Blood Relatives

by Dave

When a prominent senator is murdered in the lower levels of Coruscant with a lightsaber, Jacen is fingered as the killer. As Luke tries to fight the case in court, Jaina is left with the task of finding the real killer.

Thanks for reading this story. If you are interested, I have published original fantasy novels on Amazon.

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My first novel is "The Scepter of Amon." Because fanfiction doesn't allow direct links, you can search amazon for "The Scepter of Amon," and it should be the only story that comes up. If you like my writing, you will probably like my original works as well.

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Blood Relatives

Disclaimer: The following characters and places belong to Lucas and are used without his consent for no profit.

Prelude

Markis sat on the crude, dirty toilet, trying not to inhale the fetid odor that permeated within the squalid room. Mold and mildew hung and actually dripped from the walls and ceiling. The exact condition of the ancient restroom could not be made out by the dim light of Markis's glow rod, and for that, he was thankful.

The needle in the old man's arm shook violently, casting eerie shadows on the dilapidated walls of his stall. There was no door on the stall, but privacy was not what concerned him right now. He was not there to use the facilities. He was hiding.

A distant thump and splash quickly drew Markis's attention away from his needle for the time being. He stood slowly, peering over the falling stall partition toward the open area of the small room. There were two inoperable, yet constantly dripping, sinks and barely recognizable towel dispensers on the wall next to them. However, what collected Markis's attention like a sponge in the damp facility was the doorless entry into the room. Noises echoed down the hallway outside, and he knew he was running out of time. He turned back to his work.

The needle slid painfully into Markis's arm, and he grimaced at the sting. Slowly, still not confident in this course of action, the old man pushed the plunger down, emptying the grayish contents of the needle into his arm. It burned at first like he was injecting steaming mud, but as the serum worked its way through his bloodstream, diluting itself naturally, the burning faded away and was replaced with a feeling of warmth.

Markis discarded the needle and small vial that had initially held the gray serum and untied the string from his arm that he had used to raise a vein. He got up slowly from his filthy seat, took a few wet steps on the old tiled floor, and peered around the edge of the open stall. He could still hear noises echoing down the hallway, and they were now joined with light. A bluish haze was coming down the hallway toward the restroom, and Markis knew he had to leave.

The entry to the moldy room was to the old man's right. To his left was the back wall of the restroom, covered with broken windows and looking into the back of another building. Markis moved as quietly as he could through the puddles on the floor, careful not to slip.

There was a thirty-centimeter gap between the outside wall of the room and the blank wall of the building next to it. It was a tight fight for the slightly overweight man, and he sustained a few cuts from the broken glass, but he was soon standing outside the restroom on the window ledge, with his back braced against the wall behind him.

Markis could see that the blue light was almost to the restroom door from his new cramped position. He looked down and saw the ground of the narrow alley was two stories down. A protruding brick caught his eye just below the windowsill level, and he slowly moved one of his feet to it, wanting to climb down.

As soon as his weight was transferred from the windowsill to the small brick, the new perch snapped off, and the old man fell. He muffled his cry as his hands, feet, back, and stomach all pressed against the two walls, taking nasty jolts as he passed by both floor levels on his way to the ground.

He landed in a smelly pile of garbage, breaking a few bottles when he hit. He felt a sharp pain shoot through his right ankle and knew he had sprained it. He looked up at the window, too scared to move for the moment. He waited for only ten seconds, but it seemed much longer. Nothing appeared at the broken window, and Markis could no longer see the blue light.

The old man had fallen to his side and only managed to get up in the cramped area with incredible difficulty. The alley's exit was only a few meters away, and soon he was limping across a large street in a high-ceilinged area of Coruscant's underworld. This area had housed the ancient government buildings of the planet city before it had become the galaxy's capital, and the locals had kept the section in descent repair, comparatively speaking.

The road Markus was on dead-ended into the alley he had just crawled out of and joined another more prominent street in a "T" intersection half a block away from where streetlights illuminated the way. This street was more an alley than anything, but this avenue felt very spacious, having just left the tight gap between the two buildings behind him.

Markis moved quickly along in a very clumsy, stumbling gate but had not gotten halfway to the lighted street before a noise from behind stopped him. Markis spun around, his body beginning to shake from the pain and fright. The old man was wet and tired, and being chased through the lower levels of Coruscant by a dark figure was not helping his failing composure. He peered into the darkness from which he had just emerged but could see nothing and was glad. It was probably just a loose piece of glass from the window he had crawled through falling.

As he turned back around, he heard a rustle like the flapping of a cloak in the wind. When he was facing forward again, he saw the cloak – draped over the shoulders of his pursuer. The lights from the street behind the dark figure backlit him and cast impenetrable shadows over his entire body, turning him into a completely dark silhouette.

Markis's involuntary shaking increased as he found it was hard to keep his balance.

"Give me the serum," the dark man said in a harsh whisper.

Markis tried to run away, but his fear kept his eyes forward, and he merely stumbled backward, his bad ankle giving way and spilling him to the wet street. He tried to scramble on his elbows and heels, but his body felt suddenly weak.

"Give it to me," the black figure demanded again, taking several long steps toward the fallen man.

"It's too late!" Markis cried. "It's gone. I injected it into myself. You can't have it now! There's nothing you can do!"

"That's unfortunate," the figure said, moving to stand a meter from the fallen man. He slowly reached inside his cloak. "Unfortunate for you."

"No! You can't kill me! You know who I am. There will be an investigation. You ca-"

"I'm afraid you leave me with no choice. I can't let you go through with this."

Markis began to hold up one of his arms toward his enemy as if he could ward off the coming death. Instead, the old man moved his shaking arm at the last second to cover his eyes. The last thing he remembered was seeing the dark figure stepping swiftly over him and a bright blue flash filling the gap between them. Everything else was darkness. Forever darkness.

---

Chapter 1 Presumed Guilty

Jaina Solo opened her eyes.

She was lying in her bed, a cool breeze blowing in from her open window, the jungle air smelling very lovely this night. The young woman rolled over and sat up slowly. Her room was dark, and her bedside chrono declared that it was barely past midnight. Why was she wide-awake?

Something was wrong that was obvious even to her developing Force skills. She swung her feet off the side of her bed and stood slowly. The dormitory on Yavin IV was deathly quiet, and Jaina could feel no distress coming from any of the other students. She walked over to her open window and stood there enjoying the brisk breeze. Her long T-shirt billowed up around her as the wind blew down her large sleeve and neck holes.

Jaina enjoyed the sensation and smiled. It must be nothing, she thought, probably just a dream. As she began to turn away from the window, a light outside in the distance caught her attention. She did not have a good angle to see the light directly and opened her window further so she could lean out. It was the landing pad, and it looked like someone was preparing the Academy's shuttle for departure.

"Who would be leaving at this time of night?" Jaina thought. She leaned out a little further and tried to use the Force to enhance her vision. It was a skill she was becoming very good at, and she could clearly see her uncle and Master Tionne loading the shuttle. Neither of them looked happy, and Jaina could feel a hidden sense of urgency about the process.

Three minutes later, the young Jedi student was running toward the landing pad across the damp jungle grass in her bare feet. Jaina had kept her nightshirt but had thrown on a pair of shorts underneath. Tionne noticed the young woman's approach first, and the Jedi Master brought her to Skywalker's attention.

Luke frowned when he saw his niece running toward them. She was still a ways off, and Luke called to her with the Force. -Go back to your room and go to bed.-

"What's going on?" Jaina called verbally, drawing a frown from her uncle.

"Keep your voice down, Jaina," Luke scolded her as she drew near. The academy's headmaster looked around at the buildings where his students lay sleeping, hopefully undisturbed by this commotion.

Jaina was puffing as she slowed to a walk in front of the raised landing platform. "What's going on? Why all the secrecy?"

"Master Tionne and I are leaving for a few days. You are going to stay here. Now go back to your room and go-"

"Where are you going?"

Luke looked hard at her. She needed to learn more discipline. "There is something on Coruscant that needs my immediate attention. I will be gone for several days."

"What happened?"

Jaina would not quit. Luke sat down on the edge of the raised platform, so his eyes were level with Jaina. He tried to give her a stern look, but it was challenging to be her teacher at that moment. Instead, his sixteen-year-old niece looked about eight, her brown hair hanging in a tangled mess scattered on top of her shoulders and the bottom of her nightshirt brushing against her knees. She looked earnestly at him with her sparkling brown eyes, and he folded.

"A senator has been killed."

Jaina kept her compelling look and cocked her head. There had to be more than that. If only Luke had not been her uncle and had not held her as a child, he might be able to refuse the pleading look. Luke knew, though, that if he continued any further, there would be nothing short of tying Jaina down that could keep her from coming with him.

"He was killed with a lightsaber," Luke said slowly and carefully. "Your brother is being accused of the murder. He is being held by the New Republic awaiting trial."

Jaina lost her cute look instantly and again looked and acted like a sixteen-year-old, temper and all. Jacen was on Coruscant right now, spending time with their mother and father. "That's outrageous! Jacen wouldn't hurt a flea! Do they have any proof?"

Luke put his hand on her shoulder to try and calm her. "Go pack a bag, and we will give you all the information in the shuttle. Jaina did not need to hear anything else and turned to run back to the dormitory. Luke stood as he watched her run.

Tionne came up behind him. "Do you want to tell Anakin too?"

The youngest Solo child was yet to show himself, and Luke preferred it that way. "No. Something in the Force woke Jaina and brought her to us before we left. Maybe she needs to come. Streen will tell Anakin what is happening in the morning."

"Do you think the Force is telling us that Jaina will help clear her brother?"

Luke turned to look at Tionne. "I hope so."

---

Jaina sat slumped in a chair in the lounge area of the shuttle. The meager bag she had packed sat on the floor next to her. She had merely run back to her room to change clothes and throw a bunch of toiletries into a bag. She had plenty of clothes on Coruscant, clothes that the daughter of the Chief of State would have to have, but that would look very strange on a jungle moon.

The idea that Jacen was being accused of murder was taking its time sinking in, but now, over an hour since she had first heard the news, it was finally taking effect. The words How, Why, When, and Where were floating through her mind, but they could not latch onto any coherent thought to form an actual question.

Tionne walked into the lounge, leaving Luke to guide the ship on an expedited hyperspace route to the galaxy's capital. Jaina looked up at the Jedi scholar, all of the worry and wonderment on her face begging for some answers. Tionne took a seat across from Jaina and obliged.

"Markis Keld, the senator from Krakus, was found dead about 36 hours ago. He was found in the old government district in the lower levels of Coruscant. His body was found in two main pieces, cut from the left collarbone, diagonally across his chest to above the right hip. Half of his right forearm was also found lying next to him."

Jaina knew it had to be a lightsaber. Her mind could easily reconstruct the death blow from the brief description she had just received. The senator had weakly put his arm up to ward off the strike, as he was probably crouched before his killer. Any normal vibrosword would have simply batted the arm aside as it cut through the body. Only the efficiency of a lightsaber would have been able to cleave the limb as well.

"The wounds were lined with cauterized burns and absent of drag marks common with most steel blades. There was little doubt what the weapon had been. Jacen and your mother are the only two people on Coruscant with registered lightsabers."

"That doesn't mean one of them did it?" Jaina countered quickly.

Tionne raised her hand slowly, requesting silence. Jaina calmed back down, feeling foolish for the outburst. Tionne continued. "They found several boot prints around the body. The prints seem to have appeared magically in front of the victim and then disappeared just as suddenly in an alley behind the victim. The nearest window or ledge to the first appearance of the prints is over a dozen meters away, an impossible leap for any human and most aliens. No evidence of a cable or other apparatus was found."

Jaina nodded. She had seen her brother perform many amazing physical feats using the Force. "Still," Jaina persisted.

"The size of the prints match your brother, and the length of the strides fit his height, as does the angle of the killing strike."

"But what about a motive?" Jaina continued to plead against the evidence. "Just because Jacen could have done it doesn't mean he did. Why would he kill a senator?"

Tionne picked up a datapad from an end table next to her and tossed it to Jaina. The young solo caught the pad easily and scrolled quickly through its contents. There were about half a dozen articles on the display. She quickly looked at some of the titles: "Forced into Subjection," "The Next Empress," "Defenders not Dictators." Jaina also noticed that Senator Keld had written each article. Jaina looked up expectantly at Tionne.

"Senator Keld had been a very prominent voice in the senate to remove your mother from office. He does not trust Force users and feels they should not be allowed to hold a government position. He professes no animosity toward Jedi, but if you read his articles, you will find very carefully veiled hatred."

"Why?" Jaina asked.

"He is from Krakus," Tionne began. "Thirty-five years ago-"

"The Krakun Purge," Jaina interrupted, remembering her history lessons well. Tionne nodded.

Krakus had been a very peaceful planet. They were just as advanced technologically as the rest of the galaxy, but they preferred to live in simple luxury instead of the hustle and bustle of Coruscant and other planets like it. Their cities were not without skyscrapers, but most of the planet was covered with simple houses and vast farmland. Thirty-five years ago, six Jedi had retreated to the world to hide from the Sith who were sweeping across the galaxy, killing every Jedi they found.

When the six Jedi were found on Krakus, the Sith came in with a vengeance. Rarely were Jedi hidden in groups larger than two, and as a result, the six on Krakus put up a considerable fight. The primary battle took place in Krakus's capital city, though the fighting carried on to several others as well. The Sith were ruthless in their efforts, tearing down every building in sight, hoping that the Jedi might be crushed underneath. Massive Force storms ripped through each city they fought in, tearing the glorious architecture of the Krakuns apart with incredible efficiency.

The Jedi recognized the tactics of the Sith too late, and when they finally gave themselves up, over four hundred thousand Krakuns had lost their lives. Half of the population blamed the Sith, while the other half blamed both sides equally. Since the purge, the New Republic had gone a long way in helping the Krakuns cope with their loss at the hands of the Sith, but a few people still harbored hatred toward any Force user.

"Senator Keld lost his wife and daughter during the purge," Tionne explained, "leaving him with an infant son to raise on his own. He is very well respected in the senate by both the former Imperials and the New Republic faithful. Rumors exist that he wishes to shut down the Academy and remove all Jedi from the galaxy, exiling them to a planet where they can kill each other off. These are just rumors, though, and the only thing he admits publicly is that he feels Jedi should not be allowed to rule. In his words, it is the only way to ensure another Palpatine is not created."

"So he has spoken out against Mom," Jaina said. "That doesn't mean Jacen would kill him."

Tionne shrugged. Jaina saw the uncommitted response and felt she wasn't hearing everything. Tionne was a Jedi historian. She had researched the Jedi more than anyone else alive and knew more about the Force and its role in history than most of those who had lived the history.

"Has there ever been something like this before?" Jaina asked. "I mean, has a Jedi ever been accused of murder before?"

Tionne nodded. "Four times, as far as I can tell."

"And?"

"And in each case, the Jedi was found not guilty."

"So they found the real killer?"

Tionne frowned. "I don't think you understand. In each case, the Jedi was found not guilty of murder, but he also openly admitted to killing the victim."

Jaina was confused.

"Jedi are protectors of the galaxy. Like police officers, they often have to take the lives of criminals and terrorists. We don't just protect the galaxy from the Sith and other evil empires. In each of the four cases, the victim was found to have been involved in highly illegal activities that endangered many innocent lives. In each case, the Jedi was not only cleared of murder but celebrated for his deeds."

Jaina understood, nodding slowly. The impact of what Tionne had just said took a while to sink in, but when it did, it felt like a bomb had gone off in the young woman's head. "Did Jacen kill Senator Keld?!"

Tionne did not have an answer. "You know everything I do. I have not spoken to your brother yet."

Jaina started to speak up in her brother's defense, but Tionne held up her hand. "There is no point in postulating on what we do not know when the answer will be presented to us in a matter of hours." Jaina closed her mouth at the words of wisdom and tried to calm her racing thoughts.

"Try to get some sleep," Tionne encouraged. "The trip to Coruscant will not take much longer, and the next few days will be hectic."

Jaina nodded and tried to make herself comfortable in the lounge chair, but she knew she would never be able to fall asleep.

---

It was night on Coruscant.

Jaina looked at the beautifully lit capital city, but it did not inspire awe like it usually did. The vastness of the enormous planet city usually made her heart skip as she tried to fathom its existence. Being Force-sensitive gave Jaina a unique perspective of everything, and as a result, her curious mind was startled or surprised by very little. This sight, however, high above the massive structures that covered Coruscant's surface like so much grass on a hillside almost always sent a chill down her spine.

Instead, Jaina wished it was day. She had left Yavin IV during the night, flown several hours through the dark, cold, endless void of space, and now landed in darkness. The purpose of this trip cast a dark enough shadow over Jaina, and she needed an excuse to smile.

Luke set the shuttle down on a private pad reserved for only the most important guests to the Imperial Palace. Palace guards waited for the three visitors as they exited the shuttle, and no words were exchanged. Instead, the guards led the trio off the landing pad and toward a turbo lift. Luke had made his request to the palace officials when he had requested clearance, and the guards would lead them directly to the detention block.

As the group made their way through increasing levels of security, Jaina could not help but feel like they were under arrest. The idea that Jacen might have killed a senator because of his anti-Jedi views made Jaina wonder if there were more like Markis Keld. Jaina and her brother had been through a lot in their few years of life. Events ranging from kidnapping to attempted murder had speckled their lives like skinned knees, and bruised elbows filled most kids' childhood.

As a result, Jaina had learned to be wary of others. Each planet she visited and each new group of people she met were suspect, in her mind, of some ulterior motive about her heritage. Finally, after several years of peace and prosperity, Jaina had been able to put her childhood fears and worries aside and went through life with a more positive outlook. She was determined to have people judge her on what she did and not on what her grandfather, or even her uncle, had done.

It was times like this, though, as Jaina walked through the tight, heavily guarded hallways, deep in the center of the Palace's Detention Center with dozens of eyes trained on her, that those old fears began to resurface. All the evidence pointed at Jacen, and until Luke and Tionne could prove differently, everyone thought that he was a murderer. And anyone who knew the Solo family knew the twins were inseparable. What Jaina thought, Jacen thought. What Jacen did, Jaina did. As long as people assumed Jacen was a murderer, Jaina might as well occupy the cell next to him.

As this thought process worked its way through Jaina's mind, instead of shrinking down inside her dark, cream-colored cloak against the eyes of those who might judge her incorrectly, she stood a little taller and prouder. There was a reason she and her brother were thought of as the same person - they often were. She would stand by Jacen during this episode, regardless of the outcome.

The guard escort continued to grow as the group moved through the detention center's brightly lit, spotless corridors until they came to a final door marking the entrance to the cell area. The two guards in the lead turned to the three visitors and held out their hands expectantly.

No words had as of yet been spoken, and Luke and Tionne negated the need for any now as they unclipped their lightsabers from their belts and handed the weapons over to the guards. Weapons were not allowed in the cell area.

The guards then looked at Jaina, but in her haste to leave Yavin IV, she had neglected to wear her lightsaber and instead had thrown it in her bag, which still lay on the floor of the shuttle. This inability to produce a weapon inspired a short, but still humiliating, search by one of the guards.

Once the guards decided that none of the Jedi carried any weapons (other than their obvious Force skills, which alone made the guards more nervous than if they were each carrying a dozen thermal detonators), they were allowed to pass through the door.

The high-security cellblock looked little different than the hallway they had just walked through. It was a bit wider, maybe three meters, with four-way intersections every twenty meters. After walking a short while in the cellblock, Jaina could discern the block's layout as a large grid. The one thing she could not make out was where the actual prisoners were.

The ceiling was two and a half meters high, and the walls were made of a smooth, gray, paneled durasteel. Jaina was still trying to figure out this mystery when a sudden evil presence sprang out at her from the left. She reacted violently, throwing herself to the right, pressing her back firmly against the steel wall behind her.

The guards reacted quickly, almost shredding the young Jedi student with blaster fire before realizing her actions were non-hostile. Jaina was staring intently at the opposite wall of the corridor, still sensing some indescribable evil behind it. There was a hollow portion past the steel wall where something very unpleasant resided.

The guards smiled at her reaction. "There's a particularly nasty Wraith in that cell," one of them said, his voice carrying an eerie edge as if he were telling a ghost story across a campfire to scare little kids. "He killed over two dozen people before we finally caught him. There is a law that we are not allowed to execute any race without representation in the senate, so he stays down here, waiting for his chance to escape. Some nights you can hear his soul wail in agony. It's not an audible sound, really, but it reverberates in your mind, driving you mad. We've had a few inmates who have actually died of fright as a result."

Jaina did not honor the guard's tale with a look but instead kept her eyes riveted on the wall across from her. She knew the evil creature could sense her presence. It savored Jaina's virgin mind as it sunk its awful teeth into her psyche, chewing very slowly.

The trance of fear only ended when Jaina felt a tugging on her arm. Jaina's head spun to the right and looked her uncle in the face. "Put it out of your mind, Jaina," he said, the voice of a Jedi Master. "Shut it out as I've trained you. It is your mind. Fill it with what is yours: hope, love, joy. There is no room for hate and fear."

It sounded so easy when Luke said it, but as Jaina tried to remove her fear, the Wraith only persisted, pressing its hold on her even more. Luke could sense the persistent creature as well and turned to cast a glance on the wall. Jaina felt the Wraith scream out in pain, and a dull thud could be heard as the creature reeled from Luke's brief mental attack and hit the opposite wall of its cell. Luke had put minimal effort into the attack, but the Jedi Master had all but sent the wraith into a coma by his effective attack.

Jaina smiled as she felt how overmatched the pitiful creature was and used this realization to give her the confidence to rid what little remained of the Wraith's presence from her mind. "Let's go," Luke said, pulling on her arm. Jaina smiled up at her uncle with a silent "Thank you."

As they continued down the hall, Jaina could not help but gloat over the Wraith one last time before they were out of the creature's limited mental range. The evil beast was still severely disoriented from Luke's attack, but not so much as to ignore Jaina's parting shot. He responded in kind, letting Jaina know that if they met again, without Luke there to rescue her, she would wish herself dead.

Jaina's step quickened and was glad when she could no longer sense the Wraith at all. Her previous notion that she would gladly stand by her brother in this detention center quickly deteriorated. Not wanting to dwell on that, Jaina spent the rest of the trip to Jacen's cell identifying the rest of the prisoners they passed.

The doors to the individual cells were still not discernable to the young Jedi, but she could feel the life behind them. Either the cells were not placed side by side, or there were very few inmates in this section of the detention center because Jaina very rarely sensed anything. When she did, the presence was similar to the Wraith, only without the ability to respond to her probe. The men (and some women) who resided in these cells were not friendly people, to say the least. Hate, fear, aggression, jealousy, and greed were just a few of the emotions Jaina could identify.

