Luminosity

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Relina stepped out with a sigh, leaning on the wall nearest the accessway. Her mind was reeling a bit as she considered Josh's proposal. Was kindness NOT a weakness? Perhaps not, if kept secret. Better the media was kept out of the courtroom in such a case. To her, it was more stressful than it could have been with this option in play, considering the events that have just occurred. However, she placed her trust in her Jedi friend for the moment.

Coryan Tamm, however, just stared at Josh, wondering why he was here and not the expected interrogator that worked for the local Hapan Security jurisdiction. "So.... I presume I'm to be questioned by you? Or is this just Ducha Zhan's unwillingness to confront me herself?" she asked. her tone was about as flat as an Interior Hapan accent could allow. Josh could probably feel her fear and dispair. Deep down, she knew she royally screwed up and the implications of a guilty verdict.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

People always seemed to have the misconception that kindness was a weakness. But yet, he operated with it, and he'd succeeded quite well. Sure, he needed to use other skills at times, but it was his compassion that had gotten him to where he was. It was why he had the reputation that he did. It wasn't for mindlessly killing everything. At least, he hoped not.

He chuckled when the assassin to be would make her remark. "Yes, you're being questioned by me" He said, pulling up a chair in front of her and taking a seat. "So.... I'm not a guy that likes to beat around the bush. I had a talk with Relina... I brought up a simple fact" He remarked. "Let's face it... No matter the results of this case, you either go to jail for life, or you're going to jail for quite some time. But the thing is... In the case of the latter, let's face it, again.... Your life is over" He responded, letting out a sigh. "Who's going to hire you, knowing you sold out and tried to kill your last employer, who paid you a hefty amount of money with very heavy luxuries, might I add, just for a couple of extra credits? Nobody will hire you. And don't think becoming an assassin will work either.... Because who's going to hire the woman who's only known for the fact she -failed- the only assassination job she's ever been given?" He asked, tilting his head.

"So... I convinced her to consider at the very least rewarding you for your years of service with a decent retirement plan, like you would have been given on your actual retirement. Not as much, most likely, due to obvious circumstances... But enough to allow you to survive, and perhaps even find a way to make a new start. She'd even be tempted to look at reducing your jail time to let you actually enjoy those benefits, by my suggestion. But.... There's no way in hell she's going to listen to me while your employer is still at large" He would add. "So, sweetheart.... It's simple. You made a mistake. Now it's time to own up to it and make up to Relina for what you've done. I want to know who hired you, their name, and anything else about them you can tell me. The more information you're able to supply... The more I think I can find a way for Relina to... Oil the gears on what to do with you" Josh would add.

"Up to you" He said as he would relax against the chair, hands behind his head as he waited for her response.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Coryn was trembling as the proverbial salt was being rubbed into the wound. She didn't believe what the Jedi was saying. It had to be a ploy to get her to tell all, only for her to be murdered in prison herself after the book was thrown at her. It was unlikely she'd get a death sentence from the magistrate, given that women under an ancient Hapan law were not sentenced so, save perhaps only for such a threat as her own against the Royal family. "The way I see it. I am damned if i tell, and damned if I do not tell. It is not impossible for even a high security detention centre to be infiltrated and a hit put out on me for my betrayal. Yet, If i do not tell, then my fate is still sealed..." She reasoned, more out of fear, which made her understandably pessimistic. "I have no incentive to divulge anything, Jedi. I want an attorney." She added plainly, looking to the supervising officer.

The operative held a datapad, recording the interrogation. She nodded and looked to Josh. "She has a right to request one." She advised him. She took a bit of a concerned expression, however. Inwardly, the operative felt concern, mildly for the suspect, but located around the concept of death. She input something into the datapd. "I am summoning an attorney now."

