Ask Chandrila Hunt the Fox

[Vanya]

Per my OP template, thread is death enabled​

Chandrila was fairly beautiful planet, Vanya decided, and had added it to the list of "nice places I've visited" that she could tell her Clan about when she returned home. Temperate environments, mostly nice people, and the occasional vicious murder...

Normally ChanSec would have simply dealt with investigating the matter themselves, but over the last month, five bodies had shown up all of which had been mutilated in the same way, and with links back to what the locals called "dark cults." These days, every "dark cult" brought up concerns about Sith and who was better at dealing with Sith than the Jedi? At least that was the logic, although Vanya wasn't convinced it wasn't just some nasty psychopath. Either way, she'd happily bring them in or put them down, so it made little difference to her.

The most recent body was a young woman whose body had been all but drained of blood. Completely exsanguinated and her body hung, splayed from the side of a building before unlookers saw her. She was the fifth victim found like that, and not a single drop of blood had yet been discovered.

Vanya's appearance at the crime scene was alongside Ezra, her face twisted into a scowl as she looked at the long, flayed cuts that lined the victim's body. It was a sickening and evil thing that left a foul scent in the Force.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

“It’s a bit ridiculous we get called to solve these things without any formal education in forensics,” Ezra observed as he arrived to stand next to Vanya. While his Jedi education covered strange occurrences, the range of the problems he had to deal with was absurd. He felt out of his element most of the time while others looked at him expectantly because he was a Jedi. No wonder Jedi always had such a tough time. His silver gaze studied the dead body, ignoring the suspicious look he received from the detective on the scene.

“Are you-”

Ezra sighed. He used to relish the attention his name brought him, but now it was a nuisance when he tried to work. He only hoped this wouldn’t turn to yet another case of giggling girls and boys surrounding him because he was some sort of celebrity. The part Sephi said nothing, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Vanya could get up close and personal with the dead body, but he would remain standing where he was.

“All the limbs are still intact, so I’m not sure this has any connection to the abominations,” He observed, turning to regard Vanya. He was privately glad to be working with her again. Her personality matched surprisingly well with his. Where most people found him standoffish, she didn’t get too hung up on it, “Are you familiar with any practices that call for draining the blood?” While he was forced to take a crash course on alchemy (limited and forbidden knowledge in the Jedi archives), she was far more familiar with occult practices and other applications of the Force.

 

[Vanya]

I don't know anything about forensics, she stated deadpan. Last time I worked a case like this, there wasn't a need to go to court, though, she said. The man had pulled a lightsaber, and she'd killed him. Easy peasy. Unfortunately, most of her ways of tracking and collecting evidence also weren't admissible in court, but she hadn't really given that much fault. Someone would find a way to link them somehow. Chain of evidence seemed like a silly concept to her.

Vanya watched people starting to fawn over Ezra as he arrived on the scene of the crime, and it returned to her attention that he was a celebrity. It was a funny thing because although she knew that, it was not the first thing she thought of when she thought of him. Or even the second or third.

Get, she scowled, waving her hand at a couple of people who came loitering around and definitely shouldn't have been standing so close to the scene.

Her eyes swept over the scene and her jaw clenched as she made her way over to Ezra so she could speak in a more hushed tone. Her knowledge of Sith sorcery wasn't popular - or well known - among pretty much anyone. Not that she practiced it, mind you, but she had been around it in the palace on Dathomir. There were those who had practiced it.

Blood is a popular fuel source in a lot of sorcery and alchemical experiments. It seems to draw toxic, Primal Spirits that the sorcerers manipulate, she said. But... she shrugged ...it might not be that, she said, hopefully. In her head, though, she churned over the possibilities. Another Forgemaster? An independent Sith? Something entirely unrelated? She had no idea, but whatever it was, they'd killed five people.

I think if this were Raze related, we'd see a lot more than five bodies. Could be someone just starting up. Or someone looking to attract his attention, she said the words out loud for the first time, and as soon as she did, a chill ran down her spine. Her eyes gazed around the area and she imagined it overrun by abominations. The people gathered nearby ravaged and torn torn pieces. The thought made her almost nauseous. She refused to let it happen again.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra stared blankly as she mentioned there was ‘no need to go to court’. He could only deduce it meant she sliced and diced her way to justice. Ezra wasn’t exactly a conventional Jedi, so he didn’t ask questions. He nodded to her observation, though he didn’t like that blood could also be an alchemy ritual, “There’s no doubt a bunch of copy cats are going to crop up now that Raze is such a prominent figure,” After all, doing dark and evil things was always ‘cool’. Some of the high profile serial killers like the Flower Killer had years of copycats, so it was no surprise Raze would inspire cults or fledgeling alchemists.

