Bad Luck on Coruscant

“So, why did you do it?” he asked for the tenth time. Sergeant Wets Tranoj was tall and thin, though he still looked strong enough to take down a enraged Aqualish. He had brown eyes and short, buzz cut hair. His head was almost square shaped except for the curve of his protruding chin, and he had a defined jaw line. He reminded me of propaganda posters showing the perfect police officer. His uniform was crisp and clean and he was freshly shaven. I was currently inside CSF Divisional Headquarters, in an interrogation room where all the malcontents of Coruscant get taken to for processing. When I was younger I used to boast that the only way I’d be here was dead and in the morgue. I’ll admit, I was a di’kut when I was younger.

The room itself was boring compared to the man. Most likely it was to instill a sense of despair or claustrophobia with its utter colorlessness. The sharp angles of both the room, the chairs and the table illustrated the lack comfort, the absence of windows for the same reason. I looked at my bare skin, slightly missing my armor. That, along with all my weapons and personal items had been taken from me and locked away in some evidence locker. My skin was paler then I remember, the dark tan that I had gotten from my days on Tattooine faded, probably from all the time its spent encased in armor.

“I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.” I replied for the tenth time. They really didn’t have anything. The rifle was the Republics, any trace on it would be found to belong to a clone trooper, and I had left nothing in the building. None of the officers had gotten a good look at me and a Mandalorian in an alley wasn't exactly a strange occurrence. He didn’t seem frustrated by the incessant back and forth between us. It almost appeared like he was just bidding his time.

“You killed him. You know it and I know it. Beautiful shot too, especially from that distance. Never even saw it coming, probably didn’t even feel it. But why the son of a Senator?”

“I still have no idea what you are talking about, Sergeant Tranoj, but if I did, I would surely help you in any way possible.” I replied not letting him bait me into a physical or verbal response. However my mind was free to respond appropriately. Osik, a Senator’s son! I knew I had a bad feeling about this job.

“Stow it, we have everything we need to put you away”

“Then please, show me the evidence.”

Just then, another officer strode in with a case in her hands. She was a Twi’lek, with tattoos from the tip of her lekku to the base of her skull in an intricate pattern. Her skin was a greenish hue and almost completely hidden behind the nape of her uniform was a thin scar. It and she seemed very familiar; however I couldn’t quite place why. Upon seeing me I noticed her eyes widen for a second then rest into a calm demeanor. It was so quick that the only evidence that I had actually seen it was her twitching lekku. She set it down in front of me, and then turned to the sergeant.

“So, you found it?” Tranoj asked.

“Right where he said it would be. It caught everything.”

“Good, you mind showing it to our friend here?”

The officer proceeded to open the case up and take out a holoprojector. She pressed a button on it and a miniature likeness of me appeared in the air. It showed the area where the man had been speaking, then the shot and him collapsing. Then the camera zoomed and showed me at my vantage point, looking down. I stared at it as my blood ran cold. There it was, the solid evidence they needed to put me away. My last act as a mercenary and I get caught by a kriffing hidden holocamera.

“Thank you, Azala. Leave me to finish with the suspect.” Tranoj told the officer. Azala saluted, glanced at me, and left the room. Apparently I’m not well liked in the department. Go figure. I still felt like I knew her and her reaction was enough to prove the feeling right. Tranoj settled back down in the chair across from me and stared at me. I brushed off the train of thought and focused on Tranoj. I decided that staying silent was pointless at this point, so I let go of my rigidly calm stance and just lay back in my chair.

“So, you caught me. Congrats. I have to say you picked the perfect time to make that set-up. I needed the money and this job just happened to be easy money. Enough so, that I was willing to forgo my usual background checks and anonymity to do it. I have a question for you, Sergeant Tranoj. How did you know all of this?”

He had continued to stare at me as I talked and when I finished, he laughed. I can’t say that I was expecting that and I felt myself getting angry. I took a breath and calmed myself, not letting my emotions get the best of me. I needed information right now and shouting at him wouldn't make me any more free.

“What is so damn funny?” I demanded.

“We didn’t set it up. We got a call about you being on a job. He told us who you were and where you were, and about the holocamera.” He replied. I sat there in silence for a few minutes. Someone had sold me out. Only one person could have known about the job.

“So, what happens now?’

“Well, we process you into the system, set your time to appear in court, ex cetera. In the end, you end up in jail for at least one confirmed homicide.”

