IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 1 & 6
The Conservatory

Three units walked into the room following the three suspects. They were simply doing their assigned task and most would argue that they lacked the processing capacity to do anything but just that. When the bust was revealed there was no reaction, but after Butler had walked away Unit 1 which had been assigned to the Black Cloak stepped forward and ran a scanning beam over the object in question.

A double beep and blink echoed from the Unit as it stepped back. Secure in it's knowledge of logged data. Taking position next to Unit 6 it waited. Although it seemed Unit 6 would soon be leaving with Praxon.

It kept it's photoreceptor firmly on the assigned subject and waited. Unwavering even as Unit 6 a drawn out beep-moan to indicate it did not understand how to answer Praxon's query.

TAG: @Sinrebirth & @HanSolo29 , Partial mention for @darthhelinith

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 2
Main Hallways Lord Semolurian Divertium’s Mansion near Bespin

Unit 2 had nothing to report. Accusation without situation was given. No relevant data for nor against was present in this droids memory banks.

It beeped a single beep as it continued it's duty dilegently.

TAG: @Lady_Belligerent

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 3
Many Places

This unit had not processed that it would have to run! It nearly lost sight of it's sworn observation target for nearly more than a second! This was stressing to its processes to the extreme. This unit could not work in these conditions! Formal complaint was selected from the pre-requisite menu and submitted. . .to the head Butler.

The unit beeped softly to itself. Wait a moment, my charge is? At that the droid forgot what it was thinking as it remembered to resume watching it's very fast and impulsive observation target. As such it was unresponsive to the question that posed, it's poor processors were overloaded at this moment.

TAG: @darthhelinith

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 4
Library

This units charge had been slower, more prone to speculation, although nearly not so much as Unit 2's had seemed to be proving to be.

It was not long before this units charge followed the charging Butler into the Library. This unit followed and waited as banter was initiated. A non-clue was not something this unit knew how to process. A future destination was suggested, but this Unit had no input to add for relocation of venue for quesitons.

TAG: @adaml83

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 5
Study

Unit 5 was inclined to follow it's charge into a room, the Study where it laid out a broad suppositional that 'someone' used a dataspike in the Study to murder the late Master Lord.

Standing in the room it found that they were alone. The fact that another had stated something on the way here not compute. It ran a scanning beam across the room. Documenting the current state of things. This had already been done for the whole mansion before the guests had awoken from their gas induced sleep and according to the comparison report no one else had entered this room since that prior scan.

Perusing the only the partially garbled report that the ASP unit had to compare to, it stepped nearer to it's charge. "No." it simply stated before stepping away again.

What did it mean? Lack of person charged to commit crime? Wrong weapon? Wrong room?

It was the very charge of an answer that gets more questions. Would Odosius Zaal try to ask them and work that rabbit trail? Or would he go elsewhere to confer with others? Possibly use this unit to call one of the others to try and summon a specific person here?

TAG: @ConservativeJedi321

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 7
Dining Room

Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 7's charge was the non-conformist eared individual of common height. Honestly something in this units sub processor core just wanted it to go forward and test the elasticity and secured nature of those protrusions. They just looked so. . .bendy.

The unit was shaken out of it's contemplations when the recorded subject made a move to the Dining Room. No other person was present but a short five second rewind of the tape for internal review gave the unit context. Lifting a hand it displayed a spinning holo of a single word: Summon? Below the word was the image of the individual in question was enlarged. Below that was candid snap shots of all other individuals minus the requestor.

Did this individual want to try to call another here to defend themselves? Another to compare concepts with? Perhaps the super non-conformist eared individual or another of their party? Or did it wish to consult this droids limited access to the crime databases knowledge concerning this crime from Cloud City at this time?

TAG: @darthbernael

 

IC: Odosius Zaal
Study

The Lannik considered the other mans words for a second, he certainly did have a point. Their host was uncommonly security conscious, Odosius recalled that upon his landing in Cloud City both he and his staff were accosted in a manner he had considered to be rather rude. Even as the Ambassador was the only one permitted to see the Lord, searching his companions had been completely unnecessary.