Relina was still leaning on the wall outside, thinking of what to do and how to do it. Further, could Josh get her would-be assassin to crack? It wasn't long before an attorney retained by the City was entering the room. Relina was tempted to summon one of her own.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Great, this would be a little more difficult then he'd thought. Well, he didn't think she'd crack to start either. He let out a sigh, and facepalmed. This woman was one thing - and that was blind. "So you'd rather just not take a chance at all and be guaranteed to be screwed instead of taking the chance and having a chance of getting out of this with some semblance of anything left?" Josh would inquire, tilting his head. Was she daft? Wouldn't she rather do the right thing, and give herself a chance as well, instead of doing the evil thing, risking Relina's death again, and killing any chance she herself had of survival.

"You're foolish" He spoke flatly, ignoring her attorney thing. He didn't care for legal mumbo jumbo. "And if Relina dies, it's on your hands. And then all you've accomplished in doing is screwing over the both of you" He remarked bluntly, rolling his eyes. He was disgusted. Simple as that. He wasn't being nice anymore, her selfish actions repulsed him.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

The lawyer that was summoned came in as Josh was speaking. She sat down next to Coryn, simply listening. The two had a short exchange in Hapan. Then Coryn looked to Josh. "What part did you not understand? I speak Basic well enough, I'm sure." She said, her fear still very much there, but it was now leading her into a bitter irritation. "If I speak, I will be marked for death myself. Not even a high-security facility can stop that. You really don't know what you have gotten yourself into, Jedi.... I didn't want to do this, but frankly, it was less of a choice than you are assuming. It was, either kill Ducha Zhan and be paid a lump sum better than my net worth will be in 5 years combined, or I die and the hit on the Ducha happens anyway. Now that I have failed and will likely be calling Relephon 8 my home for the rest of my natural life soon, there is the matter of to whom I have remained loyal. If to Ducha Zhan, then I trust my sentence shall be ended sooner than My Lady's mercy ever could. If I remain defiant, then I will live, even if it is in what might as well be a fourth hell. Now that I have spelled out what I see in my future, what is my incentive?" She asked. The lawyer would thumb through something on her datapad as she let her client speak. Then. she whispered some sort of suggestion into her ear. She nodded and said nothing further.

Relina had been listening through the open door. She had her foot on the track on which the two halves of the automatic door slid, preventing it from closing behind the attorney. She would come in, with a slight set to her jaw, as she neatly took a seat next to Josh. Neither Relina nor Coryn could seem to look at each other.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Foolish.

The Jedi let out a sigh. He didn't want to do this, but... He couldn't think of any other way to move forward without resorting to violence. He noted Relina's entrance with a curt nod before looking over at Coryn. He raised a gentle hand, before moving it slowly through the air, gently... As if he were just trying to see her properly with the light flowing into the room. Or what light there was...

"You feel guilty for what you have done and wish to help in what way you can" Josh would speak calmly, his hand moving slowly still...

"You understand that Ducha Zhan will do her best to prevent you from coming to harm" He would then add, his hand moving just a little bit more. It was almost as if he were chanting something... And if someone could sense the Force... They may even feel a bit of magic in the air.

"You will tell us all that we need to know"

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Relina didn't quite get the hand movements and neither did anyone else, but she DID like the calmer tone he had taken. It reminded her of how he was the night before, when he escorted her to bed. What was strange, however, was the reaction Coryn had. She repeated what he told her, despite her fear driving her judgement. Relina DID, also feel something different. Was Josh doing something, Jedi-style?

"The one who hired me.... is House Kel." Coryn said. If Josh was looking for any tell tale signs of deceit, he'd detect none from her. The woman was very afraid however. Her lawyer seemed taken aback by the accusation.

Relina finally looked Coryn in the eye. "... You can't be serious." she said, genuinely worried herself. "Toria Kel, I presume? Alarah didn't have anything to do with this, did she?"

Coryn started to break down at this point. "I... I don't know. I didn't meet with her. The Elder Tuila, Toria Kel, was my only contact and even then, indirectly via an encrypted commlink call." She stammered, her words occasionally punctuated by sniffles. "It's all I know. She didn't give me a reason why, only that I'd be paid 3 times my 5-year net salary or she'd kill me and find someone else fool or brave enough to do it.... For what it is worth, My Lady, I am sorry."

