Vehicular Manslaughter

Vehicular Manslaughter
Date of Scene:	14 July 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	An attempt is made on Sanzo Laa's life, but Navi and the Jedi intervene.
Cast of Characters:	159, Pike Windu, Navi, Annelia Belask, Cayde Alexis

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Athena (159) has posed:
It's a fine afternoon on Coruscant in the Federal District, and as a nearby clocktower chimes one in the afternoon, a mass of individuals exit the Rotunda. It would appear that while the Senate had just been in session, the top of the hour has marked the ending of the session. Many politicians in their straight-laced business casual have either amassed right outside the Rotunda speaking in hushed tones, or are heading for the hangar where their personal escort vehicles have been parked.

Now, normally the Jedi and their allies would likely not find themselves here, but after some digging, an attendant had directed them here on the account of regarding the whereabouts of an individual named Sanzo Laa. He had been with Chancellor Rie while the Senate had been in session, and is now walking rather hastily towards the Rotunda hangar, his expression peeved.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Master Pike Windu is keeping watch over part of Rotunda. Spotting Laa, he activates his comlink to alert his confederates!

Navi has posed:
"Thanks, Master Windu. Headed that way now!" Navi channels her inner paparazzi to quicken her steps to catch up with the possibly-fleeing Sanzo Laa. "Excuse me, Senator Laa!" she calls after him. "We have some questions for you, and they're rather important. So, if we could have a moment of your time? We won't keep you long! Or at least not longer than necessary! Okay?"

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Thank you, Master Windu," says Ann into the comlink in turn before launching from her post on another corner of the plaza- but moving quickly, weaving well through the crowd.

    "Happy to discuss on the move as well," adds Annelia as she emerges from the crowd a moment after Navi, offering a faint, reasonably polite smile- if perhaps not the most winning one in human history.

Athena (159) has posed:
Laa appears surprised when Navi and Annelia approach him suddenly. He frowns, slowing his pace slightly. "About... what, exactly? I took this afternoon off, so I hope you aren't exaggerating when you say it will only take a moment of my time," he says, then reassuming his quick pace towards the hangar.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu hangs back as the females approach Laa. The Jedi Master is ready to intercept in case the senator attempts to flee!

Navi has posed:
"We want to take up as little of your time as possible. But it concerns a rather suspicious toxicology report, possibly regarding a musician who was drugged at the recent political gala hosted by Senator Burkenn," Navi replies, falling in beside Sanzo Laa. "A certain doctor suggested we talk to you about it. He seemed afraid to say more."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Please rest assured, we're only looking to ensure the safety of all involved as this gets resolved, so anything you may be able to offer to help is appreciated, be it large or small details," Ann adds, falling into step alongside him fairly easily.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde had accompanied Ann to the Senate Plaza earlier today, in her attempts to find Sanzo Laa and question him regarding the events at the foiled gala. He'd been waiting with her when Windu's message came through, but as Ann starts speaking to Laa, she'll probably notice her padawan isn't behind her where he'd been only moments before...

Athena (159) has posed:
"I don't know anything about that," Laa replies too quickly, hastening his pace even more. "And if I were you, I wouldn't trust Dr. Cassias. He's Gianka's uncle, after all, and he eats out of her palm," he huffs.

"Now, if you don't mind..." He starts towards his personal vessel, a shiny yacht straight from the Corellian Shipyards.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu moves in. "Senator, greetings. It is imperative that we get to the bottom of this. If you could shed any light on this matter or the beings involved, it would be a great help."

Navi has posed:
"What about Vice-Chancellor Vlaven? Would he know anything about it? Senator Burkenn and his stepdaughter seem as honest as any politician to me, and more honest than Vlaven," Navi asks, increasing her own pace, with effort, to keep up with the Senator. "Believe me, the safety of everyone involved is of paramount importance to us. Even the potentially guilty. We've already prevented the murder of the musician who was drugged... we seem to be dealing with an infestation of Clawdite assassins in the city of late. One is now in Security Force custody, and the other killed himself with a suicide pill when he was apprehended by Jedi inside the Temple. This is becoming too big to hide. I'm surprised it's not all over the newsnets by now."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "And look, we get it, there's much to be wary of with that... family. Part of what we want to do is make sure there's not so much to be wary about, you know? I get that you're in a rush but claiming not to have info you clearly do just makes this take longer."

