Murder Most Foul!

[Horizon]

Murder had struck recently in the ranks of the honorable Alliance soldiers. Jade decided to take it upon herself to help in the investigation of finding the killer of Nasaria Helrim, a married man with one child and a full life ahead of him. Of course initial reports from a couple of other soldiers stated that Nasari had a 'chip' on his shoulder. Evidently the hardass routine within the Alliance ranks wasn't tolerated by anyone, murder being the best notion.

Of course she wanted to prepare her new friend for anything disturbing they might see. Turning from the door, Jade looked down to find her apprentice for the day. Traven had argued with her days earlier during a class taught by Master Avara, Jade of course held no ill feelings toward the lad anymore. She wouldn't expect him to understand given his own mindset and age, but Jade had the feeling Traven was going to do great things.

"Well Traven it seems like it's just me and you today. If you need to look away, I won't hold it against you, but I insist you do."

The last few words she spoke were rather grim sounding, she had a habit of doing that. Pressing a few buttons on a module next to the door caused it slide away with a woosh. The room was darkly lit, using only the screens which adorned the walls for viewers to see the progress of the soldiers whom were performing their own missions, inside the virtual simulation pods. It didn't take Jade long to find the pod in which they were looking for. Sat off in the corner, holographic police 'tape' marked off the crime scene. Jade moved past the holographic tape, causing it to ding for a moment, signaling someone had crossed over the line and into the scene of the crime.

She looked over for any details, not worried about tampering with anything due the fact investigators had picked up what they needed and were already analysing the evidence back at their lab. The pod itself was open aswell, revealing there to be no blood but only tiny black fragments spread across the seat...

 

[HunterOrdo]

Traven was still unsure as to why he was there. The masters at the Temple said he needed more experience in the field, but he was confused by what they meant and had only been told that he was to help assist a Master in an murder investigation. When the speeder had dropped him off, he was more than surprised to find that the Master was the same Jedi from the Negotiations class.. Jade Fallon.

The day had passed rather quietly, but Traven was to embarrassed about the argument he had with her earlier that week to be the first to speak. The silence had stretched on well until they were into the military base were the man was murdered, a Nasaria Helrim, if he remembered right. Why did he have to die? It said in the report that he was.. not the most likeable, but was that enough to make someone wish to end someones like? Did they not stop to think about the mans wife and child? How they would feel when they woke up to hear the news? It was cruel.. Travens fist clenched in anger and so lost in his thoughts was he that he did not notice they had arrived untill Mistress Fallons words cut through his mind.

"Well Traven it seems like it's just me and you today. If you need to look away, I won't hold it against you, but I insist you do."'

Look away? Was it really that bad? His imagination now freed to run wild with the images of what could lie behind the door caused a different kind of tremble to take hold of his body, one of fear. The door opened to reveal.. a room. Traven let out a breath of relief that he did not know he had been holding as he stepped into the room after the Master. He followed her across the tape and looked around her waist to see what was in the pod, half afraid to see blood or worse a body.. but all he saw was strange black fragments. He moved closer to the pod and picked one up turning it around in his hand "Mistress Fallon, What is this?" He asked curiously

 

[Horizon]

"Master Fallon will do just fine Traven.."

The closer she inspected the black fragments, Jade finally began to realize why no one heard the shot. Since they were in the room, tings and chimes could be heard from every direction. It was almost dizzying at first but once completely situated, one could easily find peace. But from the outside, nothing could be heard. It was almost as if the room was sound proof, it all made sense!

"Well that's what the investigators left behind. To be more specific it's the ashes of Nasaria. A blaster would be the only possible weapon to leave such evidence. Although this doesn't tell us who killed.."

As Jade attempted to finish her sentence, a man opened up the entrance in which the two of them had passed through earlier. The newcomer was dressed in a white jumpsuit, smudged with grease spots here and there. The man also wore thick, black framed glasses but sported a rather popular spiked hairstyle known as the Fatone which was worn short towards the back and long at the front to allow the spikes to be the first thing one noticed.

"Ah, you must be the two Jedi reps that were sent over to deal with Nasaria's case. Can't imagine why anyone would want to bother with it. So is there anyway I can help the two of you? Well I can tell ya' that he was nothing more than a slimeball. Picked on anyone he thought to be beneath himself, had a wonderful sense of superiority. Heard his wife was even thinking of leaving him, no idea he was ruffin' her up though."

Jade was suspecting if the wife had some how snuck into the facility and murdered her own husband. It was a possibility, but getting through all the hoops and hurdles of making it pass security seemed to make her suspicions unlikely.

"Could you tell us where Nasaria's wife lives? We'll have a few questions of our own to ask her."

"Oh sure, try down in the lower districts, apartment block A-32 to be exact though."

Jade merely nodded for pointing them in the right direction, she then motioned for Traven to follow along as they made their way out of the facility. They didn't make it far from the entrance before being stopped by an investigator working on the case.

"Might want to pack your bags and go home Jedi. We've recovered video footage clearly depicting the VR's mechanic being the murderer of Nasaria. Every camera except one had been tampered with and it was hell getting this working piece of video."

"So the mechanic was clearly visible I assume?"

"Not exactly, most of the footage is blurred out. The few seconds we have that isn't ruined shows a man in a white jump suit with a spiked hair cut, blasting Nasaria as he attempted to get out of the VR pod. You've got to understand though Jedi, justice has to be swift around here or we'll end up being the next Nar Shaddaa."

"Take the mechanic back to HQ, I'm asking you not to charge him just yet. We've found another possible suspect that could've had a motive better than anyone else."

"You've got one hour to come back with your findings. While many are happy to see him gone, I can't say the boys upstairs are happy to have a body with no appointed murderer.."

