to get this smell out of her clothes. It wasn't what she should have been thinking about during such a serious investigation, but come on!

She rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh before pressing on, moving over to take a seat in one of the slightly less smoke filled corners.

We need to try to blend in, she said, implying that they needed to not barge in and immediately start asking questions. But not too much, she added before Tahiri got any ideas about sampling the product.

Do you understand how this investigation could end? she asked. The topic of fighting and either subduing or killing a member of the Order was not an easy one for many people to deal with, but it was a distinct possibility for a Justicar specifically.

@Wit

 

[Tahiri]

At that very moment, Tahiri's mind was as much of a confused haze as their surroundings. She was beginning to have the same doubts as Zathria, should she even be on a mission such as this? It seemed to have epxloded way beyond the initial scope, because despite Zathria's warning about jumping to conclusions both Jedi seemed to have drawn up their conclusions. And the added details that Zathria shared only compounded those concerns in the padawan's mind.

This wasn't just a simple errant Knight they were hunting, if he was responsible for the mess on Yavin then this was the most errant of errant knights she had ever heard of. That was cause for concern, and it took almost every ounce of self control she had to keep herself calm. She knew the type of work Zathria, did, the type of work she had signed up for when she agreed to help her. And if it was the kind of works she wanted to do in the future then she would have to come to terms with shit like this.

Taking a seat besides Zathria, trying to breath as infrequently as she could, a failed attempt at reduce the amount of seemingly poisoned gas she inhaled, she contemplated her answer, eyes locked on her own hands, wondering why they weren't shaking. "Yes." It was a simple answer, yet it implied so much more than those simple syllables. She understood where this path might lead, and her answer was tantamount to committing to walk that path. "We protect others, it's our responsibility. Even if it's.." She gulped, saying it out loud seemed to make it more real somehow. "Even if it's from one of our own."

She looked up and faced Zathria, face solemn, eyes determined. "We can't sit by and just do nothing, can we? So where-ever this investigation leads, I'll have your back."

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria could feel the full weight of this one crushing down upon her. She had known what being a Justicar meant when she signed up for the job, but somehow it felt different now that she was actually here doing it. The other investigations she'd done had never turned up any real Dark Side intent. But this was shaping up to be quite different.

And what's more, she could feel that same weight and uncertainty within Tahiri. Zathria knew she needed to project calm and control in the situation for the sake of her padawan, but she didn't quite feel it. She felt... sadness and sorrow. She felt confusion that someone who could have been one of them had fallen so far, and she felt a sobering reminder that "but for the will of the Force, there go I."

She reached out and put a hand on Tahiri's shoulder, with a sad but warm smile. Thank you, Tahiri, she said as the young woman said that she would have Zathria's back.

Your first investigation may prove more than you bargained for, she said.

Why Justicars anyway? It's not the most glamorous or well-known group, she said. With the number of Jedi seemingly going off the rails lately, though, it probably should have been booming. Maybe more would come to help fill out their ranks.

 

[Tahiri]

Tahiri smiled wryly at Zathria's comment about her first investigation. "Nothing like a running start, eh?" The joke was little more than a delaying tactic, a means to find the right words, the right explanation.

"I'm not a farmer, I'm no healer, I can't sweet talk politicians, a lot of things I just can't do. Process of elimination kept on shrinking my options, you know?" Continuing with the same joking tone as before, as lighthearted as her answer was, it wasn't entirely untrue. It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie either. It had taken her many tries to find things she didn't want to do, but all she needed was that one thing to click to know what she did want to do, right? She took a deep breath, and regretted it almost immediately, as fresh as the air was in there. Thankfully they had been in there long enough that she didn't break into a fit of coughs. She continued more seriously, her words seeming more sincere. "To be Jedi is to help others, and there you were, helping other Jedi. Can anything be more Jedi than that? It just seemed right." She turned to her head to give Zathria a smile, and the joking tone returned. "Of course, that's considering if I'm even cut out for this. I've messed up enough to not count my eggs before they're hatched."

"What about you? Is this what you always wanted, hunting rogue Jedi?]" She had done her research, knew that Zathria had once been a healer, an active medic in the aftermath of Byblos. She was curious how she had ended up here, with other options, easier options, before her.

She wanted to say more, when she noticed something, a hand that passed by her peripheral vision. It wasn't an entire hand, the stub of one really. Cut cleanly a few inches above the wrist. She had seen wounds like that, seen injuries heal like that. He had lost that arm to a lightsaber. As he walked to a nearby seat and dropped into it, she leaned back and poked Zathria with an elbow, gesturing towards the man.

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria listened to Tahiri's answer quite closely. She found the young woman a refreshing and lively take on the Order. It was no real secret that the Order had been struggling, and that, she supposed, was precisely why she had chosen this path.

If you're really interested, I'm sure I can help you, she said.

Of course, Tahiri returned the question in kind and Zathria already knew the answer. I still consider myself a healer at heart, she said. It's where my passion lies and I still do that about half the time, she said.

I just... honestly, it's not what I thought I'd be doing. It's hard to investigate our own, but there were - are - so many issues with Jedi who aren't doing what they should be that I just... felt like I needed to step in and help, she said. Zathria had the skills of a fighter, the heart of a healer, and the job of an investigator. How had that all come together.