To the Doctor he mused "Yes, if business is the reason for murder this is the most likely location of the crime."
At her suggestion that the killer was an employee he smiled. It was certainly possible, though the only employee he had seen since arriving was the uptight piggy. He didn't come off as the type, but then how many killers gave off the vibe of a psychopath before being revealed? It was for that purpose he had ignored Pointdexter's accusation on the shrouded creep. Yes he had no reason to discount him yet, and he would not, but it just felt too obvious.

Odosious glanced around the small study with curiosity. A few dozen business manuals scattered the shelves, as well as a very old news print out that discussed Semolurian Divertium's rather substantial inheritance, dated from soon after he took charge of the business. Lastly there were a couple pictures on the table: one of an elder Lutrillian female next to him and a bust, and the other appeared to be of a charity banquet of some kind. A red stain adorned the dark wooded desk, scratching at it the Lannik tested it, and instantly recognized the liquid as a delicate wine of Alderaanian origin, and of a far better quality than the one he had taken last night. Maybe the host had hidden his good stock? "My bet is on the Proffessor." He shrugged. "Nobody is that stoic without some dark skeletons in their closet."

Looking back, he saw Bellorum had already left him, undoubtably off to chase a new lead. "Oh all by myself. What a world."
Glancing at the desk again he saw various datapads scattered across its surface. He placed a hand on the nearest one, and it lit up.

Security Code Required

Nothing could ever be easy could it?

Just then a shadow disrupted his concentration. One of the dead man's monitoring units had appeared in the room, and a low beep told him that device had responded to one of his previous questions with the word "No"
"Very helpful" Odosious muttered in response.
The room appeared in order, that simply told him that if the crime was committed here there was not a fight of any kind. Or perhaps the killer cleaned up afterwards, simply missing the rather inconspicuous wine stain that could just as easily have been a product of drunken clumsiness on behalf of its drinker.
"Fine, I'll play your game." He spoke, leaving the desk behind and moving out of the room.

Moving Next Door, he thought quietly before speaking up. "Professor Juhn, in the library with a viro dagger?"

Tags: @Mitth_Fisto, @darthbernael. @adaml83, @darthhelinith

 

IC: Medb Ra-oon
Ceased to be Lord's Mansion near Bespin

Medb heard the invitation for Dr. Bellorum and though they were near the Billiard room, she turned to Praxon, "I will be just a second…” she left and leaned into the hallway, “It was not the Doctor, one of the few things I distinctly remember is the scraping of a chair and the noise of it being propped up against the door. My guess is that she was afraid of something or someone nefarious, turns out she guessed correctly but she was not the target.”

Medb paused and looked directly at The Master, “Why does the Voice called Ike keep on going falsetto? He does not do it justice, and the more he sings the worse it gets despite what he says. I agree with that other voice.” With that, she left and returned to the Billiard Room.


"Sorry, I knew the whereabouts of one of the guesses involved last night, which is a shame that many of us only remember a few things about last evening." Medb checked for what was factual and what was speculation.

Medb looked at Praxon, "It seems that we are a lot closer to figuring out the weapon than we are to the person or the location. What is your opinion on trying to eliminate people or places that we do not think are involved?"

She offered Praxon a small smile, "Say, if it was you, Praxon, with cables, here in the Billiard Room?" Medb was not sure if it was Praxon, she could not be sure that it was not her. Then again she rarely left bodies accessible. Cables seemed like a logical choice in her mind as blood was strangely not mentioned. The location was a complete guess, she needed to reduce the variables in order to figure it out.

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto, @Sinrebirth, @Lady_Belligerent, @HanSolo29

 

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 1 & 7
The Dining Room

Two units stood stark still viewing their respective suspects. They were simply doing their assigned task and of course this did not change the fact that they were both transcribing the discussion in detail. Their tasks were to monitor to aid in the investigation and they would do so to best of their programming.

The question of what would happen next was all that was left to consider, but in the end it was not worth considering. They were monitoring and would continue to do so for their respective subjects. Long ears and black cloak.


