['Melder'] The One I Never Knew

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Hemeldur Aurek
1732 Hours, Galactic Standard
Astridia K.
@Trinidhak
Music
Death Disabled (duh)

There were many places Astridia would have chosen for a residence.

This place was not one of them.

Perhaps a resort world like Zeltros, or a warm beach world like Scarif. Some place she could sit down and enjoy the sunlight, avoid wearing tight and choking Imperial uniform, maybe drink something that didn't taste like recycled plastic. This place was cold-industrial, glowing, much like Coruscant except somehow...busier in a sense of the concept of a giant spaceport planet...thing. She had always thought maybe she could find her sister and take her to one of those nice places. Someday. Just to live in peace away from the nine circles of hell that the galaxy was right now.

But Alika was already living in peace now, wasn't she?

Astrid had taken a while to digest that her little sister was dead. It was insane to think. All her years wasted because of a lightsaber and the wrong place at the wrong time. At least that's what she could guess from the autopsy report. So she needed some independent help, some that wouldn't gain the attention of Imperial censors. She'd taken a couple days off, found the right person, and set off with whatever pieces of information she could dig up from her friend in the morgue room. She shut off her speeder with a short sigh and looked at the bag over her shoulder, smiling sadly before stepping off.

Her helmet sat on the seat as she checked the apartment number on her personav and scaled the steps, knocking on the door while leaving enough room for it to open. She spoke in a clipped Imperial tone.

"Miss Trinidia? Apologies for the time of day. Do you have a moment to talk? I believe you may have known my sister."

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

Evidence bags, old fashioned paper files, and a bottle of spiced rum littered the desk in front of Trinidia. She preferred printed out paper reports over the online database versions due to the fact that paper couldn't be secretly altered by anyone who decided to hack in to the system. To be fair, most of the time documents were altered in secret it wasnt by a hacker but someone with an official log in...

Trinidia was just reaching for her lighter when there was an unexpected knock at her front door. On instinct she reached for her pistol before she slowly got up and started steadily making her way to the door. You could never be too careful when you're an ex-cop still living in the same town where you worked the beat. The voice that came from the other side of the door couldn't have been anything but an Imerpial Military personnel. She knew the specific tone and accent they were taught at the academy all to well from her days there. Trinidia still mostly talked with the same tone as well, though in certain situations she had been known to go back to her original accent, which now felt foreign, when faced with anti Imperial individuals.

The notion of this Imperail coming to her was upsetting to say the least. She had hoped that she had made it far enough away from Imperial eyes, but maybe not so. Though the women bringing a blood relation that she herself may have known seemed to indicate that this may not have been 'official' business but personal. Either way she held the pistol behind her back as she opened the door enough to get a good look at the woman but not let her in yet.

"Doesn't the academy teach that its impolite to neglect introducing ones self when first meeting someone?" she said already having a hunch of who this woman might be.

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Perhaps this was off to a bit of a rocky start.

It wasn't common, nor likely welcome, for a posh, Imperial accented woman to come knocking on your door and ask if she could come in to discuss some sensitive information. Especially with a PI whose main job was to be, well, independent. Astrid shifted uncomfortably as a voice came back and the door peeked open wide enough for Trinidia Graygul to get a look at who was visiting, undoubtedly ready to shoot at anything trying to kill her. Pity nobody was there to shoot besides an off-duty Imperial with a folder in her hand. She took a slow step back to get into better view as she looked for a face peeking out. No luck so far. Bright lights were not ideal for seeing into a darker apartment. She cleared her throat.

"Astridia Kazaczecho. I...am not here for Imperial business, if that's what you're asking. Can I come in? It's quite cold out here. I didn't dress well for this occasion."

She shivered slightly, both to gain pity points and because she actually was starting to freeze out here. Astrid glanced back behind them as though to show there was nobody else there and nothing but her bike parked at the front. If the folder in her hand was evident of anything, maybe that would help too. She just needed to get in and gain some form of trust. Not being in a warm Imperial uniform was likely also helping with her case. Bringing a squad along for protection was also a terrible idea, especially if they reported anything. Astrid trusted her fellow soldiers, but not enough to warrant personal information getting out. Or maybe she could just freeze to death out here.

