Taking A Ni

[Akirapryde]

He smiled at her last statement, "you sure don't know the Outer Rim very well, do you?"

He led her up to the back of a large police speeder where a pair of deputies were counting little bags filled with some kind of white powder, He motioned to the closest deputy, a Rodian, "This is Deputy Cevva," he introduced. "Cevva, my date would like to know what people might think of her being here."

Cevva laughed, "well, she should have been here for bring your children to work day."

The other deputy laughed, "Had I known the show was going to happen, I would have brought my wife."

Sheriff Saar smiled and waved off other comments, "Okay tell me what we have here."

Cevva nodded, "we searched his speeder bike and find this bag," he said holding up a black leather bag. "Inside we found these little bags." he said picking one up and handing it over for inspection. "See," he said pointing to the black and gold stamp of a star on it, "same markings as the one we found at the Elm Street party scene last week."

Sheriff Saar looked at the little plastic bag carefully, "do they test positive for the cleaner?"

The other deputy nodded, "yeah, they do. Each and everyone of them."

Sheriff Saar nodded as he handed the bag back. "Good work, make sure that each one of those are burned completely." He turned to Ni, "lets go meet our guest." He said turning. At the same time he pulled a small can out of his pocket. He opened the can and pulled a small bit of something and put it between his lip and teeth. "Tell me something, have you ever seen a man die?"

[Gar]

The Zeltron's answer was plain in her face. Her expression grew dark as she recalled the multiple times she had seen death of all durations and methods. Her mind lingered to memories of defending the city outside of Baku, then the sight of the Meralukas head exploding as the Wookie squeezed it.

Ni closed her eyes as if this could make these unearthed memories vanish. "Yes," she answered calmly, "Does this mean you are judge, jury, and executioner?"

[Akirapryde]

His voice dropped in tone, "it's one thing that I completely agree with, that Graff did when he got here. He got rid of all of the Judges and lawyers. Its only going to be him and us. The way it was always meant to be." They walked for a few more steps.

Then suddenly, he stopped and turned to face her, "listen, you don't have to be here for this. You can wait in the speeder for me." There was care in his voice, "that is, if you wish to."

[Gar]

Ni crossed her arms at this. "I'm not that kind of girl, sheriff."

There was a strange expression on her face. For the first time the Zeltron was unreadable. "Lead the way, Reaper."

[Akirapryde]

He nodded and turned to walk on. He spit as he walked up to the group. The militia and deputies parted revealing a human with bruises across his face and body. The man was on his knees with his hands bound behind his back. The man's first reaction was fear but when the Sheriff walked up, his emotions turned to gratitude. "Oh Sheriff, thank the Havens. These people beat the hell out of me."

Sheriff looked around and one of the females laughed as she spoke up, "He tripped in to a tree." another militiaman laughed and added, "yeah, like four times." Within seconds the entire group was laughing.

"Sheriff, you got to believe me," the man begged. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"What about the girl?" Sheriff Saar asked.

The man leaned forward as best as he could, "she's lying!"

"And the drugs we found on your bike," Sheriff Saar asked.

"I got them from a friend," the man said. I was going to get rid of them. We heard about what happened on Elm Street. We didn't know that they were cut with cleaner."

For Ni, she could tell he was being both dishonest and honest about parts of both stories. The man was a good lair, or at least better than she was able to see through.

Sheriff Saar didn't appear convinced either, "We're done here," he said then turned to those around him. "lynch him!"

The man's cries for mercy were drowned out by the cheers of the militia and deputies.

[Gar]

"Let me make him tell the truth," said Ni urgently, though it was clear that she was begging, "Even if it's just in private. I need to know he is guilty. Please, please grant me this one request."

[Akirapryde]

The deputies took a long length and started to tie a hangs-man noose as the Sheriff turned to Ni, "I said we were done and we are done." There was a sense of unyielding to his voice. He spit as he eyes the rope going up to a near by tree branch. A pair of militia swung from rope to ensure that it was strong enough to hold the man's weight.

[Gar]

"You do realize the flaws to this system," says Ni in a dull, unfeeling voice as she watches the scene quietly, "What do you think comes from flippantly ordering the murders of men without ensuring their guilt? You know as well as I that he wasn't lying completely. And we have the means of being certain."

[Akirapryde]

He didn't look at her as he spoke, "I know he is guilty." He spit once more as he watched them dragging the man towards a makeshift table. "I don't need any further convincing. The man will die."

He turned and looked at her, "this is how things are done out here." He spit once more, "don't like it, go back to the Core Worlds."

[Gar]

Ni did not say anymore. She watched quietly as the deed was done, her eyes never wavering. The keen observer would notice that, after a period of time, it was as though she wasn't even there. Her eyes glossed over and her expression was numb. She would stand there staring, her mind lost in nothingness.