Before - Legends Attack on the Senate - Pre TPM (Xanatos, Qui/Obi background char. + original) - Completed 12/30

All right guys (and gals of course), this is my very first fic, so be gentle If anyone has some critism, PM me. Anyone wants update, PM me as well. I hope you enjoy.

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Title: The Attack on the Senate
Author: Shahar
Rating: PG
Characters: Original, as well as some from the films and books
Time: At the sime time of the Jedi Apprentice Series
Summary: Jedi Master Lanen Berus investigates murder in the Senate, trying to peice together the hints and clues that will lead him to the man behind the plot. At the same time, the Jedi Master ponders whether or not to take an Apprentice.

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Chapter One

Jedi Master Lanen Berus switched off his lightsaber. He was a tall Human male, who had just received the rank of Master from the Council. Born on Coruscant, the Galactic Capital, his Force potential was immediately discovered by the Jedi and he was taken to the Jedi Temple to begin training when he was merely a few months old. In his time at the Temple, he made many friends, some of whom he still met often.

Jedi Master Saiphek Dilrakk was one of these friends. Saiphek was a male Quarren, an alien species characterized by the four tentacles that protrude from their jaws. They are famous for their deep turquoise eyes, and each hand is capped with finned or suction-cup tipped fingers. They had been practicing lightsaber techniques when Saiphek?s comlink buzzed to life. Saiphek picked up his comlink and answered.

?Saiphek here.?

?Master,? said his apprentice through the comlink, ?the council wishes our presence as soon as possible. They are waiting.?

?I will be there shortly. Wait for me outside.?

Lanen looked at the Quarren, who had recently taken an apprentice, a Bothan named Nornan Mal'lio, who was a promising student. By the looks of it, it seemed that the Council has finally decided to send them off on their first mission.

?Well my friend,? said Lanen, hearing Nornan, ?it was a pleasure. I?ll talk to you later, keep me informed.?

?I will. You know Lanen, you should consider taking an apprentice too. It?s a big responsibility, but it is also very rewarding.?

Lanen nodded, now deep in thought. He was pondering, for perhaps the third time this week, whether or not to take an apprentice. In fact, he had been struggling to reach a decision for some time, ever since he was elevated to the rank of Master. He knew he would do his best to train his Padawan, but he was afraid that he would not be good enough.

Grabbing his gear, Lanen made his way out of the training area and towards his living quarters. It is time to get an apprentice. I will choose an apprentice before I leave the Temple again, he promised himself. I am experienced enough. I am good enough. I will not fail.

Reaching the door of his room, he activated the controls and cleared all thoughts out of his mind. Getting an apprentice was important, no doubts, but he thought sleeping was even more important at the moment. And maybe getting some food too. As the door opened, he entered the room and fell headfirst on his bed. Food can wait, he thought, as he slipped into unconsciousness.

****

The figure, dressed in black, moved slowly through the Senate halls. Seemingly unhurried, Chorquux Needoo wanted nothing else than to leave the Senate building. According to her calculations, she had merely three minutes to go. Blasted scumbug, she thought, referring to the Duros who had stopped her earlier, refusing to let her go without buying some of his merchandise. Of course, she would have gladly eliminated him, but doing so in front of tens of Senate Guards would have been nothing short of suicide.

Looking forward, she saw the throng of people waiting to leave the Senate. Chorquux knew that each person who left the building was forced to show his identification and wait to get clearance to leave. She realized it would be a futile attempt to make it out of the building through the exit in the

 

Please give me some feedback

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Night had fallen on Coruscant, and Lanen was tired. After returning from the Senate, the Jedi had immediately set out to work. He first turned his attention to the datapad he received from the Bothan Police Chief earlier. He scanned it, and was not surprised to find nothing of interest.

Lonow Madin seemed to be a fairly normal Senator, in their standards. She was active in several Senatorial Committees, was a strong supporter on several issues and donated several large sums to various places. Her work schedule was as normal as any other Senator.

Lanen was impressed that the Senate Police had already managed to gather some information on her private life as well. Like many other Senators, she had no family, as she dedicated most of her life to the Senate. She lived in the Senatorial Quarters on Coruscant, which was also normal.

