Private Love and Corruption - The Coruscant Conundrum

[Hawk Hinata]

Three days had passed in a hectic blur. Order had been restored on Coruscant; the riots had died down into mostly peaceful protests shortly after the corrupting influence of Tenebris had ceased, and now all but the most determined individuals had returned to their daily lives. Despite this, there remained a dark cloud of anger, resentment and discontent over the ecumenopolis. The people may have gone back to their lives, but it had only been by necessity; they could not afford to not work.

Hawk watched the holonews feed from the bed of his hotel room and rolled his eyes. The media had already set about demonising the rioters and protestors. A number of arrests had been made over the past few days, and the security forces had performed raids on numerous underworld establishments. The media had bandied about the word "Terrorists", and was showing footage of the Mandalorians as evidence that the civil unrest had been caused by an outside influence.

"Councillor, Councillor Torshin, do you have any comment to make on the upcoming energy union vote to strike over pay? Or the ongoing inequality protests?" A reporter was shown lightly jogging alongside Councillor Torshin as his security team tried to block her off.

"Now I don't know what rumours you've been listening to Miss Reagan, but I have spoken to the union leaders today and they have assured me that no such vote has been or will be tabled. The energy workers have a very generous deal-"

"But Mr Councillor many would say that the deal is a real terms cut in their pay..."

The bodies of Councillor Torshin's security obscured the journalist as the Councillor entered his private vehicle and the rest of her statement was cut off.

Hawk frowned at the broadcast. The top energy union boss, a round faced fellow by the name of Ersher Dorton had unexpectedly quit his post only yesterday. Hawk had heard the same rumours that the reporter had, but he had also heard that there had been a heated argument between him and the Councillor two days previous. The Jedi Master had as of yet been unable to contact Dorton since he had quit his position.

As the stories began to repeat themselves Hawk changed the feed to see what was on Holonetflix and idly scrolled through the content. He had invited Kat over and it was almost time for her to arrive. The two had not had much time to talk over the last three days. Defeating a dark god and their denizens brought down a surpring amount of paperwork along with various security agencies wanting a full debrief on the situation. Hawk was already sick of telling the story, though he had dutifully done so what felt like a hundred times. The only time he had not grit his teeth and having to repeat the story was when he contacted the Witches of Dathomir. Even after all this time his name had carried some weight with them, and the coven mothers he had spoken to had agreed that the actions of the Mother and Daughter were sufficient to restore their honour and end their exile.
That had been the best part of the past few days; the Mother had all but collapsed in floods of happy tears when Hawk had told her the news. The two had left for Dathomir that morning.

Tomorrow was a meeting of the council. Councillor Torshin would be there, and Hawk would be too. Hopefully with Kat to help keep him calm in the face of slimy politicians.

Hawk stopped scrolling as he realised he had been doing so without really looking; his thoughts having drifted back to the bad feeling he had about Councillor Torshin and the ex union boss.

With a gesture, Hawk unlocked the hotel room door as he felt Kat approach.

"Come in, it's open," He called. "You can help me decide what to watch, my mind won't stop running over scenarios for tomorrow's meeting and far too many of them involve me shoving my lightsaber somewhere uncomfortable." He laughed.

 

[KitKatt]

Kat was exhausted. Over the past three days she had volunteered to lead some of the operations that had taken down several underworld establishments. This type of work was more in line with her previous role as an undercover Jedi, and also got her away from the politicians for a while, which was always a win in her book. The raids weren’t enjoyable however. The media had poorly portrayed the the citizens so much that police brutality was a real threat. Kat spent more time watching the cops than she did the criminals, or at least it seemed that way sometimes.

To make matters worse she wasn’t sleeping well. The large cathedral she had seen down in the underground pit kept creeping into her dreams. These visions always ended with someone whispering from the shadows and her waking in a cold sweat. She was certain it was a warning, but of what was yet to be seen.

When she arrived at Hawks room she smiled at his mention of sticking lightsabers somewhere unpleasant. She had done just that on the previous mission to a Mando thug.

She closed the door behind her and perched herself on the edge of the bed.

“I know how you feel. I think tomorrow is going to be a fiasco but maybe we might get some answers. Something is up, and I think Torshin knows more than he’s letting on.”