This detention center had very little desire to rehabilitate its residents. The people who resided here were here only because their lawyers had been good enough to keep them out of the electric chair, unknowingly sentencing them to a fate far worse. These prisoners would never again see the light of day. No one came to see them, and no one cared that they existed unless they wished they did not. Nutrients were pumped into their cells via a slimy porridge that constituted the only "food" they would ever eat for the rest of their lives. If any of these inmates ever got out and managed to survive the severe agoraphobia they would have developed, the results to society would be catastrophic.

Analyzing the occupants of the cellblock as she was, Jaina found her brother quite quickly, and the group stopped in front of his cell. One of the guards pressed a few buttons on a remote he held, and a door that had just looked like another section of the steel-paneled wall slid into the floor, revealing a tiny steel box.

Jaina could not even really call it a cell. There was a drain in the floor, a hole in the wall where the daily gruel came out, and a bowl lying on the floor. That was it. Besides those three features and the obvious human form slumped in the corner, the room was empty and featureless. Jaina looked up at her two companions, hoping they would be appalled at this.

"Is this necessary?" Tionne asked one of the guards. "He is the son of the Chief of State, for crying out loud. I think he deserves a little more respect than this."

The guard was unfazed by this comment. "He is charged with the highest crime on the books. The fact that he is a Jedi required that he be placed in the highest security detention center possible. I'm afraid we don't have any luxury suites here."

Luke did not appreciate the sarcasm. "Surely you could have made an exception in this case. Maybe you could get him a cot or something."

The chief guard looked Luke straight in the face, not caring that he was about to dress down the most powerful person in the galaxy. "Once a resident enters our care," he started, using the word "care" as loosely as a politician might use the word "truth," "he becomes like anyone else who resides here. Security demands it. We do not make exceptions."

Luke shrugged, realizing he would win no favors from these men. To them, it was nothing personal; they were just doing their job. To safely keep prisoners like the Wraith they had passed earlier, these guards needed to treat each inmate the same. Once you started to actually "care" for the prisoner and let down your guard was when people died.

No, Luke would not get any favors from these men. He and Tionne would bring it up at trial, likely with little resolution, but they needed to bring it up to win a concession later on. Now Luke turned to look at his nephew, still slumped in his cell, oblivious to his visitors. Luke knew he could have survived such a cell as long as he had access to the Force, and he only hoped Jacen had paid enough attention to his classes at the Academy to do the same.

Jaina feared he might be hurt, but a simple analysis of his mind showed that he was only sleeping, though how anyone could sleep in that position was a mystery to her. Before she had a chance to wake him gently, the guards decided to take up the honor themselves.

"Jedi! Wake up! You have visitors."

Visitors were not common in this cellblock. Actually, visitors were not allowed at all, and despite what the guards had said before, an exception was being made. Jacen was only being "accused" of murder and would usually be kept in a much different detention center. If he had already been convicted of his supposed crime, his time in the cell would only last as long as it took the guards to assemble the appropriate execution method.

Jacen stirred uncomfortably from his restless sleep, not entering consciousness with his usual efficiency. He stood slowly, rubbing his temples and squinting into the light from the hallway that flooded into his room. It took several moments to realize who was visiting him, and he smiled.

Jaina took great relief in that smile. She knew what he must be going through, only because she knew how she would have reacted to such imprisonment. He was miserable, feeling like the whole galaxy had suddenly lost faith in him and cast him into a pit awaiting execution. It was very reassuring to see that not everyone had already sentenced him.

Jaina wanted to run up and hug him but could see and sense the shimmering force field that remained where the steel panel had slid away. Without thinking, Jaina began to analyze the wall of energy, tracing its power supply with the Force and identifying the safeties and alarms that would be triggered if it were disarmed. She just about brought it down when Luke placed a hand on her shoulder.

Jaina looked up behind her into her uncle's face again. He slowly shook his head. Nothing got by him. Jaina did not know if she would have gone through with her actions if not stopped, but she was pretty sure of what the guard's reaction would have been: instant death.

Thinking about it, Jacen could have done it himself if he had wanted to. Though computers and machines were Jaina's specialty, the task of turning off the force shield and preventing the alarms from sounding would not be difficult for someone with Jacen's Force strength. The real trick would be walking out of the detention without killing or being killed by at least two dozen guards.

Jaina, Luke, and Tionne were not there to free Jacen, at least not by a jailbreak. If that had been Luke's intent, there was nothing the guards would have been able to do about it. They were here instead to follow the law and due process.

It took a while for Jacen to get his mind entirely centered on the situation at hand. "Welcome to my humble abode," he said casually, his unique sense of humor ever-present even in these conditions. "Please pull up a chair and have a seat." Having said this, Jacen sat down on an imaginary chair, looking at the guards the whole while. It was a simple levitation trick, but Jacen leaned back in his make-believe chair, making it look all the more real. He smirked at the guards as he did this, letting them know how easily he could adapt to their supposed torture chamber.

Jaina did all she could to keep from laughing at this comedic display, wondering if she should pull up a chair of her own. She decided against it. Jacen was already on the guard's blacklist. Jaina was not and did not wish to be.

Luke frowned at the display yet was inwardly happy that Jacen was able to cope. "How are you?" he stared simply.

"Never been better," Jacen replied. "There are no insects, no heat, and the last resident of my cell took the time to scratch his life story into the wall, giving me something to read. Quite an interesting man. I'm glad I'll never meet him."

Luke could tell the guards were about to end this meeting before it ever got started. He quickly moved the discussion to more critical matters. "Did you kill Senator Keld?"

Jacen slammed his imaginary chair back to all fours, sitting up straight. He looked hard at Luke before answering, ensuring his teacher understood that he was utterly removing himself from his sense of humor. "No, I did not."

"Where were you on the night in question?" Tionne asked.

"I was at home, alone."

Tionne was not happy with the useless alibi. "We need to be absolutely sure on this point," Tionne insisted. She had researched the other Jedi cases. The Jedi had been very willing to admit to the killing in each case. The defense then showed the court that the victim was deserving of death and the Jedi's deeds had saved countless lives.

While Tionne did not doubt Jacen's proclamation of innocence, she wanted to determine which path they had to follow. Proving Jacen did not kill Markis Keld might prove significantly more difficult than proving the Jedi hater deserved to die.

Jacen looked at his teacher from the Academy, giving her the same stare he had leveled at Luke. "Do you think I did it?"

"I did not say that," Tionne responded defensively.

"What did you say?" Jacen asked but then continued, not giving the woman a chance to answer. "Your question implies a disbelief in my sincerity."

"We just need to be absolutely sure."

"It's not the kind of question I'm likely to be confused about," Jacen continued. "It's not like you're asking me what I had for breakfast a week ago or what I wore three months ago. You are asking me if I took the life of another human being. It's not the kind of question I'm asked too often. It's not the kind of question I'm likely to be confused about."

Tionne swallowed hard and nodded, feeling sufficiently rebuked. This was a side of Jacen she had never seen before. Very few people had. Jaina was one of them. Jacen liked to show the world his fun and sarcastic side because it was easier to maintain, and people enjoyed it more. Jaina knew him better than that, though.

They both had pent-up anger. You could not learn about your family history as they had and not have a little resentment at the universe for dealing them the hand they had to play with. Not only did they have this anger inside them, but they were never allowed to show it for fear of it being confused with the Dark Side.

Normal kids could lose their temper and fly off in a tantrum. Normal kids fought with their parents and yelled at their teachers. Normal kids did these things, and they were looked at as healthy releases. They were punishable, of course, but if a child never lost his temper once, his parents would become concerned that there was something wrong.

Not only were Jaina and Jacen not allowed to show their anger, but they had also been cursed with more reasons for anger than just about anyone they knew. They had no living grandparents, and the only one they knew about was widely held to be one of the evilest men to have ever lived. Their family had been the target of countless assassins over the years, letting them know that a substantial portion of the galaxy resented their existence. On top of this, they were given a gift that demanded an unreasonable sense of responsibility.

They had anger. It was knowledge of this anger and what it could do to them that created the third part of their psyche. It was the part that Jaina had just experienced a few minutes ago in front of the Wraith's cell. It was the part that Jacen now showed.

"You guys do believe me, right?" His hard stare had disappeared after his short lecture to Tionne and was replaced by a desperate expression. "You can get me out of here, right?" He was suddenly on the verge of tears, his imaginary chair slowly disappearing beneath him as he moved to the floor. "You have to believe me. I didn't kill him."

Luke nodded, while Tionne and Jaina just looked on helplessly. "We believe you."

The guards had heard enough and decided to bring the meeting to a close. Without warning, the steel panel in the floor rose to close off the cell. Jacen quickly rose with the door, his head staying above the ascending partition as long as possible so he could see his friends one last time before he was shut back into darkness. A tear rolled down Jaina's cheek as her brother's face disappeared from view.

-We will get you out of here.- she said telepathically to him.

-I know.- he responded, though Jaina could sense that he really did not.

---

Chapter 2 Strategy

Luke, Tionne, and Jaina sat around a table in the presidential apartment of the palace. Han and Leia were there too, but Luke had long ago identified them as being far too emotional to offer any substantial help.

Luke had not seen Han like this in a long time. The rugged, independent smuggler he had met in Mos Eisley over 24 years ago had slowly been stripped of his independence but had stubbornly clung to his ruggedness. This made him a very efficient general, relying on his men to get things done and push them when they needed an extra shove.

Now Han was reverting to his former self, feeling like he could depend on no one to save his son. The government he worked for and his wife ran had put his son in prison and would execute him unless he could do something to stop it. Luke knew if things got rough, Han would be the first to talk about a rescue. He was still too much like the old Han to realize that if they were to free Jacen by any other means than by the law, it would brand the entire family, and likely the entire Academy, if Luke and Tionne were involved, as traitors. They would never again be allowed to participate in the New Republic. Jacen was important, and Luke would do everything in his power to save him, but he could not jeopardize the future of the galaxy because of one desperate father.

Leia was just the opposite. If Han was planning rescue missions, Leia was planning the funeral. She had taken a leave from her senatorial responsibilities and was living in a perpetual state of grief. Luke could sympathize with her, for the evidence against Jacen seemed insurmountable, but Luke had only arrived last night, and they were yet to start investigating. When you only saw one side of the evidence, it was easy to make a quick decision. Luke knew that if Jacen had not killed Senator Keld, someone else had. All he needed to do was find that one person, and Jacen would be free. Finding one person on a planet of 400 trillion seemed like a daunting task, but so did hitting a tiny exhaust port at top speed with Imperial fighters on your tail. With the Force, anything was possible.

While Luke was not going to employ Han and Leia as part of his investigative team, he could neither ask them to leave. This was their home and their son. "As I see it," he started, "we have three things to work on right now. Those are the alibi, murder weapon, and motive." The New Republic had confiscated Jacen's lightsabers, they had Jacen's statement that he had been alone at home the night in question, and they had documented the many accusations Senator Keld had made against Leia, some of which translated to her children as "Heirs to the Throne of the New Republic."

"We need to give more weight to Jacen's alibi; we need to find a different murder weapon or prove Jacen's lightsabers were not responsible; and we need to play down the Senator's accusations and show they were not sufficient for Jacen to want him dead."

"Some Jedi wanted him dead," Han was quick to point out.

"Someone with a lightsaber wanted him dead," Tionne was quicker to correct.

Luke nodded at the keen observation. "An important point. It is obviously not a common weapon, but in the short time since I've started the Academy, I've run into plenty of people who have them. They just don't go out of their way to register them."

Luke turned to Tionne. "I want you to work on the senator's comments in the senate. That should keep you here, and you can continue to familiarize yourself with the New Republic trial procedures." Tionne nodded, understanding what she needed to do.

"I'm going to check into the murder weapon. Jaina," he said, turning to his niece, "I want you to check with Jacen's friends. Your father and mother say that he went out just about every night with one of his friends. Maybe you can find out why he stayed in this particular night. Maybe he talked on the com with someone. Until we get Jacen moved to a different cell, we are going to have to get our information about what he did through someone else." Jaina nodded.

"What about us?" Han asked, not wanting to be left out of the loop. He had taken an indefinite leave from his position too and had done so to make him available to help.

Luke thought a while before responding. "The media will be rough around this one. The government has been cautious about keeping a lid on everything, but I'm sure the prosecution will want to try this case on the headlines of every news publication and broadcast. You and Leia will be very quotable, and you need to make sure you say nothing incriminating about Jacen. Just profess your confidence in his innocence and that you're sure the justice system will show this."

"And if we are not confident the justice system will show this?" Leia prompted.

Luke knew this was not the right time to try and lift Leia's spirits. "Just pretend, for Jacen's sake." Luke's best chance of lifting Leia's spirits was to clear Jacen. The trial started tomorrow, and Luke did not have much time.

---

Jaina tried to think about something else as she rode in the public transport toward the address of one of Jacen's closest friends.

The prosecution team had been flown in from Krakus a full day earlier, giving them a significant jump on the defense. The team from Krakus was very experienced and highly motivated. Senator Keld's son, Martin Keld, replaced his father as a senator and led the team. He wasn't a lawyer himself, but he had significant influence, as had his father.

Jaina remembered what Tionne had said about the former Senator Keld being left with his infant son after the purge. Surely Martin had been brought up to hate Jedi just as much as his father had. In fact, most of the population of Krakus hated the Jedi, and this trial almost surely took precedence over anything else happening on the planet.

Leia could have taken the opportunity to pull a lot of strings and get the best lawyers on Coruscant to represent her son, but two things had kept that from happening. The first is that being Force-sensitive, Leia could tell that no one she talked to believed her son was innocent. They might fight for him, but Leia did not want anyone who thought her son guilty defending him. It did not make sense to her.

The second reason was simply that she did not trust anyone else. Han's mentality had rubbed off on her to some extent, but in reality, at her core, she was just as independent as he was. She had led the Rebellion against the Empire so many years ago without help from any other galactic governments. She was used to protecting her own, and once she thought about it, she could have no one but Luke defending her son.

Jaina tried not to think about all this as she rode, but it wasn't easy. Instead, she tried to focus her mind on what she was doing right now. Jacen had taken a week's vacation from the Academy to visit his friends and parents. Jaina had taken a similar break only a few months ago.

Randie Greggs was probably Jacen's closest friend. They had gone to elementary school together before the twins had left for the Academy, and the two kept in touch, visiting as often as possible. Randie was a star athlete in the Coruscant school system, and his exploits almost matched Jacen's - almost. The two loved to play sports together, hit the Coruscant youth clubs together, and, above all, chase girls together.

Jaina had thought about giving into Randie's playful advances more than once, but his similarity to Jacen was just too creepy. She did not need to worry about that now, though. Unlike Jacen, Randie could get very serious at times, and now would be one of those times.

The transport stopped, and Jaina had to walk another five minutes before she arrived at the base of Randie's apartment complex. No one had individual homes on Coruscant. Space was at too much of a premium. Everyone lived in colossal apartment complexes that often dwarfed the most significant buildings on almost any other world in the New Republic. Though they were called apartments, each residence was far from small, and it was often thought that maybe individual homes would take up less room.

Randie met Jaina outside the complex and led her to the courtyard contained in the center of the vast building. Trees and flowers were not often seen on the city-planet, where life took place several kilometers above the surface, so they were shipped in from other worlds to make the steel and concrete planet seem more botanically friendly. This courtyard was 50 meters square and filled with trees and shrubs. A small pond with an artistic fountain in the center lent a relaxed atmosphere to the yard. Several fragrant flower gardens offered up their best aromas to help the residents of this complex temporarily forget where they were.

Randie led Jaina to a wooden bench in front of the bubbling pond next to a particularly colorful patch of flowers. "How's Jacen doing?" he asked once they were seated.

"Not good," Jaina responded, seeing no need to sugarcoat things. "He feels the whole galaxy has turned against him, prematurely convicting him of the crime before he can even be tried."

Randie nodded but did not say anything and just stared into the pond, trying to pick out a few of the sparkling fish.

"I was hoping you could help me out, actually," Jaina continued with the reason she had come.

"Anything I can do."

"Can you tell me what you guys did every night and why you decided to do nothing the night the senator was killed?"

Randie was silent for a while, appearing for a moment like he had not even heard the question. "That's the funny thing," Randie finally said, just a second before Jaina was about to repeat her question. "We were supposed to do something that night. In fact," Jaina could see Randie begin to blush, "we were supposed to meet these three girls, and I know Jacen was looking forward to it."

Usually, Jaina would smile about this, knowing how flirtatious her brother was, but she saw little humor in it this time. Randie saw her severe expression and told his story. "We had been hitting a lot of the youth clubs in the area, but they were boring. The girls were too excitable and in awe." Jaina knew what he was talking about. Because of his athletic talent, Randie was actually more of a celebrity than Jacen, but not by much. By going to the youth clubs, they were running into people their own age who had gone to school with them and had always looked up to them.

"Jacen wanted something more. He picked out this older club, usually reserved for the college crowd. It was called the Neon Nerf. I think they put some type of dye in the food, so it glowed under black light. Anyway, I'm only a couple of days from 18 (the legal age on Coruscant), but even if I was only 16 like Jacen, he made sure we never got carded." Randie tapped his head as he said this, but Jaina understood. She had disguised her age many times with the Force.

"It was nice not to be recognized and swamped right away, and," Randie smiled, "the alcohol wasn't a bad addition either. We ran into these three girls and really hit it off. They were truly interested in our conversation, they loved to dance, and their bodies were, well," Randie stumbled as he realized who he was talking to. "Well, I thought we would stay there all night, but around ten, Jacen suddenly gets up and says he has to leave. I say, 'What for?' He makes up some excuse that there was something he needed to do, and he just left. The girls made us promise we'd be back the next day, and Jacen said he would make it.

"Without Jacen, I didn't last too long in there and got kicked out within fifteen minutes. The next night, the night that senator was killed, I showed up at the club, but Jacen didn't show. Around eight, I got a little worried and called him up. He picked up the com and sounded really weird. I think he was sick or something. He said he was sorry, but he couldn't make it. I tried to plead with him. I mean, a cold or something is nothing for you guys, right?"

Jaina nodded. She never really had to worry about getting sick. One of the first things Luke taught his students was how to maintain good health with the Force. She knew Jacen was more than capable of handling a little cold. "Well, that was the last I talked with him. They picked him up the next morning."

Jaina absorbed the story. Jacen had been at home that night, or at least he had been around eight o'clock. "Would you be willing to testify to Jacen's whereabouts in court?"

Randie swallowed. It was obvious he did not want to. "If you think it will help him, sure, I'll do it."

Jaina thanked him and rose to leave. This was not much, but it was something. She walked back to the transport slowly, thinking about what she should do next. She had a few more names of people Jacen had talked to since he had been back, but she knew Jacen had spent most of his time with Randie. Satisfied with the information she had gotten, she decided to go back home.

---

"Once again, our top story today is that the murder trial for Jacen Solo, son of Chief of State Leia Organa-Solo, begins tomorrow. Prosecutors and police have released very few details about the case but have assured their opponents that they have significant proof against the well-liked Jedi student and are not just accusing the first available Jedi.

"The victim of the brutal murder, which took place three days ago, is Senator Markis Keld. His anti-Jedi comments in the senate are well known, and he has published several articles denouncing the Chief of State and her predecessors. He has at times mentioned President Organa-Solo's children in his writings as potential successors, and experts following the case believe that this will be brought up at trial.

"Beyond Senator Keld's remarks about Jedi, very little is known about the otherwise reclusive senator, so we would like to take the time here to present a brief bio. Markis Keld was 58 years old when he died. He left a son, Martin, who is 35 and has taken his father's place in the senate. Markis Keld was a wealthy man, and he often gave generously to several charitable organizations here on Coruscant and back on his home planet of Krakus. He has participated in several relief missions to war-torn and storm-ravaged planets, lending his time, money, and labor to the efforts.

"Perhaps his benevolent nature can best be seen in the fact that he is the founder of the Krakun Hematological Research Center, here on Coruscant. The KHRC has made huge advances in treating hemophilia, BBD (Bothan Blood Disorder), and several other blood-related infections and diseases. The research center also sponsors several health care seminars on cholesterol and blood pressure management. They have marketed dozens of over-the-counter and prescription drugs that are highly recommended by doctors and pharmacists alike."

Jaina watched the news broadcast from her seat on the public transport. "Why would anyone want to kill this guy?" She asked herself. "Unless," she forced herself to admit, "they were a Jedi." Besides the significant Jedi dislike, this guy was a saint. This did not bode well for Jacen, and Jaina was beginning to wonder how they were supposed to build a defense to support him. In Jaina's mind, someone had purposefully used a lightsaber to kill the senator so that all blame would be pointed at the Jedi. There was little other explanation for the murder weapon. A blaster would have been much harder to trace. If a Jedi had killed him, he probably would have known this and would have used a weapon less likely to peg himself as the murderer if he needed a weapon at all. The Force was a powerful weapon in and of itself.

This meant there had to be something else about Senator Keld that Jaina and the rest of the public did not know. What had caused someone to track the senator down in the lower levels of Coruscant and cut him in half with a lightsaber? Since Jaina had decided not to visit any of Jacen's other friends, she thought it might be a good idea to visit this Krakun Hematological Research Center.

---

Chapter 3 Blood Bath

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Krakun Hematological Research Center. My name is Kathrene - you can call me Kathy - and I will be your tour guide today. If you have any questions during the tour, please don't hesitate to ask, and I will do my best to answer them. Now, if everyone is ready, we can get started."

Jaina stood toward the back of the group. She was posing as a reporter, though looking at the make-up of the tour group, her disguise hardly seemed necessary. Her ability to make herself look young and innocent to win over her uncle and father was matched only by her ability to make herself look much older. She had only recently developed the figure to make the trick more effortless, but even before, with the Force, anything was possible.

She had stopped off before coming to the research center to change clothes and grab a reporter databoard, but she realized now that had been unnecessary. There were two other reporters in the group of about fifteen, but most were ordinary citizens. A few looked wealthier than others, and Jaina understood that the research center was a non-profit organization and depended on hefty grants and donations to stay in business. These wealthy donors probably had doubts about the stability of the research center after its founder had been killed and wanted to reassure themselves that their money was being well spent.

The rest of the group was simply made up of curious people. The tours were free, and the research center looked at them as an excellent way to advertise themselves. About thirty people a week typically came through the research center on tours, and if even half of them decided to start making small donations each month, the overall impact would be very significant.

The group walked out of the lobby and proceeded down a spotless corridor. On either side of the hallway, windows looked into spacious labs containing expensive equipment and several white-smocked workers. The tour guide began explaining what each piece of equipment was for and how each lab had its own function. "Most of our equipment is devoted to research and development, but as you know, we also produce several drugs for public distribution and have space to accommodate continual testing of those drugs and investigation as to how to convert them to other species who suffer from the same conditions."

"What diseases or ailments do you focus on?"

The question came from one of the wealthier-looking group members, and Kathy turned to address him. "We like to think we focus on all the diseases equally, but since we have had greater success in some areas than others, we do have specialized departments. Heart disease and strokes are the number one killer in almost every race that lives on Coruscant. Though several different factors can contribute to heart disease, most have to do with the quality of the blood, or at least can be fixed through improvements to blood flow. Our greatest success has come through producing non-inebriating supplements for the blood that either thin it or remove impurities."