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

Astridia Kazaczecho... So Trinidia was correct in her hunch of who this woman was, though it was surprising that the rebel girl she had met a while ago had a sister in the Imperial Military. Maybe the reason Alika had joined the rebels in the first place was because of her sister... Trinidia stopped her mind from wondering and trying to solve that puzzle and went back to focusing on the issue at hand.

"You're really aren't dressed for it... Fine, come on in.

Slowly she stepped back and pulled the door open further for Astridia. She relaxed her arm hiding the pistol behind her back and let it fall to her side. There was no reason to hide the fact that she was prepared to defend herself, and she was sure that the woman outside had already guessed as much.

"Make sure to close the door behind you," she said walking deeper into the apartment letting the woman follow at her own pace.

The apartment was larger than one might expect from the outside, but it seemed more fitting for a couple than just for Trinidia alone. It was easy to see that in the past this place had seen a lot of love and care but had now started to fall into a bit of disarray. Some of the rooms seemed more lived in than others and some seemed to be completely unused, such as an office closed behind two sliding doors. Trinidia led the way through the apartment, her metal legs making distinct thuds with every step. Finally she arrived at a desk set up where one would presume a dinning room would be, and set down her pistol with a hefty plop. With deft hands she quickly pulled out a lighter and a cigarra from a pack on the desk and lit it.

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astridia smiled and chuckled slightly at the woman's obvious observation and looked at the blaster in her hand. Her hunch had been a little bit correct. Someone in her profession with someone knocking at her door warranted getting prepared to shoot. Especially when that someone was a woman with an Imperial accent who knew your name. She nodded in thanks and entered, immediately relieved at the warmer climate inside as she shut the door. Inside, Trindia's prosthetics thumped quietly on the floor. Her mind wandered as to how those could have came to be. An accident? War?

Worse?

Astrid stepped carefully through the apartment, noting how it had seen better times. At least...part of it had. Some of it was remarkably clean and pristine--others not so much. She looked at the files and various cabinets throughout, wondering what exactly was with the random cleanliness and messes. The office totally closed off piqued her interest, but she put it aside for now and looked at the folder in her hands while the detective lit up a cigarra. She cleared her throat, ignoring the Imperial part of her that wanted to say it was unhealthy to smoke inside an enclosed space like this, and thought to explain why she was here.

"I...my sister Alika was killed. I need you to review what I have...maybe tell me a bit about what could have happened."

Astrid swallowed, ignoring the rising pit in her stomach and the knot in her throat.

"There's, uh, pictures of the autopsy conducted as well as a report. I don't--"

She decided to stop before she ended up crying in front of a total stranger and held out the file.

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

Trinidia slowly blew out a long puff of smoke as she listened to the Imperial talk about her sister. It truly did sadden her to hear of Alika's death. She was a good kid who tried their best, but that didn't always end well in this galaxy. She felt even more upset when she say the obvious distress Astridia felt for her lost sister. It was a strange thing to see someone who went through the Imperial Academy get upset over the death of an individual, even if that person was family. Those kind of emotions were basically beat out of you at an early age, but Trinidia knew that they could resurface all too well after Torket died...

Though she had been through something similar she still wasn't sure what would best to do in the situation, so she settled for setting a hand on the womans shoulder.

"I'm... I'm sorry to hear that. Alika was a good kid, even helped me out with an Impe... with a problem I had once."

Trinidia took the file from the woman. An actual physical file, not some datapad linked up to a database. Trinidia really appreciated that. Slowly she stepped away as she started to quickly scan the contents of the folder, though for the moment she avoided looking at the autopsy photos.

"Would you like something to drink? you can have whatever you can find in the fridge, but of you want harder stuff its over on the cabinet to your right,' she said as she sat on the edge of her desk before taking a long drag of her cigarra. "I would definetly recommend some of the harder stuff. Though I know Imperial regulations would probably deter you from it, but still the offers on the table."

