Chapter 4
Making WavesThey left a message with HK-47. Mission insisted that T3-M4 go along with him, even though Jolee complained he didn't need a droid's company. She countered by explaining that Kairi insisted on a "buddy system," and saying that if he didn't take the little droid, she would have to follow instead. Jolee caved, accepting the silent company of a utility droid to a chatterbox adolescent, which was better for his glum mood. The Selkath transport took them to the Selkath High Court facilities, a small cluster of squat and plain buildings on the north side. The constables escorted Jolee to a cramped room with blank walls and even lighting, the little droid parked near his feet like a faithful dog. The first constable sat while the other took notes. They noted his age, took account of his lightsaber, asked him all sorts of questions about his association with Sunry and what brought him to Manaan. After two hours of questioning, the constables had ceased their questions.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Bindo. Your statement is recorded, and you are free to go."
"Free to go?" he asked. "But what's happened to Sunry? I don't understand what's happened. Can I go to see him?"
"No one but his Arbiter is allowed to see him until the end of his trial," the other explained with a casual shrug. "But the facts seem plain enough. Sunry is Republic, the victim was Sith. They kill each other all the time and seek to turn our world into their battlefield. An example will be made of him, of course. We tire of both factions and their endless quarrelling."
"And that's your entire case against him?"
"You can go and ask the panel of judges if you wish to know more, I suppose. We do not care, aside from gathering the facts necessary."
"Necessary to judge him guilty, you mean."
"He will have a fair trial by our laws. If the law finds him innocent, he will be let go. If he is guilty, he will die. The Republic and the Sith will care about it more than we will either way."
Jolee shook his head ruefully. "All right, I'll go and chat up the judges. Just let me get to the bottom of this."
The Selkath high court was given a bit more work than any of the other buildings, surrounded by fountains and taller than most buildings in the city. The seal of the Selkath people hung above the door.
"Well, now," Jolee said. "Here goes nothing."
T3-M4 answered in whistles and beeps.
Approaching the judges panel in the center rotunda reminded him a little too much of approaching the Jedi Council as a young man. Now, if that wasn't a thought that brought back bad memories...He never liked dealing with law enforcement, either. Law had little to do with justice, but try telling it to a constable. Already, a Sith officer and a Republic one were arguing loudly (like usual). Ah, how little had changed...
"The Republic respects the peace of Ahto City, your honors. But the Sith are a violent people who leave violence in their wake. I have three soldiers in the infirmary!"
"If the Republic soldiers were more capable, they would not have suffered such serious injuries." The Sith laughed. "Are my soldiers to be punished simply because they won a fair fight?"
"I hardly call three against six a fair fight, your honors! The Sith are cowards who attack only when they have the advantage of superior numbers."
Different singers, same old song, Jolee thought tiredly.
The judge in the center of the panel, a thin-looking Selkath, looked refreshingly annoyed with the squabbling pair. "I am aware of the Republic's indignation. However, witness reports clearly state that your Republic soldiers were as willing to engage in violence as the Sith in this case."
"They were provoked, your honors! The Sith goaded them into this fight."
"Threats and taunts are insufficient provocation in the eyes of this court. Words can be ignored - which is what your men should have done. I find both Republic and Sith to be equally at fault for this preach of the peace. I should throw all parties involved into Ahto City jail, but since no Selkath were harmed in this foolish conflict, I will show mercy and levy a fine of ten thousand credits to both sides. This court is dismissed, though I warn you that further disturbances will not be viewed with such leniency."
Both of them groaned. Well, for being a bunch of law-bound bureaucrats, Jolee could develop an appreciation for these Selkath. As he passed by the Sith representative, he spoke in frustration. "Manaan should treat us Sith better - their day of reckoning approaches," They say everyone on Manaan is equal. It would seem, though that the Republic is a little more equal then the Sith. Neutrality? Ha! That's a laugh." He stormed past Jolee and out the courtroom door.
Almost on cue, the Republic representative passed by him and also felt the need to make a comment to anyone in earshot. "I'm sick of hearing about Manaan's neutrality. Manaan would already be under Sith control, but we haven't had one word of thanks from the Selkath . Why can't the Selkath see what the Sith are really like? They should ban them all from this planet. It sounds like a coward's excuse not to fight, if you ask me." Again, storming past, the Republic man went right out the same door. Jolee shook his head. Yup, nothing ever changed.
He approached the bench. The tired-looking judge in the middle addressed him. "I am Judge Shelkar acting on behalf of the official government of Manaan. It is my task today to answer the needs of off-world citizens of both the Republic and the Sith Empire," he said.
"Sounds like you got your work cut out for you," he said.
The governing bodies of both states seek to keep an amicable relationship with our world in order to facilitate the exporting of kolto. I do not delude myself into thinking that either of your states hold any great love for us, but we are necessary so we at least keep our autonomy. I try not to concern myself with intergalactic policy. I find it stretches the letter of the law too much for my tastes."
"I see. I was told to come here by the constables. I have questions about a pending case."
"If you have legitimate grievances with another party, then you should speak to me. You should first, however, consult the Republic embassy before pressing formal charges. Is there something you wish to bring to my attention?"
"There's a human man, name of Sunry Gensbrem. I hear he's been arrested for murder. Is that so?"
"Yes," Shelkar said. "A real tragedy, that is. Sunry is known to us as a hero of the Republic in your perpetual conflicts with the Sith empire. While he may have been severely injured in the line of duty, I personally hold him in high regard."
