TITLE: In the End
AUTHOR: Xehra xehra1@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Drama - murder mystery. Way AU. Non-slash.
RATING: PG-13 for dark themes and violence (nothing too graphic)
CHARACTERS: Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, Qui-Gon
ARCHIVE: Thousand Fountains, Wolfie's Den. Anyone else, feel free, just
drop me a line so I can visit.
DISCLAIMER: The venerable George Lucas owns Star Wars and its characters,
not me. Jude Watson owns Tahl. I make no money from this story. The
lyrics come from the song "In the end" by Linkin Park.
WARNING: *Major character death* and murder of a JA books character.
Seriously, if you can't deal with dead Jedi, don't read this.
SPOILERS: For the JA books up to "The Death of Hope". Basically you need to
pretend that the 'big thing' that happened around about then didn't happen
as Jude Watson said it did.
SUMMARY: A Jedi Knight has been found dead, and it is up to Mace and Obi-
Wan to investigate the shocking crime.
FEEDBACK: Please! Always appreciated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I put my trust in you Pushed as far as I can go And for all this There's only one thing you should know I tried so hard And got so far But in the end It doesn't even matter I had to fall And lose it all But in the end It doesn't even matter - "In the End", Linkin Park ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PART I
Silence reigned in this part of the Temple, occasionally disturbed by hesitant footsteps and the soft murmur of robes brushing floors.
In a white room with steel furniture a tall man stood stooped, beside a cold slab.
He looked down at the pale features revealed by the Healer as the sheet was drawn back. More serene in death than in life, the woman's expression was peaceful. In stark contrast, the head trauma that had caused her death was plain. Though the blood had been wiped away, a large gash remained, stretching from above her right eyebrow up past her hairline. It was, however, easy for Mace Windu to identify her.
"Goodbye, Tahl," he said softly.
*****
Obi-Wan Kenobi heard the doorchime to the quarters he shared with his Master. Emerging from the 'fresher, he rubbed his spiky wet hair with a towel as he went to see who it was, the end of his slim braid making a small damp spot where it rested against his shoulder.
Qui-Gon had answered the door already, inviting in the imposing figure of his friend Mace. Speaking quietly, the tall, dark man stood with an unusual awkwardness, and Obi-Wan immediately sensed something was wrong.
The young Jedi instinctively reached out through his Force-bond to his Master. A heartbeat later a strong wall of pain and hurt threw Obi-Wan back with a violence that made him flinch. Reeling with second-hand emotion, the Padawan struggled to understand what was happening.
Qui-Gon abruptly strode from the living area, his long stride uncharacteristically jerky. The Padawan turned his questioning gaze to the other Master.
"What has happened?"
The Council member's expression betrayed emotion for the first time since his arrival. His eyes brimmed with sympathy and unshed tears, but when he spoke his voice was strong.
"It's Tahl," he said simply. "She's. dead, Obi-Wan. This morning."
Obi-Wan could only stare blankly. "Tahl?" he ventured finally.
Suddenly, gripped by the urgent desire to see his Master, he ran past Mace into Qui-Gon's room. The Jedi Master was silhouetted against the glass window, a stolid tower of quiet, still as stone.
Obi-Wan slowed and approached the last few steps hesitantly. His Master's shoulders conveyed every ounce of the grief that weighed upon them.
"Master?" asked the Padawan quietly. He placed one hand on Qui-Gon's arm. It was shaking almost imperceptibly.
The tall Jedi finally turned towards Obi-Wan, but it was clear his eyes did not really see the 20-year-old that stood before him. In their depths his student saw only the reflection of pain.
Qui-Gon's lips parted soundlessly as the Jedi Master groped for words to encompass all that he felt. He gave up.
"Obi-Wan," he said instead in a voice thick with emotion. His hand moved to cover his Padawan's, squeezing hard. Here was something real, something to hold on to. Obi-Wan would not leave him, wouldn't leave him all alone like Tahl.
Obi-Wan did not answer, he simply took his Master's other hand in his own and stood staring up into Qui-Gon's eyes.
They stood like that for a long time, a frozen tableau of grief. Mace watched them for a while from the doorway, and then left to give them some time alone, time to absorb the tragedy. If that was possible.
Mace's departure seemed to break the paralysis that gripped the two, and Obi-Wan moved forward in one smooth movement. Qui-Gon's arms opened to engulf his Padawan in a tight hug, the damp braid leaving a watermark on the taller man's robe also.
Mace left Qui-Gon's quarters to go to the Council's rooms. He had only delayed this long to make sure Obi-Wan was there for his Master, not wanting to leave his long-time friend alone at a time like this. But Mace was not just a friend, he was a Council Member, and a Jedi Knight had just been murdered. The very foundations of the Temple shook with the ramifications of this event.
As he strode the vaulted hallways of the ancient home of the Jedi, Mace was haunted by one image; the two men closest to Tahl, silhouetted against the window. One tall and stooped, the other still uncomprehending but resolute, their hands clasped in the stillness of the moment.
*****
"Then agreed we are?" asked Yoda quietly.
The other Councillors looked first at each other, and finding in each other's eyes the same resolve, nodded. Murmured agreements escaped learned lips.
"I will lead the inquiry then," said Mace, fingers steepled in front of his chest. "I request that the Council grant that Obi-Wan Kenobi assists me in finding Knight Tahl's killer."
"Why the Padawan? Why not the Master?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi.
Mace shook his head sadly. "Qui-Gon is too stricken with grief. The boy was less close to her and may provide clearer insight."
Yoda nodded. "Very well. Help you, Kenobi will, to bring the assassin to justice. But know of this terrible tragedy, outside of the Temple, no one shall."
"We do not want to involve the planetary security forces?"
The wizened Jedi shook his head decisively. "A Jedi matter this is. Deal with it in our own way, we shall."
*****
Back in his living quarters, an agitated Obi-Wan paced restlessly. When Mace arrived, he made them both a hot drink and they sat quietly for a few mintues.
"And Qui-Gon?" asked Mace finally, a mountain of concern behind that one question.
Obi-Wan put down his cup and stared into the steaming liquid. "He's still in his room. He will not let go of this holo-still of he and Tahl, one from a state dinner they went to last month. I tried to get it off him but. the look he gave me... I thought he was going to hit me."
Tortured blue eyes met Mace's. Help me help him, they pleaded silently.
"The Council has agreed that the investigation should be internal. They do not want anyone outside the Temple involved yet, Obi-Wan. I have been charged with finding Tahl's murderer," Mace paused, trying to gauge the young man's reaction to his next request. "Will you help me?"
Obi-Wan looked confused, then his expression settled quickly into calm resolve. "Where do we start?" he asked quietly.
TBC.
PART II
The story had spread like wildfire through the usually quiet halls of the Temple. The blind Knight Tahl, so loved by all who knew her, had been found dead in her quarters. She'd fallen in the night, hitting her head on a stone table.
Those closer to her spoke of it in voices full of unshed tears. Quietly, they exchanged another, less-known fact. That Tahl had been pushed.
In two days of intense searching, no new clues had been found. Obi-Wan and Mace had scoured the dead woman's quarters and the hallways near it, finding nothing of any help.
Tahl's faithful protocol droid, assigned to her after her mission to Melida/Daan had left her without sight, had been found in a cupboard with its electrical innards ripped out.
The Knight had been truly alone then, on the night in question.
Attempts by the Temple's best sensitives in the Living Force to find traces of the killer in the apartment were also futile. Whoever had been there had been shielding carefully.
Mace had dismissed immediately the chance that Tahl's death had been completely accidental. The Knight had been blind for long enough not to be stumbling around her own living quarters. The dark would not have bothered her; Tahl's world was an eternal night.
"She must have gotten out of bed for some reason," said Obi-Wan. He and Mace were set up in one of the private chambers used for conferences on the Temple's upper level. "Heard a noise. Gone to investigate. Why else would she be up at that hour?"
Mace twirled a stylus in his fingers, leaning back into his chair. "For the same reasons you and I might, Padawan. To relieve herself. To get a glass of water. Couldn't sleep. Any number of reasons."
"But if the killer had been planning to make her death look like an accident, to push her, he or she wouldn't have wanted to count on the off- chance she might get thirsty. They would have had to lure her out," countered Obi-Wan.
"Which brings us again to the question of how they got into the room in the first place. The alarms would have been triggered if the door was forced, which means whoever it was knew her code. Not a very reassuring thought."
