Karmic Justice

[Azar Torsin]

So maybe Jedi weren't supposed to operate within Republic space, but once again, he wasn't really working for the Jedi here. He liked to think he was strengthening Jedi and Republic relations. Plus the jobs with the Republic were often more interesting. It wasn't that Azar didn't like helping his fellow Jedi, but if they spent all their time looking to their own problems, how could they be guardians of peace and justice to the entire galaxy?

Azar and Lex had been brought down here to the underworld of Coruscant to look into something unusual. The daughter of a Senator had come down into an area of town she had no business being in and her body had been found in the street... in pieces. The call he'd received hadn't actually detailed what had happened to her, but the word used repeatedly was "gruesome." It was the type of call that Azar didn't look forward to, but if he didn't investigate it, who would?

The speeder carried the Jedi and his Republic partner deeper into the under depths until the sky was gone and darkness remained. Everything down here smelled stale and just being here was stifling. So they called you lot in, eh? Got a lot of experience with investigations? the security sergeant across from them asked as they headed to the crime scene. It's a right ugly mess down here, they say, he told them as the speeder set down. He could see several men milling about and the area had been blocked off. Now it was just a matter of figuring out what had happened.

 

[Lex Kyrst]

Lex was quiet during the journey to the crime scene. There had been a string of cases like these, and she had with her a folder that had information on a couple other incidents. They all involved the death and dismembering of a woman in her late teens to early twenties. As the sergeant asked if they had experience with investigation, she simply nodded, “Enough. Show us what you got,” She put the other cases away, stepping out of the speeder and following him towards the scene.

The man lifted the caution tape to allow her and Azar to duck underneath and walk towards the body. Already there was a detective on the scene smoking a cigarra and shaking his head. The skies rumbled above and they were setting up tarps to help preserve the crime scene. Lex took out her badge and flashed it, “GAR Lieutenant Kyrst and this is my partner Jedi Knight Torsin,” The men looked suspiciously at Azar but allowed them passage.

As she finally set eyes upon the body, she had to grimace. The woman had her limbs cut but laid away specific distances from her torso. Her eyes vacantly stared up into the sky and her head had been shaved of hair. Lex sighed, “This is the third one,” She shook her head, recognizing the handiwork at once. This was exactly how the other victims had been left.

“Did you find the little cat figurine?”

“Not yet,” The detective muttered as he blew smoke through his nostrils and walked around the site. This killer had a habit of leaving behind a little ivory figurine of a cat at every crime scene in addition to the strange way he left his victims. Lex crouched down next to the body, leaning in to measure the distance between the body parts and the torso, “We can’t find a connection other than age range. One was a prostitute, the other was a random college girl and now a Senator’s daughter. It makes no sense.”

 

[Azar Torsin]

With time, Azar had grown used to the odd sideways looks he received from others when they found out he was a Jedi. Anti-Force user sentiment was rampant in the galaxy following the wars and he could understand why. He knew that the war was something inevitable and not something the Jedi were (fully) at fault for, but that didn't mean people looked any kinder on him for it.

He ducked inside the crime scene as he began to look at the body just around the corner and out of sight. He scowled as he looked at her. She was young and it was painful to him to see it. She was mutilated and there was blood everywhere. Limbs were arranged in a specific pattern and he knelt down near her. What did he do to you? he muttered with a shake of his head. He knew he shouldn't drop his poker face, but there were some things too sickening for him.

He peeled away his gauntlet and placed a disposable glove on his hand as he looked around. Have you already holographed the scene? he asked one of the investigators who gave a nod.

With that, Azar began a closer examination of the torso and head. He pulled back her hair and began to examine the various bruises that covered everything but her face. He avoided striking her face, he pointed out. It couldn't have been an accident that he preserved the faces of his victims. It was then that he noticed something strange about her throat. Besides bruises that were at least semi-consistent with strangulation, there was a bulge.

He parted her mouth - the muscles already stiff from rigor mortis - and saw something inside. It looked like a small head with large ears and he winced slightly. I found your figurine, he said, seeing it shoved halfway down her throat. Where were the other figurines found? he asked.

Hmm, looks like one was in a book and one was... the man cleared his throat and motioned to an inappropriate area of the body.

Azar glanced back to Lex as a theory began to form in his mind. A politician's daughter - noted as liars by most - with one in her mouth, a student with one in a book, and a prostitute's in... he let her fill in the knowledge herself and gave a shrug. It's a theory. Trying to make a point? Someone like this kills with reason, he said as he stood up and took a step back.