Talking business with Hawk was easy. It was the other stuff that felt awkward. She really didn’t know how to bring up what had happened between them, or the fact that it may have set deadly events in motion. She knew she needed to explain these things to Hawk, considering his life might be at risk, but how exactly did one start a conversation like that? Things had been simple with James, or at least they were before he took off without telling her. Kat had been young and when you were young love was so easy to just go with. Age bred caution and uncertainty.

There was also the fact that she didn’t know that much about Hawk. Sure she had read his biography in the archives, just like every budding knight had back then, but that hardly got into the specifics of who he was, where he was from, and what his philosophies on life were.

“The lady at the front desk said there is some new Holo flick about Jedi of a thousand years ago. We could watch it and see what all they got wrong.”

She grinned and nervously started pulling at a loose thread on the blanket.

Hawk Hinata

 

[Hawk Hinata]

The time following a stressful mission was usually followed by a period of meditation. It was a time of quiet reflection where the Jedi could reconcile their actions with the will of the force. Hawk had found some time in the evenings to do this, having refused to take part in the underworld raids, but he did not know if Kat had given herself time to recover instead of throwing herself into new situations. Hawk could sense that something was still bothering her. There was a hesitancy to her opening up to him that went beyond mere shyness and the caution with which one, not liberated by the naivety of youth, approached relationships. He no longer held a position where he could order her to take some time for herself; not that he would ever consider doing so anyway. In time Kat would work out whatever it was and he would be there if she needed him. In the meantime he would try to spend some time getting to know the woman behind the Jedi.

"Torshin's dirty for sure; the question is how dirty. I have a bad feeling about him..." Hawk trailed off not wanting the evening to become a strategic meeting. "I've heard about that one," he changed the subject back to the Holonetflix show. "I think they had exclusive access to the Jedi archives to research it, but no doubt they'll dramatise it a bit and embellish on the details, but it should be good" he smiled and found the title. "They called it Star Wars," he laughed with a shake of his head. "Over a thousand years of Jedi history and they focus on the wars."

Hawk shuffled over on the bed and motioned for Kat to move up next to him before using the force to levitate a tray of drinks and snacks between them. The movie began with a scroll of yellow writing that outlined what was occuring during the period when it was set adding to the feel of historical accuracy, but the musical score promised a tale of epic proportions.

 

[KitKatt]

Kat settled back and accepted a snack that Hawk handed her. The words crawling across the screen were followed by some shots of space as the tale began, but Kat wasn’t paying attention properly. She vaguely registered a gold old looking protocol droid talking.

“So if they made a movie about Hawk Hinata… where would it start? In space with a talking protocol droid and a young woman with … wow I haven’t seen that hairstyle in a long long time.”

She laughed as a woman with two buns over each ear appeared on screen.

Hawk Hinata

 

[Hawk Hinata]

Hawk was silent for a moment as he considered Kat's question. Not many people ever asked about the time before he joined the Jedi; most were only interested in his adventures and exploits as a Jedi. Truth be told, his story before the Jedi wasn't a one that Hawk allowed himself to think about.

"It would start under the binary suns of Tatooine on a small Bantha farm, just enough miles from Mos Eisley to avoid the trouble, but not so far as to make going to market impractical." He told her. "Of course, you can only avoid the trouble if you don't go looking for it...and my father got into a lot of debt...gambling, and drinking." Hawk sighed. "It's not a happy story from there. But what about you, where does your story begin?"

 

[KitKatt]

Kat could sense that Hawks story held pain, and she didn’t want to make him relive such things. A lot of people came to the Jedi struggling and then led better lives afterwards. She certainly had.

“I was born on a really small planet in the Unknown Regions. It doesn’t have an official name but the locals call it Aviprine. My brother and I were the fixation of a really dangerous dark Jedi cult and because of that we were raised to fulfill a religious prophecy.”

She took a deep breath and stared out the window without really looking at anything at all.

“I didn’t believe the religion so I left. Ended up on Naboo and trained under Master Tanelorn and Vallen.”

That wasn’t quite what she wanted to say to him but it was a start.

“It’s weird to think all those people I can remember like yesterday actually lived a thousand years ago.”

Hawk Hinata

 

[Hawk Hinata]

The two spoke sparingly of their lives before joining the Jedi while enjoying the delightful tray of snack foods and drinks provided by the hotel; the epic adventure story of 'Star Wars' unfolding in the background. It had been a long time since Hawk had spoke to anyone in such a casual manner; his life usually spent trying to live up to the pedestal people placed him upon. It was nice to spend at least one evening free of the burden of destiny and expectation.

