Before - Legends Shadows of the Mind--A jedi crime thriller starring Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, etc.--Updated 9/14

Title: Shadows of the Mind
Author(s): DarthIshtar
Timeframe: 5 years pre-TPM
Characters: Qui-gon, Obi-wan, Yoda, Mace Windu, OC's.
Genre: Crime thriller, mystery, angst
Keywords: Murder/suicide, criminal underground, Jedi
Summary: A Jedi Padawan is found dead under unusual circumstances and it is up to the Jedi to uncover a possible criminal conspiracy.
Notes: This was inspired by Orson Scott Card's Pastwatch, in which he describes people taking nicotine water to induce visions. I won't give anything more away than that.
*****
The Jedi Order had originally opposed the surveillance system. For several thousand beings who could identify the number of beings in a room by the pattern of life energy, entrusting security to a fifty-credit holorecorder was laughable. Still, even the vaunted Jedi Council had admitted that they could not expect the members of the Order to see everything coming and had allowed public areas to be recorded.

Admittedly, the job of night watchman at the Temple was the most idle job invented that didn't require you to be a Hutt impersonator. According to the man who had interviewed Milo, guards had been known to write novels or take naps during their shift and still be able to be on alert at the right moment.

Milo was supposed to keep an eye out for intruders or crimes in action, but in the three weeks that he'd been working here, nothing had happened. Sure, there had been two Padawans caught trying to sneak back into the Temple long past their curfew and one teary six-year-old had gotten lost on his way to the younglings' fresher, but that had been about it.

He had just gotten to the good part of the latest Jan Gish'ram readerchip when the comm sounded. He marked his place with the cursor and flicked the comm switch.

?Temple Security, Sevci speaking,? he said.

?Dalran here,? Lipar reported. ?You about done with your nap? I want you to come patrol in my place.?

Milo yawned loudly and theatrically into the receiver. ?I don't know,? he muttered groggily. ?Call me in a few hours and I'll definitely spell you??

?Shut up,? Lipar said impatiently. ?I'll meet you at the southeast corner of the Garden of a Thousand Fountains.?

Technically, they weren't supposed to leave the post at any time?walking patrols were harder to sabotage than official recordings?but there hadn't been a blip in the system in two months and it wasn't likely that anything could happen in five minutes of negligence at 0300.

He hooked his commlink onto his belt as soon as he'd hung up with Lipar, but he didn't leave for another two minutes. The man would do well to learn some patience and Milo was in no mood to be nice tonight.

By the time he got to the Garden, four minutes had passed since the call and Lipar was nowhere in sight. That was typical. He'd make a fuss about getting something done and then forget what he was supposed to do about it. The guy had the attention span of a...

?Sevci,? Lipar barked. ?Over here.?

He was nowhere near the southeast corner. Milo grunted in displeasure and headed through the maze of fountains until he found his partner.

?If you meant the middle of nowhere, you should have said so,? he grumbled as he came within earshot of Lipar. ?There's leftover Ishori takeout in the warmer, but if you eat the last darvan roll, you're buying next time.?

?Get on the comm,? the other man ordered. ?You know the code for the Healer's wing, right??

Milo stopped dead in his tracks, jaw slightly agape. Lipar not only looked shaken, but also was kneeling next to the sprawled body of a young woman.

?614419,? Lipar prompted brusquely.

He dialed the commlink to the correct number and waited for the line to connect, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. ?Is she...?

?Hurt?? Lipar interrupted. ?No, she seems to be dead.?

On that cheerful note, the Healers picked up. ?Healer Mea. How may I help you??

?Sevci from Temple Security here,? Milo blurted out. ?We nee

 

This is really... intriguing. I can hardly wait see what happens next!

 

Very interesting start you've got here, really like the OC's so far.

One death already, and likely more to come, will be interesting to see where this goes.

 

Interesting beginning. Love to see where this will lead to.