Obi-Wan got up from his chair. "But we *have* to consider that the culprit may have been one of us! Who else has the freedom of movement within the Temple? There have been no visitors lately, and no one from outside could have possibly breached our security. No!" he banged one fist into the other palm. "It *has* to be a Jedi, as distasteful as that fact is to face."
Mace looked at him, his expression unreadable. "Then there is one among us who has turned," he said simply.
The two men looked at each other, fighting the chill of fear that accompanied that statement. It would not be the first time a Dark Jedi had been trained within the Temple walls. But it was the first time they had killed before the danger was spotted. Mace was determined to find the traitor before they did it again.
Obi-Wan sat down again, his sigh dissolving the tension of the moment. "But how do we find them? There must be a thousand Jedi in various stages of training in the Temple. How do we find the one who has embraced the Dark Path?"
"We look," replied Mace, as if the answer was obvious.
*****
Disheartened, the pair interviewed everyone possibly connected to Tahl's death for a second time.
Although the first round of interviews had yielded nothing helpful, Mace was confident that with the benefit of a day's thought, some people might remember more.
And so they grilled Tahl's neighbours, Knights and Masters closest to her, her students, her former teachers, students who had snuck through that hall very late on the night in question and even the cleaning droids who polished the marble floors at midnight.
After fruitless hours, Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair and agitatedly ran his fingers through his spiked hair. He sighed loudly.
Mace checked his datapad. "Last one. Young Padawan, blind from birth. Used to go to Tahl for advice from time to time. Quite good friends."
"I remember her," replied Obi-Wan. "She was very upset when we last interviewed her."
"Nevertheless. " Mace trailed off as the conference room slid open and the girl hesitantly came into the room.
She was nervous, but not awkward. She confidently moved herself to the chair opposite the two Jedi and folded her hands in her lap. Obi-Wan experienced a twinge of grief. The way she moved reminded him so much of Tahl. The blind Master had once told Obi-Wan that to be blind to the world was not to be blind to the Force. She had obviously taught this young Padawan how to 'see' objects in her mind, and it leant a certain grace to her movements. The girl's face was a polite, attentive mask as she waited for them to begin.
When neither of the men spoke, she cleared her throat. "You wished to speak with me again, Master Windu?" the Padawan addressed herself to the Councillor as the highest-ranking Jedi in the room, but somehow managed to include Obi-Wan in the greeting.
"We do, Nerina. We were hoping you may have remembered something since our last meeting. Anything that may be pertinent to our investigation."
While the girl considered, Obi-Wan drew up his notes from the last time they had spoken to Nerina on his datapad. Frowning, he saw nothing that warranted any further questioning and suppressed a faint twinge of annoyance at Mace for insisting on seeing *everyone* again.
Meanwhile, Nerida pursed her lips, her sightless eyes looking across the room past Mace's shoulder. The older man waited patiently.
/She knows something. /
His instinct was borne out when she finally spoke.
"Master Tahl told me a lot of things. We often spoke, you see - for hours, even. Kindred spirits and all that. Yesterday, when you asked me if I knew of anyone that would want to harm her, I immediately said no. Who would want to harm Tahl? She was so beautiful and good. " Nerina trailed off, blinking back unshed tears.
Obi-Wan and Mace tactfully allowed her a moment to gather her thoughts.
Nerina shut her unseeing eyes, as if what she was recalling was painful to her. "But last night, when I was thinking of all the conversations we had had, I remembered something. Something. worrying. I had thought nothing of it at the time, but now it troubles me."
Mace glanced quickly at Obi-Wan and leaned forward, careful not to show his eagerness. "Yes?"
Nerina opened her eyes, biting her lip momentarily. "Well, once, when we were talking about. well, boys. " A pause for the girl's fleeting blush to subside. "You see, I had this crush on this boy in my class. Anyway, Tahl was warning me about not taking it too far. About. becoming obsessive, as it were. She told me she had known many girls and women become imbalanced by the force of their infatuations. She said knew of a girl in this very Temple who was in danger of just that. "
Obi-Wan couldn't help himself. "This girl. What does she have to do with Tahl's death?" He failed to see where this tale was going, and was growing impatient.
Nerina shook her head sadly. "Nothing, hopefully. She was in love with a Master. A prominent Master, who already had a partner. Tahl said she was very worried about this girl, and hoped to help her get over her crush. But when I say girl, I'm only quoting Tahl. I gathered she was a Knight, so she must have been in her twenties, at least."
"And who was the Master, Nerina? Did Tahl tell you?" Mace asked quietly.
"Yes," replied the girl quietly. Her hands twisted in her lap. Finally, she seemed to gather the courage to tell them. "Qui-Gon Jinn. she was obsessed with Master Jinn."
TBC.
PART III
The Padawan Nerina had not known the name of the Knight in question, but a few discreet questions among the third-years had yielded results.
Obi-Wan concluded that although she had hidden her infatuation well, her growing obsession with the tall, dashing, handsome Jedi Master had not escaped her friends' notice. The girl's name was Jirri Decara.
A quick search of the Temple's records indicated that Jirri was away on an intensive training course but had left only yesterday.
"Do you really think. ?" Obi-Wan questioned Mace as they strode towards the Padawan's room in the East Wing, notably only two floors up from Tahl's.
"Think what? That she was capable of violence?" countered Mace calmly.
"Well. " Obi-Wan was frowning. "Yes. I mean, there's liking someone, and then there's *really* liking someone. It's a long way from a crush to homicide."
"Her room will tell us much."
They reached the door they were searching for and entered a master code. A few moments later, they stood in Knight Decara's small living quarters.
At first glance, there was nothing unusual to see. The small couch was positioned in front of the data projector, and a tiny kitchenette was partitioned off to one side of the room. In the opposite wall was the doorway to the bedroom.
Stepping through that doorway, Obi-Wan hastily called up the lights, then stood in frozen amazement.
Coming up behind him, Mace noticed the Padawan's stiff body posture and smelled pay-dirt.
"What is it?"
Obi-Wan stepped aside. "See for yourself."
The bedroom, like the whole apartment, was tiny, but full of paraphernalia. Jirri obviously liked astronomy, because there were charts of star systems tacked to the ceiling and models of galaxies balanced precariously on the bookshelf. But it was the walls to which the eyes were immediately drawn.
There were pictures and articles all over them, hard copies of data readouts and flimplasts of mission reports.
Stepping closer to one of them, Mace recognised the distinctive profile of Qui-Gon in the background of a group shot taken of a diplomatic team on Alderaan. Next to it was an article about complex negotiations being carried out on Malastare, with Qui-Gon mentioned as heading a team of Jedi Knights sent to help.
Casting his eye quickly over the other things plastered on the four walls, Mace's brain raced. They were all about Qui-Gon.
"Look at this."
Obi-Wan had moved to the desk and picked up a small holo-projector. It was the kind Knights took on missions to send back reports to the Temple. They were sized to fit easily into the palm of the hand, but capable of storing many messages.
As Mace stepped closer to have a look, Obi-Wan pressed the playback button. Instantly, a miniature Qui-Gon appeared, projected onto the desktop. Bowing, the Master delivered what was evidently a report to the Council about he and Obi-Wan's last mission.
"Now how could she access that?" wondered Mace aloud as his friend delivered a very dry monologue on the political situation of some outer Rim planet.
"It's possible, with the right codes. Padawans are always trying to hack into the Temple mainframe. Accessing mission reports wouldn't be that hard," replied Obi-Wan distractedly. He was fiddling with the controls on the holo-projector. "There's a few more like that one in here. According to the stats on this thing, they've been played over 300 times."
"Well," said Mace, suddenly tired. "I guess this confirms what Nerina said. The girl was definitely obsessed."
"Not arguing with you there. But like I said before, obsession is one thing. Murder is quite another. I feel no traces of the Dark Side here. Just. longing, and hope. And heartache."
Mace nodded. The residual emotions in the room were not hard to sense.
"Let's get a droid in here to chronicle all this. She may be just a lovesick Knight, but she's still our best suspect so far. When she gets back, Knight Decara is going to have to answer some very awkward questions."
*****
When he went back to his quarters, Obi-Wan saw his Master's door was shut as it had been for the past two days. The Padawan was beginning to worry about Qui-Gon. As far as Obi-Wan knew, he hadn't eaten since Mace had brought the terrible news.
Undeterred, he knocked and entered despite the lack of reply. As he expected, Qui-Gon was sitting in the dark, a holo-still of he and Tahl in his lap. His face turned towards his Padawan as Obi-Wan sat on the end of the bed.
Obi-Wan hated to do it, but he and Mace had decided that they had to ask Qui-Gon if he knew about Jirri, and how Tahl knew about the obsessed Knight.
