[Tethys Carrack]

Tethys leans on the railing of the walkway that borders this section of Rygor's lakefront, enjoying the coolness that rises from the shadowed water in defiance of the midday heat. She doesn't have to guard against sunburn as zealously as some of the Human members of the task force, but this climate is by no means her favorite.

She checks her communicator, replaying the enigmatic message Dr. Ormont had left for her. Something too sensitive to discuss on a recording? Or just an ordinary issue that's a little too complicated to be worth describing in full, perhaps. Either way, she'll find out eventually. Patience is a virtue for a Jedi.

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

Cole was in desert fatigues, the high collared Republic jacket unbuttoned at the throat, revealing the elastic face mask that could be pulled up to cover his nose and mouth. He had goggles as well, pulled down around his neck. His blonde curls gleamed in the sun and, though he wasn’t sunburnt, the heat had leant a tinge of pink to his pale features.

Approaching Tethys, he ran a hand through his hair and pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose, “Jedi Carrack, thank you for making time for me.”

[Tethys Carrack]

"Of course." She nods. "It's almost quiet today. For those of us who don't share your vocation, at least." The day after an active battle is probably no less busy for physicians and medics as the day-of; Tethys is grateful to the Force for having been spared injuries serious enough to keep her in overnight.

"What's come up?" She unclips a water bottle from her belt and offers it to Cole with casual courtesy, rather as if he happened to be the first guest at a Brentaalian tea ceremony rather than standing outdoors in the blazing desert heat.

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

He accepted the flask and took a mouthful. Ships were dry environments, humidity was kept low as reclaimant systems salvaged as much water as possible, and he was more or less used to that, but the scorching temperatures were just about doing him in.

Cole handed back the flask and pushed that handed through his hair. “I have a concern. On its own, it would be one thing, but in the prism of other information, it has refracted.”

[Tethys Carrack]

She drinks a mouthful of water herself, then snaps the bottle lid closed. "That often happens. The Force connects all things, and sometimes the rest of us even take notice." She fixes Cole with a quizzical, somewhat concerned look. "What is it that's worrying you?"

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

Cole took a moment to gather his thoughts before beginning, “yesterday, in the marketplace, I encountered a man claiming to be a Jedi Knight. He goes by the name Darius, or Dee. However, no one else seems to know who he is, and I feel fairly confident in saying that no Jedi, no Jedi who intended on remaining part of the order for long, would antagonise and provoke a person, then run them through with their lightsaber.”

He ran a hand through his hair and watched as a breeze made ripples on the lake’s surface, “that someone might be masquerading as a Jedi is concern enough for me to raise this with you, however, he implied that he would ‘visit’ me at some point, presumably within the strike force camp.”

Sighing, “there is one more facet to this. A man was Force-choked, and his body staged to look like suicide, in relation to some missing resources. Whether that’s tied to Darius or not, I felt that such use of the Force was concern enough to want to pass the information along.” Finally finished, his hand went through his hair again and he rubbed the back of his neck.

[Tethys Carrack]

"What?" Tethys takes a few moments to assimilate this, her usual composure briefly cracked by several alarming surprises at once. "This person claimed to be a Jedi? You're right, the Order would not let one of us become so... unbalanced without taking action." She twists one of her locs gently as she thinks. "I don't recognize the name, but there are many Jedi, too many for one person to know all of us. He could be someone who left the Order--or something else entirely."

She frowns, twin vertical lines appearing between her brows. "If you'll give me a detailed description, I'll look into it. As far as I can without access to the main Jedi archives. In writing is fine, if you prefer." The frown deepens. "I assume you've already informed base security? The description, if not the details?"

"And someone was murdered using the Force... that's a very dark act. It leaves a mark on the mind, unless the killer has already fallen deeply into the Dark Side of the Force. Your man makes a likely suspect." Reluctantly, she adds, "There is at least one other who is strong in the Dark Side following the strike force. He's done nothing inappropriate that I know of, but I didn't realize how dangerous he might be until recently. Another suspect, possibly."

She tucks her hands into the capacious pockets of her robe to remove the temptation of further messing about with her hair.

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

"My apologies, Jedi Carrack, I know it's a lot. I was hoping that the Jedi who are cooperating with the Republic would be known to each other. That you also are unfamiliar with him seems to support my suspicion that he is not affiliated with the Strike Force." His hand went through his curls, "what information are you able to give me about this man you say is following us?"

[Tethys Carrack]

"Yes, exactly. I would have said with some confidence that I could name every Jedi on Bankor. Certainly all of the ones attached to the strike force." She shakes her head slightly. "There's always a small chance that one of the Council is playing a very deep and cautious game in service to the liberation... but it's unlikely. Nothing could justify behavior like that." Pursing her lips in thought for a moment, she adds, "I'll warn the other Jedi to keep alert for this Darius."

"The other man... when I said 'following,' I meant he's with the strike force as a mercenary irregular. I don't know for certain if he's aware of his power or not. He's given no obvious sign of it around me, but it's hard to imagine he could be that strong without knowing it." She frowns again. "A tall human, dark haired and light skinned, going by the name of Draagh. He has an accent from the Imperial worlds, but that could mean anything--he did claim to have served in their military."

