Chapter 4

Revelations

 "Obi-Wan, wake up!" The sound of Qui-Gon's voice cut into Obi-Wan's deep sleep. The young man's eyes snapped open and he immediately sat up. He had fallen asleep at his desk after spending a good portion of last night reading through the file he had Amaele give him on Kelilah.

"I'm up. I'm up." Obi-Wan mumbled as he ran a hand over his face and through his short hair. He stood from the chair and stretched. Then grabbed a fresh tunic and pants and went into the fresher.

After he was washed and changed he went back into his room and grabbed his belt, lightsaber and COM link. He strapped the belt on and attached the Lightsaber to it. Then walked out into the common room

The door chime sounded. Qui-Gon stood from his seat at the couch, walked over to the door and activated it. On the other side of the door was a middle-aged male human holding a satchel. 

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn?" The man asked.

"Yes."

The man extended his hand. "I'm officer Eikki Kivi. Inspector Arsene sent me." Qui-Gon shook the man's hand and invited him into the apartment.

"We were heading over to meet with inspector Arsene in a few minutes." Qui-Gon explained.

"That's why she sent me. She received a call from our superior, Chief Titus. She won't be able to see you today but she did leave you something" Kivi explained. He went into his satchel and pulled out three data pads and a holo-projector. He set the holo-projector on the coffee table and activated it. Almost immediately a small transparent image of Inspector Arsene appeared.

"Master Jinn, the three data pads that officer Kivi has brought you are the files on the other victims. There are 9 victims altogether including Adara. The first data pad has the back ground for each victim, the second has the details of their deaths and the third is new information that we have on the missing skin piece. We believe we know what the tattoo looked like. Officer Kivi will answer any questions you may have." At that the small holo disappeared.

Officer Kivi handed Qui-Gon the data pads. Upon turning on the first one a menu of names came up. The Jedi master clicked on one of the names and pages of background information appeared. For each name the same thing happened.

After reading the information thoroughly, Qui-Gon began to find common links between the victims. All seem to be of the high class, very successful and they gained that success quickly and held onto it. They also had a few shady incidences in their past.

Qui-Gon then turned on the third data pad. "Odell called a specialist in to look at Adara and run some more tests." Kivi explained. "They came up with a sketch of what the tattoo might have looked like." Qui-Gon looked closely at the picture of the tattoo that appeared. It looked like two three prong pitchforks that crossed each other at the tips.

"The mark of Shane." He muttered.

"What? You know what it is?"

Qui-Gon looked up at the officer. "It resembles a tattoo that was worn by a Sith named Shane back during the wars. He had a large group of followers and Shane would brand them with the same symbol." Qui-Gon turned to his apprentice "You should know this, it was a part of your history lesson."

"What happened to this Shane?" Kivi asked. He had taken out a pad and was hurriedly taking information down.

"He died around the end of the wars and his followers disbanded." Obi-Wan said.

"But the wars were hundreds of years ago, none of these people were around back then."

"Then it appears that they never did disbanded." Qui-Gon mused and picked up the second data pad. "Inspector Arsene mentioned that the deaths were strange?" Qui-Gon said as he scrolled down the information.

"Um…yeah a few of them were. The first couple looked like suicides but the skin thing was done post mortem. So we started to suspect foul play." He handed Qui-Gon the data pad with the details on the nature of the deaths. "Then it got a little weird. There was that big shot millionaire, Lugh Dechtire, they said that his blood reversed flow." Kivi seemed a little unease as he explained this to them.

"Reversed flow?" Obi-Wan asked. He had never heard of anything like that.

"Yeah. I don't really know all the details to that one though." Kivi walked over next to Qui-Gon. He scrolled down the information on the data pad and then stopped once he came to a picture. "This is something you don't see everyday, spontaneous combustion." Obi-Wan walked over to the two men and looked at the data pad. Qui-Gon handed it over to his apprentice.

"Can't many of these be explained by science?" Qui-Gon asked

"Yeah, but that's the thing they can't find anything that would cause these things."

"What are dates of the victims deaths?" Obi-Wan asked suddenly

"The date is in the general information." Kivi explained. The officer was somewhat confused by the younger Jedi's concern of the date when it really held no relevance. Qui-Gon was also curious as to what his apprentice was getting at. He watched as Obi-Wan ran into his room then came back out a few seconds later with a slip of paper.

"Master, remember I told you about that vision that Kelilah had and I saw Senator Basilio's daughter?" Qui-Gon nodded. "Last night I went to the healer's and did a little research on Kelilah. She has a whole history of these types of seizures. If that episode that Kelilah just had coincided with a death of the most recent victim, then what was to say all her others didn't?" Obi-Wan picked up the data pad and began scanning through the information. The same dates from Kelilah's file began appearing. He handed the data pad and paper over to Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon looked down at the data pad, and then looked up to see his padawan grab his cloak and head for the door. "Where are you going?"

"To find Kelilah. She knows something."

"We should inform the council they could locate her faster." Qui-Gon said as he took out his COM link. Obi-Wan turned back.

"No!" Qui-Gon was taken back by his padawan's sudden outburst. "I'm sorry master." Obi-Wan apologized quickly " but I didn't have permission from Kelilah or the council to get the information. If you inform that council about this then Kelilah will know and then she won't talk."

"The council will have to know sooner or later Padawan."