"Master?" asked Obi-Wan quietly.
Qui-Gon's expression didn't change. He regarded his apprentice with an unreadable expression. "Yes?" he replied, his voice husky.
"Master, we searched a girl's room today. Jirri Decara. A Knight. Do you know her?"
Qui-Gon looked down, then towards the window. After a moment he spoke. "I know of her. Tahl mentioned her once."
"Tahl told you about her? About her. liking you?"
Another pause. "Yes."
Obi-Wan pursed his lips. He was unsure whether to push any further. Qui- Gon looked on the verge of retreating back into the private world he had created to escape his shattering grief. Finally the Padawan cleared his throat. "Did Tahl ever to mention how she came to know about Jirri?"
Qui-Gon closed his eyes and Obi-Wan was afraid he would not answer. The Jedi Master's hands gripped the holo-still tighter. "She caught her once, trying to break into the access panel for this room. Jirri ran away, but Tahl figured it out. The girl was always following us around."
TBC. PART IV
Cooped up in the conference room with Mace and Jirri Decara a day later, Obi-Wan was beginning to feel sorry for the young woman. They'd been grilling her for hours, and she'd been alternately sobbing and yelling for most of that time.
Now, she had retreated into defiant silence, arms folded across her body and hunched into her chair as if to hide in its curves.
The young woman was a red-headed firebrand, Obi-Wan had concluded. Her bright green eyes had flashed with anger when she'd been told how her room had been searched. Drawing herself up to an impressive height, her fair skin had flushed red with fury then embarrassment as she realized the situation she was in.
Mace had not hidden from her the fact that she was a suspect. He'd told Obi-Wan prior to their interview with Jirri that he hoped to startle her into a confession. It hadn't worked. Her impassioned denials of having anything to do with the murderous act still echoed in Obi-Wan's head.
Now, both physically and emotionally exhausted from the intense questioning she'd been subject to from Mace and Obi-Wan, Jirri retreated behind her shields and refused to utter another word.
Giving up, Mace allowed her to be escorted from the room by a pair of burly Knights. She would be taken to a secure room in the top levels of the Council's tower.
The older Jedi rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. They'd never before had need of security guards or a prison cell at the Temple.
"Her story has a ring of truth about it," observed Obi-Wan as he stood up and walked over to turn up the dim lights. They'd been using the time- honoured 'spotlight' technique on Jirri, quite uselessly as it turned out. She was, after all, a Knight, and trained to withstand much worse methods of interrogation.
"Agreed. Her shock and surprise at hearing of Tahl's death were real, I felt. That alone may exonerate her."
"She did not try to deny the strength of her infatuation with Qui-Gon though. She should definitely see the Healers about it. But we cannot dismiss her altogether. As you said yesterday, she's the only suspect we have."
"True. We have yet to check her alibi for that night, anyway. Speaking of Qui-Gon. how is he, Obi-Wan?"
Mace's expression was full of concern. He had visited his good friend every day since he had brought him the terrible news, but failed to be able to draw him into any conversation.
Obi-Wan sat down again, heavily. He rested his head in on one hand, trying to massage away the headache that was beginning to pound in his temples.
"He's not good, Mace. He hasn't come out of his room yet. I cannot entice him to bathe, or change clothes. It's been three days!" The Padawan paused, obviously picturing his Master, alone in his room at this moment. "He will eat a few bites of whatever food I bring him, but will not stir from his chair. He just sits there, clutching a holo-still of he and Tahl and as far as I can tell, does not sleep." Though he tried to remain impassive as he spoke, the Padawan's voice was strained. He looked up at Mace. "I do not know what to do, Mace. I cannot reach him!"
His voice broke at this last and he fought back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. Struggling to maintain the stoic Jedi facade that had carried him this far, the Padawan buried his head in his hands.
After a moment he felt the weight of a hand on his shoulder. It was Mace, awkward in the role of comforter.
"It's ok, Kenobi. He'll come around. He just has to deal with things in his own way. In fact, I have seen him like this before. "
"When?" asked the younger Jedi, unconsciously letting hope enter his heart.
"Before you were apprenticed to him. When Xanatos. turned. It was the same. His heart was broken and he did not stir from his room for many days."
Something untranslatable flashed in Obi-Wan's eyes, an emotion that flared and was gone too quickly for Mace to catch. The Padawan's shoulder muscles tightened under the Master's hand and the young man's fists balled unconsciously.
"Xanatos. " whispered Obi-Wan vehemently. The name was spoken with such venom that Mace was surprised at the anger suddenly radiating from his young friend.
/He has been through much. and is upset about his Master. That is all./
"He will get better, I know it," Mace said aloud, as much to reassure himself as the heartsore Padawan. "You'll see."
*****
Mace's prediction turned out to be true. Qui-Gon emerged from his self- imposed exile the next day. Haggard and pale, the tall Jedi stepped into the living area of the quarters he shared with his Padawan.
Obi-Wan was startled by his Master's light tread and spun to see Qui-Gon standing quietly near the couch.
"Master!" The cry, mingled surprise and relief, escaped before he could stop it.
Qui-Gon merely smiled faintly. "Hello, Padawan," he said.
Approaching, Obi-Wan could not stop his happiness showing. "Master, I. can I get you anything?" The joy he felt at this first step towards normal life welled up in him, but he was concerned as well.
Qui-Gon shook his head. The Master's movements were small, precise and somehow timid, as if afraid to break through the wall of grief he had surrounded himself with. "No, thank you Padawan. I am fine. Really." The look in his eyes conveyed another layer of meaning.
Obi-Wan let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, then smiled. Things were going to be alright, after all. Qui-Gon had as good as said so.
They sat together for the long evening that followed, with Obi-Wan explaining all that he and Mace had done, and what they had found. At other times, they sat in companionable silence, the Padawan content to simply be in his Master's company and draw strength from it. Obi-Wan fairly revelled in Qui-Gon's return to the world of the living, and thanked the Force many times that he had his Master back, just like before.
TBC. PART V
The fourth day of life without Tahl drew to a close with a fiery sunset. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan left their quarters at twilight to attend the funeral. Making their way down to the great meditation garden that spanned an acre of precious Coruscant real estate, they found they were not the first to arrive.
A few Jedi already stood next to the pyre that had been built to hold the Knight's body. Draped in her formal robes, Tahl seemed so much smaller than before, and her graceful, white hands were folded on her chest in a pose that reminded Obi-Wan of serenity, and peace. In the flickering light of the surrounding torches, her porcelain features were achingly beautiful.
The Healers had done their work well, and the head injury that had ended her life no longer marred her skin.
Yoda and Mace stood to one side, talking quietly. When they saw Qui-Gon and his Padawan approaching, they came forward to clasp hands, but refrained from speech. Obi-Wan was grateful that his Master could momentarily escape the pain of mouthed platitudes and Jedi with eyes brimming with sympathy, as if they could somehow ease his grief.
Soon more people arrived; Masters, Knights and Padawans came to stand in a quiet semi-circle around the bier. Qui-Gon was afforded the place of honour at its centre, flanked by Obi-Wan and Mace. As with all Temple- trained Jedi, Tahl had no direct links with her former family, but the lack of blood relatives did not seem to matter. The silent crowd that gathered to pay their last respects had been family more than the ones who gave her life. Now they honoured her in death.
Yoda stepped forward to deliver a short eulogy, then heads were bowed as Qui-Gon was handed a torch. Full dark had fallen, and the orange light played across his jaw. Stepping forward, he raised the brand high for a moment in a last benediction, then brought it down to touch the sleeve of Tahl's robe.
As the fire leaped high, throwing sparks into the night, Obi-Wan looked at his Master, and his heart wept for the anguish in the eyes of Qui-Gon Jinn.
*****
The next morning, Obi-Wan noticed the distance that had separated him from Qui-Gon in the aftermath of Tahl's death had grown again. For some reason, his Master's mind was closed to him, despite the progress he felt they'd made before the funeral. Qui-Gon was silent as they ate breakfast, and Obi- Wan did not have the courage to ask him what was wrong.
/He touched a torch to the pyre of his love last night. Of course he is upset./
After they had eaten, Qui-Gon hurriedly excused himself and retreated to his room. Watching him go, his apprentice felt his heart twist in his chest and vowed he would get his old Master back.
Leaving their quarters, Obi-Wan met Mace to re-interview Jirri Decara, but found nothing that they had not discovered before. Her alibi had checked out - two friends had confirmed she had been at the theatre with them on the night in question.
