House of Smoke and Mirrors

[Reinhart Thul]

Reinhart Thul rode the hover-train which skirted the coast of Coronet City and watched with a small smile as it passed the stately Corellian Space Museum, the national flag fluttering softly in the evening breeze. With such a picturesque view, it was almost easy to forget that he had come to Corellia as the bearer of bad tidings.

There were speeder-cabs waiting at the station, but Reinhart elected to walk the rest of the way to the Tur'enne household – though not before buying a bunch of Nannarium flowers' from a vendor cart. The streets in their neighbourhood were quiet, though Thul crossed paths with three separate CorSec beat patrols on the way there. They examined his credentials and his appearance before waving him on, muttering to one another in dark voices that they did not believe he could hear.

When he arrived on their doorstep, with a bottle of Alderaan Ruge in one hand and the bouquet in the other, it struck Reinhart how little the exterior of the Tur'enne family home had changed. It was a smartly built house, whose white walls and crystal-clear window panes reflected the light of the evening sun. He removed his dark glasses and slid them into the breast pocket of his jacket, then knocked three times on the front door.

[Alluria Tur'enne]

The day had started out much like many that had come before it, a shared morning cup of caff with her husband in the side yard, both enjoying the company of the other in silence as the morning slowly crept to life. After that, Jacob had hired to his home office. Alluria had only entered once, to place a soft kiss upon her husband's forehead and gently remind him to not work too hard. The day had been nice enough that she had then decided to spend the rest of the day reading while resting in a cushioned lounge chair in their garden.

A few hours had passed as such, her hands slowly turning actual pages of paper - Jacob insisted buying them for her and Alluria had never disagreed. While the price of the short run actual bound books was quite a bit more, she always had felt that just somehow, it made the story that much more enjoyable to go through. A small comm unit, set into a small table that rested near her chair blinked to life, a soft chime added to catch her attention. The automated system informed her someone was at the front door, an unexpected event as the Tur'ennes rarely received visitors that they had not planned upon.

Curiosity, and the knowledge that her husband would have shut off the unit in his office, gave the task of answering their caller to the wife. Her way to the door was slow, partially caused by an overall air of relaxation the day had given way to, and the rest to be blamed upon the remnants of the injury that had caused her to retire from CorSec many years back.

As she passed through their home she could not help but remember when if someone was at the door there was sometimes a race between her two children to see who could answer it first. That had naturally ended when they both had become teenagers, but the memory played out like a holovid before her eyes and it brought a small smile to her lips that remained there as she opened the door.

The last individual she had ever expected to see was the one standing there. How long had it been? Twenty years? Even though they both had aged there was no denying the identity of her old friend.

The smile that had given way to a small look of shock slowly returned. "Reinhart, it has been too long."

[Reinhart Thul]

Reinhart smiled too, lines creasing at the edge of his eyes. It had been a long time since he had called Corellia his home, but he had never forgotten what the planet had given - and taught - him. It had been two decades since he had stood face to face with the woman before him, so he could not help but feel some small relief that she hadn't just closed the door on him right away.

“Alluria.. you haven't aged a day.”

He might have embraced her, if his hands hadn't been full. Offering her the bunch of flowers – whose sweet scent he hoped was still one of her favourites – he lifted the bottle of Ruge and ventured a broader smile. Since the destruction of Alderaan, it was a rare commodity but today seemed like occasion enough to drink what might be the last remaining bottle in the galaxy. It had been part of a cultural exchange of sorts for the two of them, when they had first met, with Thul providing the Ruge and Alluria the Whyren's Reserve.

“I'm sorry to turn up unannounced like this.. will you accept this as a token of apology, and perhaps invite me in for a glass?”

[Alluria Tur'enne]

"Of course." There was no hesitation in her words, there was no need for it. And no sooner had she spoken the words, Alluria stepped to the side. She would have motioned him to enter as well, but the unexpected gift of the flowers had her hands occupied.

The door softly shut after Reinhart stepped inside and a gentle laugh left the woman. "You'll have to excuse me for the state the house is in, Jabob and I weren't expecting anyone."