At last the credits rolled and the tray of snacks lie empty. The orange hues of the warm evening had given way to the cool blues and purples of the nighttime. A refreshing breeze crept in through the open window upon the other side of the room. Hawk rose from the bed and took the empty tray to the small kitchen area. The end of the night hung in the air, but Hawk had very much enjoyed the...normality...of it all, yet he knew the night must end and tomorrow must come with a return to their duty.

"Thank you for coming tonight," Hawk smiled as he re-entered the main area of the hotel room where Kat and he had sat upon the bed. "I would enjoy doing this again sometime, or perhaps we could dine out instead next time?" He asked, unable to keep a small quaver of nervous hope from his voice.

 

[KitKatt]

While Hawk was busy in the kitchen Kat had gotten up and stretched. She was watching the city outside the window when he came back and asked about doing this again sometime. Kat turned to look at him and for a second and couldn't help but smile at the absurdity. Here was the greatest Jedi in the universe, nervously asking her on a date. It was a strange but oddly endearing thing to see Hawk as just a normal man. She kind of liked it. Sure she didn’t know a lot about him from the older days but maybe it didn’t matter. Perhaps they were both different people now and it was best to just start from here. She would love to learn about his family but those stories might be just as painful as hers were. Maybe just being normal was better, at least until she understood how to explain about Daxium.

“I would like that. Its fun to take a night off from saving the galaxy.”

She laughed and realized this was her first night off in a century. Well maybe the time she was frozen counted as a vacation.

“We better get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be brutal.”

She stood up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek and then waved before heading back to her own room. She truly wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow but at least she didn’t have to do it alone. Often she would be the only Jedi on undercover missions but working with a partner was a nice change of pace.

Hawk Hinata

 

[Hawk Hinata]

Hawk smiled at the kiss, it was only a small thing, but then life was the all the small things that filled the space between memories. He watched her to the end of the hall and then closed his door.

Tomorrow they would begin their investigation into Torshin and other leading members of Coruscant's government. Kat would be taking the undercover role as she had more experience of doing so than he did, and Hawk would be the one to shake the beehive.
____________________

The morning crept in through the blinds to find Hawk already awake, but sat cross-legged and meditating. The Jedi Master had spent much of his adult life on Yinchorr where, if you wanted to get some fresh air without the third degree burns, you got up before the sun rose. Hawk's breathing came deep and even. Flashes of memory from the past few weeks rose in his mind; he could feel the influence of the dark side trying to corrupt the memories of pain, but he batted it aside with a single thought. The dark side held no domain within him. As the light fell upon his face, Hawk's emerald eyes blinked open and he rose. The Jedi's robes flew into his outstretched hand and he threw them on before exiting his room.

He could not be seen here or arriving at the council meeting with Kat if her cover was to remain intact, so he walked through the hotel and out to a waiting transport. The vehicle had been provided by the council when he had made it known to them that he would be attending.
The vehicle dashed through the packed Coruscanti skies, the driver somehow managing to avoid most of the congestion despite the fact that he looked back to talk to Hawk so much that the Jedi wasn't sure how he knew where he was going at all.

The main political halls of power were rather elaborate in the wealthiest area of the upper districts. Everything oozed with opulence and the financial advantages of power were clearly evident.

"Master Hinata, you honour our chamber with your visit." A small Ithorian bowed respectfully to him.

Returning the bow, Hawk greeted the elderly Councillor. "It is I who am honoured Councillor Runthek. I thought your proposed legislation to encourage green spaces was most worthy."

"A shame it was voted down in favour of selling the proposed land to developers," Runthek wheezed angrily.

"Indeed," Hawk remarked. "Just one of such instances I intend to raise to the chamber."

"The Jedi hold very little sway over the council Master Hinata," I doubt your words will do much to help.

"Oh, I intend for much more than just words councillor." Hawk smiled. "I intend to launch an investigation into the corruption that is rife at the heart of Coruscant."

Hawk left the little Ithorian stammering about council proceedure; Jedi jurisdiction and finally a feeble wishing of luck. The buzz of the council chamber surrounded him as he took his seat. He looked around taking note of several councillors who he had researched, and then his gaze finally fell upon Torshin who sat deep in conversation with another Councillor. Finally order was called and the first item on the docket was raised.