Grudgingly, Mace decided that she was innocent. Neither he or Obi-Wan could detect the slightest aura of ill-intent in her. Still distressed over what she had been accused of and her room being searched, Jirri was sent to the Healer's wing for psychiatric help, comforted somewhat by the fact that she had been exonerated.
When she had gone, the two Jedi looked at each other, dejected. Ready to declare defeat but unwilling to speak the words, Mace twirled a stylus between his fingers.
"Well?" asked Obi-Wan finally.
Mace sighed, grimacing. "We have to close the investigation. Tell the authorities it was an accidental death. After all, it is only our supposition that she did not trip and fall."
The Padawan shook his head. "We all know she didn't trip. She may have been blind, but it was her own apartment. She knew there was a step there. And her droid was gutted. I can never believe it wasn't murder, Mace."
"Neither will I, Obi-Wan. But we can find no evidence to connect anyone to it. I cannot understand it! No one can commit a crime such as this and leave no trace of it behind!"
"A Jedi could," replied Obi-Wan quietly.
Mace stared at him for a moment. "Yes. We have had to consider that from the start. But I could not bring myself to quite believe it. A student maybe. When we thought it was Jirri I was appalled that a fully-fledged Knight might have turned. But now, I see that it must have been a Jedi of considerable talent to leave no trace of themselves, nor the Dark Side, behind."
"Indeed," was all Obi-Wan said.
The Council debated the matter for that entire afternoon, and by the time they reached a consensus to abandon the investigation into Tahl's death but remain vigilant for a possible Dark Jedi in their midst, Mace was exhausted.
Retiring to his quarters, he tried to get some much-needed sleep. Tossing and turning on his sleeping couch, he went over and over the crime in his mind, trying to glimpse something he had not seen before.
But he was positive he'd explored it from every angle. It was obviously a 'crime of passion', as they called it on those cheesy daytime dramas. He couldn't imagine anyone wanting Tahl 'removed' for business matters. There was simply no profit to be made from the death of a penniless Knight. What was the motive for this violent crime?
Someone had hated her so much, or was so jealous of her, or envious, that they had to kill her.
An alarm bell pealed faintly in one corner of his mind, but Mace found himself slipping into sleep. Despite his attempts to catch this last, vital thought before he succumbed to slumber, its meaning slipped through his mental fingers and was lost in the still of the night.
*****
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat bolt upright in his bed, gasping. A terrible feeling, striking his very core, had woken him from deep sleep.
Turning on the lamp with a thought, he blinked in the soft light, every sense alert. But there was no danger here.
Reaching out across his training bond, the Padawan realised that something was wrong - very wrong.
He leapt up and ran through the apartment to his Master's room, hoping against hope that he was wrong, that it wasn't what he thought it was.
The door slid open as he palmed the lock, and Obi-Wan's cry of anguish was a barely-audible whisper.
"Master? Master. "
Unable to believe what he was seeing, he lurched to Qui-Gon's bedside, groping amongst the empty sheets for a trace of the man he loved beyond life itself.
But Qui-Gon was gone.
Frantically, he searched the room with eyes blurred by unshed tears. All the lights came on in response to his demand, blinding him momentarily. When he could see again, he saw the datapad on the bedside table. It was carefully placed where the holo-still of Tahl and his Master had rested.
Picking it up with a hand he absently noted was shaking, Obi-Wan sat on the side of the bed and read. By the time he had finished, the sky had lightened from black to pale grey, and he was sobbing in earnest.
*****
As dawn light filtered through the shutters of Mace's bedroom window, the Council Member's eyelids fluttered open.
He had been dreaming. Not of violence and anger as he would have expected while plagued by an unsolved murder, but of deepest affection, of love.
Lying there in the stillness that accompanied the sunrise, the wheels of his mind turned slowly, inevitably. Finally, with a satisfying mental 'click', the pieces fit together, and Mace's heart was gripped with the cold horror of realisation.
The question they should have been asking was not who hated Tahl enough to kill her. It was who LOVED QUI-GON enough to kill her.
A heartbeat later Mace was up and running, grabbing his cloak, lightsaber and comm as he exited his apartment. Flying with Force-assisted speed down the empty corridors of the Jedi Temple, he paused long enough at a junction to hit an emergency buzzer.
As claxons wailed and the Temple began to go into immediate lockdown, he ran on, praying he was not already too late.
TBC.
PART VI
Almost blinded by his tears, Obi-Wan was also running but in a different direction, heading for the main transport platforms of the Temple.
He was moments too late. Reaching the enormous bay as the tail of a small transport disappeared into Coruscant's upper atmosphere, he gave vent to a scream of rage.
"NOOOO!!"
Standing there, fists clenched, breathing heavily, the men and women who worked on the transports looked at him in disbelief. It wasn't just a cry of frustration. Rarely did Jedi show emotion, and never, ever, anger.
Obi-Wan rounded on the nearest unfortunate, who took a step backward at the intensity of the Padawan's glare.
"Where did that ship go? Was Master Qui-Gon Jinn on it? Where is it headed? Answer me!!"
Taken aback, the mechanic took a few moments to answer. "Um, I'm not sure. I'll have to check the manifests. "
"Then do it! Hurry!" Obi-Wan's tone was abrupt and full of unspoken threats. Sensing a very, very bad situation, the other transport workers busied themselves at tasks further away. Though not Jedi themselves, they knew that the situation was volatile. Surrupticiously, a few of them activated silent alarms.
Shaking, the starship mechanic was punching passwords into the nearest console. He cleared his throat nervously.
"Um, actually. that information is classified. It says here I am don't have clearance to access. " catching a glimpse of the Padawan's expression, he trailed off uncertainly.
Almost shaking with barely-controlled impatience, Obi-Wan made a gesture of influence with his right hand. "You *will* tell me who was on that ship, and its destination. Now."
*****
The comm unit at Mace's belt bleeped, and Yoda's voice enquired, in his unique syntax, what was going on.
Outlining the situation as he ran, Mace saw sleepy Jedi emerge from their quarters in response to the emergency sirens.
"Go back to your rooms!" he bellowed at them. Cursing the fact that the rooms of the other Council Members, like his, were in a separate wing, he pointed at a few Knights he knew were exceedingly strong with the Force and could manipulate physical matter well. "You! And you! Come with me!"
He had already comm-ed ahead to the transport bay. Static had been his only reply.
Fearing what he would find, he and the two Knights following him reached their destination at last; but Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's room was deserted, the door left open.
Mace swore openly, while the Knights exchanged confused looks. A quick search of the room revealed Qui-Gon's datapad, cracked and broken from being thrown across the room. It had made a substantial dent in the wall. Enough of the display remained, however, for Mace to understand the letter, and then they were running again.
*****
Minutes later, Mace and the two Knights joined other Council members who had converged on the transport platform.
Meeting Yoda's eyes, the Council Member's stomach tightened in despair. They were too late.
On the ground was the body of a young mechanic, tended to by Healers.
"A shell, he is," said Yoda quietly. "Stripped, his mind has been. "
Closing his eyes, Mace asked the question he did not want to know the answer to. "Kenobi?"
"Gone," was the reply.
*****
"The other workers say he leapt from the platform," Ki Adi Mundi said.
The Council had convened quickly, and now all nine (?) members sat in their places in the uppermost chamber of the Temple.
Plo Kloon shook his head sadly. "That poor mechanic's mind is completely gone. He will never recover, the Healers say."
Mace steepled his fingers, striving in vain to bring order to the chaos of his thoughts. "I would not have believed it. I *still* cannot believe that Kenobi could do this. "
Yoda spoke after a momentary pause. "Shocked, we all are, Master Windu. Not five days ago, the Padawan stood here before us and perceive the darkness in his heart, we did not."
"It is certain, then? He did kill the blind one?" Adi Gallia respectfully did not speak Tahl's name after she had become one with the Force.
"We managed to extract most of Qui-Gon's letter from his datapad," replied Mace, the sadness in his brown eyes evident to his old friends. "He knew. He suspected from the first, but could not face the possibility of losing another Padawan to the Dark Side. At Tahl's funeral, Obi-Wan's shields were weaker - he thought he'd gotten away with it. But his Master saw in his apprentice's heart happiness instead of grief. It was then he knew."
"I suppose we should be thankful that Qui-Gon left instead of. taking his life," said Klo. "Wherever he has gone, I hope he finds peace."
"I do not think Qui-Gon will ever return to the Temple," said Mace. "To have two apprentices turn. he is a broken man."
There was a pause as the assembled Masters remembered the greatness of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. The Temple would probably never produce another like him.
