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Jedi Council Tags: Ala Quin Lily Decoria Vizion Trozky Lorn Reingard Vodet Romi Jade Sela Basran Colette Zark San Tekka
The hologram crackled to life in the center of the Council chamber, its blue-tinted image wavering beneath static before finally stabilizing. A male Togruta Jedi Knight stood within the projection, soot and ash streaking across his robes. Behind him, the interior of a transport ship pulsed with emergency lighting, bathing the metallic walls in alternating shades of crimson and amber. Somewhere offscreen, alarms droned faintly beneath the hum of engines. His padawan was standing next to him.
He bowed solemnly. "Masters."
With a flick of his hand, the hologram shifted.
The knight and padawan vanished, replaced by the image of devastation.
A once-bustling nightclub now stood in ruins beneath the Coruscant skyline, its upper levels gutted by fire. Sections of the structure had collapsed inward, exposing twisted support beams and rivers of melted transparisteel. Smoke still curled from the wreckage in thin black streams. Sith investigators and local authorities moved carefully through the debris while floodlights swept across scorched walls and shattered holosigns. Near the entrance, a broken neon dragon sputtered weakly, flickering in and out as though refusing to die completely.
The hologram rotated slowly across the scene.
Bodies had already been removed.
But the violence lingered in the walls.
Scorch marks carved long black streaks across the floor and ceiling, too precise in some places to have been caused by the fire alone. Tables and durasteel furniture had been hurled across the room with enough force to embed them into walls. One section of the club looked as though an explosion had erupted outward from its center.
The image flickered again, returning to the Togruta Jedi.
"Master Katarine Ryiah has been operating undercover for the last two months in an effort to infiltrate a cyber-criminal syndicate known as the Digital Dragons." His voice remained measured, though strain lingered beneath the professionalism. "Her mission involved gaining the trust of several high-ranking members tied to slicer networks, illegal cybernetic trafficking, extortion operations, and information brokering throughout the sector."
He paused briefly.
"She missed her scheduled check-in two weeks ago. Initially, we believed the lapse may have been intentional in order to maintain her cover. However, she failed to report in again last week."
The pair fell silent.
The Jedi Knight lowered his gaze for a moment before continuing. "I have spent the last several days tracking known associates and remaining affiliates connected to the operation. The Dragons' primary base of operations lies within Sith-controlled territory on Coruscant, making direct investigation... politically complicated."
Another flicker crossed the hologram.
"Our reports indicate multiple safehouses tied to the syndicate have been abandoned. Others appear to have been deliberately purged." His jaw tightened subtly. "The leader of the Digital Dragons perished in the fire. Dental scans confirmed the identity."
The knight hesitated so the padawan spoke this time.
"There is more."
The hologram shifted again, displaying grainy security footage recovered from inside the club. The footage was unstable, damaged by heat and electromagnetic interference, but flashes of chaos were still visible. Patrons running. Smoke filling the corridors. A figure disappearing through the haze.
Then came the moment that mattered.
An unseen force shattered the mirror above the bar, sending broken shards ripping through bodies. Blood spattered against the camera, then another body lifted violently into the air before vanishing beyond the edge of the recording.
The footage ended abruptly in static.
"Our slicers managed to recover approximately ten seconds before the system was destroyed," the padawan said quietly. "Whoever attacked the Dragons was using the Force."
Neither one spoke.
The implication settled heavily over the chamber.
"Witness accounts are inconsistent," the knight continued carefully. "Some claim the attacker was trying to escape. Others insist the assault appeared... deliberate." He chose the next words with visible caution. "Several survivors reported seeing a human woman matching Master Ryiah's description shortly before the fire began."
The engines behind him rumbled louder for a moment.
"At this time, we have no confirmed sightings of Master Ryiah, no active communications, and no recoverable trace through standard Jedi channels." His voice lowered slightly. "As of now, Jedi Master Katarine Ryiah is officially listed as missing in action... and absent without leave."
Silence consumed the chamber after the transmission ended.
Not because Katarine Ryiah was missing.
But because for the first time, some among the Jedi were beginning to wonder whether she had vanished at all.
And whether the Digital Dragons had truly been the victims.