 

[KitKatt]

“Sir the perimeter is secure.”

“Copy that. Good work Mew.”

Kat rolled her eyes. Even though she wasn’t really a security agent she could not help but loath her code name. Her partner thought it was funny because she had introduced herself as Kat. It was usually better to keep first names as close as possible, that way if someone called your name you did not appear suspicious when you failed to answer.

A security agent was only one of several planned personas that night, but it was a crucial one. It got her close to Torshin and afforded her a certain level of trust. The councilor was too self important to know the members of his staff, but he did hire people to vet them so could assume they were trustworthy. Sadly corruption was so thick it hadn’t taken very long to convince the real security agent to skip town. People in power didn’t realize that corruption influenced them too. It just didn’t flood the way it did for the underprivileged citizens. With wealthy people corruption oozed slowly like a cancer in the bones. Wealth and status could buy many things but complete protection was not one of them. Nobody was immune to sins allowed to exist for the all mighty credit. Some just suffered first and more noticeably.

She was in the room, standing behind and to the side of Torshin. He paid her no mind but instead started the meeting. Kat would wait long enough to make sure Hawk was fine, and then she would break into the offices on the upper levels. Somebody knew something and that was a good place to start.

“Master Hinata thank you for joining us today. I must say I am a little surprised to see you. The Jedi do not usually get involved in places they have no jurisdiction. “

Kat smirked behind Torahin as he spoke. Just last week he had called the Jedi busy bodies who stuck thier noses where they ought not. Of course that had been a private conversation, or at least it had supposed to have been. Kat had already done the homework and bugged the place.

Hawk Hinata

 

[Hawk Hinata]

Hawk offered a friendly smile to Councillor Torshin as he rose after being called upon. A murmer of indistinct chatter rippled through the chamber and Hawk could sense a mixture of emotions from those present. He could sense the hope and fear of the elderly Councillor Runthek; the indignation of the Councillor sat to his left, and a mixture of anger, apprehension and curiosity from many of the others. Torshin however was much more guarded with his emotions. Though the way he had phrased his words had hinted at his irritation and discomfort.

"Thank you Councillor Torshin," Hawk gave a slight bow in the man's direction. "It is unusual, yes, but not without precedent where corruption has been alleged in the past. As you will see now appearing on your datapads, the laws of not only the government here but of the Jedi ourselves would prevent me from interfering in the running of any sovereign world; however the by-laws of this council afford a Jedi Inquisitor the power to investigate the council itself. It states that 'No body of government may rule without appropriate accountability.' and cites-"

"Master Jedi," Torshin interrupted him with a slow drawl that suggested he were talking to a slow child. "These by-laws you mention are several hundred years old; no one has enacted them for centuries."

"Forgive me Councillor, but I was not aware that laws had an expiry date. Unless of course the by-laws have been repealed recently?" Hawk asked, his voice remaining even despite Torshin's attempt at condescention; though a distinct gleam entered his eyes at the titter of laughter from some members of the council at his comment.

"I should certainly hope they have not," Torshin changed tact in an instant, raising his voice as if affronted at the suggestion. "I was pointing out, Master Jedi, that the Council will have to sit in session and read these by-laws before selecting the appropriate Inquisitor-"

"If I may Councillor?" It was Hawk's turn to interrupt. "If you turn your attention to article twenty seven on your datapads you will find that proceedure dictates an immediate suspension of all but routine Council activities and a Jedi of sufficient rank may present themselves as Inquisitor."

"So it does..." Torshin spoke, but this time not entirely successful in keeping the irritation from his voice. "Council Chairman, please strike all non-routine items from the agenda. The Council will of course comply with...The Inquisitor."

Hawk simply bowed again to Torshin and strode from the chamber. He could feel Torshin's eyes upon the back of his head as he left; the man was clearly not used to finding himself forced into compliance, but there was nothing else he could have done without directly contravening the law.

The beehive was successfully shaken now and it was time to see how the bees would react.
____________________

"I want him dead!" Torshin raged, his face purple and saliva bubbling at the corner of his mouth.

The figure sat in deep shadow across the room from him steepled their fingers and spoke. "You would not have called me here if you did not desire someone dead. Do not waste my time Torshin. Who is the target."