“Raze is messy,” He agreed. Anywhere Raze touched tended to leave thousands of bodies and chaos behind him. This was almost too clean. It was lower scale. However, that’s what made it insidious in its own way. Ezra thanked the detective, taking a datapad from the woman on where to follow up. As soon as they were out of earshot, he turned to Vanya, “The core is still very suspicious of Jedi and Force users in general. We will want to keep our sabers out of sight and avoid blatant displays of the Force,” He explained, getting her up to speed on the politics.

He looked over the datapad, “The last person that saw the victim alive is an old lady that lives two blocks down the road. The detective noted her story was garbage and sounded… far fetched and she crossed her off as a witness,” Ezra shrugged, “Since we specialize in far fetched things, it may be worth reassessing.”

 

[Vanya]

Vanya's face twisted up in a scowl as Ezra told her that Jedi were still viewed with suspicion here. Not that she was saying it was wrong, but it was annoying and ironic.

Great, so they want us to come and risk our lives, but also want to handcuff us in how we go about saving them, she grumbled in annoyance. She supposed that complaining about it wasn't going to help anything so she just sighed, shook her head, rolled her eyes, and decided to press on.

Okay, she said, but she seemed almost distracted as she said it. Her eyes were still glued to the body of the victim and she almost felt like her subconscious were screaming something at her that she just couldn't quite place.

Okay, let's go, she finally said after another few seconds with nothing clicking. She started walking down the road toward the address they had been given, and spotted the handful of glances toward Ezra as they went.

Does it get annoying having people always fawning over you? she asked. It sounded exhausting to her, but she hadn't grown up with it. Perhaps he was simply desensitized at this point.

Eventually, they reached the apartment in question. It was a nice complex, nicer than she had expected, but the closer she looked, the more it gave an impression that it was only nice on the outside. As if the new pain job and window cleaner could cover up the rust that was rotting through the foundations.

She followed the stairs up to the apartment in question, rapping her knuckles against the door only to have no one answer. Then again. No answer. She reached out to the Essence but sensed no one inside, which left them with the question: come back or try to find a different (perhaps questionable) way inside.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra shrugged, “Jedi is a thankless job,” He said flatly. There was a time when he didn’t see the point of them and even now they always helped where they weren’t wanted. This was different, however. If it had anything to do with abominations or it allowed to gain some influence in the core, it ultimately helped the Jedi overall.

He was surprised by her question. She normally kept everything strictly professional and didn’t ask too many personal questions. The query got a side glance from him, but more out of curiosity, “I’m kind of a big deal,” Ezra quipped back with a smirk. He wasn’t stuffy and stoic enough to not make a quip every now and then. Being both Ezra Thorne and the CEO of EZTech warranted some attention and he didn’t mind it unless it got in the way of getting work done.

The lack of a response from the woman’s door was irritating at best. He was about to suggest simply coming back later, but the look on Vanya’s face combined with that prickly feeling in the back of his neck gave him pause. The part Sephi looked around on either direction, before he reached into his bag and pulled out some sharp tools, “Keep a lookout,” He said simply as he hunched over to tinker with the lock. He learned to break into virtually any room courtesy of his very shady friend Ferrin (@Altaris ). Within moments, there was an audible click and Ezra walked in nonchalantly, making room for Vanya to step in.

At first everything looked to be in order. Ezra turned a corner and walked towards the kitchen. It was there that he saw the old woman lying on the floor with her head twisted in the clear opposite direction. The Thorne sighed, surprised at how unfazed he was becoming to finding bodies in different states.

“Well…she definitely had some credible intel,” He said quietly, realizing they ran into a dead end for now. Literally.

 

[Vanya]

Yeah, I suppose, she agreed. It was the hypocrisy that got to her, but she knew better than to think she was going to change everyone's mind. If that were on the table, the galaxy would be a very different place.

She did have a small, quiet snicker at his returned quip. It wasn't wrong, and it caught her off-guard a bit as it wasn't the answer she had expected.

