The Culprit

The Culprit
Date of Scene:	01 August 2025
Location:	Aklyrr Bed - Tenoo - Outer Rim
Synopsis:	Cayde finds the true culprit behind Dresda's murder, and discovers a past connection to Amarik.
Cast of Characters:	159, Cayde Alexis

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Athena (159) has posed:
It's been about an hour since the doctor had tucked Cayde in and gone to see about Rykard - the elder Jedi Master had sustained grave injuries, and though he'd been healed by Navi and Master Windu, remained in critical condition.

The young padawan may find himself restless, as he's currently confined to a berth. The droids, however, as of fifteen minutes ago, are busy with other matters and have stopped watching him.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Well, he'd promised the doctor that he wouldn't leave prematurely...

    But he's getting hungry, and it's about time for his nightly meal. He'll be back, right?

    As he starts to make his way toward the kitchen, he starts to wonder what had really happened to Mal...maybe that Tholothian knew more?

Athena (159) has posed:
The droids have left the room completely, so Cayde is free to make his way to the kitchen.

Likewise, he'll find the kitchen and dining area devoid of anyone as well -- it's too early for dinner, and too late for lunch. There's a small box of ration bars sitting out on one of the tables though, and he'll easily be able to help himself to those.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Ah, he usually has to sneak into the emergency ration crates. But these are just sitting out. He sits down at the table and begins helping himself to the food.

Athena (159) has posed:
But as he's helping himself to some ration bars, he'll notice something out of the corner of his eye. It's really small, and immediately vanishes after a split second. What was it...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns, chewing on one of the bars. He glances over toward the movement, reaching out with the Force at the same time to see if he can determine if it's something alive...

Athena (159) has posed:
Whatever it is, it's not alive. He won't be able to feel it in the Force. But he'll see just the slightest hint of movement coming from some tree leaves just outside the dining hall.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde finishes the rest of the bars, and heads out of the dining hall. He winces a bit, as the movement causes some pain around where the stab wound had been. Regardless, he carefully approaches the trees. Was it a droid?

Athena (159) has posed:
From his vantage point, he won't be able to see much. But if he peers beyond the trees, he'll see more movement - ever so slight, no one would think anything of it unless they were looking hard for it...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Well, maybe it was just a maintenance droid. But what would a maintenance droid be doing out in the trees? Perhaps it was malfunctioning. Cayde stands near the tree line, peering into the foliage to see if he can catch a glimpse of whatever it was.

Athena (159) has posed:
But he can't. There's nothing. However, just as he might be about to turn away again, he'll see slight movement among the leaves again, as if something invisible is moving it.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde was indeed about to go back to the dining hall, but the leaves rustle again. He turns around and attempts to use the Force to push the branches apart enough to reveal whatever was causing the disturbance.

Athena (159) has posed:
Nothing. But there's clearly something there - something small, but definitely something there. He'll feel the branches he's moving aside with the Force brush up against something unseen, that's moving. It isn't moving fast, but it isn't exactly moving slow either.

It's heading towards the valley, and he'll be able to see it cause a bit more movement in the trees at the top of the ridge.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde watches it for a few moments, considering. Well, he'd been thinking about looking for that Tholothian man, to see if he knew anything more about what had happened to Malgabar. They must be camped out somewhere in the valley. He goes back to the dining hall and stashes a few more of those bars before heading down there...

Athena (159) has posed:
The young padawan might have some trouble getting down there at first -- the birds don't immediately show themselves. But after about twenty minutes of arduous hiking, the same young bird Cayde had met before gives him a ride down to the lowest part of the Gorge.

Here, the foliage is dense and sunlight can hardly get through the canopy. Cayde will have to squint to see much of anything down here...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde lights his saber to get a better view, and starts reaching into the Force again in search of the Tholothian's presence. The camp must be nearby. Well if not, perhaps his feathered friends could help him find it.

Athena (159) has posed:
The young padawan will find that the Tholothian's presence is near, very near. In fact...

He's right behind him, the optics on the helmet he wears like twin full moons, gleaming in the light of Cayde's light saber.

"I thought you might come looking for me," he says.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Turning around, Cayde puts away his lightsaber. [So you look for me] he signs, a brow going up slightly at him. [Did it work] he asks, referring to the plan they'd devised earlier. The fog and illusions had faded, at least.