She rummaged around her desk for her datapad and set it up to take down notes before she started reading over the first page of the report in the folder.

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid shut her eyes slightly as the hand found a place on her shoulder, nodding to the offer of something to drink from the fridge and finding strong alcohol slight more appealing in this situation, Imperial regulations or not. She ignored the smokey smell of the cigarra as she walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a random bottle and a glass, really hoping it wasn't something that was going to render her knockout drunk. She looked for a place to sit but opted to stand, pouring the liquid into a glass with a slight wrinkle of her nose.

The report mainly contained the official documents submitted by an officer who reported to the scene--nothing too incriminating. Missing person's case, sounds of what could have been an altercation. Her body was scrounged up in an Imperial morgue and an autopsy was requested, which is where things began to get interesting. Of course, Astrid knew a whole lot more than what the reports had said--courtesy of the officer in question that had responded to the call. She downed the drink and then coughed as it burned her throat, putting her mouth into an elbow while she regained her breath.

"Between you and me--I'm not an Imperial when I'm not on duty. Bloody hell, what is this?"

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

Trinidia flipped from page to page, reading each one carefully and marking down any points that interested her on her datapad. It was annoying how vague an official Imperial report could be, but that tended to happen when someone didn't want to completely explain themselves due to personal reasons. During Trinidia's time in the Military she had since this sort of thing way too often to feel any sort of confidence in the system. Finally she reached the autopsy report and photos... She never enjoyed seeing that sort of thing, and she could help but have a few flash backs to the night she lost her legs. Thankfully the Astridia asking what the hell she was drinking took her out of it.

"Well that's good to know. And that is a special corellian spiced rum. There was some stupid reason it was special and cost a hell of a lot, but I can't remember what it was. I never had much of a taste for it anyway, but it was Torket's favorite..."

Quickly she went back to looking over at the file, trying to ignore her own last statement.

"Either this coroner was a kriffing idiot or they didn't care to do their job properly, because this doesn't add up right. The report says the wound, which is definitely one from a lightsaber no mistaking that, was inflicted from behind and to the side before stopping just below the heart, and that a bruise on her arm indicated signs of either a previous wound or a scuffle just before being killed... The burn marks around the chest easily show that she was stabbed in the chest before being ripped out through the side. My guess would be that..."

Trinidia cut herself off, realizing that what she was saying might be a bit too much for the sister to hear. She looked back up over to Astridia to see if she had said too much.

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astridia impatiently waited as the woman searched through her files, foot tapping rapidly on the ground while she tried to get herself to down another swallow of the rum. The antsy part of her she had in common with her sister. Not that it mattered a whole lot now. She paused at the last sentence of the woman, putting a few pieces together. Perhaps the reason some parts of the apartment were more used than others was because of something that had happened to this person. The Imperial suddenly felt rather bad drinking the bottle of a dead man. At least, as far as she could guess he or she was dead. One part of her wanted to ask a question, habit ingrained into her from Imperial academy. She reminded herself she wasn't here as an agent and didn't say a word as she winced at another swallow of spiced rum.

Clearly drinking wasn't her strong suit.

Trinidia seemed to have been finished with the case file and spoke, explaining in rather vivid detail the opposite of what the autopsy had said. Astrid winced as she brought the hand holding her glass to her face and felt the sudden urge to throw up. The death was fresh, and she thought she'd gotten enough time to get over it. There had been many deaths near her throughout her life. Why did this hurt so much? Astrid grunted and exhaled sharply.

"So--so...it was a Sith, then?"

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

Trinidia felt bad for speaking so bluntly about something so gruesome. As always she wasn't the best at thinking about others feelings right away, but thanks to working on the force and the people she met working there she had improved from her days in the Military.

"Yeah, I would say so... I would also say theres a good chance it was someone she knew. Since the the attack was from the front she would have seen them coming and her blaster had all of it rounds in it and was even still holstered, so she didn't try and shoot them which in my experience normally means they knew their attacker..."