 

Cool fic, Ish. I found the opening very Law and Order, which I really liked. L&O used always open with regular folks minding their own business before they stumble onto a murder victim.

One question: Are these Temple guards Jedi? Even from the lower tier?

I can't wait for the Council and Qui/Obi to get involved!

 

Lucky that these two guards decided to leave there posts
to meet in the Garden....odd or luck?
My her masters account she was still in the force
at 3:00am she was found dead by two guards,
who left there assigned posts , for what reason?

 

That is a great start, Ish. I love detective stuff. The OCs are intriguing and the mystery starts with a Bang! A Jedi Padawan dead, and in the Temple grounds, too. Was it a fellow Jedi, or did someone manage to break security and do the dirty deed?

 

Yay! Another detective story in Before the Saga! This looks very good, can't wait for the next update Ish, I want to be on the PM list.

 

So those guards have some explaining to do.
This sounds interesting I love a good mystery.

 

Wow - what a great beginning!

there hadn't been a blip in the system in two months and it wasn't likely that anything could happen in five minutes of negligence at 0300.

On the contrary, that is usually when something does happen!

Please PM me when you update

Looking forward to more

 

Oh, an intriguing beginning! I just can't not love a fic that includes crime solving, jedi and OCs
I especially liked the way the master reacted to the padawan's death. Jedi have feelings too, that's right!
Anyways, loved this, can't wait for more.

 

The transport had dropped them at Eastport just before midnight, but Qui-Gon had been in bed only four hours when the comm rang. Rather than allow Obi-Wan to answer it, he made his way to the en suite comm unit and finger-combed his hair into a semblance of order. The originating number was only five digits long, which meant that it was an intra-Temple communication, but he did not recognize the code.

"Master Jinn," he introduced himself as soon as he had suppressed the yawn that occurred when he opened his mouth.

"Master Jinn," a man's formal voice responded. "Guardsman Sevci of Temple Security here. Master Yoda of the Council asked me to contact you. They have an assignment for you."

It was not unusual for a Ccuncil assignment to come through a third party--sometimes, field Jedi were unreachable by conventional means--but they did not usually come at 0427 in the morning. It could only mean that they were expected to be on the move by the time that the Council reconvened at 0800. He immediately reached for the datapad that they used as an informal message board and prepared to take notes.

"What does the Council wish?"

"A twenty-year-old Padawan was found dead ninety minutes ago. The Council would like you to investigate the cause."

He paused in his description, brow furrowed slightly. There had been any number of unexpected deaths throughout the years, but this sort of assignment meant that there was something that raised the Council's suspicions. Or at least, Master Yoda's suspicions. At times, that was all that the Council required to go into action.

"Cause of death?" he asked quietly.

"Unknown," Sevci stated. "There were no signs of trauma and her Master has yet to sign off on an autopsy. We will be having a briefing for the morning detail at 0600. We thought that the investigating Jedi should be present."

Obi-Wan would be less than happy. The last mission had ended with the both of them seeking medical attention on the return trip and he was still exhausted. Still, there was no arguing with the Council on these matters.

"We will be there," Qui-Gon promised.

He nudged Obi-Wan awake at 0500, having not returned to bed himself. For all his Padawan's reluctance to leave his own mattress, Obi-Wan looked holo-perfect by 0550 when they left their quarters for the central Security station.

The guardsman on duty checked them against holos from the Order database before ushering them into the cramped office that Qui-Gon had only visited twice. Dalran stood and bowed slightly at the waist.

?Master Jinn, Padawan Kenobi,? he greeted. ?Thank you for coming. This is Milo Sevci, the other guard on duty at the time that Padawan Tremyn was found.?

They nodded to each other, not needing a more formal introduction. Dalran beckoned to the other guardsmen in the room and they clustered around. Obi-Wan took his place at Qui-Gon's side, his expression set in stone.

?For those of you who have not met them, this is Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. They are the Jedi assigned to the investigation that began three hours ago and I expect Security to cooperate fully.?