    A moment later, she's trailing back a couple steps to let Navi continue the conversation, bringing up her comlink to mutter into it sharply; "Cayde if you don't have a great reason for vanishing I will weld your room shut myself."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde...really isn't very good with commlinks. Responding to them, anyway. Part of that reason is because it isn't as convenient for him as it is for others who can just talk into a mic. The other part is that...well, it's an easy thing for him to forget it exists. Being able to connect directly to others' minds sometimes even remotely sort of makes commlinks redundant. Sort of.

    Anyway, the padawan has wandered over to the office building, either deliberately or inadvertently, and is now heading for the elevator they'd been in previously when they'd searched Senator Burkenn's office. The one that had the directory...yes, because it showed where the Treasurer's office was.

Athena (159) has posed:
"It's just Laa, to you," he says, looking annoyed. "I'm not a Senator, and would never hope or wish to be," he scoffs.

But then he finds himself boxed in on all sides, as Navi starts to relate recent events to him.

"He is Vice Treasurer," he corrects Navi, "though I wouldn't put it past him to make himself into a criminal while attempting worm his way into the Chancellor's office," he grumbles. "Well, two is hardly an infestation," he excuses, "And now that one is dead, don't you think you ought to let the CSF do their jobs?" He sighs, and straightens his jacket. "It can't have been a short journey getting here to the Rotunda from the Temple, and you all do look rather thirsty. You won't mind joining me inside the yacht?"

The three of them may realize this is an indirect invitation for them to speak with him more... privately, in a safer environment.

The directory shows where the Treasurer's Office is alright, but next to the number there's a notification that reads OUT OF OFFICE, with a date marking when he would be back. The date is several days from now.

Navi has posed:
Navi is quietly grateful that Mr. Laa slows down in the face of being more or less boxed in; it's not easy to walk quickly in a robe unless it's worn open, something she'd only do as a last resort. "Sorry about that... I got the titles mixed up. And I've noticed him keeping some rather shady company recently. As for your invitation, I find it most kind and gracious, and I accept, with all due thanks and regards," she replies graciously, moving to comply as soon as she can.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu bows gracefully. If he is embarrassed by his fax pas, it doesn't show. "Your pardon. Of course, I will join you."

    The Jedi Master glances at his confederates.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    If Cayde is at all keeping tabs on the others via the force, the beacon that represents Annelia may very well be giving off fumes and smoke.

    Still, she keeps it under wraps largely as she rejoins the others and nods.

    "Of course, Mister Laa," she agrees, offering a smile as she follows the way onto the yacht in question.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde definitely notices that out of office notice. Oh, well that might be just as well. It's almost impossible to enter the minds of some of the more...astute people without them knowing, unless they're unconscious or asleep. Vlaven might well be one of those, but perhaps some of his staff are less careful. Or some of his files less carefully handled. So he quickly presses the button to go up to the treasurer's office.

    If he can feel Ann's presence in the Force or sense her frustration, he doesn't react to it. However, she might recall him telling her about wanting to investigate the treasurer's office recently...

Athena (159) has posed:
Sanzo inclines his head politely as the gangplank to his ship lowers. He enters his yacht, assuming the others will follow.

Once the others presumably are inside, he signals for a protocol droid to fetch them all drinks. "Liquor or wine?" he asks his guests.

Then he'll briefly step into the bridge of the yacht to let the pilot know they should be on their way within a few minutes. When he returns, the droid has poured all of them drinks. "If you want to speak about Emissarius, know that you must do so -carefully-, as these days funds are the language of the galaxy. He has done nothing yet that anyone can prove criminal."