But I'm a Jedi first, she said quietly. And that means I wear a lot of different hats, she said with a snicker.

She followed Tahiri's gaze to the man in question and the wound that she, too, recognized from the battlefields of this war. She just nodded, but didn't move yet. She didn't want to spook him. Patience was a virtue, they said.

 

[Tahiri]

Tahiri listened quietly as Zathria spoke, the words resonating with her, the sentiment something she felt she could get behind. She had seen more than her share of stories about Jedi who didn't really act like Jedi, and whose actions had made her question her own role as a Jedi. What was the point of training, and pushing herself to be a good Jedi when the actions of others seemed to turning the entire Galaxy against them.

But, Zathria's words gave her hope. She had heard the reports, about how one bad action got more publicity than a million good deeds put together, and for every bad Jedi there were many good ones. But it was one thing to hear such things, and another altogether to someone actually play that role. For someone just beginning her journey down the path of a Jedi, there was no denying the importance of examples like Zathria. She smiled and nodded, wondering if prolonged exposure to the fumes in the den was beginning to give her a second-hand high, or their discussion really had been that profound. Maybe it was both.

"Well, I guess all I can hope for is to never end up in a situation where you have to end up investigating my actions."

As Zathria didn't move to intercept the man, Tahiri stayed put as well, following the Knight's lead and just observed him of now. And their patience was rewarded as soon enough the man was joined by another, and while there was no obvious way to identify him as the second gang member, Tahiri assumed that it might be him. The two didn't really waste time on conversation, or catching up, rather jumping straight into stabbing Force knows what into their arms.

"Should we go speak to them before they get too high to make sense?" Not really sure how the den worked, having never done such things, or even visited such a place, she didn't really know how soon their narcotic of choice would kick in. But, she had seen Zathria's earlier patience pay off, so she waited for the Knight to lead.

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria snorted slightly when Tahiri said she hoped never to be investigated by the Justicars. I don't think so. Keep walking the path you're on and keep a good heart and I think you'll come out the other side just fine, she said, offering a reassuring smile.

She nodded as Tahiri suggested they intervene, deciding this was probably a good opportunity to intercept them and get some information.

Scooting out from the bench, she tried to figure out the best way to go about this without making a scene. In the end, she decided that subtlety may not have been her strongest suit, and she just walked right on up to them.

Tell me about the man who cut off your arm, she said, reaching out with the Force to place the command on their hearts and minds with much more force than simple words carried. With the drugs already starting to do their work, hopefully that would make them very open to her suggestion.

Uh... there were two of them. Came out with red sabers like demons. The girl was hacking off everything: hands, heads, even cutting people in half. The guy... he just covered her. Hacked up his share, too, but didn't seem quite so sure about it, the man started to spill his guts in what Zathria was pleasantly surprised was an easy conversation.

@Wit

 

[Tahiri]

Tahiri nodded appreciatively at Zathria's words, the Knights words filling her with confidence about the future given some of her more obvious blunders on recent missions. So when they moved to question the their queries there was a spring to her step.

She stood by silently as Zathria started, observing the Jedi, taking mental notes. She wasn't sure if she should try and look menacing, if they were going for the intimidation angle, so she opted to just keep a neutral look on her face. Neither friendly, nor antagonistic. But it didn't seem like it would matter much, as words started rolling out the man's mouth. Hearing his words, she spoke up.

"The woman, can you describe her?"

The man, slipping deeper and deeper into his high, gave her a lethargic glance before answering. "I don't know, she was a woman. Dark hair I think, I was more focused on trying to stay alive." Sighing at the uselessness of the answer, she had another thought, and followed up quickly. "Where were you attacked? Did you file a report with the authorities?"

That got a chuckle out of him, and for a moment his eyes seemed clearer than they had been. "Two levels down, near the old energy plant." He never got the opportunity to answer her second question, as that was when the other man spoke up. "Like a report would do any good. The forcies come and go, do as they please. We ain't going crying to no badge."

With the new information, Tahiri had an idea, and leaned in towards Zathria to whisper in her ear. "We could check out the scene, might something useful there?"

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria listened to the story of the two men, using the Force to sense their intentions and truthfulness. Nothing came across as being a lie, and so that meant that Varyn had been with someone else when he had come down here. A woman with the Force.

What color was her lightsaber? she asked, and the man - who was quickly becoming addled by the drugs - shook his head and muttered back.

I don't know. Red? Purple? I wasn't playing with crayons, he said. Although it wasn't a definitive answer, it seemed to point further that this was probably a Sith he had come down here with.

Zathria considered what they were getting into and she considered what all of this might mean. She wondered if Tahiri was really ready or qualified for what they might be facing. She didn't want to sideline the Padawan - particularly as she saw potential in her - but if they were going to be facing down both a Sith and fallen Jedi...

She pushed the thought aside for the moment and nodded at Tahiri's question.

Yeah, let's go, she said, heading back out onto the street and looking for a lift that would take them down three levels.

It went off without a hitch, and in short order the two were arriving at the power plant. The power plant that clearly wasn't in use anymore. Though the bodies had been cleared out, there were unequestionably lightsaber marks and carbon scoring all throughout the area. Old, dried blood could be seen on the floors and the place reeked of the Dark Side even now all these months later.