"And the Padawan?" asked Adi eventually.
"Survived the fall, he could not have," said Yoda firmly. "When discover he could not his Master's destination, jumped, he did."
"And in doing so, he did us all a favour," said Ki Adi Mundi gruffly. "We would have had to kill him anyway."
Mace was staring thoughtfully out of the window. "He did it because he could not live without his Master. I do not think he repented, in the end. His last act was one of selfishness, not altruism. He truly had embraced the Dark Side."
END
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I put my trust in you Pushed as far as I can go And for all this There's only one thing you should know I tried so hard And got so far But in the end It doesn't even matter I had to fall And lose it all But in the end It doesn't even matter - "In the End", Linkin Park ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PART I
Silence reigned in this part of the Temple, occasionally disturbed by hesitant footsteps and the soft murmur of robes brushing floors.
In a white room with steel furniture a tall man stood stooped, beside a cold slab.
He looked down at the pale features revealed by the Healer as the sheet was drawn back. More serene in death than in life, the woman's expression was peaceful. In stark contrast, the head trauma that had caused her death was plain. Though the blood had been wiped away, a large gash remained, stretching from above her right eyebrow up past her hairline. It was, however, easy for Mace Windu to identify her.
"Goodbye, Tahl," he said softly.
*****
Obi-Wan Kenobi heard the doorchime to the quarters he shared with his Master. Emerging from the 'fresher, he rubbed his spiky wet hair with a towel as he went to see who it was, the end of his slim braid making a small damp spot where it rested against his shoulder.
Qui-Gon had answered the door already, inviting in the imposing figure of his friend Mace. Speaking quietly, the tall, dark man stood with an unusual awkwardness, and Obi-Wan immediately sensed something was wrong.
The young Jedi instinctively reached out through his Force-bond to his Master. A heartbeat later a strong wall of pain and hurt threw Obi-Wan back with a violence that made him flinch. Reeling with second-hand emotion, the Padawan struggled to understand what was happening.
Qui-Gon abruptly strode from the living area, his long stride uncharacteristically jerky. The Padawan turned his questioning gaze to the other Master.
"What has happened?"
The Council member's expression betrayed emotion for the first time since his arrival. His eyes brimmed with sympathy and unshed tears, but when he spoke his voice was strong.
"It's Tahl," he said simply. "She's. dead, Obi-Wan. This morning."
Obi-Wan could only stare blankly. "Tahl?" he ventured finally.
Suddenly, gripped by the urgent desire to see his Master, he ran past Mace into Qui-Gon's room. The Jedi Master was silhouetted against the glass window, a stolid tower of quiet, still as stone.
Obi-Wan slowed and approached the last few steps hesitantly. His Master's shoulders conveyed every ounce of the grief that weighed upon them.
"Master?" asked the Padawan quietly. He placed one hand on Qui-Gon's arm. It was shaking almost imperceptibly.
The tall Jedi finally turned towards Obi-Wan, but it was clear his eyes did not really see the 20-year-old that stood before him. In their depths his student saw only the reflection of pain.
Qui-Gon's lips parted soundlessly as the Jedi Master groped for words to encompass all that he felt. He gave up.
"Obi-Wan," he said instead in a voice thick with emotion. His hand moved to cover his Padawan's, squeezing hard. Here was something real, something to hold on to. Obi-Wan would not leave him, wouldn't leave him all alone like Tahl.
Obi-Wan did not answer, he simply took his Master's other hand in his own and stood staring up into Qui-Gon's eyes.
They stood like that for a long time, a frozen tableau of grief. Mace watched them for a while from the doorway, and then left to give them some time alone, time to absorb the tragedy. If that was possible.
Mace's departure seemed to break the paralysis that gripped the two, and Obi-Wan moved forward in one smooth movement. Qui-Gon's arms opened to engulf his Padawan in a tight hug, the damp braid leaving a watermark on the taller man's robe also.
Mace left Qui-Gon's quarters to go to the Council's rooms. He had only delayed this long to make sure Obi-Wan was there for his Master, not wanting to leave his long-time friend alone at a time like this. But Mace was not just a friend, he was a Council Member, and a Jedi Knight had just been murdered. The very foundations of the Temple shook with the ramifications of this event.
As he strode the vaulted hallways of the ancient home of the Jedi, Mace was haunted by one image; the two men closest to Tahl, silhouetted against the window. One tall and stooped, the other still uncomprehending but resolute, their hands clasped in the stillness of the moment.
*****
"Then agreed we are?" asked Yoda quietly.
The other Councillors looked first at each other, and finding in each other's eyes the same resolve, nodded. Murmured agreements escaped learned lips.
"I will lead the inquiry then," said Mace, fingers steepled in front of his chest. "I request that the Council grant that Obi-Wan Kenobi assists me in finding Knight Tahl's killer."
"Why the Padawan? Why not the Master?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi.
Mace shook his head sadly. "Qui-Gon is too stricken with grief. The boy was less close to her and may provide clearer insight."
Yoda nodded. "Very well. Help you, Kenobi will, to bring the assassin to justice. But know of this terrible tragedy, outside of the Temple, no one shall."
"We do not want to involve the planetary security forces?"
The wizened Jedi shook his head decisively. "A Jedi matter this is. Deal with it in our own way, we shall."
*****
Back in his living quarters, an agitated Obi-Wan paced restlessly. When Mace arrived, he made them both a hot drink and they sat quietly for a few mintues.
"And Qui-Gon?" asked Mace finally, a mountain of concern behind that one question.
Obi-Wan put down his cup and stared into the steaming liquid. "He's still in his room. He will not let go of this holo-still of he and Tahl, one from a state dinner they went to last month. I tried to get it off him but. the look he gave me... I thought he was going to hit me."
Tortured blue eyes met Mace's. Help me help him, they pleaded silently.
"The Council has agreed that the investigation should be internal. They do not want anyone outside the Temple involved yet, Obi-Wan. I have been charged with finding Tahl's murderer," Mace paused, trying to gauge the young man's reaction to his next request. "Will you help me?"
Obi-Wan looked confused, then his expression settled quickly into calm resolve. "Where do we start?" he asked quietly.
TBC.
PART II
The story had spread like wildfire through the usually quiet halls of the Temple. The blind Knight Tahl, so loved by all who knew her, had been found dead in her quarters. She'd fallen in the night, hitting her head on a stone table.
Those closer to her spoke of it in voices full of unshed tears. Quietly, they exchanged another, less-known fact. That Tahl had been pushed.
In two days of intense searching, no new clues had been found. Obi-Wan and Mace had scoured the dead woman's quarters and the hallways near it, finding nothing of any help.
Tahl's faithful protocol droid, assigned to her after her mission to Melida/Daan had left her without sight, had been found in a cupboard with its electrical innards ripped out.
The Knight had been truly alone then, on the night in question.
Attempts by the Temple's best sensitives in the Living Force to find traces of the killer in the apartment were also futile. Whoever had been there had been shielding carefully.
Mace had dismissed immediately the chance that Tahl's death had been completely accidental. The Knight had been blind for long enough not to be stumbling around her own living quarters. The dark would not have bothered her; Tahl's world was an eternal night.
"She must have gotten out of bed for some reason," said Obi-Wan. He and Mace were set up in one of the private chambers used for conferences on the Temple's upper level. "Heard a noise. Gone to investigate. Why else would she be up at that hour?"
Mace twirled a stylus in his fingers, leaning back into his chair. "For the same reasons you and I might, Padawan. To relieve herself. To get a glass of water. Couldn't sleep. Any number of reasons."
"But if the killer had been planning to make her death look like an accident, to push her, he or she wouldn't have wanted to count on the off- chance she might get thirsty. They would have had to lure her out," countered Obi-Wan.
"Which brings us again to the question of how they got into the room in the first place. The alarms would have been triggered if the door was forced, which means whoever it was knew her code. Not a very reassuring thought."
Obi-Wan got up from his chair. "But we *have* to consider that the culprit may have been one of us! Who else has the freedom of movement within the Temple? There have been no visitors lately, and no one from outside could have possibly breached our security. No!" he banged one fist into the other palm. "It *has* to be a Jedi, as distasteful as that fact is to face."
Mace looked at him, his expression unreadable. "Then there is one among us who has turned," he said simply.
The two men looked at each other, fighting the chill of fear that accompanied that statement. It would not be the first time a Dark Jedi had been trained within the Temple walls. But it was the first time they had killed before the danger was spotted. Mace was determined to find the traitor before they did it again.