But just as Cayde pushes the button on the elevator to go up, he'll feel someone tapping on his shoulder. "Excuse me, are you lost?" the attendant who had assisted them earlier, "I saw your Master exit the building earlier, don't you think you ought to have gone with her...?"

Navi has posed:
"Wine for me, please. Liquor is a bit strong for me," Navi replies, taking a seat as invited. "We don't know if he's committed any crime at the moment, but it would not surprise me. He's keeping company with a very sleazy holojournalist who seems to harbor a very intense dislike for Jedi, a dislike only marginally less rabid than his own. As for the Clawdites, there's no telling how many may be around; they're shapeshifters, and can look like any other species. It's no wonder they have a reputation as spies and assassins, and the two we encountered were certainly acting in those roles."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu takes a liquor and sips. When Laa returns, the Jedi listens and then shakes his head.

    "Sir, crimes have been committed, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann politely declines the alcohol, gotta keep that diet clean for maximum fitness clearly.

    "Well, just because nobody can prove it yet doesn't mean there isn't -something-. It sounds like you have a good picture of where he's been skirting the lines, if I'm not mistaken?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    As the elevator goes up, Cayde is busy trying to come up with a strategy...a -better- one that last time, to discreetly investigate the offices. He does know that some of the other padawans are making educational trips to the Senate offices, so maybe that can work in his favor and he can pretend he's working on a treasury-related project. At the same time, he's reaching out into the Force, to see if he can pre-identify who might be in the office at this time, if anyone.

    That's when someone taps him and starts asking him something and annoyingly interrupting his preparation. He turns around, but the attendant just gets a blank look from him, as if he didn't hear or understand what was said.

Athena (159) has posed:
Laa sighs, glancing at Navi briefly. "Well that's all lovely news for hologossip, but ultimately, who can you link it back to? Prove," he says, his gaze coming to land on Windu, "beyond a reasonable doubt, that Burkenn, Gianka, or our very own Treasurer committed these crimes?" he says.

"Fine, I agree," Laa says to Anne, "but as I was saying earlier, this isn't something I'd prefer involving myself in, and you must all proceed with caution. You're no stranger to the fact that the Republic funds most of Jedi operations."

The gangplank then retracts, and the yacht hovers out of the hangar, slowly joining the air traffic outside the Rotunda. Laa watches the viewport quietly for a few seconds, then nods. "Well of course I have my suspicions. Regarding the economic summit, I suspect there was both fraud and embezzlement involved, on a massive scale, yet no one blinked because it was so impeccably timed."

"Excuse me... excuse me..." the attendant continues blather on. But soon, the lift arrives, and takes Cayde to the upper floors where the Treasurer's office is. There's no one there at the moment, but Cayde may immediately notice that the Treasurer certainly had not exhibited any hesitation when came to impressing anyone who came into his office. The lobby is ornately furnished with exquisite paintings, marble sculptures and expensive looking rainbow starwood bookshelves. Not only that, but the lobby itself could be called a balcony, covered partially with crystalline glass for a ceiling, with a carved wroshyr wood balustrade that over looks Coruscant. He'll be able to see the air traffic to and from the Rotunda flowing peacefully. However, from this vantage point, he'll be able to notice that there's a black cruiser coming towards the Rotunda an alarming speed, weaving in and out of air traffic dangerous as it makes its way towards the intersection Laa's yacht is soon coming upon...

Pike Windu has posed:
    As Laa keeps mentioning legalities, Windu glances at Ann and frowns. Lost in his thoughts, the Jedi Master gulps his liquor.

Navi has posed:
"With all due respect, Mister Laa, I'm well aware that some of the more concrete allegations are not crimes in and of themselves, and the more criminal aspects cannot be pinned to anyone beyond the two Clawdites," Navi replies gently. "We're here because we're trying to find out just where all of these disparate elements come together, if indeed they do. It can't be mere coincidence that the Jedi Temple is suddenly forced to offer tours to the public, something that has /never/ happened before now, within days of a Padawan seemingly causing trouble at the economic summit in the presence of the Treasurer. Offer tours or face having funds for much-needed starships cut off, anyway."