There was a chorus of, ?Yes, sirs? in response and Dalran nodded approvingly.

?At 0300, I was on patrol in the Garden of a Thousand Fountains when I came across a twenty-year-old woman. At first glance, she appeared to be asleep?she was lying on the ground one hundred meters frm the Eastern wall. When I attempted to rouse her, I realized that she was dead.?

He tapped a control on a holoprojector and one of the generic identichip holos that were the embarrassment of most members of the Order flashed to life. She was a moderately attractive young woman, even in the seven-year-old holo. She had straight, dark hair and intelligent brown eyes.

?Her Master, Jas Ledon, had last seen her before midnight and a patrol of that same area at 0135 found the room to be empty. At some point in those 85 minutes, she entered the Garden and died and there is no sign of trauma or force. Sh

 

It's the truth though, you always seem to think grieving people may be sleeping and don't want to disturb them, but of course Qui-Gon is right how could you sleep if someone close died.

So far we have blind spots in the camera viewing area. That should be remedied quickly in case it happens again. She must be in the camera's view at some point though.

great mystery so far.

 

Alexis_Wingstar--I hope intriguing is good. Thanks! Glad you are looking forward to more.

Jinngerbread--Thanks, Jinnger. Glad you like the OC's. They're my favorite to create. And yes, likely more to come. Hope it doesn't disappoint.

earlybird-obi-wan--Thanks, ebow. I hope you stick around.

brodiew--Thanks, old faithful. I was aiming more for NCIS in style, but you know my passion for that show. Glad you liked it anyway. No, they are not Jedi. From Outbound Flight, we know that there are civilians working at the Temple. I'm looking forward to that as well.

XANl--Yes, very lucky. The Jedi wouldn't call it luck, of course. You'll see why her Master didn't 'miss' her. Good questions and thanks.

Lilith Demodae--Lils! Thanks for reading and liking it! I love detective stuff, too! Yes, I figure a murder is a good way to build suspense at the start. It's probably not usual to find anyone dead in the Temple of suspect causes. Good questions, all.

Katana_Geldar--Thanks, K_G! I haven't read any others, but I will look them up now. Glad you are enjoying it.

Gkilkenny--Not as much as the Padawan, but dead girls tell no tales... I hope it remains a good mystery. Thanks.

KELIA--Thanks! Of course it's when it happens. As Golden_Jedi says, "Why DO things always happen at 3 a.m.?" Of course, I have seen Exorcism of Emily Rose and they have an explanation for that, but I was just looking for really freaking early in the morning.

heinapaa--I'm thrilled by anyone who says intriguing because that's what I look for in a mystery. This is no Sherlock Holmes, but I hope it turns out to be a good read. Glad you liked the master's reaction. They really do have feelings. Thanks!

 

Very intersting, the briefing, reminds me of dragnet somewhat.

And I'm wondering about her "intelligent brown eyes"

As for mysteries, I have written a few and as has Rogue Follower, not sure about others as it's not a very extensive genre in fan fic as there's a lot of plotting involved, as you'd be aware. Face does coruscant Nights in Saga, though

 

Hmmmm....so who ever did this knew where the blind spot was.

Interesting considering Qui-Gon didn't even know there was one!

And the plot thickens.

I liked that here Master is giving her friends the opportunity to see her before the autopsy.

Great update

 

Autopsies can be gross, so I don't blame him for doing so

 

I can't believe I overlooked this, I mean, a murder mystery, in the temple itself!!!! Since I love murder mysteries *and* a certain Jedi team this is great

Great start with the first part, the temple by night, the patroling guards and cameras - and then the dead body found.

And the second part raises some interesting points. Heh, I'm with Qui-Gon, why would she choose to die in a blind spot? And there have been a number of unexpected deaths throughout the years??? I'm wondering now if that means something as well....

 

Ish, you gotta update this and you gotta put me on your PM list!