Upper Atmosphere

Cardooine

Cardooine system, Jospro Sector

The Big Momma Cool slowly pulled its front-heavy mass up through the clouds of Cardooine, the extra thrusters just barely managing to help with the massive load the hangar refit put on. When Kar had first seen the ship, she considered it a miracle that the ship could even get off the ground, let alone escape the atmosphere. Still, the clunky old freighter had proved time and time again that it could hold quite a burden. From the cockpit, Kar watched as Darro expertly guided their ascent. Despite the name implying otherwise, the ship was his baby and he handled it well.

Skulrakh and Crix were on the lower deck, interrogating Harend. Despite his ruse of playing the supposed deliveryman working perfectly, Darro still suspected there was more to the story than basic embezzlement. "After all," Darro had explained, "how did Harend get to hide away at the Grand Cardooine hotel of all places? How did he have a ride arranged? And all this wood that he stole, what happened to it? He obviously wasn't working alone here." Kar initially wanted to shrug it off as it not being SFS's concern, until she remembered that not only would the Cardooine Logging Company pay bonuses for any accessories to the embezzlers, but if he had been working with a smuggler, there was a chance that another bounty would be involved. Smugglers were worth quite a pretty credcoin, especially with the Empire's various trade restrictions and raised taxes.

"Hey Kar," Darro asked. "We should be high enough, can you check out what's hanging around in orbit?" Kar nodded and got out from her seat by the navigation computer to go sit down in the copilot's seat. She fired up the sensor package, and performed a quick ping of the area around the planet. The only ship in orbit was a CR-25 Moonshadow-class freighter, using the name Starscream. She reported it back to Darro. "Interesting. We'll probably stick around for a while in orbit, see if any ship tries to leave after us. Might be our getaway pilot." Kar nodded, and considered herself glad she was up playing co-pilot rather than on the lower deck…

Crix slammed Harend back-first into the cell wall. The resounding clang could be heard upstairs. He got up close, face to face with the frightened prisoner. "I'm gonna ask you one more time, and you better not jerk me around. Who set you up with that getaway?"

"I already told you, I don't know!" Harend's haggard condition wasn't really being helped by Crix's abuse. Since he had gotten out of the speeder, he'd suffered a good deal, first with Kar's restraining efforts and then Crix's abusive "interrogation" tactics. The slam lit his back up in pain, but at this point it was just another injury.

Crix brought his knee up hard, landing soundly in between Harend's legs. He let go, letting the beaten man double over in pain. "So you're telling me you swipe all this high-end luxury wood from the back of the landspeeder, and you have no idea who you sold it to or who sets you up with a nice hotel room with a promise of picking you up?" Harend whimpered in the affirmative. Crix snarled. "You must think I'm an idiot, don't you? You know what? Frag you, I'm getting my lizard friend." He turned around and stormed out of the cell.

"I assssume you learned nothing?" Skulrakh asked, waiting for Crix in the hallway. Two-One was at his side, eager to get at the new patient. It was no secret Skulrakh disapproved of Crix's roughhousing of prisoners. Crix had sometimes asked to learn Skullie's old "enhanced interrogation" techniques, but he had been turned down at every opportunity. Still, the two had built an effective dynamic together as an interrogation team. Crix would beat and berate the prisoner, and Skulrakh would win his trust by having Two-One patch him up. It was crude, but it worked surprisingly well.

"He's obviously lying. I'm gonna go get R5 and get his help next time you tag me in." Skulrakh hissed in disappointment. The barabel had a variety of hisses for different emotions, and no one but Dar could tell them apart. Kar was too new, and Crix just flat-out didn't care. He motioned for Two-One, and stepped into the holding cell.

At this point, Harend was curled up in a fetal position, shivering on the floor. Again, Skulrakh hissed in disappointment. Fear clouded a target's mind, making them too prone to divulge faulty information. It made interrogation extremely difficult. He listened to the medical droid's diagnosis. Fairly typical: plenty of bruising, a broken nose, possible broken ribs as well. He watched as the droid slowly began to apply some painkillers, helping Harend to sit up on the bed. Skulrakh, not wishing to seem too intimidating, squatted down to reach eye level.

Harend slowly looked up. "I-I-I don't know anything! I swear!" He was shaking at the sight of the massive lizard and his enlarged teeth pulled back into a horribly failed attempt at a warm sort of grin.

"Of coursssse you don't," Skulrakh responded. "we've esssstablished by now what happenssss to liarsssss. It'ssss ovbvioussss that whoever you were in contact with wassss covering hissss tracksssss." Harend seemed to relax. "But that begssss the quesssstion, how did you get in contact with him?"

"Holonet," Harend responded. "This guy, said he was from some sorta trade association or union or something. Was hoping to get some wood for less than retail price. Knew that it was more than what I was getting paid. Said he'd come and pick up the first shipment today." Skulrakh nodded understandingly. For whatever reason, the mark was always more cooperative with him. He had the suspicious feeling that it was more than painkillers Two-One injected captured marks with.

"Did he ssssay anything elsssse?" Skulrakh asked.

"Not really, just that his association or whatever would almost certainly take care of me…" Harend drifted off as he saw the door open up behind Skulrakh. Hearing it slide open, he turned around to face Kar.

"We've got incoming fighters, definitely hostile. Suit up and get ready to launch." Her voice was calm, but there were thin hints that she was looking forward to the upcoming conflict. Skulrakh simply nodded, telling Harend to hold his thoughts for a moment and that he'd be right back.

"Guess that's what they meant by taking care of me…" Harend muttered as the two left his cell.