Master Clamont said nothing of the Berilen tragedy. In fact, no one spoke about it. Obi-Wan and Amber checked the news periodically, finding no new mention of the murders. Days passed and the HoloNet never followed up on the incident, which was completely out of character for the service. He tried to push the feeling away, but the situation continued to bother Obi-Wan. The lack of new information only added to his uneasiness.

"Perhaps it's the investigation. It is a high profile case, maybe they don't want too many details released yet. And, the Senator has been working with the Council for the last few months. If the Order is helping, you know they would want to keep things quiet." Amber thought aloud as the three initiates walked towards their Meditation lesson. Since Garen and Reeft had been placed in a different clan when they were younger, their schedules were different.

"Wouldn't the authorities be canvasing the city with descriptions of the suspects though?" Bant asked.

Obi-Wan shrugged, "Maybe, if they haven't figured out committed the crime. But, not if they already know who it was. It would be easier to check leads without all the attention, especially if the murderer is another well-known person."

"Or company," Amber added, "Senator Berilen was attempting to put limits on under the table dealings with the Senate. I'm sure he's made plenty of enemies."

"Look," Bant whispered as the trio neared the area in the Room of a Thousand Fountains where their class was held.

Obi-Wan could hardly believe this was their destination. Almost the entire group had assembled, the lesson's start time only a few minutes away. Usually, the class sat themselves down quietly in neat, orderly rows and their instructor was always here before any of the students arrived. Today, students were just milling about. Some were resting in the grass or holding conversations, while others were running through a few saber katas. It all seemed so wrong to him.

"Where is Master Yoda?" Amber asked. She scanned the nearby areas as if expecting the small Master to jump out from behind a tree. Not that it would necessarily surprise Obi-Wan if that actually happened. Yoda tended to be a bit eccentric.

One of their clan mates overheard the question, "No one knows. He hasn't been here yet."

He glanced at Amber and Bant. This was not a good sign. The three took a seat under a nearby tree, shaded by the yellow and red foliage. The trio waited in silence as the rest of the initiates become increasingly restless. Even though they were Jedi, the initiates were still ten year-olds.

Fifteen minutes passed before someone came towards the wayward Meditation group. "Younglings," the young Jedi Knight called, getting the attention of the initiates at once, "Master Yoda has been delayed and will be unable to conduct your class today. You are free to do as you like until your next scheduled lesson." Immediately, the gathering began to disperse.

"Alright, let's go," Amber said, jumping up and brushing her tunics off.

Bant blinked at her, "Where?"

"The Archives. It's the closet access to the HoloNet,"Amber answered, already starting towards the library. Obi-Wan stood and Bant followed suit. Within a few steps they had caught up.

He glanced at her, "Do you think something will be up?"

"I know Master Yoda has never cancelled one of our classes and that is reason enough for me to at least check."

This was a good point. Obi-Wan doubted that the old Jedi Master had ever missed a lesson in his over 800 years of life. Not only did Yoda feel that the youngling's education was immensely important, he truly enjoyed every minute he was able to spend teaching. Soon they entered the Archives, the multitude of holobooks glowing a dim blue from their towering shelves.

Obi-Wan enjoyed the Archives. The space was always a calm, quiet and it contained a seemingly infinite amount of knowledge. It was daunting and inviting all at the same time. Bant was the first to slide into one of the information terminals and began accessing the HoloNet. Amber and Obi-Wan grabbed chairs and gathered around her. It took only moments to bring up the news service and it took even less time to see why Yoda had been missing from class.

"Oh my!," Bant squeaked.

Jocasta Nu, who was standing a few meters away, looked around for the source of the sound, causing the three of them to duck down. It was not advisable to get on the bad side of the formidable Archivist. Even as they hid, Obi-Wan's eyes never left the screen. All he could do was stare at the headline: Jedi Accused of Berilen Family Assassination. He could not make sense of those six words.

"There's a vid file," Amber whispered, "play it, Bant."

She pressed a few buttons and the video began to play. It appeared to be a surveillance tape. 500 Republica housed the most influential and important figures in the Republic. This required the installation of the most state-of-the-art security system available and the video quality did not disappoint. The first images were of an empty hallway, accented with deep blue carpeting and grey walls. There were three doors visible from the camera's angle.

A figure appeared, brown robe billowing around the form. Tan tunics clothed the individual and a gleam of metal at the being's hip would catch the light, almost winking at the recorder. The hood was pulled low over whatever face hid behind the fabric.

The robed form stopped in front of the doorway nearest the camera and knocked. A few moments passed before the entryway slid open. A slender woman stood, blonde hair spilling loose from it's original hairstyle. Obi-Wan recognized her to be the Senator's wife, Charal Orailus-Berilen. The woman only spoke a few words to cloaked silhouette, when suddenly a green blaze erupted from the figure's hand. The lightsaber plunged through Lady Orailus-Berilen midsection. She crumpled to the floor, the individual stepping over her and disappearing into the apartment.

The vid ended abruptly, more than likely shut off by the intruder. Obi-Wan looked over at his companions. Bant was resting her forehead in crossed arms, head shaking slightly in silent denial. Amber continued to stare at the blank screen, one hand covering her mouth in shock. He imagined his face showed the same disquiet. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned to him. Obi-Wan saw the silent question in her eyes; what were they to do now?