Chapter XV – Unexpected
Guests – Part III
Late morning
“Can
you connect to a database that would house
information on those brothers?”
Cela
responded with a nod and let her hands fly over the
cockpits console. “Mara has a complete distaste for
Yurrn and Irgan Uyllt. She wanted to get this deal
over and done with as quickly as possible.”
“Uyllt…” Obi-Wan let his mind wander. “I don’t
believe I’ve heard of them.”
“You’re not missing much,” Cela commented with a
snort. “From what I’ve seen there isn’t anything to
get excited about.”
Obi-Wan suppressed his amusement at Cela’s remark
and her vivid expression. “Find anything yet?”
“Nothing important. Thieves mainly. Small time
hustlers. Looks like they’re wanted in several
systems, but not for anything major.”
“How
did they get this shipment I wonder?”
Cela
shrugged, her eyes glancing around the ship. “I
don’t know but I think I should look for Mara – she
may be hurt,” she suddenly said as her roaming gaze
stopped at the ship’s hatch.
The
concern was all over her face and Obi-Wan had to
wonder how this girl could be so compassionate for
someone that had treated her so terribly. As a Jedi,
it had been ingrained in him to respect life and
have compassion for others. However, Cela wasn’t a
Jedi; she wasn’t bound to the same characteristics
or principles.
“You
wonder why I care?” Cela turned her head toward him.
“Don’t you?”
“You
have my curiosity piqued, yes.”
Cela’s eyes fluttered and then she turned away. “A
part of me despises her – her cruel remarks, the
beatings, treating me like a misfit… But another
part of me can’t hate her. She took me from a place
where I could have been worse off – or better – I
don’t know… I used to think I would have been better
off back where I was, but I’m not so sure. Mara has
taught me to be independent and strong…and for that
I’m grateful…but I feel obligated to help her.” She
dipped her head toward her chest and softly added,
“I-I don’t expect you to understand… I’m not sure I
do.”
Had
the last twenty plus years been different Obi-Wan
would have had a harder time grasping Cela’s
emotions, but because of his past, he did understand
how she felt. He smiled and told her, “When we take
you to Coruscant I’ll introduce you to some very
special people who changed my life. However, you’ve
already met one of them.”
“Thank you…I would like that.”
Obi-Wan stood up and offered his hand to the girl.
“Let’s go see if we can find this rogue woman.”
Cela
touched a sequence of buttons on the navigation
console and watched as the hatch opened up and a
platform descended toward the ground.
“Mara?” Cela nearly shouted.
Mara
Jade stumbled as she tried to step onto the platform
and fell face first onto the ground.
“It
is her!” Cela ran down the ramp and took hold of
Mara’s arm and flung it over her shoulders.
The
woman didn’t even acknowledge her slave as Cela
offered her support. The rain outside left her hair
pasted to her head and there wasn’t a dry spot on
her body.
Obi-Wan went to help, draped Mara’s other arm over
his shoulders, and together he and Cela picked her
up and helped her inside the ship. They sat her down
in the nearest chair and Mara slumped forward,
nearly unconscious.
Cela
felt her mistresses forehead and found her burning
with fever. “She needs medical care.”
“If
this is a result of the toxin then I doubt there is
anything a medical staff can do. Only an antidote
can cure this,” he stated somberly.
“But
don’t Jedi have healing powers? I’ve heard that they
do.”
“Yes,
but the extent of the ability differs from one
individual to the next. Sakoya is much more
proficient than I am,” the Jedi replied.
“Then
we need to take her to her mother!” Cela insisted.
Obi-Wan visibly cringed but quickly dosed his
negative thoughts. “It would be optimal for Sakoya
to come here, but considering the circumstances I
think she would find it too difficult to enter into
a healing trance onboard the ship.”
Cela
sighed. “She can’t even walk… How will we get her to
your hotel?”
Obi-Wan hesitated briefly and then said, “The same
way we got here.”
__________________________________*****__________________________________
The
officer who had escorted Sakoya into the building
walked up to her and asked, “Are you feeling
better now?”
