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[Thalia Windraider]

It was a strange feeling to step into the Corellian Ranger headquarters so shortly after the massacre. There was a residue that hung heavy in the air and there was something that felt, for the lack of a better word, off, about the atmosphere. There was even a chill that Thalia had a hard time ignoring. Flashing lights still surrounded the building and crowds began to disperse finally as people realized they were not going to see much as bodies of the dead were already removed and sent to the coroner and those who were injured were now either recovering or having their wounds addressed by medical staff. Who those were that caused such bloodshed had everyone scratching their heads.

There were some Sector Rangers who seemed baffled and their confusion fed into anger about having vengeance for their fallen officers, while others seemed to have a readied trust in the Jedi Knights to help them figure out who did this and how to further protect themselves. Regardless of the years of service, the scene was grotesque, one that many imagined to just be in horror films but now it was a reality. Thalia was careful not to disturb the crime scene, there was a team of them working on finding whatever clues they could gather to identify those involved. They wanted to be seen, but too much of cowards to reveal their faces.

Thalia held a datapad that contained information of their fellow Rangers, @Jon Halleck and their technician Lyn Arom who were present during the attack. They both seemed to have the most intimate contact with the terrorists when they arrived and had survived the ordeal. At what cost though, Thalia was uncertain, they may have been unharmed physically (at least she hoped) but mentally, there would be a toll. She needed to interview them though, they would have to relive those details, but they had information that could help piece together who the culprits were. Anything and everything was going to be of help at this point.

She headed to the back where it seemed almost untouched by the blood that was spilled up front, Jon and Lyn would be waiting, however, there would also be another, a Jedi named @Ori Ardell. She wasn't too keen on working with other Jedi, but she guessed for this, she could pushed aside some discomfort for the greater safety of the galaxy.

@Roentgenium @Wit

 

[Ori Ardell]

There was no need to be nervous, Ori told himself repeatedly on the journey to the Rangers headquarters. This was his first assignment, if that was the right word. It wasn't just that there wasn't another Jedi whose lead he could follow and look to for advice. He was also aware that the relationship between the Jedi and the Rangers wasn't solid yet and that he was a representative of the Order. But this was exactly what he had been training for and he was finally at the point where he was ready to go out into the galaxy and help others.

Although, he wished his first assignment had come under better circumstances. Even having seen the footage of the attack, seeing the carnage inside the headquarters shocked Ori when he entered. He had been taught about the dark side, about its temptations and how it twists the minds of those who used it. But he struggled to comprehend the mind of a person who could commit an act of which resulted in the scene in front of him.

There was a feeling which Ori couldn't quite shake, one that made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. Perhaps it was the Force and the corruption of it which still hung in the air. On the other hand, it could simply have been the knowledge of what took place that unsettled him so much. A security officer approached Ori, understandbly cautious of persons who did not look like members of the Rangers.

"Excuse me, can I see some identification?" The security officer asked. Ori obliged and handed over his datapad which held the relevant information. "Ah, you're the Jedi. Ranger Windraider is waiting for you outside the interview rooms."

"Thank you." Ori replied, taking his datapad. Travelling deeper into the building, he could sense the mixture of emotions from the people around him through the Force. They were scared, and angry. There was a lot of anger. Eventually, Ori found his way to the interview rooms where found, who he assumed was Thalia, waiting for him. "Ranger Windraider? Greetings, I am Jedi Padawan Ori Ardell," he said formally, "you have my deepest condolences for recent events and I assure you I will assist you to the fullest of my capabilities as a Jedi to bring the culprits to justice."

@GABA @Wit

 

[Jon Halleck]

Jon was functioning on muscle memory alone. He should have passed out hours ago, if not from exhaustion, then from shock, or pain, or one of the many responses he had been taught victims had after an incident such as this. A victim, it was odd to think of himself like that. But at the moment that's what he was, one of the survivors of a gruesome attack, and for the purposes of the coming interview with whoever was assigned to the case, a witness. But while he might be approaching this coming interview from the other direction as compared to how he normally approached them, he could not turn off his brain, or the way it worked. Nor did he want to, trying to deal with everything like a normal case, cataloguing all the information, remembering all the details, and viewing everything that had happened from a purely analytical eye was the only thing that was holding him together right now. He had no doubts that once he started looking at things for what they really were, when he had no further reason to stop himself from relaxing, he was going to crash. And horribly so.

But for now he waited, sitting in what had once been the cafeteria, but was now being used to provide medical treatment to the survivors. His shoulder had been popped back in, but his hand was still a complete mess. The medical droid had wanted to rush him to the hospital to get it properly patched up, but he had held off till he was able to give his statement. It was vital to get everything he had seen on record while his memories were still fresh. He most definitely could not afford to let the docs drug him up and put him under. Not yet.

Sitting at the table that had been put aside for him, he glanced at the woman who was also to be a part of the interview. Another survivor of the attack, a technician by the name of Lyn. "You alright kid?" He asked her as he noticed her staring expressionlessly at the mug held in her hands. "You're safe now, just focus on that."

@GABA @Roentgenium

 

[Thalia Windraider]

The Jedi who was partnering with her had arrived, she could tell he was just as new to this as she was and she was uncertain if that brought her relief or pressure to ensure reports were accurate. She gave him a nod, accepting his condolences for the massacre, no matter how many times people would express their sincerity, there was still a wound that will remain. Thalia inhaled deeply, preparing herself for what they were going to hear from the two Rangers. "Thank you, Jedi Ardell. Lets go meet with them, I don't want them to be here any longer than they need to be." she explained.

Thalia lead the way into the room, seeing Jon sitting with Lyn, trying to comfort her as they were made to wait just a few more moments before they would be free to leave and take time to recover. The young Ranger took a seat and waited for the Jedi Padawan to sit down also before she began.

"Lyn, Jon, thank you for taking the time to do this." she said glancing at both Rangers as she laid her datapad atop of the table, switching on the recorder. "What you can offer today will bring us a step closer to figuring the identities of the terrorists who did this. Lets start with you Jon, tell us what you saw, could hear, smell, their behavior." Thalia started, opening up the conversation for Jon to tell his narrative.

@Roentgenium @Wit

 

[Ori Ardell]

"Understandable, they've been through a lot." Ori replied, it was somewhat of an understatement. He followed Thalia into the room and sat down next to her. While Thalia briefed the two Rangers, Ori took a moment to observe them. From the way Jon was handling things, Ori assumed he was the more experienced of the two. He'd seen this sort of thing before and he knew the procedures that needed to be followed.

Ranger Lyn, on the other hand, did not seem to be coping well in the slightest. Reaching out through the Force, he tried to gain some insight into her feelings. There was a great deal of pain coming from her. Ori was tempted to try make a connection with her through the Force, to try and help her feel even marginally calmer.

But he decided against it. Reasoning that using the Force in such an overt way here and on a victim of a recent attack by Force users, probably wasn't the best idea. Instead, he added to what Thalia said, his words mainly for Lyn's benefit, "And if you need a break at any point, let us know and we can reconvene later," he nodded to Jon, indicating he was finished and that he could begin.

@GABA @Wit