There were other reasons she thought that she might have known the killer, such as the bruise on her arm indicated that she was grabbed and pulled in and Alika wasn't the type to let someone they though eas dangerous get that close. Also the attempt at going straight for the heart made it seem like the person wanted to do it fast and not make her to suffer. Maybe they genuinely missed or maybe Alika saw it at the last second and moved it saving her life for a couple more seconds, but painful ones. Either way Trinidia didn't want to bring that up after Astridia's visual discomfort.

"Sorry, I can be a bit blunt with this stuff. I need to get better at it considering I've been on the other side as well," she said looking down at her legs and putting out her cigarra in a small ashtray.

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid bent over in her sitting position, almost looking as though keeling over as the knot in her throat tightened. Worse off, this was the work of someone she knew. Perhaps an informant, perhaps a friend. She was maybe even betrayed, double crossed for the highest bidder. But Sith didn't work that way, she knew. Alternatively, if Alika hadn't drawn her blaster on a Sith, maybe she was trying to talk her way out of trouble. Evidently it didn't work. Astrid wiped her eyes clear of tears forming as she downed another glass of spiced rum, really feeling its effects. There was good and bad in the mix. For one, she wasn't exactly feeling as terrible as she had earlier. And there was a rather deep flush developing despite herself. The woman nodded while Trinidia apologized for being blunt. The Imp wanted to say 'No shit', but opted for something less rude. This was a good person, after all, to create contacts with.

Hardly her fault that Alika had died. If anything it was self-inflicted. Why did she have to join a rebel cell? Why try talking it out with a Sith, and not even bother saving herself?

Why leave Astrid alone in this damned galaxy?

She broke into tears before cutting herself short. Bloody hell, Astrid, keep yourself at least a little composed. The woman wiped away her tears before opening her eyes and looking at the metallic legs of the investigator. Maybe changing the subject would save her for a while longer as she drank herself to death. Figuratively. Or not.

"What's the story behind your legs, if I may ask? I doubt it's anything but a touchy subject--or..no, forget I asked. S-sorry."

And since when did Astrid second guess a question? What the hell was happening and what the hell was in her drink?

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

Trinidia let out a sigh as she hopped off of the desk and stood up, stretching slightly.

"No its alright. It's only fair I guess."

Without hesitation Trinidia made her way over to the cabinet where Astridia had grab the rum and grabbed a bottle of whiskey.

"Well as I'm sure you know from looking me up I was a detective for this planets police force. About a year ago now I was heading a massive sting opperation against a local mob. It had taken months to find the best data and set everything up, but it was worth the pay off of taking down nearly every high ranking member."

Quickly, she pulled the top off of the bottle and poured herself a large glass.

"But when we finally sprung our trap everything went to hell... One of the cops on my team was on the take and I should have kriffing seen it..."

Trinidia took a large gulp from her glass, as she tried to hold back some tears.

"It was a massacre... I watched as officer after officer were gunned down in front of me, including my partner... And instead of killing me, they thought it would more enjoyable to shoot of my legs and watch me suffer both physically and mentally. So yeah touchy subject."

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astridia coughed from the strong drink and put a sleeve over her mouth as Trinidia stood up and snatched a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet. That much the Imp could identify. She squeezed her eyes shut before opening them and putting the cap back on the bottle. Better to do so before she ended up knocking herself out. In the meantime the detective began her story, starting from what was on her record. Professional detective for the government, not independent as she was now. Nor, as could be gleaned from the story, legless, either. Astrid stared at the prosthetics for a moment, knowing the pain that came with losing a limb from fellow comrades. She'd lost people, too. Except in different circumstances against different people.

Astrid held up her bottle of spiced rum at the tears forming in Trinidia's eyes.

I get the feeling you need some of this brix instead of that. I get where you're coming from. Imperial, remember? My job isn't exactly shuffling papers and pleasing governors on the daily."

Especially where she had been. Peacekeeping was what it sounded like most of the time. That was until some people stirred up trouble, looking for the food stamps they never got, normally going to an embassy. But things had been bad before. Patrols could easily be overcome as revenge. Astrid knew firsthand what it was like to get your ass kicked. She leaned forward in her chair, trying to remember the last time she had seen Alika. The very last time. Seven years old. In a park, maybe? She looked so much different as an adult--in the morgue, Astrid had hardly recognized her. So what did that make her? A monster for not being able to know her sibling? Or a victim of her mother and the system?