I wonder if there's significance to the spacing of the murders, he pondered after a moment. He's not left anything else at the scene, has he? No notes or anything of the sort, the Jedi asked hopefully but not not optimistic.

 

[Lex Kyrst]

Lex listened as Azar spoke, taking the figurine into her gloved hand, “Astute observation,” She remarked as he connected the dots between where the figurines were found, “He has never left notes or anything like that at the scene,” She looked up at the detective and he nodded in agreement, “There are absolutely no leads on him?”

“He or she operates within a hundred mile radius from here. When we looked at traffic cameras, there was a suspicious figure flagged that looked to be a humanoid profile. As far as the victims go, we asked around and none of them turned up any motive individually. None of the girls had any enemies or any suspicious boyfriend or husband or anything like that. It really makes no sense,” The detective explained as he came over to survey the body, “It’s such a shame. Young girls just keep dying off and we sit around with our thumbs up our asses.”

Lex rose to her feet, looking at Azar, “Is there anything you can do with the Force? Anything with objects we find at the crime scene? Anything with that figurine?” She was feeling desperate for a clue, and it was clear they had quite the uphill battle. The first spatters of rain began, and she knew if there were clues in surrounding areas, they would soon be washed away.

“I think we need to find out what this young lady was doing here at all. The other victims were killed doing normal, every day things that fit their profile. There is no reason for a Senator’s daughter to be in this district,” It was true, it was a shady area. This place was notorious for prostitutes and fighting rings. It was far from where a high profile daughter of a Senator would be wandering around, “And why didn’t she have a security detail with her?”

“Ehh…” The detective grimaced, “They’re in all kinds of hot water for that. It appears she gave them the slip and came out here on her own.”

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar's face twisted slightly as they mentioned there was no notes or other objects left at the scene. They seemed to be without a paddle in that regard, but Lex seemed to be onto something with her line of questioning. There was no reason for a girl like her to be out here at this time without security.

As she asked if there was anything he could do with the object he shook his head. There are a rare few in the Order who can read the memories from objects, but I'm not one of them, he told her. He knew they likely could have gleaned a great deal from such information, but it was simply not something he was capable of and it frustrated him.

If she came here without her guards and intentionally gave them the slip, that's no accident, he said. While it was possible that the girl had a lengthy history of that, Azar didn't believe in coincidences. It was no accident that she had crossed paths with this killer. Have we found her comlink? Contact records? he asked the sergeant.

They were just running them. Should be back any time.... Oi! Stafford! How long on those logs?! he shouted to another man. His response was that they were just pulling them up now and Azar turned back to Lex.

If she was meeting someone here, there might be logs of their conversation. If she wasn't we might at least be able to find out where she's been, he said as one of the officers rushed over with the datalog. Azar skimmed through it, pointing to one of the numbers on the list. This one had a massive influx in conversations over the past month and was never present before that, he pointed out.

As if he was ready to impress, the junior officer who had just brought it over quickly spoke up. We tracked its last location to a massage parlor two miles from here, he said. Azar's eyebrows rose and he glanced over at Lex. A "massage parlor" in these parts of town certainly meant something else and it was as good a lead as any. Perhaps we should go check it out, he said.

 

[Lex Kyrst]

Lex eyed him curiously as he mentioned that only a few Jedi had the skills to read memories from objects. It made her wonder exactly what limitations Jedi had. Were there those in the Order that had far superior abilities, and did they even have any limits? The thought made her more than a little uneasy, but she didn’t vocalize any of it. There were much more pressing concerns at hand.

“We’ll also want to look over the toxicology report when it comes in. She very well could have been involved in some spice activities,” Lex looked over the datalog with Azar, also spotting what he was talking about. As the officer mentioned a massage parlor, Lex grimaced. Around these parts, such places were often very skeezy. She thanked the officer and nodded in agreement with Azar.

She walked back towards the speeder they arrived in, hopping in and waiting for Azar before they began to drive. Lex said nothing for a moment, but she finally looked over at him, “With you focusing on upholding peace….does seeing this kind of thing really get to you? I feel like I wouldn’t be able to handle it if I were raised like a Jedi,” She shrugged, “But then again, my understanding of them is hilariously limited,” It was interesting for her to even ask questions about the Jedi. Normally she pretended not to notice when someone was Force sensitive, and she made a point to avoid them. With Azar, however, she was slowly warming up and actually becoming curious about his lifestyle and upbringing.