"Where have you had your least success?" someone else dared to ask.

Kathy smiled. "I would have to say we have the greatest problem attacking diseases that disable the immune system. We have investigated ways to bolster the immune system to fight against colds and allergies, but repairing a disabled or depleted immune system is still something we're working on."

Kathy paused to accept more questions, but the group was silent for now. She waited a few moments more and then turned to lead the group on. They turned right down the hallway and came to another bank of windows looking into a large lab. The lab floor was a full story below the hallway, and the door and stairs that led down to the lab were just to the right of the windows. The reason for the tall room was apparent when one saw the vast machines inside.

"This is lab contains our multiple blood banks," Kathy explained. "We have samples of over 100 different races in the tanks you see. Each race has different specifications for blood storage. Most keep well chilled or frozen, but others need to have methane filtered through them, and still, others need to be kept at near-boiling temperatures."

"What about Verpine blood?" someone asked.

Kathy nodded. "Verpine, Kelsto, and a few other insectoid races have calcitrons living in their bloodstreams. These micro-organisms feed off the nutrients and vitamins ingested by their host. In exchange, they excrete a high calcium supplement that bolsters the host's exoskeleton. At first, we had difficulty keeping the calcitrons alive and then even more difficulty extracting the calcium from the blood samples.

"Now we can do both efficiently and can market extracted calcium to combat osteoporosis in aging members of the races I mentioned earlier. The calcium is far too concentrated to be useful to humanoids."

"Where do you get your blood samples?" one of the reporters asked.

"There are several blood banks within a thousand kilometers of this research center, and together they have samples from every race that has registered with the Republic. We never take more than they can provide, and the hospitals and blood banks get plenty in return."

Kathy led the group along the hallway and came to another lab similar to the first one they saw. "This room deals exclusively with blood manipulation. Using centrifugal separators and cyclone filters, we can separate the blood into its different components. We extract white, red, and blue blood cells. We can also test the staying power of any supplement we add."

"So far, you've shown us several different labs where you analyze and modify blood, but what about the diseases or the patients?"

"We try to keep as few patients here as possible, but we do have them. Unfortunately, I can not show them to you due to several privacy regulations. Mostly we deal with blood infections and only need samples of the infected blood to try and fight the infection, but there are instances where we need patients. For example, to fight hemophilia, all we need is a blood sample, but to cure immunity deficiencies, we need an entire immune system."

"So you have living patients that you do testing on?" Jaina asked. "Isn't it traditional to use animals as test subjects before subjecting sentients to testing?" She was beginning to think she might have found a potential motive for someone other than her brother to kill Markis.

Kathy looked a little ruffled at the accusatory question. "In most cases, yes, testing is first done on animals, but we've found that to be ineffective. Ever since the New Republic overthrew the Empire, alien races are more welcome on Coruscant, and they have intermingled to a much greater degree than ever before. Because of this, diseases have begun mutating to adapt to different races. This means that a treatment that might be successful with a human patient might prove unsuccessful on a Bothan patient. Once the viruses gained this mutation flexibility, they began to mutate across species as well. This means that a treatment that might be successful with a dog or a mouse will not be successful with a human."

"Have you ever lost a patient?" Jaina pressed. The rest of the group began to look at her curiously.

The other reporters were here to paint this research center and its deceased founder as a beacon of light and inversely paint Jacen as a bringer of death and destruction. The investors were here to find reasons to keep their money flowing. These questions coming from the young reporter in the back of the group seemed to have a much different agenda.

"Yes, we have," Kathy answered hesitantly. "But we like to think that the large number of lives we've saved so far outweighs the few we've lost. Every patient who comes to us for help knows that everything within this research center is experimental. They also know that we are their best chance for a cure, and death is a certainty without our help."

Kathy continued to look at Jaina after she had finished, hoping the young woman did not have any more damaging questions. Jaina said nothing else out loud but thought quietly to herself, "It looks like you killed the wrong patient somewhere along the road."

Kathy led the group further on. The next room had minimal machinery but was crawling with lab workers. They carried test tubes and slid cubes back and forth across the room. They took test tubes in and out of storage containers and took slide cubes in and out of high-powered microscopes.

"Here, we do most of our analysis. While we rarely obtain samples from new races, we are constantly presented with new viruses, diseases, and infections. This room is one of our few hot spots in the lab, meaning security is very high. Some of the blood samples are infected with viruses so lethal that even though we only deal with microscopic amounts, one sample could wipe out an entire starship."

Another motive, Jaina thought. Before she could phrase the idea into a question, one of the other reporters obliged her. "Is there a black market for these kinds of viruses?"

Kathy nodded. "Yes, there is. Terrorists and military types posing as doctors often approach our people. We have stringent regulations and check the background of everyone that approaches us requesting a blood sample. To our knowledge, we have never handed out infected blood to anyone outside of the medical community and have also uncovered at least a dozen terrorist groups in the process."

That was not what Jaina wanted to hear, but she would keep her thoughts private for now. She was sure at least one of their samples had fallen into the wrong hands. Or maybe, she thought, one of the exposed terrorist organizations wished retribution. Jaina was glad she had decided to go on this tour. She had already uncovered several reasons someone might want to kill Markis Keld, but the tour was not over yet.

The following lab contained more microscopes and test tubes, but it also had smaller versions of the centrifugal machines from the separation lab. "This is where we do most of our blood modifications. Combining additives and supplements to a blood sample in a test tube is not a realistic model. While we might be able to gauge a drug's effectiveness against a particular disease, we can not simulate its effect on circulation or countless other things in a test tube. Here we prepare the modified blood for injection into a patient."

No one had any questions, and Kathy led the group on. They made their third right turn since the beginning of the tour, and Jaina could tell they were nearing the end. The last room contained no blood samples or other complicated machinery. Instead, it was filled with computers and projection screens. The people in the lab did not have to wear the ever-present white smocks, though several did.

"We do a lot of research on computers," Kathy explained. "There are countless medical databases here on Coruscant that we have access to, but our best information comes through uplinking with databases on alien worlds. By researching the medical history of the many different races that we treat, we can find what worked in the past. We are also able to detail the history of a particular alien virus, noting its previous mutations and perhaps predicting what its next one will be."

Kathy turned to the group. "This is the end of the tour, and I'd like to thank you for your attention. If you have any questions about the research center in general or about anything you've seen, I'll be happy to answer them now."

"What was Senator Keld's role in this research center?" one of the reporters asked.

"He was the founder," Kathy said solemnly. "Without his help and initial investment, we would not exist. Your real question is probably, 'Will we be able to function without him?' Senator Keld did not interact with us daily. His role was to intervene on the research center's behalf when issues involving the Republic or other races arose. He handled all donations made by large corporations and interacted with the medical community when we presented a new drug for approval.

"He will be missed, but his responsibilities have already been assumed by his son, who, most of you probably know, also took his senate position. Martin Keld will be able to handle his father's responsibilities, but no one will be able to replace him. And yes, we will miss him."

Quiet respect filled the tour group, which made Jaina's question seem all the more out of place. "Does Martin Keld or the research center hold any animosity toward the Jedi?" Jaina startled herself as much as those around her. She had not intentionally wanted to ask the question. It had just come out.

Kathy regarded Jaina curiously, wondering what this reporter's angle could be and what would prompt her to ask such an inappropriate question. "We are not in the business of vengeance. The law will punish whoever is convicted of the crime committed against us. We are content with that and see no reason to hold any ill will against those who may be associated with the murderer."

"What about the Krakun Purge?" Again the question came out of Jaina's mouth before checking it.

Kathy was shaken visibly by the question, and Jaina saw her eyes dart up to the ceiling behind the group. Jaina did not need to turn and look. She could tell through the Force that a security camera was watching them. Was Kathy trying to get the attention of someone who might be watching and listening?

"That was a long time ago," Kathy finally responded. "As a people, we have forgiven. Never forgotten, but we have forgiven."

Most of the tour had no idea what the two women were talking about. It was a big galaxy, and while the Krakun Purge was a massive event in both Krakun and Jedi history, few others cared about it.

Kathy somehow managed to put a smile back on her face and turned to the rest of the group. "If there are no further questions, I'll show you back to the lobby where you can pick up our information packet. In it, you will find information about donations and a number you can call for more information about anything you saw today."

The exit was behind the tour group, and Kathy pardoned herself as she walked through the group to lead the way. She did not make eye contact with Jaina, but the young Jedi could feel her uncomfortable emotions through the Force. Jaina let the group file out of the hallway ahead of her, taking up her position in the back. Before she could follow, a firm hand grabbed her arm just below her shoulder.

Jaina spun around and looked up into the face of a man. He let go of her arm and took a step back to show he did not mean any harm. He was a full head taller than Jaina and very well built. His face was unnaturally handsome, and his posture perfect. "Excuse me, miss, but I thought we might be able to talk about a few things."

Jaina said nothing for a while but glanced up at the camera Kathy had looked at earlier. This was most definitely the man who had been on the other end of the surveillance equipment. Something about him made Jaina nervous. His smile was disarming, and while he looked powerful, he also seemed very gentle. Still, Jaina felt some dire warnings coming through the Force.

"Actually, I need to-," Jaina started, turning back to the door to follow the tour group. The door was closed, and the two of them were alone in the hallway. Jaina felt suddenly frightened and wished she had not left her lightsaber back in the palace apartment.

"Please, it will only take a few moments. I just wanted to calm your fears. You asked some pretty interesting questions on the tour."

Jaina turned back to look at him. "My name is Martin Keld. Please?" He held out his hand toward her.

This was the reason she had come to the research center in the first place, but now she wished only to leave and be as far away from this place as possible. Instead, she took a deep breath, adjusted her Force disguise, which had begun to slip, and nodded her head. "I guess I have a few minutes."

Martin's smile nearly connected his ears. "I'm glad. Please, follow me." He led the way through a side door in the hallway. Jaina followed, clutching her databoard tightly to her chest. The door opened onto the landing of a descending stairway. The stairs were not as brightly lit as the hallway, and Jaina let her eyes adjust. After a short trip through a dim corridor, they went down one full level and came to a second door.

The room through the door appeared similar to the labs upstairs, except it looked to contain a few pieces of equipment from each of the labs. There were several computers scattered around the room. A pair of microscopes stood on a table amongst a scattering of half-filled test tube racks. Along one of the walls were a few fluid processing machines and a cyclone filtration system. Against another wall were several tanks and chilled storage cells. A large projection screen hung on the wall to Jaina's left, and she saw several large databoards hanging on the wall beside her as she passed through the door.

"This was my father's private lab," Martin said as he walked over to one of the small chilled storage cells. "Please have a seat."

Jaina did as she was told as she watched Martin. He opened the door to the storage cell and removed an opaque pitcher. He poured some of the contents into two cups and returned the pitcher to its storage cell. He turned to look at his guest. "Care for a drink?"

Jaina blanched at the idea of drinking anything that was stored next to blood samples. Martin chuckled at her expression. "Trust me; it's fruit juice." He placed the drink on a counter next to Jaina and took a stool a few meters away. He took a sip from his cup and grinned. Jaina took her cup in hand slowly, smelled it briefly, and then took a drink as well.

"What do you know of the Krakun Purge?" he asked her.

Jaina still felt uncomfortable in this environment, alone with this man, but she tried to put that aside. "Thirty-five years ago, the Sith invaded your planet searching out some Jedi that were hiding there. In the fight before the Jedi gave themselves up, many Krakuns lost their lives."

"And?" Martin prompted.

"And your mother and sister were among those who died," Jaina obliged.

"I never knew my mother or my sister," Martin said, getting up from his stool and walking about the room. "Do you think this means I hate Jedi?"

"It is not my job to think," Jaina responded. "I ask questions and report the news."

Martin laughed. "And what newsgroup do you work for?"

"CHC," Jaina responded. The Coruscant Holocasting Company was the most extensive media organization in the galaxy. "I'm one of the reporters assigned to cover this trial."

"And you are curious about the motive," Martin said, finishing his drink and placing the empty cup in a sink. "Why would a young Jedi student kill a harmless senator? Could it be because of the senator's public statements concerning Jedi? Does this mean Senator Keld really does hate Jedi despite his statements to the contrary?" Martin stopped his rhetorical speech and looked hard at Jaina. "They are good questions, and you have come to the right place to have them answered."

Martin walked over to a computer terminal and hit a few keys. The lights dimmed slightly, and an image appeared on the room's giant projection screen. It was a space shot of Krakus. "We are a very peaceful people who shun war. There is no place for violence in an advanced society. So how do you suppose we reacted when this happens?"

The image on the screen suddenly changed to chaotic destruction. Jaina gasped audibly as she saw huge buildings topple like building blocks. People were falling out of the windows and disappearing under the waves of rubble. The images jumped from one scene to another as buildings exploded and majestic structures toppled. The sound was absent from the pictures, and for that, Jaina was grateful, for people could be seen screaming and dying everywhere. Human-shaped flames ran about, seeking some way to put themselves out. Others dragged their bodies across the broken ground with their arms because their legs had been crushed beyond recognition. Mothers screamed as they came upon their crushed babies and dead children. It was a blood bath.

"How should we react?" Martin asked while the images continued to flash by on the screen. "The natural response would be outrage at the injustice levied against us by the Jedi."

"But we weren't, uh, the Jedi weren't to blame for the purge. The Sith are the ones who brought the destruction."

If Martin noticed Jaina's slip, he did not let it show. "But the Jedi could have stopped it. Oh, don't worry, there isn't a Krakun alive today who doesn't hold the Sith responsible for this, and we hate them for it. But that is not where the concern lies. Everyone hates the Sith, but the Jedi - the Jedi are supposed to be protectors of the galaxy."

"But-"

"But who were they protecting here?" He motioned to the screen behind him. "Were they standing up for the people who had so graciously hidden them and cared for them, or were they looking out for themselves?"

"When they found out what was happening they-"

"They gave themselves in! Is that it? The Krakun Purge lasted three whole days. You can't tell me that the Jedi could have been that clueless. After the first Krakun lost his life, they knew what was happening, but they didn't act until after the four-hundred-thousandth Krakun died. Why the delay? Did they really not know what was going on, or did they feel their precious lives were more valuable than those who were dying in their place?!"

Martin had been walking toward Jaina during this conversation with the violent images on the wall behind him. He stood over her now, his face contorted in barely controlled rage.

"How would you react if it had been your family? If it had been your people dying, how would you handle your feelings?"

Jaina quivered under Martin's stare, her lower lip trembling as she started her response. "I - I -"

Martin spun away suddenly. "But as I said, we are a peaceful people, not given to war. Sure, a few people blamed the Jedi, but for the most part, we learned to forgive. The Jedi were scared." Martin spun around quickly, leveling a penetrating glare at Jaina. Jaina nearly jumped off her stool and let go of a startled yip. "It's not easy to scare a Jedi. We understand that. We understand they couldn't have been thinking straight, and it is quite amazing that they summoned the courage after only three days."

Martin quickly closed the gap between him and Jaina again. "I dare say you or I would have taken much longer if we knew what awaited us after we turned ourselves in. Don't you agree?"

Jaina nodded, not capable of speech at the moment.

"I want to show you something," Martin said, smiling. "Come here." He turned to walk back toward the projection screen. Jaina slowly stood from the stool, her legs a little weak. Martin pressed a few buttons on the wall next to the screen, and the lights in the room brightened again. The images stopped flashing across the screen, and the canvas scrolled upward into the ceiling. Behind it, Martin opened two large doors set into the wall.

Jaina was close behind Martin when he opened the doors and was startled by what lay behind them. Hanging inside the huge cabinets was an impressive display of weapons.

"My father did not hold any animosity toward the Jedi, but he was fascinated by their lifestyle. He liked to collect things, and this is probably his most prized collection." Martin reached up to the wall and retrieved a large cylindrical object. He turned to Jaina with the weapon in front of him. "Do you know what this is?"

Jaina, the Jedi student, knew precisely what it was, but she knew Jaina, the CHC reporter, would not. She shook her head.

"It's a Force pike," Martin said, igniting both ends of the deadly weapon. The bright blue blades illuminated the space between them, and Jaina could feel the heat coming off the blade. Martin spun it in front of him in a skillful motion. "In the hands of a Sith, this is probably the most deadly weapon in existence. It's almost a shame there are no more Sith left. I would have loved to see one of them in battle with a weapon like this."

Martin ended his little display, deactivated the weapon, and returned it to the wall. He looked at the collection, trying to figure out what weapon should come next. He spotted an odd blade hanging on one of the doors and picked it up. Jaina was curious about this weapon. The edge of the long sword seemed to be made of wood. Looking closer, she could see that streaks of sliver ran through the blade, and its edges were also lined with the precious metal.

"It's a vampiric blade known as 'Eternal Rest.' Since we are surrounded by blood, my father found it fitting that if any vampires came calling, we should have a little defense."

Jaina saw a sun gem in the center of the blade's hilt and understood the weapon's effectiveness. Sunlight, silver, and a wooden stake through the heart were the only known ways to kill the mythical undead creatures.

"This weapon is believed to have been responsible for killing over a hundred vampires," Martin continued, turning over the well-balanced sword in his hand. He looked at the weapon a bit longer and then returned it to its rack.

"Now this," Martin said, heaving a heavy piece of armor off the wall, "is perhaps the most recognizable piece my father ever obtained, but it is still magnificent. Mandalorian armor. This armor is impenetrable, even by a lightsaber. The Sith hired the Mandalorian warriors to kill the Jedi, and they did a thorough job."

Martin put the armor back and retrieved a short sword that hung next to it. "One of the more famous Mandalorian warriors, Kroshin Harth, had a pet vornskr to help him hunt down the Jedi. The vornskr was killed during a battle from which Kroshin was barely lucky enough to escape. He swore he would kill every Jedi alive to avenge his beloved pet, and so he forged this sword."

Martin held it up in front of him so Jaina could get a good look at it. The blade was only half a meter long but looked razor-sharp. The crosspiece was made from two halves of a vornskr jawbone, with the two prominent canine teeth pointing up parallel with the blade. In the center of the hilt was a crimson ruby.

"It is said that he forged this sword in the blood of his dead pet."

The idea sent a chill down Jaina's spine, and she took a step back. Martin took two steps forward. "It's called 'Biter,' the idea being that Kroshin would shove the weapon deep into his victim's chest up to the hilt so his dead pet's teeth could taste the blood of each Jedi he killed."

Jaina took several more steps back, coming up against a counter. Martin continued to close the gap. "It is also said that the ruby in the center of the blade can detect when a Jedi is near. If it senses a Force presence, it begins to glow and thirst for the Jedi's blood."

Martin was on top of Jaina now, the gruesome weapon only centimeters from Jaina's face. The young Jedi was staring transfixed at the ruby in the center. Martin rotated the sword slightly, letting the gem sparkle in the room's light. Jaina could see her warped reflection in the ruby, and she was terrified that at any moment it would come to life, and Martin would be compelled to thrust the blade into her chest.

Martin suddenly exploded in laughter. "But it is only a legend." He turned around and walked back to the cabinet. He hung the blade inside and closed the doors.

Jaina was still leaning heavily on the counter when she realized the threat was over. Breath came flooding back to her, and she inhaled deeply. "So you see," Martin said, standing in front of the closed cabinets, "we hold no animosity toward the Jedi. We merely hold a childish fascination toward them. Yet, at the same time, we know that the effectiveness of the Jedi purge was a direct result of Palpatine being in power. Because of that, we feel it is best if Force users continue their role of being the galaxy's protectors, but they should leave the governing up to us."

Jaina was now fully back in control of her fear. "Well, thank you for clearing up some of my questions, but I really must be going now."

"As you wish," Martin replied, gesturing toward the door. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't leap to any conclusions on your own. I wouldn't want to see my father's name smeared by CHC. Do you want me to call a private cab for you?" he asked, pointing to a com system in the corner of the room.

Jaina looked at the system as she approached the door but shook her head. She pushed open the door and scampered up the stairs to the well-lit and comforting hallway. Martin stared at the door after she had gone, not hearing the door that opened to his left.

"Are you sure that was wise?"

Martin spun around and looked at the speaker. "What do you mean, Vester?"

"Scaring her like that. Are you sure that was wise?"

Martin shrugged. "She intrigued me."

"In what way?" Vester asked.

"I thought she was cute."

"Indeed," Vester responded, not buying his boss's response for a moment.

Martin shook his head clear of those thoughts. "The trial starts tomorrow. I will be in attendance. I hope you can take care of things here while I am gone."

Vester nodded. "You needn't worry. I'll take care of everything."

"Is that what you told my father?"

Vester recoiled at the unmistakable rebuke.

Martin did not press his point. "It doesn't matter. That is behind us now. This trial will be significant. It's imperative that the truth does not get out until we are ready."

Vester nodded. "I will not fail you."

"It is not you I'm worried about," he said, his eyes returning to the door Jaina had just walked through. "It's someone else."

---

Chapter 4 Order in the Court

The courtroom was old.

Jaina looked around at the small gathering of privileged people who had been allowed access to this trial and was glad it would not occur in front of a large crowd. The newer courtrooms were built like the senate chambers, which were three-dimensional and vast. In those trials, people stretched out in every direction, concentrically concentrated on the center stage where the attorneys battled it out.

This courtroom was much cozier. There was a jury box to the left side of the judge's podium. The ceiling was not too high, and a waist-high partition sectioned off the small area reserved for observers. The stage for this trial was straightforward.

Jaina did not know if this was a good thing or not. She had never been to a trial before and had no idea what took place during one. Luke would be the principal attorney, and Tionne would back him up. Jacen was not present. He was still locked away in his cell. In Coruscant trials, the defendant never testified, and therefore, his presence in the courtroom was unnecessary.

Coruscant trials were famous around the galaxy for their efficiency. No trial lasted more than five days. The prosecution was given two days; the defense was given two days; and the jury was given a day of deliberation. The ruling was always final, and no appeals were allowed. There usually was no time for an appeal anyway, for if the sentence was terminal, it was carried out on the sixth day, if not sooner.

Jaina had read up on the procedures the previous night after she had returned from the Krakun Hematological Research Center. She knew that Jacen's sentence if he were convicted, would be death, and the knowledge that in five days, her brother would either be cleared of the charges or dead, was not a comfortable feeling, especially when Luke and Tionne had not gathered much evidence to defend their client.

The judge in this trial was a former senator from Mon Calamari named Icktar. Luke had reassured everyone that the judge was fair and honest. After Han and Leia had left, he also told Tionne and Jaina that Justice Icktar would not hesitate to convict him if all the evidence pointed at Jacen.