TAG: @Sinrebirth & @darthbernael

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 2
Conservatory Lord Semolurian Divertium’s Mansion near Bespin

Unit 2 had nothing to report. Questions were being asked, none to this unit.

It beeped a single beep as it continued it's duty dilegently.

TAG: @Lady_Belligerent

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 3
Many Places

This unit had not processed that it would have to run! It nearly lost sight of it's sworn observation target for nearly more than a second! This was stressing to its processes to the extreme. This unit could not work in these conditions! Formal complaint was selected from the pre-requisite menu and submitted. . .to the head Butler.

The unit beeped softly to itself. Wait a moment, my charge is? At that the droid forgot what it was thinking as it remembered to resume watching it's very fast and impulsive observation target. As such it was unresponsive to the question that posed, it's poor processors were overloaded at this moment.

TAG: @darthhelinith

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 4 & 6
Billiard Room

This unit 4 charge was demonstrating erratic behavior in talking in ways that distressed this units processors. Unit 6 was grateful from this brief interaction that it's suspect had not exhibited the concerning mental tick of talking without clear intention to another living creature.

A question was poised, but not to either of these units. Both eagerly awaited to catalog the response of any possible helpful information.


TAG: @adaml83 & @HanSolo29

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 5
Library

Unit 5 was surprised to see what choice the assigned suspect took to it's response.

"Very helpful" Odosious muttered in response. This unit was having trouble processing when it had last been thanked for it's services and especially for it's vocal response.

The room appeared in order, "Fine, I'll play your game." He spoke, leaving the desk behind and moving out of the room. Perplexed this unit followed.

"Professor Juhn, in the library with a viro dagger?" the man asked.

The unit beeped, booped, and ran the available data points. Running a spectral scanner across the room it humming idly. "No?" it tentatively replied. Systems were data overloaded. What was no or yes was unclear, but this unit was doing the best that it could.

TAG: @ConservativeJedi321

 

Abner
Library

The butler continued to muse to himself. The library was nice and quiet, even with the sudden addition of the Lannek, who appeared to have heard his accusation.
The butler looked stoic as he placed the hollowed out book back where it belonged- the other was right, perhaps the blaster had been picked up and tucked away somewhere along with the other weapons.

That doesn't rule out the library though. He thought. Nor Zaal.

"Or prehaps Medb Ra-oon." He spoke aloud. "Maybe the good lady recognises this room from last night- the learned type- the sort who would use an improvised weapon, like a candlestick."
He glanced at the monitoring droid, curious.


@ConservativeJedi321 @adaml83

 

IC: Odosius Zaal
Library

For half a second Odosius was caught up in trying to interpret the droid's response, it didn't exactly sound confident in its answer.
As the Lannik turned to enter the library he was greeted by the Butler. Oh good, someone who is actually capable of carrying on a conversation.
"Or prehaps Medb Ra-oon." the alien began without so much as a greeting. "Maybe the good lady recognises this room from last night- the learned type- the sort who would use an improvised weapon, like a candlestick."

The mention of Medb startled Odosious, and a fuzzy memory of the night before rose to the front of his mind. "Quite the coincidence meeting you here good Abner." He greeted the Gamorrean with a display of respect. "You have my assurances, Medb Ra-oon had no part in this crime." He walked forward and ran a finger along the edge of a dusty bookcase. "I paid her a visit last night after dinner, offered to split a bottle of wine with her." He gave a sly smile as he turned back to the man and droid. "She must have had a long day, as she looked half dead at the time and politely declined." Or rather slammed the bedroom door in my face. He grimaced briefly, before putting back on a gracious expression.
"I heard the door lock, and probably waited a good ten minutes before heading to my chamber." Ok, that last part may very well have been a lie. The memory went fuzzy again not long after they parted way. "But I am quite confident she was in no mood to go lurking around the mansion with malicious intent."