"Frankly, we were hoping you could provide some much-needed insight into this situation," she adds. "If you can't, we understand. But we're running out of places to look and people to speak to about the whole matter, and we very much need to find out just whose hands are in the galactic cookie jar."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    The attendant keeps talking, but Cayde's attention is already diverted elsewhere when the elevator arrives on the destination floor. He exits out onto the balcony, taking in the luxurious surroundings. And it seems to all be empty for now...how convenient.

    He notices the black cruiser driving dangerously below, but it doesn't really draw his attention given bad drivers are common anyway, and he doesn't know Laa's yacht from any other fancy transport moving along the Federal District airlanes. Surely traffic patrol would deal with it soon...

    Instead, he focuses on finding Vlaven's office. He must have a desk somewhere here. The padawan starts making his way past the lobby and into the office area.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "... Do we think there's a chance..." Ann muses, looking at the floor of the yacht a moment before turning her attention to Navi and Pike.

    "Do we think there's a chance that this comment on tours and whatnot is being played from both directions? Keeping us busy in the name of maintaining our good standing and funding, but then on some book or another it's listed as a cause for an increase in funding- which conveniently vanishes? Something of a 'next opportunity' for the mentioned fraud and such. Seems unlikely, but we need ideas."

Athena (159) has posed:
"Well, aren't we all," Sanzo says a bit disdainfully. "I'm sure that Vlaven is doing a great number of things, but so far, none of us have managed to catch him in the act." He reaches into his coat pocket and retrieves a lighter and a cigarra, proceeding to smoke the latter and fill the room with a husky, foul odor. "You should look into the largest sponsors for the economic convention. The San Tekkas, the Grafs, the Cyclor Shipyards. But if I had any inclination about where to start, it would be with the Grafs. They're notorious for taking bribes," he scoffs. "As for the gala, well I very much doubt that Vlaven ever wanted to support Burkenn's anti-spice ban, rumor has it he has cousins in the Outer Rim doing only light knows what. His uncle has been known to frequent Nar Shadaa, and I can only speculate about what he might have been doing there."

He turns to Anne. "Of course there's a chance!" he scoffs. "With politics, there's always a chance that someone might be doing something they shouldn't, quietly. Vlaven is a master puppeteer, and at the very least, has excellent foresight. After all, seems that entire debacle with your padawan and the Chancellor ended up being an opportunity for him, Rie promoted him immediately after." He taps his cigarra on an ash tray. "And now he's in a position to play scare tactics with the Order, what with the renewal of the Valkeri Enterpise's contract on the horizon."

Cayde will find that the office is locked, and there doesn't seem to be anyone around to open the door. But if he listens to the Force, he might be able to sense that something -terrible- is about to happen. In fact, those on the ship might hear the alarm bell the Force is signaling quietly to them, as well...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns and puts his hand on the lock, closing his eyes and attempting to use the Force to open it from the other side. He feels that strong sense of foreboding, but isn't sure where this bad thing that is about to happen is going to happen. Without specifics, there isn't much he can do to try to stop it.

Navi has posed:
Navi coughs softly at the smell of the cigarra. "Okay... Grafs, Vlaven's potentially dirty family... that's somewhere to start," she observes, pausing to cough occasionally. "And the sooner, the better." She takes a deep drink of her wine, to soothe her throat, made scratchy by the smoke and her coughing.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu finishes his liquor. "Something's not right here."

    The Jedi Master starts towards the bridge and shouts, "activate the yacht's deflectors immediately!"

Athena (159) has posed:
Laa frowns, and steps away from the viewport, his brows furrowing suddenly. "Eh...? What do you mean--"

The pilot, however, knows better than to ignore a warning when it's coming from a Jedi, and immediately activates the ship's shields.

The door will click unlocked, but before Cayde can enter the office, he may glimpse that black vessel he'd seen speeding earlier hurtling into the intersection where Laa's yacht now is, its nose poised to skewer the Chancellor aide's yacht right where the cabin should be located.

