Logged October 14, 2001
Logged by Ashton
Titled: Treachery Revealed - 2
******************************************************************************
Characters:
Ashton
Moria
Merina
Noshi, Tintaner and assassins emitted by Ashton
******************************************************************************
Senate Building Entrance -- Republic City Coruscant
Entering into the building, one finds themselves in the lobby area
of the outer ring within the Senate Building. Hallways are seen heading off
to the left and right, leading to presumably the various ambassador offices.
Pair of broad intricately designed doors gives way to the viewing stands
within the Senate Hall beyond. Plush carpeting covers the floor in a soft
hue of gold's and reds while paintings of past and present ambassador's
line the walls. The lobby area is illuminated with recessed lighting
hidden within the ceiling above.
Ashton
A powerfully built man whose eyes and smile coincide with his young
and athletic-looking physique. Averaging these two factors, a guess that
the human male is somewhere in his early twenties is close to accurate. His
light brown, almost sandy-brown hair is just longer than collar-length with
a slight wave at the bottom as if it's starting to curl. He has light hazel
eyes, more green than brown, but this changes with his mood or outlook. He
is rather average in height; no more than five foot ten inches tall.
Ashton is wearing a light blue tunic over a soft white, high-collared
shirt. The loose sleeve tunic is belted at the waist with a black utility
belt. His black pants are tucked into a pair of knee-high boots, made of a
soft black nerf leather. Clipped to his utility belt is a smooth, gun-metal
blue cylinder.
The senate hall isn't as alive as it would be on a normal weekday, but
there is activity nonetheless as small committee meetings take place
throughout the capital building. As Moira and Merina enter the senate
building, the halls are only filled by aides and underlings. No senate
representatives would be out of their meetings this early.
Moira Brennan enters, and isn't she the odd sight? She's actually done
her hair for once, the ponytail replaced by a bun at the nape of her neck.
She's also in something fairly nice- borrowed pants, but borrowed from
someone close to her size. They're black, pocket-less, and zip at the
side so as to leave the front part smooth against the pelvis. On her top
half is a wraparound top, tied at the right hip. It's long-sleeved and
a medium brown. And of course, boots. Not so chic but a girl has to be
able to move, right?
Once inside, the Padawan takes a good look around. "I can honestly say
I've never been to the kitchens." Moira admits to Merina. "Would you know
how to get there? Or perhaps Master Ashton was going to meet us first..."
There's a beat, and Moira shrugs. Whatever.
Merina is bewildered. She's never been in this building before. Where
might the kitchens be? Somewhere in the bowels of the building she'd bet.
She tugs on her sweater, smoothing it out. She glances at Moira and says
in a quiet voice "The way must be down. Kitchens are seldom accorded a
place of prominence. It will be somewhere out of the way."
Ashton emerges from the main senate hall. Dressed in his Jedi tunic and
wearing his lightsaber in plain sight, the Knight has already sensed his
padawan enter the building and has come out of the hall in search of her
and Merina. He offers them both a small smile, more for appearances than
for being happy. He crosses the distance quickly, slowing as he nears them.
"I've already been down to the kitchens once... they're down that hallways,"
he points to the right hallway, "and down two flights. I'll be keeping an
eye on the workers in there. I should be able to determine if someone is
acting strangely." He looks to Merina, "If you think your memory is clear
enough on these two you overheard at the sky dome, maybe you would allow
Moira to pick up that image? Just think about them, and she should be able
to get a picture of them in her mind."
Moira nods to Ashton and then turns to Merina, waiting for an okay before
doing any snooping in her mind. In the meantime, though, the Padawan readies
herself, feeling the Force's flow and letting herself get in tune with that,
get into the place where she'll be able to reach out and grasp the image.
Once she's got the okay, she'll begin. But no need to try if Merina's not
thinking about the pair.
Merina nods mutely. She shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath. She tries to
concentrate on the men she saw. There were two of them. A picture swirls in
her mind, and she works to bring it into focus. It requires quite a bit of
effort. Who would have thought? Ah, yes. She begins to recall. One was tall,
about 6' even maybe. He had a mop of vivid red hair, and a pasty pale
complexion. He was wearing a white shirt under a black vest, and black pants
that fit oddly. The other man was not tall by any means, but what he lacked
in height was more than compensated for in width of shoulders and girth of
chest. He had short black hair that was neatly combed, and not quite to the
salt-and-pepper stage. He was dressed in fancier clothing than his companion.