Turning towards the second datapad he had taken from her office, Lanen saw that it was coded. He called over a droid assistant, who took the datapad to the Encryption Department for them to break the code protecting the possibly valuable information.

Lanen didn?t like it. Why would someone attack a Senator that seems to be absolutely clean? Something was wrong, but he still had to find out exactly what. What he didn?t like even more was the fact that he was out of clues. Both datapads had proved fruitless for the moment, and he had nothing else to go on. That meant he would have to go to the Senate tomorrow and dig into some paperwork. I?ll have to check her out. Who supported her campaign, what?s her background, whether she has any known enemies. It?s going to be a few long hours of boring information. Charming.


****

Chorquux Needoo wanted to sleep. That pleasure, however, was going to have to wait. She smelled like rotten cabbage, but that was to be expected after her magnificent escape through the trash chute, which seemed to have gone unnoticed, to her extreme delight. It was not an easy task to kill a Senator within the Senate walls. It was an impossible task to do it and live to tell the tale. And yet she had done the impossible. Now she was going to collect her prize.

She had been walking for at least four hours, making sure no security forces followed her out of the sewer. She doubled back three times before being sure she was not being tailed, and now she had arrived at her destination at last.

She was in the lower areas of Coruscant, far from the higher levels that contained the Galactic Senate and the Jedi Temple. The streets her were always dark, and tonight was no exception. The only lighting came from streetlamps that were barely working and covered in dust. The streets themselves looked as if no one had cleaned the area since it was first built. The buildings were as black as the sky at night, and it was all due to the effects of time.

Her destination, a small motel, was no different from its surrounding environment. Its windows were a nasty shade of gray and its walls were as black as coal. A broken sign, with only some of the letters lit, stood next to the door. It read: Liv ng Lar e Mo el.

A fitting name, thought Chorquux, as she entered through the doors of the Living Large Motel. She walked right past the night clerk, who showed as much interest in the Rodian female as she showed in him. She went right up to room 18, and entered the room.

?You have done well Bounty Hunter,? said the figure in front of her.

He was not robed, but the lights in the room were turned off, meaning she could not see his face. It was better for her this way; it was the way she worked. She never knew who her clients were, mainly because it was not necessary. As long as she did her job, they had no reason to be angry. As long as they paid like they promised, she had no reason to get angry. On the few times she got angry, her employers would usually be found dead a few days later.

?Your request has been fulfilled. Mission successful. The Ithorian Senator is dead. I?m he

 

Feedback Feedback Feedback! Chapter Two continued.

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The Archives of the Senate were stored in one of the lower levels of the building. Not a place which is often visited, the Senate Archives hold mainly recordings of all proceedings that occurred in committees, between Senators and in general assemblies. It also contained the financial records of all Senators.

It was for this that Lanen Berus had come. So far, he had seen no motive that could account for the brutal killing of the Ithorian Senator. He hoped that the financial records might hold a clue that will help him solve this mystery.

The clerk sitting on the desk in the Archives seemed bored. Lanen would have had no trouble sympathizing, but he needed to get his job done. He motioned to the clerk for help, but the latter ignored him, continuing to watch the HoloNet.

Seeing the clerk would be of no assistance, the Jedi wove his way through the Archives, looking for financial records. It was an impossible job to find anything in the vast sea of bureaucracy, as Lanen soon realized. He could not find the financial records for the deceased Senator, even though he found the records of several other Senators.

Frustrated, Lanen turned back towards the clerk, who had fallen asleep. Not that you can blame him, he works in the dullest of places with some of the rudest creatures on the planet. The Jedi Master walked towards the man, waking him up.

?My name is Lanen Berus. I?m a Jedi and I?ve come here to look up information on Senator Lonow Madin.?

It was obvious that the name stirred up some memory in the young clerk, who shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

?What information do you need??

?I?m looking for her financial records. I need to check them.?

?I?m afraid that will be impossible, Master Jedi.?

Lanen frowned in confusion. He was appointed by the Council to oversee the investigation, on request from the Chancellor. Why was the clerk refusing to show him the files?

?Why is it impossible? You do understand I?m in charge of this investigation, don?t you??