"Hinata, the Jedi. Hawk Hinata."

The shadowy figure leaned back in the armchair and laughed. It was a cold and humourless laugh that caused Torshin to shiver.

"One does not simply kill Hawk Hinata, Torshin. The man is a warrior of legend. I have seen old video clips of him in battle...my own son has his action figure."

"I'm asking you to kill him, not fight him. I will pay triple your usual rate!" Torshin growled.

"Of course," The shadowy figure began, leaning forward in the chair. "Legends are only as good as their ending."

 

[KitKatt]

All eyes were on Hawk and that was her cue to leave. She slipped out of the meeting room and nodded curtly to the guards standing watch at the door. The lift took her to the upper levels and she set out for Torshin's office first. With all non routine items stricken she didn't have a ton of time, but it was crucial to search a few of the prominent players in the game. If she could get the others great, but Torshin was priority.

The locks on the doors were easy enough to slice, but she didn't have to. Security had access to certain offices in order to make certain their charges were well protected. Kat simply slid her keycard in and entered the dimly lit room. She waited a moment for her eyes to adjust to the lighting and then headed for the desk. Most of the files laying about were disks of meetings and minutes, which seemed pretty innocent. She pulled a drawer open and frowned when she saw nothing but office supplies. The next drawer proved more interesting because it was locked. She pulled a small device from her pocket and slid it into the port. It flashed for a moment, running all the possible six digit codes, and finally the lock clicked open. She pocketed the device again and opened the drawer, pulling out small files. She pushed the first one into her datapad and scanned through it. It was some sort of payment schedule but the routing number was redacted. Who was Torshin paying that he didn't want known?

She went through a few more files on her datapad but nothing really caught her eye until she saw the name of a missing woman who had been reported on the holo news just last night. The file was a complete biography of the woman, almost like someone had interviewed her for hours and hours, or read her very private diary. Why did Torshin have information on a missing woman? Maybe he was helping with the investigation to find the poor girl.

A flicker in the Force made Kat look up just in time to see a shadow through the frosted glass in the door. She darted sideways and knelt down behind a large decorative statue. The moment his back was turned she slid out of the office and started back down the hall, twisting the earpiece in her ear as she did so. After a few moments of static she heard Torshin requesting a meeting with someone. Opening the utility closet and closing it behind her Kat pulled off the security uniform, revealing a custodian uniform underneath. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail and put a blond wig on before slipping on a custodians had and pushing a cart full of toilet paper and other items down the hall. The first second she got she threw her keycard into a lavatory and flushed it. If anybody bothered to check the log in records for Torshins office it wouldn't lead back to her, and hopefully the man she bribed would be long gone spending his ill gotten gains.

She knocked on the next office and waited. After a second one of the councilors answered the door.

"Need to clean your floor."

"Oh for crying out loud. I'm trying to get some work done!"

"Take it up with maintenance. I don't create the schedule. "

"Is it going to take long?"

"No but the chemicals are pretty strong. I'd clear out for a bit until the smell leaves."

"Oh... well... fine."

With a smile she slipped into the office of Councilor Rysol. A similar ruse got her into several other offices, but there wasn't too much to find. The only odd thing was in the office of someone named Mischto. There was a file on the missing woman from the holonet. It seemed odd that two politicians would be aiding a search mission but maybe this woman was someone important. She'd have to find out.

On her way out of the building things got a little more interesting. The bug in Torshin's office picked up a rather interesting conversation. She smirked, wondering where she could get a Hawk Hinata action figure of her very own.

In an alley she ditched the janitor uniform for a pair of normal clothes and sat down on the taxi bench opposite the buildings entrance. With any luck she might see whoever was leaving Torshin's office.

In the meantime she typed a message to Hawk.

------------------
To Hawk Hinata:
Torshin ordered a hit on you. He's paying someone under the table and he's got a detailed file on Venessa Reeves, a local woman who went missing yesterday. Councilor Mischto had the same file. I didn't know you had an action figure. Do friends get discounts to buy one?
----------------


Hawk Hinata

 

[Hawk Hinata]

Hawk's comm beeped some time after he had departed the council chamber; the Jedi had, in the meantime, placed a tracking device on Torshin's vehicle before making his way to a small diner two streets away from the council building. This was where he was to rendezvous with Kat.