Obi-Wan sat down again, his sigh dissolving the tension of the moment. "But how do we find them? There must be a thousand Jedi in various stages of training in the Temple. How do we find the one who has embraced the Dark Path?"
"We look," replied Mace, as if the answer was obvious.
*****
Disheartened, the pair interviewed everyone possibly connected to Tahl's death for a second time.
Although the first round of interviews had yielded nothing helpful, Mace was confident that with the benefit of a day's thought, some people might remember more.
And so they grilled Tahl's neighbours, Knights and Masters closest to her, her students, her former teachers, students who had snuck through that hall very late on the night in question and even the cleaning droids who polished the marble floors at midnight.
After fruitless hours, Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair and agitatedly ran his fingers through his spiked hair. He sighed loudly.
Mace checked his datapad. "Last one. Young Padawan, blind from birth. Used to go to Tahl for advice from time to time. Quite good friends."
"I remember her," replied Obi-Wan. "She was very upset when we last interviewed her."
"Nevertheless. " Mace trailed off as the conference room slid open and the girl hesitantly came into the room.
She was nervous, but not awkward. She confidently moved herself to the chair opposite the two Jedi and folded her hands in her lap. Obi-Wan experienced a twinge of grief. The way she moved reminded him so much of Tahl. The blind Master had once told Obi-Wan that to be blind to the world was not to be blind to the Force. She had obviously taught this young Padawan how to 'see' objects in her mind, and it leant a certain grace to her movements. The girl's face was a polite, attentive mask as she waited for them to begin.
When neither of the men spoke, she cleared her throat. "You wished to speak with me again, Master Windu?" the Padawan addressed herself to the Councillor as the highest-ranking Jedi in the room, but somehow managed to include Obi-Wan in the greeting.
"We do, Nerina. We were hoping you may have remembered something since our last meeting. Anything that may be pertinent to our investigation."
While the girl considered, Obi-Wan drew up his notes from the last time they had spoken to Nerina on his datapad. Frowning, he saw nothing that warranted any further questioning and suppressed a faint twinge of annoyance at Mace for insisting on seeing *everyone* again.
Meanwhile, Nerida pursed her lips, her sightless eyes looking across the room past Mace's shoulder. The older man waited patiently.
/She knows something. /
His instinct was borne out when she finally spoke.
"Master Tahl told me a lot of things. We often spoke, you see - for hours, even. Kindred spirits and all that. Yesterday, when you asked me if I knew of anyone that would want to harm her, I immediately said no. Who would want to harm Tahl? She was so beautiful and good. " Nerina trailed off, blinking back unshed tears.
Obi-Wan and Mace tactfully allowed her a moment to gather her thoughts.
Nerina shut her unseeing eyes, as if what she was recalling was painful to her. "But last night, when I was thinking of all the conversations we had had, I remembered something. Something. worrying. I had thought nothing of it at the time, but now it troubles me."
Mace glanced quickly at Obi-Wan and leaned forward, careful not to show his eagerness. "Yes?"
Nerina opened her eyes, biting her lip momentarily. "Well, once, when we were talking about. well, boys. " A pause for the girl's fleeting blush to subside. "You see, I had this crush on this boy in my class. Anyway, Tahl was warning me about not taking it too far. About. becoming obsessive, as it were. She told me she had known many girls and women become imbalanced by the force of their infatuations. She said knew of a girl in this very Temple who was in danger of just that. "
Obi-Wan couldn't help himself. "This girl. What does she have to do with Tahl's death?" He failed to see where this tale was going, and was growing impatient.
Nerina shook her head sadly. "Nothing, hopefully. She was in love with a Master. A prominent Master, who already had a partner. Tahl said she was very worried about this girl, and hoped to help her get over her crush. But when I say girl, I'm only quoting Tahl. I gathered she was a Knight, so she must have been in her twenties, at least."
"And who was the Master, Nerina? Did Tahl tell you?" Mace asked quietly.
"Yes," replied the girl quietly. Her hands twisted in her lap. Finally, she seemed to gather the courage to tell them. "Qui-Gon Jinn. she was obsessed with Master Jinn."
TBC.
PART III
The Padawan Nerina had not known the name of the Knight in question, but a few discreet questions among the third-years had yielded results.
Obi-Wan concluded that although she had hidden her infatuation well, her growing obsession with the tall, dashing, handsome Jedi Master had not escaped her friends' notice. The girl's name was Jirri Decara.
A quick search of the Temple's records indicated that Jirri was away on an intensive training course but had left only yesterday.
"Do you really think. ?" Obi-Wan questioned Mace as they strode towards the Padawan's room in the East Wing, notably only two floors up from Tahl's.
"Think what? That she was capable of violence?" countered Mace calmly.
"Well. " Obi-Wan was frowning. "Yes. I mean, there's liking someone, and then there's *really* liking someone. It's a long way from a crush to homicide."
"Her room will tell us much."
They reached the door they were searching for and entered a master code. A few moments later, they stood in Knight Decara's small living quarters.
At first glance, there was nothing unusual to see. The small couch was positioned in front of the data projector, and a tiny kitchenette was partitioned off to one side of the room. In the opposite wall was the doorway to the bedroom.
Stepping through that doorway, Obi-Wan hastily called up the lights, then stood in frozen amazement.
Coming up behind him, Mace noticed the Padawan's stiff body posture and smelled pay-dirt.
"What is it?"
Obi-Wan stepped aside. "See for yourself."
The bedroom, like the whole apartment, was tiny, but full of paraphernalia. Jirri obviously liked astronomy, because there were charts of star systems tacked to the ceiling and models of galaxies balanced precariously on the bookshelf. But it was the walls to which the eyes were immediately drawn.
There were pictures and articles all over them, hard copies of data readouts and flimplasts of mission reports.
Stepping closer to one of them, Mace recognised the distinctive profile of Qui-Gon in the background of a group shot taken of a diplomatic team on Alderaan. Next to it was an article about complex negotiations being carried out on Malastare, with Qui-Gon mentioned as heading a team of Jedi Knights sent to help.
Casting his eye quickly over the other things plastered on the four walls, Mace's brain raced. They were all about Qui-Gon.
"Look at this."
Obi-Wan had moved to the desk and picked up a small holo-projector. It was the kind Knights took on missions to send back reports to the Temple. They were sized to fit easily into the palm of the hand, but capable of storing many messages.
As Mace stepped closer to have a look, Obi-Wan pressed the playback button. Instantly, a miniature Qui-Gon appeared, projected onto the desktop. Bowing, the Master delivered what was evidently a report to the Council about he and Obi-Wan's last mission.
"Now how could she access that?" wondered Mace aloud as his friend delivered a very dry monologue on the political situation of some outer Rim planet.
"It's possible, with the right codes. Padawans are always trying to hack into the Temple mainframe. Accessing mission reports wouldn't be that hard," replied Obi-Wan distractedly. He was fiddling with the controls on the holo-projector. "There's a few more like that one in here. According to the stats on this thing, they've been played over 300 times."
"Well," said Mace, suddenly tired. "I guess this confirms what Nerina said. The girl was definitely obsessed."
"Not arguing with you there. But like I said before, obsession is one thing. Murder is quite another. I feel no traces of the Dark Side here. Just. longing, and hope. And heartache."
Mace nodded. The residual emotions in the room were not hard to sense.
"Let's get a droid in here to chronicle all this. She may be just a lovesick Knight, but she's still our best suspect so far. When she gets back, Knight Decara is going to have to answer some very awkward questions."
*****
When he went back to his quarters, Obi-Wan saw his Master's door was shut as it had been for the past two days. The Padawan was beginning to worry about Qui-Gon. As far as Obi-Wan knew, he hadn't eaten since Mace had brought the terrible news.
Undeterred, he knocked and entered despite the lack of reply. As he expected, Qui-Gon was sitting in the dark, a holo-still of he and Tahl in his lap. His face turned towards his Padawan as Obi-Wan sat on the end of the bed.
Obi-Wan hated to do it, but he and Mace had decided that they had to ask Qui-Gon if he knew about Jirri, and how Tahl knew about the obsessed Knight.
"Master?" asked Obi-Wan quietly.
Qui-Gon's expression didn't change. He regarded his apprentice with an unreadable expression. "Yes?" he replied, his voice husky.
"Master, we searched a girl's room today. Jirri Decara. A Knight. Do you know her?"
Qui-Gon looked down, then towards the window. After a moment he spoke. "I know of her. Tahl mentioned her once."
"Tahl told you about her? About her. liking you?"
Another pause. "Yes."
