"I would, but I know someone who would rather do it more," Valru says, leading you farther back into the complex. The place is bustling with activity as CorSec officers rush back and forth, shoving criminals towards the cells, dropping off papers and evidence here and there, consulting with each other, etcetera, etcetera. You wonder if it is always this busy.
Finally, Valru stops in front of a door. A marker reads:
Office of the Commissioner
Officer Gabriel Trilanger
The office within would be considered spartan if it were not for the shelves of holo-tapes that line the walls and the desk that sits at the center. Each tape glows a dull green, made pale due to the singular lamp lighting the room from the desk.
Behind the desk sits a man who is undoubtedly Gabriel Trilanger, the head of CorSec and your father. He wears the traditional uniform of the CorSec officer, except his vest is not orange but dark green. His hair has gone gray at the temples but is otherwise thick and dark, as is his goatee. Definitely in better shape than most men his age, as betrayed by the sturdy build of his arms.
He sets down a datapad just as you enter and slides on a pair of spectacles, looking up to you with stern but tired eyes. It takes him a moment, but when he recognizes you, a smile comes to his face.
"Roan Trilanger," he says. "Well met, my boy."
"I could say that I'm fine, but I'd be lying," he says, not moving from his seat. "And nothing good comes from lying to a Jedi, no matter how trivial it is. I'm not sick or anything, but I haven't slept a wink this week. You could say you're here to help me with my sleeping problems."
He looks past you, to Sky and Sunda. "Three of you? Excellent. Certainly more than I asked for. Good to know that the Jedi Order still likes us, even after the Purin Scandal last year..."
"Gabe," Officer Valru says, cutting him short.
"Right." Gabe pauses. "Wait, they sent us a kid?" He is looking at Sunda quizzically.
"Ah, yes. The Chancellor alerted me that the Order had decided to leave briefing up to me, since I know it better than anyone, even the Diktat. I'm grateful for that. So... Roan, do you know any Old Corellian?"
If you had been brought up on Corellia, Roan, you might know it better. As it stands, you have little use for it outside of Corellia, but you might know a bit... but the Language roll says you don't know enough for what Gabe asks next.
"Do you know what the phrase 'Uhl Chirq Uldyr' means?"
It is difficult for a Jedi such as yourself to have any connection to their family, whether they have met them or not. You have never looked up to his man or learned from him. It would be more likely for you to call your Master 'the father you never had.'
"It translates to 'The Red Rain,'" he says, matter-of-factly. "Here on Corellia, it has long been associated with crime-related deaths, usually multiple deaths, ranging from cases of serial killing to acts of mass murder to open gang warfare. Currently, the problem we're having on Corellia, especially in Coronet, is the latter.
"Over the millenia that Corellia has been inhabited, there have always been criminal organizations that spring up calling themselves The Red Rain or some equivalent in a variety of languages. The idea is that it is a threatening name and people would let them be. Unfortunately for them, CorSec has always been there to end such open threats.
"However, at the moment, we've got a problem with a criminal cell in Coronet calling itself The Red Rain. They started out small, but somehow they've become much more of a threat to planetary security."
"For about a month now, they've been issuing open threats to the goverment. Before we would have had a laugh about it, shot someone, made some arrests, and come back to the break room for drinks. But... this is different."
Gabe taps at a keyboard on his desk and a holographic displayer rises from a slot on the desktop. The recording he shows you features dozens of armed thugs thrusting assault rifles into the air, vaguely reminscent in garb of Middle Eastern soldiers.
"They may have had a pretty figure in numbers before, but now they're being open about the size of their 'army,' as the media's calling it. Also of concern is where they got all the guns."
"Not normal for street scum to be packing military-grade blasters," Valru cuts in. "And don't forget the assassination attempts, Gabe."
"Yeah, those. We've had four attempts on the Diktat's life in the past week." Gabe brings up a recording of Valru taking the 'bullet' for the Diktat in the shoulder while Gabe himself annihilates the would-be assassin with a well-placed shot through the heart. "That was the most recent."
"Bacta or not," Valru comments, rubbing his shoulder. "It still stings."
"We've got something in mind," Gabe says.
He brings up holograms of two people.
The first is a stately, older man. His hair is neatly combed, but unmistakeably white. He wears a emerald green cloak that is pinned to his right shoulder by a jewel-encrusted brooch, covering his left side. Beneath he wears a evening mess uniform, with a dark green vest underneath a white jacket. He resembles Derek Jacobi.
The second is a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length red hair and clear blue eyes. She wears an emerald green sheath dress with a tan denim jacket that stops just below her breasts. She resembles Kate Walsh.
"The first guy is the Corellian Senator, Com Fordox. The second is the Corellian Diktat, Shyla Merricope. Our political leaders."
Gabe brings up the recording the shooting, with Valru getting hit and Gabe destroying the shooter. He zooms in on the figure behind Valru; sure enough, it is Diktat Merricope seeking shelter in the landspeeder that her, Valru, and Gabe were riding in.
"As I said, assassination attempts have been made. Red Rain really wasn't much of a threat before. Mostly petty theft, the occasional robbery or murder, that kind of thing. Laughable stuff, compared to now. Now they're demanding that Corellia secede from the Republic. So far they haven't pulled anything serious... but they're threatening. We've made arrests during their armed marches in the streets, but they usually scatter when we show up.
"The thing is, a lot of our manpower is being dedicated to protecting the Diktat and the Senator. That's where you can help."
"That's the ticket!" Gabe replies. "Leaving our politicians in your care will free up a great deal of CorSec officers to sweep the city for Red Rain."
"The Diktat will stay in the Capital Building," Valru informs you, as Gabe brings up a display of the ominous rectangular structure. "Merricope refuses to abandon her imperiled world. Under your care, she will be safe there."
"What of Senator Fordox?" Sky asks.
"Senator Fordox will seek refuge on Coruscant," Gabe replies.
Does it now? Which one?
-
"You bet," Gabe replies. "The Capital Building is lined with CorSec sensors to detect any foreign systems or intruders not registered with the structure's security computers. Speaking of which, we'll have to get those identification chips implanted..." He shuts down the holographic display on his desk, relaxing in his chair.
"So, think you're up for this, then?" Gabe asks.
"I assure you that the Diktat will be quite safe under our watch," Sky says. "The Force is with us."
"That's excellent news. Now, about those..."
Roan, your danger sense triggers. Something is happening. Something terrible. A sound starts in the distance, but it feels so close, so dangerously close... a high-pitched whine crescendos sharply then is cut off with a loud mechanical whoosh... followed by the roar of a tremendous explosion, followed by more blasts and bursts... and pain. Great pain, Roan. Great pain that leads to darkness. Death.
"Master? What's wrong?" Sunda asks.
You have collapsed, Sky having caught you before you fell.
"I sense it too," Sky says, grimacing.