Jaina was sitting just behind the partition behind the table where Luke and Tionne sat. Next to her were her parents. Luke had somehow managed to convince the rest of the Academy, including Anakin, to stay on Yavin IV. Though the courtroom was small, and the immediate crowd was not that formidable, this trial was being broadcasted to all corners of the galaxy, and while no one from the Academy was present, they were undoubtedly huddled around a holoviewer.

On the other side of the courtroom sat the prosecutors. Three middle-aged men were seated at their table, each with perfectly pressed suits and immaculate hair. They carried expensive leather cases from which they produced stacks of datapads and chips in neat piles around their table. The head prosecutor was Loran Fritchy, a very experienced attorney from Krakus.

Behind the prosecutors, Jaina spotted Martin, looking much different from what she remembered the other day. She remembered a very violent and moody man who was all-engrossing. Now, the victim's son seemed very quiet and almost insignificant, sitting behind the glory that was the prosecution. Jaina did not realize how long she had been staring at him until his wandering eyes found hers, and he smiled.

Jaina yanked her gaze away, scared that he had recognized her. She shook the idea out of her head. She looked very different now than she had when she had visited him.

Judge Icktar entered the courtroom, and everyone quieted down. He took a seat behind his massive podium and surveyed the courtroom. He need not pound his gavel to gain quiet as his wide-set, lid-less pupils scanned the room. Everyone realized the trial of the decade was about to take place, and they respected the moment. Nothing they had been talking about seemed at all important anymore. Such was the reverence Icktar was capable of bestowing on a situation.

"I do not need to remind everyone in this courtroom the importance of this trial. I will not tolerate any disruption and will clear the courtroom at the drop of a hat." Having said his opening piece, he turned to the two teams of counselors. "Do either of you have any motions before we get started."

"I do, your honor," Loran said. "In a murder case such as this, the power to stay the execution resides in the hands of the president. In this case, I believe there is a conflict of interest."

"I agree," Icktar said quickly before Luke could protest. "What do you propose?" he asked, glancing briefly at Leia. She looked quite startled when she realized that she might have been able to save her son.

"I propose that the power to stay the execution be given to another prominent senator."

Luke half expected them to propose Senator Keld. They did not.

"Senator Belsiphvin from the planet Encoust is acceptable to the prosecution," Loran said, turning to Luke.

Luke turned to Leia for a moment. She nodded her head. Senator Belsiphvin was a friend of Leia and was as good as anyone else. "That is acceptable."

"Then it is so," Icktar said, pounding his gavel to end the motion.

"I would also like to make a motion to move the defendant to a more accommodating cell," Luke said, doing as he had promised earlier. "He is currently being held in a maximum-security block reserved for only the most heinous of Coruscant's criminals."

"I object to this," Loran said predictably. "There is ample evidence to hold him, and he is very dangerous. As long as he is not being mistreated, I see no reason to give him an opportunity to escape."

Luke did not feel it was good to point out that Jacen was well trained and could escape from any prison cell on Coruscant. That comment would only tighten security around Jacen and make his stay more uncomfortable.

"The objection is sustained. The defendant will stay where he is." Icktar pounded his gavel again. He waited for any more motions. Seeing none, he turned to Loran. "Counselor Fritchy, are you ready to give your opening statement?"

Loran stood behind his desk. "I am your honor."

Icktar said nothing more but motioned with his large head toward the jury. Loran needed no more encouragement, moved from behind his table, and launched into his memorized speech. The opening statement lasted for almost four hours, which was remarkable considering the prosecution only had two days to present their case, and this was one of them.

It was not uncommon for a defense team to try to take a long time, but as soon as the prosecutors realized the tactic, they would object, and the defense would have to finish under a time limit. Luke had no intention of stopping Loran's spiel now, knowing every minute he took up in his opening statement would be one less minute he would be presenting actual evidence to the jury.

The statement itself laid out the entire case and all the evidence therein. Loran detailed everything he was going to bring forward. He gave brief bios of both the victim and the defendant. Luke objected several times when Loran used such adjectives as "rebellious" and "carefree" to describe Jacen, siting them as speculation and opinions. The judge sustained the objections, totally unaware, as Luke knew they were quite accurate.

When it was finally over, it was almost time for the noon recess. Icktar turned to Luke. "Is it satisfactory to the defense to wait until after the noon recess to give their opening statement?"

"With all due respect, your honor," Luke replied, "we would like to give it now. We will not be quite as long."

The judge nodded. Luke rose from behind the table and moved in front of the jury. The Jedi Master was not dressed in his traditional robes but wore a similar suit to the prosecutors, only about a tenth as expensive. As Luke contemplated what he had planned to say, he began to realize the prosecution's strategy. They had taken four hours to tell their story, letting the jury know they had a lot to tell. Luke would be lucky if his statement lasted four minutes. Loran had made it painfully apparent from the start that all the evidence in this case favored a conviction and all the defense had was fancy talk.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I hope you took good notes on what was just said because I got lost about two hours ago." Luke got a few chuckles at that and continued. "The prosecution would have you believe that the mountain of evidence they have collected and will present during this trial marks the defendant, Jacen Solo, as the murderer. I want you to remember one thing, though. They have no eyewitness. They have no real motive. They have nothing that can identify the defendant as the killer.

"What they do have, and what they will present, is a hoard of circumstantial evidence. They will show you that the murder weapon was a lightsaber. They will show you several other, more minor things that allow the defendant to be the killer, but nothing that solidly identifies him as such. If the murder weapon had been a blaster, the rest of the evidence you will see is almost laughable.

"The prosecution and the defense both know what the murder weapon was, and while they would have you believe that this means a Jedi must have killed the late senator, you and I know better. I would just ask you to remember this as you take part in this case."

Luke turned to the judge to let him know he was finished. Icktar smiled at the brief statement and pounded his gavel, ending the morning session.

---

As Jaina sat back down behind the defense's table after the break, her eyes were focused on a strange droid sitting next to the witness stand. It was a KT-600, affectionately known as Kattie. It was a lie detector droid. A hundred years ago, Jedi presided over trials such as this. The Force Judges were always capable of detecting lies and rarely did guilty parties plea otherwise, for they knew lying in court was not only pointless, but it would also result in a stiffer sentence.

Kattie was not as effective. If the droid detected a lie by lighting up a red light on its head, then the witness had definitely lied. However, if the witness had been appropriately trained, he could lie without detection. The droid monitored brain wave patterns and heart rate. If the witness kept these under control, he could get away with perjury, and no one would be the wiser. Few tried, and even fewer succeeded, but it was something the jury needed to be aware of.

Icktar had lectured the jury about the effectiveness of Kattie and how the droid was primarily used as a deterrent. Still, in almost every case where a Kattie had been present, the jury never ruled against testimony that the Kattie accepted.

"The prosecution would like to call Marian Potter to the stand."

Marian Potter was the head receptionist at the KHRC. She was an older woman, about the same age as Senator Keld had been. The bailiff, dressed in Republic Guard attire, escorted Marian to the witness stand. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you unto death?"

"I do."

It was only after the swearing-in that Kattie was hooked up to the witness. A Kattie droid had once detected a lie during the swearing-in, and the witness was disallowed. If they knew they were going to lie, they should at least do it under oath. Kattie was a dome-shaped droid, wider than an R2 unit but just as tall. A simple cord came from its top and was attached to the witness's wrist via a unique bracelet. There were different attachments available for witnesses who might not have wrists, but all the people involved in this case were humanoid.

Loran waited patiently for the bailiff to set the droid and then approached his witness. "Can you please tell the court your occupation?"

"I am the head receptionist at the Krakun Hematological Research Center," Marian responded.

"How long have you worked there?"

"Twenty-three years."

Loran continued asking several more meaningless background questions before he got to anything relevant. "Do you remember the night Senator Keld was murdered?"

"I do."

"Can you please tell the court what you remember?"

Marian took a deep breath before responding. "My receptionist duties only last until about five, but I routinely stay later than that to catch up on some of the secretarial work that needs to be done. The Center does not have a large staff, and we all help when we can. Senator Keld had also stayed late, but this was also normal. He often worked long hours in his private lab."

Jaina perked up at this. Unless she was mistaken, she had been in that lab. And unless Markis Keld had a biology degree that he kept secret from everyone, Jaina could not understand what he would be doing.

"I first noticed something was wrong when his communicator announced he had left the building."

"What do you mean 'announced?'" Loran asked.

"Well, we get a lot of calls from people who want to speak with the senator or anyone one of the other people who work at the Center. As the receptionist, I need to know where everyone is to relay the calls to the nearest com station. If anyone leaves the Center, my relay board tells me so I can take a message for them if they get any calls.

"Well, the senator usually never took his communicator with him when he left the Center. He had several communicators, and since he spent most of his time in the senate chambers, he did not want to be tied to the Center if he wasn't there. He usually turned off his communicator before leaving."

"About what time was this?"

"Around ten o'clock."

"Do you know why he didn't turn it off this time?"

Marian shook her head.

"Can you take a guess?"

"Objection!" Luke said, springing up from his chair. The reason for the objection was obvious, but he explained anyway. "The question calls for speculation."

"Sustained," Icktar said, frowning at Loran for trying to slip that in. He was supposed to be the best trial lawyer Krakus had to offer. He should know better. Loran did know better, and he had only been hoping that Luke did not. The Jedi Master was new to the courtroom, and Loran would continue testing his court protocol knowledge.

"Did he tell you why he left without turning off his communicator?"

Marian shook her head again.

Icktar looked at the droid court reporter and then back at the witness. "Please give verbal answers to the questions."

"I'm sorry," Marian responded to the rebuke. "No, he did not tell me why he left without turning off his communicator."

"Did you try to contact him?"

"Yes, I did. I put a page through to him."

Loran nodded and walked over to the corner of the room where a pile of evidence lay on a table guarded by a security officer. "I'd like to show the court what a page would sound like." Loran picked up the communicator that had belonged to the dead senator and pressed a couple of buttons. The small device produced a few loud beeps. "Is that how the senator's communicator would have responded to your page?"

Marian nodded again but quickly remembered she had to speak. "Yes, if that is the setting he had it on."

"The setting has not been changed since it was collected from the crime scene. What was the senator's response to your page?"

"He turned the device off."

"He turned it off," Loran repeated. Before putting the device back on the table, he sounded the pager one more time. "Do you know why he would do that?"

"Objection. Calls for speculation."

"Sustained."

Loran quietly cheered for Luke. He was learning quickly, though it was hampering his line of questioning. "Your honor, I would like to present the witness as an expert in the field of communication devices similar to the one in question."

Icktar nodded and looked toward Luke. Tionne elbowed the Jedi Master in the side. "You have the right to cross-examine the witness to validate her expertise," she whispered.

"What should I ask her?" Luke responded quietly.

"Counselor?" Icktar spoke up. "Do you wish to examine the witness?"

Luke hesitated. "We will allow her expert testimony on the communicator only."

Icktar turned back to Loran. "You may proceed."

"Marian, I am going to present you with a hypothesis on why I think Senator Keld turned off his communicator, and I want you to tell me if it is valid based on what you know of communicators."

Loran paused before he presented his idea. The pause was because Luke should have objected on the grounds that Loran would be leading the witness. Luke failed this test. "Suppose Senator Keld had been chased out of the Center. This would explain why he had not removed or turned off the communicator. When you paged him, it made a deafening beeping noise, as we all just heard a moment ago. Do you think this noise would be loud enough to give away Senator Keld's position to his pursuer, and that is why he turned it off?"

"Objection!" Luke cried, but he knew the damage had already been done. "This question does not fall into the category of the communicator's functionality, and therefore the witness has no basis to answer it."

"Sustained." Icktar leveled a gaze at Loran.

"No further questions, your honor."

"You better never do that again," the judge said quietly to the prosecutor as he walked back to his table. "Your witness," Icktar said much louder to Luke.

"Marian," Luke started, coming around from behind his table, "have you ever seen the defendant before?"

Since Jacen was not present, there was a small holoprojector in the middle of the courtroom that had Jacen's image on file. Luke called it up now. Marian looked at the picture for a few seconds. "Yes."

"Had you ever seen him before the night the senator died?" Luke amended his question.

Marian glanced at Kattie briefly before answering. "No."

"Had Senator Keld, uh, had Markis Keld ever mentioned him to you before?" Luke realized that the current Senator Keld had probably mentioned Jacen several times.

"No."

"Did Markis Keld ever talk about meeting any Jedi at the Center?"

"No."

"Was Markis expecting any visitors that night?"

"No."

"Was anyone else working late that night?"

"Yes."

"Were they expecting visitors?"

Marian shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

"You are the head receptionist, correct?"

Marian nodded. "Yes."

"It is your job to keep track of the comings and goings of everyone at the Center, correct?"

"Yes."

"Yet you don't know if anyone else had any visitors that night?"

"If they did, they didn't tell me."

"Do they normally tell you?"

"Yes."

"But no one told you about any visitor that was supposed to come to the Center that night?"

"No."

"No further questions, your honor."

Icktar turned to Marian. "You may be excused."

Loran shuffled a few datacards across his table before calling his next witness. "The prosecution would like to call Doctor Gerian Bates." The doctor was escorted to the stand, sworn in, and hooked up to Kattie. "Dr. Bates, can you please tell the court your involvement in this case."

"I was the head doctor in charge of conducting the autopsy."

"And did you determine the cause of death?"

"I did."

"Can you please explain what you found?" as Loran said this, he walked away from the witness stand and leaned himself against his table on the other side of the room. The reason for this evacuation of the area became quite apparent when Dr. Bates launched into his explanation of what he found to be the cause of death.

One might think the words "cleaved in half" would be sufficient, but the doctor had not attained his position by ignoring details, and thoroughness was his middle name. Phrases like "massive blood hemorrhaging," "total loss of blood pressure," and "terminal brain seizure" peppered his speech as he choreographed Markis Keld's last half-second of life in a forty-minute "play by play." The doctor then had holoslides and diagrams to illustrate to the jury and judge precisely how removing your top half from your bottom half was detrimental to your continued existence.

Near the end of this display, Jaina glanced over at Martin to see how he was handling it. The son of the deceased was not watching the show in the middle of the courtroom; instead, he was staring intently at Luke. If looks could kill, Jacen would not be the only one on trial here. If Martin had told the truth the other day and did not hold any animosity toward the Jedi, then Jaina did not want to upset the man and give him a real reason to dislike her.

After the doctor was finished, Loran returned to the front of the witness box. "Were you able to identify the weapon responsible for the death-wound?"

"I was."

"And?"

"It was a lightsaber."

"Surely, there must have been some other type of device capable of inflicting these wounds."

"No, there isn't."

Loran tried to look surprised as if he had not already gone over this testimony with the doctor countless times. "Can you please explain why?"

"The wounds on the victim were lined with burn marks consistent with a significant heat source. This cauterization would typically cut off blood flow through the severed veins, but complete cauterization was impossible since the wound was administered so close to the victim's heart.

"The fact that the weapon produced considerable heat rules out all types of normal blades. A cutting torch would severely char the skin around the wound, but no such charring existed. The only other possible way to cleave the victim in half would be to use a cutting laser, but such a device has a microscopically thin beam, and the victim had at least two centimeters of flesh removed along the wound. A cutting laser would not have done that. A lightsaber is the only weapon that could have inflicted the death wounds."

"No further questions, your honor."

Icktar turned to Luke. "Your witness."

As Luke rose from behind his table, he tried to analyze Loran's tactics. The prosecutor had just used up an hour and a half on a witness who had one thing to say: the murder weapon was a lightsaber. This was something the jury already believed and something Luke had already admitted to being true. If Luke could cross-examine the doctor like he wanted to, he would be the last witness of the day. That left the prosecution with tomorrow to make their entire case, for right now, the jury had no reason to convict Jacen.

This line of reasoning worried Luke because he knew Loran was the best at what he did, and the fact that his actions so far did not make sense to Luke only made the Jedi Master worry more.

"Dr. Bates, would you consider yourself to be an expert in the field of forensic science?"

"I have a master's degree from the best university on Coruscant," his ego responded before he could check it.

"So that would be a 'yes?'"

"It would be," the doctor confirmed.

Without looking, Luke could sense Loran's desire to jump in with an objection as soon as possible. The prosecutor had a forensic expert that he planned to call, and he definitely did not want the doctor to reveal, or perhaps misconstrue, any evidence he wished to present later. The problem was that the doctor was Loran's witness, and if he objected to his expertise, it would put a dark cloud over the testimony he had already given.

"Are you familiar with ballistic evidence?"

"Objection," Loran blurted, "relevance?"

Icktar turned to Luke before ruling. "I wish to educate the jury as to how this case differs from most cases in the traceability of the murder weapon."

Icktar nodded. "Overruled. You may continue."

"Doctor Bates, can you please explain to the court what ballistic forensic evidence is."

Doctor Bates was a richer man today than he had been three days ago as a direct result of Loran and his associates asking him to testify, but, beyond that, he held no loyalties to the men from Krakus and could not pass up an opportunity to flaunt his knowledge. He went on at length about a bullet's angle of entry, its angle of exit, powder marks, scribe marks on the shell, corresponding scribe marks on the barrel of a gun, and so forth.

When it looked like Loran was about to object to the length of the testimony, Luke cut him off. "So, you are saying that given a bullet, you can accurately match it with the gun that fired it with a high rate of accuracy."

"High rate of accuracy?" the doctor repeated the comment. "I believe I just stated that given a bullet, I can pinpoint the exact gun that fired it with total accuracy."

"I apologize," Luke said, winking at the jury. "Is there a similar science involving knives and swords?"

"There is."

"Can you explain it, please?" Luke asked.

"Objection-"

"Overruled," Icktar responded to Loran before the prosecutor could even get out his reason.

Luke could tell that while Loran had taken an awful lot of time presenting his evidence, he had planned out every second of this case, and Luke was exceeding his allotted time right now.

The good doctor expounded on his expertise, explaining to the jury that under a microscope, no two blades' edges were alike, and therefore, no two cuts from different blades were the same. There were also metal fibers that could be left behind if the weapon had cut through bone. Luke let the doctor go on for another fifteen minutes, pretty much guaranteeing that he would be the last witness of the day.

"So," Luke said after the doctor had finished, "is there a similar science for lightsabers?"

"Excuse me?" the doctor asked. He had been so caught up in the opportunity to show everyone how smart he was that he was blind to the trap Luke had set for him.

"You have explained to the court that when a victim is killed with a gun, and the bullet is recovered, you can identify the exact murder weapon with absolute assurance. You have also said that when a victim is killed with a metal blade, you can match the exact murder weapon with the wound every time. I am asking, 'Can you do the same with lightsabers?'"

The doctor was looking at Kattie every few seconds now. "Not that I am aware of," he finally responded, "but that doesn't mean one doesn't exist."

"You testified to the court that you are an expert in the field of forensic science. If such a method existed, don't you think you would have heard about it?"

The doctor was really squirming now. "I suppose."

Luke turned to Icktar. "Move to strike as unresponsive."

Icktar nodded. "The witness's last comment will be stricken from the record. Please answer the question with a 'yes' or 'no.'"

Luke repeated the question for him. "If such a method existed, don't you think you would have heard about it?"

"Yes."

"By this admission, are you willing to say that no such method exists?"

The doctor knew he was talking with the galaxy's foremost expert on lightsabers and that if Luke said such a method did not exist, then it did not. "There are many advanced forensic research centers not located on Coruscant, and I am not qualified to testify as to what methods they may have developed."

Luke was tired of beating around the bush. "I can tell you, doctor, as someone who knows a great deal about lightsabers, that no such method exists because such identification is impossible."

"Objection!" Loran screamed. "Move to strike! The defense counselor is not sworn in and therefore not privy to giving testimony."

Icktar nodded. "Counselor Skywalker's last statement will be stricken from the record, and the jury is to disregard it. The witness's last statement will stand as to the potential existence of such a method. And I'm warning you, counselor, if you give any more testimony outside of the witness stand, I will hold you in contempt, and you will get to test out one of the low-security cells to which you wish to move the defendant. Now, do you have any more questions for the witness?"

Luke shook his head, sufficiently humbled.

Icktar looked at his chrono and pounded his gavel. "Court is adjourned for the day. We will recommence at eight tomorrow morning."

---

Chapter 5 Circumstantial

"That could have gone better," Tionne said after several moments of silence.

Tionne, Luke, and Jaina were riding in a private transport toward the crime scene location. Luke had explained that he thought Loran would dissect the crime scene next, and since none of them had even seen it yet, it might be a good idea to check it out. They had all read the police reports and seen the crime scene through holoslides, but nothing beat first-hand investigation.

"I made a mistake," Luke admitted. "I'll make sure it does not happen again." He guided the transport onto a deserted landing pad. The area they were going to visit was not accessible by regular transports as it was half a kilometer below the top surface of the construction.

As the three got off the transport and Luke locked it down, Jaina squinted into the setting sun and could see the Krakun Hematological Research Center in the distance. What had happened that night was slowly being revealed in the courtroom, but Luke had already announced his theory about the events to Tionne and Jaina.

Someone had confronted Markis in the KHRC for whatever reason, and Markis had fled. The exact path he had taken was not possible to discern, but it had taken place almost exclusively below the surface. The straight line from the KHRC to the crime scene was less than a kilometer, but it could have been much longer than that since the actual path taken was not known.

The three Jedi found a lift to take them down several hundred meters and then switched to another lift to take them the rest of the way. They entered the old government district outside of what used to be the capitol building. The walk to the crime scene took about two minutes, and they were happy to see that some level of guard had been left to watch over the scene until the trial had been completed.

The two security droids granted Luke and his associates access to the area when they confirmed his connection to the case. They were given strict orders not to disturb anything.

The white outline of the Markis's body was plainly visible on the ground of the dirty alley, along with the footprints that had been linked to both the dead senator and the killer. As reported, the killer's footprints appeared almost magically in the center of the alley. They walked a short distance toward the death scene, pivoting slightly once they reached the body outline.

"This is where he swung," Tionne reasoned, pointing to the pivoting footprint.

The killer's footprints then walked toward the small building gap in the back of the alley and disappeared. The senator's footprints emerged from the same narrow gap and terminated at the spot of his death. His fallen body had covered up any shuffling or scrambling he might have done.

"Tionne," Luke said, "why don't you look around the alley. Jaina and I are going to look at where the senator came from." Tionne nodded, and Luke led Jaina toward the gap at the back of the alley. Jaina appreciated being allowed to participate in this crusade to save her brother.

"The official report says Markis came out of the third story window," Luke said once they reached the gap.

"How do they know this?" Jaina asked.

"That's where they found his communicator," Luke replied. "They figure he either tossed it aside when the secretary paged him, or it fell off his person on its own."

"Either way," Jaina said, looking up, "that's quite a drop."

Luke nodded. "The autopsy showed that he had a badly sprained ankle, and his body was covered with superficial scrapes and bruises. They figured he sustained them during the fall. The walls are close enough together that he could have managed it."

Jaina had her doubts, but she kept them to herself. "Race you to the third floor," Luke said and levitated up like a rocket. Jaina watched him step through the broken window and look back down, safely on the third floor. "Are you coming?"