Relina sat back a moment, trying to think of a motive. House Kel was a lesser noble family heavily invested in Paragon enterprises, the company owned by House Zhan. There was of course the plainly obvious motive of consolidating ownership and operation under one house. Removing the current living matriarch of House Zhan could allow for greater leverage for the lesser family to advance this goal. Then... Baratheon Kel came to mind. If he were to marry into House Zhan, he could elevate his Mother's house in standing.... and then, her twin sister could be killed next to finish their ascension. "Coryn, if it is as you say, this could lead to a blood feud that can only end in the destruction of one family. I require any further details you can provide." Relina said evenly.

Coryn's breathing was speeding up and becoming heavy as tears well up. She knew by talking, her fate could well be sealed. "I don't have very much else, but... my comm link's records might be useful. The access code is 2247T.... I'm a dead woman anyway. I might as well find some sense of redemption and go with clear conscience." She answered. Truly, the Hapans' had a sordid history of political intrigue. What was happening just in the past couple of days indicated that even today, every beautiful rose has its thorns.

Relina looked to Josh, hearing her former servant's fears of being murdered herself. She remembered what he suggested to her.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

It seemed the Jedi Mind Trick had worked, as much as he didn't want to use it. But the information was... Certainly interesting. Kel... Kel... He had heard that name before. He'd heard it so much because some people still aren't used to the Alarah - Relina switch. His mind immediately went to Alarah and her family, and he pondered if she might have something to do with it. It would be a shame if so, of course. Or even a member of her family. While he didn't know much about Hapans, he knew all about their blasted blood feuds... One family needed to die. This wasn't good.

"I knew it" He spoke calmly once the information was given as he looked toward Relina. "With how highly you had spoken of her, it just didn't seem to make sense that she'd be so quick to turn and kill you. I had a feeling that fear was a motivator. The money didn't make sense, because it would have been more profitable for her in the long term to work for you instead of risking losing everything for a one-time sum" He would remark. "I figured either she had failed to think long-term profit-wise, or had another motivator" He explained.

"That's another reason why I made my suggestion as well" He remarked, smirking toward Relina. "I had a feeling there was something else. But even if there wasn't, it was still the best idea to keep from making enemies" He explained. "While I don't respect her choice at all, I do understand why she did it. I'll leave what to do with her up to you, of course" He would add.

"But..." He began, finally turning to Coryn. "There's another reason I wanted you to tell me" He would remark. "If we know who hired you... Well, you can be better protected in the meantime, and we can whack them before they whack you. And no, Relina... She wasn't lying" Josh would add, looking toward Relina again. "I made sure of it. Not even someone training the Force at the basic level could have lied. And if she had even that, I would have known"

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Relina nodded to Josh. She then turned to Coryn. "Alright. My mind is made up. Miss Tamm, I'm certain there is a legal avenue through which your life will not be completely ruined over this." she said. "However, what's done is done and there are consequences." She said evenly.

Coryn nodded in silence. Relina looked to the security cams and then to the supervising operative. "In the interest of my own security, may we have a moment of privacy?" she asked. The operative nodded and would shut down the cams for her. Relina then got up a moment and paced a bit. "Alright. What I am about to suggest does not leave this room...." she trailed off, looking to the attending lawyer. "If you are to represent her in court, then I will need for you to support my motion."

The lawyer nodded and Coryn looked at her former employer. Relina passed behind Josh as she resumed speaking. "I will recommend that you be handed over for behavioural reconditioning here rather than Relephon 8. It may be good for you, anyway, but it may yet keep you safer. Further, the time you will spend there would be far shorter than your remaining natural lifespan. You will receive a severance deposit as well. Finally, based upon reports of your progress and condition when you are released, I may even be inclined to provide you a fair reference." she said. It was a bit more generous than Josh had initially suggested. "However, I would advise you to not mistake my kindness for a weakness. You have been a hard worker in your years of service and I won't soon forget that. Fear doens't entirely excuse your crime, but with understanding, my judgement is passed. Have I provided a suitable incentive?" She asked of her, her tone rather direct.