"Speaking of that injury, your honor, has it been taken into consideration?"
"In no way does his disability hamper him, though. Rest assured that my personal regard will not affect my judgment. While emotion may rule your Senate, the cold hard hand of the law rules here on Manaan."
"Fair enough. Now, the constables mentioned an Arbiter...?"
Shelkar thought about this. "In Manaan legal tradition, the defendant can have an Arbiter who tries to prove his innocence in court. No one has stepped forward for the task as of yet."
I suppose I'm Sunry's only hope. I have to at least try to help him. "Your honor, if it's possible, I would like to act as his Arbiter."
Shelkar scrutinized him carefully. "As a member of the Jedi Order, I believe you would suit the position well. So be it. You are appointed arbiter in the case of Sunry Gensbrem versus the Sith Empire. Your name and position have been recorded in our files. I will now inform you of the pertinent facts in this case. You have a limited amount of time in which to investigate and organize a defense of your client, and I suggest you use it wisely."
"All right. What can you tell me about the circumstances of this murder? What is it your teams found?"
"Mr. Gensbrem was seen leaving a hotel in the visitor's quarter, leaving behind a dead Sith woman - Elassa Huros. A Republic medal was found clutched in the victim's hand. He has been charged with murder and is being held in the Ahto City prison facilities. Due to his poor health, he is being kept in a solitary holding cell. You may find the prison across the plaza from the court."
"I'll speak to him. What is it I have to know about Manaan law?"
"There are five of us who sit on this panel and we judge all cases. We are all equal in rank, and we all can be interviewed by you, Arbiter." And with a bubbling-sounding sigh, Shelkar added. "And while we Selkath do not believe in violence as a solution, we sentence murders to death. It will be a quick and mostly painless death - but death still."
Sunry, what in the devil's name did you get yourself into? "Is there anything suspicious about the case?"
"Yes, there is something that has been bothering me: the medal that was clutched in the Sith's hand. I find it most odd that such a blatantly incriminating piece of evidence would be left at the scene of the crime."
"Can you be certain it's Sunry's medal - or that it wasn't planted at the scene?"
"We have analyzed it, and while it does not appear to be a replica, I still have my doubts. In the midst of the crime, Sunry could well have lost it. I have seen much more improbable things happen in my tenure to the courts. Simply because it was real does not mean Sunry would have overlooked it being in Elassa's hand."
Jolee thought this over. "Thank you. I'll interview the other judges."
"Since this is also your first case, and you are an off-worlder. I feel compelled to add 'good luck' as my final missive."
"Yeah, I'll need it."
Jhosa was a little more gray than green, and he moved slower. Jolee guessed this to be signs of an advanced age, even if he wasn't sure if that was actually the case. After looking over the records that authorized Jolee access to the court, he began to speak.
"Since you have been designated Arbiter in the Sunry case, I shall answer any questions that you might have. Sunry is a former Republic officer who is highly regarded by your people here on Manaan, and even seems to maintain some sort of relations with them still. If he is as capable as some of the Republic citizens still believe him to be, he is certainly capable of actions that would result in this murder."
"But it almost seems too heavily stacked against him, doesn't it? Very suspicious."
"Well I have often wondered, if Sunry were so innocent, why was he fleeing the scene of the crime? Why would he be running if he had not committed the crime itself, or was at least aware of what had occurred? This case seems fairly obvious and simple to me. Your Republic types stick together, however, and I assume you will go to lengths to defend him."
"Well, I'm actually more in agreement with you on this matter. I've seen enough posturing and foolishness from both sides, and I'm too old for any of it."
"Both empires are at fault for this current conflict. The Republic in the past for laying the foundations upon which the Sith Empire grew. And the Sith now, obviously, for starting this war. But no matter the wrongs that had been done in the past, the Sith have no cause for renewing hostilities. It almost seems as if they just want to conquer everything!" Jhosa finished writing his statement on Jolee's datapad and handed it back to him. "I believe the Republic has the right to defend itself and drive the Sith back to where they came from. Unfortunately for them...and perhaps for us...they do not seem to be doing a good job of it so far.
Naleshekan, the third judge, was one of the rudest people Jolee had ever encountered. "Do you think his Republic masters would let someone so valuable go so easily? I think not," he said with a slurring sound that was probably a huff. "I think Sunry maintains his contacts with the Republic and seeks to escalate the situation here. I find this case to be fairly straightforward. Sunry is from the Republic, Elassa from the Sith. The great empires battling now live out their conflict through their minions, too."
"Well, that's one theory," Jolee said.
"I do not buy the Republic line that this is some epic battle between the 'good' Republic against the 'evil' Sith empire. The Sith Empire is merely an expansionistic power, much like the Republic was early in its history. It is simply the turning of history, where the old is swept away by the better new."
"I'll...remember that..." Jolee said, forcing himself to be diplomatic, a talent he hadn't had needed for two decades at least and never had much of in the first place.
Duula was worse, topping Nakeshekan's heights of arrogance and overt Sith support.
"I find the idea that a half-human cripple like Sunry could murder someone as obviously competent as the Sith Elassa questionable at best. A man who can barely walk killed a Sith warrior in her prime? Preposterous! But I would not put it past the Republic to try and arrange such circumstances to see her dead. The Sith are much more straightforward about their intentions."
Right. Jolee hadn't bit his tongue so often in so long since he left the damn Order! "So, you believe he didn't kill her?"