They finally arrived at the parlor in question, and she spotted a neon sign that was flickering every now and then. The place looked like a dump, and there was a woman that clearly looked like a prostitute standing outside smoking. Lex sighed, glancing down at her attire. She had a badge on her and she quickly put it away. She also undid her hair and tossed it around to look less put together, “We can’t be too obvious going in there,” She explained, encouraging Azar to do the same.

She finally exited the speeder and walked into the parlor, her eyes almost burning from the excessive perfumed smell. There was a woman with heavy makeup on at the counter and she smiled with several teeth missing, “Welcome! How may I service you today?” Lex couldn’t stop the abrupt cough that escaped her.

 

[Azar Torsin]

He gave a nod as she mentioned the toxicology report. More than likely she was right that the girl was involved in spice in some way. People in this area of town typically were and he had little reason to assume that she would be any different given her effort to sneak away from her guards.

As they made their way toward the next location, he paused to think about Lex's qusetion. Azar had spent his entire life as a Jedi, but even then, sometimes he was forgetful that others didn't know much about Jedi and he was reminded of his own sometimes narrow-minded point of view. You become decensitized to a lot of it. The Jedi teach you how to keep your emotions in check from childhood, he stated honestly, but there was more to it than that. But sometimes you get something that really gets under your skin. You try to stay detached and serene, but... he shook his head, Sometimes you don't. Balance of maintaining compassion and not letting every terrible story jade you.

As soon as they arrived, his suspicions about this place were confirmed. It was obvious that this was not a nice establishment and he knew what went on inside here.

He saw Lex making herself less presentable, and he did the same, letting his own hair down so that it hung awkwardly into his face and was a general mess in its own right, pulling his cloak tighter around his armor and leaving his hood down.

As they made their way inside, they were greeted and asked about being serviced, and Azar didn't miss the cough from Lex. He bit his own lip, one part out of humor and one part because he was internally cringing and didn't want it to show on the outside. The smell of the place was stifling and Azar had to take more shallow breaths.

My wife and I are interested in a joint treatment, he stated, mentally noting the age differential between the two that was difficult to miss, but made it all the easier to pass himself off as an odd one.The woman was quick to nod her understanding and led them back to a room where the two of them were briefly left alone.

He gave a shrug about the cover story, but it got them through the front door. Hope you like being my wife, he stated as a deadpan joke. They'll bring our... "servicer" back soon. We can deal with her and then take a look around, he said.

Within 30 seconds, a young woman - probably in her early 20s - arrived, dressed... as one would expect. To be honest, Azar felt dirty just playing this part, but he pushed the thought aside, knowing they needed to get this done to solve a grizzly murder. @Sreeya

 

[Lex Kyrst]

Lex was about to speak when Azar piped up before she could. As he introduced them as husband and wife, her expression externally remained unchanged. Inside she was beyond shocked, but she just played along with it. Lex shook her head and followed the woman inside as they were led to one of the rooms. There was a bed that at least looked like a massage table, but there were all sorts of little bottles of oils and other….liquids to help with certain activities. Lex felt her face grow hot, and she was distracted by Azar’s comment.

“You look old enough to be my dad,” She replied with an equally deadpan expression. Lex crossed her arms and waited, too disgusted to really touch anything. His idea made sense, but she had one of her own. She wanted to probe the woman that walked in before making quick work of her. The woman walked in with a sultry grin and looked from Lex and then to Azar. Before she could start reaching for her clothes, Lex cleared her throat, “Yeah, Amelia was just raving about this place. I think you’re who she was talking about…?” She left the question hanging for the woman to reveal her name.

“Amelia?” The woman looked up curiously.

“Oh come on, you know she doesn’t like people knowing she’s the senator’s daughter all the time,” Lex probed again. With relief she noticed a flash of recognition pass through the woman. She giggled and shook her head, “Oh that wasn’t with me. Amy always likes Palla,” She looked concerned for a moment, “Though Palla was worried since she hadn’t heard from Amy. Do you know where she is?"

Lex nodded, “Yeah, she was just at dinner with my husband and I. That’s when she mentioned this place. There was actually something she wanted us to tell Palla,” She smiled sheepishly, “Something in private. It’s actually why we’re here. It’ll stop her worrying, so would you mind getting her?”