Eying the servant with mild curiosity he wondered out loud. "Don't suppose you know your boss's security log-in information? The files he has locked in his study could be useful for determining motive." He didn't even wait for the answer before looking to the droid who had followed him from the study. "Your previous beep leads me to think I may be on the right track." Scanning the room quickly, he pointed out "There doesn't seem to be any visible blood as far as I can tell. Perhaps Professor Juhn, in here with a cable instead?"

Tags: @darthhelinith, @darthbernael, @Mitth_Fisto

 

IC: Medb Ra-oon
Being pulled around

Medb listened to Praxon and slowly smiled, “Ooh, I could have fun with you. I do not know who it is, and I tend to agree with you that this is an awful way to conduct an investigation. I mean did they actually clean up where they found the body before the investigation was conducted?” she turned to face the ASP droids, “And these things are no help…” It was at that moment when two things happened. One she would find a way to come up with a competitor, named Ichneumon, and two, someone else in this incompetent house accused Medb, it sounded like the butler, Abner.

If that fool was actually on his game, I would not have been at that dinner, and I would have been meeting some junior associate of this now gone Lord, getting information, however, the Tearmann will not do business with THESE fools.

She growled at her droid, “Naturally you will be no help.” Medb composed herself before they reached the Library, and she was about to speak up when Odosius offered his evidence to clear Medb, she did not remember it quite that way, but it was generally accurate. Medb hadn’t really wanted to go the dinner the last night after the long journey. The Vector was not that comfortable.

Medb smiled at Odosius, “Thank you, I guess that door was heavier than I thought last night. I did not mean to slam it in your face.” She turned to stare at Abner, “Now why would I kill your boss? You should know that among the manifests, there were no weapons found on me, nor on my ship. There is a lesson there.” She turned and left to head back to more pleasant company back in the Billiard Room. She caught the end the good Doctor’s game with herself and her guess and laughed out loud, “Praxon dear, do you have a megaphone? Seems some people are not catching things that have been disproven already. That or someone mysteriously put cotton balls in our ears overnight.”

She turned to grasp her ASP droid, “Did the murder occur here in the Billiard Room?”

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto, @HanSolo29, @Lady_Belligerent, @ConservativeJedi321, @darthhelinith

 

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 6 & 2 & 4
The Billiard Room

These units had a more interesting situation. Three were gathered together now, Unit Two watched in fascination as its subject proceeded to initiate some form of game instead of actively searching or questing to solve the murder or absolve her plausible guilt.

Then the whopper of a question came, was this unit programmed for gambling. “No.” This unit had been used in petty gambling situations so was aware of the variable parameters associated with gambling, but it had not been programmed.

More shocking was her self implication after she finished her game. Luckily others came then.

Unit Six came in trailing the Human Male, and Unit 4 trailing the red head female. The two thought appeared be absorbed in their private conversation, especially the male who ignored Unit Two’s person of interest.

Unit 4 let out a raspberry noise as it was thoroughly scandalously shamed by this guest and possible murder suspect. Redacting the update in the system it didn’t want to entertain her plausible innocence!

Unit Four was also being run ragged by this woman and combined with her manners JT was seriously contemplating a nail gun to secure her feet to the floor if the maintenance droid could be persuaded. When the question and grasp was put to it by her it responded with an ear grating raspberry noise before turning its head away from her in a clear denial of access. If she thought this unit was going to help her now she had another thing coming!

Unit Two not being yet privy to the scandalous gossip raised a hand to garner attention. Then as soon as it had her attention it would shrug. This information was currently unavailable and no one yet had voiced any concerns nor clearing statements for the Billiards Room. Likewise the current disconnect with Bespin City Police meant it could not access those files at the moment.

TAG: @Lady_Belligerent , @HanSolo29 , @adaml83

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 5 & 3
Library

Unit Five and Unit Three shared a silent look at each other. The fact that the Butler and head of domestic authority had asked his assigned unit a question was undeniable. But another had answered in the form of the shorter member of the gathering here. Were they still required to answer? Unknown. Instead the Five documented the response.