It was a silly thing to say, the interior was pristine, nothing out of place, it was something Alluria could afford to upkeep once her children had left home. There were some days however, that she was left wondering if she did such at thing to keep her mind from the loss of her daughter and the new and sudden lack of communication from her son.

[Reinhart Thul]

Thul followed into a room whose four walls echoed with nothing but silence. As Alluria found some water for the flowers, Reinhart set down the Ruge and glanced around. His hands in his pockets, he nodded faintly. In spite of his absence, Jacob's presence could be felt in the stark, pristine décor of the room. There were few tokens of sentimentality to be seen and amongst the sparsity, the blue of the Nannarium's seemed all the more vibrant.

“You have a beautiful home, as always.”

That level of order was not something Thul found himself capable of maintaining. All too often, his apartment would be strewn with half-read books and empty cups of caff. He didn't have time to live otherwise. Alluria, on the other hand – without her job, without her children... the thought brought a little sadness to his eyes and turned that corners of his mouth downward.

“Is Jacob here?”

[Alluria Tur'enne]

Alluria had finished setting the flowers in a delicate crystal vase, took a little time to gently run her fingertips against one of the azure blossoms. She nodded her head softly in response to his question, turning to look towards one of the hallways that lead off from the main room.

"He's in his office, been there most of the day so I wouldn't be surprised if he joins us before too long, especially when he realizes you're here." Alluria turned away from the vase of Nannariums and took the short slow steps that lead to the large kitchen that was every bit tidy as the rest of the home. She returned similarly with three glasses for the Ruge. One was set aside, the other two placed near the bottle.

"So what do we owe the pleasure of your visiting us?" Despite the smile on her lips, her tone carried the knowledge that she knew it wasn't simply to catch up. There was a certain melancholy aura that surrounded Reinhart and her intuition to it wasn't just from a longstanding friendship she shared with the man.

[Reinhart Thul]

She knew that there was something amiss, of course. For twenty years, Reinhart had avoided any contact with Alluria Tur'enne - however much it had saddened him to do so - and for him to suddenly appear at her home could only mean something had happened. That his appearance coincided with the disappearance of her son wouldn't have gone unnoticed, not by a mind like hers. Although she'd been out of CorSec for a while, there were habits that a job like that bred in you, habits that wouldn't soon be shaken.

“I wish I could say I was just here to catch up...” he began, deeply sincere, as he sat down and folded his well-worn hands together. “I need to talk to you both, about Alexander.”

[Alluria Tur'enne]

The sigh that left her was heavy, reflecting perfectly the weight upon her heart she had felt ever since the news had reported something had happened at Alexander's place of employment. Details were sketchy: some sort of terrorist action from the so-called Rebellion that had left some of the employees dead, others missing. Despite her son being in his late twenties she had still reacted the way any worried mother would have: contacted them immediately. But there were no answers there, just various runarounds and misdirections.

And now here was Reinhart, bringing her news, and her mind instantly was preparing for the worst. It was only four years ago that Alluria and Jacob had received the news from the Corellian Resistance movement about the demise of their daughter, to find that she had lost her other child due to the silly war was going to hit hard. She didn't want him to speak the words.

"Perhaps I should get Jacob, then...?" Her voice was as distant as her thoughts.

[Jacob Tur'enne]

"Get me for what?" Jacob's voice enquired, drifting lazy and echoing softly as it descended from the upper level of the open, cavernous entrance foyer. He appeared, fingertips ghosting the polished chromasteel hand rail that topped the sheet-glass banisters that stood sentry between pedestrians and a tumble from the first floor's balcony hall. His hand retracted as he reached the stairs however, fingers from one casually tugging at the his other sleeve, adjusting the cufflinks he'd just slipped in.

His feet beat out an eager rhythm as he descended down the staircase. "You didn't tell me you were conducting a seance," he queried, legs eating up the distance across the marbled stone floor in long strides. His hand gently settled on the small of Alluria's back as he planted a soft kiss against her temple, before turning towards their guest. "It seems we've been visited by a ghost from her past."

He extended a hand, offering a warm smile. "It's been far too long."

[Reinhart Thul]

Though Jacob didn't know it, his talk of ghosts might have been all too apt. Reinhart came to his feet and gave the other man a firm handshake, returning his warm greeting with a small smile of his own. As always, Tur'enne was well composed, a man of understated dignity. The fact that they were little more than acquaintances didn't stop Thul from harbouring a quiet respect for Jacob Tur'enne.

