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Outherns, humanoids with purple skin and red eyes, developed on Ecan 4 and spread to the other planets in the Ecan system. The Ecanians and Outherns often work together, at least they have been arrested by IGA together.
Ardley P’kins
Sentient Cultures of the Galaxy Third Edition
Add to forensics section
Zy realizes that 3 people entered the bloody room and went to Fudlack’s body on feet. The murderer who left also had feet. Strual has leg tentacles and could not be the killer.
“Insult? You have lousy taste in jewelry is an insult.” Xeryl cringed, but Zy ignored him. “Do we need to have a fight to see who has the bigger balls? Mealte has you outnumbered already. Now sit down and answer my questions so I can find out if your alleged suspect is indeed the one responsible!”
“Strual was the last one to see Fudlack, of course he’s guilty.”
Zy sat down with a smile. “Well, now we’re getting somewhere. Does anybody else know he was the last to see Fudlack?”
D’pa frowned harder. “You’re trying to trick me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Xeryl, why did D’pa call you?”
“I was working on a partnership with Fudlack. He wanted to make sure I would deal with him as head of the organization.” Xeryl remained standing.
“No need to get upset about that. Sit down, you’re going to be uncomfortable standing like that for a while. Now, does anybody else know he was the last to see Fudlack?”
“The bodyguards did.” D’pa pulled his arm out from under his jacket and sat down. Mealte stood up, but remained beside Zy’s chair.
“Did? Why don’t they know anymore?”
“It is possible that they do, but unless you can talk to dead beings, you will not know.”
“The murderer didn’t kill them because you found them still guarding. What happened to them?”
“They were executed for failing Fudlack.”
“Executed! You don’t execute eyewitnesses!”
“Zy,” Xeryl said.
“Did you bother asking them what they had seen before it was off with their heads?”
D’pa folded his arms across his chest. “All they remembered was Strual coming and leaving before I did.”
“What did you do with Strual?”
“He was found while I was dealing with Xeryl. Xeryl told me of the other crimes, and asked that we hold Strual for you. He is under guard.”
“Great, I’ll need to see him next. Can you think of any reason why anyone would want to kill Fudlack?”
“Strual claims innocence.”
“Anybody, not just Strual.”
“There is always death on Ecan 2, but Fudlack was so feared, no one would want to be the attempter of physical death.”
“How many people went into Fudlack’s office after he died?”
“Just myself and the guards.”
Zy stared at D’pa’s red eyes. And just how did he feel as the second-in-command, now the leader of the organization? But that would make this an internal affair, and none of these murders felt like in-fighting. Nobody took over the leadership vacuum left by Cobaine, unless they migrated the whole operation. “Thank you for your coorperation, D’pa. Can I speak with Strual now?”
D’pa led them to a door flanked by two Outherns armed with knives and laser rifles. “Strual is in there.”
“Just two guards?” Zy raised her eyebrows.
D’pa didn’t answer, just entered the code that slid the metal door open. “just knock when you’ve had enough of his whimpering.”
Zy moved past Xeryl and stepped into the room. Mealte practically stepped in her footprints. Xeryl dodged inside before the door slid shut.
“Things will be more interesting on this side.” He said with a grin at her questioning glance.
Zy rolled her eyes with a sigh and turned her attention to the occupant of the room. An Ecanian about three feet tall—much shorter than the others she had seen—perched on a stone stool. His arm tentacles rested on the carved stone table and he kept plaiting and undoing his finger tentacles together. His dun colored skin flaked around his beak and eyes. His leg tentacles dangled from the stool. His course tunic lacked the rich, braided trim of Fudlack’s.
She sat down on the uncushioned stool at the other end of the table. “Hello, Strual. I am IGA Agent Zy. What can you tell me about what happened to Fudlack?”
“I didn’t kill him!” Strual’s finger tentacles hit the table. His beak clicked together a few times before he continued. “D’pa doesn’t believe me. You won’t believe me either. IGA wants to destroy us.”
“I’m not an exterminator. And maybe IGA wouldn’t be so down on you Ecanians if you didn’t slaughter any tourist that happens to land in your system.” Zy propped her elbows on the table and her stomach bruises ached. She sat back up reluctantly. “Now why don’t you start with telling me what happened in your meeting with Fudlack?”
Strual’s beak clicked rapidly.
Zy smirked. “You know, D’pa called you a whiner, but he didn’t warn us you’re stupid.”
“What do you mean?” His arm tentacle dropped down to his waist before bringing it back to the table with a thump.
“Fudlack is dead, D’pa is going to kill you, we’re your chance to save your life, and you won’t tell us anything.” Xeryl leaned against the table beside Zy. “Fair summation of stupidity to me.”
Xeryl must have just the right stance to convince someone like Strual because he finally stopped clicking his beak. “I had an appointment with Fudlack to discuss my last assignment at 20 local hours last night. We talked for half of an hour before Goumbi interrupted us. He insisted I needed to leave, so Fudlack said we would continue our meeting in the morning. I went home. The guards dragged me from bed around 1 local hours. D’pa said I am a liar and I killed Fudlack.”
“Who’s Goumbi?” Zy rested her hands on the table.
Strual waved his finger tentacles. “Low level, but higher than me. I don’t know why Goumbi would not tell him he went to Fudlack’s office. He saved D’pa decapitation, and D’pa blamed the whole incident on me.”
“Really?” Xeryl’s eyes opened wide. “I didn’t realize D’pa could be petty. Whatever did you do?”
Strual wrapped his leg tentacles around the column of stone he sat on. “No, I won’t tell of my shame to outsiders.”
“You would think D’pa would be a lot less eager to prescribe execution if he was almost executed himself,” Zy said.
“But it works so well,” Xeryl answered.
“Did anybody see you go home early?”
“Do you think D’pa would keep me here if anyone did? I only saw the guards.”
“They’re not going to be much help.” Zy bit her bottom lip. A forensic processing of Strual’s home would be the final cinch that he hadn’t gone into the bloody room or been present for Fudlack’s head explosion. But she didn’t want to waste the time. What if Goumbi was getting away? “We better go talk to Goumbi.”
Xeryl looked puzzled but knocked on the door.
The vehicle stopped on the dusty street in front of a two story syntha-wood town house.
“I do not see the sense in this. Goumbi swore he did not go to Fudlack’s office.” D’pa climbed out of the vehicle and waited for them.
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