Jaina could not wait until she had the skill of her uncle to use her abilities, but those days were a long way off, and her ascent was much slower. As she passed the second-story window, she paused. Something inside the ancient bathroom was tugging at her senses. Luke had just zipped past this window, but Jaina took her time.

There was an eerie feeling in the Force coming from this room, and she stopped her ascent. "What is it?" Luke called from above.

"I'm going to check this room out," she replied without looking up. "You go ahead up there."

Jaina was careful not to cut herself on the broken window and carefully placed her feet on the wet and moldy floor. The smell was terrible, and Jaina wondered if the denizens of this area of the Coruscant underworld still used this room for its original intended purpose. Jaina shivered at the thought and hoped she would not find evidence to support it.

The room she entered was open and looked to have contained counters and hooks where patrons could change their clothes. This was a former government building, and it had probably been a very nice restroom in its day. Nothing like the refreshers of today, but that was beside the point. The toilet stalls were next in line, and Jaina was apprehensive about opening any of them.

The first one she came to relieved her of the responsibility, as the door to the stall was no longer present. The intense tugging in the Force overshadowed any reservation she should have felt from the filthy stall. She took a few tentative steps into the booth, and a shiny metal glint caught her eye.

Jaina crouched carefully in front of the toilet, gathering her cloak up about her, so it did not touch the floor. She reached out toward the metal glint and picked up a syringe. Lying next to it on the floor was a small, empty glass container. She brought both objects in front of her as she stood.

The glass vial had a label on the side, and Jaina rotated it into view. She was quite shocked to see a very familiar logo marked in bold print with four letters: KHRC. Below the research center's acronym was the word "Contents," and beneath it were the hand-written letters "AMCV."

As Jaina rotated the vial, she saw that it still contained a small amount of colored liquid. She brought it up to her face to smell it but suddenly hurled it and the syringe into the toilet bowl and scurried from the stall. Her back slammed uncomfortably against the opposite wall as her eyes stayed transfixed on the toilet in front of her. Breath was at a premium right now, and it came only with great effort. Jaina's heart felt like it would explode from overuse as her pulse was astronomical.

A splash came from her right, and Jaina exploded into action, spinning to face the noise with her lightsaber drawn. Luke stood there with both hands up. "Hold on, Jaina! Calm down. Take it easy. It's just me."

Jaina took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind from what had just happened. Luke's arrival had dramatically shaken her from the trance of fright she had just been in, and she now tried to explain it. All she had done was bring the vial up to her face to smell it, and something had taken control of her reflexively, causing her to hurl the vial and syringe into the toilet.

Having regained her composure, Jaina turned to look back in the stall and saw that the objects she had found were now shattered and thoroughly contaminated in the filth that resided at the bottom of the toilet.

Luke came to stand beside her, looking into the toilet. "What is it?"

"I found a needle and a small glass container. When I tried to analyze them, I reacted oddly and threw them in there." Luke could see the remains of what she had found and had no intention of retrieving them. "The container had a Krakun Hematological Research Center label on it. I think Markis came through here and not the third floor."

"And his communicator?" Luke asked.

"He probably just tossed it in there as he was running past. Maybe it was during the page, and he hoped his pursuer would be drawn to the noise and off his path, except when the communicator hit the ground, it shut off."

Luke nodded. It seemed reasonable. "So what about the glass container?"

"It still contained a small amount of gray liquid. It didn't just look like dirty water. It had a thicker consistency like it was some type of serum. I think maybe Markis injected himself with the serum when he felt his attacker was getting too close."

"Why would he use a needle?" Luke persisted, more trying to get Jaina to think things through than disagreeing with her. "The medical community did away with needles in favor of hyposprays hundreds of years ago. You probably couldn't even find a hypodermic needle in the research center. The needle was probably left by some addict that stopped in here to get a fix."

"No," Jaina disagreed, trying to recall the needle in her mind, "it looked too new."

"Maybe the addict used it recently," Luke replied.

Jaina was confused. Why would Markis inject himself with the serum? If that was what the killer was after, it might be a way to keep it from him. But the only things the KHRC produced were drugs that they freely gave to the public. Why would someone kill for that? Just wait a few days, and it would be available over the counter. Then Jaina remembered Kathy, the tour guide, saying they had several dangerous viruses under lock and key. But if that was what Markis was carrying, why would he inject himself with it? And Luke had a good point: Why use a needle?

Luke put his arm around Jaina and tugged her toward the window they had both come through. "Come on; it's getting late. I've seen enough to get by tomorrow. I'll clear you with the security droids so you can come back later if you want. Okay?"

Jaina nodded, her head still spinning about what had just happened. The reflexive reaction reminded her of how she had acted on the tour. She had asked several questions then, some almost without thinking. What had happened here was similar, only on a much more severe scale, like all her free will had been removed and something else had controlled her.

Jaina shrugged. Luke was right. It was late, and it had been a stressful day. Maybe things would clear up in the morning. Tomorrow was already the final day for the prosecution to bring forth evidence, and from the little they had brought forward so far, tomorrow would be significant.

---

The first witness the prosecution called in the morning session of day two was a police investigator named Hal Ulrick, who had been in charge of the crime scene. Loran spent an awfully long time laying out everything. The scene had been holographed to a great extent, and those images were shown on the court's holoviewer in an endless procession. The investigator explained everything there was.

The investigator could recreate the incident with surprising detail from the footprints alone. Luke thought the detail was a little too extensive at times, making the Jedi wonder if the prosecution had the actual murder on a holocube that they would bring out later.

Luke decided not to object, though there were several times he could have questioned the investigator's testimony as being speculation, since it did not finger Jacen, Luke let it go. Luke knew someone had killed the senator, and the play-by-play that the investigator presented was just as good a hypothesis as any he might have created.

"Let's get back to the footprints," Loran said after over an hour of testimony already. "You said that they appeared before the victim and then disappeared. Can you explain this phenomenon?"

"Only through the process of elimination," Hal responded.

"Can you explain that to the jury?"

The witness turned to face the jury as he had been instructed to do by Loran earlier. "When unique phenomena occur in a criminal investigation, several different theories are formed as to their cause and are then analyzed against the other evidence. One by one, the theories are eliminated due to conflicting evidence. After a while, only one plausible explanation remains, and it is deemed as the acceptable cause of the phenomenon."

"And you say this is an official and sanctioned process conducted by the Coruscant Police?" Loran asked, looking at Luke and daring him to object to this. Loran wanted to make sure that the upcoming testimony was not speculation.

"That is correct."

"Can you remember what all the theories were?" Loran asked.

"I can. Several different devices could transport a person through the air and place them down gently in the alley. A hoverpack, a CPT, or even a landspeeder would allow a person to make footprints that would appear to have been created out of thin air. However, each of these devices creates noise, and the victim's footprints show that he was startled by the appearance of his killer."

"How do you know that?"

"The footprints emerge from the gap between the buildings at the end of the alleyway steadily and then retreat. In my vast experience in these types of cases, when a victim hears someone approaching and is in a state of mind as we suspect Markis Keld to have been, they are prone to scampering. This was not the case here.

"There are also non-audible devices that could allow a person to drop into the alleyway, such as a rappelling cord. However, the only perches from which the killer might launch himself were to either side of the first prints. When someone repels in from an angle, the landing prints will show a skidding effect representing the poor traction in the alley. These prints did not exhibit any such malformity.

"There are races on Coruscant who could have performed the leap from the adjacent buildings. Noghri, Ranats, and Trecriubs are a few of the races capable of such a jump, but like with the rappelling cord, none of these races could have landed without leaving some trace in their prints. Also, the prints were no more profound than any other that the killer made, and if someone had jumped there, the tracks would have been deeper.

"The only way to place one's self in the alley as smoothly and as quietly as the killer had done is with the use of the Force."

"You mean the killer must have been a Jedi?" Loran prompted. It was probably leading, but Luke stayed quiet for now. His cross-examination would take care of many objections he did not ask.

"That is correct."

"No further questions, your honor."

Icktar nodded and turned to Luke. Luke complied and worked his way to the middle of the courtroom. "This process that you spoke of earlier," Luke started, "the one where you gather a bunch of theories and then eliminate them until you are left one that fits your evidence. Who thinks up the theories?"

Hal frowned at Luke's loose interpretation of his methods. "A group of investigators who have several years of experience and have spent a long time examining the scene propose their theories."

"I see," Luke said. "Are you familiar with an item called a cord-brake?"

"No, I am not," the investigator said.

Luke used a remote to activate the holoviewer. An image of a mountain climber appeared. The climber was rappelling very rapidly down the side of a cliff, approaching the ground at a very high speed. Suddenly the climber slowed considerably and alighted very gently on the ground.

"A cord-brake is a small device that grips a rappelling cord to slow down a person rappelling down the side of a cliff. As you saw from the holoviewer, it allows the rappeller to descend very rapidly yet touchdown very gently. Did someone in your investigative group present this theory?"

"As I said," Hal replied, "any such repelling would have to be done from one of the side buildings, and the killer would have left skid marks on the ground regardless of how smoothly he touched down."

"What if he came from directly above?"

"The ceiling above the alley was examined, and it was thought highly unlikely that someone could have rappelled from it. There would be no advantage, and it would be done at a much greater risk."

"But it would be possible, correct?" Luke insisted.

With a glance at Katie, Hal nodded. "Yes, it is possible."

"Yet this was not presented during your 'Process of Elimination Session?'"

"It was not more plausible than the result at which we arrived."

"That's not what I think," Luke said. "I believe that you took one look at the murder weapon and had your mind made up ahead of time, isn't that right?"

Luke fully expected an objection; he did not get one. That should have sent alarms off in his head, but it did not.

"No, that is not how the process works."

"How does the process work?" Luke asked, not realizing he was walking into a trap expertly set by the prosecution.

"The result of our analysis is not taken without comparing it to all the other evidence. Several teams analyze every portion of the crime. We have forensic scientists, psychologists, criminologists, sociologists, and crime scene investigators. Is it true that we could have come up with a completely different result by starting with a different theory? Yes. But we were not ignorant to what the other groups of investigators had uncovered.

"The forensic scientists said a Jedi had killed the senator based on the murder weapon. The psychologists said that a Jedi probably had killed him based on the senator's speeches against the current president and Jedi leaders in general. The criminologists said that based on the lack of accessories accompanying the murder, meaning the body was not looted or molested in any way other than the death wound, the act was not committed out of malice or desperation but was premeditated and likely political. Based on the senator's political views, a Jedi seemed like the most likely culprit. The sociologists concurred with this, stating that Jedi have a well-known history for not acting irrationally or spontaneously, and all of their actions have a clear meaning or purpose, and killing the senator for his political views fell into those social tendencies."

Luke was at a loss of how to stop this testimony. He had asked a question, and it was being answered. Luke realized that he had been used very efficiently to compress several days' worth of testimony into a few minutes. If the prosecution had tried this, Luke would have objected and forced the prosecution to bring forth a member of each group that Hal had mentioned. Since Luke had asked the question, "How does the system work?" he could not then say that the witness was not qualified to answer the question.

"So you see, our conclusion that the killer was a Jedi might seem coincidental to you, and when looking at it all by itself, anyone might wonder if there isn't another explanation, but the way the system works, every group of investigators has to agree with each other, eliminating the chance of coincidental evidence causing an arrest or conviction."

Hal shut up and let Luke try and compose another question. He tried to think of some way to strike the testimony from the record and force Loran to call a member from each group of investigators. There might be some legal technicality out there that could help him, but Luke was not an attorney, and he did not know it. "No further questions, your honor," he said with a very defeated voice.

There were quite a few murmurs in the courtroom after this dramatic testimony, and a palpable sense of momentum was evident. The next witness was the forensic scientist. The prosecution had made it pretty clear to the jury that a Jedi had killed the senator. Now they had to show which Jedi.

Phil Endridge, the forensic scientist, went on at length about the killer's height, weight, and boot size. Loran pointed out in each case that Jacen fit each one of the descriptions. The testimony lasted over an hour, and Luke saw that it would be the last witness before lunch.

When it was the defense's turn to cross-examine the witness, Luke made it very clear how common the weight, height, and shoe size were among human males on Coruscant. A few of the jurors looked down at their own feet, realizing that according to the killer's description, they might be guilty, but most of them realized what the prosecution was doing.

Luke had said in his opening statement that the prosecution would present a lot of circumstantial evidence. He said that apart from the existence of the lightsaber, the idea that a conviction could be made from the other evidence that would be presented was laughable. The problem was that the prosecution, with Luke's help at times, had shown that there was a lot more evidence pointing toward Jacen than just the lightsaber. Yes, the rest of it seemed a little vague, but the fact that Jacen fit each description of the killer that was presented only lent weight to the more substantial evidence.

There were four Force users in the courtroom, but Luke, Tionne, Jaina, and Leia did not fit any of the physical descriptions. They might be vague on a planet-wide population, but once you narrowed the search to Jedi who were on Coruscant without an alibi for the night in question, the descriptions became very specific.

---

Chapter 6 Shedding Some Light on the Subject

The lunch break was very uncomfortable. Han and Leia were usually talkative, but neither said much. They did not blame Luke for what was happening to their son. They understood the evidence in the case very well and knew Luke was doing all he could to fight against it, but the jury would rule based on that evidence and not what each person at the lunch table believed.

No one was hungry, but they all ate to fill the silence. Jaina began to wonder what life would be like without her brother. It was a bad idea to even think about, and it only showed how much faith she had lost. The people sitting at the table, Tionne excluded, had been through tough times, and they had always pulled through. In each case, they had not only survived but also succeeded in turning the tables against their enemies.

Now there did not seem to be an enemy. If anything, the government they had each struggled so hard to assemble and stabilize was the enemy. How could they fight against that?

Jaina tried not to think about defeat. She knew Jacen had not killed the senator. This meant that someone else had. Unless this someone else understood everything about forensic science and how to plant evidence, he was very similar to Jacen. Someone like that should not be hard to find, if they had hung around, that is. If Jaina had killed the senator, she would have left the planet within an hour after the deed.

This idea did not sit well with her. She decided there was only one possibility: the killer was still on Coruscant and in the area. This seemed like a stretch at first, but since the alternative was that Jacen would be executed within three days, the idea was very real to Jaina. She would watch the testimony this afternoon and then find this killer.

---

"The prosecution would like to call Martin Keld to the stand."

Jaina watched as the man strode to the podium, his shoulders slumped in the perfect picture of sorrow. Jaina did not like him. She could sense his emotions and feelings as clearly as if he were broadcasting them on purpose. He did not like Jedi, and he would do anything in his power to strike back at them.

As Martin was being sworn in, he stared toward the defense table, but as Jaina met his glare, she got the uncomfortable feeling that he was really looking at her. The fear that he knew she had posed as the reporter resurfaced, but she pushed it aside or at least tried to.

"Martin," Loran started, "first let me express how sorry I am about your father's passing. He was a good man, and he will be missed."

Luke was not happy about this, but objecting would only paint him and, in effect, Jacen as uncaring and heartless. But by letting it go, the jury began to feel sorry for Martin and was excited about being given the opportunity to right the wrong that was done against him. Luke wanted to catch the killer too but feared the jury would just attach this wish for retribution onto the evidence against Jacen, making his battle much more difficult.

After a generous pause to let the grief affect everyone in the jury, Loran continued. "Can you please explain to the court the details of the last conversation you had with your father?"

"Certainly." Martin's voice was strong and sure, with only a hint of sorrow. "We spoke the night before he was killed; at least it was night on Coruscant. I was back home on Krakus. He sounded very concerned and felt he was in danger. He said he had just had an upsetting meeting with someone."

"Did he say who it was?"

Martin shook his head. "No. He described the man as a cloaked stranger. The visitor had confronted him in his private lab and kept the lights low. My father said he never got a good look at his face. The only description he offered me was that he was wearing a long, hooded, black cloak."

At this description, Jaina perked up. It was well known that Jacen wore a green cloak. It was a small thing, but Jaina needed everything she could get.

"And what was the topic of this meeting?" Loran continued his questioning.

"Jedi," Martin replied flatly. "Father said the stranger was very interested in his views on Jedi and if he held any hatred toward them. My father said he professed that he held no animosity toward the Jedi and only reiterated his views that Jedi should protect the people and not rulers over them. He said the visitor did not believe his response and proceeded to make threats against him."

"What kinds of threats?" Loran pushed.

"The visitor said that if my father did not end his campaign against the Jedi, he would end it for him. The stranger left, and my Father called me shortly afterward. I suggested that he increase security and try and get some sleep. My father had been under much stress, and I feared he was probably just over-reacting. I guess he was right."

"At about what time did this conversation take place?" Loran asked.

"I can't be exactly sure with the time difference between Krakus and here, but I believe it was around midnight local time, give or take a half-hour."

"And that was the last time you spoke to your father, correct?"

"Yes. We usually spoke about twice a week. I got the news he had been killed a day later and came directly to Coruscant."

Loran nodded. "No further questions."

Luke knew something was up. He had walked into too many traps already not to recognize this one. Martin was a valuable witness, but Loran barely spent five minutes on him. Luke almost declined to cross-examine the witness, knowing there was a trap out there somewhere. He could feel Martin's hate just as clearly as Jaina and, glancing at Kattie sitting beside the witness stand, wondered if he could get Martin to set it off with a few well-placed questions. Knowing there was a trap was the first step in avoiding it.

"You said that you came to Coruscant directly after you heard of your father's death," Luke began. "When were you appointed as your father's replacement in the senate?"

"I had planned on taking over for my father in two years when he retired," Martin answered. "The ruling council on Krakus had already approved me for the position, and upon his death, they appointed me to it rapidly so I wouldn't be bogged down with protocol or hearings."

Luke froze. The answer seemed harmless enough, but the Jedi Master could tell that it was a blatant lie. He was unsure which part was a lie or if the whole thing was a fabrication, but it didn't really matter. Martin had lied on purpose for no reason. Of course, the most essential part of this was that Kattie had remained quiet and unlit beside him. Martin had just told Luke in no uncertain terms that he could lie without detection.

Luke thought it through before he made his decision on whether to continue. The lie he had just told was a straightforward one. It was something he had thought of before, and since it did not concern a topic he was emotionally attached to, it had been easy to fool the lie detection droid. He might not fare so well once Luke started asking more poignant questions.

On the other hand, Luke knew that if he were on the witness stand, he would be able to trick Kattie with minimal difficulty, even if he had no Force ability at all. He had been through so many meditations and mind exercises that he could avoid any type of lie detector imaginable. If Martin were so prepared, his answers to Luke's questions would only hurt Jacen.

If Martin could lie without being detected, why had he done so early on? He had just tipped his hand to Luke, and now the Jedi Master knew what was up. Luke decided that the new senator had underestimated Luke's ability to detect lies with the Force and was just testing Kattie.

"No further questions, your honor," Luke said, startling almost everyone in the room. Jaina had felt the lie too, but Tionne, Leia, and Han looked at Luke with concern. Besides Han, the other two Force-users had not paid enough attention to Martin to catch the lie. Jaina looked over at Loran as Luke took a seat and could see a noticeable frown on his face.

Jaina smiled. Not only had Luke avoided the trap, but he had severely disrupted the prosecution's timetable. Loran shuffled a few datapads around his desk before rising. "The prosecution would like to call Luke Skywalker to the stand."

"Objection!" Luke cried. "How am I supposed to testify in this case? Who's going to cross-examine me?"

Judge Icktar looked at Tionne. "You have another counselor present who can conduct the cross-examination. There is no Coruscant law against calling the opposing counselor to the stand. You may call Counselor Fritchie at any time during your two days. Objection overruled. Now take the stand."

Luke walked slowly toward the witness box as Martin vacated it. Once seated, sworn in, and hooked up to Kattie, Loran walked up to Luke with a massive grin on his face. "Your honor, I would like to present Master Skywalker as an expert on the subject of lightsabers."

Icktar nodded and looked at Tionne to see if she wanted to cross-examine the witness. The idea was laughable, and Tionne shook her head without rising.

"Master Skywalker," Loran began grandly, "how long have you been Master of the Yavin Academy?"

Luke paused in thought. "I started the Academy fifteen years ago." Beside him, Kattie gave off a buzz, and the red light on her dome lit up. "I'm sorry," Luke apologized, "I guess it was fourteen years ago." Kattie shut-up.

A few jury members laughed at this, thinking the Jedi Master had just made a harmless mistake. Loran knew better.

Like Luke had guessed, he was going to press the Jedi Master on the fact that he could lie at will without detection. Now that seemed foolish after Luke had proved to the entire court that the droid could detect his lies. Of course, the jury did not see it as a lie, just a mistake. Kattie did not catch mistakes, though. If you put a five-year-old child on the stand, and they said two plus two equaled five, Kattie would not go off. Kattie did not detect mistakes or guesses; it only caught lies. Luke had consciously lied to let Loran know he knew part of the prosecutor's game plan.

"Do you know of anyone alive with more knowledge about lightsabers than yourself?" Loran asked, getting to the point.

"No," Luke answered. There was only one person that even came close to him, and he was presently locked away in a very dark cell waiting eagerly for the results of this trial.

Loran then went into detail on the construction and function of a lightsaber. They talked about how one learns to fight with one and just how uncommon they are in the universe. Luke had no intention of lying, but when answering the questions on how deadly and rare the Jedi's weapon was, he began to fear his testimony would not help Jacen at all.

Luke knew that he would be one of the last witnesses, if not the very last one, and Loran still had not fingered Jacen as the killer. He had presented a lot of evidence that made Jacen the most likely candidate, but nothing said it had to be Jacen. Luke had a bad feeling that Loran would make his testimony the clincher. So far, though, Luke had only reiterated what had already been said.

"Have you ever seen two lightsabers that are alike?" Loran asked after his lengthy foray into the history of the lightsaber.

"Define 'alike?'" Luke responded.

"Have you ever seen any two that are identical?"

Luke paused dramatically before answering. "No two weapons are identical."

Loran smiled. He turned away from the witness stand and walked over to the table where all the physical evidence was kept. He came back holding two lightsaber handles. Loran walked over to the jury and stood each lightsaber on end on the wooden wall that boxed the jury in. "Do you recognize these?"

"Yes," Luke responded.

"What are they?"

"They are Jacen Solo's lightsabers," Luke said.

"Are they identical?"

The jury was eager to hear the answer because the twin weapons did indeed look to be precisely the same. "Yes," Luke said.

Loran spun about at this. "But didn't you just say that no two lightsabers were identical?"

"No."

Loran looked at the silent Kattie and then at the judge. "Your honor," he pleaded, "the witness is clearly lying and is using his Force ability to trick the Kattie."

Icktar was not smiling when he looked at Luke. "I'm not lying," Luke responded sincerely.

Loran knew how to settle this. He strode over to the recorder droid who sat directly in front of the judge. "Did the witness proclaim earlier that no two lightsabers are identical?" Loran asked the squat droid. He smiled at Luke as the recorder processed the request.