Both, likely. And Trinidia, another victim of tyranny.

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

Trinidia stared at the out reached bottles, almost afraid to take it for fear of what memories it might recall. She didn't really want to go back diving down memory lane, she had spent enough time after the incident doing that non stop to the point she had been appointed a psychologist. But maybe today picking up something of Torket's wouldn't hurt her...

"Maybe you're right."

Trying to hide the fact of how scared she was of the bottle she took it before pulling up a chair to sit in across from Astridia. Though she held the bottle tight she kept looking at her whiskey glass.

"These jobs we work are never really fun are they? They just fill our time with enough pointless tasks so that we can try and pretend to forget about what a horrible galaxy we really live in..."

Trinidia quickly downed the rest of her whiskey glass.

"But sometimes there are things that really do make us forget about all the horrible stuff and only let us focus on the good. And it truly hurts when we lose those things. So here's to those that we have lost."

Without hesitation Trinidia popped open the bottle of spiced rum and took a swig.

"I'm rambling aren't I?"

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid patiently waited for the detective to grab the bottle, seeing juat how much weight the decision to snatch it from her hand was taking. Mental baggage was worse than anything. She knew just as much as Trinidia about the scars of the past. She understood exactly how the woman felt as she took the bottle and sat down. Losing people close to you was never easy. Astrid had lost squadmates before, people under her limited command. She knew the pressures of bringing everyone home. But such a traumatic wipe of people someone knew? She was surprised the woman hadn't gone completely insane. That was worthy of respect.

"You say that--and it's sometimes true. But the job I'm in...sometimes we see those atrocities first hand. Not everything is about forgetting. I'm certainly not forgetting anything anytime soon."

The galaxy had a funny way of keeping people alive and running its business. Astrid couldn't say she was a fan, but she knew that certain things happened for a reason. Perhaps there was more to Trinidia's loss than just a bad call and greed. The Empire certainly had its secrets far and wide. She listened as the detective downed quite a bit of liquor and wondered how drunk exactly she'd get before she passed out. If Astrid kept doing this, she wouldn't have a safe trip driving back to an apartment or a shuttle on her own. That would be a death with. She was, by all accounts, a kriffing lightweight, and the drink was hitting her like a mud brick.

"You're hardly rambling. I'm just surprised I haven't thrown up yet. I can't drink for brix. If I may ask, what exactly makes you forget? Drink? I've never been able to let go like wnat you're saying. It hurts. I just..need to make things right."

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

A genuine laugh came from Trinidia as she listened to the Imperial talk about being a lightwieght. Maybe it was the alcohol making her do it or maybe it was her remember how she use to be a lightwieght when she worked for the Empire.

"No, I wouldn't say drinking helps forgetting anything really. It's more like a distraction that makes you lose it for a bit."

Trinidia started to feel the effects of the alcohol come, crashing in waves over her body. She closed her eyes to the world as she tilted her head back. It was nice having an apartment that kept out a decent amount of light coming from the street, otherwise Trinidia wasn't sure she could stand living her with her heart sensitive eyes.

"It's the people you love and the thought of them that really does it. At least for me. Though that said when they're gone it can seem to make things worse. You just have to remember they wouldn't want you to "

Without really looking Trinidia unscrewed the cap of the run bottle. The smell of it quickly reached her nose and she fought to hold back memories. She hated wallowing in self pity considering all the horrible stuff she had seen other people go through, but still sometimes it felt good to actually let yourself feel sad about something instead of bottling it up inside. Maybe the Imperial across from her could benefit from the same. She lifted the bottle to her lips and took a hearty sip before coughing slightly.

"For kriffs sake, I'd forgotten how bad this stuff tastes," she said before laughing for the second time tonight.