Finer fabrics, better tailored. The image begins to dissolve. For Merina it
is like grabbing a handful of water, the harder she tries to remember, the
more the image dissipates.
Ashton looks over at Moira as he too is able to capture the image of the
two men. He lifts an eyebrow, wordlessly asking Moira if she's got it,
which he's sure she does. "Okay, I'm going to check out the kitchen and
keep an eye on the help as it comes and goes. The senate hall is empty
right now, so they'll most likely be meeting for dinner in the chambers
area at the bottom of the senate hall." He points to the doors to the
senate hall. "Kitchen should be setting up in there now, so let me know
if you see anything out of the ordinary. The committees should be breaking
for a meal shortly."
Moira nods- she's got it. Now, the question is - will the duo come to admire
their handiwork? "Yes, master." She replies, glancing to Merina. "Are you
ready to head in?" Moira doesn't question how she'll explain their presence
in the chambers area, or if they'll be allowed to wander. Hopefully the
issue will not arise, but if it does she'll deal with it in the moment.
Well...wait. Better ask now, so as to be sure. "Have the Senators been
alerted to our presence or are we acting in a more covert manner? I mean,
obviously we're not to be disruptive, but should we pose as servers or
something, or simply be quiet observers?" Moi leans toward quiet observer,
but it's good to be clear.
Merina gives a small laugh. "don't they say that the criminal always
returns to the scene of the crime. I'm willing to bet they want to see their
handiwork being consumed. Maybe though we ought to be focusing on suppliers
as well. Someone could have brought in tainted meat. Does this Senator have
a special diet that needs to be specially catered to?"
"Compared to those in his committee? Yes, he eats core world foods. Most
of the others in his committee are not human. But he does occasionally eat
Calamari cuisine," Ashton says as he starts to turn. "Use the comlink if
you need me. I'll be downstairs." And with that the Knight is away and
heading back towards the far hallway. Guess its up to the padawan and
Merina to watch over the senator's actual meal.
Sheesh. This could get interesting. Moira nods to Ashton, and then again
turns to address Merina. "My personal concern would be watching what he and
the other Senators actually consume. If Master Ashton is watching the
preparation, then if we watch what makes it onto his plate we ought to have
it all covered. But you did mention suppliers- do you know where the food
would be delivered to? Probably the kitchen...though perhaps it might be
snuck in by a server..." Moira trails off, thinking before she speaks again.
"How do you feel about stationing ourselves just inside the doors to the
dining room and watching the goings on in there? That way nothing comes in
without us seeing it."
The bewildered look on Merina's face clearly states that she has no idea
how even to begin. What does tainted food look like anyway? She is aware
that the flowers of the plant have a distinctive odor, but she isn't sure
about the berries, and certainly isn't sure if an animal that ATE the
berries would also have that same odor. "but what are we looking for?"
she asks plaintively.
"Well, suspicious looking things. You said birds eat these berries? Any
kind of poultry. Your pair of plotters. People who are acting suspiciously.
I would rather be too careful than not careful enough- the Force can help
me sense intentions and moods, and my hope is that you could spot a likely
food item that might be a candidate for the toxins." Moira motions towards
the room Ashton indicated would hold the dining room, but doesn't move
toward it until Merina does. "If we can watch the set up perhaps we can
catch the attempt before the Senators even arrive."
Merina nods. "Alright. I know I would recognize that pair if I saw them
again. Let's go. We wont do any good here"
Moira nods, smiling briefly at Merina, and then heads for the room. "True
enough. Just keep alert, and I'll do the same. Hopefully the pair will show
up and make it easy on us." Yeah, right. Like anything is ever easy.