"I think that there must have been another there who killed her. Perhaps one of the 'witnesses.' I do not know the reason for the medal clutched in Elassa's hand either, but it may have been that she fought them off, even as she died. I think this may be the work of some Republic conspiracy and I am not afraid to say so! If the only means I have of hurting the Republic is through Sunry, then so be it!"
Jolee didn't know what to say to that comment - at least not anything that would help Sunry's case. He doubted the Selkath judge wanted a history lecture about Exar Kun's War, and Jolee was not in the mood to deliver one.
"So, not a friend of the Republic, I see..."
"I believe the Republic is an institution in sore need of change. It has gone on too long and the Sith are the fresh wind of change blowing across the galaxy. I do not believe the false stories of the evils of the Sith Empire. They are nothing compared to the oppression and stagnation that the Republic represents at its core. If given the power to decide, Manaan would join with the Sith, forcing the Republic to accept the new face of the future. But, sadly, it would appear that I am wiser and more farsighted than my immediate superiors. I am relegated to civil judicial matters. I will judge in this case, and I will find Sunry as guilty as he is charged to be."
"So nice to meet an impartial judge for a change," Jolee grumbled.
"Impartiality is one thing, blindness is another."
"You said it, not I."
"It's up to you, off-worlder, to prove the human's innocence. I simply doubt you will be capable of doing so."
Fortunately, the last judge, Kota, knew what the term "manners" meant. She wasn't afraid to use them, either. However, she was just as vocal in her support for the Republic as Duula and Naleshekan were for the Sith.
"Sunry...yes... If the Republic had more individuals like him right now, I do not believe the Sith would be so great a problem for your people."
"Ah, perhaps," Jolee said. "But the best war can do is create more of the same."
"Spoken well, Arbiter," Kota said. "I find it questionable that a man with such a reputable past as Sunry would murder a Sith woman, especially from behind. But knowing the Sith, there was probably some deception involved. They seek to do the same to us here. There has been much pressure by the Sith on our government - and even on the judges themselves - to deliver a guilty verdict in this case. But the letter of the law is absolute and will not be compromised for Sith power-games."
"That so, huh? Well, I've seen enough of both to weary of them."
"I find this great battle being waged across the galaxy to be both disturbing and, ultimately, tragic. For all of its faults, your tottering Republic has benefited the majority of the galaxy for many millennia. To see it fall into ruin in such a short time..." She wrote her statement on Jolee's datapad, as the other judges did. "I do not like the Sith, that I make no effort to hide. I will even admit that if given the option, I would rule that we should join the Republic. But I must remain impartial and rule on this case as the law requires."
"That would be appreciated, Madam. Now, I'll go talk to Sunry."
"He's got a good Arbiter," she said. "I'm sure he'll have a fair trial."
After the briefing, the Jedi went back to the ship to go over the data regarding the Sith embassy. Zaalbar was told to stay behind in order to have an extensive one on one briefing with Roland Wann regarding the news of Kashyyyk's liberation and the possibility of opening friendly ties with the Republic.
Carth told them that he would meet them back on the ship later, but he was going to take a long walk to "clear his head." At first, he thought Kairi was going to object or try to query him as to the reasons, but all she did was request that he leave his comlink on in case they needed to find him.
Guess she could sense when he really needed to be alone, too.
He kept walking, not really caring where his destination was. If he needed directions back to the dock, that was what protocol droids were for. Right now, he felt ready to explode. His head pounded. He just needed some time, time to think.
Time to brood, you mean, drawled a mental voice that sounded a lot like Canderous. Fine, so he needed to brood.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Bastila's tactless comment out of his mind. Was he really using Mission and Kairi like that? If so, what did that say about his grief about Morgana and Dustil? Plopping on a park bench, he pinched the bridge of his nose hoping that might relieve some of the tension in his head. He tried to think of them. Just a memory – any memory other than Telos's destruction. It would be enough to convince himself that he wasn't trying to forget them, right?
The sound of the waves hitting the outer walls of the city certainly helped. Morgana loved the sea. He was a young ensign and next to broke, but he had scraped enough credits together to get them a cruise on the oceans of Eklani V, a place where the mineral content of the oceans caused them to reflect a deep indigo. He remembered her laughing as they splashed like kids in the calm waters. He could remember that white and blue bikini she wore that showed off almost everything, her pale blonde hair loose around her shoulders...
Then he tried to remember her face. Try as he might, he just couldn't seem to recall it! The harder he tried to concentrate on it, the further it seemed to slip.
He tried for a different memory. He had been back for shore duty, and Dustil was six years old. The young boy had hazel eyes like his mother, and auburn hair like Carth's, though it was even more unruly, having inherited Morgana's curls. When Carth came to the door, Dustil looked up from his toys and ran for him, laughing. Carth remembered picking his boy up and giving him a piggy-back ride through the house, making all sorts of silly noises until Morgana came in and joked that it was time for all little herders and their beasts to step up to the trough.
Every time he had to get into that cockpit and fight, he did it for them – Morgana and Dustil. He still did, or so he thought – even if it was for vengeance now. But did that low-life Griff ever give his sister a ride on his shoulders? Was there a man Kairi ever curled up with who promised to love her forever?
Damn it. Either way, what did it matter? Besides, he couldn't be trying to hold onto them. He wasn't going to do that to them. Morgana died and Dustil was being brainwashed because he screwed up. Saul would pay – all the damn Sith would pay, and he'd probably not be around to debate niceties once Saul was given a few sucking chest wounds.
