Meanwhile Qui-Gon Jinn swiftly moved through the streets of Navarus with his faithful padawan directly in tow. Obi-Wan occasionally did a double step to make up for Qui-Gon's rather wide stride until he caught up to align elbows at his master's side.
"Master, may I ask where we are so hastily stalking towards?"
Qui-Gon suddenly stopped as his eyes narrowed at a holographic sign hanging above them in a language that Obi-Wan did not recognize. Qui-Gon nodded once and voiced a reassuring, 'mm-hmm' before turning to face his padawan.
"While you were practicing your meditations I asked around with some of the locals to see if there was a being that specialized in toxins, poisons, spices anything that could possibly be our mystery solution. If he proves to be innocent within our investigation, he may be able to lead us in other directions."
Obi-Wan smiled to himself to the keen intellect of his ever wise Jedi Master. They entered the ram shack shop as the entrance bore what seemed to be a never-ending pile of collected bottles, vials, microscopes, and specimen jars. Obi-Wan's eyebrows rose as they looked about the room, Qui-Gon's hand slowly moved towards the light saber hilt at his hip sensing a disturbance within the room. Suddenly a short hobbling creature waddled his way out from one of the heaps of junk in the corner, eyes enlarged from a pair of magnifying glasses over both of his orbs. The figure leaped several feet in the air when he caught sight of the Jedi quickly turning and waddling as fast as his short stubs could carry him. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan exchanged a brief glance as Obi-Wan spoke to Qui-Gon,
"Seriously?"
Qui-Gon smirked at his young padawan,
"Size matters not. I do believe you have heard those words of wisdom before?"
The Jedi then darted in the direction of the figure, which hadn't taken long to catch up to, while suddenly a small pod whirred to life and appeared from within the junk, the creature's small clawed nubs for fingers working the joy stick in front of him that controlled the pod. Qui-Gon furrowed his eyebrows and lifted his hand to idly grasp the pod from continuing forward. The creature looked down at his joystick in confusion and continued to hit it before realizing the Jedi was the one diminishing his progression and he gave them a nervous chuckle and opened his mouth to speak,
"Well what do I owe the displeasure of ever so powerful Jedi in my humble shop?"
Qui-Gon did not release his grasp on the pod rather he moved it over to a flat surface where he could place it atop and create an eye to eye contact between the creature and the Jedi, well as close to eye to eye as they were going to get.
"What is your name, creature?"
The creatures eyes enlarged even more, as his mouth fell agape to being labeled as a 'creature' by this seemingly pompous excuse for a Jedi. His arms folded over his chest as a sudden second pair of arms appeared from behind his back to scratch at the few strands of hair that resided atop his head.
"My NAME is Snitch and I am now insulted."
Snitch turned his head away from them his long hairs falling to either side of his head in mock remorse. Qui-Gon wasn't buying into this creatures fowl attempts at offense and immediately went into interrogations.
"Why were you running Snitch?"
Snitch's ears perked up just then as if to attempt to hear Qui-Gons words more clearly, his hands grasped the front part of his pod as he leaned forward to look at them closer.
"I may not know a lot about Jedi but I DO know on THIS planet seeing them is NEVER good news."
Obi-Wan decided to step forward not bothering to confer with Qui-Gon before speaking, an action that would cause a look of slight annoyance from his Jedi Master.
"If you have nothing to hide then why would our presence be of ill will towards you?"
Snitch's pointy teeth pulled back in a grimace as he sat back down on the seat of his pod making the entire contraption move and he shook his head back and forth which caused his large ears to flop along with him.
"Never said I didn't have anything to hide, nope nope nope."
Qui-Gon was tiring of these games and knew that the Jedi mind trick would undoubtedly work on this creature tenfold as his hand rose to move the air in front of him.
"You will answer my questions promptly and truthfully."
The creature's pupils became the entirety of his eyes and his mouth fell agape as a pink tongue sloshed to one side of his mouth, a drool beginning to form.
"Ith willth answther questions promptly, trithfilly."
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance for a moment at the creature's reaction to the Jedi mind trick and Qui-Gon continued with his questions.
"Were you involved in the Twi'Lek's death from several days ago?"
Snitch remained dormant for a moment before he responded,
"Try…again."
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were slightly taken aback by the creature's answer as their eyebrows furrowed and Snitch sat up straight slurping his tongue back into his mouth, apparently oblivious to the Jedi mind trick and playing them for fools.
"I know not of this Twi'Lek death but if that what you be here for, I will most certainly help you. SO LONG as you ask me no questions of my true hides."
Qui-Gon ran a hand through his beard thinking this over, realizing that this creature's other deeds were neither here nor there at the present moment and agreed to his terms.
"Agreed Snitch, we need you to tell us of a compound that was found with the Twi'Lek. We believe it may have been poison that ultimately killed him."
Qui-Gon looked to his padawan to hand the specimen over to Snitch as Obi-Wan idly did so, slightly shocked that Qui-Gon was so quick to disregard the creatures' other deeds gone unpunished. Snitch was quick to grab the specimen as the pod came to life once more and whirred over to the pile of junk once more items flying left and right before he reemerged with a certain microscope setting it upon his pod to inspect the substance.
"Ooooh my, very curious indeed."
Obi-Wan displayed his slight impatience as he crossed his arms over his chest idly glaring on at the small creature.
"Did you find something?"
Snitch looked up at them and blinked those large orbs several times before moving his pod to float in front of the two Jedi.
"The substance that killed the Twi'lek is a very rare nerve toxin called malkite-themfar. It is a highly potent poison and can be laced on nearly anything without losing its potency…still so so curious."
