Luminosity

[Relina Zhan]

The Assassin was unaware of [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] 's presence and continued working, looking around every so often. The Jedi had been rather good at stealth and his use of the Force wasn't something the amateur was prepared for. She remained blissfully ignorant that she was being watched, although she was starting to second guess herself int he back of her mind. She really had nothing against Ducha Zhan nor any of her family.... but the money... over 2 million Hapan credits. The woman kept at it. She soon managed to hotwire the maglocks on the door, deactivating them and the security system monitoring it. Now, all she had to do was pry the doors open, slip the suppressor-end of her gun in, and shoot twice. No one would hear it nor see the flash. The Ducha slept close enough that the hindered range of the already inaccurate self-defense weapon was the least of her worries.

And so, she did just that. She began pulling the doors aside millimetre by millimetre, gun now armed with only a brief electronic whine too high pitched to be heard except perhaps by its user as its power cycling system was activated. A sleeping person would never hear the high-frequency hum of an activating blaster unless they were an alien with exceptional hearing superior to that of a Human. The Ducha remained unaware she was about to be murdered in her sleep....

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He had to make sure that he wasn't making a mistake. But he wasn't going to hesitate either... He followed, watched as she would unlock the doors. He stayed behind her, walking closer and closer. He was almost within touching distance as he would watch her set up the silencer on the blaster...

The moment she would aim, he knew that was the time for him to make his move. There would be absolutely no doubt now...

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

The Assassin took aim, a numbness washing over her. The suppressed blaster's barrel was poking through the narrow parting of the sliding glass doors and just as she was about to work up the courage to pull the trigger, she felt.... uneasy. The woman froze a moment and looked immediately to her left, right at [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] ... although she couldn't see him. Was it paranoia? She had never killed anyone before and never thought she ever would. Maybe it really was just paranoia.

She'd turn her attention back onto the task at hand. Relina rolled over a bit in such a way that only half of her was covered by the comforter. Frankly, this was the best shot in the Galaxy, even for an amateur. The Assassin gently inhaled, squinted her eyes, and began to slowly tighten her grip on the trigger.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

There was no doubt now.

She'd taken aim, and he wasn't going to give her any room to hesitate. It was clear as day now. This was no servant, this was an assassin, with full plans to murder Ducha Relina Zhan. And that wasn't something he was going to allow.

She had looked straight at him. A chill, perhaps? Paranoia, instinct? But it didn't matter, the moment she would turn around, he would place his hand on her shoulder, slowly becoming visible again in order to conserve his energy.

"Hey there, cutie pie"

That little joke aside as a means of bewildering the assassin, he didn't hesitate to roughly turn the assassin around and land a stone cold, hard punch straight to the jaw. Now, with his build, you could probably see what the result of that would be. He'd thrown every inch of his strength into that punch, with every intention to knock the would-be-assassin flat out cold.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

The Assassin was hit... hard. In surprise, however, her gun was discharged, although it missed its mark by metres. She never got a second shot off before she was rendered disoriented by the impact. The stray shot hit one of the spherical light fixtures hanging over the Ducha's bed, shattering it with a blaster bolt's explosive impact.

Relina immediately woke up, her hand diving under the pillow next to her for her own gun. In less than a second it was aimed first at [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] , then quickly trained on the would-be assassin. "Leba'e'frak?" she asked, without thinking to use Basic in her current frame of mind. With the tone she took, it didn't really need translation.

Relina looked at the shattered translucent stone surrounding her bare feet and carefully moved away from it to avoid getting cut by any of the shards. She'd stand once clear of the debris and marched over to the balcony. The door would then slide apart normally when she used the proper internal controls. "Joshua, what's all this?" she asked. She noticed the fallen suppressed blaster and then looked to the woman. "Coryn.... this better not be what it looks like." she said evenly, her own gun still pointed at her.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Joshua would jump back when the blaster would fire, and hit the light. But his mission had succeeded, he had managed to stop the would-be assassin and knock her clear disoriented. The blaster fire and it's impact on the object would wake the Ducha, and he would watch as the door would slide apart normally as she walked out. The word "Frak" was all he really needed to know what she had meant. To her question, he would motion toward the servant with a certain tilt of his head as if to say "She did this".