"No," the droid responded. The smile quickly disappeared from Loran's face, and it looked like he might be ready to accuse Luke of tampering with this droid as well.

"What did he say?"

The droid replayed Luke's previous comment perfectly: "No two weapons are identical."

Loran turned on Luke as if to say, "See!"

Luke was shaking his head, though. "I said weapons, not lightsabers."

"A technicality," Loran replied.

"No, it isn't," Luke insisted. "In Jacen's Solo's hands, those two lightsabers," he motioned to where they stood, "are one weapon. And no other Jedi has an identical weapon. A Jedi's weapon goes beyond the physical lightsaber. It includes his mindset, his temperament, and his Force ability. The entire package makes up a Jedi's weapon, and no two are identical."

"That is a fascinating point of view."

Luke smiled. "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

Loran did not want to get into Jedi philosophy. "I wish to speak only of the mechanical portion of that weapon - the lightsaber. Are those two lightsabers identical?" Loran was looking very annoyed.

"In every way," Luke responded.

"Can I take that answer to be a 'Yes?'"

"Yes," Luke nodded.

Loran turned to his table of fellow prosecutors and nodded at one of them. The lackey got up from his seat and raced out of one of the side doors. "Your honor," Loran said to the judge, "I would like to bring in a wavelength calibrated optimeter."

The lackey was now re-entering the courtroom, pushing a heavy piece of equipment mounted on a repuslar pad. "This device is capable of determining the wavelength of any light source. It has been modified by the optilogical department at the Coruscant University to accept the hard light of a lightsaber. I would like to test these two lightsabers."

Icktar looked curiously at the bulky machine as it was moved into position in the middle of the courtroom. "I have no objection," Icktar said and looked at Tionne. "Counselor?" There were no grounds for an objection, and the judge would have overruled anything Tionne could have thought of anyway. The female Jedi Master shook her head. "You may proceed," Icktar said.

Loran was not allowed to ignite the lightsabers and called the bailiff over to handle the weapons. As the other prosecutor showed the bailiff how to use the machine, Loran explained a little about the device. "This optimeter has been calibrated to measure the visible light within the electromagnetic spectrum. It can measure the wavelength of these light rays to within one-tenth of a nanometer. The visible light we see every day ranges between 700 and 400 nanometers in wavelength."

The bailiff was ready now, and Loran stopped his speech. The first of the two weapons was ignited, and the glowing blade was inserted into a specially designed cylinder. The optimeter gave its reading after a few seconds.

"This weapon has a wavelength of 502.7 nanometers," Loran announced. The bailiff turned off the first lightsaber and proceeded to test the second one. After a few moments, the machine gave its result. "The second weapon has a wavelength of 502.2 nanometers."

Loran took the two deactivated weapons from the bailiff and turned to look at Luke. "Now, would you say that these two lightsabers are identical?"

"No," Luke replied. He really wanted to know where Loran planned to go with this. No jury member looked very concerned about the 0.5 nanometers that separated Jacen's lightsabers. They had all seen them both activated and thought the colors looked identical to them. None of them expected Luke to tell the difference between them.

"What do you think the chances are that the color of any two lightsabers in existence are identical?"

"One in three thousand," Luke responded.

Loran did not expect that exact of an answer, but he quickly saw where it had come from. If the visible light range spanned 300 nanometers, and the best machine could only measure light to one-tenth of a nanometer, then there were precisely 3000 available wavelengths for lightsabers.

"Not very good odds," Loran said, though he had been hoping for a more vague answer. Loran walked over to the court's holoviewer and turned it on. "I would now like to show you the Krakun Hematological Research Center security film from the night of the senator's murder."

Luke sat up at this.

"Have you looked at it?" Loran asked.

"I have," Luke replied.

"And did you find anything of interest?"

"No, I did not."

"We did," Loran smiled. "I would like to skip to 9:48 on the night of the murder." The holovid flipped to that time with a digital clock in the lower-left corner of the projection. The view was that of one of the many hallways in the KHRC. On either side of the hall were two labs with a bank of windows looking in. The camera rotated back and forth, panning the long, empty hallway.

Loran let it play for several seconds and then stopped it suddenly. "Did you see it?" he asked Luke.

"See what?"

"I'll show you again." The projection rewound over the past few seconds and then resumed play. As the camera pointed toward one of the banks of windows looking into the dimly lit lab, Loran zoomed in and slowed the playback. Across one of the shinny, metal cabinets in the lab, Luke thought he saw a brief blue flash.

Without asking if Luke had seen it, Loran rewound, enlarged, and played back again. He also slowed it down by a factor of five, and Luke could clearly see the reflection of a blue blade cross the metal cabinet. Loran paused the image and zoomed in even further. Now everyone in the courtroom could see it.

"What does that look like to you?" Loran asked Luke.

The Jedi Master was honest. "A lightsaber."

The attorney who had brought the optimeter in was now hooking the machine up to the holoviewer. "Before you ask," Loran turned to Luke, "the optimeter can filter out the color of the cabinet and give the true color of the blade."

"I object." Tionne stood behind her table. "The integrity of the security recording is in question. Several things can affect the projection's quality, and I would like some proof that this process will be accurate."

"Do you have proof?" Icktar asked as he turned to Loran.

"I do, your honor." Loran walked back to his table and picked up a color plaque. "This color plaque comes from the interior decorating department in charge of all of the Center's facilities. The walls in the hallway of this security recording were painted less than two weeks ago. The exact color is fernmist green."

Loran walked over to the optimeter and slid the color plaque into the appropriate slot on the machine. He then used a holopointer to select one of the hallway walls in the security film. The optimeter reported a few moments later that the two colors were the same.

Icktar nodded his approval and allowed Loran to continue with his presentation. The head prosecutor returned the holoimage to that of the zoomed-in lightsaber. He selected the center of the blade's reflection and then waited for the optimeter to give its response.

The entire courtroom was silent as the machine took its time before responding. "It says the blade in the security film has a wavelength of 502.7 nanometers," Loran said, breaking the silence in the courtroom. Instead of an uproar, everyone in the room was shocked into even more profound silence. The trial had up to this point presented no new evidence, only showing everyone what had already been discovered.

Loran took the opportunity to explain a few things. "The lab seen in this film borders a second hallway that runs along the back of the research center, connecting the basement with the upper exit. There are no security cameras in this hallway, and this reflection is the only indication of movement through that hallway. If others passed through the hallway, they did so without carrying a light source."

Loran turned to look at Luke. The prosecutor thoroughly enjoyed the look he saw on the Jedi Master's face. "No further questions, Your Honor."

---

Chapter 7 Caylin

Jaina slipped in a dark puddle of mildew and cursed.

She picked herself up slowly, trying to brace her hands against the parts of the ground that were as clean as possible. The word "clean" really could not be used to describe any part of the environment, but Jaina was trying to look on the bright side.

She was in the lower levels of the enormous city planet, and she was getting very frustrated with her inability to make sense of anything. Jaina had walked the distance between the lower exit of the Krakun Hematological Research Center and the site of Markis's murder a dozen times, yet she was still getting lost as she tried to cover the distance for the thirteenth time.

There were countless paths to take, none of which seemed any more likely than the other. This underworld section was so dense with construction and decay that it was more akin to a forest than a city. When this had been the top layer of Coruscant several hundred years ago, the buildings had been so tightly packed that elevated walkways between buildings seemed almost pointless, as one could practically step out of one building window and into another.

Walkways had been built, though, and as the general public slowly retreated upward, the residents of this lower level had also made their own. Buildings crumbled by age had collapsed into each other, allowing passage between the buildings without alerting the traveler to the fact that he was even moving between them.

Jaina was not wearing her best clothes and tried to ignore the dark stains covering her cloak and pants. She was there to try and find something that could tell her more of what had happened a week ago when Senator Keld had been killed. She had revisited the bathroom where she had found the small vial and syringe, but there was little left there for her to learn.

As Jaina moved about the dark, dank concrete jungle, only half of her attention was focused on where she was going and what she was looking for. The rest of her Force attuned senses were on the lookout for predators. This area was not nearly as dangerous as the even lower levels of Coruscant, but it was not to be traveled lightly.

At this level, the inhabitants were scarce and almost exclusively human. The residents were mostly those who had failed above and had been forced to seek shelter in the weatherless underworld. They were all first or second-generation residents, and most still had pipe dreams of returning to the levels above. All they needed to do was mug the right traveler or stumble upon a lost treasure, and they would have their big break – or so they thought.

Jaina had seen very few of the under dwellers thus far, but, through the Force, she had felt many eyes peering at her, wondering what such an obvious outsider was doing in their realm. Jaina kept herself on edge as she moved toward an old transit station entrance. Her journeys between the research center and the murder scene became longer with each trip as she further scouted the area in question.

The words identifying the station had long since crumbled, and only the ancient turnstiles gave Jaina the information to identify the building. She crept through the station's main floor and headed toward the steps that led down into the transit tunnel.

The concrete steps were slippery with mold and mildew. The young Jedi focused all her concentration on the task of descending the treacherous path and was nearly thrown to the ground when an old woman attacked her at the bottom. Jaina scrambled for her lightsaber as she stumbled away from the woman but stopped when she saw that the hag could not possibly prove threatening.

Despite her advanced age and hunched posture, her movements were quick and stealthy. She did not look where she was going, but instead, her eyes were constantly on the move, scouting out the area around her. She had not meant to frighten Jaina, but her demeanor could have hardly done otherwise.

"A visitor to my home, and I greet thee. Would that thou partake of my services, and I'd greet thee further."

Her voice was quiet and quick, with a gravelly edge that reminded Jaina of the Jedi holocubes containing Yoda's teachings. Jaina wanted to keep moving, but something about the woman kept her from running off. She stood less than five meters from Jaina and waited patiently for the Jedi's response. Though Jaina never saw the woman's eyes look her way, she could tell that the hag was very focused on her.

Behind the old woman was her home. Blankets and boxes were formed into a functional sleeping space and could be disguised to look like a pile of useless garbage quite easily. "What kinds of services?" Jaina heard herself asking.

"Ah, my wares interest you, as they should, as they should. Please come, come. I shall show you."

The woman moved in the same fluid motion that had surprised Jaina as she returned to her personal belongings. She rummaged through them only briefly and was once again standing in front of Jaina, this time much closer.

"You would be looking for a good time, yes. Life is depressing, but I can change that. Take this, and all your troubles will disappear." The hag held a small capsule in her wrinkled fingers for Jaina to see.

"Drugs?" Jaina asked.

"YES! YES! The young girl knows what this is. But does she know what it can do for her? Try it! Try it!" The woman shoved the pill at Jaina's face. "The first one is no charge."

Jaina shook her head and took a step back. The hag retreated quickly too, storing the pill in her voluminous coat. "Perhaps you are looking for something stronger, yes."

Jaina began to protest, but the words stuck in her throat as she saw what the woman produced next. It was a small vial of liquid. Jaina took a few steps forward and began to reach for the item. It was yanked away instantly. "Ahh, but I have interested the young lady. This is not free, no. Never free this one."

"Would I drink it?" Jaina asked, an idea quickly forming in her mind.

"Ohh, but then it would simply pass through you. No, this must be taken directly into the blood, yes. With a needle, yes."

Jaina knew that the vial she had found in the bathroom had been labeled by the Krakun Hematological Research Center and had not come from this woman, but the needle might have. "Do you have needles?"

"I might, I might, but we will be talking about money very soon, or we have no business."

"I am looking for someone," Jaina said, and before all the words had even left her mouth, the hag had hidden her special vial and was very defensive. As soon as she realized no sale would be made, she had switched from "profit mode" to "survival mode."

For the first time, the woman actually looked at Jaina closely. It did not take her long. "You seek Caylin. Yes, you seek Caylin."

"I seek a man named Markis Keld," Jaina corrected.

"There were two men that night. Describe your Markis Keld to me."

Jaina gave the best description she could. The hag nodded. "Yes, Caylin was chasing him."

"Did he take a needle from you?" Jaina asked.

"This Markis Keld knocked me over in such a hurry he was. I dropped many things. He might have picked one up. But you should not worry about him. It is Caylin you want." She looked Jaina up and down again. "Yes, you seek Caylin."

Jaina realized the old woman was right. She was not looking for Markis. She knew exactly where his body was. This Caylin fellow, on the other hand, was almost definitely the killer. "Where can I find him?"

"Caylin is in many places. How am I to know where to look?"

Jaina was new to this game, but she soon realized she would have to pay for this information. She reached into her pocket, produced half a dozen credits, and tossed them at the woman. With quickness Jaina did not think even her brother capable of, the woman snatched up all the coins as they bounced about on the concrete floor.

"Dianna, Dianna, you must go see Dianna." The woman was very excited about her new wealth, and her speech was even quicker than before. "Dianna knows much. She knows Caylin. She will know where Caylin can be found. Yes! Yes! You will go see her."

"Where is she?"

"Down the tunnel. Down the tunnel. Yes! Yes!" The hag pointed to the end of the landing platform where the old transit tunnel cut through the hollow. "Down the tunnel ten hundred paces, yes. You can not miss her. She is the one with the hiss, the hiss. YES! YES! Now go. GO!"

The woman had given her information and now retreated into her home to hide her money from anyone who might come looking. Jaina would like to have known more but saw that she should be thankful for the little she had gotten out of the old woman.

However, she was happy that she now had at least some direction. She even had a name for the killer, Caylin. Of course, Jaina was not so naïve as to think that a simple name would clear her brother. Right now, the name "Caylin" was no better than the name "Real Killer," and until she found the first and proved he was also the second, the information would do her no good. She started down the tunnel.

No transit had been down this tunnel in several hundred years, and that lack of use was pretty evident. The rails were twisted, rusted, and, in some cases, missing. Sections of the tunnel had caved in, revealing the gutted innards of the buildings built above. Jaina tried to move silently, but rats and giant insects scurried about as she passed through their homes. From above, alcoves of bats and mynocks fluttered around and made a few half-hearted attacks on Jaina. A few swipes from her lightsaber made sure the attacks did not persist.

A thousand paces were approximately one kilometer. As Jaina reached what she thought was the proper distance, she barely made out a red band that ringed the tunnel. The stripes marked off the kilometers inside the tunnel, and when this tunnel was in use, the trains probably passed three of them a minute.

Jaina began searching the area for some sign of this mysterious Dianna, but this section of the tunnel was unremarkable from the rest of it. Jaina saw another cave-in a little further ahead and moved closer to investigate. The right side of the tunnel had collapsed outward into a hollowed-out building beside it, creating a crude slope down.

The rubble was unstable, and Jaina moved across it with Jedi coordination and soon found herself in a very old foyer. Great granite pillars supported the vaulted ceiling, and Jaina could see remnants of beautiful sculptures lining the parallel walls leading toward the long ago busted-out glass entry.

Dianna was not in this room.

Jaina crept through the grand hall, confident that this was the path she needed to take to find Dianna. To her left and right were stairways leading up and down. With the Force as her guide, Jaina chose left. The stairway down was only half there, and the darkness below was impenetrable. Light was not something that abounded in the underworld, but neither was it pitch black. After a few hours, your eyes got used to it. However, down the stairs was an inky blackness that no one could see in.

Taking care not to get too dirty or wet, Jaina got to her hands and knees and crawled back to the drop-off. Moving to avoid slipping, Jaina was soon dangling from the edge of the remaining stairs, preparing to drop into darkness. She took a deep breath and let go.

The floor was three meters below, and with a bit of help from the Force, she felt minimal impact. Jaina had been prepared to roll with the landing, but as her feet splashed loudly in 20 centimeters of standing water (at least she hoped it was water), she quickly decided against it.

Fear was palpable in this room. It went beyond the fact that she was in a strange place in pitch-blackness; her Force sensitivity was also screaming at her. Jaina reached into her cloak to pull out a glow rod but decided for the lightsaber instead. The snap-hiss of her weapon illuminated the room in a soft, purple light, and Jaina gasped. It was identical to the courtroom where Jacen's trial was taking place. Well, it was not exactly "identical" to that courtroom, but Jaina imagined 200 years ago, it would have been. Now it was very evident that time had not been kind.

Water covered the floor of the old courtroom, but that much Jaina had already guessed. From the depth of the water on the crumbled seating that straddled the center walkway, Jaina assumed she was on an elevated portion of the room, and in the center, the water would probably cover her waist.

Anything that had been wooden was rotted away to nothing, causing the judge's bench in the front of the room to look like a rusty skeleton. There were open doorways on either side of the front of the courtroom. Similar granite pillars as the ones above held the roof in place, though these were much smaller, and the ceiling was no more than four meters high.

Jaina did not see any signs of life in this room either, but the Force told her to look harder. Then she saw it. The water appeared black and motionless in the dim light, but as the young Jedi looked closer, she could see a slight current moving between the pillars. It was moving toward her raised landing very quickly. The current looked like something a snake might make as it moved beneath the water.

As the word "snake" went through Jaina's mind, the huge serpent reared up suddenly, towering over Jaina only a few meters away. Jaina was frozen momentarily by the suddenness of the revelation and then by the size of the thing. It had to be close to ten meters in length, and from the surface of the water to the top of its gigantic hood was easily two meters.

Every fiber in Jaina's being told her to attack, but she held those emotions in check. Jaina had just witnessed this giant cobra's speed, and if she had leaped at it, it would have bitten her in half in the blink of an eye. Instead, Jaina stared at it, following its slow sway back and forth as its black eyes penetrated into her soul.

Jaina remembered the old hag saying that Dianna had a "hiss." At the time, Jaina had dismissed it as the excited woman slurring her speech, but now as the young Jedi heard the giant cobra snarling, she understood why the uneducated woman might call this a hiss.

"Ixyenra!" A scratchy voice came from the front of the courtroom. "Ixyenra, be gone!"

The snake's posture changed drastically as it took in the command. Its hood folded down, and its tongue retreated. It slowly sank back into the water, and Jaina watched with relief as the snake's current slithered back into one of the side rooms. Out of the other one, a tall woman emerged.

The judge's podium was also elevated, and this woman barely got her feet wet. She and Jaina were now on opposite sides of the room, and neither one made a move to venture into the deep water between. "Are you Dianna?" Jaina called.

"Come before me that we might talk properly," the woman responded.

Jaina moved forward slowly, feeling with her feet for the edge of her landing. She did not want to wade through this water. As if the other woman could read her thoughts, she said, "Walk on top of it."

Jaina had not thought of that. She had never attempted the trick, but she had seen her brother and uncle do it before. The water was not totally unsubstantial and combined with a simple levitation trick, Jaina moved out slowly. Her feet sunk slightly into the water, but with a little more effort, she found she could move effectively across the top of it. She was a long way from running or even walking quickly, but after a minute, she was standing next to the woman.

Dianna, Jaina assumed, was not that old, or at least she did not appear so. She had long black hair that had no hint of gray at all. Her robes were of a deep green that matched the scales of her pet. Her face was thin and angular, and her eyes were piercing.

"You do seek Caylin."

Jaina looked a little stunned. "How do you know that?"

"You are much like him." Dianna was not well-schooled in the arts of conversation, and Jaina would have to prompt her for each piece of information.

"In what way?"

"You use the same weapon. You wear the same clothes. You have the same abilities."

"Caylin is a Jedi?" Jaina asked hopefully.

Dianna looked confused. Jaina figured the woman had never heard the word before. "Caylin can harness energy," Dianna responded.

"Do you know where I can find him?"

Dianna looked a little resistant. "Why do you wish to find him?"

Jaina could sense that this woman was protecting Caylin. Jaina wanted to catch him and hold him for trial. In essence, Jaina wanted to give him the death penalty. She did not think that would go over too well with this woman. "There are not many of us left," Jaina said, hoping this woman really did not know who Jedi were. "I am seeking out those like me so we might unite and work together."

Dianna smiled. "You would make a good pair. Go to the Rusty Rail. Ask for Imboyan. He will tell you of Caylin and where you might find him."

"Where is the Rusty Rail?" Jaina asked. She was not sure what it was, but she guessed a tavern of some sort.

"About two hours that way," Dianna replied, pointing to the left and slightly up. They were pretty vague directions, but Jaina realized that places did not have addresses down here.

"Thank you," Jaina replied.

Dianna bowed slightly and left through the darkened doorway behind her. Jaina turned back to her entry point, wondering if she was ever going to meet this mysterious Jedi or if each person she met would just send her to someone else. As she pondered this, the raised platform she was on, hidden by the thin film of water, suddenly ended, and Jaina tumbled forward. With arms waving wildly at her side and a terrified shriek coming from her mouth, she measured her height in the filthy water.

Jaina was submerged in the shallow water and exploded up and out of it as soon as she hit bottom. She flung her head back and screamed in disgust as she spat out a mouthful of dark liquid that she was almost positive was not water. She stood waist-deep in the filth and cursed herself out for her carelessness as she waded quickly to the other end of the room.

---

Jaina figured that two hours for most people would only be one for her. She was wrong. Six hours after pulling herself out of the ancient courtroom, dripping wet, Jaina wandered into the Rusty Rail. She should have been able to guess that with a name like the Rusty Rail, the tavern was probably next to some ancient tracks, and if she had just followed the transit tunnel, she would have found the place much more quickly. Instead, she wandered all over the place, asking anyone she could find for directions.

The tavern was not that far from the Coruscant Palace. It was only half a dozen levels from the top of the construction but was in a very run-down locale. Jaina's clothes had dried during her journey, but the smell had remained, and whatever that water had been saturated with had made her clothes stiff and uncomfortable.

Jaina took a seat at one of the empty tables and surveyed the room. It was not a large place, but for where it was located, it was well maintained. A pair of waitresses wandered about the room, serving the few patrons who sat at the dozen or so tables.

Jaina looked at her wrist chrono and found that it was eight in the morning. Day three of the trial was just getting ready to take place, and Jaina saw with some interest that the trial broadcast was being shown on the one flat-screen viewer in the establishment.

The time of day had little meaning down here where the sun did not exist, and no one had any type of meaningful daily schedule. Therefore, the Rusty Rail did not make a habit of serving breakfast. Jaina ordered a burger and a drink. Even though she made no effort to disguise her age, the waitress did not even bat an eye at the drink order. Jaina did not usually drink alcohol, but she figured it was probably served from sealed kegs, while any water they might serve here was probably scooped out of reservoirs like the one she had just swum in.

As she waited on her order, Jaina tried to figure out who she would have to talk with to find Imboyan. She was spared the trouble. "Excuse me, miss," a man said as he walked up to the table. He was tall and strong, definitely a survivor down here where life was harsh. "You are a bit out of place. May I ask why you are here?"

Jaina thought she fit in very well. Thanks to her recent bath, her appearance was ten times worse than some in the tavern. She looked and felt like she had been living down here for weeks. The smell that came off her could not be that complimentary either.

