Chapter 2

To Catch a Murderer

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon walked into the viewing room, a police droid right behind them. It had been several days since the murders, and the CSF had just finished processing the initial round of evidence from the crime scene. The Jedi had come to CSF Headquarters, specifically to view footage from a nearby security camera that had captured the crime. Now, they waited for the droid to turn on its holoprojector, hoping that whatever was in the footage would lead to the murderer. The droid came forward as the Jedi sat down, and turned on the projector. The footage showed Master Leet and Inspector Clooso stopping in the middle of the street, and speaking to each other. Although there was no audio, both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon could tell that the two were discussing something very serious. All of a sudden, Master Leet turned to the side, facing the direction of the sniper. Through their Force bond, Obi-Wan felt his master brace for what was about to happen. In the next instant, Master Leet's head jerked back, and his body flopped onto the street. Inspector Clooso ran towards the left edge of the screen, and several seconds later he fell, almost out of frame. Obi-Wan could barely see his legs at the edge of the screen, sticking out from the alleyway where he died. The footage ended, as the droid exclaimed, "That's all, Jedi" in his emotionless, mechanical voice. Both Jedi immediately began processing what they had seen. Looks like they were taken by surprise. Master Leet never saw what hit him.

Indeed, Obi-Wan, but there's something odd about the footage.

What, Master?

I didn't see any blaster bolts.

Could the assassin have used a slugthrower, Master? Many assassins do…

You saw the wounds, Obi-Wan. As did I. And I've seen enough slugthrower wounds to tell you that neither Fig…Master Leet nor his companion was killed with one.

Then why are there no visible bolts, Master? Could it be something wrong with the camera?

No, Obi-Wan. Even the fastest blaster bolts would have been visible to that camera.

What should we do then, Master?

Go back to the Jedi Temple, and head straight to the Archives. They might be able to tell us what happened here.

Qui-Gon stood up and spoke to the police droid.

"Were there any other cameras recording within a 500-meter radius?"

"Yes, Master Jedi. I can pull that footage if you like."

"Please do so. My apprentice and I will return later to view that."

"As you wish, Master Jedi."

"Obi-Wan, come. We're going to find out how our assassin managed to fool that security camera."

"Master Nu?"

"Yes?"

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had made it to the Archives, and now they hoped that Master Nu would have answers to their questions.

"Obi-Wan and I are looking into the death of Master Leet. We have some questions concerning the evidence we've found."

"Ah, yes. I heard about that. The whole Temple is downcast over his loss. I'll give you whatever assistance I can. What questions did you have?"

"Obi-Wan and I just saw security footage of Master Leet's death, and the blaster bolt that killed him didn't appear. How is that possible?"

"Possibly a glitch in the camera. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Nightstinger."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan paused for a moment, baffled by this one-word response.

"Nightstinger? Who's Nightstinger?"

"Not who, Obi-Wan. What."

"What is it, then?"

"Do you know how a blaster works, Obi-Wan?"

"Yes. It uses a power pack to turn special gas into energized plasma bolts."

"Exactly. Normally, those bolts are visible, in different colors depending on the type of gas used. However, there are types of gas that when used in a blaster, produce no visible bolt at all. The Nightstinger is a type of blaster rifle that uses this special gas to fire bolts that are invisible to the naked eye. It's not easy to acquire, though. As this capability implies, such a weapon is designed for one purpose only: assassination. Because of this, it has been outlawed by the Republic and even on the black market is difficult and expensive to acquire. The ammunition is even more expensive: one gas cartridge can only hold three to five shots, and costs roughly one thousand Republic credits."

"So, what you're saying is that Master Leet was killed with one of these weapons?"

"Most likely."

"You said they're not common, correct?"

"No, they are not."

"Then it shouldn't be hard to track down our shooter. Someone with an unusual weapon such as this must have a reputation, and not just for the novelty. I can't imagine anyone other than a highly experienced professional assassin or bounty hunter would go through the trouble and expense of acquiring one of these strange blasters and keeping it supplied with ammunition."

Qui-Gon interjected.
"Don't be so sure of yourself, young Padawan. We might have our murder weapon, but we don't have our murderer. That security footage is likely the only way we will be able to identify our suspect, and even then that might not work. There are countless beings that go past these security cameras every minute, and we still haven't figured out what rooftop the shots were fired from."

"Then we should head back to the police station, Master."

"Patience, Obi-Wan. We will return, and one way or another we will find who did this."

"Welcome back, Master Jedi. Have you come to view the footage?"

"Yes. What do you have?"

"Just as you asked, I checked every security camera in a 500 meter radius around the crime scene. However, I put special care into locating footage from cameras in the area where the suspect likely was."

Qui-Gon was about to ask to see the footage when a sudden recollection made him pause.

Obi-Wan said something about a getaway vehicle. The crowds flocking to escape the scene of the shooting probably means that much of the street footage is useless. But what about parking areas? Or the traffic lanes?

Qui-Gon could sense that Obi-Wan felt his thoughts, and a quick glance at his apprentice confirmed this: there was the slightest hint of approval on Obi-Wan's face.

"Do you have any footage from the laneside?"

"Excuse me?"