He let out a sigh and let her deduce it for herself. "Unfortunately so" He spoke somberly when she would ask. "She took the lesser known entrance, I tailed her until she came up here and broke in. I waited until she was just about to pull the trigger to make sure I wasn't making a mistake, but that blaster was trained right on you" Joshua would explain.

"Most likely? I'd say she was a hired assassin. Unless she had her own reasons for trying to kill the Ducha of Gallinore" He added as he would look over at Relina again.

"Are you hurt?" He would inquire. That was the first order of business.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

Looked at [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] and shook her head. "No, I don't think I'm hurt. I don't think I'm likely going to sleep well the rest of the night however... first nightmares and now one of my own staff attempts to kill me." she answered.

It wasn't long before Aless rushed into the room with her own gun. "Relina! Are you alright? I heard something shatter." The twin sister saw the broken light fixture and both Josh and her sister standing over Coryn, one of their servants. "... This can't be... please tell me this isn't what it looks like..."

Relina sighed as the would-be assassin didn't speak to defend herself. The evidence she left against herself was plain as day... or perhaps what passed for night here. "Aless... call the Master at Arms." she said, her tone a depressed one. She looked at the woman on the floor. "...Why? Did we not take care of you? Did we not pay you well? I don't understand.... Answer me, dammit!"

The woman was trying not to cry, but she couldn't help it. "The money offered... was too good..." was all she managed to say. She wanted to beg for mercy, but the words simply wouldn't come forth, likely out of the understanding that at this point, the Ducha would likely find none to give her.

Aless stepped out for a moment and soon returned with a large, well built man with long jet-black hair, wearing no visible bodyarmour, but carrying a stun baton. His visible Ident suggested he was Hapan Security by affiliation. "Alright... What's happened?" He asked, first looking at Josh, sizing him up a bit, then to the Ducha, to whom he dipped his head in respect.

Relina explained her part of it.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Good" He spoke calmly when she mentioned that her damage was only emotionally and mentally. He had heard something break, he was worried as to if any shards of glass had hit her or not. He felt bad for her... Being betrayed was never an easy thing to handle, but it happened. In every life, it seemed...

His gaze turned toward Aless once she reached the room, armed and dangerous and all. "She's fine" He spoke calmly. "What does this look like then to you, dear Aless? An attempted murder or an orgy with blasters?" He would joke faintly, trying to lighten up the mood just a little after this whole thing.

He allowed Relina to interrogate the would-be assassin, remaining silent for a moment as he would scan the area for anymore assassins that may be lurking nearby. Finally, a man would step in, a big dude too. He saw him sizing him up... Likely thinking it was him that caused this nonsense. He stared the man down for a moment. "Keep sizing me up, sir, no matter how much you do, I could still kick you in the shnooz" He joked with a small smile. "But... I snuck behind this so called servant when she was making her way through an alternate entrance to the Ducha's bedchambers, she broke into the control panel there, and was seconds from pulling the trigger on the sleeping Ducha. I didn't wish to make a mistake and tackle an innocent servant by accident, so while it was risky, I waited until the very last second before dealing with her" He spoke, motioning toward the servant. "Even if I'd been late and she'd fired the first shot, I noted the make of her blaster while she was installing the suppressor. The first shot, unless aimed straight at her head which it was not, wouldn't have killed the Ducha, and I wouldn't have allowed her to fire the second, wherein it would have taken two shots to kill her most likely" He would explain. "These blasters are generally fast paced and better for use as suppressor guns for assassins that want to get in and out quickly without someone hearing them. But that means the bolts are weaker due to the lack of sound and charge up time between them. A single shot would only wound a Womp Rat, much less a human being" He would add.

