Breaking the News

[Caran Malo]

Officer Caran Malo, Unit 26, Imperial Police Bureau, Imperial Republica, Coruscant
15:21 Galactic Standard Time
The Hardest Part of the Job

This might be against protocol, but hell..I wasn't planning on sticking around for much longer. He thought to himself as he chewed against the end of his unlit cigarra, his hand resting against the wheel of his airspeeder as his crisp blue eyes glanced towards the towering apartment complex. There was something about reporting to someone that their loved one had perished, he wasn't sure if he felt obligated to report it to the families or if he just felt guilty that he was still alive to tell the tale.

The officer had done this job plenty of times, it was best to be silent and offer a shoulder. This wasn't about you, it was about the family, the one who passed away on the line of duty. As an Imperial one had a sworn duty to lay down their own lives for the Empire if it came to it, Caran knew so. But, this was different, this was no Imperial. No this was a call for a rebel who had perished in the line of duty. She was a traitor and a terrorist, but she did her job like any soldier would, regardless of how he felt about the traitor's situation, she still had a family--one loyal to the Empire.

Caran made his way through the lobby of the apartment and into the elevator, pausing for a moment as he glanced down towards his datapad, Level 7, Room 716. He walked through the hallway, his dress boots' taps echoing throughout the empty corridor. His eyes trailed the numbers until he came across the one he was looking for. He would wait for a moment, his police cap in hand. "Ma'm are you Miss Kazaczecho?"

tag: @Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid wasn't expecting anyone at this time of day.

She was on an off duty day, after a few weeks of very hectic deployments to mid rim worlds and other less reputable places. So she had gotten some time to relax--catch up on the holonet, sleep, eat, and enjoy the comfort of her home. So when the tapping of Imperial boots came down her relatively and usually quiet hallway, she had tossed off the light blanket she had curled up with on the couch and reached for whatever clothes she had lying around. Shorts and a sweatshirt were about it--at least enough to be a bit more decent than beforehand. The knock came next, and a voice asking for her by last name. Clearly Imperial accented, too. Kriff. Astrid stood and unraveled her tangled hair, walking toward the door as she rubbed her eyes.

"Uh--yes! Give me a moment to clean up."

The woman flicked on the lights and kicked a bag of food into the small kitchen before opening the door with a curious expression. A police officer. What did law enforcement need from her? Hopefully nothing major. She smiled and stepped aside slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"Good afternoon, Officer..? What can I do for you? Come in--please."

Astridia had a feeling this officer wasn't here to give her a promotion or some good news.

@TWD26

 

[Caran Malo]

Caran paused for a moment, his icy blue eyes gazing upon the sweatshirt and shorts. It wasn't standard Imperial procedure and almost uncommon in his line of work. Though the more likely scenario was that he never had much time to stop and stay at home. Caran was a working man and preferred to stay over the night, working cases and investigations. The little sleep he did get was at his office and in his uniform. But, he wasn't here to simply contemplate the merits of Imperial dress standards or work life balance.

The man bowed his head for a moment as he came in, taking one quick look. "M'am.." his plain Imperial voice trailed. He wasn't sure how this would go over, did she even know her sister was a Rebel? "I'm here to inform you about your sister..she was found killed on Corellia two days ago." His voice trailed away--he knew why, but he wasn't sure how she would react.

tag: @Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

The officer could hardly critique her manner of dress on a day where she wasn't having to work. This was her residence, and as far as she was concerned, she could do what she wished here. No need to wear Imperial clothing every day and hour of her life, much less when she wasn't going anywhere important. The way he was walking in and acting made her nervous. Why was he so...bothered by something? She took a few steps back as he addressed her, ditching the Imperial tone she heard all the time around Coruscant and in other barracks and bases.

This wasn't good. The news came next. Her sister? Force, she hadn't seen Alika in at least 20 years--and she was dead? Everything she had been working for, trying to find her again, be able to live without being separated for any insane reason. All that went down the drain. Over 20 years of her life she had worked to find her little sister again--only to be killed in a kriffing dirtbag Mid Rim world. Her hand rose to her mouth as she stifled the urge to scream. Astrid took a few steps back, shaking her head in disbelief. That was it? Just..gone? An officer comes to her door and tells her that everything in her life was wasted?

"Wh--no..no, no..oh, kriff..Alika."

She felt tears coming, but couldn't understand why. She'd hardly had time to know her sister before she was shipped off to an Imperial academy. Astrid put her hands on her temples and then turned around, collapsing against a wall.

"She's--dead? What-how'd..who did it? Why? What was she doing on Corellia..? Oh, no..Force, no.."

 

[Caran Malo]

The officer glanced towards the woman with his crisp and distant blue eyes, watching as the tears began to form on the edges of her eyelids in a slow build up before falling in quiet streams against her cheeks. He would shift his attention away from it, sliding his hand into his vest to remove a cigarra and placing it unlit against his lips. He would place a hand against her shoulder as he looked outside the window. I never was too good at this kriff. He would sigh as he gave her a gentle squeeze before responding to her words.

"This doesn't leave this room," he responded in his monotone voice before biting against the cigarra nervously. "I reported to a missing person's call the night of your sister's death. A few bums were there, mingling about though they weren't much help." He would pause as he pulled his hand away from the woman and towards his side. "Imperial intelligence came snooping around the scene after a short while..They were the ones responsible..whatever she did..the connections she had, the spooks wanted her gone." He would pause once more, his voice cracking slightly, "Now..I don't know if they know about you, but this..this goes against protocol. I just figured you ought to know..I would want to know," he responded with a bit of a sigh.

