The admiral would freeze for a moment as he turns to look at Gaze. 'I'm sure I don't know what you mean' he would say in a level voice. 'Perhaps you are seeing the effects of staying up all night, trying to marshal the response to this attack. It has been a long day for me'. It seems that whatever is is that is concerning the admiral, he does not want to share it for now. He would lean forwards, planting both hands carefully on the table before him. 'I suspect that it will be a long day for you as well, jedi. Investigations into treason like this, they're rare, but I've seen a couple in the past. They are never, easy to work'.
Star Wars: Revan's War IC
Kai-wan allocates some of his auditory receptors to monitor Gaze's continued interrogation of Admiral Karath, while he persists with the Captain.
"Please, Captain. I require a response to the question, for the record. Did you have the codes, or have access to them? Regarding Admiralty staff: Did you observe any occurrences or behavior leading up to the events on Foerost, which you would classify as peculiar? Lapses or deviations in protocol?"
Carth would sigh as his eyes level with the droid. 'Yes, I had access to the database, I work for the admiral directly, of course I had access. I didn't see anything suspicious before the attack though. It may not even be the admirals for all I know, I guess if you're good enough you could break into the computer banks, but you'd be talking about an expert in espionage'.
Satisfied with the Captain's response, for now, Kai-wan nods. "I thank you for your cooperation, Captain."
The droid Investigator leads the team down the corridor just in time to see the other Jedi exiting Admiral Ovitom's office. "A most unpleasant business this is!" he exclaims, intoning none of the unpleasantness his word choice might imply. "We are presently arrived to conduct our interview with Admiral Stewth."
Knocking at the entrance, Kai-wan waits for acknowledgement, then enters. "Admiral Ratchar Stewth. I am Inspector K-1SO. We would like to ask you a few questions regarding the Foerost incident."
"Would you first care to issue a statement? Anything you can think of, which might aid in our investigation of this matter?"
Karth would sigh slightly as he lets his arms fall to his side. 'No problem I guess'. As Kai-wan begins to leave Karth would call out to him and the others. 'Hey, sorry about going off the handle like that, it's just, the idea of a traitor in the republic, someone who would do this', he would pause and sigh. 'I just can't imagine someone doing this, betraying the republic like this'.
The room looked similar to that of admiral Karath's, albeit with less accolades and images of former admirals on the wall. It looks almost like it was a temporary office for someone passing through. The walls were empty, but the table set near the table had a couple of holograms set near the corner. They showed images of what looked like family, maybe friends of colleagues on the other.
The admiral herself was pacing up and down the width of the room, looking quite nervous or concerned over something. One hand was rubbing the back of her head as she went, though she moved it behind her back when the jedi and droid entered the room. She wore her hair in the same way many falleen did, in a thin strip running down towards the back of her head. She was younger than the other admiral as well, though she did not have a look of naivety or inexperience about her. War had hardened her expression, as it did with so many.
'I'm, I'm admiral Stewth' the woman would reply as if only partly paying attention to the group as she moves to sit behind her desk. 'Sure, ask away, I've not got anything to hide. I don't know what kind of statement I can make, but I can tell you I wasn't here when the attack happened, I was at home'.
"You seem agitated , Admiral."
It is an observation, not a query, but it begs a response.
Something within Kai-wan's circuitry almost.. empathizes.. with this woman. Perhaps it is due to the emotional analysis algorithms he had been programmed with, but he feels a connection to this distraught officer.
She is an outsider, here. Just as I am, amongst these Jedi. Always an other. Never belong. Never truly trusted.
Nevertheless, she does make a likely suspect. And she does seem agitated.
" Agitated? We here investigating a traitor to the Republic and first thing she does is lie right to our face? Seems more than agitated. How about you tell us the truth, Admiral? Give us a reason to trust you. You were here."
'Of course I'm agitated' the admiral would groan as she rests heavily on the desk. 'There is an apparent traitor in the admiralty, I had those officers from this morning going all over my computer, and the republic is under attack from an unknown enemy, but until this investigation is complete there is nothing we can do about it'. She would let out a heavy sigh as she glances up at the jedi and the droid. 'I imagine it would be more suspicious if I wasn't upset by all of this. It's not like I was in the best position with command before all this, and now I'm under investigation with the other admirals. I will do whatever it takes to help get this sorted though, I promise you that'.
"Perhaps you might begin, Admiral, by speaking candidly of your past criminal activities? Specifically in regard to the subsequent sealing of those files, and your.. fortuitous rise through the ranks?"
The Investigator hopes to catch her off her guard, push her buttons, gauge her reactions. And just let her try any of her pheromonal mischief...
Ratchar would look up sharply at this, her face turning to a scowl. 'What are you talking about?' She would snap at the droid before glancing at the others as well. 'What gives you the right to go digging into my past like this. It has nothing to do with this attack!' She was visibly angry at the topic being brought up here.