The woman looked at Lex for a long moment, and then looked at Azar. Seconds ticked and Lex was convinced the woman was on to her. After a moment, however, she simply smiled, “I’m sure Palla will be relieved to hear something from Amy. Hang on, I’ll go fetch her.”

She turned and left the room. Lex had a smug grin on her face, looking at Azar, “See? Not everything needs mindtricks,” She barely got the words out before there was an audible click behind the door to lock them in. A moment later, the lights went out.

“Kriff.”

 

[Azar Torsin]

Yes, of course Azar was going to try the mind trickiness because he couldn't bring himself to mess with a winning formula, but at least he hadn't used it at the front door. That was an improvement over the usual and only made sense given that someone might have been watching. Nothing said "I'm a Jedi" quite like waving your hand around and making people do what you wanted.

He let out something of a snort chuckle as she commented that he was old enough to be her dad, but he couldn't really argue with it. A young dad, but yes, he was technically old enough. But the "beauty" of this massage parlor was that they didn't judge.

Azar was glad that Lex cut the girl off before things got really uncomfortable and he had to admit, he was pretty impressed with her ploy. She seemed to have no trouble with it and he wondered how much experience she had playing someone else. She seemed to have no trouble extracting information without arousing suspicion and in no time they had the name of Amelia's favored "masseuse."

The girl smiled and left the room and Azar shrugged as Lex mentioned that not everything had to be mind tricks. Nice work, he said just before the lights went out and his shoulders slumped. Fine, so maybe they'd just been had.

Not that I want to default to cutting things, but it might be time to cut things, he said, reaching for his lightsaber hilt. He was pulling it free from his belt and was about to activate it when a hologram appeared in the center of the room.

My name is Evediah, the man in the hologram began. Even with the bluish colors of the hologram, he could tell the man had dark skin and was quite fit. He was dressed in formal ware like one might see at a wealthy person's function. I am the owner of this establishment and I understand you are interested in Palla, he said, eyeing them each in turn but betraying nothing. I regret to inform you that Palla has disappeared, he added. Azar could feel his jaw tighten and he wasn't foolish enough not to know that if she disappeared, she wouldn't be reappearing any time soon.

May I inquire as to your interest in her? If I'm not mistaken, the Senator's daughter has not told anyone about this place, he said. The comment made Azar wonder to what extent this man might have been involved in her murder, or was it merely an unhappy coincidence that the girl who got herself into trouble on the regular finally got in over her head?

 

[Lex Kyrst]

“Be my guest,” Lex muttered, encouraging him to reach for his saber. For all her gear, she knew his saber could cut through pretty much anything. She was pulled out of her thoughts when the hologram appeared, and she was more than a little surprised at the introduction he gave. Lex sighed, muttering under her breath, “We don’t have time for games,” So only Azar could hear.

This little tidbit about Palla disappearing was concerning. Was this hologram what they were looking for? Was this ‘Evediah’ the killer? It felt too obvious, and she had a sick feeling this hole went a lot deeper than they initially thought. However, she had no time to think about this, and she was put on the spot by this strange figure asking questions.

“Well you are mistaken,” Lex said out loud, “Amy told us about this place at dinner. Now, whether she accidentally slipped or not I don’t know. Why is the room dark? I’m very uncomfortable…” She played the part of a panicked civilian. She realized it would seem extremely odd if she and Azar remained perfectly calm in this situation. Their careers made it so these things didn’t faze them, but they were acting now, “We have money. We just came here-“

“What was this message for Palla?” The voice asked coolly, cutting her off without any regard.

“She…needed to see Palla about going to Second District,” She dropped a vague hint close to where the body had been found. Perhaps it had a chance at earning some credibility and probe in turn in case he was the killer, “She wanted Palla to be told where to meet. We don’t know anything beyond that.”

 

[Azar Torsin]

Mhm, he agreed quietly as she said they didn't have time for games. Every moment that they spent here was another moment the killer was torturing and killing or planning his next attack. Then there was the question of whether this pimp was the problem. His feelings told him that this wasn't the man. A criminal, yes, but not their killer. Could he explain that to Lex? It seemed strange to explain feelings in the Force to someone else.

He noted how she continued to keep up the act and decided to follow suit. He put on his best concerned face as he watched the hologram. Lex seemed to be better at thinking on her feet than Azar was, which he was happy about. He was really good at some things, but acting and lying weren't particularly strong suits of his.

