Ask Coruscant Unrelenting Pursuit

[Zad Ruzed]

Music OOC [Recurring]

Spoiler

Offering a cigarette to a teenager was one thing that an aging man might hold himself back from doing. Stopping said teenager from going to get his own, well, Zad had to draw the line somewhere. Teens will be teens. Here was one who had just recently found out that his very own mother had gone missing, so here was one Ranger who was not really of the mind to grab him by the shirt and pull him back. A bit of space ought to do him some good—as long as he didn’t wander off too far. Zad had no kids of his own but he heard they did that quite a bit.

He nodded at Corran’s command, blowing smoke his way before remembering himself and quickly swatting his hand through the air. It was a sensible enough scenario, splitting the badges up to bypass both areas as surely as ID could buy you a pack of cigarettes. Heck, it was Zad’s own idea that he had leaned toward out loud just a moment ago. He thought about that as he stared off into the distance, more specifically the direction that Crix had taken in his adolescent stray. Like a puppy with a flicked nose.

Zad kept thinking about it the whole time it took to walk from Point A to Point B, glancing toward Talak every now and then, trying to figure out an enigma that just would not give. More than colleague’s creed going on here. Jedi’s traveling with Aran’s own son. He knows her—not just of her. Zad could speak for himself if no one else, but that’s all he knew. That thought permeated his brain as much as the former as they found the little druk and his juvenile self. Teens...

“Corran…” Rough and Tumble cleared his throat, aware that he might get a stink eye or two from either or both of his CO and contemporaries for what he was about to say. After all, for this unrelenting pursuit of theirs, the last thing anyone needed was yet another adjustment to the architecture they dared to call a plan. “Er, Lieutenant... Not to step on either of our toes but, well, here’s the thing.”

With a deep breath, Zad sighed out smoke and watched the wisps escape, wondering if Trys had done so with just as much ease. “I believe in the badge and all that comes with it but this clever guy—” He nodded toward Crix. “—He believes in himself and his mother and little else.” This was no psychoanalysis; it was plain observation. “This guy—” Nod at Talak. “—He’s more familiar with the kid than we are. And if a Jedi is more familiar with the son of a Sector Ranger than her own fellow Sector Rangers are then, well…”

Trailing off, Zad shrugged, flicking ash upon the ground. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that it might be better if those two stick together after all. Don’t need two badges in one place but they’ll be that much louder when we take ‘em to Darmus or Tech. Meanwhile, if this other dynamic duo hits any walls, well, we’re one comm-call away.” He looked steadily at Corran to let him know that this was Serious Zad speaking to him and not Silly Zad. He had no kids of his own, no, but he had a soft spot for them nonetheless, and here was one kid who Zad thought would have no objections to this adjustment—except for cycling right back to it, perhaps.


@Phoenix @Nefieslab @TerranSteel

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak had a visceral reaction to the suggestion simply because Trys had sent him to get Crix, and the idea of letting him out of his sight here and now simply didn't sit well. It was clear that Crix wasn't overly eager about the idea either, but Talak hadn't said anything yet.

He was about to reject the idea that he be split up from Crix but before he could, Ruzed spoke up again. Talak kind of liked the gunslinger and found him to be something of an interesting study though Talak bristled a bit at what the Ranger said primarily because he was getting too close to the truth. If they followed that route too far they may not find all the truth, but more of it than Talak would have been hoping for. Yes, why was a Jedi traveling along with Trys's son. An interesting combo. Here was hoping they wouldn't go perusing through Trys's old messages, but given that was something of a violation of privacy, he hoped not.

You have my comm code. I'll let you know if we get anything, he said, and hoped they would do the same. Even with a bit of tension amongst the group, they were all on the same side.

But more pressing was that Crix was wandering off again.

He paused a beat longer to see if either of the Rangers had anything more to add before going after Crix again.

He looked less than ecstatic when he found him.

I have a speeder, he said. He may be willing to break into a relay station, but stealing some poor idiot's speeder wasn't necessary.

Come on, we're going to the relay station, he said. @Die Shize @Nefieslab @TerranSteel

 

[Crix Aran]

Meeting a slicer who knew his stuff sounded like an exercise in proper police work and something that likely got the dude promoted rather early. The results he was promising were very, well, promising but he was promising it on behalf of someone else who he didn't know. He eyed the man over the interface he was messing with on the speeder bike, maintaining eye contact as he crossed two wires he'd sheared down, the speeder bike roaring to life.

"Forgot my access code, officer."

Sarcasm was always a good falling back point.

He eyed the others as they came up and reasoned it was better to let him and Talak go on ahead on their own. The line of questioning might get awkward for Talak if the gunslinger kept going down that line of thought... he was tempted to let him join the dots before remembering that it would also impact his mom. Which was why he almost immediately gave the Ranger a truth that would end up being misleading - leading him away from the truth of Talak's relationship with his mom.

"I'm Force Sensitive." he told the gunslinger with a small shrug, "Talak was assessing how well I'd do as a glowstick waver, one of those intern ones you know? Paddyones?"

He'd totally just tied himself to Talak for longer.

Crix eyed the now idling speeder bike a little guiltily and he tried his DAMNEST to not pout. He... didn't fully succeed.

"Yeah well... I thought we were getting split up so whatever..."

Where were the trapdoors when you needed them? He could really do with the ground swallowing him right about now. Instead he quickly followed along with Talak, waving once to the Rangers.

"Let us know what you find!" he called out to them as they left, "We'll do the same!"

But now? Now was the time for action.

@TerranSteel @Die Shize @Phoenix

 

[Corran Velt]

A sign of a good officer was one that listened to the wisdom of their subordinates. Zad’s logic was reasonable and prevailed against Corran’s sense of authority against outsiders of their creed. He had let his newly acquired rank get the better of him and had fought to defend Sector Ranger honor selfishly amongst allies, even if only temporary ones in his mind. Another lesson to be learned and luckily one taught by a friend instead of an enemy. The final nail in the coffin was the teenager’s admission that he was Force-sensitive. Corran gave a look of perplexed astonishment, eyebrows dented and looking over the teenager for sarcasm or humor. No, Crix was quite sober in the declaration. Guess there was no escaping it then, as much as he didn’t like it.

With a brief stare and a humbled nod, the lieutenant acquiesced, “That settles it then. We’ll secure assets to crack the information on the comm device.” As the Jedi and his supposed trainee left, Corran watched them with his hands on his hips until they were out of view. A tiny pang of embarrassment hung in his chest. Letting the son of the most respect Sector Ranger possibly get recruited by a Force cult felt wrong. Like another defeat in the galaxy he dreamed of. On the other hand, it wasn’t really his fight. What happened in Crix’s life was between him, his mother, and the mingling of Jedi. Nothing could ever be simple, could it?

Jedi out of earshot, the blond ranger turned to his partner and patted his broad shoulder. “Thanks for looking out for me. Your wisdom, as folksy as it is, is always welcome,” Corran said with genuine gratitude and appreciation in his voice. Zad had at least staved off a diplomatic incident; at most he might have sped up the rescue of Trys Aran. The young officer would need to reflect on the situation later and glean what he could from the experience. Other things came first. “Come on,” Corran offered as he released his hips from his hands, “Let’s go see if Ranger Onn or one of his friends can crack this thing.” He flashed the commlink in his hand before pocketing it. The hunt for Trys Aran was on.

//END THREAD

@Die Shize @Phoenix @Nefieslab