"Greetings, Republic man." The grating burble of a Selkath interrupted his thoughts. "Would it be all right if I sat next to you for a while? My feet hurt badly from walking. Your hard surfaces are not kind to our flippers."
"Sure," Carth said. "But I'll be bad company."
He sat down on the bench next to Carth. "I like this bench. It overlooks the foonga field," he said, pointing to the field below where several young Selkath were throwing balls back and forth. "Shasa played many games here, and some days I think I can still see her play if I wait here long enough."
There was heaviness in the Selkath's voice that Carth knew too well. "Oh. I'm...well, I'm sorry."
"My name is Shaelas. Though I suspect we have little in common, human, I share your dislike of the Sith. They have brought grief to my family."
"Actually, we may have more in common than you're betting," Carth said. "Go on."
With downcast eyes, the Selkath took a holo from his pocket. It showed a picture of him standing with a Selkath girl. "The young one is my daughter, Shasa. I look for her every day. I do not know where she has gone, but I believe I know who is behind it."
"You think the Sith took her?"
"I am not a fool," Shaelas said. "I know the Sith do not respect our laws as you Republic kind do. Were it up to me, I would do everything in my power to aid the Republic in the war against Malak. I know the Sith are evil and fear what they will do to my people...what they already are doing to my people."
"Sounds serious," Carth said. "What do you think is going on?"
A bubbling sound came from Shaelas. Carth could only guess it was the Selkath way of sighing. "Many young Selkath have gone missing in the past few months. Most of them were gifted students, the ones who we would groom to be judges and other leaders of our planet." He looked up at Carth. "My own daughter, Shasa, is among those who have disappeared. Three months ago, she left from her apprenticeship duties in the High Court, and has not been seen since."
Carth looked a little green.
"These disappearances coincide with the arrival of the Sith and I cannot dismiss the connection. Furthermore, her tutor was Duula – a supporter of the Sith who promised her an audience with the head of their embassy shortly before she vanished. The Sith are up to something sinister, human. I can feel it!"
"You try taking this to the authorities?"
Shaelas shook his head. "I can bring them no proof other than what my instincts are telling me. I have told embassy of the Republic, but they are too busy trying to defend themselves and stay out of trouble with our laws. I would hire one of the mercenaries in the off-worlder's' quarter, but I am not a rich man." He let out another sad burbling noise. "So, I must look for her on my own."
Different species or not – Carth knew what the guy was going through. Furthermore, Wann's little spy mission presented a grand opportunity to go and dig up some information. If those Sith were doing to Shaelas's child what they were already doing to his...
"Well, you have someone to help you look now," he said. "By the way, my name's Carth. I'm not sure what help I can be, but I'll go digging and see what I find. Are you here every day?"
Shaelas nodded.
"Good. You see a friend of mine saw something a couple days ago. Now, this is playing a hunch, but I'll see if it leads anywhere, okay."
"I thank you very much for even offering to help, Carth. If you find anything at all, I will be most glad for it. If you can uncover the fate of my daughter and the other missing Selkath, I will give you all I have, though my wealth is not vast and I have no official authority in this matter."
"No need," Carth said. "I've got my own reasons."
Sure enough, word traveled fast and Republic/Sith tensions were getting close to the breaking point. Elassa Huros may have been a junior officer in the Sith, but she certainly was well-known and well-liked (well, as much as the Sith could like anyone, he supposed). The campus was crowded by now, and the jail surrounded. Republic citizens called for freedom. Sith called for a head mounted on a pike.
Jolee grumbled and shook his head. "Should have stayed on Kashyyyk," he grumbled as he slipped his way through the crowd and into the holding facility.
The Selkath warden saw his authorization, then reluctantly trotted Sunry into a questioning room, leaving the two of them alone. The years had been pretty bad to Sunry, and it was more obvious now. He moved with a shuffling gait, and he had to concentrate in order to pick up the glass of water Jolee sat before him.
"Jolee! What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to get you out of this mess. The courts went and made me Arbiter for your case."
This got a laugh out of him "Just like old times, eh Jolee? You come swooping in out of nowhere to save my tail from the fire."
"You saved my wrinkled butt more than a few times as well, friend, if I recall," Jolee's mood sobered, remembering what was at stake here. "But there'll be time for catching up later. Right now, we need to focus on the case."
"Well, I guess if you're going to be appointed my Arbiter, you'll need to know what happened," Sunry said. He looked away from Jolee and out the narrow window behind him, his hand shaking so that drops of water hit the floor. The prison windows still had bars on them – mostly for psychological effect, Jolee guessed. He could hear the tinny hum of a modern forcefield backing it up.
"I might as well start from the beginning," Sunry told him slowly, slumping in his chair. Jolee had never thought of Sunry as ever getting old and tired – not with the stunts they pulled. With Sunry sitting across from him, voice shaking like his hands, deep lines in his face and his eyes dull...it was almost a shame. "The case is a complete frame-up. Anyone looking at the evidence could see that - or so I thought." He shook his head like he didn't have the strength to lift it. "But the Selkath seem to think, well that there's enough to go to trial."
"And what were you doing at the hotel with a Sith woman young enough to be your daughter?" Jolee folded his arms.