Please, we just wanted to let Palla know and get a little relaxation for ourselves. We didn't mean any trouble by it, he insisted as Lex finished speaking, trying to add a bit of fear into his voice.

For a long moment the man just stood there looking at him and said nothing. Very well. I apologize for the inconvenience, and perhaps one of my other girls can make up for your trouble. On the house, he told them in an attempt to keep them quiet.

Azar put a hand to his stomach and let out an intentional sigh of relief. Thank you. We appreciate it, he said as the hologram flickered out. The overhead lights came back on and the door snapped to unlocked once again. He glanced over to Lex as the same young woman came back in again. I think we're both a little tired now, and we should probably head home, he declared loudly enough so that any cameras watching them would hear. My heart can only handle so much in a day, he said, even though he wasn't really that old.

Meet us out back, he said with a wave of his hand as he walked by the young girl and gave Lex a look that said he had a plan. They couldn't talk to her in here, but he could convince her to come outside.

He made his way back out to the street and around the corner to the alley. She'll be out here soon, he told Lex. I don't think he's the one that killed her, but I think he knows something about who does, he said.

Hello? a voice said from the darkness. It was the girl who had come in to service them earlier, now much more "malleable" with a few tricks in the Force. What do you want? she asked.

 

[Lex Kyrst]

Lex heaved a sigh of the relief as the voice seemingly apologized. She wasn’t entirely convinced this was the last they would deal with him, but they had other pressing matters to worry about. Lex nodded in approval as Azar resorted to using the Force this time. The situation was already desperate and she wouldn’t let her personal feelings on the matter get in the way this time. She stepped outside, waiting a moment as the girl slowly came out.

“What exactly is going on here?” Lex jutted her chin towards the building behind her. The girl had a slightly glazed over look in her eyes that was an indication of her influence under the Force. She hesitated for a moment and then began to speak without ever really meeting Lex’s gaze, “We are all brought from other planets…with promises of a better life….we are here against our will and we are in insurmountable debt,” She described every aspect of a human trafficking ring and Lex had to interject to keep her from going on and describing every graphic detail.

“Damn it,” She growled as she looked at Azar, “We can’t just leave this place alone. We need to shut this down,” Lex looked at him almost pleadingly, knowing it meant there would be a serial killer on the loose for just a moment longer. At the same time, if they didn’t shut this place down now, the Holographic man would cover his tracks better and make it impossible to catch him. But did that mean allowing time for another murder to happen?

“We need to make a call and we need to make it now. What’ll it be, Azar?”

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar listened in horror as she described the disgusting terrors she and the other girls had had to endure. It was despicable, and that was a generous word. He wasn't one who was prone to outbursts or overreaction and he had years of practice maintaining his composure, but this was enough to make even him struggle not to let his blood boil. They were terrible creatures who had done this.

He looked over to Lex, seeing she must be having a similar thought process as she nearly pleaded to shut this place down. They both knew the repercussions of that and Azar hated the thought. On the one hand, they would be leaving all these girls and dozens more to their fate. How many were abused or even killed? But if they didn't move now there could be someone else mutilated and killed in the time they spent bringing down this trafficking ring.

It was a choice no one wanted to make and Azar wanted to call in reinforcements but he knew there wasn't time. They needed to move and now. After only a few seconds more he gave a reluctant nod. We move against the traffickers first, but we need to move quickly, he said. He hated the idea that this could turn into a numbers game, but in the long term there was more to be saved by bringing down the terrible men here, wasn't there?

He began to run his mind through the ways that they could do this and be paced quickly in the alleyway for a moment with his head toward the ground. We need names. We might be able to find ledgers somehow, he said. And we can't send her in to get them, he stated. As simple as it would be for him to wave his hand again, the risk to the poor girl was too high. If she were caught he didn't like to think about what would be done to her. They were doing this to save innocents not put them in harm's way.

Let us in the side door, he told the girl who scampered off to follow his command. At least that much wouldn't be blatantly obvious to her "employers." He turned back to Lex as he tried to think of how to do this. One of us will need to make a distraction while the other sneaks in the door when she opens it, he said. I wonder if we should give up on stealth, he stated, implying it might be time for one of them to shoot - or slash - up the front door. You want distraction or sneaking? he asked, taking whichever she opted not to do.

