When Paths Collide

Chapter 9 - Utapau

Anakin Skywalker

"Master Tu-Anh was the first Jedi to visit Utapau in many years," the Utapuan investigator, Jun, informs us, "This is precisely the way we found her."

I approach the body of the missing Jedi Master, looking her over. At first glance, I don't see anything lethal, though I already suspected this would be a difficult case.

"No obvious external wounds," Obi-Wan observes.

"Whoever did it was obviously trying to avoid it being traced back to them," Aniya murmurs.

I step closer, holding a hand over Tu-Anh's head, reaching into the Force. Her mind is... restless. Unusually so. Obviously she did not die instantly, whatever happened to her. "I'm picking up unusual neurological activity," I inform.

"Can you be more specific?" Obi-Wan inquires.

"It's as if her mind was left unsettled."

"She was murdered," Aniya points out.

"Yes, but it means her death was not immediate," I reply.

She nods, as she inspects the body more closely, still finding nothing. "But I still don't see what they could have done to her."

"She never reported her whereabouts to the Jedi Council," Obi-Wan declares, "I'm afraid she was something of a maverick, like my own master Qui-Gon Jinn. She would disappear for long periods conducting rogue investigations, her activities often unknown to even the Council."

If that isn't familiar. I would still very much like to know where Qui-Gon went. We've talked a couple times briefly on holocall since, and he always says that he'll explain in person when we get back. Whenever that's going to be – the Outer Rim Sieges have no end in sight.

Aniya exchanges an unreadable glance with me, obviously thinking along the same lines.

"If there was something here worth a Jedi's attention, I should like to know what it is," the inspector murmurs.

"You and I both, Inspector," Obi-Wan replies, reaching over to close Tu-Anh's eyes.

"Maybe we should investigate the sight of the murder next?" I suggest, "We may be able to find something there."

"Perhaps," he agrees, and that settles it.

***

We find results at the murder sight faster than I expected. There's an almost microscopic hole in one of the windows that overlooks the platform Tu-Anh was found on – one that looks just small enough to have been a shot from a laser. It would explain both how she died and why there's no visible evidence of it. What I don't know is who had such a weapon. Part of me wants to guess immediately it was the Separatists, but not everything these days is because of them.

"That's quite a shot even with a precision laser dart," I observe with a frown, as we stand next to the large window the shot came from. The room is rented out to people, which makes it harder to actually trace anything.

The place is owned by a Toydarian, which is enough to set me instantly on edge. I try to remind myself that this isn't Tatooine, he's not Watto even if he looks like him, but it makes me uncomfortable, anyway. I do my best to ignore him, but it's not easy.

"Whoever did it must have had the sophistication to use it," Obi-Wan muses.

"I don't think there's many people who could have done that," Aniya remarks, eyes narrowing.

"It could have been a droid," I point out.

Aniya stiffens. "The Separatists aren't supposed to have a presence on Utapau."