Hawk drizzled thick amber syrup over the stack of hot pancakes that sat before him; he hoped that Kat would not mind that he had not waited for her to order, if he had sat alone looking like he was waiting for someone than it would have attracted more attention. No doubt Torshin would soon send someone to follow him and keep tabs on his investigation.

An amused eyebrow lofted over a mug of steaming tea as Hawk read Kat's message. It seemed that the Councillor was dirtier than he had ever guessed; it took a man with a lot to lose to order a hit on a Jedi. Hawk continued reading and smirked. Figures of prominent Jedi had been popular with children in his own time, and it was nice to know that at least some things didn't change.

Hawk had been hoping for more information on the ex-union boss Ersher Dorton, but he supposed that Torshin was too intelligent to leave much in the way of incriminating evidence in his own office. No doubt Kat had recorded the conversation where Torshin had hired the hit, and they could have brought a case against him on only that evidence...but there was more going on here, and more people were involved. It would be foolish to cut the head from the body of the serpent only for it to grow three more.

------------
To Katarine Ryiah:

We must find out what Torshin and Mischto's connection to Miss Reeves was, and see if there is a link between her and any other missing persons. I will deal with the assassin when the time comes. Come join me for breakfast; the pancakes are great, we can discuss how you can get your hands on my figure then
------------

Hawk chuckled to himself as he responded, she had walked straight into that innuendo.

 

[KitKatt]

Kat laughed at Hawk’s message and smiled to herself. Perhaps even after all these years Kat was still attracted to witty men. The thought made people flash in her memory but she pushed those thoughts aside. They were too painful to think about. She wondered if Hawk felt that way about his own lost wife, or wives. She had lost to the nerve to ask him about his past in fear of bringing up painful memories. In any case the past was so far gone it really didn’t matter.

Of course the mother Witch had warned that Kat’s past was not dead. This had to mean Dax was alive somehow. Perhaps he had frozen himself, just like the hero in old comics they had read as children. For a moment she pictured her twin as a little boy, sprawled out with comic discs and whatever sweet they had swiped from the kitchen. Those memories were painful too.

She got up from the bench and stretched. She had wondered how long Hawk was going to take to make certain he wasn’t followed, so had avoided going straight to the diner. In any case they had decided not to admit there was another Jedi involved with the investigation so her latest disguise would be a girlfriend. That was one she hadn’t worn in quit sometime.

————————-

Meanwhile at the small diner several screens were flashing the news, or a popular daytime soap opera. Daytime television was awful no matter what galaxy it existed in.

“Can you turn the news up? I wanna catch the weather report.”

“Sure thing darlin.” A plump waitress with a kind face clicked the volume controls on the screen behind her.

“… hopefully that will ease some of the tension for CorSec officers. Meanwhile the search for Vanessa Reeves continues to yield little results. Miss Reeves worked in the accounting department of the energy union and has not been seen in three days. A coworker reported the disappearance when Reeves failed to show up at work on Tuesday. A CorSec representative declined our attempt to inquire further, stating that the investigation was still on going.

And now let’s see what our meteorologist have to say about the forecast…”

The program continued for a few moments before the waitress turned it back down. A moment latter Kat arrived and the plump waitress had scurried over to take the Jedi’s breakfast order.

“The pancakes smell delicious. I will try those too.”

She took a seat and noticed the look on Hawks face.

“What? Did I miss something?”


Hawk Hinata

 

[Hawk Hinata]

Hawk dabbed at the corners of his mouth with a napkin as the holonews reported on the missing person's case of Vanessa Reeves. Even if Hawk had believed in coincidences, the link to the energy union would have been too much of a coincidence to consider. Of course, if the link was obvious to him than it would also be obvious to anyone else investigating the corruption; the image of the reporter who had questioned Torshin on the news the previous evening came to Hawk's mind. If the Councillor thought nothing of ordering a hit on a Jedi it was unlikely that he would think twice about eliminating a nosy reporter who asked inconvenient questions.

As Kat arrived, Hawk's attention diverted from the news (which was now reporting on his actions in the council chambers today). He considered her question for a moment before answering.

"It would appear that Vanessa Reeves worked for Dorton," Hawk began and filled Kat in on what he had learnt from the news. "It seems that Torshin is keen to clean up any potential evidence or witnesses to whatever he is upto. I think we have three priorities right now. We need to get into the energy mainframe and see if we can dig up anything there. We need to search Torshin's home, and we need to find the reporter who questioned him yesterday before anyone else finds her first."