"Alas, she's safe now. I'd recommend putting her under higher guard for quite some time" He would remark, before pulling Relina aside. "Hey... Listen" He would whisper, only to where Relina could hear. "Do me a favor? This is going to sound weird but... Give the girl a decent severance package" Joshua would request quietly, motioning toward the servant girl. "Don't tell the rest of your staff, just do it. Punish her as need be, if she needs to be hurt, or imprisoned, do so. But when she's out of prison or whatever, fire her with a decent severance package for her time spent here. Why? Simple... It'll give her something to think about" He would explain, smirking faintly. "She's obviously motivated by money... But she has a heart, she hesitated just a little, I saw it. But that severance package will be a constant reminder to her just what she threw away for a few credits, and what she tried to do, what she tried to backstab despite all you've done for me... It'll weigh on her heavily" Josh would add. "What does that get you? Simple... The job is likely still on if someone wants you dead. This particular assassin though... Well, with that guilt weighing on her, she'll never attack again" Josh would whisper. "Punish her first, to make her an example to your other staff as to why they shouldn't cross you, then in secret give her that package to go with. An angry person is more likely to attack again... Give her a reason to doubt her desire to try the job again, and she won't be a threat any longer"

It was part strategy, part compassion on his part. Maybe insulted Joshua for his compassion being a major weakness to him... But in his eyes, compassion could be a major boon if done with strategy...

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

Relina blinked at [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] 's irreverent remarks. Aless sneered. "Your sarcasm is amusing, Jedi, but now is not the time. My sister was nearly killed." was her stern retort. She'd slip her gun into her silken robe and approached her sister, making sure she was okay. Often, among Hapan politics, things like this happened more often than in other places in the galaxy. The Consortium was known for its political intrigue. However, Lady Alessandra Zhan was genuinely concerned for her sister and was not after her title, as some might assume once the press got ahold of this. the Zhan sisters had a codependency on each other's talents and literally ruled Gallinore together in a partnership... a partnership bound by the bond of sisterhood, strengthened by the fact they were identical twins and shared a similar mind. Relina would have known if her sister put Coryn up to this. "I strongly urge you to find out who contracted her. I want to know who dares strike at the head of House Zhan.... This could be an act of war."

The Master at Arms would nod. "Yes, my lady." he replied. Relina didn't countermand her... in fact, she, too, wanted to know who hired one of her servants to kill her. When Josh remarked at him, he remained professional, but shook his head. "Veiled threats are not a wise thing to issue to Hapan Security. Were it not for Ducha and Lady Zhan, I'd be inclined to take you in as well on that alone." he said evenly, showing his ident to him. He was, indeed, a badged law enforcement operative. Kindly letting Josh off with a warning, he looked to the pitiful sight of the offender still on the floor of the balcony. He reached to his belt and produced a set of mag-lock binders. "Coryn Tamm, Under the authority of the Crown, you are hereby bound by law." he declared, bending to bind her wrists and take her away.

The would-be assassin didn't struggle, knowing her life was pretty much over at this point. The penalty for attempted murder wasn't necessarily a capital offence, unless it was against the Royal House itself, but she was looking at a long time in federal prison... possibly a life sentence if the Ducha's prosecuting attorneys wanted the magistrates to throw the book at her. Although behavioural reconditioning was also an option, it was usually for lesser crimes committed by one dealing with a situation or illness that the court believed could be rectified in a more supportive and less punishing environment.

Relina was pulled aside by Josh and she listened. "Are you serious? She traded her career, one I hold great value in supporting, for a lump sum from some rival of my House. How do you suppose this will make House Zhan look when instead of showing no mercy to enemies, we still give them support? It would make us look weak and this kindness you propose will be taken advantage of." she said quietly, although she had known Miss Tamm for years and she wasn't a violent person. Relina was baffled that even someone like her could be turned against her in this way.