This man was too observant, though, and he rarely looked at someone's outer appearance to gather information about them. Even though Jaina was tired, she had moved with strength and grace when she had entered. Her hood was down, and though her face and hair were soaked in mud and slime, she retained a regal look that spoke of a formal upbringing. Though covered in dirt, her clothes were also free of rips and tears, and if cleaned, the man thought they would be quite nice.

"I'm looking for someone, well, two people actually. I'm hoping the first can lead me to the second."

"And who is the first?" the man asked.

"His name is Imboyan. Do you know where I might find him?"

The man took a seat at the table, intrigued. "You've already found him. Now, who is the second."

"Caylin," Jaina replied.

The man leaned back at that. "Caylin. Now there is an interesting fellow."

"Do you know where I can find him?"

Imboyan shook his head. "I have not seen him in three years."

"But I've talked with someone who has seen him just last week."

Imboyan nodded. "I've heard the reports that he has returned, but I do not believe them."

"Why not?"

Jaina's food arrived but just looking at it removed any hunger she might have had. Imboyan took a look at the drink and then at Jaina's youthful face and shook his head. He continued with his story.

"The reports from those who say they've seen Caylin recently do not match what I know of the man. Caylin is not very big. He's half a head shorter than yourself, in fact. He also does not show himself out in the open that often. He prefers to work from the shadows without looking for attention."

"Who exactly was he?" Jaina asked.

"He was a guardian of sorts. I suppose he was a Jedi, though I never saw him do anything that spectacular. Predators abound just a few levels down from here, both sentient and otherwise. Caylin was always the first on the scene if they tried to move up. Swindlers and criminals often tried to ransack this area, but Caylin was quick to remove them."

"Why would you think he was a Jedi?" Jaina asked.

"He had one of those laser swords Jedi always carry with them."

"Do you remember what color it was?" This would be key.

"I believe it was green. Why, have you seen him?"

Jaina shook her head and let out a frustrated sigh. She had been hopeful that she had finally found the actual killer. Unless this Caylin had switched weapons, he was not the one who had chased Markis out of the research center. "Why do people claim that this new guy is Caylin if he doesn't fit the description? I mean, wouldn't people know by just looking at him?"

"I've never seen Caylin's face," Imboyan said. "He always kept it hidden beneath his cloak. As far as this new guy, he claims to be Caylin. But he's not keeping a low profile. He's been asking questions and not focusing on protecting anyone. Besides, by all reports, he's bigger than Caylin."

Jaina remembered that the killer had been taller than Markis by the angle of the death blow. Maybe Caylin jumped while he had swung to frame this imposter. Or perhaps this new guy had come on the scene to ruin Caylin's reputation by no longer helping the people of this area and by killing the senator.

"Also, there is no indication that this new guy is even a Jedi," Imboyan continued. "He's been seen wearing the same black cloak as Caylin, but no one has seen him draw his laser sword or do anything remotely supernatural. Frankly, I think he is just pretending to be Caylin so people will respect him and answer his questions."

Jaina was listening, but her eyes were on the flatscreen viewer as Luke was center stage in the courtroom questioning his first witness. Luke had a parade of statisticians ready to show the court that the physical descriptions of the killer match millions of Coruscant citizens. The issue of the lightsaber was out there, though, and Jaina doubted any of the jury would pay much attention to what Luke's witnesses had to say.

Imboyan noticed Jaina's attention was directed over his shoulder and turned to look. He saw the trial and quickly spun back around to look at Jaina, realizing for the first time who she was and why she was really here. Though the dirt and filth were thick on her, he could tell that she was the daughter of the Chief of State and the sister of accused murderer Jacen Solo.

"What were his questions about?" Jaina asked, still looking at the flatscreen and not noticing that her identity was known.

"He asked mainly about rumors. He wanted to know if any strangers had been in the area or if there was any unusual traffic. He never asked once about the senator."

Jaina's head was suddenly yanked away from the courtroom broadcast, and her eyes looked hard at her companion. "What did you say?"

"You think Caylin killed the senator, don't you? Or at least you thought that when you walked in here a few minutes ago."

Jaina nodded slowly, seeing no reason to lie to this man. He had provided her with the most information thus far, and if he were to give her anything else, she would need to be honest with him. "Of course, now I imagine this imposter is the guilty one. Whoever it was, I just have to find him before tomorrow. Have you been watching the trial?"

"Off and on," Imboyan said. "That thing," he motioned to the viewer above the bar, "doesn't have any sound, so it is a bit difficult to keep up with what is going on. What was the deal with the laser swords yesterday?"

"The lightsabers," Jaina said, letting him know what they were traditionally called, "were Jacen's, and the prosecution linked them pretty convincingly to the crime scene. It was all based on color, so hearing that Calyin used a green lightsaber kind of puts him in the clear. You're telling me that this imposter did not have a lightsaber?"

"Not one that anyone saw. But then again, all he did was ask questions. He never got into a fight by all reports."

"And how long ago was this?"

"A little more than a week?" Imboyan responded.

Jaina nodded slowly. That would be right before the murder. Jaina sat there thinking for a while, trying to figure out how she could have this make sense. "How would this imposter know about Caylin? You said he disappeared some three years ago."

"I did not say he disappeared. I just said that was the last time I had seen him. During that span, I heard reports off and on that Caylin was still in the area, but they were sketchy. As to how this new guy would know about Caylin, all he would have to do is ask. Caylin is very popular around here. Whenever the subject of Jedi comes up, Caylin's name is always mentioned before people like Skywalker and Vader."

Jaina nodded, an idea slowly forming in her head. Imboyan watched her for several moments before speaking. "What do you think about it?"

"I've been researching this senator, and I know that he has likely created a lot of enemies besides Jedi." Imboyan knew nothing about Senator Keld and his anti-Jedi views, so Jaina explained. "I figure one of his enemies decided it was time to take the senator down. The research center is not too far from here, and while looking for someone to frame for the murder, he ran into the tales of Caylin. As popular as you say he is down here, it was likely that this killer thought that he was popular everywhere. Instead, when the authorities looked for a Jedi to nail for the murder, they found Jacen, knowing nothing about Caylin."

"I never saw any Republic Guard down here even asking questions," Imboyan said.

"Of course not," Jaina replied. "Why would they when a Jedi that so closely matched the killer's description was sitting in the palace. Of course, there is still one big hole in my theory . . ."

"The laser sw- uh, lightsaber," Imboyan guessed.

Jaina nodded. "They are not that common."

"You are sure it was a lightsaber?"

"Positive. There is no debate. My uncle, Luke Skywalker himself, says so."

"Is there no other weapon that also uses that type of blade?" Imboyan persisted.

"What," Jaina asked, "you mean a variation of a lightsaber? I can't think of one. I mean other than a . . ." Jaina slapped herself in the forehead. "Girl, you are so stupid! A Forcepike!"

"What?" Imboyan asked, but Jaina was no longer talking to him.

"Of course. The killer went to Senator Keld's private office to kill him, but the old man eluded him. Somehow he knew to look in the weapon cabinet to get the Forcepike, or maybe Markis opened it to get a weapon, thinking his attacker was a Jedi and the killer took advantage of the situation. Of course, this still doesn't explain the antics in the alley, though Uncle Luke did have a few ideas that sounded plausible, especially if this killer was purposely imitating a Jedi."

Imboyan was trying to follow this self-conversation but was getting lost. Jaina looked up at him. "Did those who talked to this imposter get any physical description off him? Did they see his face?"

Imboyan shook his head. "Not that I know of."

"Could I talk to them? Do you know where I could find them?"

"Yes, of course." Imboyan gave Jaina directions for and descriptions of the local residents who had spoken to him about this new Caylin. Jaina absorbed the information and left in a rush. Imboyan sighed. "Good luck."

---

Chapter 8 The Verdict

Luke and Tionne were sitting around a table in the palace, data cards and pads strewn all over the table. It had been a rough day in court. Luke had brought forth several experts on population study and forensic science to debunk the prosecutors' accusations, but Loran Fritchy had not made it easy. Instead of ripping Luke's witnesses to shreds on the stand, the experienced attorney had gone the other route and declined to cross-examine any of them.

It had been terrible. The jury had already heard most of what Luke was presenting, and the fact that Loran had deemed it insignificant went a long way to making the jurors feel the same way. Luke had actually caught a few in the jury box snoozing and had woken them with a Force nudge.

Not only was Luke's presentation poorly received, but it was poorly put together. He expected half of the day to be made up of Loran's questions, but when it became clear that he was not going to get that time filler, he had to work extra hard just to make sure he could fill up one of his two allotted days.

They only had one witness left, Randie Greggs, Jacen's friend who had been with him almost every night before the murder. Randie was the closest thing to an alibi that Jacen had, and he was, therefore, the most valuable witness they had. To the best of Luke's knowledge, neither Loran nor any of his associates had taken the time to question the youth. Besides, Luke did not see any damaging evidence in Randie's words. All he was going to testify to was that Jacen had been home sick on the night of the murder.

It was now early in the morning of the fourth day, only six hours before the beginning of the last day of the trial. The two Jedi Masters were working diligently to try and come up with some way to fill the rest of the day. This was when Jaina came busting into the room.

The young woman was still covered in filth and smelled of garbage, but her face was shining with excitement. Before either teacher could question her about what had happened, Jaina spilled her story on her own. She had been gone for almost 36 hours and had a lot to tell. She told them everything from the old woman to the mysterious Dianna. She told them about Imboyan and the fabled Caylin. She spent most of her time, though, talking about the more recent Caylin imposter and her theory as to what had happened that fateful night more than a week ago now. Jaina was talking a kilometer a second.

"I spent the last twelve hours talking to dozens of people who met this Caylin imposter, and they all described him the same way. He is Jacen's height and build. None of them saw his face, which is understandable considering the lighting conditions down there and the fact that this killer was wearing a black robe. They also said his voice was cold and serious. When was the last time you heard Jacen talk in a serious voice? This guy has to be the killer, and he must have used Markis's Forcepike."

Luke leaned back after he heard the story and contemplated it. "There are a lot of holes."

"Like what?" Jaina asked, a little disappointed that they were not as ecstatic as she was.

"How did the Forcepike get back in the cabinet?"

"Easy, the killer brought it back."

"There is no security camera record of that. Also, how did he get his footprints to appear in the alley as they did?"

"You outlined a way it could have been done," Jaina responded, aghast that they were actually arguing with her. Who did they think did it? Jacen?

"I outlined a way that requires special equipment. I doubt this killer of yours would have that on him."

"Well, at least you can have them check the Forcepike in their color-o-meter, or whatever they called it."

"If they let us have the Forcepike. I doubt the weapon is registered, and they would be guilty of a felony by just admitting they have such a weapon."

"Then don't ask for it; take it!" Jaina was getting very annoyed.

"We can't break in and steal the Forcepike," Tionne spoke up for the first time. "The only way to get this weapon legally is with a warrant."

"Then get one!"

"There is no time, and we have no grounds on which to request one. Besides, what if the Forcepike fails. You said it was blue, but so were both of Jacen's lightsabers, and only one of them matched the one in the security holovid."

"But it has to match," Jaina insisted, slamming her hand on the table. "It is the only possible explanation."

Luke and Tionne were silent for a moment before Luke spoke. "It is not the only explanation, Jaina. You know that."

"What?!" Jaina could not believe what she was hearing. "Do you two actually think that Jacen is the killer?! I can't believe it! What . . . how. . . wh-" Jaina was at a loss.

"Jaina," it was Tionne, "you've been up for a long time, and from your appearance, you've obviously been through a lot. We appreciate your efforts, but you should get some sleep now. We'll take care of this."

"Take care of this? Take care of this? You're going to let them kill my brother!"

"Jaina," it was Luke now, "we are going to do what's right."

"No!" Jaina was totally out of control now. "You are going to do what's wrong. Jacen did not kill Senator Keld, and I just gave you proof that someone else did."

"What if Jacen was this Caylin imposter," Tionne suggested.

"That's ridiculous! I already told you that this imposter wanted to frame a Jedi. Why would Jacen want to frame himself? Why would Jacen kill the senator?!"

Luke looked at his niece sternly. "Jaina, look at yourself. You are sixteen years old, trying to deal with something you are not prepared for. You do not have enough experience or control to handle yourself in this situation. You are being irrational and inconsistent with the way you usually act. Jacen can be the same way.

"I'm sure Jacen thought at the time that he was getting rid of the next Palpatine or stopping the next Jedi purge, but in reality, he was just a sixteen-year-old boy who got confused. You know as I do that he is already one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. You know what kind of pressure and responsibility that requires. He just made a mistake."

"But he said he didn't do it," Jaina insisted, but Luke's soothing voice and her fatigue were slowly taking their toll.

"He was confused," Tionne said. "He probably does not remember what he did. The Dark Side can do that to you."

Jaina could not stand this anymore. Luke and Tionne had already written off Jacen's life. Jaina knew her brother better than they did. His temper rarely flared. The twins had worked very hard to control their emotions so they would not act irrationally. She just knew Jacen would not have made the kind of mistake that Luke had said.

She looked at her teachers for a few more seconds but could think of nothing more to say and stormed out of the room. Tionne turned to Luke. "Will she be okay?"

Luke shrugged. "I hope so. The Force works in mysterious ways. I nearly lost it when Obi-wan died. I then watched Yoda and my father die. I realize now it was the only way to understand that it was now my responsibility to resurrect the Jedi. Once I came to understand and accept this, I managed. Jaina will have to deal with this in her own way, and hopefully, she will come out of it okay."

Tionne nodded, and the two of them turned back to their work.

---

Jaina could barely sit still on the hard bench.

She had left Luke and Tionne earlier that morning in a huff, but her fatigue had not allowed her to keep up her fury. Instead, she had taken a shower and then passed out on the cot in her room. Now she was seated behind Luke and Tionne in the courtroom again. Beside her, Han and Leia sat very still. Anakin was there now too. Luke and Tionne had already talked to them about what would happen today, and while none of them had liked it, they had finally come to accept it.

Han had nearly killed Luke, but his rash side could not totally push aside the common sense he had developed over the past two decades. Luke had told him many times before that raising Jedi kids would not be easy, and there was a better than even chance that he would outlive all three of his children, but that did not make this any easier. Luke was still scared Han would try some sort of prison break, but he would deal with that later. Likely the court would not give them enough time to try anything anyway.

Leia had already assumed Jacen would die, and she had gone through very little change of emotion when Luke and Tionne told them what to expect. Anakin had been the interesting one. He knew who he was. He was the strongest Force potential anywhere, and even at a young age, that knowledge had instilled a sense of duty and honor that often rivaled Luke. Jaina saw him acting just like their uncle, taking the news with reluctant acceptance, but she knew that when the time came for the execution, he would break down as any twelve-year-old kid would.

Luke called Randie Greggs to the stand. Randie had been following the trial at home and knew what kind of shape Jacen's chances were in. While he had not been told that the defense had already thrown in the towel, he would not have been surprised to hear it.

After Randie was sworn in and hooked up to Katie, Luke approached him. "How do you know the defendant?"

"Jacen and I are friends. We grew up together." Randie had been told not to elaborate. Any extra information he brought up would only be something else the prosecution could use against him.

"Did you have much contact with Jacen during the days before the murder?"

Randie nodded. "Yes, we went out just about every night."

"Why didn't you go out the night in question?"

"Actually, we were supposed to. We were going to meet each other at around eight O'clock. When he did not show up, I called him. He said that he was not feeling well and couldn't go out tonight."

Luke paused in thought, wondering how much further he should go. He could tell the jury was interested in what was being said. They now reported that Jacen was at home the night in question. Of course, the senator had been killed very late in the night, and the fact that Jacen was home at eight, did not mean he stayed there all night. "No further questions," Luke spoke up.

As Luke took his seat, Judge Icktar looked over at Loran. "Do you wish to question the witness?"

Loran and his team were busy shuffling data cards across their table. Loran looked up. "Uh, yes, your honor." The attorney whispered a few more directions to his staff and rose from behind the table.

"Randie," he started in a loud voice, "how old are you?"

Luke stood quickly. "Objection! Irrelevant." Luke had a bad feeling he knew where Loran wanted to go with his line of questions

Icktar paused for a moment. "Sustained."

Loran took the rebuke in stride. "How well do you know the defendant?"

Randie had not received too much council from Luke on how to handle the cross-examination, partly because Luke had no idea what Loran would do. "I know him very well."

Loran shook his head. "How well? I mean, would you consider him your best friend?"

"We were as kids, but now we don't see each other that much."

"As kids then," Loran persisted, "you spent a lot of time together? I mean, you were in the same grade in school, right?"

"Yea," Randie responded before Luke could do anything. The jury knew how old Jacen was. Now they knew how old Randie was.

"You said earlier that you and the defendant went out each night; where did you go?"

"Mostly to youth clubs," Randie replied.

"And where did you go the night before the senator was killed?"

"Objection!" Luke cried.

Icktar looked confused. The line of questioning so far seemed entirely reasonable. He had only ruled against Loran on the age objection because he could not see how it would be significant. Now he realized that something was going on that he knew nothing about. Icktar motioned for Luke and Loran to approach the bench.

"What's going on here?" he asked in a harsh whisper when both Luke and Loran had arrived.

"He's trying to smear the witness's reputation to discredit his testimony. He wants the witness to say that he and Jacen went to an adult club."

While Loran had assumed as much, that was not where he was headed. "That's not true, your honor," Loran responded. "According to Martin's testimony," he looked back at his table, behind which the son of the dead senator sat, "someone visited Senator Keld the night before he was killed. I believe it was the killer, and Randie was with the defendant the night before the murder."

Luke's face fell dramatically as the shock of what was just said hit him. He knew about Jacen's mysterious departure the night before. He had just unknowingly insured Jacen's demise by placing Randie on the stand.

Icktar knew that what Loran wanted was out there by Luke's reaction. "You may continue this line of reasoning but may not inquire as to the type of club the two men visited."

Loran nodded, and the two attorneys retreated from the bench. As Luke sat back down, Jaina could see the dejected look on his face. Loran was restraining a smile. "Where did you go the night before the senator was killed?"

"Just a club."

Loran almost asked what kind of club but held his question in check. "What was the name of the club?"

"The Neon Nerf," Randie replied carefully. He realized that he had just admitted going to a club that he had been too young to enter legally.

Loran turned to his table, and one of his men nodded. A 3D cross-section of a portion of Coruscant appeared on the main holoprojector in the middle of the room. The Neon Nerf was highlighted clearly. No one was looking at the club, though. Instead, their eyes were transfixed on the building that stood less than a kilometer away: The Krakun Hematological Research Center.

"Is this the club you went to that night?" Loran asked.

"Yes," Randie said, but his eyes were also riveted to the research center.

"How long did you stay at the club that night?"

"Till about 10:30."

"Did the defendant stay with you the entire time?"

Then it hit Randie. He had been watching the trial earlier in the week when Martin had given his testimony about the mysterious visitor the night before the murder. Jaina saw the transformation and nearly screamed out loud. Randie went from being Jacen Solo's best friend and sure of his innocence to someone who now believed Jacen had killed the senator. "No," he said. "No, he did not."

Jaina could not watch this debacle any longer. She got up and climbed over her relatives, making quite a commotion. All eyes turned to the front row as she finally pulled herself free of the cramped seating and stormed out of the room. Everyone understood her anger. After all, her brother was going to be executed.

---

Jaina was sitting in the Rusty Rail. Imboyan was seated at her table as well. This time Jaina had wanted alcohol, and two empty glasses sat before her. She was not dressed in her filthy attire from the previous day, and more than a few heads had turned in her direction when she had entered.

Her head was slumped on the table as her back and shoulders convulsed through her sobs. She did not want to move. She did not care about anything anymore. She was the only one on the face of this gargantuan planet who still believed her brother was innocent, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Imboyan tapped her on the shoulder as the scene on the flatscreen viewer changed. The trial had ended shortly after Jaina had left, and the jury had been dismissed. They had deliberated for a whole fifteen minutes, but the judge had insisted that the break last at least until noon.

Jaina picked her head up slightly so she could see the screen. The spokesman for the jury stood up and read the verdict. There was no sound, but Jaina did not have to be an experienced lip reader to understand the word "Guilty." A few patrons cheered after this declaration, but Jaina did not care. She just slumped her head back to the table.

---

Back in the courtroom, the response had been subdued somewhat. Most of those in attendance had started the trial in shock and confusion. They could not believe that anyone would be so bold as to accuse the Jedi Academy's prize student of this high-profile murder. It just did not seem possible.

But now, as the jury read the verdict, most of the room was excited to see that justice was being served. Most of the room, that is, except the first row behind the defense's table. Leia and Han were devastated.

Icktar turned to look at Luke. "It pains me to have to do this, Master Skywalker, but the facts are too clear in this matter, and the Republic was founded on certain principles that need to be maintained no matter the consequences. I hereby sentence that Jacen Solo is found guilty of murder and will be executed at midnight tonight."

Before he pounded the gavel, Icktar continued speaking to Luke. "I understand that at any time in the past few days, you could have rescued your student. I also realize that regardless of the amount of security we place around his cell now, you have the ability to remove him from our custody. Because of this, I see no reason to leave him locked in the highest security possible.

"Jacen Solo will be moved to a minimum-security cell within the palace, and visiting hours will continue up until one hour before the execution."

"I most emphatically object!" Loran screamed.

Icktar did not even pay him any attention. Instead, he looked hard at Luke. "I will hold you personally responsible if anything should happen between now and twelve this evening. I know you are a man of honor and respect. I trust you to do the right thing. Also, know that your deeds in the past will not save you if you falter here."

With that, the gavel sounded.

---

Chapter 9 Working on Instinct

Jaina was still slumped on her table seven hours after the verdict had been made. Luke had tried to contact her several times, but Jaina had shut off her mind. Her brother would be killed in five hours, and right now, Jaina wanted to go with him. Two more empty glasses sat before her, and Imboyan had refused any further orders.

Though visiting hours for Jacen had been made available, only Luke had taken advantage of them thus far. Han could not face his son. He was not as sure of Jacen's deeds as were the rest, but he had not refused the idea as Jaina had. He would resign from his post and probably never recover from this incident.

Leia was busy trying to persuade Senator Belsiphvin of her son's innocence. The fellow senator had been given the power to stay the execution, but she had no intention of doing so. Leia's pleading for her son's innocence had not lasted that long, for Leia had come to the same realization as Luke and Tionne that Jacen had indeed killed the senator. Instead, Leia began to simply beg for mercy.

She would not be able to retain her position in the senate after this, and Senator Belsiphvin would be one of the people capable of replacing her. Belsiphvin did not want her first action to be pardoning a guilty man who had killed a fellow senator.

Imboyan was greatly disturbed by Jaina's behavior. He had taken a liking to this young girl, for she reminded him a lot of Caylin. She was good-natured and honest. She did not back down from her beliefs and always did what was right. Now, though, she was not acting as she should.

"Have you said goodbye to him?"

Jaina picked her head up slightly.

"Have you said goodbye?" Imboyan repeated. "Your brother is going to be executed tonight. Have you said goodbye? Have you told him that you love him?"