Athena (159) has posed:
"No," The Tholothian man says calmly, "I knew you were coming."

He pauses. "She is not dead," He says, "but her threat is removed. What would you have me do?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [I know...but what happened] Cayde probes further. He reaches into the man's mind again, trying to ascertain what he'd seen that night. <Where is she?>

Athena (159) has posed:
The Tholothian man does not resist. He shows a picture perfect memory of what had happened - he'd shot a second time, but not before she'd teleported away. However, the shot had gone awfully close to her head. She must have been injured, then, but where she had gone, the man has no idea. He'd presumed far away enough that the illusions and undead creatures were no longer menacing the colony or his crew.

<Shall I search for her?>

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Hmm...Cayde seems satisfied with that, at least for now. Part of him is actually relieved. Maybe killing her won't be necessary after all. Hopefully, she'd be able to find someone out there to help her recover.

    But he seems surprised at the question. <Why do you ask me>

Athena (159) has posed:
<I have failed> he says to the young padawan. <And your Master is gravely injured, because of me. Therefore, I will let you decide her fate>

He sits down on a log across from the young padawan. <Do you still wish to know who that woman was>

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde finds himself...surprised by that response. He felt guilty?

    The padawan approaches him and sits down on the log next to him, nodding. <She was close to you>

Athena (159) has posed:
<She was my mother> he says very simply. <She is dead>

There's a pregnant pause after that statement. He mourned her, but she had died a long time ago, and he'd accepted her death as inevitably part of the ebb and flow of good and evil in the universe.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    That answer didn't surprise him. <I knew she was a mother>

    <...sorry for your loss>

    Another pause. <Why are you a criminal> he asks, straight and simple.

Athena (159) has posed:
<I sought for answers in the wrong places. Now, it is too late to undo the sins of my past and escape the path now cut out for me. Yet, there is purpose in my being. The Force seeks balance, always. And sometimes morality does not allow for the... necessities that bring about balance> Cayde might be about to respond to the Tholothian man, but suddenly, there's a loud crashing sound in the bushes nearby. The Tholothian man stands, and goes to investigate, on high alert.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    <But it's never too late> Cayde argues.

    But he doesn't get to continue that thought, as they are interrupted by what sounds like a crash. He frowns and gets up, following the man toward the source of the sound and reaching out into the Force at the same time. Was it a what, or a who?

Athena (159) has posed:
Cayde will be immediately be able to discern that it's a familiar presence. It's the Dug, Weniscio. He'd run away prior, but apparently he's not very good at hiding.

When Cayde comes upon him, the Tholothian man is already binding his arms, despite his desperate pleas.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    So that's where Weniscio had gone. Cayde watches as the Tholothian restrains him. What did he think he would do? Survive in the wild, alone, until he found a way off the planet?

Athena (159) has posed:
Cayde could probe his mind, but it's probably not necessary. With the way he's acting, it's clear he hadn't really thought too far beyond 'escape the colony.'

"I'm going to take him back to the colony," the Tholothian man says, "to see that there is justice. I will fulfill my end of the bargain and reveal all to you and all your allies. Then you may judge him as you see fit." He then begins to drag the Dug along, speaking into his comm a moment later. "It's time," he says to someone on the other end. "I'll see you at the colony. The Jedi accompanies us. We will give him our weapons once we reach the perimeter."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    These days, Cayde would rather avoid entering others' minds if he can help it.

    <Will they believe you> he asks, hurrying after him. He isn't sure what kind of credibility 'Crane' has with the colonists. Unless he had evidence.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I have evidence," the man continues, "whether they choose to believe it or not, may very well depend on you. They know you are capable of discerning truth," he says. "Most people will make truth into whatever they want it to be - even in the face of absolute fact."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns slightly. <But...do they trust me> he asks. Not many people understand him, and some even find him a little bit frightening.

    <...what is the evidence>

Athena (159) has posed:
"I cannot answer that for you," the Tholothian man says.

"It is everything he he has ever done, and then some," he says to Cayde. "I will show it to everyone. You will get to see it as well."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    <You have known him a long time> Cayde observes. How else would he know everything and then some?

    Another pause, and he returns to the previous topic. <Why is it too late>

Athena (159) has posed:
"I have not," the Tholothian man answers truthfully, "I am a data broker. Anything you wish to know about, I may have answers for you. But it may come at a price."