She'd look to the master at arms as he turned to leave with Coryn. "Before she is booked, I would like the transcripts of the interrogation." she said, mildly feeling pity for what the woman was about to endure. "I am authorising the use of drugs, if deemed necessary."

"Yes, my Lady."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Well, any attempt to try and lighten the mood had been shot down, and his expression would change to a serious one before long. Colder, even. "Yes, if you haven't realized by now, I am fully aware of that, Aless" The Jedi would remark flatly. He'd tried, not his fault that even in times of conflict, these people didn't know what morale or not letting it keep you down meant. His therapist once called them... What was it, snails? Yeah, snails. Of course, she'd almost died, but seeing as she hadn't, there was cause to try and keep the mood up. But they weren't listening, obviously.

"Find out who contracted her, if I can help in any way when we find out, I'll do what I can" He spoke calmly, trying to hide his irritation as he let them speak to one another for a moment. When the Hapan Security Man would issue his retort, he would turn and stare a hole right through the man. "I was kidding, but you wouldn't know a joke if you looked in the mirror" He remarked coldly. "If I hadn't been here as a guest tonight, your Ducha would be DEAD, and you'd have failed at your job. The least you can let me do is make a joke or two to keep the mood up" He added, rolling his eyes. This whole thing had him irritated enough, he wasn't really in the mood to deal with sizing up macho man deciding to shoot veiled threats like that.

And things got no better after Relina ignored what he'd said about secrecy and rebuked his idea. The Jedi would facepalm. "Relina. I get that you're offended she backstabbed you, but what part of do it in secret do you not get?" He would inquire. "If nobody knows but you and her, you don't look bad. You do what you want, but I only suggested it for your own safety" He would explain. "It doesn't matter if someone's less inclined toward violence.... Revenge is a heavy motivator for killing" He spoke, looking her dead in the eyes. "Trust me.... I know" He spoke softly, biting his lip.

Finally, he let out a sigh. "But... Do as you wish. I'll be back in my room if you need me. I'll assist with the interrogation later if you'd like. I need to put a bloody shirt on" He said, finally acknowledging the fact he was half naked in front of the Ducha and nobody had said a thing. He would head back toward his quarters, knowing the next few days were probably going to be busy - and more annoying if she was being more heavily guarded.

He didn't like what they were going to do for the interrogation, he hoped if they needed him, it'd be AFTER the torture was over.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

Relina sighed, looking to [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]. "Listen. I am sorry.... This really was no laughing matter and it is 0100 hours..." she said, knowing she hardly got any sleep. Cranky might be an appropriate word for her disposition. What would one normally feel if they were betrayed, plauged with nightmares, and so shaken that sleep now seemed a far-flung desire?

Hapan security left and Aless looked to the broken light fixture, both where it was and where its remains were. She didn't speak, but simply reached out to hold her sister.

"We will talk." Relina said after a pause, offering a small, reassuring smile. "... I jsut need to sort this thing out is all. Thank you for being my hero tonight."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Jedi would let out a sigh. "It's fine" He spoke, scratching his head. "I've always been taught that in cases like this, if nobody died... Then it's good to try and keep spirits up. I mean, I'm tired, I'm spooked, I just watched someone try to kill you and barely stopped them. I'm on edge, you're on edge, everyone's on edge... I was always told that in times like this if you let it get to you, you're not 100% and you let your focus down" He would explain. Pretty much he didn't want to seem cranky, but she wasn't really giving him much of a choice here.

To her thanks, he smiled faintly. "Don't mention it" The Jedi would remark warmly as he would head back to his quarters for now. He wasn't sure if he'd sleep tonight, but he might as well try.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

Relina nodded to [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]. "Try to get some sleep." she said softly. "... I think I need a drink to calm my nerves...." she added, letting go of her twin. She would go and grab a purple cut-out one-piece swimsuit and her robe. Her sister would follow Josh out and went to her own room.