“And where would I most likely serve my sentence?”

“Officially, in the detention center surrounded by all the other bad people of the Galaxy. Unofficially, the Senator will most likely pull some strings and get you ‘accidently’ sent to Kessel….or worse.”

“Fierfek”

“However, it seems that the Senator has taken a special interest in you. He’s read your file and believes that you would do better serving in the GAR.”

“You’re kidding”

“No, and as he is the head of our financing committee, the higher ups want you out and on the first shuttle to the frontline.” I thought about this, and about the whole set-up. Because that's what this was, no doubt about that. I was a pawn, and I would either move where I was wanted or be cast off the board. I had a better chance of surviving and maybe even getting away if I played my part.

“I didn’t kill the Senator’s son, did I? He probably never had a son. He was a sacrifice, bait even.”

“As far as I know, and as far as the record’s show, he was a Senator’s son.”

“Of course he was. So, Tranoj, are you a part of this too?”

“I only follow what my bosses tell me. Your shuttle will pick you up at 0600, tomorrow. There you will meet your contact and you'll be his problem. Got it?”

“Well, it’s better than mining in Kessel...” At this, he smiled a mysterious smile, humor mixed with...something.

“You’ll be housed in a holding cell until tomorrow,” He went over the door and it slid open to reveal Azala again. “Officer Zian will escort you to it.”

At the mention of the last name, my eyes widened as memories began flowing into my consciousness. The smell of smoke, fire, the screams and cries for mercy. I shook my head to clear it of the flood of images. Tranoj looked at me. “You all right?”

“Of course, just clearing the cobwebs.” I mumbled, never taking my eyes of the Twi'lek.

“Right, well, Officer Zian, take him to the holding cells.” Tranoj said, though he didn’t seem convinced.

As Officer Zian took me into the hallway she said in a hushed tone: “So, you recognize me, Talyc eswa.”

“You were part of that village…on Ryloth.” I replied in the same hushed tone.

“Yes, you and your bounty hunter friends were very thorough in clearing it out, but I was lucky enough to have hidden in the well.” I could tell she was trying hard to restrain herself. Her lekku was spasming like crazy. “Did you know that they all begged for their lives as I slowly killed them?”

“You don’t know what happened, Azala…”

“Do not speak!” she yelled. Everybody turned to look at us. She bowed her head in embarrassment and pushed me further down the corridor. “You will only listen. I have my orders and I will follow them, but make no mistake, you will pay for what you did.”

With that she shoved me into the cell and closed the door behind me. I just lay on the ground, thinking. She had been hiding in the well. She was right when she said she had been lucky. I sighed and pushed myself into a sitting position. My shoulders ached from being twisted and my wrists ached from the cuffs and everything just generally hurt. I don’t know how long I sat there staring at the wall. The cell had no windows, the door’s opening was closed, and there was no way to tell time. It had to be late, however, as the constant stomping outside my cell had reduced to the sound of footsteps appearing every once in a while. I must have been dozing off because I just remember a sudden banging on the door of my cell. A square close to the top of the door slid open and a human face appeared there.

“Come to door, back first. No sudden moves.”

“Well if that’s not a proposition, I don’t know what is.” I said as I complied with his orders. I heard a second slot open and he grabbed the cuffs. He unlocked them, took them, and pushed me back deeper into the cell. He threw a rectangular container in after me and closed the openings. I rubbed my wrist as I heard him stomp away. I picked up the rectangular container and examined it. On the front was etched “Eat up, Talyc eswa.” with what looked like a sharp object.

If I remembered my Ryl correctly, eswa was a way of denoting your deep loathe for someone by placing it after the person’s name. Great, just great. I sighed and pressed a button on it. A compartment opened up and in it there was gray, gooey slop. Yum. I cursed, wiped my fingers against my shirt, and scooped up some. I brought it to my face and stared at it for a second. I sniffed at it, but it appeared to not have a smell. I examined it a bit more, and then decided I was too hungry to be picky. I chewed on it for a second then swallowed it. I had eaten worse, that was for sure. As I ate, I sat leaning against the wall thinking of what lay ahead.

I hadn’t led anybody in a long time. Not since I left my life in Mandalore behind. And that ended so well. No point in thinking about it, no matter how bad it had turned out. Either way, the die was cast, and there was no way out. For now, at least. I wrapped my arms around myself in a futile attempt to bring some warmth to my body. With a last breath I disappeared into darkness.