Coryn nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. And... please, I know your trust in me is broken, but I regret my actions. But, I know I can still be a target for retribution from the Tuila I have betrayed-" She went suddenly silent as Relina's hand raised in a gesture to signal silence.

"I will take measures to protect you and the others who are also being rehabilitated. Furthermore, I fear House Kel will soon be too busy to bother with you." she said evenly. "Now, take responsibility and grow from this. You have the potential for a second chance. Do not squander it." she added. her eyes would then, gently, fall upon Josh.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Joshua watched as Relina would give her decree. When she turned to him, he would simply smile. He was proud of her for making that judgement call. And based on what they'd seen, it was good he'd made the suggestion and for her to make the answer she had. As much as she had done, Coryn didn't entirely deserve the fate that would have been handed onto her otherwise.

"Fear makes people do things they don't wish to do" He spoke as he got to his feet. "Now that that's out of the way... What's the next course of action?" Josh would inquire. "If I may... I have a plan. But it's risky" The Jedi would admit. "Can we have a bit of privacy, Ducha? Somewhere that cameras won't see us? I'd rather not anyone get wind of my plan"

His plans had worked so far. He'd stopped a potential assassination, he'd stopped a second assassination attempt, and he'd managed to peacefully interrogate the first assassin into revealing their enemy, all while bringing out the best result for everyone involved. They had all been risky... He just hoped that the forth time would be the charm.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Relina would nod. The operative reactivated the security as the Jedi and noblewoman turned to leave. Over her shoulder, Relina said, "Anything already recorded of this interrogation is deemed classified."

She then went with Josh to seek privacy. Frankly, they had no further need to be here, so Relina turned back the way they came. "Are you to attempt to talk me out of a vendetta?" she asked. "In this case, I'm afraid there aren't many alternatives. However, I will need the Dammerung under control to prevent classified information and technology from falling into the enemy's hands. I don't know if Alarah is involved or not, but I have to assume she knows about it."

The gears were already turning. Relina had every intention to have boots on the ground on Paragon Enterprises' corporate headquarters skyhook over Hapes Prime.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

As they walked, he shook his head to her question. "While I'd hope you'd make sure to find out if Alarah is involved or not, and spare her if not... No, that's not why I asked for privacy" He spoke once they had reached a private area. Once they were in a room in private, with cameras turned off, he'd sit down and look over at her, motioning for her to sit down on the couch beside him.

"I have a plan... To get a little more information. But I need either you or your sister to act as bait" Josh would explain. "At this point, it's obvious that no matter where you go, an assassin's going to attack you. If you walk out in public, they're going to fire at you. By now, you've realized that I can use the White Current to turn invisible, though it has limits since I'm not specializing in it and my specializations are more centered around combat then maintaining the form. But so long as I don't engage someone in combat or overexert myself, if... Say, I were to be using the Current, and tail you while you were walking in public, and you were to thwart an assassination attempt... Y'know, just dodging a stray blaster shot, and the culprit happens to run.... Well, perhaps I could tail them back to where they're coming from? With this form, not even a Force User can sense me. It'd have to be a fellow Current user. So I can tail them back, and I can not only find where they're hiding, I might even be able to eavesdrop on their briefing when they're reporting back. At the very least, I can figure out our enemy once and for all"

He took a breath and waited to see her reaction to his plan.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Relina sat down with him and heard him out. "... It seems risky. How would you react to my suggestion that you try it if the opportunity arises?" she asked. "I don't want to send you on a task like this arbitrarily. "