Obi-Wan pursed his lips. He was unsure whether to push any further. Qui- Gon looked on the verge of retreating back into the private world he had created to escape his shattering grief. Finally the Padawan cleared his throat. "Did Tahl ever to mention how she came to know about Jirri?"
Qui-Gon closed his eyes and Obi-Wan was afraid he would not answer. The Jedi Master's hands gripped the holo-still tighter. "She caught her once, trying to break into the access panel for this room. Jirri ran away, but Tahl figured it out. The girl was always following us around."
TBC. PART IV
Cooped up in the conference room with Mace and Jirri Decara a day later, Obi-Wan was beginning to feel sorry for the young woman. They'd been grilling her for hours, and she'd been alternately sobbing and yelling for most of that time.
Now, she had retreated into defiant silence, arms folded across her body and hunched into her chair as if to hide in its curves.
The young woman was a red-headed firebrand, Obi-Wan had concluded. Her bright green eyes had flashed with anger when she'd been told how her room had been searched. Drawing herself up to an impressive height, her fair skin had flushed red with fury then embarrassment as she realized the situation she was in.
Mace had not hidden from her the fact that she was a suspect. He'd told Obi-Wan prior to their interview with Jirri that he hoped to startle her into a confession. It hadn't worked. Her impassioned denials of having anything to do with the murderous act still echoed in Obi-Wan's head.
Now, both physically and emotionally exhausted from the intense questioning she'd been subject to from Mace and Obi-Wan, Jirri retreated behind her shields and refused to utter another word.
Giving up, Mace allowed her to be escorted from the room by a pair of burly Knights. She would be taken to a secure room in the top levels of the Council's tower.
The older Jedi rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. They'd never before had need of security guards or a prison cell at the Temple.
"Her story has a ring of truth about it," observed Obi-Wan as he stood up and walked over to turn up the dim lights. They'd been using the time- honoured 'spotlight' technique on Jirri, quite uselessly as it turned out. She was, after all, a Knight, and trained to withstand much worse methods of interrogation.
"Agreed. Her shock and surprise at hearing of Tahl's death were real, I felt. That alone may exonerate her."
"She did not try to deny the strength of her infatuation with Qui-Gon though. She should definitely see the Healers about it. But we cannot dismiss her altogether. As you said yesterday, she's the only suspect we have."
"True. We have yet to check her alibi for that night, anyway. Speaking of Qui-Gon. how is he, Obi-Wan?"
Mace's expression was full of concern. He had visited his good friend every day since he had brought him the terrible news, but failed to be able to draw him into any conversation.
Obi-Wan sat down again, heavily. He rested his head in on one hand, trying to massage away the headache that was beginning to pound in his temples.
"He's not good, Mace. He hasn't come out of his room yet. I cannot entice him to bathe, or change clothes. It's been three days!" The Padawan paused, obviously picturing his Master, alone in his room at this moment. "He will eat a few bites of whatever food I bring him, but will not stir from his chair. He just sits there, clutching a holo-still of he and Tahl and as far as I can tell, does not sleep." Though he tried to remain impassive as he spoke, the Padawan's voice was strained. He looked up at Mace. "I do not know what to do, Mace. I cannot reach him!"
His voice broke at this last and he fought back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. Struggling to maintain the stoic Jedi facade that had carried him this far, the Padawan buried his head in his hands.
After a moment he felt the weight of a hand on his shoulder. It was Mace, awkward in the role of comforter.
"It's ok, Kenobi. He'll come around. He just has to deal with things in his own way. In fact, I have seen him like this before. "
"When?" asked the younger Jedi, unconsciously letting hope enter his heart.
"Before you were apprenticed to him. When Xanatos. turned. It was the same. His heart was broken and he did not stir from his room for many days."
Something untranslatable flashed in Obi-Wan's eyes, an emotion that flared and was gone too quickly for Mace to catch. The Padawan's shoulder muscles tightened under the Master's hand and the young man's fists balled unconsciously.
"Xanatos. " whispered Obi-Wan vehemently. The name was spoken with such venom that Mace was surprised at the anger suddenly radiating from his young friend.
/He has been through much. and is upset about his Master. That is all./
"He will get better, I know it," Mace said aloud, as much to reassure himself as the heartsore Padawan. "You'll see."
*****
Mace's prediction turned out to be true. Qui-Gon emerged from his self- imposed exile the next day. Haggard and pale, the tall Jedi stepped into the living area of the quarters he shared with his Padawan.
Obi-Wan was startled by his Master's light tread and spun to see Qui-Gon standing quietly near the couch.
"Master!" The cry, mingled surprise and relief, escaped before he could stop it.
Qui-Gon merely smiled faintly. "Hello, Padawan," he said.
Approaching, Obi-Wan could not stop his happiness showing. "Master, I. can I get you anything?" The joy he felt at this first step towards normal life welled up in him, but he was concerned as well.
Qui-Gon shook his head. The Master's movements were small, precise and somehow timid, as if afraid to break through the wall of grief he had surrounded himself with. "No, thank you Padawan. I am fine. Really." The look in his eyes conveyed another layer of meaning.
Obi-Wan let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, then smiled. Things were going to be alright, after all. Qui-Gon had as good as said so.
They sat together for the long evening that followed, with Obi-Wan explaining all that he and Mace had done, and what they had found. At other times, they sat in companionable silence, the Padawan content to simply be in his Master's company and draw strength from it. Obi-Wan fairly revelled in Qui-Gon's return to the world of the living, and thanked the Force many times that he had his Master back, just like before.
TBC. PART V
The fourth day of life without Tahl drew to a close with a fiery sunset. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan left their quarters at twilight to attend the funeral. Making their way down to the great meditation garden that spanned an acre of precious Coruscant real estate, they found they were not the first to arrive.
A few Jedi already stood next to the pyre that had been built to hold the Knight's body. Draped in her formal robes, Tahl seemed so much smaller than before, and her graceful, white hands were folded on her chest in a pose that reminded Obi-Wan of serenity, and peace. In the flickering light of the surrounding torches, her porcelain features were achingly beautiful.
The Healers had done their work well, and the head injury that had ended her life no longer marred her skin.
Yoda and Mace stood to one side, talking quietly. When they saw Qui-Gon and his Padawan approaching, they came forward to clasp hands, but refrained from speech. Obi-Wan was grateful that his Master could momentarily escape the pain of mouthed platitudes and Jedi with eyes brimming with sympathy, as if they could somehow ease his grief.
Soon more people arrived; Masters, Knights and Padawans came to stand in a quiet semi-circle around the bier. Qui-Gon was afforded the place of honour at its centre, flanked by Obi-Wan and Mace. As with all Temple- trained Jedi, Tahl had no direct links with her former family, but the lack of blood relatives did not seem to matter. The silent crowd that gathered to pay their last respects had been family more than the ones who gave her life. Now they honoured her in death.
Yoda stepped forward to deliver a short eulogy, then heads were bowed as Qui-Gon was handed a torch. Full dark had fallen, and the orange light played across his jaw. Stepping forward, he raised the brand high for a moment in a last benediction, then brought it down to touch the sleeve of Tahl's robe.
As the fire leaped high, throwing sparks into the night, Obi-Wan looked at his Master, and his heart wept for the anguish in the eyes of Qui-Gon Jinn.
*****
The next morning, Obi-Wan noticed the distance that had separated him from Qui-Gon in the aftermath of Tahl's death had grown again. For some reason, his Master's mind was closed to him, despite the progress he felt they'd made before the funeral. Qui-Gon was silent as they ate breakfast, and Obi- Wan did not have the courage to ask him what was wrong.
/He touched a torch to the pyre of his love last night. Of course he is upset./
After they had eaten, Qui-Gon hurriedly excused himself and retreated to his room. Watching him go, his apprentice felt his heart twist in his chest and vowed he would get his old Master back.
Leaving their quarters, Obi-Wan met Mace to re-interview Jirri Decara, but found nothing that they had not discovered before. Her alibi had checked out - two friends had confirmed she had been at the theatre with them on the night in question.
Grudgingly, Mace decided that she was innocent. Neither he or Obi-Wan could detect the slightest aura of ill-intent in her. Still distressed over what she had been accused of and her room being searched, Jirri was sent to the Healer's wing for psychiatric help, comforted somewhat by the fact that she had been exonerated.
When she had gone, the two Jedi looked at each other, dejected. Ready to declare defeat but unwilling to speak the words, Mace twirled a stylus between his fingers.
"Well?" asked Obi-Wan finally.