He jolted up in his seat as if someone stuck him with a bantha prod, stammering out his words. "Well, I was at the hotel, I admit. And I did meet Elassa there that night, but it's not what you think!" Sunry looked around shiftily, his voice dropping to a whisper as he leaned across the table, smiling. "I...I was working with Republic intelligence. We were pretending to feed information to the Sith while I turned Elassa into a double agent working for us." He slumped over again. "It was going well, too...until she turned up dead." Sunry paused for a moment, sliding back in his seat again. "Maybe the Sith found out and had her eliminated."
Was the explantion plausible? Definitely. Did Jolee believe it? Not yet. As much as he wanted to believe Sunry, something didn't seem right. "Well, it's not one I'd put past the Sith, but there is the matter of you being at the scene of the crime, my friend. The Selkath courts might understand espionage, but murder?"
Sunry sighed in exasperation. "Let's look at the facts they've given: Elassa was brutally killed. Think about that. She was a Sith, trained in battle. I'm just a crippled old man!" He held out his hands to demonstrate the violent tremors. "The neural damage was bad enough, and age has just made it worse! How could I kill a Sith warrior at close quarters, I ask you!"
"It does seem a little suspicious, yes," Jolee admitted. The war injuries and old age had greatly compromised Sunry's mobility, but Sunry's body was still in better shape than his mind believed. "And what's this about the medal found at the crime scene?"
He glowered like Jolee just made the most foolish statement in the universe. "Would I leave my war medal behind if I killed someone? Even I'm not that stupid. I told you when you came over to dinner that I'd lost it. Obviously, the Sith stole it to have it planted there all along!"
Jolee rubbed his chin. "No one said you were, Sunry. That was the first thing that sent up an alarm about it. I know how you got that medal, and I know you've spent the rest of your life paying for it."
He counted on his knarled fingers as he spoke. "What about the lack of forensic evidence - skin and hair samples, clothing fibers. The Selkath found nothing. Anything they did find was hopelessy contaminated by the time they got there – people coming in and out."
Jolee admitted, "But I'll need more than this if I'm going to convince the judges."
"I wonder if the Sith have been putting pressure on people to get them to convict me. It wouldn't surprise me after all. They've had it in for me since the war," he said, almost rhetorically. He leaned in again. "You should ask everyone at the hotel about that. They might admit to helping the Sith under pressure."
Jolee studied Sunry. He should know better than to try and lie to a Jedi, but what was he trying to conceal? Could it be possible that he was a killer? A man could change in twenty years, but wrapping his mind around the idea of Sunry shooting someone in cold blood took a lot of work.
Either way, he wouldn't get his answers here. He signaled the guard to come and escort Sunry back into custody. "I'll go to the hotel and question the witnesses next, Sunry. You sit tight."
Jolee found himself heading to Ahto City's transit system after that. It was very Selkath – it did its job, and had nothing in the way of ostentation or anything unnecessary. He had to go and speak to Elora after doing dome digging at the hotel. Maybe she could fill in some of the missing pieces.
Something just didn't add up. Yes, the Cross had been lost, and it was certainly possible the Sith got their hands on it. There was also one thing Jolee also knew Sunry was never without a blaster, even with his injuries making it hard for him to shoot. He still could be capable of shooting someone in the back if they weren't expecting it...
It was only after he got off at the stop near Elora's apartment that he sensed he was being followed. He led his pursuer into a blind alley and turned around. The man was stunning in his characterless facial features and standard tourist garb. He could have been any traveler. Jolee suspected that was why he chose to look this way. His hand went to his belt – just in case.
"You, Jedi! I hear you are investigating the Sunry murder trial, are you not?"
"Yes. You have information for me, or are you going to stand there and look mysterious?"
"This case is not at all what it appears to be. Many currents, might I say, flow beneath the surface. This murder is much more complicated than it may first appear. Sunry and Elassa are proxies for their governments and both sides wanted the other to fail. You can see the journey by the footprints? You understand, yes?"
"Talk plain, man. I'm too old for someone to babble riddles at me."
"Hmm...dear, dear. I'm saying that they both had something to do with it. They've both kept their hands in this from the start! If you want to get to the bottom of this murder, you might seek information from both the Republic and the Sith, likely in their embassies."
"And just why should I believe someone like you, hmm? Someone who just talks up to me on the street..."
"Why believe me?" he said. "Because you've no one else to trust? Not Sunry, not the witnesses, and certainly not the judges. Heed my advice, Jedi, and you may yet find the truths in this murder..."
Carth's scouting took him back to the mercenary's cantina. Mission had told him all about the mercenary she and Zaalbar saw with a Selkath youngster. Canderous heard the description and told them that the young Selkath was probably "firaxan food" by now. The merc they saw was Iridorian – bloodthirsty near-humans with serious psychosis. It made them the perfect recruits for the dirtiest jobs. The only good thing about them was their scarcity.
The bright yellow armor made the Iridorian stand out in the cantina as he was talking to a Sith recruiter. Carth couldn't hear what they were saying, but she slipped him a fat wad of credit vouchers before they parted ways.
That must have been the guy Mission saw last night! Was the Sith paying him for the delivery of another kid? Well, one way to find out...
The Iridorian counted the credit vouchers and started to trudge off into the maze that reminded Carth of the bad sections of Taris. He dodged past a gauntlet of industrial droids and into an area that boasted a sign of "Danger – Leaving Ahto City Patrol Zone. Ahto City will not be responsible for injury or death to trespassers." The cameras were scarce, since most of this section was operated by droids. Carth tried to keep his distance, but the Iridorian must have seen him.