Sakoya slowly nodded, her hands encasing the cup of
hot choco. “Yes, thank you,” she replied and took
another draw of the delicious steaming liquid.
“How
can I help you?” he questioned with a genuine smile.
His dark hair glistened from his exposure to the
rain and his brown eyes never leaving her.
Sakoya returned his smile with one of her own and
answered, “I am a member of the New Republic Jedi
Order and Supreme Chancellor Skywalker instructed me
to inquire about the recent deaths of two men. They
were recently found in a cave on the beach.”
The
officer appeared shocked. “The Chancellor? Why? How
did she know of the murders?”
“I’m
sorry, Officer…” Sakoya attempted to coax his name
from him.
“Oh,
I’m Sergeant Glaston, Gunther Glaston.”
“A
pleasure to meet you. I am Jedi Knight Sakoya
Jade-Kenobi. I must apologize, I’m here on my
honeymoon and my husband and I have inadvertently
found ourselves investigating these deaths.”
“The
pleasure is mine, Mrs. Kenobi. I do hope you’re
enjoying our paradise in spite of your
investigation. If you could provide me your
credentials I will give you the details we have
gathered and you can make your report.”
Sakoya reached into a hidden pocket of her soaked
tunic and withdrew her ID chip.
Sergeant Glaston stood up and held out his hand.
“We’ll need to move over to the counter so I can
scan it.”
“Of
course.” Sakoya took his hand and stood up and then
they both walked over to the long rectangular pallid
counter.
“This
won’t take but a moment,” he said as he slid the
chip into a reader. “And if you’ll look here,” he
indicated to the eye scanner.
Sakoya did as instructed and a blue beam of light
immediately moved vertically across her right eye
and then back again.
“Ah,
yes, there you are,” he said a moment later as both
devices finished and the results corresponded with
one another. “I’m pleased to inform you that you are
indeed Jedi Knight Sakoya Jade-Kenobi,” he commented
jovially.
Sakoya chuckled. “I’m glad you enlightened me with
that tidbit of information,” she kidded back.
He
went over to a terminal and as soon as the correct
screen came up on the display, he waved Sakoya over.
“This
is all we have so far,” he told her.
The
Jedi scanned the viewscreen and sighed. “They had no
ID… I assume you ran their pictures through the
database?”
“Yes,
but it is still scanning. Shouldn’t be too much
longer.”
“I
didn’t realize the search would be so daunting.”
The
sergeant shrugged. “Unfortunately the database is
vast.”
“I
see…” She again perused the record. “Blaster
marks…and a gaping hole wound.” She looked up at the
officer and asked, “Do you know what caused this
particular wound?”
Gunther scratched his head, somewhat perplexed.
“Presumably a blaster. We don’t have a lot of crime
here in Kuryn and most of what we do have is small
thefts, break-ins, nothing on a grand scale. Murder
isn’t exactly commonplace, it’s almost
non-existent.”
“When
was the last murder committed?”
Gunther had to ponder the question before answering.
“Years. I’ve been with this department a long time
and I’ve only seen a few murder investigations.
Kuryn is more of a paradise for rich travelers who
can throw their credits around at will.”
“Yes,
we were offered this destination for our honeymoon
based on its exceptional reputation. Up until
recently I felt as though I was in paradise.”
“Well, I hope this doesn’t deter you from visiting
again,” he winked.
Sakoya smirked at the flirtatious sergeant. “No, it
hasn’t. Now as to this investigation…I believe that
the death blow on this man,” Sakoya pointed to Yurrn
Uyllt, “was inflicted by a lightsaber. Not mine or
my husband’s I assure you.”
Gunther looked closely at the picture of the dead
man. “Hmm, a possibility we hadn’t considered. Jedi
aren’t frequently seen here.”
“This person is not a Jedi – at least not in
official terms.” Sakoya cleared her throat,
uncomfortable with what she was about to reveal but
knowing she had no choice. “I believe the murderer
is the Emperor’s Hand and that she is still
in the area.”
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