The innuendo was lost on the units, although Three did make a notation for a possibility of a missing bottle of wine. A question was then poised by units person with Large ears and reduced stature. Unfortunately the question still held too many variables. It ignited its hologram system to display a rotating question mark - underneath was the stated text Unable to validate answer. Exceeds variable limit and/or information available.

TAG: @ConservativeJedi321 , @darthhelinith

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 7 & 1
Combo

These were living interesting lives. Posts to come later

TAG: @darthbernael , & @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Odosius Zaal
Study

“Thank you, I guess that door was heavier than I thought last night. I did not mean to slam it in your face.” Medb appeared behind him giving him a startle. He eyed her with curiosity, and concern. Did she just read his mind? Facing Abner she declared “Now why would I kill your boss? You should know that among the manifests, there were no weapons found on me, nor on my ship. There is a lesson there.” And just as swiftly as she had arrived, she was gone. Trying to defuse the tension Odosius chuckled a little. "Always on the move. Gotta pity the droid that's tasked with keeping track of her." Still, a shiver went up his spine. Hard not to see why Abner had accused her. The creep factor aside, he stood by his previous defense of her.

His own droid had finally gotten an answer back to him, a rotating question mark that failed to provide any direction whatsoever. Great.
"I'm getting the feeling our shadows here won't be much help finding the killer. The Professor went to the Dinning room, I think I will trail him there and interogate him myself. If you'd like to join me, feel free." Not even waiting for an answer he began his walk to the other side of the mansion.

Tags: @darthhelinith, @darthbernael, @Sinrebirth, @adaml83, @Mitth_Fisto

 

IC: Odosius Zaal
Study

As he began to exit the Study he nearly barreled into the shrouded individual who had immediately begun to question him about a viro-dagger.
"What gave it away?" He snarked, gesturing to the spotless room. "The blood spatters?"
Realizing that perhaps sarcasm wasn't the best method to earn trust he backtracked a little. "Of course, I wouldn't know if I was the killer, last night is simply a haze. But knowing myself as I do, I am a being of diplomacy not violence." He offered a thin smile, as he moved past the man and in the direction of the Dining room. Grabbing his data pad out of the fold of his robe, he spent a second evaluating proper protocols for being accused of murder and came away disappointed. "It is my intention to question the Professor, do with that knowledge as you like."

Tags: @Mitth_Fisto, @Sinrebirth, @darthhelinith, @darthbernael

 

OOC: This wonderful bit of droid shenanigans came from our beloved GM, @Mitth_Fisto, and myself
IC: Medb Ra-oon, Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 4, Sneamach
Departed Lord's Mansion, Billiard Room

Medb sensed danger directed at her, it didn't seem to come from the living beings, but when she looked at the ASP droid...
You...

She narrowed her eyes, moved her grip to more of a center of mass, and started pushing the droid out of the room. Need a little alone space to work and finish my job. Then come up with a plan to get out of here.

Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 4 backpedaled as its charge obviously desired to leave and it was in her way. A vulgar subject! It didn’t have time for this; it needed to finish its complaint form about this subject! Yet all it could do was react and be pushed wherever she was going.

Medb kept her voice low and continued to push the ASP droid slowly toward the Lounge. She remembered something from one of the few useful things that Cloud City had ever done, the briefing. "You, your lovely group of droids are as much or more responsible for this situation." Those idiot droids had mutilated the body which made an autopsy useless, the poor record-keeping by the droids did nothing but aided the murderer. Add to that, so far no one has found something that obviously said, 'Crime scene' which in her mind meant that these stupid droids cleaned the crime scene!

She looked to find the off switch to the droid to begin her plan. Medb heard the Master’s guess, her path took her close enough to speak quietly enough for only the Master to hear, “Kinky…”

When the unit back to notice what this subject was attempting it tried to emit a fog horn growl of defiance. A brief deep tone started as it tried to uppercut punch her away. . .

. . .and was suddenly silenced as Medb found the emergency shutdown switch inset in the roof of the open chest cavity. With a groan the lights dimmed from the units eyes as its vision dimmed. Four had never finished that complaint form, what an odd thing to flicker across its processors as it as shut down?