“I've come to talk to you about your son,” he said, again, his gaze moving from man to wife, as he turned back towards the seating area. He hadn't rehearsed how he would go about revealing the whereabouts of Alexander Tur'enne to his parents, and given that he was visiting unofficially there had been no brief provided to offer Alluria and her husband reassurance. Reinhart came to them with only the truth, or at least as much knowledge of it as he currently had.

“We have reason to believe.. that Alexander has been kidnapped.”

[Alluria Tur'enne]

It was with a deep combined sense of relief and yet worry that she felt impacted with, forcing Alluria to practically collapse into one of the cushioned armchairs in the doom. A hand came to rest over her mouth as she ran over the word again. Kidnapped. Not dead. Though for what reason?

The very topic alone brought in an unwanted discussion point that had always managed to be free from conversation between herself and Reinhart. She had her own opinions on the Empire as it stood, and also knew that her friend worked for the institution in some capacity... but she also was fully are of the fact that had she been younger, had her body been more able, she very well might have gotten caught up in the Rebellion. Instead it had been her daughter that had gone and died for the cause, leaving Alluria was a strange sense that perhaps she had already sacrificed enough of her life to the Rebellion without having to lift a finger in their name.

As the initial shock slowly wore off, her eyes lifted to meet Jacob's, then Reinhart's. She couldn't bring herself to ask "why" or "who", "how" was of concern. How could this have happened? But again she could not bring herself to speak. She silently prayed Jacob would have the courage and strength to do so where she was currently lacking.

[Jacob Tur'enne]

Jacob's arm shifted, subtly drawing his wife a little closer to him in silent reassurance. Desperately, he wanted to take her further into his arms, the knowledge of her own worry more painful to him than his own emotions. But now wasn't the time; much as he wanted to be the loving, caring husband, in this moment there was someone else that he needed to be with more urgency.

"You suspect the Rebellion." His voice was drained of all emotion, his face set in the kind of resolution that he usually reserved for the courtroom. There was no falter of question in his words - it was a sound assumption, else someone of his particular standing within the Empire would never have been here; a senior officer from the Imperial Security Bureau perhaps, but not Thul himself. Not unless the situation was really severe. Not unless there was more at stake than simply the life of the son of a Coronet District Attorney.

What were you doing there, Xander? he silently queried, wondering not for the first time what the job he had helped to secure for his son really entailed. Things were so secretive there, and he hadn't missed rumours of the Imperial military presence at the facility. A flash of guilt was quickly trampled; now was not the time to allocate blame.

"What do you need from us, Reinhart?"

[Reinhart Thul]

“A number of things – most important of which.. is your trust.”

Whether or not the boy would be found was not a matter up for discussion. It was an Inquisitor's business to location that which did not wish to be location, to uncover those things that so desperately wished to remain anonymous. The galaxy was a vast place, but the influence of the Empire could be felt almost everywhere. With the right leads, the right intel, Reinhart was certain he could make sure that the Tur'enne family did not lose another child to the malicious scheming of the Rebel Alliance.

“How much communication have you had with Alexander since he joined Frohad Galactic Firearms ?”

[Alluria Tur'enne]

Trust wasn't an issue with Alluria when it came to Reinhart. A difference in political viewpoints was not enough to shatter a friendship that had lasted for as long as theirs. The fact he had to ask for it, however, raised alerts in her mind to the fact her associate wasn't simply there to inform them for personal reasons. Despite the strange conflict it presented, some part of her was still consoled by the fact that it seemed Reinhart was involved on the Empire's end of the investigation... or whatever it was they were doing about it.

"Not a whole lot, to be honest." Alluria found herself speaking before any legal reasons for not doing so could be tossed into her mind from years of being married to a District Attorney. Prudence in the situation be damned, this was their son they were talking about.

"He wasn't in the best of situations when he initially was hired. I told him he could come and live with us as long as he needed to, until he could get back on his feet. But..." She smiled softly behind the looks of worry etched into her features. "you know us Corellians, always so headstrong. He was determined to attempt to right whatever was wrong in his own way."

