*Chapter 41: The Interrogation*
Jax stood outside the interrogation room, his eyes fixed on the holographic display projected before him. The display showed Zara and her investors, sitting in a stark, white room, their faces twisted in a mixture of anger and fear.
Arcturus stood beside him, his voice low and urgent as he outlined the plan. "We'll start with Zara. She's the key to unlocking the Empire's secrets."
Jax nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew that they needed to get as much information as they could from Zara and her investors. The fate of the galaxy depended on it.
The door to the interrogation room slid open, and Jax stepped inside, followed by Arcturus and Lyra. Zara looked up, her eyes flashing with anger, but she said nothing.
"Zara, I'm going to give you a chance to cooperate," Jax said, his voice cold and steady. "Tell us everything you know about the Empire's plans, and we'll consider offering you immunity."
Zara laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "You think I'm afraid of you, Jax? I've seen the worst of humanity. You can't scare me."
Jax's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew that Zara was tough, but he also knew that she had a weakness. Her investors.
"Tell me about your investors," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Who are they, and what do they want?"
Zara's eyes flickered, and for a moment, Jax saw a glimpse of fear. But then her mask slipped back into place, and she smiled, a cold, calculating smile.
"You're looking for the people who pulled the strings, Jax? You'll never find them. They're ghosts, whispers in the shadows."
Jax's face twisted in frustration. He knew that Zara was playing games with him, but he also knew that he had to keep pushing.
"Lyra, can you get anything from her?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.
Lyra nodded, her eyes flashing with determination. She stepped forward, her hands moving with a precision that belied her nervous energy.
"I'll get it out of her, Jax," she said, her voice cold and steady.
As Lyra began to work her magic, Zara's mask began to slip, and Jax saw the first glimpses of the woman behind the Empire's facade.
But just as Zara was about to crack, the room erupted into chaos. The lights flickered, and the air was filled with the sound of alarms.
"What the...?" Arcturus's voice trailed off, his eyes fixed on the display.
Jax's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with possibilities. "It's a breach," he said, his voice cold and steady. "The Empire's loyalists are trying to rescue Zara."
The room erupted into chaos, with Lyra and Arcturus rushing to secure the room. Jax's eyes locked with Zara's, and he knew that he had to get her out of there, now.
But as he turned to leave, he saw a figure, standing in the shadows, watching him.
"Who's there?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.
The figure stepped forward, and Jax's eyes widened as he saw who it was.
"Kael," he said, his voice low and urgent. "What's going on?"
Kael's face was twisted in a mixture of anger and fear. "It's the investors, Jax. They're coming for Zara."
Jax's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew that they had to get Zara out of there, now.
But as he turned to leave, he realized that it was too late.
The investors had already arrived.