Vanya was true to the plan as they reached the woman's apartment, standing near the top of the stairs to make sure no one was coming up while Ezra went to work on the lock. She somehow didn't seem bothered by their plan to break in, but did feel a hint of surprise that he knew how to pick locks. Well... it was a useful skill to have, at least, and she was sure there was more to that story, too. She didn't ask... yet.

She heard the click and headed over to the door, following behind Ezra as she started hearing footsteps coming up the stairs behind them.

It probably wasn't a great comment about her that when she saw the dead body it was a sigh that came out of her mouth rather than shock or remorse, but she felt a bit better that Ezra had an almost identical reaction.

Feels like square one, she grumbled, bending down to look at the woman. She was at least smart enough not to start touching all over things.

She wandered around for a few moments and found a broken window at the back, which she pointed out to Ezra, but no one nearby. Perhaps there were more clues in the alley or the sill, but Vanya's eyes were drawn to the woman's twisted neck.

Look at this, she said, pointing to multiple thin bruise marks on the woman's neck and chin.

It's supposed to look like a Force Choke, but those are finger marks, she said. Which meant it was someone trying to make it look like Sith. The plot only thickened and grew stranger.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra grimaced at the sight of the finger marks. As much as it was the Jedi way to solve something like this alone, he knew it would improve their image if they actually cooperated with local authorities, “I’ll call Detective Dobbs,” He said, glancing back at the door where they broke in, “We’ll…tell her the door was left ajar,” He said simply. The detective could do a better job collecting and analyzing fingerprints than the two Jedi ever could.

“Let’s track the path out the window while Dobbs works things on this end,” He said as he made his way towards the window. Vanya would have a much easier time retracing the steps. He gave one look at the window, considered his large profile and blinked, “I’ll… meet you down in the alley,” He said dryly before parting ways with Vanya.

Within moments, the two were in the back alley where he guessed the culprit had made a hasty escape. Ezra looked closer and could see a patch of black clothing that had snagged and torn off on the side of a dumpster from where the perp landed.

Well, Ezra couldn’t talk to trees or whatever Vanya did, so he took a moment to stand there and close his eyes. He was still as a statue, diving into his mind. He always felt stupid doing this when Zathria first taught him about it, but he learned to rely on it over the years. All of the noises of the cities and alleys melted away and there was nothing but the Force. After a few moments, he could hear a thundering heartbeat and a sense of rush. He could see a path and turning corners, a sense of dread, and then relief upon exiting to a particular street.

Ezra’s eyes opened after a while, “This way,” He said cryptically, starting to walk with purpose.

 

[Vanya]

Vanya grunted slightly as he mentioned calling in the local detectives. He was right, but she didn't like working with other people... strangers specifically.

You're right, she finally relented, and headed down to the alley in hopes of finding something. Unfortunately, tracking in a major city wasn't quite the same as tracking in a jungle. There were no broken twigs or trodden grasses to follow. Only unyielding concrete.

As she looked for any physical signs - without success - he focused in on the Essence, tracking the emotions and signatures that lingered in this place. Such a violent action left an imprint on the world around them for those who knew to look for it.

He declared that he had a trail, and although she didn't know what it was that he had done, she followed along. Of course, her curiosity was more than a little piqued at this point, but she kept her mouth shut for the moment.

Eventually, their path led them from the "fake nice" streets to the areas that no longer even tried to appear nice. Buildings were falling apart or abandoned altogether, and there were no kind looks or invitations to speak now. But on they continued until they reached a building that was missing half of its walls. People here lived in complete poverty with only pennies to their names and overlooked by their leaders. They were the forgotten and rejected, and Vanya wondered if they were simply being exploited by a new threat or if they were complicit.

Questioning the people here would be difficult and they were faced with a few options. One was a small family of a woman and her two young children huddled in a corner while at the far end of the building, the emptied out husk of an R2 unit now hosted a small fire over which people were warming their hands. From the look of it, at least four middle aged men were gathered around it. At the area closest to them were a trio of people sleeping, appearing as if perhaps they had gotten high off of some sort of spice before settling in for a long "nap."

 

[Ezra Thorne]

First of all, Ezra was completely scandalized at the sight of an excavated R2 unit. How could someone do that to a droid?! Next, the smell and appearance of everything here was unbearable. Vanya would note that he appeared completely prissy as he gingerly stepped past puddles or unidentifiable fluids. He covered his nose and looked entirely out of place. He may have been a Jedi, but Ezra was still Ezra.