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid hadn't expected a laugh and allowed herself to smile tightly while the detective eased up slightly. What had been merely a professional visit was rapidly turning into an exchange of words and stories. Perhaps finding a friend was the right word. Someone to share scars with. She had plenty of those--mentally. This woman had it worse. She had no real legs to walk on, and had the emotional trauma to bear. What had kept her in this business...Astridia had absolutely no idea. It was a brutal world to keep order on, worse than the Core. Coruscant had a rigid caste of criminals forged through thousands of years. This place was rather young. People ran rampant. Bad things happened. It took a special someone to be able to manage all that...minus their runners.

She chuckled coldly as the woman took a swig of the spiced rum, returning her eyes to the floor. It seemed much darker in here than earlier. Why? Oh, she was just an idiot. It was getting later in the day. Therefore the night came. Less light. It was already really dark in the apartment anyways. Or maybe she was just getting drink. Probably the later due to her status as a terrible drinker.

"Ah, that certainly makes me feel better about hating it. I'm gonna have a headache in the morning, I've got a feeling."

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

Trinidhak chuckled as she kept her head back and her eyes closed tight. The alcohol taking full effect now as she tried to not let the room sway too much.

"This stuff will definitely do that to you. I still have no clue as to why it was so expensive, or why Torket even liked it in the first place!"

This stuff was truly awful, at least for Trinidia's tastes. It was also heavy on the alcohol to the point that she was sure that some bars didn't serve it because they actually wanted their customers to buy more than one drink. Still that didn't stop her from another sip.

"And it doesn't get any better the more you drink. Oh kriff... I'm going to regret this tomorrow..."

Those she was steadily getting more and more drunk Trinidia had to admit that having company was nice, even if it had started out as more or less business. Her psychologist had been bugging her to try and socialize outside of a work setting but Trinidia had been putting it off ever chances she had. Who knows, maybe Dr. Streng was right, actually talking to someone wasn't the worst idea in the galaxy.

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astridia winced as the woman continued to enter her memories. Those were a dangerous thing, and as her throat burned she wondered if a part of her was burning as well. Maybe she was finally atoning for her sins? All those mystery missions of abducting people who seemed perfectly innocent? Perhaps doomed to share stories with an equally scarred humanoid? Likely she was getting far too sentimental and philosophical. Trinidia clearly hadn't been able to just relax like this in a long time. Having company over didn't happen much, the Imperial was willing to bet.

"You're going to regret this tomorrow? Ma'am, I'm going to be half dead in the morning, and I've had half of what you've got in you at least."

She stood up shakily and gathered up her files, shutting the folder with a sigh and taking off her small backpack to stuff it in, letting the pack tighten snugly around her shoulders while she put it back on and sat down once again. It might have been better to go...or better yet, walk somewhere so that she didn't get into a biking accident and kill herself. How unfortunate that would be. Both sisters dying to something so ridiculously stupid and sad.

"That--is why I bloody hate drinking. Now I can't make it back to a shuttle without at least a 75% chance of dying."

 

[Trinidia Graygul]

Though Trinidia did take the imperials last comment as being humorous, it did make her realize what trouble she might have caused for her by getting her drunk. She knew regulations and the stigmas that can come with showing back up after having a few drinks. Maybe it was the alcohol talking but she felt that she needed to take a bit of responsibility in the matter.

Quickly she stood up in order to match the other woman. She felt herself wobble slightly but her inorganic legs easily found steady footing for her without her having to think about it. It was a really disconcerting feeling to have your legs work using a mind of their own. She knew that it was basically a built in safety feature to help compensate for the fact that they weren't your real legs and thus couldn't respond exactly as your old ones would. Though that was the real issue. Her real legs would have probably let her stumble, and thus these responding faster than her drunken body helped to keep up the mental divide of thinking of them as her actual legs.

"Hey..." she said nervously. "There is a spare bedroom here if you prefer not to die on your way back. Though its probably kinda dusty. I haven't really been cleaning much recently."

She looked around noticing for the first time how much in disarray her apartment had become. At least in the areas that she didn't use much. So pretty much everything but the living room and kitchen areas.

"It's the least I can do considering I'm the one who offered you a drink in the first place."