She cast a glance at Jacob, hoping he would speak something opposite of what she was about to. "After he was hired, I rarely heard from him aside from an occasional message around the holidays or to confirm he received gifts we sent on his birthday... I always figured the lack of communication was Xander's way of handling what he was going through, or perhaps his job just kept him busy."

A slight nervous bite of her lower lip came as her eyes went downcast to her hands. "Though I always wondered if I had insulted him somehow... Enough to the point where the letters all together stopped a few months ago."

[Jacob Tur'enne]

There wasn't even thought involved as Jacob's arm drew Alluria closer to him, its twin joining forces to wrap her in a loose, gentle embrace. A kiss was planted softly against her forehead; anything to distract him from the crushing twist he felt internally, as she tried to somehow blame blame herself for this. "Don't be ridiculous," he said, softly but firmly. "You are his mother. Every star in the galaxy would have to freeze; the entire universe would have to end before he felt anything but love for you."

He hesitated slightly, wincing a little at his own subconscious contribution to blame. "And besides; he is my son. When he gets caught up in his work, he'd forget to eat if Frohad didn't have mandatory meal times."

Despite his assurances, the analytical part of his mind - the one that had made him such a successful lawyer up until now - couldn't help processing the possibilities. What if they had done something? What if they had somehow caused offense to their son; stopped him from loving them? Or worse, what if they hadn't been supportive enough from him, after what had happened? What if their son had simply grown away from them - sought his comfort elsewhere - and he'd turned the wrong way in an hour of need, turning to them instead of his family? What -

"What was Alexander working on at Frohad?" Jacob asked, pushing all the other thoughts in his head aside. "I read that they picked up an Imperial contract." That was about when the letters stopped, his mind hissed, in a conspiratory whisper. "Was he involved with that, at all?"

[Reinhart Thul]

Reinhart lowered his eyes. “At this point in time, I don't know.”

Through its expansion, the Empire had acquired full ownership and control over industries of all kinds. As was to be expected given the current political climate, there were few more lucrative than armour and weapons manufacturers, for whom demand was unlikely to weaken any time soon.

Had it not been for Alexander Tur'enne's association with their organisation, it was unlikely that Thul would have ever so much as known the name of Frohad Galactic Firearms. As for the boy himself, Reinhart's memories were those of a small, smiling child – a child perhaps too small to recall Thul himself, and the many hours he had spent in Alluria's company.

“It might be helpful.. if I could see his letters.”

[Alluria Tur'enne]

Her emotions were conflicted and Alluria had to wonder if it was the presence of her husband, and his arm around her, that was keeping her from showing as much. There was nothing Alluria would not do to keep her children safe, the loss of one made the want to aid the other. But to what end was this all really for? She trusted Reinhart's want to be the one to speak to her regarding the situation was genuine, but Alluria still couldn't help but feel it may have merely been some small kindness that he could offer.

One child ran away to the rebellion, another now "kidnapped" by them. The Tur'ennes were far from supporters of the Empire, but the Rebellion had never received anything portraying an allegiance there either... well, at least as far as the parents went. Charlotte was young when she had left, it was an act that could be written off on foolish Corellian youth. It had come at a high cost, the girl's life, but it didn't raise any red flags. It didn't bring cause for scrutiny of the Tur'ennes in general.

One incident could be looked away from, but two? Both Alexander and Charlotte had been individualistic since young ages, and their parents knew that there was little that either of them could do to influence their children's actual decisions. But did the Empire know such a thing? Was that what Thul was actually here for? To find if Alluria and her husband were supporters of the Rebellion?

The letters from Xander were simple in nature... but if given up would they somehow be twisted? Alluria doubted it would be done by Thul himself, but what of his superiors?

She looked back to Jacob for an answer. He had always been the one to be more clear with his thoughts. They balanced each other perfectly. Whereas she was emotionally charged and impulsive, he was analytical and steadfast. Such a decision would be better decided by a mind such as his.