“Maybe there’s nothing to see here,” He said hopefully, unable to keep the disgust from his tone. How people could live like this was beyond him. While Vanya thought about the politicians that abandoned the people here, all Ezra could think about was the poor life choices that led these miserable people here. Why did that wretched woman choose to have children when she could hardly afford to feed herself? Why did those people sleeping smell like spice? Gross.

“Hi there,” He said as he greeted the woman. She immediately glared at him. Ezra rolled his eyes and flashed some credits. Her eyes went wide. Ezra looked at Vanya and gave a vague shrug. Not everything had to be upstanding and holier than thou with Jedi. The woman snatched the credits.

“Have you seen someone come running through here? Would have been wearing black clothing,” Ezra said. It wasn’t exactly much to go on, “Would have looked panicked..probably looking over their shoulder.”

The woman pondered for a moment. She looked confused, and he knew she was holding out for more money.

“I did!” One of the kids piped up. The woman tried to shh him, but he valiantly went on, “It looked like a Togruta!” He said eagerly, “Went that way,” The kid pointed to a back alley. The mother glowered.

Ezra pulled out more credits and handed them over, “That’s enough to rent you a motel for a week and groceries,” He said to the mother, “Make some good choices,” He said with a wave of his hand. The woman’s eyes glazed over, but she soon picked up the kids and started making her way over to the upper districts.

 

[Vanya]

Vanya watched as Ezra seemed even more uncomfortable here than she did. Her life on Dathomir was so different from planets like this place. The smells here were so different... and hideous. She stood back while Ezra talked to the woman who looked more like she wanted to rip their throats out than answer their questions. She wondered what the two of them would do if this whole little... compound decided to attack them. Could they fend them off? Of course, but would they be able to do it without killing anyone?

She realized the question probably wasn't relevant and pulled her mind back into the present. A Togruta running through the area. Vanya's eyes swept away and she headed toward the alley in question.

The alley was empty, of course, but as they made it to the far side, Vanya spotted what looked to be cameras that could see the exit on the other side.

We might be able to get access to those, she said. Even as she said it, something felt... wrong. Maybe it was something in her gut or maybe it was the Essence speaking to her, but she shook her head.

Does this feel too easy? she asked. Perfectly placed cameras that can pick up the speeder leaving, she said, motioning to a scratch mark that not only looked fresh but still had heat emanating from it where the engine had been left running.

Something is wrong. Like we were supposed to find this, she said. Her head turned to the side and she frowned in thought. All the preparation to leave a speeder here and running - which points to a partner - but doesn't look for cameras? she said. That nag in the back of her mind seemed to whisper with unshakeable confidence "conspiracy" but she had no proof of it at all.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra quirked a brow at her, “You sound paranoid..” He said dryly. He agreed it looked convenient, but there could also be sloppy accomplices involved. The person running away seemed far too terrified when he tried to sense with the Force, but he wasn’t going to rule that this was a set up just yet. He picked up his comlink and contacted Dobbs about the cameras as well, though he was skeptical it would turn anything up.

“Well, what do you suggest then? Sit around here to counter ambush the ambush?” Ezra asked quizzically. He had taken charge of the investigation so far, and they weren’t exactly turning up solid leads. Perhaps she had a different angle. He was skeptical, but he wasn’t as bullheaded as before - he could actually hear out other ideas.

 

[Vanya]

Only if I'm wrong, she muttered. She paused a moment, frowning and thinking. I have no evidence, but it just feels wrong. "Trust your instincts" and all that, she said.

She looked around the alley and tapped her foot several times, trying to think if there was something that might give them a lead.

I have one spell that I could try, she finally said. It shows... echoes of what's gone on here recently. We're close enough on their tail that I think it might lead us in the right direction, she said.

She crouched down, drawing the heat off of the vehicle and letting her own power flow into the ground. She muttered an incantation, her hands sweeping over the area and waving in front of her, spinning a weave of tendrils together before throwing her hands out to the side.

Faint glows of human outlines and the sounds of human voices echoed around them.

It's done! Go!

Anyone see you?

No, of course not. Quick, we gotta make it to the Durant Estate before he gets a mind to talk.

And then just like that, the illusion was gone.

Durant Estate? she said, pulling out her EZPhone to searching for any information on it. "Estates" weren't just like houses, and if rich people were involved, then they were likely in the media somehow.

Durant is large in the shipping industry and building local infrastructure. No address on file. It looks like he has been in the news before for dropped charges of corruption and bribery, she said. And from the looks of things, he was very wealthy.