Senate Hall -- Republic City Coruscant
This circular, multi-tiered auditorium was designed with acoustics
in mind so that the highest tier could hear the senate deliberations as
clearly as the lowest. A platform in the center of the circular hall
rises to about midpoint within the great room providing the Supreme
Chancellor with a place to speak from. A singular beam of light shines
down upon the center platform, highlighting the Supreme Chancellors
position, and placing the exterior tiers of politicians into a shroud
of darkness. A gathering of various cultures has their own designated
senate boxes in which to speak from so each is represented.
After riding the lift down to the base of the super sized auditorium,
Moira and Merina will see the small banquet set up for the 22-member
committee scheduled to eat in here today. Two long tables have been set
up and the banquet buffet is between the two. A handful of Republic
guards are evident, but only on this level.
Moira slips in, looking around. Well, first things first. She reaches out
with the Force, to test the moods and feelings of those already in the
room. Let's make sure they're all on the up and up, before we start asking
questions. The Padawan girl stops just into the room, stepping away from
the lift and staying against the wall. Better to not draw attention before
they have to.
Merina follows Moira's lead, and stays back against the wall, hugging it as
she has seen Moira do. She wonders if the Republic Guards will say anything
to the two of them. She expects that they will, if they are doing their job.
How will they explain their presence. Leave that to Moira. She scans the
room to see if there is anyone familiar. She cranes her neck to see what is
on the buffet table.
Nothing is immediately out of the ordinary as Moira does her sweep of the
room's occupants. As a matter of fact, most everyone seems in a rather dour
mood, considering they've been called in once again to work on a weekend.
But such is the lot in life for those who enter the government service,
even if it is only kitchen and catering services. The food is already on
the buffet tables and seems for the most part, unwatched.
Alright...now, to check for poultry. Moira does a quick visual scan,
searching for any meats, and then any likely to be birds. Let's see how
much we'll have to check, before we start worrying about which is the
poisoned meat. While doing this, Moira keeps her senses open, just waiting
for something to strike her as amiss.
Merina is embarrassed to admit that many of the foodstuffs laid out on the
table are unknown to her. She has it firmly in her mind that the culprit
will be some sort of bird, and does not consider any other possibility.
There are a few dishes that are avian in nature. One, a big flightless
bird that is trussed and stuffed, and then a few smaller birds, laid out
like splayed frogs for dissection on an oval platter.
Obviously there isn't enough time in the day for these sleuth-types
because the doors on this level are opened from the outside, and 20 of
22 committee members enter the area, followed by their aides and
attendants. Even the Senator that the Padawan and Merina are here to
look out for is here and he is smiling and talking with an Ithorian
representative. The due and 7 others make it toward the table closest
to the entrance to the room.
Moira glances briefly to Merina, and then steps forward towards the table.
Since they'd missed the people bringing the food in, this was to be a bit
more difficult than Moira had thought. While approaching the table, she
visually examines the guards and for that matter everyone else. Slipping
into the crowd of Senators, she squirms her way toward the table with the
avian on it. Can't let these Senators eat everything before it's okayed.
But can you sense toxins in something that's dead? Probably not, but hey,
Moira tries it anyways. And while she's trying this exercise in futility,
the Padawan says something that she thinks is quite clever. Least she
hopes it is. "Excuse me," she says, addressing a guard as she watches to
make sure no one eats the avian, "I've come to check on these birds.
There's been a question as to their preparation. You know, when poultry
is undercooked it's quite a bad thing. If you'd allow it, I'd like to
take them back to the kitchen and pop them back into the oven for a few
minutes. I promise it won't take too long." And Moira smiles charmingly,
hoping that she won't have to scream and destroy the food or something.
Merina wonders if the guards will just let someone they don't know walk
away with the food. If that is the case, then anyone might have handled
the food. She watches with interest. So far the senators are too busy
hearing themselves pontificate, or posturing, that no one has even begun
to touch the food. That at least is a good sign.
Merina wonders if the guards will just let someone they don't know walk
away with the food. If that is the case, then anyone might have handled
the food. She watches with interest. So far the senators are too busy
hearing themselves pontificate, or posturing, that no one has even begun
to touch the food. That at least is a good sign.