Mace sighed, grimacing. "We have to close the investigation. Tell the authorities it was an accidental death. After all, it is only our supposition that she did not trip and fall."
The Padawan shook his head. "We all know she didn't trip. She may have been blind, but it was her own apartment. She knew there was a step there. And her droid was gutted. I can never believe it wasn't murder, Mace."
"Neither will I, Obi-Wan. But we can find no evidence to connect anyone to it. I cannot understand it! No one can commit a crime such as this and leave no trace of it behind!"
"A Jedi could," replied Obi-Wan quietly.
Mace stared at him for a moment. "Yes. We have had to consider that from the start. But I could not bring myself to quite believe it. A student maybe. When we thought it was Jirri I was appalled that a fully-fledged Knight might have turned. But now, I see that it must have been a Jedi of considerable talent to leave no trace of themselves, nor the Dark Side, behind."
"Indeed," was all Obi-Wan said.
The Council debated the matter for that entire afternoon, and by the time they reached a consensus to abandon the investigation into Tahl's death but remain vigilant for a possible Dark Jedi in their midst, Mace was exhausted.
Retiring to his quarters, he tried to get some much-needed sleep. Tossing and turning on his sleeping couch, he went over and over the crime in his mind, trying to glimpse something he had not seen before.
But he was positive he'd explored it from every angle. It was obviously a 'crime of passion', as they called it on those cheesy daytime dramas. He couldn't imagine anyone wanting Tahl 'removed' for business matters. There was simply no profit to be made from the death of a penniless Knight. What was the motive for this violent crime?
Someone had hated her so much, or was so jealous of her, or envious, that they had to kill her.
An alarm bell pealed faintly in one corner of his mind, but Mace found himself slipping into sleep. Despite his attempts to catch this last, vital thought before he succumbed to slumber, its meaning slipped through his mental fingers and was lost in the still of the night.
*****
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat bolt upright in his bed, gasping. A terrible feeling, striking his very core, had woken him from deep sleep.
Turning on the lamp with a thought, he blinked in the soft light, every sense alert. But there was no danger here.
Reaching out across his training bond, the Padawan realised that something was wrong - very wrong.
He leapt up and ran through the apartment to his Master's room, hoping against hope that he was wrong, that it wasn't what he thought it was.
The door slid open as he palmed the lock, and Obi-Wan's cry of anguish was a barely-audible whisper.
"Master? Master. "
Unable to believe what he was seeing, he lurched to Qui-Gon's bedside, groping amongst the empty sheets for a trace of the man he loved beyond life itself.
But Qui-Gon was gone.
Frantically, he searched the room with eyes blurred by unshed tears. All the lights came on in response to his demand, blinding him momentarily. When he could see again, he saw the datapad on the bedside table. It was carefully placed where the holo-still of Tahl and his Master had rested.
Picking it up with a hand he absently noted was shaking, Obi-Wan sat on the side of the bed and read. By the time he had finished, the sky had lightened from black to pale grey, and he was sobbing in earnest.
*****
As dawn light filtered through the shutters of Mace's bedroom window, the Council Member's eyelids fluttered open.
He had been dreaming. Not of violence and anger as he would have expected while plagued by an unsolved murder, but of deepest affection, of love.
Lying there in the stillness that accompanied the sunrise, the wheels of his mind turned slowly, inevitably. Finally, with a satisfying mental 'click', the pieces fit together, and Mace's heart was gripped with the cold horror of realisation.
The question they should have been asking was not who hated Tahl enough to kill her. It was who LOVED QUI-GON enough to kill her.
A heartbeat later Mace was up and running, grabbing his cloak, lightsaber and comm as he exited his apartment. Flying with Force-assisted speed down the empty corridors of the Jedi Temple, he paused long enough at a junction to hit an emergency buzzer.
As claxons wailed and the Temple began to go into immediate lockdown, he ran on, praying he was not already too late.
TBC.
PART VI
Almost blinded by his tears, Obi-Wan was also running but in a different direction, heading for the main transport platforms of the Temple.
He was moments too late. Reaching the enormous bay as the tail of a small transport disappeared into Coruscant's upper atmosphere, he gave vent to a scream of rage.
"NOOOO!!"
Standing there, fists clenched, breathing heavily, the men and women who worked on the transports looked at him in disbelief. It wasn't just a cry of frustration. Rarely did Jedi show emotion, and never, ever, anger.
Obi-Wan rounded on the nearest unfortunate, who took a step backward at the intensity of the Padawan's glare.
"Where did that ship go? Was Master Qui-Gon Jinn on it? Where is it headed? Answer me!!"
Taken aback, the mechanic took a few moments to answer. "Um, I'm not sure. I'll have to check the manifests. "
"Then do it! Hurry!" Obi-Wan's tone was abrupt and full of unspoken threats. Sensing a very, very bad situation, the other transport workers busied themselves at tasks further away. Though not Jedi themselves, they knew that the situation was volatile. Surrupticiously, a few of them activated silent alarms.
Shaking, the starship mechanic was punching passwords into the nearest console. He cleared his throat nervously.
"Um, actually. that information is classified. It says here I am don't have clearance to access. " catching a glimpse of the Padawan's expression, he trailed off uncertainly.
Almost shaking with barely-controlled impatience, Obi-Wan made a gesture of influence with his right hand. "You *will* tell me who was on that ship, and its destination. Now."
*****
The comm unit at Mace's belt bleeped, and Yoda's voice enquired, in his unique syntax, what was going on.
Outlining the situation as he ran, Mace saw sleepy Jedi emerge from their quarters in response to the emergency sirens.
"Go back to your rooms!" he bellowed at them. Cursing the fact that the rooms of the other Council Members, like his, were in a separate wing, he pointed at a few Knights he knew were exceedingly strong with the Force and could manipulate physical matter well. "You! And you! Come with me!"
He had already comm-ed ahead to the transport bay. Static had been his only reply.
Fearing what he would find, he and the two Knights following him reached their destination at last; but Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's room was deserted, the door left open.
Mace swore openly, while the Knights exchanged confused looks. A quick search of the room revealed Qui-Gon's datapad, cracked and broken from being thrown across the room. It had made a substantial dent in the wall. Enough of the display remained, however, for Mace to understand the letter, and then they were running again.
*****
Minutes later, Mace and the two Knights joined other Council members who had converged on the transport platform.
Meeting Yoda's eyes, the Council Member's stomach tightened in despair. They were too late.
On the ground was the body of a young mechanic, tended to by Healers.
"A shell, he is," said Yoda quietly. "Stripped, his mind has been. "
Closing his eyes, Mace asked the question he did not want to know the answer to. "Kenobi?"
"Gone," was the reply.
*****
"The other workers say he leapt from the platform," Ki Adi Mundi said.
The Council had convened quickly, and now all nine (?) members sat in their places in the uppermost chamber of the Temple.
Plo Kloon shook his head sadly. "That poor mechanic's mind is completely gone. He will never recover, the Healers say."
Mace steepled his fingers, striving in vain to bring order to the chaos of his thoughts. "I would not have believed it. I *still* cannot believe that Kenobi could do this. "
Yoda spoke after a momentary pause. "Shocked, we all are, Master Windu. Not five days ago, the Padawan stood here before us and perceive the darkness in his heart, we did not."
"It is certain, then? He did kill the blind one?" Adi Gallia respectfully did not speak Tahl's name after she had become one with the Force.
"We managed to extract most of Qui-Gon's letter from his datapad," replied Mace, the sadness in his brown eyes evident to his old friends. "He knew. He suspected from the first, but could not face the possibility of losing another Padawan to the Dark Side. At Tahl's funeral, Obi-Wan's shields were weaker - he thought he'd gotten away with it. But his Master saw in his apprentice's heart happiness instead of grief. It was then he knew."
"I suppose we should be thankful that Qui-Gon left instead of. taking his life," said Klo. "Wherever he has gone, I hope he finds peace."
"I do not think Qui-Gon will ever return to the Temple," said Mace. "To have two apprentices turn. he is a broken man."
There was a pause as the assembled Masters remembered the greatness of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. The Temple would probably never produce another like him.
"And the Padawan?" asked Adi eventually.
"Survived the fall, he could not have," said Yoda firmly. "When discover he could not his Master's destination, jumped, he did."
"And in doing so, he did us all a favour," said Ki Adi Mundi gruffly. "We would have had to kill him anyway."
Mace was staring thoughtfully out of the window. "He did it because he could not live without his Master. I do not think he repented, in the end. His last act was one of selfishness, not altruism. He truly had embraced the Dark Side."
END