?Yes Master Jedi, but it is not possible for you to see the Senator?s financial records at this time.?

Lanen noticed the clerk was turning red and his voice was turning squeaky. Sending calming waves through the Force, the Jedi was able to calm the panic-stricken man.

?What is the reason that I cannot see the files?? the Jedi asked again.

?It is not possible because? because it?s classified.?

It was beyond obvious that the clerk was lying to him. He was stalling too long. Lanen needed answers, and he needed them now. Calling on the Force, Lanen focused on the clerk?s mind. Nudging it with the Force, the Jedi suggested that the clerk hand over the files.

?I cannot hand you the files, Master Jedi.?

Lanen was perplexed. It was clear that the clerk was influenced by his Mind Control, and yet the answer remained the same.

?You want to tell me why you cannot give me the files,? suggested the Jedi.

?I want to tell you why I cannot give you the files,? repeated the clerk.

?The files have been taken by Lonow Madin a few hours before her assassination. She has not returned them and I do not know where they are.?

Lanen was taken aback. The Ithorian Senator took the files just before her death. While Senators don?t usually take records from the archives, it wasn?t unheard of. Still deep in thought, Lanen suddenly realized he had forgotten one important factor.

?Do you not have backups to all your information??

?We do,? came the reply.

?So do you not have the reserve files? You can give me those.?

?That will also be impossible, Master Jedi. The Senator of Corellia has already taken those.?

Lanen took in a deep breathe. All of this running about for something as unimportant as the financial records was making him tired. Nevertheless, he thanked the young clerk, heading for the office of the Corellian Senator.

****

Lanen made his way towards the office of the Corellian Senato

 

Anybody reading this?

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Chapter Three

Chorquux was ready when the call came. She had heard the news an hour ago. Anticipating the call, she had already dressed. This time, she wore the clothes of a Senate vendor. These vendors, under special permission, were allowed to sell their supplies inside the Senate building. She had immensely enjoyed killing the Duros who had almost cost her her freedom during her escape yesterday.

She had already made ready the bag she would carry. Inside, she placed all of the Duros? supplies, along with her all-black robe and a small glass container. When her comlink sprang to life, she picked it up.

?Needoo here.?

?I require your services again, Bounty Hunter.?

?I am available. Where shall we meet??

?The same place we last saw each other; room 18 in the Living Large Motel. You have thirty minutes. Don?t be late.?

She cut the transmission, picked up her bag, and started out. It was a boring twenty minute walk from her Motel to the Living Large Motel, and she waited a few minutes before going inside.

?Bounty Hunter, welcome. Your new target is the Senator of Alderaan, Trasti Lithea. Destroy her. I will be waiting here with the credits.?

?With pleasure.?

****

Lanen was getting nowhere. He had been looking through the Senator?s financial files for the past three hours, and no luck. He had seen a lot of information, but none of it was of any use. He knew that her campaign for reelection was funded by many different companies, with the biggest being the ?Ithorian Aid Fund?, who were based on Ithor. Following it was ?Takanan?, a company that manufactured furniture for the elite of the galaxy?s population. It was based in Kuat.

The Jedi kept browsing through the records, looking for nothing in particular. Lists of the senator?s spendings were written, and he had the option to get more details about each of them if he wanted. Which he didn?t.

Lanen got up and headed for the refresher, when a knock on his living quarters sounded. He washed his face quickly and then opened the door. Outside was another friend of his, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn.

?Qui-Gon! Good to see you, it has been long. How are you doing, my friend??

?Good, good. I?m doing fine. How are you doing??

?Staying alive, you know,? joked Lanen. ?I heard you got yourself a new apprentice.?

?Yes. His name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. He has great potential. In fact, we just returned from a mission to Gala.?

?Really? That is good to hear. What made you take him? Last I heard you were still refusing any apprentice due to Xanatos.?

Lanen didn?t know what he said wrong, but Qui-Gon?s face turned grave the moment he mentioned his former apprentice, who had left him after Qui-Gon was forced to slay Xanatos?s father.

?What?s wrong, Qui-Gon??

?Xanatos. He?s alive. Obi-Wan and I met him during our first mission. He owns a company called ?Offworld?. And he?s a Dark Jedi.?