However she said it or whatever she said, she at least did it with enough
decorum not to have the guard start questioning her presence here, but the
idea of sending back the food when the Senators were just about to eat
obviously doesn't sit well, with either the guard or the cook who has just
appeared to check on his layout. The Quarren chef rears his head back in
outrage, "Whatsthis??" He says in slurred basic. Unusual for him since he
was raised on Coruscant. "How dare you challenge my cooking! This food has
been cooked under my careful guidance since this morning!" he says in a
quiet, hissed tone at the padawan. "There is nothing wrong with this food."
Even as he tries to be quiet about it, he's not quiet enough, and the
senators are looking over at him and the two women in confusion.
Merina is immediately suspicious. She is familiar enough with chefs to know
that they can be temperamental, but she can't be sure if this 'outrage' is
part of that, or something else. She wills thoughts to Moira hoping the
Padawan will pick up on them. "ask about the supplier...where did those
little avian come from" She spies a bottle of Birman Whiskey on the table
and smiles. If nothing else, that may be a way to talk to him. That local
whiskey was brewed in her parents brewery.
"I do not question the quality of your cooking, chef." The Padawan says
gently. Ooh, not good. Seems Moira will have to try something else. "Allow
me to introduce myself? My name is Moira Brennan. Since you say the food
has been cooked under your guidance, might I ask you a few questions about
your birds?" And the Padawan gestures to the side, away from the table.
Hopefully the chef will follow. She doesn't go far, just far enough to not
make a scene. And she keeps her eyes on the table- if a Senator tries for
the food she fully intends to react. "First of all, who was the supplier?
You see, there have been questions about a number of birds here on
Coruscant. It is not specifically -your- cooking, but all poultry that
we are concerned about." Ooh, right on Merina, thanks for the tip.
Before the cook can even retort to such an accusation, he is silenced
from something, or someone, over Moira's shoulder. "Perhaps I can be of
assistance, Jedi Brennan?" comes the deep voice from behind her. As Moira
turns to find out where the voice comes from, Senator Tintaner nods his
head to her seriously. The tall, somewhat handsome man watches Moira with
interest as she seems to be the one disturbing what was supposed to be a
relaxing dinner.
"Senator!" Moira exclaims, and then rapidly searches for what to do now.
No, worrying him would be needless. Well, first you have to apologize for
creating the disturbance in his shindig. "I apologize for interrupting your
evening. I hope I've not disrupted things too badly." The Padawan girl
pauses, honestly sorry to have disturbed them all, and then begins her
explanation. "Recently, it came to our attention that some birds coming
into Coruscant might not be fit to consume. I, my Master, Knight Quince,
and Miss Merina have come to make sure that none of these birds have made
it onto a table." There, doesn't set any blame on the chef, so hopefully
he'll have nothing to say about how she's handling things. "I was speaking
with the chef about the possibility of checking the fowl out, but I think
I've inadvertently phrased things badly. I've not meant to imply that
anything has been done badly here. Rather, I've been trying to ascertain
who the supplier is, so as to check and make sure everything is alright."
And good, Moira, nothing to say what exactly makes the food 'bad.' Because
that's all speculation. Moira keeps attuned to the Force, now checking on
the chef, to see what his mood and emotions might be. Or trying to, at
least.
Tintaner doesn't seem to be surprised at the news. As a matter of fact, a
small grin crosses his face as he hears the padawan's explanation. His
look is almost strangely pleased. He bows his head to Moira respectfully.
"Actually, Jedi Brennan, it was Mr. Noshi," he nods to the cook, "who was
responsible for apprehending the kitchen staff being that attempted to
poison our food tonight. We've already turned him over to the Republic
authorities. So it would seem," he says amiably, spreading his hands out
before him, "that all this is for naught."
Moira senses: Something odd strikes you about the response Mr. Noshi has...
like that he feels triumphant. You sense deception.
"Senator, I am delighted that the plot has been uncovered." Moira says, and
she honestly sounds glad...but then something nags at the edge of her mind.
Taking a step towards the Senator, she adds quietly, "However, I still sense
something amiss...may I request a chance to look over the birds myself? It
is possible something might have escaped Mr. Noshi's attention." No, not
time to make accusations. Though Moira highly suspects Mr. Noshi, she will
not accuse him without something more tangible. Not everyone understands
the Force, after all.