And then before the young padawan can react, the black vessel slams into Laa's yacht.

Metal screeches as Laa's yacht collides with the black one, and pedestrians as well as smaller vehicles scramble desperately to avoid being crushed by the careening vessels. The shields help, to some degree, but don't entirely keep the black vessel's nose from tearing a small gash into the yacht's side.

Inside, the viewport Laa had been standing in front of a moment ago cracks and shatters, and tiny shards of glass go flying. The yacht itself lurches and shudders violently, likely throwing everyone unprepared off their feet...

Navi has posed:
"Master Windu? What's happening?" Navi asks, suddenly concerned. She's learned to trust Master Windu's Force-guided hunches more than her own. She grabs the armrest of her seat just in time. Suddenly the whole ship jolts and shudders as if struck by something large and fast-moving, and she shrieks in surprise and dismay at the shock. Miraculously, she keeps her balance, even if she does lose her grip on her wineglass, which lands somewhere in the back of the lounge.

With a pang of regret for the lost glass, she struggles to her feet. "Is everyone all right?! Please speak up if you're hurt! I have medical training!"

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann's approach is a little different- she physically leaps as the impact strikes, keeping the floor of the place from jerking under her and bracing her arms against the corner between the wall and ceiling of the yacht space- finally settling back on her feet as the crash settles.

    "Well, Sanzo, I have a feeling you might be in this whether you like it or not-" she strains out as she makes for the nearest viewport to see where the black ship is going- no way it won't run.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Hustling to the bridge, Windu is thrown to the deck. After a moment of seeing stars, he shakes his head clear and rises to his feet.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde actually doesn't pay the crash much attention. He barely heard it over the din of the rest of the city and traffic, all the way up on that balcony above that particular airlane and everything. Besides, he was focused on getting that door unlocked. Wasn't that easy.

    Once the door clicks unlocked, he pushes it open and heads inside, closing it behind him and going to search for Vlaven's office...

Athena (159) has posed:
There's a grunt from the bridge, from the pilot. "My... my wrist," the pilot says, "... and Mr. Laa, is he alright?"

Well, Sanzo is lying unconscious on the ground in the cabin, it looks like he's suffered some head trauma, so he won't be able to dignify Ann with a response.

However, Ann is absolutely right - the black vessel is ascending slowly, and is pivoting, looking to take off in the opposite direction. It will be relatively obvious that the black vessel did not sustain much damage. As if it had be designed to withstand such an impact...

The pilot grunts again, stumbling to his feet and into the cabin. "Do not let that -bastard- get away!" he says, disgruntled. "I can't fly this thing anymore, but if you know your piloting basics, you should be able to detach the front part of the yacht..."

Cayde will find himself in a long hallway lined with varying offices dedicated to those who worked in the financial department. Vlaven's office is at the end, but it's locked and this lock is not one that Cayde will be able to use his telekinesis to slice - the antechamber to the office itself is shielded, and requires a biometric scan to deactivate it.

Navi has posed:
"Will you be all right here without any control of the ship?" Navi asks the pilot, hurrying toward the cockpit. "Master Windu, are you a pilot? I know enough to fly a ship, but I've never had to chase anyone before. I'll do my best."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns at the shielding. Well the man must really have much to hide, if he keeps his office secured ray shielding protected by biometrics even when the door to the office itself was already secured. But there must be another way in. What about the ventilation ducts? Or, the shafts the maintenance droids use? He looks for an opening...if not, then perhaps it'd be worth investigating the other staff...

Pike Windu has posed:
    As Windu kneels down next to Laa, he shakes his head. "I'm a healer. And these men need my expertise."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann busies herself with something rather more physical- helping Pike move Laa to the front portion of the yacht to not leave the man behind and untended as the group goes after the offending ship.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I'll be fine!" the pilot snaps gruffly, "Just quit wasting time! The longer ya stay here, the more of a head start the bastard has!"

He then makes his way over to where Pike is. "How's he doin'..." he asks in regard to Laa.