Jaina slowly sat up, thinking about what this man was saying.

"You will never see him again after this night. Though I know right now, you think that you will spend the rest of your life slumped on my table, that will not be the case. You will go on to live a rich, full life. What do you want the last memory of your brother to be?"

Jaina got up slowly, ridding herself of intoxication with the Force. She looked at Imboyan. "Thank you for everything." With that, Jaina left the tavern.

Though she had intended on going straight to her brother, as she stepped into the palace, the building in which the twins had grown up, she lost the nerve. Sadness overcame her again, and she instead went to her old room. The twins' rooms had been side-by-side, sharing the same centralized rec room. Jaina sat down in that rec room now, looking at the boxes of toys that lined the walls.

She fondly remembered the days that she and Jacen would play Jedi warriors down here for hours at a time. Jaina got up slowly and opened one of the toy chests. Inside, the figurines and stuffed animals were well preserved despite the years of neglect. She slowly pulled out the action figures that had served as their Jedi warriors.

Each twin had had their favorite; Jaina's was named Serina. She was a young Jedi who enjoyed showing the boys that girls could kick butt too. Jaina could not remember what Jacen's character had been called. She had probably forgotten on purpose.

They competed with each other as to which figurine would kill the evil Sith Lord or which would vanquish the horrible beast. Jaina smiled as she remembered how Jacen always had to one-up her, bringing the enemies back to life after Serina had killed them so his character could totally obliterate them.

As they got older, the figurines became less important, and they began to play the roles themselves. They would adventure through the vast palace with harmless wooden poles, pretending the guards were really stormtroopers, and the maids and cooks were Sith. They had barged into more than a few private meetings pretending to invade the Sith stronghold.

Jaina would hold onto those memories for the rest of her life, and she knew that even after tonight, Jacen would always be with her.

Jaina closed the toy chest and moved to Jacen's room instead. This had been sacred ground when they had been growing up, as had been her room. Neither wanted the other in their stuff, and arguments had erupted quite regularly when one of them thought the other had been going through their room.

Despite Jacen's current condition, Jaina still could not help but feel a little guilty as she began to look through his things. She found several costumes that they had donned during their playful excursions. Jacen had moved all of his pets to the Academy, but several cages and animal care equipment had been left behind. In the chest beside Jacen's bed, Jaina struck pay dirt.

Jaina had often caught Jacen working hard on a datapad. When she asked him what he was doing, he had always told her to mind her own business and left the room. After a while, Jaina realized that Jacen was writing stories. He must have been too embarrassed by his work to show it to others, and Jaina felt a little guilty about looking at it now, but she wanted to immerse herself in the past.

Jaina slipped a card into the datapad, and several dozen pages of text came up. Jaina looked again in the chest at the dozen or so cards inside, never before realizing how much her brother had written. She closed the trunk and took the datapad back into the rec room to read.

Jaina sat down in a comfortable chair but did not stay seated long. "No!" she shouted, standing back up after she read the first bit of the story. "It can't be!"

Five minutes later, Jaina was standing in front of Jacen's new cell. It was twice as big as the previous one, with a chair and a cot. A high-strength energy shield shimmered as the fourth wall of the cell, and two guards flanked the transparent barrier.

Luke was no longer there but had left to drag Han and Leia back to see their son. Jacen sensed Jaina approach long before she arrived. "Jaina," Jacen called weakly, though, from the look on her face, he understood this was not going to be an enjoyable visit.

"I found the real killer," Jaina said stiffly. "I did a lot of investigation yesterday, and I came up with a name: Caylin."

Jacen became very alert at this.

"At first, I did not think him capable of the act, especially since his description did not fit that of the killer. Also, he had not been seen in about three years. Do you know what happened three years ago, Jacen?"

"We went to the Academy," he replied quietly.

"That's right. And you know what I found just a few minutes ago?" She held up the datapad she had found in Jacen's room. Across the top of the screen read, "The Adventures of Caylin Skylo."

Jacen took one look at the familiar datapad, not needing to read the screen. "You were in my room," he said, but Jaina did not respond. "I was tired of 'playing' Jedi," he continued after a long pause. "Those people really liked me and considered me their protector. I was doing good things."

"But we had no training," Jaina responded. "We were just kids. You could have been killed."

"Apparently, you did not investigate that well," he replied. "The hardest enemy I ever faced was a rowdy drunk or a half-witted thief. I ran across a few scary predators, but you know how I am with animals. There were a few witnesses to my actions, and by the fourth retelling of it, you'd think was fighting Imperial Stormtroopers."

"Where'd you get the lightsaber?" Jaina asked though she thought she already knew the answer.

"Mom. She never used it anyway. I always made sure I returned it so she wouldn't miss it."

"Imboyan doesn't believe that this new Caylin is the same person. It seems he does not understand how boys can grow taller rather quickly in their early teens."

Jacen just nodded.

"What were you doing down there?"

"Reliving my childhood," Jacen responded. "I had just been a kid, but I had been a superhero to them. Now I really can do awesome things, and I was just trying to find an enemy to defeat for them."

"Well, you found one, alright."

Jacen stood quickly. "I did not kill him." He looked hard at his sister.

Jaina looked back, her eyes unblinking and her stare unrelenting.

"At least I don't remember killing him," Jacen folded under Jaina's look. "Have you ever done something that you can't explain? You don't know why you did it, and you can't remember exactly what you did. That's what those two nights were like." Jacen was also talking about the night before the murder. Luke had been in earlier asking about that too. "I know I did something, but I honestly can't remember what it was."

Jaina remembered her actions in the old bathroom vividly when she had found the syringe and vial. Something had taken control of her and forced her to hurl the items into the toilet. She also remembered the questions she had asked during the tour of the research center. They had come from her without any conscious effort on her own.

Had it been the Force? Was it the same thing that had affected Jacen? Jacen had been snooping around the research center, asking questions and digging into criminal activity. Had he found something that the Force recognized as a threat and had forced him into action? Was Senator Keld really planning to make a move against the Jedi?

Jacen could see that his sister was lost in thought. "What is it, Sis? What are you thinking about? You're not going to let them kill me, are you?"

Jaina was not paying attention to her brother but was slowly walking away from the cell. "You can't let them kill me! I did not do it!"

---

A little more than an hour later, Jaina stood outside the lower entrance to the Krakun Hematological Research Center. She was wearing a black cloak that she had unsurprisingly found in her brother's closet. Her lightsaber was also within easy reach on her hip.

When Markis Keld had founded the research center, he had done so by renovating a much older building. This building had been around for a long time, and Jaina was now standing in front of what had been the main entrance a century ago. Now the door did not even look like an entry, as it was covered with a heavy iron grate and blanketed in security shields.

Jacen had defeated the security measures twice before, and Jaina was much better with such devices. A few short minutes later, Jaina was standing inside the dark hallways of the old building. This level was not used for anything relating to the research center itself and only served as a back door for the former senator when he did not want to be seen entering or exiting the building.

Jaina began her trip up and carefully noticed each security camera she came upon, eluding detection. As she neared the private lab that she had visited once before, the frequency of the security cameras increased. The sense of the Force came upon Jaina again, but it was not as sudden or insistent this time. It told her to be prepared and ready, for she was now entering a hazardous environment.

If Jaina had not been ready for this, she might have succumbed to the urges that came upon her, but she fought back and remained in control. The Force knew something that she did not, and it was deathly afraid of it.

Jaina was about to move up another staircase, but she recognized it as the same one she had descended almost a week ago when she had taken the tour, and Martin Keld had led her down to the private lab. Jaina continued down the hallway and found the door to the lab.

After disabling any security measures attached to it, Jaina opened the door. The urging of the Force was very insistent now. The room seemed empty, and Jaina quickly scanned it. She had been here before, but she had not felt anything even close to what she felt now.

Jaina's eyes drifted over the equipment in the dark room, wondering what could be different about it. Then it hit her. Her eyes fell on a rack of test tubes sitting on one of the tables. Inside them was the grayish serum she had found trace amounts of in the vial she had destroyed earlier. That same destructive urge attacked her again, but she was ready for it.

Even though she could resist it, Jaina was amazed by how strong it was. Luke had never mentioned this type of Force domination before, and Jaina began to wonder if a Sith was nearby. The feeling did not dissipate at all, but as Jaina slowly learned how to push it aside, she knew that it was not of the Dark Side. It was not the Light Side either. It was just an incredibly strong urging to call her into action and destroy everything in the room, especially those test tubes.

Jaina took her first step into the room and let out a startled yip as the holoprojector in the center of the room suddenly came to life. Jaina's lightsaber leaped into her hand and ignited as she tried to figure out what had happened. The projector cast a very clear image in the dark room directly in front of the enormous white screen that hung over the weapon cabinet as a recording began to play.

"Calcitrons are micro-organisms that live in the bloodstreams of Verpine, Kelsto, and a few other insectoid races. These microscopic creatures feed off the nutrients and vitamins ingested by their host. In exchange, they excrete a high calcium supplement that bolsters the host's exoskeleton."

Jaina remembered this information from the tour, but now she had images to go along with the data. She saw highly magnified pictures of Verpine arteries as the tiny calcitrons swam about inside the blood.

"The Center had difficulty at first keeping the calcitrons alive and then even more difficulty in extracting the calcium from the blood samples. Now both can be done efficiently, and the extracted calcium is used to combat osteoporosis in aging members of the insectoid races. This calcium is far too concentrated to be useful to humanoids."

Jaina watched only briefly as the image of an old Verpine receiving an injection of calcium concentrate flashed in front of the screen. She was far more interested in the motion detectors that were pointed toward the door she had just passed through. With the Force, she could trace a circuit back to the holoprojector. Someone had set this up for her.

"Taliaconts are also micro-organisms that live inside the blood, but they serve a much different purpose. Twi'leks are the only known race to have taliaconts in their blood naturally and are the only ones who can survive these deadly creatures. They are destructive organisms and serve to fight off any infection that afflicts their host. Efforts have been made to make these micro-organisms less hostile to non-Twi'leks, but each attempt has been met with severe failure."

Jaina paid the documentary very little attention as it went on about the deadly consequences of injecting taliaconts into a human's bloodstream. She was more interested in the test tubes. She strolled over to the counter on which they stood, fighting off the Force urges to race over and destroy them.

Jaina was just about to pick up the rack when the documentary changed topics.

"Midichlorians are unique among micro-organisms that live in blood. They are not specific to any one race but reside only in Force adepts. It is unknown exactly what function they serve in a Jedi's life, as most of the information regarding midichlorians was destroyed during the Jedi purge."

Jaina was staring at zoomed-in pictures of the organisms swimming around, as she knew they were doing right now in her own blood. She turned back to look at the test tubes as the documentary continued. "By themselves, midichlorians are fragile life forms, but within the blood of a Jedi, they are nearly indestructible. If they were to be removed from the blood of a Jedi, the results on that person's Force ability might very well be affected."

Jaina slowly picked up one of the test tubes, staring at its contents with a horrifying idea running through her mind. The urge to destroy this serum was incredibly strong now, and Jaina willingly gave into it. She hurled it into a sink that stood nearby. She then picked up the rest of the rack and dumped the other test tubes out. She ran the water, watching with panting breath as the last of the gray serum spun down the drain.

"I thought you might do that."

Jaina spun her attention toward the voice as the lights came on and the holoprojector shut off. Martin Keld walked into the room through a side door. "What do you think of our holovid?" He asked as he hit a switch on the wall, sending the screen up into the ceiling. "After tonight, I'll be able to add a little more information to that last entry."

"What are you talking about?" Jaina asked as she watched the man open the weapon cabinet. "What was in those test tubes? What was that serum?"

"You mean this serum?" Martin asked as he produced a familiar-looking vial from his vest pocket. He put it back in his vest as Jaina raised her lightsaber. "Don't worry," he chuckled, "there is a lot more where this came from. My dad did not keep the best notes, but we eventually pieced together the formula. If your stupid brother had left more of my father's blood intact, we would have cracked the code a little earlier."

Jaina understood that Markis had injected himself with serum, and they had recovered it from his corpse. "What is it?" Jaina repeated through gritted teeth, the urges inside her begging to be released.

"Look for yourself," he replied, motioning to the now empty rack that sat on the counter next to Jaina. She pulled her attention from Martin and looked at the test tube holder. She saw the same hand-written letters that had appeared on the vial she had destroyed: AMCV. She flipped the rack upside-down and read the full version. "Anti-MidiChlorian Virus." She tossed the rack aside.

When she turned back to Martin, she saw that he now held Biter, the vornskr blade he had shown her earlier. To Jaina, it looked like the red ruby in the center of the hilt was throbbing with energy, looking forward to killing another Jedi. "You remember Biter, don't you?"

Jaina realized that he had always known who she was when she had posed as the reporter. The memory of him standing over her with this horrific blade came back to her now, and she readied her own weapon. As deadly as Biter looked, its vornskr jawbones curling up around the razor-sharp blade, Jaina's lightsaber was twice as long and far more powerful.

Martin took a moment to appreciate her battle-ready stance. "My father stupidly tried to fight your brother. He failed. I will not."

Jaina did not buy into his bravado. "You are a better fighter?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I'm not as stupid." His free hand dove into his vest and pulled a blaster. Jaina quickly readied to block the shots, but the gun did not shoot out a bolt of energy but a ring. The stun gun hit her hard, and she stumbled to the ground, dropping her lightsaber. The Force desperately tried to keep Jaina conscious, but Martin fired twice more, and darkness consumed her.

---

Jaina woke slowly. She was lying on an angled table, almost entirely vertical. Her arms were outstretched and secured. Her legs were also tied down in some way. She took a brief moment to analyze her bonds. They were not traditional shackles, for if they were, she would have had no problem deactivating them. Instead, she could feel the harsh fibers of thick rope against her bare wrists. Without being able to see the knots, she had no way to pick at them, as they produced no presence in the Force.

This man had studied Jedi and how to defeat them his entire life. She would not be able to free herself. She also felt very groggy. Martin must have injected her with something while she was unconscious. The idea that she might have been injected with the anti-midichlorian virus already frightened her, and she picked her head up and looked desperately around the room.

One of the computer terminals began beeping, and Martin moved into view. As he turned off the alarm, Jaina picked out another motion detector mounted on the wall pointed at her. She cursed her carelessness.

"I was getting worried I was going to have to wake you," Martin said. "I wouldn't want you to sleep through the big event."

Jaina's eyes darted about the room for a chronometer and saw that it was still twenty minutes until midnight. She sighed. Jacen was still alive, for now.

"Yes," Martin said, "your brother isn't dead yet. In twenty minutes, he will be executed for killing my father. I hear they are going to use lethal injection." Martin produced the infamous vial and a syringe. "Ironic isn't it."

Jaina breathed another sigh as she realized she had not yet been injected with the virus. "What does it do?" she asked, a bit of a slur in her voice.

"Exactly what you think it does. It will kill all of the midichlorians in your body. At least that's what we think it will do. We haven't had a chance to test it quite yet. Oh, we know it works on midichlorians outside of a Jedi. As it turns out, your mother is a frequent donor. But as you learned from our tour, we can only gather so much information from our circulatory simulators. We needed to test it out on the real thing."

"Caylin," Jaina said, her foggy mind slowly putting together the pieces.

Martin nodded. "Unlike what the public thinks, most of our patients are pulled from the lower levels of this city. How else do you think we know about the destructive tendencies of taliaconts?" he asked, referring to the micro-organisms that lived inside Twi'leks that the holovid had mentioned. "You don't think we get willing volunteers for that kind of testing, do you?"

"You kill innocent people," Jaina said.

"They are worthless citizens who infest the lower levels. You've been down there. You've spoken to them. Killing them is no big loss to society. And think of what we've learned. Of course, none of them have midichlorians in their blood, so we had to dig a little deeper. Caylin surfaced quite easily. The stories of his deeds showed us that he was not a major Jedi, and we could probably handle him. Through word of mouth, we let him know we wanted to meet him."

"And Jacen showed up," Jaina concluded.

Martin shrugged. "It wasn't quite what we expected. I'm not sure how he figured out what we were up to, but he returned the next night, and you know the rest."

Jaina knew more, actually. Jacen never figured it out; the Force did. Jacen had acted under its control the entire time. "Why?" Jaina asked.

Martin frowned. "Apparently, I drugged you a bit too much. You aren't thinking straight. Your kind killed my mother and sister. You destroyed almost half a million of my people with your petty fighting. Your egos don't allow you to see us normals as worth anything. Our lives mean nothing to you."

Martin paced a bit. "The original serum was designed to not only kill the midichlorians but to kill the hosts as well. My father was a bit more bitter than I am. Or maybe I just like to gloat more. I figure justice would be served better if the midichlorians were removed, stripping the galaxy of all Force users and bringing you down to our level. Then we'll see how important you are. Then we'll see how powerful you really are. Do you think you could stand up against me without your precious Force? Do you think your brother would have had a chance against my father if he didn't have the Force?"

Martin stopped pacing to stare at Jaina. "The beauty of this virus is that it is totally harmless to us inferiors. All we have to do is put this in the water supply and sit back and watch. It has mutation capability, and it will become airborne within a decade or so. It is totally undetectable unless you know what to look for. One by one, your kind would be rendered powerless. Then we could begin a purge of our own.

"It is true that my father did not want Jedi to rule, and he made that very clear, but in reality, we do not want them to exist at all. There is always the risk of one of you turning Dark and wreaking havoc on the galaxy. Just look at what your brother did.

"After you had been removed from your vaunted power platform of the Force, we Krakuns would demand justice for what happened to us. That was the only reason we ever joined the Republic in the first place, to have access to your kind. Why do you think my father started a blood research center? We have been waiting for this moment for over three decades, and now justice will finally be done."

Martin looked at the chronometer on the wall. It was three minutes to midnight. Martin slowly pulled the vial contents into his syringe and approached Jaina. He tapped all the air out of it and pushed the plunger, so a small spurt of the gray serum left the tip of the needle.

The reason for the archaic instrument went beyond the crude torture aspect of this procedure. If Martin had used a hypospray, Jaina would have deactivated the device with the Force. She could only fight back by trying to control Martin's hand with the Force, which was not an easy task, especially in her drugged state.

Jaina squirmed and struggled against her bonds, but she could not find the strength to break free. Martin had removed her cloak when she had been unconscious, and he braced his left hand against one of her bare arms. His strength held the appendage immobile. "For the record," he started, holding the needle above her arm, "I'm going to want to know exactly what this feels like."

Before he could insert the needle, a voice came over the room's intercom system. "Senator Keld," the voice sounded frantic, "we have a problem up here."

It was the secretary at the front desk. Martin stepped away from Jaina and tapped his chest to activate his personal communicator. "Marian," he scolded, "do not talk to me over the intercom. Use the room's private communicator."

"Sir," she replied, "I've been trying to, but it is busy."

"Busy?" Martin said as he walked over to the com-station in the corner of the room. Sure enough, it was on and transmitting. The speaker was also activated to pick up everything that was said in the room. Martin's face went ashen as he saw that it was transmitting to a frequency within the senate chambers. "Who . . ." He spun on Jaina.

She was smiling. "It's over," she said.

"How long has this been on?!" He shouted, storming back across the room.

"Long enough," she replied, not caring what happened to her now. "Senator Belsiphvin heard everything you said."

"Sir," it was the secretary again, still on the intercom system, "Republic Guards have entered the building. Lots of them."

"You stupid bitch!" Martin hollered as he slapped Jaina viciously across the face. "You will rot in Hell!" He grabbed onto her arm and plunged the needle into her flesh.

Though Jaina had been told to pay attention so she could describe the feeling later, she knew she would never be able to properly explain the sensation that coursed through her. The millions of midichlorians inside her shrieked out in terror as they were incinerated one at a time by the potent virus. Martin backed away in fright as Jaina arched her back away from the table in pain, letting go of a horrific scream.

It felt like hot lava was flowing through her veins, and an awful darkness was left in its wake. As the serum spread throughout her body, Jaina went through violent spasms. The thick rope that held her down was no match for her Force-enhanced convulsions and snapped under her newfound strength. Her eyes saw only red and her ears hummed in anguish as her body was stripped of midichlorians.

Some remote awareness told her that Republic Guards were flooding into the room and that a brief firefight ensued, but that was all secondary right now. The pain only subsided as the last of the virus spread to the farthest reaches of her body, silencing the cries of terror that had filled her mind. The silence was nearly as awful as the violent spasms had been, and as darkness closed over her, Jaina lost consciousness again – right at the stroke of midnight.

---

Jaina awoke, lying among white sheets. Her upper body was elevated slightly, propped up with soft pillows. She quickly tried to reach out to the Force and was happy to find a whisper of a response. It was not as omnipresent as it had once been, but it was still there.

Jaina opened her eyes and looked at her uncle. Luke smiled at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak," she responded. "Weak and confused." Jaina turned to look beside her and was overjoyed to see Jacen lying on the bed next to her. He looked to be asleep. There was a tube coming from his arm and entering her own. "The virus?"

"You defeated it," Luke replied.

"But I . . ."

Luke raised his hand. "The Keld's underestimated the strength of the Force. We do not get our Force ability from the midichlorians. Through them, we can commune with the Force, but they do not provide us with the ability to use it. That comes from something much deeper. Once your body had been bleached of midichlorians, the virus became dormant, and the Force defeated it. Your blood now contains the antivirus that will protect the rest of us if someone decides to take up the Keld's work."

"Will they?" Jaina asked.

Luke shook his head. "Martin is dead. The shakedown is still going on, but it appears that more than just a few of the KHRC's staff were involved with the development of this virus with full knowledge of what they were doing. It's a shame. The Center has saved thousands of lives over the years with its discoveries. It was a very effective cover. The senate is looking into a way to keep the Center operational. Your mother is heading up the committee to oversee it.

Jaina looked back at her brother, who was still sleeping. "And Jacen?"

"Senator Belsiphvin stopped the execution just in time. All charges have been dropped, and the stories of the heroic 'Caylin' are just starting to surface. If Jacen had not acted as he did, not only would the Jedi's future be in doubt, but the KHRC would have continued to test their deadly viruses on the innocent people of Coruscant. Caylin's fans have a lot of reasons to sing his praise."

"And my midichlorians?"

"You are getting a transfusion as we speak. Though the Keld's might not have been able to remove our Force ability as they wished, they could have very easily killed all midichlorians everywhere. You are both deserving of heroic praise."

Luke walked over to inspect the blood transfusion and pulled Jaina's sheets up over her arm. "Now get some sleep. It will be a while before you regain your proper midichlorian count, and until then, you will be weak."

Luke left the room and turned off the lights. Jaina looked over at her brother and smiled. Sleep came easily. She dreamed of Caylin, a young Jedi that protected the defenseless people of Coruscant and his sister, Serina Skylo. Together, they pushed back the evil that permeated from the lower levels of Coruscant. Many stories would be written about them.

THE END

---

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