"Mr. Joshua... Were it not for you, my sister would be dead. For that, you have gained my trust. I would appreciate it if, while you stay here, that you look after her. She was born 5 minutes before me, making her Mother's heir. I need her professionally and she is a personal part of me.... I mean... I don't like that she is still so involved with the Military, ready to risk her life for our people at any moment. As noble as it is, it is also correct what she says that one's life can be taken in a blink of an eye..." Alessandra said jsut as they were about to part ways. "I'm sorry... I just worry about her."

Meanwhile, Relina would head down to the pool to sit and relax in peace. She picked up a bottle of brandy and a tumbler, turned on something calm and relaxing for music, and tried to calm herself down. She'd find a cushioned lounge chair and sat back, looking up through the glass enclosure at the colourful night sky.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"If you need some company, feel free to ask" He remarked towards Relina before heading off. He would find himself followed though, turning back when he realized he was being followed. "Hm?" He responded as he would stop to hail Aless. He would listen to what she had to say, and nodded faintly. Despite the politics involved and the heavy likelihood that it was her who might want Relina dead, he could tell that Aless deeply cared about her sister. Earning her trust was an interesting perk to what he'd done though, although to him, what he'd done was what he normally would as a Jedi. She was someone who, when you stripped away the political positions, was still an innocent that people sought to harm.

"I appreciate your words, but Relina is both a friend of mine, as well as someone that people seek to harm. What I did was do what I felt was right" He responded, smiling faintly. "I'll look after her to the best of my abilities, of course. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't" Joshua would add. "Just remember that you are also a target. If Relina dies, you're the next one to go, and some may seek to take you out of the equation first to save them the trouble later. Be sure to take care of yourself just as much as you take care of your sister" Josh would advise.

"We both worry about her, of course. And I promise I'll do my best to protect her while I'm here. As well... If you need my help for the interrogation, feel free to ask. Just... Don't bring me in if you're using methods of torture or drugs. I have a lot of suppressed memories I would rather not relive" He would remark.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

Aless nodded to [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]. "I would advise talking to Relina about that. She can countermand the authorisation she just gave the Master At Arms. I am sure once she gets her bearings, she will speak with you about this at length... However, I need to try and get some sleep. I will have security stepped up in the meantime." She said wearily. "Sleep well when you do... and thank you, again."

Aless's emotions were genuine. Either she was an expert at fooling Jedi specifically or she wasn't hiding anything and really wasn't involved at all. Occam's razor would suggest the latter, since Jedi didn't hang out here often and it took a specific kind of emotional control or a lack of emotion entirely to be able to lie to a Jedi. Alessandra Zhan was as emotional as any Human female, possessed no special mental training, and when Josh suggested that she, too, was in danger, fear crept up in her plain as day. She'd make the call for additional security as soon as she when back into her room.

Down below, Relina reclined on the lounge chair on her second glass of brandy. She'd be mouthing the words to a song she liked, one whose lyrics described flying in something of an abstract way. She considered going for a swim instead of jogging for her daily PT run, considering the night's events. Within the hour, more armed security personnel would be arriving.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I'll speak to her when I can then" Joshua would respond. He was a diplomat at heart, and he preferred more diplomatic means to interrogation then simple violence, torture and drugs. He would nod to her farewell. "Sleep well then, Aless. And do be careful. I wouldn't be surprised if whoever is targeting Relina won't have any qualms about taking you out as well" He would warn.

He doubted she'd be the one to target Relina, but he had a difficult time trusting people. While he liked Aless, he was still a bit wary of the possibilities, especially after all that had happened as of late. But he couldn't sense any attempted fakes in her emotion... And not really knowing anything about Jedi, he doubted she'd have trained for it.

He decided to get a stroll before heading back to bed. Might as well finish what he had started, right?