 

[KitKatt]

Kat was surprised at the connection the missing woman had to Dorton. This must have something to do with the payment schedule she saw in the locked drawer. Surely Dorton wouldn’t kill an innocent woman?

But he wanted to kill Hawk didnt he? It didn’t look great for Vanessa. When the waitress walked by to fill up peoples caf Kat spoke up.

“Can we cancel those pancakes and get the check please?”

“Sure thing Darlin.”

“Where do you want to start? The HNN building isn’t far. Maybe the reporter hasn’t left for the day yet.”

Hawk Hinata

 

[Hawk Hinata]

Hawk considered for a moment. It was important for his part of the investigation to be visible, but it was imperative for Kat's part to remain invisible. Torshin and anyone else involved would do everything in their power to hinder his investigation, or even remove him as an issue entirely. Meanwhile, Kat should then be able to uncover the truth.

"Yes, I will go to the HNN building and take the reporter into protective custody. I will need you to remain unseen and to watch." Hawk continued to look thoughtful. "It is likely that Torshin will have multiple assassins contracted - the kind of assassin it takes to kill a reporter tends to come cheaper than the kind it takes to kill a Jedi, but that's no reason to assume the one sent after me might not find me there." Hawk was not overly concerned about an assassin coming after him, it was not the first nor would it likely be the last time. You should have got those pancakes to go. Don't want your stomach giving you away," Hawk grinned.

With that, Hawk rose from the table and fished some credits out of his robes; which he left upon the table as he departed. While still no wiser as to the shape of the Corruption that Torshin was involved in, it was becoming clear that it had something to do with the energy union and that it was worth killing anyone who got in the way over.

Hawk's eyes flickered around the street as he left the diner. There were a few vantage points that he quickly identified that would make perfect nests for a sniper to fire from...though he doubted that anyone accomplished enough for Torshin to hire would be fool enough to attempt to shoot him. Even still, he scanned the buildings and peered into the faces of those whose eyes appeared to be upon him. There was nothing.

Moments later and Hawk had hailed a ride towards the HNN building and was zipping through the sky. It was only a short journey, and he arrived in a matter of minutes.

"Joycin Reagan?" Hawk asked the guard at the desk.

The guard casually looked up from reading his data pad and flicked disinterested looking eyes over Hawk.

"She's just got in the lift down to her vehicle," he responded and returned to looking at his data pad.

Hawk leaped over the security desk and ignored the guard's protests as he made his way over to the lift. He watched the light going down the numbers as it descended towards the underground parking area. Hawk swore softly to himself and then moved to the next lift and watched as the numbers went up.

The Jedi Master reached out with the force and pulled the lift door open to reveal the empty shaft behind it.

"Hey, what are you doing? Step away from the lift!" The guard shouted at him and unholstered his blaster.

"I just can't abide waiting for these things," Hawk winked and then jumped into the shaft.

He descended quickly, his plummet only braked by his use of the force to stabilise himself. Hawk's boots impacted the ground and he bent his legs to absorb the shock, but his teeth still clattered together and he took a moment to recover himself. Hawk then ran from the shaft and darted through the parking area; his hand falling upon the shoulder of the young reporter just as she was about to access her car.

The reporter span, her arm moving to remove Hawk's hand while her other came up with a tazer device intending to ram it into the face of her presumed attacker.

"I'm not your enemy," Hawk said as he swayed out of the way of her attack. "I'm here to protect you."

"I can look after myself!" She hissed at him and pulled herself free of his grasp.

"No doubt, but I feel we'd both be much better off if you didn't open the door of your vehicle."

With a look of fear and incredulity the reporter took a few steps back as her landspeeder rose into the air and Hawk pointed to the explosive device attached to its underbelly.

 

[KitKatt]

“I’ve skipped a meal or two in my day. I’ll be fine.”

She grinned, but was uncertain Hawk would remember events from so long ago. When James had left Katarine without so much as a dear John letter she had stopped eating and started over exercising and working. After a month or two she was dangerously thin, and the Council was starting to worry. In fact when Kat had heard the Council was about to speak to her she had taken off on a suicide mission. Some said she was trying to escape punishment but the truth was Kat had been scared to face Hawk. She did not want to look into the eyes of the greatest Jedi master on the council and admit that her emotions had gotten the better of her, so she ran.