[Jacob Tur'enne]

Jacob didn't know what thoughts were running through his wife's mind, but he could guess. Alluria would be worrying: in their parenting dynamic, that was what she did. After all, she had pretty much raised Alexander and Charlotte alone, while Jacob had been busy working; or at least, she'd been there for them much more than he'd been able to. That didn't mean he loved them less, or cared less... but his perspective was different. He'd always known that someone would take care of them; and when someone didn't, they'd know how to take care of themselves, thanks to Alluria's nurture.

Yeah, his mind jabbed at him. Because clearly, Charlotte knew exactly how to look after herself when she went and got herself killed.

Silencing the voice in his head, he centred his mind on Reinhart's request for focus. It sounded innocent enough; Jacob knew frontways and backwards just how effective innocuous things like personal letters could be in assessing the mindset of a person. They'd be able to work out if he was under duress; if he was happy; all that kind of stuff. But then, why did it matter? If Xander had been kidnapped, what did it matter what mindset he was in? Surely, they should be pouring over the communications he had received, for evidence that his abductors had made contact with him; subtly discerned his circumstances. The only reason to want his communications -

They think he's a defector. It was obvious; and the very notion filled him with rage. They think he defected on purpose, just like his sister did. And they think his messages to us will prove it.

Jacob's mind raced, running through every trick and technique that he as a District Attorney would encourage the CorSec investigators to employ to make sure they could prove beyond reasonable doubt that Xander was guilty of such. Whether it was true or not was regardless; he didn't doubt that the Empire would fit his son up for such a crime irrespective of his guilt. A defector on the inside made the Imperials look less bad; their security measures became less inept.

Though Jacob had no great love for the Empire, he wasn't a Rebel sympathiser. Regardless of his daughter's association, he found their methods as abhorrent as the Empire's. Even so, he would not see his son's name unjustly attributed to terrorist acts of which he was not guilty. Resolve cemented in his mind, though his carefully deflected gaze hopefully hid it from the Inquisitor in their midsts.

"Who is the lead investigator on the case?" he asked, deflecting Reinhart's request with a question of his own. No doubt the Imperial Security Bureau would be taking an interest in the case, and he somewhat doubted they would be in cooperation with someone of Thul's particular affiliation. "I have some friends and favours I can call in to provide them with any extra resources they'll need to get to the truth of this."

Truth - a hint of extra emphasis made that word resonate. He met Thul's gaze with resolve in his eyes. I love my son, regardless of what he is, or what he believes: but I will not let you, or anyone else, portray him as something he is not.

[Reinhart Thul]

Thul, having already taken a significant risk in coming to the Tur'enne household himself, chose his next words carefully. “That isn't something I can discuss with you.”

With his eyes soberly fixed on Jacob's, his next words went unspoken: surely you must know that. The operations of the Imperial Security Bureau were barely the business of an Inquisitor, let alone a civilian, and to discuss the inner-workings of an active investigation with potential witnesses or – stars forbid – accomplices would have been unacceptable.

Whilst it was Alexander Tur'enne's disappearance that concerned Reinhart foremost, the broader issue of what else had been taken with him was never forgotten. To Thul, with his life in service to the Empire, there were few things so sacred as its security. Even the sight of Alluria's wide, red-ringed eyes was not enough to change that, though he felt a pang of remorse that he hadn't – somehow – been able to save her from another loss, another wound.

“I mean to lead my own investigation,” he added, a long breath in drawing his chest upward and setting his shoulders square once again. “So I'd welcome any help you and your friends have to offer.”

[Alluria Tur'enne]

'I mean to lead my own investigation' Whatever ease could hope to come to Alluria at that time nudged its way into her consciousness at those words. The situation was still far from ideal, and regardless of friendship, she knew that Reinhart would still be fulfilling his duties to the Empire first and foremost. But she also knew him to be one of those who would see things for how they were, not for how someone wanted them to be. The simple fact that Thul welcomed Jacob's offer showed promise.

A soft sigh left her as she attempted to regain control over her emotions that still were verging on the border of concern and a rage-filled despair. Alluria sat up before rising to her feet slowly. Despite the fact that it was all for the best, she couldn't help but feel some sense of defeat that came with her next words.

"I'll... go get the letters."