This isn't going to kriffing end well. You have a mission and a task, why do you care about this girl's sister? She didn't mean anything to you and if anything it's just going to kriff us in the end...Don't tell me you're getting soft. He snapped back to reality, "The Empire..is growing more scared of these terrorists...there is rumors of people being picked up off the street and vanishing in thin air just like your sister."

tag: @Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astridia took solace in the hand currently holding her shoulder. Her sister was dead! She wasn't coming back. They weren't going to be able to live away from this mess for the rest of their lives. The empty feeling of sadness and despair quickly filled with hate and anger upon hearing why she had died. Her sister...a terrorist? Disappeared by Imperial agents? Damn them. Damn them all. She clenched her fists, realizing just how much of a risk this officer was taking to tell her this. Why? It hardly made her feel better. She wiped away the tears falling down her cheeks and stood up slowly, letting his hand fall off her arm with a slow and shaky sigh. Whoever had done this..the bastard, scum sucking piece of kark that did it and ruined everything, leaving her alone in her family--

"I want to know who killed Alika. One of our own. I don't care if it's the bloody High Command--I need to kriffing know."

She looked at him, eyes red but full of determination. A new goal had replaced the old one. Astrid's focus changed. She didn't care about living or dying anymore.

She was going to find who did it--hde was going to make them pay. Imperial or not. Fellow soldier or not.

 

[Caran Malo]

The officer paused for a moment, "I..I don't know, the wounds..they talked about a lightsaber, but I don't know..Intelligence was crawling all around the place, they wanted your sister for something," he responded nervously as the cigarra bounced between his lips.

All of this killing, and the attacks that were happening across the border of their once mighty Empire. It was crumbling all around them, yet the higher ups were doing little to nothing to stop it. Guys like him, women like Astridia they would be the ones forced to lay down their lives for a losing cause. The fight and the spirit that once engulfed this great government, that engulfed his own spirit had dwindled through decadence and now they were standing in the ashes of it all. He knew this was their last stand, he wasn't sure if he would die for their Emperor. "I am sorry."

tag: @Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

All that could be offered was an apology in the wake of her sister's death. That was really all the Empire could offer to those who suffered, now that Astrid saw it. So sorry for your loss. Report in next week to the masses and be slaughtered by a couple farmers with slugthrowers because we aren't allowed to defend ourselves. She had a comfortable job, far better than the Rim soldiers who risked their lives--for nothing more than to defend themselves and their fellow soldiers. Being in the Core was a sharp difference from, say, Corellia or worse.

Yet here she was. Attacked and beaten by her own people. A lightsaber, from what the police officer had said. So something was being covered up. Something her family was a part of. Imperial agents would be asking questions. And she'd have to answer like she always had. Impeccably. Though, any time this could end up differently. Astrid could end up dead and missing just like her sister. Such was the way of life in this damned lie. It used to be something that she would be willing to call noble. Now the Empire was falling to shambles.

"That's all you can be. Sorry. Imperial agents will likely be screening both of us, mostly me. Maybe, unless I've been forgot which is just as likely. So is there..anything else you want to add before you see yourself out?"

@TWD26

 

[Caran Malo]

Caran glanced towards the woman, pulling his arm away from the girl as he sighed. "I'm sorry," he exhaled as his words came out softly, "The Empire under this pompous Emperor is falling apart.." He licked his lips as he glanced about the apartment, dread and confusion filling within him. He thought he loved this Empire, the things it stood for, but it seemed that it was all crumbling around him. They were sworn to protect this galaxy, to uphold justice and protection for the galaxy as a whole.

But, things weren't so simple, the galaxy and the tyrannical rule of Emperor Elix was bound to destroy them and tarnish the galaxy. This wasn't sustainable, but part of him still wanted to destroy these terrorists that challenged peace that their Empire had tried so hard to manage. "You should leave this Empire behind, it's not going to last." He sighed, he could recommend others to leave it behind, but something in his heart still pulled at him. "I have to head to Kuat..I can see the writing on the wall, but I don't know if I can do it..to leave everything behind, the legacy of my family..all of it. But, you should go..there isn't anything here for the common man."

He backed away as he reached for another cigarra, placing it against his lips, but never lighting it. "Maybe, I'll see you on the other side." He tipped his Imperial cap and went towards the door. Unsure if he would have the fortitude or willpower to leave this all behind. Maybe she would report him for treason, deep down he didn't really care about much anymore.

tag: @Herrith

(OOC: Sorry for the late response, feel free to post and /end thread)

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astridia looked up. The officer was confiding in her, it seemed. He suggested defection. A bold claim, especially to another Imperial. Any normal agent would have reported or shot the man. But she knew better. She lost family. To hell if she was about to put her flag over her blood. That wasn't how it worked. Even her superiors would have acted the same way--if they had family that was in danger. But none of them ever had that issue. After all, they were even more perfect examples of Imperials. Flawless. Mindless. Gears in a motor. That was all.

She looked up as he walked out and said his goodbye, leaving her to let her door shut and lock on its own. She waited a few moments in silence before clearing her throat and wiping her face.

"Perhaps."

/End Thread