While Avery and Kasandra were still off in the Prazan System wrapping up the energy lifeform emergency, certain machinations were moving forward back on Yuson II.
"Sir, what’s the meaning of this?"
Having stormed into her superior’s office, Sergeant Jasmine Iralus was visibly upset. When she had been reviewing files on the case surrounding Avery and the ship he found, SCXD-011, the data had suddenly been restricted and subsequently erased.
When she searched for where the orders for this had come from, she found that it led back to her captain.
"Oh, had you still been working on that?" Captain Varnas said disinterestedly. "I suppose the order to have it expunged from our records came before the one meant for you."
Jasmine was visibly confused, but Varnas elaborated and gave her the order she was soon to receive in person.
"Sergeant Iralus, you are hereby ordered to cease investigation on case number 1384917 and turn over all relevant materials. I believe that you have the data you downloaded from the ships relating to the person of interest in this case on an external drive. From both the one he sold and the one he is currently in possession of."
Nodding her head, Jasmine acknowledged that she had indeed created backups for the information pertaining to the deaths of seven Storren Corp. employees. One of which was most likely the murderer of the other six.
She had taken particular interest in this case because she knew from the start that it was the type that could easily get twisted by outside influence. This went against Jasmine’s personal code. She had become a police officer because she believed in upholding law and justice. Some even called her naive for these views.
"Sir, this case was brought to us by a citizen of this station. It should wholly be in our jurisdiction to handle. Why is everything being erased like it never happened?"
Captain Varnas sighed before responding.
"Orders from above. Apparently, evidence that the crime originated in another sector has come to light, and the deputy chief in charge there is having the case transferred over. It’s hardly a matter worth getting upset over. You’ve got other more pressing things to work on. Let them handle that headache."
"Enough Sergeant! You’ve received your orders. Now I want those external drives handed over directly to me. You’re to have nothing else to do with this matter. Am I clear?"
"Understood." Jasmine responded bitterly.
As she was about to leave, Captain Varnas called in another sergeant to essentially escort her to retrieve the drives. He knew that this business stunk just as much as Jasmine did, but he had been offered a recommendation for promotion if he eased the transfer of jurisdiction. Something he was not going to pass up on. Especially since disagreeing would make the enemy of a rising start deputy chief.
When she left her superior’s office, one of his most trusted lapdogs, Sergeant Reus Putain was waiting outside to meet her.
"It’s been too long, Jasmine. How have you been doing?"
Fighting to keep her lips from twisting into a grimace, she replied, "I’ve been well for the most part, Putain. And I believe that I asked you to stay professional when we are in the office and call me by my last name."
"Oh, don’t be like that, Jasmine. We’ve known each other since basic training." Putain said, moving closer to Jasmine. Uncomfortably so in her opinion.
While Reus was an exemplary sergeant who led his squad of officers well and often competed for the spot of most closed cases with Jasmine, he had a certain reputation.
It was basically an open secret that he was extremely promiscuous. To the point that him sleeping with a certain lieutenant was rumored to be what had gotten him to his current position.
Obviously, Jasmine was quite attractive and had been in his sights since they first met. Though she had never gone along with any of his advances. At the very least, he was not the type to try and coerce others with status or intimation, so he never took things too far. He prided himself on his looks and charms, so stooping to other methods to get what he wanted would go against his pride.
Still, he liked to act overly familiar, as if he could wear her down. Likely because he had done so in the past.
"I don’t really need an escort to go and retrieve a few data drives from my quarters." Jasmine complained, hoping to get Reus to let her go the rest of the way on her own.
"Sorry, captain’s orders. Plus, I’ve always wondered what your room looks like."
Holding in a disgruntled sigh, Jasmine racked her brain for some way to prevent the worst from happening. She could see the writing on the wall. Avery was going to get blamed for a crime he did not commit. Just so that some greedy executive from Storren Corp. could get their hands back on the property they lost.
However, what she did not know what that it was actually an entirely unrelated third party that initiated this set up. Of course, Storren Corp. were more than happy to go along if it meant retrieving their experimental vessel.
’I promised him that I’d make sure the law was followed. Nothing linking him to the crime came up in my investigation. He physically could not have taken part since he was on this station when the initial crime was committed. I can’t let him be accused of something he didn’t do.’
Eventually, Jasmine came up with a plan to help Avery out. It would be going against orders and technically illegal, but she felt that committing a far lesser evil to prevent a total miscarriage of justice was acceptable under the circumstances.
Still, she needed to stall for time and get away from her chaperone for a couple of minutes.
Fortunately, they passed by a certain facility that would allow her the perfect excuse. Although it would be a bit embarrassing. Especially considering who she was with.