Snitch rubbed his chin with one hand, raised another to scratch his head as the other two hands twiddled thumbs behind his back. Qui-Gon wasn't completely satisfied with Snitch's answer as he pressed for more detailed information.
"If this substance is as rare as you say it is, how would one come about it?
Snitch disappeared on his pod again only to return with a big dusty book opening it up with a heap of dust flying from it into his face. He sneezed and then spat on the floor before using all four hands to thumb through the pages.
"This toxin is primarily used by assassins and bounty hunters so where this came from me cannot say, but others have more connections then me do. Me know of only three other peoples on this planet with as big of collection as me have: Latharius Tailgit, Thornus Ragnook, and Sila LeChi."
Obi-Wan felt his throat fall into his feet at the mention of that last name, his master immediately taking note of this reaction which he would address once they left this place, presently he wanted this list.
"Would you mind terribly transcribing those names for us Snitch? We very much appreciate your assistance."
Snitch scribbled the names down on a piece of random parchment and handed it off to Qui-Gon putting all three hands behind his back except one in which to wave them off.
"Thank you thank you Jedi, pleasure to not see you again!"
Obi-Wan tried with every fiber of his being to hide his reaction to Sila's name being on their suspect list as they exited the shop. Sila never spoke her name to Qui-Gon so he had hoped that his master would not suspect his shock and remorse, but he hadn't known his master very well.
"That last name padawan, that is the name of the young woman from the diner, is it not?"
Obi-Wan's jaw clenched as he nodded slowly and looked over to his master with confidence.
"Yes, yes it is, Master."
Qui-Gon nodded in reply as he folded the parchment into his robes and then quizzically looked on at his padawan.
"Is it going to be a problem participating in this interrogation for you?"
Obi-Wan looked on at him with surprise and rapidly shook his head from side to side,
"Of course not master why ever would you think that?"
Qui-Gon nodded and started to briskly walk in the opposite direction.
"Good, because a visit to Sila LeChi is our first destination."
Obi-Wan walked behind his master starting to come up with possibly anything in his head that would lend an excuse towards Sila's innocence without giving away his feelings towards her but truth be told, he wasn't even positive himself that she WAS innocent. She had to be though, right?
Sila sat at her window thumbing through a holographic screen being emanated from a palm device in her hand as she heard the light knock at her door. When she answered it she was beyond shocked to see the tall, intimidating form of Qui-Gon Jinn standing before her, so much so that she idly gulped.
"M-Master Qui-Gonn to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Miss LeChi I am afraid I need to ask you a few questions if you would not mind inviting me in?"
Sila was confused as she stepped aside to allow him to step inside. Her confusion rose as Obi-Wan trailed behind him her eyes widening at him as he silently lifted a hand to her as if to motion to her to not say a word to him.
Qui-Gon started to pace about her small abode eye balling everything and anything that may lead them to believe that Sila had anything to do with this murder.
"Master Jedi, what exactly is this about?"
"Miss LeChi are you aware of the Twi'lek that was murdered not more than a few hundred meters from this very dwelling?"
Sila looked completely overwhelmed as she immediately shook her head in confusion realizing just then that she was being interrogated as a suspect for a murder.
"What? No, I didn't even know there was a murder I must have been working at the diner."
Sila looked over at Obi-Wan who was keeping his eyes fixated on his master as to not give away his true feelings on the matters at hand.
Qui-Gon nodded slowly sensing fear in Sila's voice which clouded her truth. He reached her spice cabinet as his eyes looked over all the various jars and bobbles.
"Quite a lot of spices you have here Miss LeChi…I recognize some that are not familiar to me for cooking…"
He slowly turned to look at her as Sila's eyes widened with even more confusion.
"I don't just collect spices and substances for cooking I use them to help me sleep, to help clean my home, my grandmother passed on the knowledge to me."
Qui-Gon had not sensed a change in her heart beat rhythm which started to prove to him that she was telling the truth.
"Have you heard of a substance called malkite- themfar?"
"Malkite-themfar? Well of course but that is not just illegal but it is impossible to obtain unless you are running the wrong circles….I-…ok I am NOT an assassin!"
Obi-Wan couldn't contain himself any further as he suddenly took a step forward to speak to his Jedi Master, a bold move that he would undoubtedly be chastised for the rest of his padawan career.
"Master, you can sense as well as I can that she is telling the truth, she is no murderer."
Qui-Gon did not hesitate to dart his head towards his padawan.
"You do not question my methods of interrogation my very young padawan. You will also not compare your understanding of the Force to that of my own until you have been proven to have the right to do so, now wait outside."
Obi-Wan knew that he had spoken out of turn and he gave an idle look to Sila before he exited the home with a bow of the head. He stood outside several moments before Qui-Gon appeared shutting the door quietly behind him. He didn't speak to Obi-Wan at first rather he started to walk allowing Obi-Wan to follow behind him. Qui-Gon stopped at a nearby alley way to peer on at his padawan.
"Were you really willing to sacrifice everything you have learned, everything you have been working towards to protect the innocence of a woman you have barely known a week?"
Obi-Wan shook his head and peered on at his master, he most certainly did not wish to tell the truth, and telling a lie could be even worse.
"Master, I simply felt the Force so convincingly telling me that she had nothing to do with the murder. I only wished to save her the grief."
"And now you proceed to lie to my face, padawan."
Qui-Gon shook his head slowly as his eyes peered to the ground.
"I thought you were so much farther along than this, padawan. I think it best for you to seek council with Master Yoda and realign yourself to your purpose within this order. I will make the arrangements."
Qui-Gon walked off from his padawan to contact Master Yoda from his communication device leaving a bewildered and frustrated Obi-Wan alone in his own thoughts all Obi-Wan could mutter to come up with at the given moment was,
"Mother of Kwath."