Chapter Ten: CSI Coruscant
Jane and Obi-Wan knew they needed to be somber; after all, they were investigating a possible murder. But they were excited that they were getting a chance to be like the characters on GCIS: Galactic Criminal Investigative Services, their favorite holoshow. Qui-Gon, however, was unimpressed with his Padawans' enthusiasm and more concerned about the mystery that lie before them.
Healthy twenty-eight year old Senator Durane of Alderaan was found dead sitting at her desk and the cause of death was electrocution. Her computer terminal was fried, and forensic experts were searching through the remains for a trigger to have gone off but found nothing. Any trigger that had been there had more than liked been disintegrated when it went off. Also, security footage from that night were completely gone and the curtains had been closed, so no witnesses from the outside could have seen what was going on.
The king of the senator's planet and the other senators were worried that it was possible that she was murdered, given the strange circumstances. So the Jedi were asked to step-in. Chancellor Valorum, having heard praise of the trio—in particular of Jane's skills and genius—asked for them specifically to investigate.
"So, do we get those little cards with numbers on them to put beside evidence for cataloging, then send it to a perky Goth forensic specialist named Amy?" Jane asked as she climbed into the back of the speeder.
"No, the security force should have already done that," Qui-Gon said, starting the engine.
"Do we get to take pictures of evidence like Tommy, Lisa and McGregor?" Obi-Wan asked innocently beside Qui-Gon.
"No," Qui-Gon said, starting to seriously consider restricting his apprentices' holo-viewing hours.
Both Padawans were silent for a moment when Jane softly asked,
"Can you introduce yourself as Special Agent L. J. Tibbs?"
Fortunately they were at a red light, for Qui-Gon pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed and shook his head with a sigh.
"I am getting way too old for this," Qui-Gon muttered as the light turned green. Jane and Obi-Wan decided it was best not to speak for the rest of the trip; it was rare when Qui-Gon was in a bad mood, usually due to stress, and they both knew his limits.
Once they arrived at the Senate Building, they met with Senator's Durane's replacement, Senator Bail Antilles. Senator Antilles was joined by two assistants and a man in his late twenties who was introduced as Bail Organa.
"I personally believe this was a freak accident," Senator Antilles said, looking at all three Jedi after pleasantries and introductions were made and sympathies expressed. "Senator Durane had no enemies. She was loved by all."
"Unfortunately, it is all too often the best in the Galaxy that are cut down before their time," Qui-Gon said, a grim look in his eye Jane had never seen before, yet she knew instantly who he was thinking of. Obi-Wan had told her about Tahl, Qui-Gon's best friend and the only woman he had ever loved who had died about a year before Jane's arrival to the Temple.
Qui-Gon took a deep breath before continuing.
"Obi-Wan and I shall investigate the area, see if we can find or sense anything that was missed in the initial search," He explained to the Senator. "In the meantime, Jane will ask around some questions. Can you think of anyone in particular she should speak with?"
"Not off hand," Senator Antilles said, running a hand over his beard in thought. "Young Organa here can help her. He's been here for nearly a year with Senator Durane. He would have a better idea of whom she should speak with than I would."
"That shall work perfectly," Qui-Gon said, both he and Senator Antilles not noticing the look of shock on Bail's face as his fate was decided for him.
Within minutes, the two groups split up.
"So…." Jane said slowly as she and Bail walked down the halls. "I'm Jane."
"Bail," Her companion responded.
"So you're from Alderaan?" Jane said, trying to make small talk.
"Yes," Bail said. "What about you? Which planet did the Jedi pick you up off of?"
"Corellia, but the Jedi didn't find me. I found them," Jane said proudly.
"I thought there was a separate sect of Corellian Jedi," Bail said, his brow furrowed.
"There is. Long story," Jane said. "So, where are we-"
But she cut herself off and pressed her lips together. Someone had just turned to walk down the hall with them.
"Hello, Senator Palpatine," Bail said.
"Hello, Master Organa," Senator Palpatine, an aging, balding man said in a friendly tone. "Now who is this you've got here?"
"Jane Mago, Jedi Apprentice," Jane said, introducing herself.
"My, my, aren't you a young one?" Senator Palpatine said in a grandfatherly way. He unnerved Jane and made her shiver. She did not like him; darkness seemed to radiate off of him.