Noshi crosses his arms, his apparent attitude one of outrage. If he could
frown, he would be doing so. "Senator, if the Jedi wishes to look over the
food, I have no objections, except that I am seriously offended that my
word is not good enough." An odd switch of stance for a chef so outraged
by the thought that his food might not be up to standards. Perhaps the
poison was untraceable by him, or by anyone for that matter. His posture
changes from outrage to one of smugness.
Oh, stars. Moira quickly moves to counter the chef's point, calmly and
confidently, but with absolutely nothing of pompousness or overconfidence
in her tone. Rather, the girl is utterly polite. "Chef Noshi, I am not
questioning your word. However, two gentlemen were overheard discussing
the plot, and they mentioned smuggling the poisoned food in via a
connection they had in the kitchens. Is it not possible a member of the
kitchen staff might have done something to the food after you discovered
part of the plot?" Still, not directly fingering the head chef. Moira
keeps alert, trying to pick up any emotions or thoughts this stirs.
Meanwhile, the Jedi girl turns back to the Senator. "Again, I apologize
for the disturbance, but the safety of yourself and the other Senators
is my priority. I'm certain the security here is excellent, but for my
own peace of mind I would like to check the food. Just in case. Even the
vigilant cannot be everywhere at once."
The chef shakes his head in irritation. "No one touched that food, not the
meat anyway, except me," he says adamantly, but he nods towards the table.
The Senator also nods to the Jedi Padawan and Merina. "Please, if you will
feel better, we can have the food tested." He turns to the other senators
and shrugs. "Perhaps we can still get into one of the restaurants downtown,
and call it a night? I think we'd all like some rest before tomorrow
begins?" As he finishes the sentence, a red bolt of energy sizzles through
the air, hitting the Quarren chef in the chest. It appears to have come
from above.
As soon as the blast comes, Moira reaches out to take the Senator's arm
and lead him out of the open area and to the door they all entered from.
"Senators!" Moi calls out. "Please come to safety!" She's slipping into
that determined but serene mindset that takes over when craziness erupts
and she has to deal with it, and as such her tone remains polite but
urgent. Get them safe, then worry about the attacker. And as they're all
moving to the doors, Moira yanks out her comlink. "Master! There's blaster
fire up in the Senate Chambers." There, so hopefully Ashton can come and
look after the Senators, or else go up after the attacker. Moira can do
one, but not both. And of course there's Mr. Noshi to worry about...though
he's probably quite dead by now.
Another round zings down and hits one of the guards who has lifted his
sidearm to fire back. Now there are two distinct weapons firing from up
above. One is obviously a sniper rifle and the other a small hand blaster,
unlikely to do much damage, but still adds to the confusion. The second
shot from the sniper rifle tracks and hits a guard closer to the Senator.
The third shot digs up flooring right behind Moira. There was still a good
thirty feet to cover to reach the doors and many of the senators were
rushing the doorway, along with their aides and attendants. And still the
blaster rains down on the group. Merina was closer to the door and is
trying to calm the beings down as they run for the door, but there's not
much she can do to stop a stampede.
Well, this is no good. Moira decides to neutralize the threat, or else
there will be a stampede of Senators. So concentrating, she reaches out
through the Force to wrench the weapons from the hands of the attackers
and bring them down to where she is. She's trying to control the decent,
so they won't crash and discharge accidentally. The sniper rifle is
wrenched away, though with her attention on so much at once she's unable
to pull the blaster away. "Gentlemen!" She calls out. "I must ask you to
stop." Yeah, like that's likely. But at least she tried, right? And her
leg muscles tense, ready to try and dodge a shot or leap to protect the
Senator.
With the sniper rifle out of the one attacker's hands and the other weapon
useless to actually hit anything from this far up, the repulsor car shakes
as the two assailants leap from the craft and onto the walkway back into
the building. They had never actually undocked the craft from its mooring
as that would've caused too much noise. The Senator stops a few feet from
Moira as he senses a change in the padawan's stance. He turns slightly
and sees the sniper rifle descending to the padawan's hand. Some guards
continue firing until they realize the targets is no longer in sight. One
is quick enough to radio to the upstairs units.
