"T7 = Awesome!"
T7 whirled into Shaantil's quarters, who was until very recently deep in meditation, sitting passively on the floor.
"Who = The man?"
Shaantil sighed. "T7, you are not human, you are a droid."
T7 paused, and then beeped again in response. "Who = The Droid?"
"I do not presume to know." Inwardly, Shaantil futily hoped that T7's grasp of sarcasm had improved somewhat.
"T7 = The Droid!"
Nope. "What is it, T7?"
"T7 = recovered interview between Soldin + Simon!"
Shaantil hesitated, fighting the sudden nervousness. "...you had said that the recording was destroyed in a bombing several years ago."
T7 spun and beeped cheerfully. "T7 = find transcript backup! // Transcript = hidden in off-world backup // Security = "
"T7, I do not need the full history. Please, send me the transcript."
"T7 = sending! // Jedi = know who The Droid = ?"
Shaantil called her datapad to her hand, and sighed inwardly. The droid did deserve some praise for this. "You are the Droid."
T7 sped off, beeping happily. "T7 = The Droid!"
Shaantil flicked on the datapad with another sign, and began to read.
----
<DIS13 CASE5320.05.21.3 INT-1 TRANS>
<FILE CLASSIFIED: RED-3 SECURITY CLEARANCE ON AUTH OF JK SOLDIN>
<ARRESTING OFFICER: CPL. L. VARNA ASST. JK SOLDIN>
<SUSPECT ACCUSED OF 421: AIDING AND ABETTING FUGITIVE>
<UNDER REG. 211.52 JK SOLDIN IS INTERVIEWING>
JKS: Would you please state your name for the record?
SUS: Come on, Bluebird, you know who I am. <SUSPECT HAS JOVIAL TONE>
JKS: I might, but the record does not.
SUS: <CHUCKLING> Alright, fine. The name, Mister Record, is Captain Simon Dumas.
JKS: Thank you. You are aware you are entitled to representation?
SUS: What, you don't think I can represent myself?
JKS: <SIGH> You are aware that you are entitled to representation, and you have declined?
SUS: <CHUCKLING> By the book, huh, Bluebird? Yeah, I got my own back here.
JKS: Thank you. Your place of birth?
SUS: For Mister Record again, or for you?
JKS: For the Record, yes.
SUS: Tiny little village, couple clicks outta the spaceport on Alpheridies, called Djorman. Really gorgeous in the springtime, we could make a nice little getaway, you-
JKS: Please stay on subject, Mis-
SUS: CAPTAIN Dumas, thank you.
JKS: Very well, Captain. Are you aware that Alpheridies has no record of a Simon Dumas being born there, ever?
SUS: <CHUCKLING> Done your homework, bluebird!
JKS: I'll assume for the moment that Simon Dumas is an assumed name. Now th-
SUS: <LAUGHING> Really? You think I'd go by Captain Dumb-ass if I had a say in the matter?
JKS: I have see-
SUS: There's that smile!
<PAUSE>
JKS: You saw no such thing.
SUS: Yeah, yeah, I know what I saw, Bluebird. Come on, ask me about the damsel.
JKS: <CLEARED THROAT> You were caught attempting to smuggle a Teri Rycal off planet.
SUS: Hey, she gave me a sob story about an abusive boyfriend, I fell for it, what's the crime?
JKS: You mean, besides hiding her in a secret compartment during customs inspection?
SUS: She tripped and fell in, and I didn't want to inconvenience everyone!
<PAUSE>
JKS: You're telling me that she tripped and fell into the compartment, just as Customs performed their inspection, and did not pull her out until after the inspection?
SUS: Hey, we've all seen str-
JKS: I can assure you, Captain Dumas <UNUSUAL STRESS ON "S" SOUND>, I have not.
SUS: Look, you came on, found her and dragged her out, no harm no foul, right?
JKS: You still broke the law. Furthermore, you should have detect-
SUS: Oh, don't pull that Miraluka card on me. I meet a lot of not-nice people, doesn't mean I can't trust them.
JKS: There is still no excuse for the negligence.
SUS: Hey, like I said, no harm, no foul.
JKS: She pulled a weapon on me. If it didn't malfunction-
SUS: I gave her that blaster, nice to have a dummy pistol around.
<PAUSE>
JKS: So, you didn't trust her.
SUS: Not enough to let her be armed on my ship. Trusted her enough to take her Creds. Speaking of w-
JKS: No, your payment has been confiscated as evidence.
SUS: <CHUCKLE> Worth a shot.
JKS: Now, I have been convinced to consider recommending leniency, if you help us with the investigation.
SUS: Oh, I see how it is. You want to put the screws to me and see if I'll flip on the damsel, tell you all she said when she didn't think I was listening? Well, Bluebird, I don't play that game, assuming I even heard anything.
JKS: Captain, she stands accused of a triple homicide. She is hardly worth the effort of protecting.
SUS: Hey, you got your code, I got mine. Bet you really would like to hear the recording of the comm she made to her buddy off-planet.
<PAUSE>
JKS: You have a recording-
SUS: Yep. Stored on my ship's drive, voice-locked.
JKS: You wouldn't tell me if-
SUS: Oh, right, demands. Lets see, complete immunity, reimbursement of the payment I was given by her, dinner, my ship released from impound and my involvement in this kept under wraps.
<TAPPING ON A DATAPAD>
<PAUSE>
JKS: Could you repeat the third part?
SUS: <CHUCKLING> Dinner.
JKS: Generally the warden only does that on special occasions, such as executions.
SUS: Hmm, you're right. Probably should have it with someone else. <LOUD TAPPING ON TABLE> Say! You're around, how about it?
JKS: What?
SUS: Come on, candlelit dinner, you and me, dinin' on the copper's cred? Best night of embezzlement you'd ever have.
JKS: I- Captain, this is getting rather inappropriate.
SUS: Mmm, no, inappropriate would be-
<AUDIO MISSING, ANALYSIS SUGGESTS MICROPHONE IS BEING COVERED>
SUS: -ext morning, we could do it all again.
<PAUSE>
SUS: <CHUCKLING> Bluebird? Or is it Redbird now?
JKS: <SHORT COUGH> I think <PAUSE> I think you should <PAUSE> focus on other matters.
SUS: <LAUGHTER> Spoil all my fun, why don't you!
JKS: Captain, that-
SUS: Alright, alright, went a bit far there. What can I say, you inspired me.
JKS: <SCRAPING SOUND: ANALYSIS SUGGESTS CHAIR BEING PUSHED BACK> I will take your <PAUSE> other requests to the local authorities.
SUS: Don't be a stranger, Bluebird!
<END TRANSCRIPT>