Luckily she hadn’t stayed gone forever and when she came back at a healthy weight nobody ever mentioned it again. It was funny how such mundane details had once been so important and now just seemed like background noise.

She waited until Hawk was out of sight to exit the diner and follow. He had entered the HNN building and shortly after the bomb squad showed up. She frowned as she watched them rush inside. Well most of them rushed inside. One was lagging behind. He had hung back, apparantly struggling with equipment.

She sent a message to Hawk.

To: Hawk Hinata
Bomb technician. Dark hair. Tall. Thin. Suspicious. Be careful.

 

[Hawk Hinata]

The young reporter had turned very white and was now crouched against the wall nearby as Hawk called in a bomb disposal team. There was the ghost of tears sparkling in her eyes. No doubt the knowledge of how close she had come to death had shook her.

Kat's message came though on Hawk's data pad and he narrowed his eyes. Could it be that the assassin was returning to complete the job knowing that the bomb had failed? It was a bold move with a Jedi on the scene - unless of course he expected that Jedi to be dead before he took any action.

The ball was very much in the court of the assassin or assassins now though; they would have to reveal themselves before Joycin was taken into protective custody.

"You may still be in danger," Hawk said as he crouched beside her. "You are alive however, and I intend to keep you that way, but I need you to be brave right now. I need to know that you will follow my instructions without hesitation. Can you do that?"

Joycin looked into Hawk's face with searching eyes. Whatever it was she was looking for, she seemed to find it and nodded pushed herself to her feet. Bending down she removed her high heeled shoes and tossed them to one side so she could run if need be.

Hawk lifted a finger to his lips and took the hilt of his lightsaber from his belt as his senses tingled a warning. They were not alone in the parking area.

"Stay behind me," he whispered, peering around a nearby pillar.

The lights in the parking area began to flicker, and then, one by one, they extinguished. Hawk withdrew his data pad to send Kat a message, but as he did so a blaster bolt slammed into it, knocking the device from his hand and destroying it.

Hawk swore and ignited his blade to deflect a series of followup shots. It looked like the shots were coming from multiple directions, but Hawk could not sense multiple assailants. Drones? He wondered.

Lights burst into life at the other end of the parking area and a speeder shot towards them. Hawk quickly drew his second blade expecting an attack from two fronts, but the speeder drew up beside them. A figure cast in deep shadow leant across and threw open the door.

"Get in," he shouted as the blaster fire redirected towards the speeder.

Hawk continued to deflect fire as the lights in the parking area burst back into life, as perhaps whoever controlled them sought to blind him. Through the glare Hawk could see a number of bodies upon the floor - the bomb squad had all been murder, except one who stood firing towards them.

Several small drones floated nearby him and they too fired upon Hawk and the speeder.

"In," Hawk called to Joycin, and with a wary glance at the shadowy driver he and the reporter dived into the speeder, which promptly lurched forward and away.

 

[KitKatt]

Kat was waiting outside and debating on going in. On the one hand she needed to remain undercover. On the other hand she felt a sudden panic flaring inside her that she didn’t fully understand. Losing Hawk would be like losing her only connection to her time period. That must be what it was.

Don’t kid yourself. You know how you feel.

Her thoughts brought the faint trace of a growl in the back of her head and she mentally kicked herself. Feelings for Hawk were dangerous. Of course so was leaving him in a parking garage with an assassin.

She bit het lip as she tried to decide what to do. How she wished she could be one of those Jedi who always knew what to do.

You know what to do, just like you know how you feel.

Ignoring the renewed growling Kat started down the stairs of the building across the street. She crossed and made it to the parking garage in time to see Hawk and the reporter getting into a speeder.

Her eyes darted around the parking garage until she found the assassin, who was firing shots at the retreating speeder. He swore and started for another speeder but before he got there Kat swept his legs out from under him. He fell to the floor hard but recovered instantly, gaining his feet and getting into a fighting stance.

“Who are you?”

“CorSec. I would like to see some identification.”

He answered with a kick that she blocked. A second latter she was dodging behind a pillar as blaster fire started. She couldn’t use her ligjtsaber or he would know another Jedi was snooping around, but it didn’t matter. The longer he sat here trying to kill her the longer Hawk had to get the reporter to safety.

Hawk Hinata