"Parking lots and traffic lanes. Do you have any footage from cameras in those areas?"

"Yes I do, Master Jedi. Would you like to see it?"

"All of it, please."

Take a seat, Obi-Wan. We're going to be here for a while…

"Would you like more coffee, sir?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

The droid poured Obi-Wan yet another cup of coffee as he and Qui-Gon sat watching the footage from the various parking lots and traffic lanes in the shooter's vicinity. Obi-Wan had lost track of how long he and his Master had sat there, going through the footage, and he could not remember how many cups of coffee he had already had.

"All right. Play the next clip, please."

"Of course, Master Jedi."

The police droid played yet another clip of a dark parking space, illuminated only by its dim, flickering lighting and the headlights of passing speeders. For the first few minutes (the timestamp started at the moment of the shooting) nothing out of the ordinary happened. In fact, nothing happened at all: there was not a single sentient being in the lot, just dormant speeders and the lights of the traffic outside. Then, a single figure came into view. He was a Gran, male by the looks of it, wearing dark clothes and a large backpack. Upon entering the lot, he looked to and fro, apparently scanning for anyone unfriendly. He then hopped into a nearby speeder, started it up, and zoomed off into the night.

Hmm…that's odd. Still, he might have just been alone in the parking lot. In that part of the city, it pays to be aware in the parking lot. He might have just been watching out for muggers or other petty criminals. Or, he might be our suspect.

We'll find out in a moment, Obi-Wan.

"What's the nearest building to this lot? Do you have any footage from it?"

"The nearest building to this site is abandoned, Master Jedi. There are no cameras in it."

"Are there any around it?"

"There are a few. Do you want to see that footage?"

"Yes. Please."

He came into frame for the first time.

The Gran looked the same as he did before: large backpack, dark clothes, and cautious mannerisms. He walked down the street, looking around the corner as he reached it, and then continued on out of frame.

"That Gran. Was he moving towards the parking lot in the footage you showed us earlier?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Would you like me to save both those recordings?"

"Right away. And make us some copies, if you can."

"I can indeed, Master Jedi."

"We'll be waiting in here. Put the copies on data disks and bring them in here once you have them."

"Right away, Master Jedi."

The droid left the room, as Obi-Wan turned to Qui-Gon.

"So we have him, then?"

"Most likely. We don't know his name, though."

"Well, we have a profile, at least. A Gran exile with a one-of-a-kind blaster and a traceable speeder. We can run that by the Jedi Archives, and I'm confident that whoever he is, he has a dossier on record."

"Don't get too confident, Obi-Wan. Even if you are right, it will take time to identify him. And something tells me he won't come quietly when we come knocking at his door."

"So, what now?"

"We return to the Temple, and give this information to the Council and the Archives."

"And then?"

"We wait. I would advise you to spend whatever time you can meditating in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, Obi-Wan. Once we find our suspect's identity, we'll have our work cut out for us."

Qui-Gon sat, calm as he had been in days. After bringing in the evidence, he and Obi-Wan had nothing to do but wait until the Archives found out the mysterious Gran's identity. Even with all this meditation, the image of his friend's murder, cold and soundless as it was in the security footage, lingered in his thoughts. Don't let that cloud your thoughts, Qui-Gon. This is about justice, not revenge. You and Obi-Wan will find the culprit and bring him to trial. Figaro would have done as much were he in your position.

Suddenly, Qui-Gon sensed a familiar Force presence approaching him. Sifo-Dyas…he's coming. I can sense tension and urgency in him. Maybe he's had another row with the Council, and needs to clear his mind. Amazing that he sits with them and yet challenges their foolishness whenever he can. It's no wonder he and Dooku have always been friends.

"Master Qui-Gon?"

"Ah, Master Sifo-Dyas. Have you come to join me?"

"No. I've come to rouse you. Get your Padawan and go to the Archives, immediately."

Qui-Gon knew what Sifo-Dyas would say before he opened his mouth.

"We've found him."

An image of a male Gran came out of the holoprojector, identical to the suspect from the security footage. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon looked on while Sifo-Dyas briefed them.

"His name is Vick Reego. He's a Gran assassin with credentials as a sharpshooter. We don't know much about his background, other than that he was a mercenary in the Outer Rim for a while. He went underground a number of years ago, and recently his name has come up in connection with several murders, likely for hire based on the circumstances. All shared the same modus operandi: the victims were killed with a sniper rifle, generally in urban or otherwise built-up areas. No trace of the shooter was found, but eyewitness reports say there was no visible blaster fire. Because of this, it is believed that he uses a Xerrol Nightstinger to commit his crimes, which uses exotic gas to fire blaster bolts that cannot be seen with the naked eye. While he was a prime suspect in these cases, there wasn't enough evidence to convict him. Of course, all that has changed now."

"Now that we know who he is, what's our plan for arresting him?"

"I forwarded all the relevant information to the courts before I went to grab you, Qui-Gon. A judge is likely signing Reego's arrest warrant as we speak. However, as both of you have seen, Reego is extremely dangerous. You'll be part of the actual arrest with the CSF, and I can tell you right now that they'll bring the big guns for this job. Be very, very careful. We've already lost one Jedi to Reego. We don't want to lose any more."