Medb exhaled in relief, forgetting the abbreviated uppercut...until it contacted her side, it hurt but she was pretty certain that there would be a bruise.

The first thing she did was plug her datapad into the inert droid to see if Sneamach, her astromech who had networked into her datapad via her Vector starfighter, could help. Medb kept her voice barely above a whisper, "Snea, do you see anything interesting in there? Also, is it possible to mess with the motivators for the legs on the outside?" While waiting for an answer, she had a realization, "Snea, I need to record a message, can you get it out for me?"

Snea would powered up from a standby mode it had successfully used to avoid a restraining bolt and/or forced shutdown when the hanger had been in chaos earlier this morning. The hanger was pitch dark with only emergency glow strips for illumination.

On inspection he would find that all terminals were unpowered currently, the blast doors were engaged and locked both at the hanger exit and entrance. There was not a sign of any other active thing in the hanger. The signal was weak and prone to mild glitching because of the heavy shielding between Snea and Medb by those blast doors, but it was possible for it to bypass the Asp droids limited faculties to make it jerkily walk.

Medb checked the signal strength, the signal would not make it through this storm, "I guess we can set it up so the message will send once everything is back to normal. It seems to be the best we can do right now. "

Looking at the messages about the ASP droid, "Could you set the speed of one leg to move faster than the other, so maybe it will walk in a somewhat odd circle?"

She switched over to record her message.

Medb saved the file and requested that we distribute it among various systems to be sent out as soon as it was possible to get a powerful signal so it would not be fragmented.

Snea was able to promptly reply that it could indeed make the ASP droid walk in a circle. Or a square pattern. Or wherever Medb wanted it to make it walk it so long as it had the link to the droid’s systems from the remote plug in through the datapad. It would of course save the message and wait for an opening to send it.

Medb made a face, though she kept her voice low, "I still need the datapad..." she looked into the Lounge, "Wait, I have an idea!" she rushed into the Lounge and grabbed a small datapad, taking care to not leave her evidence on it, removed the dongle that would allow Sneamach to access datapads with the programming, though somewhat limited by the pad's memory. She plugged in that datapad and took some care to hide it as best she could. "That may limit you Snea, but I do still need the datapad. It only can say yes or no, but could you use it to play the Terrifying Tale of the Termination of Starlight Beacon ? I just want it to act like the droid is on the fritz and it is a distraction for everyone while I do some investigations."

She wanted to alter the name of Cloud City into False Promises with the tagline of Faulty Hyperdrives a Specialty, and the manor to include that the lord is dead, with its particular tagline being synonyms of dead. Along with figuring out the crime by investigating the rooms herself, finding out what was actually causing this Force Malaise and if Medb could end it, and escaping while insuring those who were innocent would get to escape as well.

I could make the Asp unit to alternate 'Yes' and 'No' but would not carry any kind of tune clearing, but Snea could make a pattern that someone who knew what they were listening to by the drawn out vocalization would recognize the tune. If they were really listening for it.

As it could not plug into any mainframe, it could not alter the name of anything either locally nor at Cloud City. Whether it could convince the city computer was another problem.

Medb kept up with Snea was saying, she typed:

I will attempt to change the name if I can find a good computer to so, it might end up being something we attempt later. Keep an eye out for any attention on you, engage your Escape and Evasion programming if necessary.

“Yes.” Came the monotone reply from the ASP Unit.

"Thanks Snea, have fun." Medb then left to enter the Lounge to examine it for clues, whether it was for the murder, or her own mysteries.

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto, mention for @Sinrebirth

 

The Butler, The Master and a pair of binary deadbeats
(combo with @Sinrebirth and @Mitth_Fisto )
Library

The Butler inclined his head towards Zaal.

"If the gentleman will excuse me, I will remain here and tidy away these remaining books."

Abner had just noticed a series of bound periodicals and reference titles in the corner that his late master had been browsing a couple of days prior, with the strict instruction that they not be tidied away until he had finished with them.
The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.
He would no longer be denied his duty to replace them unto their proper shelves.