"Is everyone alright?" The Padawan asks, her voice raised hopefully above
the sound of Senators rushing for the exit. Then, she grabs for her own
comlink. "Master, the attackers have moved out into the building." That
bit of information relayed, Moi takes another visual sweep before moving
to Mr. Noshi. He's probably dead, but just in case he's not it's best to
check on him.Noshi isn't dead, but he's very close. His breathing is
rapid and shallow and the sucking noises coming from his chest wound do
not sound good. And the amount of blood coming out on the floor doesn't
seem to be coming from the front. The Senator seems to be well, if not a
bit shaken up. "Th-thank you, Jedi... You've saved our lives..."
At that moment, Ashton's voice comes over the com unit in Moira's hand.
"Got 'em, Moira. Actually, the Republic guards have them. How is everyone
in there?"
"We've one down- the chef. I'm going to try and attend to him." Moira
states over the comlink. Then, she turns to look at the Senator. "You're
welcome, Senator. I'm just very, very glad everyone's alright." Except...
well, except Mr. Noshi. Moira reaches out with the Force, hoping to seal
up the organs pierced by the blast, but there's too much damage and he's
lost too much blood. The Padawan, in spite of her efforts, is
unsuccessful. Drat.
Ashton appears at the back door, through where all the other Senate members
are filing out of the room. His weapon is still clipped to his belt clip,
and he walks in calmly, scanning up to where he can see blaster marks on
the bottom of one of the repulsor cars. He moves to one side of the downed
chef without a word. Centering himself in the Force, he is very quiet, and
then slowly shakes his head. He looks up at the Senator. "He's gone..." He
looks over at Moira. "Good job, Moira. Well done." He offers her a smile,
the rises to stand before the Senator. "I'm glad you're alright, sir. I'm
sorry we didn't get to them before they started firing."
The Senator nods sagely at Ashton. "It's alright, Jedi Quince. Your padawan
saved us all. She was a credit to the Jedi and her teacher. Now, if you'll
excuse me, I have some people to talk to about the lax security around
here." He smiles at Ashton, Merina and Moira before turning to go.
As Ashton declares the Chef dead, Moira stands. Nothing she can do for him
now, after all. "I hope the rest of your evening goes better, Senator."
Moira adds, inclining her torso in a goodbye to the elected official. See,
she has manners when she tries. Then she glances to Ashton. "Is everyone
alright out in the hallway?" Hopefully the answer is 'yes.' One of the
attackers still had a blaster, after all.
Ashton nods to his padawan as the senate members leave the area. The guards
have called in medics to remove the body and Ashton moves Merina and Moira
away from that scene. "Yeah, the guards had them in shackles before I even
found the lift down to this level. You two okay?" He looks them both over
and notices neither of them were wounded in any way. Still, he leads them
back out of the senate hall and into the main corridor.
Moira follows Ashton out into the hall, also checking Merina over visually.
Poor lady, it seems she just can't escape trouble. Satisfied that everything
is okay, Moira comments, "When I got a look at the one holding a blaster, he
seemed to fit the description of the gentleman Merina saw."
Circular Hall -- Republic City Coruscant
This circular hallway curves around the exterior of the building. The
interior side of the hallway is lined with numerous offices belonging to
Ambassador's from various cultures. The exterior side is lined with glass
windows displaying a spectacular view of the city beyond. The carpeting is
thick and plush; muffling sounds footsteps as different beings pass by.
Ashton nods to Moira, "Yeah, I saw them. They fit the bill." He stops as
they reach the hallway. "Why don't you take Merina home. I'm going to see
if I can find out who those two were working for." he's clearly giving
them both an out so he can go sit in on several hours of interrogation.
The Republic military wouldn't allow him to mind-probe them until it was
a last resort, so he was figuring on a long night. "I'll be back as soon
as I can." He nods a goodnight to Merina and then to Moira.
Moira nods, looking over to Merina. Yeah, best to take her home. "Yes,
Master. And thank you." For what? Stepping in to catch the guys? Not
making her sit in on interrogations? All of the above? Moira turns to
Merina, smiling briefly. "Ready?" And then the pair head out into the
streets, presumably back to the Jedi Praxeum.
END OF LOG