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

Cole nodded, pushing a hand through his curls, “you’ve been most helpful, Jedi Carrack, thank you.”

[Tethys Carrack]

"I haven't done much more than confirm we have a problem," she says, still looking a bit dour. "But that's better than not knowing. We'll be able to take precautions now."

She takes one hand out of her pocket again and rests it on the walkway railing, tapping one long finger against the hot duracrete surface. "We're at peace with the Empire. There's nothing specifically unlawful about being strong in the Dark Side of the Force, or even being an Imperial citizen on Bankor. But attacking civilians with lightsabers shouldn't be without consequences, and both men are in the very small pool of beings who might have the means for your murder. That should be enough grounds to look in to their stories and credentials." The tapping finger stills. "Are you worried about your own safety?"

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

Her question gave Cole pause, it hadn’t occurred to him that Darius could pose a threat to him specifically. “No, I don’t believe I’m in any danger.” He paused a moment longer, “regardless of all else, I felt that such... abuses of the Force should be brought to the attention of the Jedi.”

[Tethys Carrack]

She nods. "Yes. And thank you for doing so." Her brows draw together as she remembers another detail he'd mentioned. "This person Darius attacked... did they survive?"

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

Cole flashed back to his hand on Darius' arm, not like this, he'd said, why did he stop? He swallowed, "yes, I..." he ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck, "Darius withdrew when it was clear he had overpowered his opponent."

[Tethys Carrack]

She looks relieved, even as she picks up something of Cole's unsettled confusion. "That's something. If you think you can find the victim, it may be worth their making an incident report with base security. Security won't want him wandering freely around the camp while we're still investigating, and unprovoked assault makes a good pretext."

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

"That seems unlikely, a report would require details the 'victim' hasn't been happy sharing." Considering what Darius had said about the fight, and trusting the Jedi Knight, he decided to disambiguate the matter, "it's someone you're familiar with. Azura."

[Tethys Carrack]

"Oh." Wonderful. "I wish I were more surprised."

Tethys shakes her head slightly. "I'll look into him, regardless. We can still give base security his description, and a general warning. Are you the one investigating that murder?" It seems like a lot to pile on top of an already worked-to-the-edge surgeon, but he is of officer rank...

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

Shaking his head, "I'll pass a written description on to you and Command when I have a moment to sit down." He pushed a hand through his dishevelled curls, "I'm not exactly part of the investigation, I was called upon for an autopsy. My concerns were aroused when I determined that the death could only have been be caused by the Force."

[Tethys Carrack]

"I see. I'd better get in touch with whoever is running it. Or..." She leans on the railing, running through a mental checklist of other options. A handful of padawans whose levels of experience vary wildly. Zhao Xhur, no particular expertise or likely interest. Hamelin... would probably start telling everyone the murderer had done the deceased a favor by bringing him 'the blessing of death.' Arali? Perhaps. She can ask the Twi'lek knight later, but for now...

"Yes, I'll take it on for the moment. Another Jedi may be better suited for the investigation, but I did speak with one of the men personally. At the least, I can give a firsthand description."

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

“You’ll want to speak to Captain Niall Organa, then. I’ll let him know to expect you when I make my report,” Cole looked across the lake, thinking how scenic it must have looked when the buildings around it weren’t abandoned and damaged.

[Tethys Carrack]

"Captain Organa." Tethys nods, filing the name away. "Thank you."

Her gaze tracks his out over the water. "What do you make of Bankor so far, Doctor? As a professional or as a private citizen, whichever."

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

Running a hand through his curls, "I wish I had something insightful to offer, but one ravaged planet seems much the same as another after a while. We can build great edifices of culture in a thousand different permutations, but the rubble of broken durasteel always looks the same."

[Tethys Carrack]

"Those are things." Tethys's eyes wander to a ripple at the edge of the artificial lake, where some sort of scruffy brownish rodent has emerged from the buildings' foundations for a drink. "They shelter life, but they're not alive themselves."

She rests both hands on the railing, leaning out a little over the cloudy water. "Are the people here the same as on every war-torn planet you've served on?" Glancing sideways at Cole before directing her cool gaze outward again, she adds, "I don't mean it rhetorically." Well, at least not entirely. "This is the first time I've been on-planet in the middle of a war."

[Dr. Cole Ormont]

Cole turned his attention to the Jedi Knight, observing her calm demeanour, "people are much the same everywhere, and yet they are nothing alike." Her dark skin made a stark contrast against the pale buildings, a profile of sharp light and dark. It had been his premise for peace on Nar Shaddaa, that the Empire wasn't really so different, and the Republic not so homogeneous.

[Tethys Carrack]

"The population of Bankor is experiencing something not all planets go through--fortunately. Invasion, occupation, resistance." She tilts her head back to scan the tiered buildings of the city, filled with distant figures moving in, out, and around. "It's brought a darkness to some spirits here. Not all, though."

((sorry, didn't get much posting done today!))