Relina then added after a moment's thought on the conditions suggested. "And I know I have military training and all, but even my reflexes are too slow to dodge a blaster bolt save by mere dumb luck outside of a vehicle.... as I stated, better is it that you try that plan out if the conditions present themselves. Otherwise, we will have to find another means to gather intelligence. The first priority, however, is to secure the Dammerung. Alarah will simply need to be held there in comm silence while the station is locked down. From there, House Kel's part of House Kel's portion of the profits can be withheld and access to military hardware can be restricted. I'd rather not actually fight a war on my own world."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"That might be better" He remarked, shrugging a bit. She had a point. How would she know when it was to come, and how might she dodge it, trained or not? Josh had a Jedi's reflexes. That was a completely different thing. And even then, he wasn't invincible either, he could still easily be hit by blaster bolts. He let out a sigh as he relaxed against the couch.

"I'll do it if the opportunity arises then" He agreed. "At the very least we've narrowed our enemy down to House Kel. The question now is, what's our next move besides locking them down? We need to figure out who in particular is trying to send assassins after you. Who in House Kel has the most to gain?" Josh would inquire.

This was going to be a long day.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Relina answered, "I believe Toria Kel, the House's Matriarch, has the most to gain. She has a son who isn't married and she has suggested either myself or Alessandra should take him as consort. But, you know my position on arranged political marriages. I'm unmarried because i have yet to find a man suitable to me. If I marry, then he should be someone I love and can do more with than merely bring forth an heiress."

Relina thought more about the situation. "I have to assume Alarah knows about all of this. Whether she is involved at all remains unclear, but for security purposes, I will have to leverage action against her with some degree of force, preferably without any fighting. Once the Dammerung is secured, we can simply have an armed force move upon the Kel estate. If possible, the elder Tuila should be bound by law to stand trial." she said.

The Ducha seemed resolved in what she believed needed to be done. However, she was nervous about it. Her emotions weren't well hidden, as Relina wasn't trained to hide them the way someone accounting for Force users would have been. Perhaps the only visible indicator was the absent flexing of her toes as they peeked from under the hem of her dress. "What would my mother have done, had she survived? What would Saint Clavelle do? What would you do?" she asked

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He nodded as she mentioned someone who had the most to gain, and her morals behind marriage. She was definitely different from most Hapens around here, and he respected her for that fact. But one thing puzzled him - that she had yet to give better details on. "If I may ask... If Toria Kel has the most to gain via her son marrying you or Alessandra, what exactly would she gain if you and/or Alessandra were dead? That part confuses me" The Jedi would remark. "What measures are in place that would mean that Toria Kel would benefit greatly from killing the matriarchs of a house that by what I can tell she is allied with?"

It was a sticky situation, for sure. "I'd like to think that Alarah isn't involved, but if you think it's possible, then we'll have to take action. And soon, I hope. It won't be long before they figure out that most likely, their first assassin has likely given into interrogation. Even if she hadn't, they'd probably assume. Especially if Alarah is involved. Alarah knows full well that you've been hanging around a Jedi ever since these assassinations started, and the Jedi's thwarted both of them. It'd be safe to assume they'd think I'd have done something" He would add.

He shrugged when she asked what he would do. "I'm not a man of politics anymore, nor have I any family that would give me reason to know what to do in the case of a potential blood feud. The relatives I have that make me a noble, of any sort, I have no relationship with and probably wouldn't jump to their aid if they were in trouble. Not to mention with my track record, no enemies of theirs are willing to acknowledge me enough to consider me worth the trouble of killing, simply because of the risk of failure"

"What I can say is... Look at this from all angles. If you mess up, overlook one little thing, you could potentially damage more then you think"

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

"If I die, Alessandra is the next one in line. She becomes Ducha formally and if she marries Baratheon Kel, House Kel becomes part of House Zhan. All that needs to be done at that point would be to consolidate the additional power, wealth, and influence that comes with an ascension like that, then off Alessandra, ending the standing Zhan line, as my sister and I are the only daughters of our mother." she explained. "The lesser House supersedes the greater, an ancient family line is broken, and things change on Gallinore and the Hapes Consortium at large with a brand new set of interests in power." she added.