The three of them had better hurry - the pilot isn't wrong. The black vessel is headed up and away?!

There aren't any ventilation ducts that Cayde can see or access, and as far as staff are concerned, there's only one staffer, and she's in a meeting with someone, presently.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde reaches out into the Force, attempting to discern what is on the other side of the walls and ceiling of the office. Perhaps he can come through a sky window, or cut through a wall. And make it look like an accident, somehow.

Navi has posed:
Navi drops into the pilot's seat and takes a hasty look over the control board. In a moment she manages to locate the release and, after everyone who is coming along has transferred to the nose section, disengages the safety locks and flips a few switches. A hatch behind the cockpit closes, sealing both parts of the ship. There are several loud *CHUNK* sounds and the small ship shudders noticeably, then accelerates away from the stricken yacht.

"Well, that could have been much worse," Navi murmurs. "Let's hope they're thinking we're no longer a threat..."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu is busy wrapping Laa's head. When he finishes, he waves the pilot over and has a look at the man's wrist.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Probably bad to get CSF on this given the want for anonymity..." Ann muses aloud. "If we can get on their tail I'm sure I can handle the people inside, let's just not lose them huh?"

Athena (159) has posed:
Cayde won't be able to discern anything unusual about it. It's just an office, with probably a desk, and a chair. He could cut through the wall, but he'd have to go into the office of the staffer who is having a meeting.

Navi might be surprised at how quickly the yacht accelerates upward, towards the black vessel, which is moving towards at a rapid pace towards the Great Western Sea. In fact, the black vessel seems to be nosediving towards the sea, as if it's trying to plunge into its depths.

The pilot's wrist is fractured, but not too badly. He seems much more concerned about Laa's safety and health. "Hope that Sephi girl knows a thing or two about piloting...!" he scoffs.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu gets another roll of gauze and wraps the pilot's wrist.

    "Your boss is going to be okay. A minor concussion. If it causes him problems, treatment should clear it up. Or a healer can use the Force."

Athena (159) has posed:
The pilot nods in a melancholy fashion, but he doesn't reply to the older Jedi Master.

The yacht cruises up parallel to the black vessel, before it descends completely into the Great Western Sea, and the three of them will be able to actually see who is piloting it.

It's a droid, one that Pike will likely recognize, the droid belongs to Burkenn - it had been at the gala where Seegil had been drugged, serving drinks. Anne might recognize it as well, it had been hanging around Senator Burkenn's office that time they'd tried to interrogate Gianka and the doctor...

Annelia Belask has posed:
    There's one thought in Ann's mind- surely the crash was recorded by some traffic camera or another. She reaches down to her belt with all the odds and ends she carries day to day, and pulls a small datapad up. She points one end of it at the black ship with a sharp click, hopefully before the ship actually crashes.

    "Please, please, please..." she murmurs to herself as she looks at the pad, hoping to see the image captured the droid in question- and, Force willing, some kind of serial or identification number they can use as evidence.

Navi has posed:
Navi stares in disbelief at the evidence of her eyes, at the helm of the mystery ram ship. "A /droid/?!! Someone's been really busy. Aren't droids normally inhibited from harming living beings?" she asks the cockpit in general.

But the surprises don't end there! Suddenly the black ship dives right into the artificial sea, bursting apart in a shower of debris and a brief fireball as the reinforced hull, designed to pass through air and space, encounters a much denser medium at an unsurviveable velocity. "Droid pilots, hit-and-run starships... just who and what are we dealing with anymore?" she cries. "Smugglers with government connections? Professional assassins? This just gets crazier and crazier."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike shakes his head. "The Outer Rim wasn't this wild."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Hmm...it seems the office was not quite as empty as Cayde had originally thought. How had he missed these people, anyway? Ah, well...

    He goes into one of the other empty offices that adjoins the one with the meeting, and attempts to reach into their minds. Mainly to monitor things and wait until they leave, but also to see if he can pick up on anything useful regarding Vlaven.