" Past crimes do not matter here unless any were treasonous in nature, thus I suggest my fellow investigators send a formal inquiry to a court if they wish to learn of her past." Zoroku locks eyes with the Admiral, " I am Kazz'Oro'Kuruozo, these are my fellow Padawans and investigators and they seem a little too keen on looking for a conviction." Zoroku smiles and then gestures for the admiral to sit. " Admiral , you state that you were home during the attack, do you have anyone who can corroborate your story, as well could you elaborate as to why you were home."
Raithe stands farther back behind Zoroku as he questions Admiral Stewth. She listens and awaits the Falleen's reply, her face portraying not judgement, but genuine curiosity.
The admiral would sigh slightly as she sinks back down into her seat. 'Thankyou' she would say to Zoroku before continuing with the questions. 'I live alone, so I have no one to prove I was there, but my secretary should have a record of the time that I left. It should prove I wasn't here during the attack, and my computer will prove I didn't access the codes for the station this week'. She would glance around the jedi with an apologetic look on her green face. 'Sorry I can't help any more than that. If I had anything more I'd tell you'.
"I find that answer vague and unconvincing."
" K1SO, no need to antagonize her over the answer." He looks briefly to the droid then turns back to the Admiral. " We will certainly be checking in on your secretary and checking the computers as to confirm your story. Now you've still to answer what you were doing at home, one skilled enough at computers could still get to the codes remotely if need be. What is your Alibi." Zoroku takes the seat before the Admiral and steeples his fingers as he relaxes in the chair, he takes the time to analyze the room he is in.
'What was I doing?' she would say in an exasperated voice. 'I cooked food, I watched the holo-net and I slept. This job doesn't leave time for much else, sometimes it feels like it drains the life from me'. As she says this Oola notices a touch of bitterness in the admirals tone. Something all to familiar, a displeasure with the way of things. 'Look, I can't prove this stuff, I live alone, all I can do is give my word that this is the truth'.
Kai-wan whirs as he appears to be processing something. "My companions here lack the vomeronasal capacity to detect the release of your subtle scents. I assure you however that my own olfactory sensors are quite keen, and your chicanery will not pass unnoticed. Effective immediately, I am relieving you of your command, and taking you into custody for further questioning. Mistress Oola, Please relieve her of her sidearm."
"Uh, what?"
"Miss Stewth has attempted to influence the integrity of these proceedings with the airborne chemical messengers characteristic of her species. It is not the action of an innocent party."
"I..... Don't think you can detain an Admiral, Wan....."
Undeterred, the security droid tilts his head and looks down at the young twi'lek. "Perhaps you'd care to be charged as an accessory after the fact?"
"Miss Stewth. We shan't create a scene by restraining you, at this time. Please follow me."
The admirals skin would visibly redden as her face would twist with a primal fury. 'How dare you!' she would roar as she lurches from her seat, sending it clattering over behind you. 'How dare you come in here, and make these unfounded accusations! I understand that you need to suspect all of the admiralty, but I will not have my integrity questioned, especially by a poorly programmed droid! The faleen emit pheromones as much on subconsciously as they do consciously. The fact that you use this as the basis for your accusation, I have not been so insulted for a long time! I will be going nowhere with you, and this interview is over!'
With that she would stab at a button on her desk and shout into it. 'Security! Escort the jedi and their bucket of scrap out of my office!' She would snap back up to glare at the jedi and droid. 'If you want to talk to me any more, you can bring a warrant from the senate. Now, get out before security drags you out!' It would only take a few moments for the buildings security to arrive, not much time to do anything else here.
Zoroku facepalms at the whole affair. " I am terribly sorry for their behavior, we will leave at once. Good day Admiral." When they all exit the room Zoroku turns to K1SO, " Your accusations need to be founded in more than pheromones. A human can sweat when nervous that doesn't mean they are lying." He sighs and shakes his head, " How about Oola and yourself go and speak to her secretary while we speak with the other two Admirals in turn. Go make sure that what she said is true."
"Thank you, Admiral, I must be going now. Sealed files to read, and whatnot. You may switch right off." The security droid exits the office with truly impressive speed, nearly bouncing off the walls.
"Yes. Well. I suppose that could have gone better," Kai-wan concedes to Zoroku, as the exasperated Jedi joins him in the hallway. "I will interview the secretary, then see about routing a chit to have this sealed file released to us."
The security droid is bemused to find that somewhere in the course of his investigations, he has gained the capacity to become irritated with asking the same questions over and over again. A glitch? Some programmer's poor attempt at a jest?
Nevertheless, he goes through the entire process again with the secretary: "Anything at all unusual? Any lapses in protocol, however seemingly insignificant? Unauthorized or unexpected communications sent or received?"
Gaze just closes his eyes during the debacle, and then leaves with the others. He makes no comment to anyone, but proceeds to walk away from the group and down an adjacent hallway.