"Now, Aless can take Baratheon as consort anyway, but without a mutual blessing between she and I, as we share our ruling power, House Kel won't get very far initially. Honestly, this is all starting to make sense now. Further, Aless avoids military matters if at all possible. That's more my area. Without me, someone will have to handle Gallinore's Militia. Theoretically, that could be Baratheon himself. He has a history of veterancy in the Royal Navy." she continued.

Then to address alliances she said with a wry grin, "Here, Alliances are only apparent on the surface. Were it not for the Queen Mother, we would be a feudalistic nation loosely associated with each other and fighting amongst ourselves often. Most of the existing infighting is often behind veils of clandestine operations, underhanded manipulation of various societal systems, and old fashioned political intrigue. It isn't always apparent these things happen, either." she explained, shedding light on the fact of life that was poltical intiruge in the upper class of Hapan society. "As for the possibility of all hell breaking loose the moment I act, restricting communication will be a priority. I have a means by which that can be done, too, even before Secondary Protocol arrives."

Relina would shift a little in her seat as she paused.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Well, that made a little more sense. "Of course, should Aless know that House Kel is responsible for the attempts on your life... It's not very likely she's going to take a consort in that family, is it?" The Jedi would inquire. "It'd completely ruin their plan if that was the case. So I'd say the first course of action would be to inform your sister. If Aless knows, then their plan is doomed before it even gets anywhere, no matter who lives and who dies" The Jedi would advise with a light smirk.

He nodded as she continued. Hapes really did love their politics, didn't they? "I suppose restricting communications would be the top priority. But how do we figure out for sure who our enemy is, what they want, although we've made guesses... And then how do we handle them?" Josh would ask. "It'd look like an apparently unprovoked attack on the Kel family, no? That's just part of politics. You'd need to be sure to have every aspect of your plan thought out before you launch it. Thus my words about not overlooking anything"

"Anyway... How would you feel about going for another swim today should we have time to take a break?" Josh would ask, with a shrug. "If, anyway. We've been rather busy, after all. Figured I'd suggest it since I'm sure you've probably been stressed over this whole thing, and even our attempts at leisure time have become.... Adventures"

"That is... If we end up with a spare hour" He added, chuckling a bit. "Things have been busier then ever since someone tried killing you, after all"

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Relina nodded lightly. "That does sound nice... but then there is that fencing match you challenged me to." she said with a light kick. it was really more of a gentle nudge by pushing the sole of her sandal against the leg of his boot. She'd then examine her hand absently. Her nails were neatly manicured recently, shiny and of a moderate, practical length and were unpainted. She noticed her dainty palms had a mild residue from sweating. In the heat of the action earlier, she hadn't noticed. Yes, swimming later sounded like a good idea.

She took Josh's suggestion to heart and had a thought. "Perhaps having Alessandra along, as well, would be prudent. Better she knows what I plan to do. Just as well, we tell each other everything anyway." she added, as an afterthought. "She'd have to bring the allegations before Her Majesty, come to think of it. Even if blood feuds between families have occurred without Royal sanction historically, I'd rather not have my House step on anyone's toes, save those that have already tread upon mine."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I'm aware" He remarked, chuckling a bit in response. "And we'll get to that later. But since we're already making plans and all, I figured we might as well be doing something comforting and fun anyway. A little difficult to have a discussion during a spar" The Jedi would remind her, smirking when she nudged him with her foot, responding with a playful nudge of his own, with his elbow against her hip. Josh himself had sweat quite a bit, but it didn't bother him all that much. It wasn't all that new to him, really.

"Bringing Aless along would be alright, I suppose. I just hope she can handle our teasing. But she did mention she wanted to see me without a shirt anyway" He joked with a light chuckle. "Might as well kill as many birds as we can in one stone, no?"

He wasn't sure what to say on the whole royalty thing. He wasn't familiar with everything when it came to Hapan politics after all.

[member="Relina Zhan"]