Stang! Despite the heavy armor, his quarry was still pretty fast. Carth struggled to catch up, but found the path through the droids harder to navigate. For a moment, he thought he'd lost the mercenary, but saw him running for an industrial grid, and running through the forcefield, his armor protecting him from the electrical jolt. Carth swore. His lighter armor would do him no good.
Then, he remembered that he carried one of Mission's "gadgets" in his pocket. It shorted out the grid long enough to push past and resume pursuit.
The Iridorian took out a blaster and shot at him. Carth cursed and pulled his own blaster. He proved the better shot, slowing the other man down a little bit by putting some damage on his mechanized armor. He ducked into a half-finished construction project that resembled a bombed-out bunker.
Carth's eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness within. The silence was eerie. He more sensed than saw the Iridorian behind him. In a smooth motion, he whipped around, drawing one of his blasters and plowing into the man, forcing him up against the wall and putting the blaster right between his eyes.
The Iridorian didn't seem the least bit intimidated. "Save it, Republic man, I am not for hire. Perhaps and Echani or the Mandalorian you came with can help you - though they lack the stomach for certain jobs."
"Not hiring," Carth growled. "I'm after answers. You gonna give me some, or am I gonna have to blast your head off?"
The Iridorian laughed. "And what makes you think I will give you answers? Death is not something I fear."
Carth thumbed off the safety, and set it to maximum. Laugh in his face? Never laugh at the guy with the gun, pal. "What have you heard about those young Selkath gone missing? I saw that Sith pay you, and I know a kid went missing last night."
"That would be none of your business, Republic man. And as for reprisal, I do not fear the fish people or their laws."
Carth warmed up the blaster. This heap of Hutt droppings had better tell him what he did with those kids, or he was going to have his brains painting the wall. "Nothing said I had to make you die quickly, you know."
Strangely enough, the Iridorian seemed smugly impressed by Carth's display of rage. "I'm impressed, Republic man. Even the Sith here are as weak as those cowardly fish people."
"I don't care how impressed you are," he said, barely above a hiss. "Cut the bantha pile and tell me what happened to those kids."
"The Sith sought to buy my loyalty with credits as though wealth could somehow quench my burning bloodlust. Yes, I was told to lure a dozen or so Selkath youth to the Sith embassy, nothing more. I lied, I threatened, I promised...and brought them before the Sith."
"What then? What happened to those youths?"
"And there I left them. To what purpose, I neither know or care."
His vision still seemed red, and part of him wondered why he didn't just blast the guy. Preying on kids justified it, right? No, it wasn't justified. This guy wasn't the big fish anyway – more like a waste of time and ammo. With a last shove, Carth backed away, blaster still trained on the mercenary's head. "That's all I wanted to know."
He was smiling under the helmet. "Perhaps when the Sith learn I've betrayed their secrets, they'll try to kill me. I would welcome the excitement."
"Yeah, I'm sure. Another kid goes missing, and I will ventilate your head. Got it?"
The Iridorian nodded and left the half-finished building. Carth stood in the middle of the permacrete floor, holstering his blaster, watching as the Iridorian vanished into the industrial labyrinth. Did something like that haul Dustil into the Korriban academy, finding a scared kid among the wreakage and haul him behind the doors of some gruesome ruin passing for a boarding school.
Did Dustil even know his father was still alive and had looked for him for so long? And after four years of being a captive, going through who knows what...
The comlink's chirping brought him out of the worst-case scenario he was contemplating.
"Carth, where are you, you idiot?" Canderous was annoyed.
Carth activated the comlink. "Information gathering. You?"
"Get back to the Hawk. We're all going to have to put our heads together if we want to get into that base."
"Yeah, and I can give you another reason to investigate it. Carth out."
"Lemme get this straight, your old pal was arrested for killing a Sith, and now you just talked yourself into becoming his defense lawyer."
Jolee nodded as he let Mission copy the data modules T3-M4 downloaded on Selkath law into the Hawk's archives. "Someone has to do it."
Mission checked the download and unplugged the utility droid from the computer. "Gee, you're starting to rack up a record like Kairi's. Is 'somebody's gotta do it' part of the Jedi Code I didn't know about?"
"No, but 'he saved my butt too many times to count' and 'protect your own' are unwritten codes of smugglers. I'm sure you know that one already."
"Yeah, I do," She thought a moment. "Jolee, do you want some help with this? It's not like I've got much to do on-ship right now, and Big Z is heading to the Embassy to make nice with the local diplomat."
"Thought you would go with him."
Mission shook her head. "Their protocol droid understands his language, so they turned me down over the com. Didn't make him happy, but it's not gonna stop him, either."
"I see. And the rest of the crew?""The head diplomat's got them on some kind of errand, too. I think it's a spy mission," she said.
Jolee put down the datapad he had been reading. "Spy mission, eh? Well, I'll tell you what. I could use an extra set of eyes on this. Someone who doesn't know Sunry, for starters. That, and my street smarts are twenty years out of date. You might be able to spot something my old eyes would miss."
She stood up and dusted off her coveralls. "You want back up, you got it. And let's take T3. He's been pretty handy so far."
The droid chattered happily and rolled off towards the loading ramp, Jolee and Mission in tow.
The Jedi left their briefing, and Zaalbar was trying not to pace the too-small room they had him waiting in. It had plush furnishings a size too small for him. (Why did humans always seem to think everyone else was their size?), so he sat on a bench to avoid damaging anything.
