Crowd control and client relations had never been Bast’s speciality. She could look for tells of lying, watch for nervous twitches, and analyse personality exceptionally well after years of honing those particular skills. But she was a detective. She saw the worst in people and pressed for justice. Everyone was equal under the law, so no one could escape. Likely, it was the attitude of the ranger that made her appear strict and hardened, and only those who knew her best would ever see past that. No one could say she was too weak for her job if they never saw her falter, never saw her tortures and near unconsciousness, so that was the facade she hid behind. It wasn’t that being unshakable was completely an act. Little scared Bast. Not death, just moral decay and helplessness. She wasn’t a fan of birds, either. The last thought made her chuckle to herself. That was some great blackmail material, there.
For a typically hyper focused person, Bast’s mind wandered much more than it had in her rookie days. Then she had been a model student, eager to please, never satisfied, always striving for better, working harder. Some part of the machinery that made her tick was broken. It had been since she’d trusted another person besides herself with her troubles, been vulnerable. Then there was Haji and Falynn and the building of an inexplicable bond. Being open was refreshing, but she reminded herself to be cautious.
The task assigned to Bast was to provide protection to Raya Barniis, a 24 year old female who worked two jobs, a waitress and board member for ward politics. According to the report, she had filed several complaints against a Senator Marty Balzeek for threats and was constantoy paranoid, convinced her life was in jeopardy. After months of pestering, planetary law enforcement handed the case over to the Sector Rangers because of lack of staff. Not to mention, Raya seemed unlikely to shut her mouth soon. She’d gone so far as to cause a public disturbance by yelling she was being stalked in a crowd and drawing her blaster, shooting sloppily out of fear. Thankfully, there were no casualties from the incident, but the woman was becoming a threat as well as a nuisance, and had to be monitored. Although Bast’s heart dropped a bit at the summary of the mission, it leapt when she saw her partner: Corran Velt. At least the neither ranger would have to go at the case alone. The boy was good company. He was thoughtful, strong, sensitive, vivacious. A rare breed, really. There was also something between them, a deep caring, a compassion. If she were to pick somebody to walk through hell with, it would be him. She had few other choices.
After a firm knock at the door of apartment 42, the woman paused and took in her surroundings. The place was nice, well kept. Bast wondered why she needed to work two jobs. The floor was tiled in an intricate pattern made of marble and chromium. The air smelled like freshening chemicals, soap, and flowers. The door slid open half an inch and a wide blue eye peaked out. Also visible was a sliver of pale skin and a few wisps of copper hair. The door opened wider, but not fully, when the anxious house owner saw the badge on the other woman’s vest. Mustering an attempt at a friendly smile, the ranger introduced herself.
“You must be Miss Raya Barniis. I am Sector Ranger Bast Emblai. I was sent to provide the at home guard you filed a request for. My partner should be here any minute. I can assure you that you are in good hands. Now, if I may come inside? Once your other escort arrives we can get down to some simple questions.”
Reluctantly, the woman opened the door, but didn’t offer a seat to her guest, so Bast stood to the left of the doorway, watching her client pace. The apartment, much like the building, was nice if a bit messy, with a large window. Incense wafted through the air, clouding it slightly. Something was off about the whole place, the whole ordeal. They needed to get to work.
@TerranSteel