'Crane' shakes his head. "If you knew what I knew, you would not even ask," he says cryptically.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Ohh...a data broker. Cayde had read about those. They dealt information, buying and selling it to whomever was interested. <You will give the information for free?> he questions.

    <Then tell me> he insists. Suddenly, he feels certain he can help. Supposed to help, even.

Athena (159) has posed:
"This time, yes," he says to Cayde. "Because you did as I asked and assisted me in removing the threat that was the witch," he says earnestly.

The Tholothian man tilts his head to one side regarding Cayde. Something like pleasure emanates from him in the Force. Cayde had made him happy, somehow. That didn't happen very often. "I will," he says, "one day."

He then abruptly stops walking, and a masked Shani woman seems to materialize out of nowhere from behind a bush. They've reached the colony site's perimeter. "You have yet to give me an answer about the witch. Should I leave her be, or finish the job?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Well, that was a...pleasant surprise. At least, one he hadn't felt in a while. But then, the Tholothian leaves him hanging. <But why not now> he asks.

    Cayde shrugs. If she isn't causing any more chaos or hurting anyone else for now, perhaps they should leave her be. The Order wasn't usually in favor of preemptive strikes, unless the Force had revealed something in great certainty. Still, she had killed people. What if she did it again? <I...don't know.>

Athena (159) has posed:
"We're here," The Tholothian man says simply, gesturing at the colony site just ahead of them. Both he and the Shani woman hand Cayde their weapons.

But 'Crane' hesitates when Cayde says he doesn't know. "I need an answer," he says, "if that answer changes, you can simply tell me and I will obey."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods and takes the weapons, stowing some of them on his belt and holding the rest in his hands or under his arms.

    At the insistence of a firm answer, he doesn't give it quite yet. He just isn't sure, or isn't sure how to articulate it. The Tholothian might be able to sense his ambivalence, even anxiety over a decision with potentially far-reaching consequences.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I'll wait then," the Tholothian man says, seeming to sense Cayde's anxiety and ambivalence. "You need only to say the word, and I will hunt her down. But for now, we'll leave her be. Does this satisfy you?" he asks the young Padawan.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods, although he still seems a bit uncomfortable about it. <Okay...I suppose...> But what if she strikes again? And what if she does even more damage this time?

Athena (159) has posed:
The Tholothian man rests a reassuring hand on Cayde's shoulder. "We must be vigilant, and if I hear of anything, you will be the first to know. That is all we can do, for now. Hopefully, if she reappears, we will stop her before she causes too much damage." He then pulls Weniscio to his feet, and begins dragging him along again. "Time of the essence," he says, "let us enter the colony, and see what the colonists have to say about the Dug's return."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde glances at the hand on his shoulder. It was odd...why had this man been so drawn toward him to begin with? Because of his mother? Had he seen the same visions before?

    <...you saw my vision?> he inquires suddenly, following them back into the colony. <Before?>

Athena (159) has posed:
<Yes> he says as they head towards the colony. <Many times, in my dreams. It was the day before she died>

<I saw you that day. Briefly. And I recognized your presence in the Force>

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    It was so long ago, and yet...the knowledge that she'd died so quickly afterward, even the following day, hits like a rock. It's a strange feeling, missing someone he only met for a few minutes.

    Was that why?

    Cayde's mind is racing with questions he doesn't know how to ask.

    <She had a beautiful presence...>

Athena (159) has posed:
The Tholothian man seems to sense how Cayde misses her, and somehow, seems to understand all that Cayde wanted to ask, even without hearing the questions. He grows emotional, but doesn't show it outwardly. The young Padawan may sense it, however.

<I know> he says. <She loved you>

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    The man seems to have a...unique understanding of Cayde's jumble of thought and emotion that few others could manage. Perhaps it was the will of the Force for them to help each other.

    <It's not so late...I can help with doing right> he assures the Tholothian. And he seems quite confident in that.

Athena (159) has posed:
The Tholothian man doesn't respond, but that's likely because they've entered the colony and are now standing in front of the dining hall, where a Xera Graf is holding a town hall of sorts. He hesitated briefly before pushing inside, dragging Weniscio along with him, with the Shani woman in tow...