 

[Lex Kyrst]

Lex was relieved and also nervous at once about his decision. They had to act quickly, and they had to do it with the parlor owner already being suspicious. They had no idea if he was local or somewhere else entirely. The girl that came out was still dazed, and Azar once again nudged her with the Force. Lex was glad she wasn’t being sent to carry out the actual task of getting the names and information as it would only end up getting her in trouble.

“We stick to stealth as long as we can,” Lex answered, looking back at the building, “I’ll cause the distraction. If things go south, bring out that saber,” She nodded for him to get the girl moving. They had very little time as every moment here was another moment the serial killer gained to attack again. The killer moved fast, and he would be putting distance between himself and the crime scene rapidly.

Lex moved around to the opposite side of the building and walked towards the giant neon sign on the building. She lifted her blaster and carefully aimed towards where it was barely attached to the wall. She fired a shot and the entire sign came crashing down. Lex quickly ducked back into the shadows, hearing the commotion outside as the staff members rushed out to see what happened.

Lex commed Azar to act, and she fired off a few blaster bolts into the air to make it seem as if a fight were going on in the adjacent alley. The women shrieked and began running in different directions, some rushing back into the building and others plain bailing. There was chaos all around and it was more than enough time for Azar to grab crucial intel. As this all happened, Lex quickly made her way to the side of the building he entered from in case he needed help.

 

[Azar Torsin]

Very well, he said with a nod as she said they should maintain stealth. There was certainly merit to that and he wasn't going to argue. She set off for the front and he slunk deeper into the shadows as he waited for the young girl to open the door for him.

He didn't have to wait long and the door slid open a moment later for the Jedi to step inside. He glanced through and closed it behind him, quickly whispering for her to make herself scarce. He didn't want her caught up in any violence that might unfold. She'd suffered enough already.

The sound of blaster fire echoed distantly and Azar assumed that was Lex. He hoped it wasn't a real gunfight, but if it was, she'd shown she was more than capable of handling herself. He was confident that she wouldn't put herself in unnecessary risk.

Not to mention he had his own issues to worry about. He was inside enemy territory now and needed to stay alert. His head swiveled as he watched for anyone approaching, but there was no sign. As far as he could tell, everyone was distracted by the gunfight out front. Gunfights may have been more common down here, but that didn't mean that no one paid any attention to them when they were at the front door.

He pressed further on into the building, looking at the various rooms and trying to find anything that would indicate an office. He ascended a set of stairs and found a door, locked, and assumed it might be his target.

He reached out with the Force and thought he sensed someone inside but no one else nearby. He glanced behind him and decided it was now or never. His saber lit up and plunged into the durasteel, cutting through the lock with ease.

He made his way inside, catching sight of a single man sitting behind a desk. He pulled a blaster and the saber swung around, sending the bolt back into the man's chest. I have contact, watch for anyone alert, he commed Lex.

He began to rummage through the contents of the room even as things started to heat up outside. The two bouncers for the massage parlor were beginning to investigate the gunshots, pistols drawn as they searched for Lex.

 

[Lex Kyrst]

Lex was already back around the other side of the building by the time the bouncers came out. They would come out to an empty street and nothing but a sign having crashed to the ground. Lex snuck in through the doorway the girl had opened for Azar, making her way towards him. It didn’t take her long to come across the man that was dead from him having sent a bolt back. She inspected the body for a moment, “This couldn’t have been that holographic man, could it?” She looked up at Azar, “Could’ve left him alive for questioning, you know” She had to grin. He was more trigger happy than she was.

Lex also began to look through the contents of the room, finding records of girls being brought over from different planets. After a long moment, she found a picture she recognized, “Azar!” She called out, pointing to the picture. It was the supposedly random prostitute that had been murdered by their serial killer. Lex’s blood went cold, “There’s a connection!” She pocketed the picture, looking through the other photos. None of the others matched, but they did find more clues as to other locations associated with this particular parlor.

That was when the two bouncers abruptly burst in through the door. This time Lex was prepared, and she whipped out her badge, “GAR Forces, stand down. We’ve already called for backup,” She spoke firmly, having her pistol pointed at them. The men looked at each other, considering their next move. They then looked over at Azar, spotting his saber. They both dropped their weapons, deciding it was best not to mess with them.

“This place is now under lockdown,” Lex spoke, “Get down on the ground. Now!” She actually called for backup then, notifying the local authorities to come arrest anyone on the premise. They had enough information to bust this ring, but they needed to get back to chasing their killer.