When Jane didn't respond, Palpatine turned to Bail.
"I know this is dreadful timing to discuss this, with your recent loss," Palpatine said. "But do you know what Senator Antilles' thoughts are on the bill for creating an armored battle-station to defend Coruscant? The vote is next week, you know."
"He is still going over Senator Durane's notes on the matter," Bail said. "So, no, at this point in time I do not know what his thoughts are."
"Ah," Palpatine said, sounding a bit disappointed. "Well, I would love to continue to chat, but I'm afraid I have a meeting. Good day, Master Organa. Good day, Miss Mago."
As he walked past, Jane felt Palpatine's eyes on her; it was an unpleasant feeling, one she never wished to feel again.
"I think I know who did it," Jane said later that evening back at the apartment in the Temple shared by Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Jane.
"Oh you do, my darling precious flower?" Qui-Gon said as he began to cut some vegetables for their dinner. Jane smiled at Qui-Gon's special name for her.
"Yes," Jane said as she laid napkins on the table. "It's Senator Palpatine of Naboo."
"Why Senator Palpatine? What motive did he have? And how did he kill Senator Durane?" Obi-Wan asked from the stove where he was cooking pasta.
"All the information I gathered today points to his motive," Jane said. "Senator Palpatine proposed to build this huge battle station with lasers that could blow up planets to defend Coruscant, but Senator Durane didn't approve. So he killed her so that he could sway her replacement to vote for his bill. He only needed one more vote for the bill to pass."
"So then how did he kill her?" Qui-Gon asked, tossing the salad he had made.
"He electrocuted her with his Sith lightning powers." Jane said nonchalantly as she laid out the silverware.
Both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stopped what they were in the middle of.
"Jainy-bug," Obi-Wan said, calling Jane by his pet name for her. "Hate to break it to you, but Senator Palpatine isn't a Sith. He's not even Force-Sensitive. The Council would know it if it was otherwise."
"You haven't met him, Obi-Wan," Jane said, putting her hands on her hips. "He just feels evil. It's radiating off of him."
"Jane, I am sure Senator Palpatine is a perfectly decent gentleman," Qui-Gon said, placing the bowl of salad on the table. "Besides, can you even place him at the time and place of Senator Durane's death?"
"Well, not yet," Jane said, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "But I know he did it!"
"Jane, I am not going to hear another word of your argument until you have solid proof, understand?" Qui-Gon said, not sharply. Jane stared at her feet, feeling her cheeks heat, but nodded.
"Yes Master," Jane whispered.
"Alright, then let us eat." Qui-Gon said. Dinner was unusually quiet that night, as Jane didn't have anything to say after that.
"I've got proof, Bail," Jane said proudly as she hopped up to sit on the young man's desk.
"Proof of what, Jane?" Bail asked, looking up briefly from his datapad to look at Jane.
"Proof that Senator Palpatine is a viable suspect," Jane said, pulling out a disk with a grin. "Security let me borrow this."
Jane took a portable holoplayer out of her pocket, put in the disk and placed it in front of Bail, then got down to stand beside his arm before hitting the 'play' button.
Bail watched as an image of Senator Palpatine pacing in his office came into view. He watched several minutes as the senator paced then occasionally went to his desk to write something, then get up to pace again.
"What does this prove, exactly?" Bail asked.
"There's a small data skip every ten minutes. And Senator Secret Sith's doing the same thing in a loop. I took it to a friend at the Temple who analyzes security holos a lot for a second opinion and he confirmed instantly that it is the same footage being played in a loop," Jane said proudly. "This, in addition to when it-"
Jane stopped suddenly and Bail turned to see that she was doubled over, gasping for breath.
"Jane? Jane, what's wrong?" He asked, alarmed, as he knelt down beside her.
"It's not my pain," She whispered.
She tore out of the room, Bail on her heels. She ran down the halls and burst through a door that Bail recognized as the emergency stairwell. Jane raced down several flights of stairs before calling up to Bail with a note of panic in her voice, "Call medics!"
Bail took one look down over the stair-rail at the landing below him, paled and pulled out his comlink.
On the landing below, crumpled, bleeding and unconscious, was Obi-Wan.
Yep. Cliffie. I'm evil like that.