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Relina finsihed the last of her second glass of brandy, beginning to unwind. She had one leg off of the lounger, a dainty foot on the floor while the other was outstretched in front of her as she continued to look straight up at the sky. "Can't keep my mind from the circiling sky...." she'd mouth to the music.

in her mind, she was considering what Josh had advised of her. A severance package? For someone who might never see it? She understood that he was advising her to play passive aggressive and essentially show her would-be murderer what she could have had. Frankly, she felt a certain bleakness to the notion, briefly seeing things from Coryn's perspective. And what if she allowed Josh to interrogate her instead of having her injected with Bavo-Six and questioned using a mind-probe? Could she have her lawyers try to bend the law, talking the magistrate into a lighter sentence so that she could in fact have the severance and perhaps..... "... Dammit... He's right." she said to herself.

Relina would start patting herself down for her comm, which was always on her person.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

After finishing his stroll finally, the Jedi decided to head back to his quarters to grab his shirt. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to sleep anymore, not after the events of the night. He would just have to try and catch up on his sleep later, most likely. He let out a sigh as he returned to his room and grabbed the dress shirt he had used earlier, slipping it on and heading toward the gardens in order to relax and breathe after the events of tonight. Maybe he could even sleep if he could get himself into a properly relaxed position...

As he went, he though back on the events of the night. He felt bad for the would-be-assassin, but she'd succumbed to greed and sold her soul to do it... It was just an example of how just about anybody could be corrupted with a bit of temptation put in front of them. Everyone wanted to be happy, and she'd likely been offered enough to allow herself to make herself happy, that she was willing to take the cost. Now it'd backfired on her. Where was her happiness now? Gone.

She was already suffering enough, he thought. She'd lost her job, and would likely go to prison. And who would hire her now? Businessmen or other nobles wouldn't trust her, and even assassination prospects wouldn't hire her since she'd already proven to have failed, in a way that'd be broadcasted publicly. Her life was over, more or less. While he had strategic reasons for suggesting the package... The main reason being that due to the above facts, her only option in order to keep herself surviving financially would be to complete that assassination job and kill Relina, plus combine that with revenge, and she'd be returning for a second round soon after release, if she made it that far... But the severance package would also hopefully be enough for her to live by. Or at least give her enough time to find a new way to make money. She'd made a mistake, a big one. But he didn't wish for it to ruin the poor girl's life.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

Relina found her comm and had her thumb hovering over the screen, second guessing herself. She glanced to the side and saw [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] walking by toward the garden beyond the pool enclosure. She'd simply gesture to him with a brief canting of her head to her left.

"I was thinking about what you said.... So, perhaps I might be willing to negotiate. If she co-operates with you, then we will not need more invasive interrogation measures. Further, what you propose may be offered as a bargaining chip. However, what my sister says is true; revealing who contracted her will paint a target on them, as it is a potential act of war." she said, her words very mildly slurry.

She laid back and sighed. "i'm sorry this happened tonight."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Hm?" He responded as he noted Relina gesturing for him to come over. He figured she'd have just gone back to bed by now, but he would nod and join her in the pool area, gazing around the area for the moment. "Huh. I would have gone for a swim with you if you'd asked" He joked with a soft smile, but would listen to what she had to say afterword.

"I see..." He said, before nodding. "I'll see what I can do about getting her to cooperate. Offering the package could be a bargaining chip, I agree... A lighter sentence as a separate bargaining chip too, which she'd need in order to have that package anyway. But put them in separately, and it drives the illusion of offering her more for her information. And this information really is valuable... Because they're going to strike again, with her or without her, if they want you dead" Josh would remark.

"I can probably use her likely guilt over this, especially if I use the bargaining chips, to my advantage. Might even make her give it willingly without using any harsh methods" Josh would add. "And... It's alright. It's not like an assassin coming along was your fault. I'm just glad I was there to stop it"

[member="Relina Zhan"]