Time was officially working against both Traven and Jade. While they had one lead given by a suspect to find another, Jade had a hunch that this may make or break the situation. An hour was hardly anything to work with but Jade had a good feeling about their lead..

 

[HunterOrdo]

"Ok Master Fallon" Traven replied quietly still examining the strange black material. Female Jedi were always hard to guess on, but it seems Master Fallon preferred Master to Mistress. It was a strange substance.. it seemed to be almost..

Thats when Master Fallons voice cut in through his thought train, well one line did in particular "To be more specific it's the ashes of Nasaria." With a quick flick of the wrist Traven tossed the black ashes away. It was disgusting to think that he had just been touching a part of the man.. it could have been a piece of his liver, his nose, anything..

Luckily Master Fallon kept talking, although it seemed mostly to herself, but it served as enough distraction for Traven to refocus on the mission. A blaster.. they used batteries, couldnt they ask the quatermaster at the base to check all the energy packs coming back to see if one was discharged? He was about to ask when a man entered.

He looked rather scruffy and undisciplined to be in the Republics Army. The man went into detail of the victim.. strange how he said he knew that his wife would be leaving him, and said he had no idea he was roughing her up, yet he spoke now like he new.. also why would he just know where the victim lived.. It seemed rather strange.

Before he could speak Master Fallon was ushering them along once more to somewhere new, so Traven jogged to keep up. He tried to keep close to her as possible as being around all these soldiers was making him slightly nervous. Much to his relief they seemed to be heading out of the base when they were stopped by yet another man, one who had a video of the murder.. If what he said was true it was the same man from the room.. who knew much about the victim and his wife.. same hair cut and clothing.

If he was a mechanic it wouldnt be too hard for him to tamper with the cameras.. It did seem strange that the man knew so much about the Victims family, but it seemed the evidence pointed against the man, so why were they going to the wifes house? Nonetheless Traven followed behind the Master.

 

[Horizon]

It took little to no time for the duo to arrive within the lower districts. Now the only problem presenting itself was actually finding Apartment block A-32. They twisted and turned through many dark alley ways until finally there were by definition, lost.

"Oh this isn't good. I believe we're lost.."

They now stood by a small fire inside a large barrel, created by a couple locals in a attempt to keep warm during the night. Whatever they used the night before in terms of kindling, kept the fire burning at a steady pace with no end in sight. Jade turned her eyes to the fire, looking into it with a blank stare, almost becoming lost in thought with herself.

"Burn the entire place down! Leave no one alive!"

Screams filled her mind as the area around her seemed to become engulfed in fire. Men in strange armor ran back and forth about the area, carrying blasters while shouting at one another. On the outside, Jade continued to stare into the fire with little to no connection.

 

[HunterOrdo]

They were lost.. A fact Traven had noticed a long time ago as Master Fallon took a wrong turn.. again. The padawan sighed as he stroked his ponytail, it would do no good if he tried to lead either, he had no idea where they were. He rarely left the temple let along explore this.. place. Somewhere along the way Master Fallon had entered the bad quarter of the planet.

The homeless, thugs, and other characters of perhaps even more shady occupations walked the streets giving them dirty looks, or looks of pleading hope. It tore Travens heart knowing that there was nothing he could do to help the homeless of the criminals. The government was ignoring them, but they deserved some kind of aid, he knew well enough that to help everyone was impossible, but that did not mean he couldnt help those in front of him.. but in truth that was it. He had nothing to give them, nothing to help them with. He had no credits.. nothing.

At one point a purple haired prostitute even asked him if he was looking for company! Travens face had lit up like a bright tomato at the prospect, but he manged to mumble out a no thank you to the woman. Just thinking back on that moment caused the padawans face to inflame. He was only 15! was such things normal here? Master Fallon seemed to take no notice of the area..

The arrived at a small fire the homeless used to keep warm and Master Fallon.. just stared into the fire. Was something wrong? Had he let her down somehow? Traven began to panic wondering if it was somehow his fault for her inattentiveness.

Out of the shadows stepped a group of desperate looking thugs holding a variety of weapons from vibroblades to blasters. Looked like 6 or 8 of them in total. Traven reflexively stepped closer to Master Fallon and gently grasped her robe with his left hand.

"Dis 'ere be Keldon Turf. Ya gotta pay the toll to be walkin' through" One of the thugs said brandishing his rusted vibroblade. Traven clenched Master Fallons robes tighter, and looked up at the Jedi seeing what she was going to do.

 

[Horizon]

Spoiler: Le vision!

"You know you can't escape me Jade. I'll always burn inside you like the memories you attempt to snuff out, hoping that it will all just go away. We'll always be together Jade!"

While the flames encircled Jade, she attempted to reach out to what she percieved to be her parents. Mere shadows that held one another while the flames consumed them, tears ran down her cheeks as the brief memory faded into a dark confusion. This only lead to Jade coming to her senses, looking down at the scared Traven who continued to tug on her robes. What had just happened? Why was he so scared? Jade looked around only to find that they were surrounded by a group of thugs. She couldn't believe the situation they were in! They were on their way, following a simple lead when..When whatever happened had to strike.

"Traven, I want you to close your eyes."

She wouldn't reason with thugs. Jade had her mind just set on solving the problem in her own personal way. Her dual lightsaber hilts practically leaped from her hands as she beckoned them to her hands. Her stare was now focused on the man who dared to speak against her, unknowing of what he was about to face. While she pushed Traven away from her side, Jade knew where every man was. One small move would send her barreling into an unending episode of violence. Didn't she know that the Jedi weren't meant to act in such a manner? Jade knew all too well of her abilities and loved using them to their full effect. It was a question of whether or not she could control the flames that her armed aversaries stoked with their presence.