The place smelled pleasant, at least. Several large planets sat in the room's corners. One of them had colorful blue and green blossoms that smelled sweet. Countering it was a woody plant in the opposite corner that had a smell like the upper, thinner branches. He wondered if the human here could perceive the blend like he could. Their noses were quite different.
After what seemed like a very long time, a protocol droid entered. "Greetings, I am C1-Y6, protocol and translation unit for Roland Wann."
Zaalbar looked up. "Can you understand my language, droid?"
"Indeed, I do," the droid answered. "Many former Wookiee slaves have gone to the Republic seeking asylum. I assume that is the nature of your request?"
"No," Zaalbar answered. "Tell your master that I am..." he could hardly believe the words as he spoke them. "Chieftain Zaalbar, son of High Chieftain Freyyr. Tell him that I come on behalf of my people to talk to the Honorable Republic."
He knew droids could not be shocked, but the protocol unit's voice sounded incredulous. "Very well, Chieftain. Wait here until Roland Wann can see you."
The visitor's hotel was only a block away from the Republic Embassy. Well, that would fit Sunry's story about Republic intelligence - the shorter the distance a spy had to travel, the better, especially when dealing with one that had enough trouble walking. A banner across the door read in Selkath characters and Basic that the hotel was locked down by order of the Selkath courts. The doors opened for him as he punched in the codes the courts had given him.
"This is where the murder happened?" Mission said. "This place looks a little...well, it looks like some of the places on Upper Taris that charged hourly rates, if you know what I mean."
Jolee scowled. "Doesn't explain what he was doing in a place like this. He did tell me he was trying to turn that Sith into a double agent. I guess when trying to do that, a place that looks the other way would be a good idea."
"If your pal was telling the truth," Mission commented. "I mean..."
Jolee silenced the young Twi'lek with a sharp glare as the door slid open.
The proprietor was a human man with a glare that could sour milk. "I'm Ignus. I own this hotel, at least in theory. You're the one defending Sunry now, eh? Well, the hotel's open for you and I guess I got to answer any questions you want, too."
"Now, now. Sooner I get this over with, sooner you can go back into business. You were at this hotel, and who else was here that could have seen the murder?"
"There were only two other people in the hotel when it happened. One was a Rhodian named Gluupor. Seems like a really dirty, shifty type. Normally, I don't allow his kind in here. I'm a reputable businessman, you know! But there weren't many people here, so I decided to take a chance. The other is a regular known as Firith Me. He's a Pazaak player, probably an addict, but he claims he's big in some circles. Don't know anything about him past that."
"Maybe I could challenge him to a game or two while I'm here," Jolee joked. "Did any of them - or you - know Sunry or the victim...Miss Huros?"
"Elassa used to rent rooms here every week or so. Then Sunry would come by a couple hours later and stay all night. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what was going on."
Mission let out a whistle. "Told you, Jolee."
"Maybe, maybe not..." Sunry, this had better be what you said. If you were hurting Elora...He made a couple notes on his datapad and turned to Ignus. "So, what happened the night of the murder?"
"The night of the murder, Elassa rents a room in the hotel. An hour or two later Sunry comes in and goes to her room, like usual. A couple hours later, I hear a blaster shot and see Sunry running." Ignus elaborated, "He can't run good 'cause he's a cripple, but still he was going pretty fast. I would swear he started after the shot, though. I mean, it's possible, just barely, that it went off after he left, but I'd not tell that to the courts."
"Don't think you could be persuaded to express a doubt?" Jolee shoved his hand in his pocket. The sound of plastic on plastic - credit chits clanking together – was pretty unmistakable. Mission's eyes got big, and a hard scowl crossed her face.
"Well, now...for two hundred credits, I could be persuaded to rethink that."
"Just like Taris," Mission grumbled. "Same kind of greed, and letting the credits do the talking. Guess nothing really changes, does it."
Jolee withdrew his hand from his pocket. What in the Force was he thinking? Was he that desperate to get Sunry off? He didn't think the hotel owner could be persuaded to express a doubt without dangling a reward in front of his nose. He pulled out his hand and let out a
deep breath. He might have done if he were alone, but not in front of a youngster – even if she was a street rat.
"I'll be sure to recommend this hotel to my friends," Jolee commented as he left. "The friendly staff here is amazing."
T3-M4 cocked its metal head and let out a long whistle.
"Guess no one taught you what sarcasm means, did they?" Jolee answered. "I'll tell you later after I talk to these other two folks."
Firith Me was a young man in threadbare clothing. For a big-shot Pazaak player, he was either not interested in flashy clothing, or Lady Luck had decided to go elsewhere. He carried a datapad of a Pazaak journal in one hand and leaned against the doorframe with the other.
"You here with the Selkath? You here to see me about the murder, too? I told the damn fish everything I knew. What more do you all want from me?"
"Maybe a game of Pazaak when this is finished," said Jolee. "I'm a little rusty at it, though."
With a sigh, Firith stepped away from the door and motioned Jolee in. "I'll tell you what I told the Selkath, though you seem a friendlier sort than they do. On the night of the murder, I was in my room minding my own business with the latest copy of Pazaak weekly - checking out listings for the big tournament that's going to be held here next month. That's when I heard a blaster shot. Being still alive - and therefore smart enough not to stick my head out immediately - I didn't go out right away."
"So, you didn't actually see the murder?"