"I know but please just give me some time to talk with her." Qui-Gon considered this for a moment. What Obi-Wan said was true. Kelilah did have a habit of keeping quiet. When they questioned her about what had happened in the memorial hall she claimed to not remember what had happened because it all went by so fast. Qui-Gon could sense the girl was lying but she had been through so much he decided not to push her.

"You believe you can get her to talk about this?" The Jedi master asked.

"Yes Master I can. I will." Obi-Wan said with great conviction. Qui-Gon nodded his approval and Obi-Wan left the apartment.

"You think he can do it?" Kivi asked.

"I believe wholeheartedly he can." Qui-Gon said with a small smile.

Obi-Wan walked down to the Jedi temple's hall of archives. Obi-Wan had heard from one of the younger initiates that Kelilah assisted Madame Jocasta Nu ever once in a while. He was hoping she would be there this morning.

The young man walked past the rows of computer consoles and up to Jocasta Nu. "Can I help you?" The elderly woman asked in a stern voice. Obi-Wan explained to her who he was seeking and why. Jocasta Nu nodded and pointed Obi-Wan in the direction where Kelilah was helping a student look up information.

Kelilah must have sensed him coming toward her because she stood and looked in his direction. She had the same unpleasant look on her face. "Do you even have a life anymore?" She asked when he was within earshot.

"It's patiently waiting for me at the moment." He replied. "I need to speak with you Kelilah."

"I'm busy." Kelilah said turning back to the student she was helping.

"I know about 'The Mark of Shane'." Obi-Wan said calmly. It was a long shot but he had nothing else to go on. Kelilah stopped what she was doing.

"Narvi, if you need any more help ask Madame Jocasta Nu." She said to the student. She stood up, grabbed Obi-Wan's arm and dragged him away from the others. "What do you want?"

"Just to talk."

"About?"

"About what you know about these murders that have been happening in the upper class."

"I don't know anything about that." She said and began to walk away.

"Then why are you having visions about them?" called after her. She stopped and turned.

"How do you know about that?"

"When I touched you I saw it too." Kelilah grew silent

"Fine I'll talk." She looked around at the other people in the hall of archives. "But not here. Not in the Temple."

"I know the perfect place." Obi-Wan said with a satisfied smile.

Obi-Wan signed out one of the speeders and drove Kelilah and himself down to the business section of Coco town. He parked the speeder before a small building. I looked like a typical diner, resembling a trailer with metallic wall and foggy windows.

"Dex's Diner." Obi-Wan announced.

"Your must be joking." Kelilah said.

"It's a nice place." Obi-Wan said in defense.

She examined the diner. "What is your definition of nice?"

"Come on." Obi-Wan said as he got out of the speeder. Kelilah sighed and climbed out of the passenger side and followed Obi-Wan inside.

Inside the diner it was crowded and noisy with customers. Booths lined the walls and stools stood against the counter. Obi-Wan led Kelilah to one of the booths and the two sat down. A few seconds later a waitress droid came up to them, "What'll ya be having?" the droid asked.

"Today's special." Obi-Wan said.

"And you girlie?" the droid asked Kelilah.

"Just something to drink." The droid rolled away with their orders.

"You're not eating?"

"I doubt this place has anything not completely submerged in grease."

Obi-Wan was about to inquire Kelilah about the murders when suddenly someone cried out from behind him. "Obi-Wan! How are ya buddy." Obi-Wan turned in his seat with a smile to see Dexter Jettster coming towards them from behind the counter.

"Hey Dex." Obi-Wan replied. 

"What brings ya down here?"

"Just having breakfast with a friend." Obi-Wan said indicating Kelilah. Dex turned toward Kelilah. He smiled widely at her.

"Any friend of Obi-Wan's is a friend of mine." Dex said shaking the young woman's hand. Once Dex let go of her Kelilah pulled her hand back and massaged it. Dex had a particularly firm grip.

"You know Dex, Kelilah here can't decide what she wants to order. Since all your dishes sound so appetizing." Obi-Wan said. He looked over at Kelilah who was giving him a death look.

"Oh I'll help ya there. I'll make ya one of my famous omelets filled with meat and vegetables." Dex walked away from the two and back behind the counter. Obi-Wan and Kelilah remained silent as the other customers around them chatted noisily to one another.

"So why didn't you want to talk about this at the temple?" Obi-Wan asked

"Nature of conversation." Kelilah said simply. "You really saw that vision I had?" Obi-Wan nodded. Their waitress droid came back with their plates of food. Kelilah began to pick at her food. "Their not usually that bad." She said quietly. "I rarely have outburst like that. It must have been my master death and all. I lost focus."

"Do you know why you have them?" Obi-Wan asked bring the fork up to his mouth. Kelilah didn't answer at first. She finally took a bit of her food.

"When I was 13, I was kidnapped by this cult. They tortured me, did horrible things to me. When my master found me and rescued me the visions started. I think it's another torture. They make me see these people die. I can feel their pain." She explained. "This food is horrible." She spit the bit of food in her mouth into a napkin.

"Do you know they are being killed?"

Kelilah shook her head. Obi-Wan opened his mouth to ask another question but Kelilah cut him off. "I don't know why you think I know anymore then the family members of the people who died." 

"What do you mean?"

"The members of the cult are very exclusive you have to be the child of a member or married to a member."

Obi-Wan thought about this for a second, "Wait then that would mean Senator Basilio has to be a member. Why would he ask Qui-Gon for help then?" Obi-Wan pulled out his COM link. "We have to go." He said as tried to call Qui-Gon.