As his companion left the room, the Gamorrean's large gloved fingers enclosed the first few volumes at the top of the pile of literature, the other hand placing a golden-rimmed monocle to his eye. A soft grunt of satisfaction as he read the spine of each, and began sorting them upon the various bookcases.

With his back to the doorway, he heard The Master's accusation long before turning to see the cloaked figure.

Another grunt, this time of irritation- he had not finished cleaning and it went against every fibre in his body to have the guests of the house in a room that was dirty, even with the circumstances as they were.

"The gentleman you mention has just left, I believe in the direction of the study?"

Having finished the last of the books, he pulled out a pink feather duster from... somewhere about his bulk and began to dust.
Guests be hung, he couldn't leave a job unfinished.

"May I be so bold as to inquire of the relationship you shared with the late master?"
“My relationship…?” The Master turned to the speaker and shrugged eloquently, about to quip, but was sidetracked by a glimmer.
“Hmmm?”
He couldn’t see what it was, so the stranger could downplay it with ease, but his curiosity was piqued.

In one of the books Abner put away and was now dusting, he had noticed something gleaming inside the spine between the backing and the pages that was sticking up just enough, poking up slightly at the top. Glinting in the light.

Abner grunted again, surprise this time, momentarily forgetting the presence of the other being. His gloved hands placed the books to one side and carefully removed the dataspike from its hiding place, holding it up to the light. Aside from a few light finger-marks from use, it appeared clean. But Abner did not recognise the tool, and suspected one of the guests might have hidden it away in the library, intended for later use. Had someone been intending to access the late master's business records or even the mainframe?

"Unless the murderer is a meticulous cleaner, I might suggest that this object can safely be ruled out from the list of weapons." He eyed the droid that had been accompanying him all this time.
Would it now relay that information to the other suspects?

Satisfied with his own appraisal, he offered the object to his companion for their own inspection, interested to see how he would respond to it.

The Master regarded the data-spike.

"Unless it's a double bluff," he said, noting his gloves and eying their hands. "The data-spike, here..." a frown, heard rather than seen. "So all we have left is the name of the murderer, perhaps?"

The Master watched the gamorrean's reaction exceedingly carefully.

It seemed very neat and tidy.

Abner found it...

Was Abner the one?

Oh Sith I'm alone with the murderer.

Was he?

At the suggestion of a double bluff, the butler looked nonplussed.
"While it is possible, I believe it is often found that the simplest solution is the most likely, is it not?"

He read the change in the master's stance and raised an eyebrow.
"And forgive my forwardness, but with all due respect, should I have been overcome with desire to murder my late employer of seventeen years, I would have chosen the day before my day off, so I would have had time to escape the crime scene."
The boar sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "As it is, I was up late last night writing a letter. My late wife and twin daughter's graves are under threat from a property developer and I am trying to arrange for their remains to be moved to a quieter locale." He turned to look out the window, lost in thought.

ASP Unit Five and Seven looked at each other, then after a few moments Five pulled up a holo displaying an auto save document linked to the Butler’s account with time edits listed. Indicating he was remembering correctly and had an alibis.

The Black Coat nodded sagely, slowly.

“Well, I am very, very sorry for your loss, there,” a hesitation, “and my sincerest apologies for impugning your honour.”

Abner turned back from the window.

"It is no matter, it is natural for accusations to fall toward the staff, we do, after all, have more intimate knowledge of our employers comings and goings. If-"
He stopped himself, paused, and something slightly dangerous passed behind in the Gamorean's eyes for a split second. The butler seemed oddly relaxed to share the room with someone who had produced no alibis of their own- the gamorrean was certainly innocent, but perhaps not without motive.
"The late master is dead. The estate will be handed over to the executor of the will, and I must seek a new position."

The Master held out his gloved hand for the item. “Do we show the dataspike to the others, or do we bluff out the murderer by announcing that we found the weapon?”