"No," he admitted. "One of the things one learns as a professional gambler is when to look the other way. Men wind up dead, otherwise. Anyway, I looked out after a minute and saw Gluupor in the hall by Elassa's room, and Sunry running like the wind. You can't tell me that someone who was running like that - and he was pretty fast for a cripple - isn't guilty."
"Do you know much about Sunry?"
"I only heard of him once or twice in passing. Some sort of old-time war hero against the Sith. Seen him around in the hotel, too. Going to Elassa's room always, of course. Kept the rest of the building up half the night with their damn antics, usually."
"Antics? Let me get this straight - Sunry was sleeping with Elassa?"
Damn you! You told me this was an assignment for the Republic, not...What else did you lie about that I had better not learn?
"I'm not saying anything like that - part of my trade, remember? What they did in that room, in private, is their business. And there isn't a rule against Sith and Republics seeing each other for...personal reasons." Firith gave a knowing leer at Jolee. "Although if you think her Sith Master didn't know, you must be fooling yourself."
"Sith Master?" he asked.
This seemed to make him very uncomfortable. "Um...well, Elassa was a Sith, so of course she'd have to have someone above her. Yeah, I didn't see anything..."
"Sure you didn't," said Mission. "Why else would you be squirming like someone stuffed a gizka in your shorts?"
"You learn things in my profession, too, son. One of them is that when someone's tongue slips like that, there's something under those words." Jolee fixed him with a glare.
"Well...there was that one time." Firith explained, "I saw Elassa coming in wearing this big cloak. I was on my way to my room, and she normally wears stuff like that, so I didn't pay her too much attention. But that one time, I brushed up against her - accidentally, of course - and her cloak fell open. Now, I don't have problems with the Sith! I leave them alone and they leave me alone. And seeing as how Elassa had a Sith lightsaber under her cloak, I'm not going to poke that hornet's nest."
Mission flinched, her hand rubbing her left shoulder where there was a nearly invisible vibroblade scar beneath her clothing.
"A Sith lightsaber, you say?" asked Jolee. "Miss Huros was a Dark Jedi?"
Firith shrugged. "Seems so, but I'm not getting myself further in with the Sith. I know how ruthless they are. Now, that's all I'm going to tell you. I'll testify it to the court, but you aren't going to get anything else out of me."
"Thank you for the help. I'm starting to understand what went on here," Jolee said. "Come along, Mission. I hope you speak Rodian, because mine is a little rusty."
The last witness, Gluupor, fit Ignus's description of a shifty Rhodian. His accent was thick, and his dialect was a little hard to translate, even with aid from the Force and Mission's assistance.
"Gluupor tell everything to Selkath. You not know? Gluupor have no reason not to say. Gluupor tell everything. Everything about murder, everything about Sith lady's room."
"Why were you at the hotel? Seems a little fancy," Mission asked.
"Gluupor staying at hotel. Gluupor not very rich - hotel much too rich for Gluupor to live at, but Gluupor save for weeks and have enough to stay here for a few days. Gluupor not see murder, oh no. Gluupor did see Republic guy...the cripple...Sunry his name, Gluupor thinks. Gluupor see Sunry running away from scene of the crime. Gluupor see nothing else. Nothing else at all. Especially in Sith lady's room!"
"Sure," Mission said suspiciously. "So you didn't see anything."
"Gluupor just curious...just curious to see what had happened. Gluupor have no reason to go into room...no one pay Gluupor to do it."
Mission looked over at Jolee and nodded. Gluupor just talked himself into a trap, and Jolee was going to play it for all he had.
Jolee crossed his arms. "Someone paid you to do something in that room, Gluupor."
"How you know someone pay Gluupor?""Well, first," Mission said. "Never bring up that someone 'didn't' pay you if the issue doesn't come up. Go ahead and talk. It's not like the Sith are here."
"Well, Sith man came up to Gluupor after murder, before Selkath arrive. He say he give Gluupor good money if Gluupor put medal into Sith's hand. Gluupor good. Gluupor plant evidence and leave no trace. But Gluupor not recognize Sith man anyway. Gluupor not recognize humans very well."
"Well, that certainly sounds interesting. Why didn't you tell the Selkath?" Jolee asked.
"No use to Selkath, so not bother to tell them. Well, that and the Sith man say he kill Gluupor if Gluupor speaks. Uh...oh, no... Gluupor think... Gluupor think he can't talk more right now. Gluupor feels the need to lie down. Maybe just stay here.... "
The Rhodian fell into the bed and pulled the covers over his snout. Jolee sighed and made more notes on the datapad. Mission patted the covered lump as the two of them left the room.
"Well, there's the witnesses," Mission said. "And while we got a lot of useful stuff, it just doesn't solve the case."
"I know, Mission. I know." The pieces were coming together, but Jolee wasn't certain what to make of the picture. Sunry cheating on Elora with a Dark Jedi? The Hero's Cross was definitely planted by the Sith, but Sunry had been seen fleeing the murder scene after the blaster shot went off.
The Embassies...Jolee remembered the mystery man he met on the train. It certainly couldn't hurt to go and check them out, but was a way to do it? The Republic Embassy would be easy enough, he supposed. Just show the saber and let them make the wrong assumption. The Sith embassy, however...
"Mission, didn't you say that the rest of the crew was going to try and break into the Sith embassy?"
"Yeah, why?"
Jolee cracked a smile. "I think we may just have to find a way to come along."