[Reinhart Thul]

Thul nodded, his lips pressing into a thin, sad semblance of a smile as he watched Alluria go. His focus drifted back to Jacob, whose pale eyes met his for only a moment before drifting away to the view afforded by one of the room's broad windows. Reinhart looked down into his hands, folding them together, and the incongruous memory of Alexander Tur'enne playing with a toy spaceship, whistling as he swooped it around the very room they were sitting in, played in his mind.

“The letters will remain in my keeping, at all times. You have my word,” he said, as he heard Alluria's footsteps echoing in the hollow silence that had filled the Tur'enne family home.

[Jacob Tur'enne]

Conflict flashed behind Jacob's eyes. He wasn't a Rebel or a sympathiser by any stretch of the imagination. It was worse: he was a lawyer. Thus, he trusted no one, save himself: particularly when it came to determining the truth. His work as a District Attorney here on Corellia had to some degree taught him to let go of that lack of faith in the ability of others, but he wouldn't exactly have called it trust. And when a big case came up - something more than the trivial crimes that people were prosecuted for under Corellian law - he couldn't trust anyone but himself to see it through.

People worked their way into that trust of course; Alluria being one of a very select few. His trust in her was total, and all-encompassing: the bedrock of his very faith in reality itself. She was one of the few good souls that he had encountered in his life; he didn't believe in deities, and couldn't rely on the will of the Force, but he did have faith in her. And she, whose judgement he trusted even more than his own, would trust Reinhart.

He nodded, lips drawing into a tight smile. Though his words seemed pathetic and insufficient to his ears, the look in his eyes, the tug of his brow, and the shift in tone of his voice said more to their meaning than mere semantics ever could. "Thank you, Reinhart. You're a good friend."

[Alluria Tur'enne]

It didn't take long for Alluria to return with the letters in hand. She kept them all in the same place, on her bedroom dresser, propped up using her jewelry box as a makeshift bookend. Her hands softly sorted through them on her way back to where the men sat, thumbing through the assortment of flimsiplasts, durasheets, and the odd actual scrap of paper. There was a datapad as well, containing the messages that had come electronically.

The stack was handed gingerly, and with a tiny air of reluctance, to Reinhart before she returned to the seat with her husband. Her back was straight for only a moment before Alluria let herself lean to one side, letting her weight, both physically and mentally, rest upon Jacob.

"That should be all of them." A deep sigh passed her lips as her eyes slowly raised to meet those of her friend's once more. "If there's anything else we can provide that will help bring him home again, let me know."

[Reinhart Thul]

The down-turned smile returned to Thul, as he weighed the letters in his hands. On the top of the pile was a real, old-fashioned slip of paper. He saw only the opening greeting – Hi, mom – in the handwriting that was, although tidier than the crayon scrawls of his childhood, undoutedbly Alexander Tur'enne's.

“This should be all, for now,” he answered, looking back up at Alluria with a slow nod. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small card, with a contact address on it, and slid the card across the table towards the Tur'enne's. His eyes went to Jacob then, sharp with focus. “If you think of something.. anything at all... you contact me. Day or night. Understand?”

[Jacob Tur'enne]

"Of course."

The words tumbled from Jacob's lips almost too easily; not a lie, but certainly a conscious effort to utter the words before his niggling doubts made him hesitate too long. He forced himself to hold Reinhart's gaze, knowing that while the Inquisitor would no doubt be able to read the unease in his eyes, it would be far worse if he looked away, keeping his eyes guarded and evasive.

Though he didn't consciously intend to, his hand crept across to Alluria's his fingers wrapping around hers and offering the closest thing to a reassuring squeeze that he could muster. His eyes glanced in her direction, only for a moment before he spoke again. "Please excuse me," he said, with a note of appology in his tone. "I'm due in a holopresence meeting with the Mayor of Coronet and the Regional Commissioner of CorSec; unfortunately, neither are patient men."

A gentle kiss and a lingering look were offered to Alluria; a simple nod aknowledgement was all that Reinhart recieved. Jacob walked slowly backwards a few paces, allowing his hand to remain in contact with his wife's for a few precious moments longer. Finally he turned, and disappeared towards the stairs, mind already tumbling through what possible options he had.

I'm sorry, Reinhart, he thought, as he climbed the stairway towards his office, Alluria trusts you to do this alone, but this is my son: I can't allow myself to rely on such blind faith.