“It was hidden here…"

Abner shook his head and returned his attention to the object that the Master was now examining.
"Sir suspects doing so may force one of the other guests to reveal something?"
He rested a finger to his chin in thought. If this will get us all out of this force-forsaken mansion quicker.
"There is also the possibility of accusing someone of being a secret beneficiary of the late Lord's generosity, as part of the ruse. Family members and friends tend to become blinded by offence when accused of being a beneficiary of the will. Prehaps someone was using the dataspike to try and determine their inheritance, before deciding to 'cash in' on it?"

The Master could have rolled his eyes so much they unscrewed.

"Has the Will even be read yet?"

He eyed their know-it-all-but-not-useful-whatsoever shadow droids.

The butler too turned his attention to the droids once more, waiting to see how they'd respond, though doubting much of substance.

Tags: @Mitth_Fisto @Sinrebirth plus a very brief mention for @ConservativeJedi321
and perhaps the beneficiaries of the will, if any are out there...

 

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 3 & 1
The Library

The two units looked at each other before looking at the two making such an enquiry. "No." stated 3.

At the same instance, "Yes." stated 1. The two units jerked in surprise and looked at one another before turning back to their charges. "No." stated 1.

"Yes." stated 3. Shifting towards each other they both blurted out a string of binary screeching with arms raised. After a few moments they settled to turn to the two and displayed a list of those presently on the suspect list. A flash of the projector as they both agreed and stated simultaneously: "No."

The will after all likely had been read by the lawyer, possibly shared by now with any affects to Cloud City with it's administrator, possibly relayed to other affected business partners. Unfortunately no one, least of all the deceased man's lawyer, had been in contact with anyone in the mansion. So to them, no one would of read the will.

TAG: @Sinrebirth & @darthhelinith

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 2 & 6
Billiard Room, Lord Semolurian Divertium’s Mansion near Bespin

Unit 2 and Unit 6 watched the pair silently. . .there was a baited breath and pause to the moment. Unit 2 looked to Unit 6 with a 'what are they doing' tilt of the head and blink of the ole photoreceptor. To which Unit 6 stepped forward and tapped it's human males shoulder in a light shove towards the questioning female.

TAG: @Lady_Belligerent & @HanSolo29

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 4, aka Snea
Hallway Outside Lounge

Walking in a shaky circle Unit 4 was made to begin singing in a stilting, lilting "No. Yes. Yes. No. No. . . Yes. No. No. No. No. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes!" Snea meanwhile, very slowly, and as quietly as possible, began studying the hanger and checking on the other ships present by launching his remote probe.

Medb would hear a noise though, before this recitation began as she moved to enter the Lounge. It appeared she had a witness. . .

TAG: @adaml83

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 5
Leaving the Study, In the Halls en route to the Dining room

Having left the Study and turning to walk passed the Hall and Lounge to get to the Dining Room. This gave him a clear line of sight to observe what might of been the signs of a struggle and then calm conversation as Medb had a datapad he would see her exchange into the plug of the droid that began an odd loop of words. His own Monitoring Unit 5 did not understand what it was seeing and waited to see what the short long ears would do to make sense of the situation.

TAG: @ConservativeJedi321

IC: Shadow ASP Monitoring Unit 7
Dining Room

Watching out the window several of the Airsquids tried to attach to the mansion, but mild electrical shocks quickly dislodged the beasts. Soon crab gliders were seen as well. These though, would be seen swinging low or high upon the winds. Seeming to aim for the rocky underpinning of the mansion, or for the roof instead of for the sides as the airsquids were focusing their efforts. Unfortunately from their vantage point Rugel would not be able to see if these places granted the carion feeders a safe port to land in this storm.

TAG: @darthbernael

 

IC: Medb Ra-oon
Bereft of Life Lord's Mansion- Lounge

Medb had this sense of being watched, it was normal especially in places where humans were a rarity, however…

“Are you my contact? I hate to say it, but you are probably out of a job, and I have already sent in a report to my superiors. Now if you want to help me solve this killing, that would be glorious.”

Medb continued to look around, but always kept whatever was watching her in her peripheral vision.

If I can only eliminate variables or pinpoint something missing, that would be ideal.

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto, anyone within range of the Lounge