Lanen was stunned, and he was sure that if he wasn?t conscious of it, his jaw would have almost certainly dropped down an inch or so. It took him a few seconds, but he got himself together again.

?Tell me all about it.?

They talked for a about an hour, with Qui-Gon telling his friend all about the mission, their meeting with Xanatos and his escape, and also of ?Offworld?. Lanen whistled when Qui-Gon ended his story.

?That?s quite a story. A Dark Jedi eh? Are you going to chase him??

?You know I am. Anyway, what about you? When are you taking on an Apprentice??

Lanen remembered the promise he made to himself merely a day ago. So much for taking an apprentice before leaving the Temple.

?Soon, I hope. I actually am - ?

Lanen was interrupted by his comlink buzzing. He excused himself and quickly reached his comlink, which was set near the datapads containing the Ithorian Senator?s financial records.

?Lanen here.?

?Master Berus, this is Prinaas Rokgort with the Encryption Department. We just cracked yo

 

OK you lot, this one is rather short, as I'm still editing the next part Should have the rest of the chapter on here sometimes today...

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A few minutes later and feeling much better, Lanen reached the small room that was the Encryption Department. He always liked this room, as it filled with neat little gadgets, that although he had no idea what they did, they looked as if they were really handy to have along.

?Master Berus. Here is your datapad.?

Lanen was startled slightly, not having noticed the Female Gotal Jedi to his right, which was probably Prinaas Rokgort. He nodded and took the datapad from her.

?Thank you. I must leave. May the Force be with you.?

?May the Force be with you.?

****

Another five minutes passed before Lanen was back in the quietness of his living quarters. Wasting no time, he quickly took the datapad and turned it on. To his surprise, it contained only one file, which was written by Lonow Madin on the same day he was killed.

Lanen wondered what it was that the file could contain, and he quickly inserted the code that the Jedi over at the Encryption Department had provided him with. The datapad blinked out for one second, and then the file revealed itself.

To anyone who reads this,
If you are indeed reading this, then sadly I am no longer amongst those living. Writing this is difficult for me, but I fear it is necessary since my life is in danger.
Tomorrow is the important sanction vote, and I am having doubts if I ever reach it. The point of this letter is to inform you that a company by the name of NightFall contacted me approximately one week ago, and demanded that I vote against the sanctions on Telos. I obviously said no, and ever since, I have been receiving threat notes.
The reason for this request is unknown to me. I hope, that if you are reading this, then you will bring the one who killed me to justice.
Lonow Madin, Senator of Ithor.

Lanen finished reading the letter. He sat down, pondering the startling information that he had just learned. Tomorrow, he knew, was going to be a very interesting day.

****

 

End of Chapter Three, chapter four hopefully tomorrow.

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Lanen awoke suddenly, and it took him a few seconds to realize that his comlink was buzzing. Checking the time, Lanen saw it was the middle of the night. Bewildered, the Jedi sleepily headed to his comlink and answered.

?It?s about time,? growled the voice of Police Chief Bkar?ela. ?We have a situation on our hands. The Senator of Alderaan was murdered six hours ago. I tried to contact you three times, not including now, and you didn?t answer. Get over here.?

?I?ll be over there real soon, Chief,? Lanen answered.

He cut off the transmission, not before hearing something that sounded awfully like ?What can you expect from a Jedi?? from the other side of the comlink. He was wide awake, even though he slept for around six hours. He was ready to go in five minutes, fully dressed in his Jedi Robes.

Stepping outside, Lanen noticed the clear skies above him. Still, it was very chilly outside. The sun was nowhere to be seen, so the Jedi assumed the new murder occurred sometime soon after he had gone to sleep, meaning that the Senator was working late.

What bothered Lanen most was the fact that two senators have been killed in just a few short days, while in the past millennia such a thing was unheard of. Someone powerful was behind the attacks, and it was his job to find out who it was.

Lanen was now passing through the Senatorial District of Coruscant, home to nearly all of the senators. It was a rich neighborhood, with big apartments. Ahead, he could see the mushroom-shaped Senate Building. From afar, the Senate looked completely normal, though he was sure it would be havoc inside. The slaughter of Lonow Madin created some panic, and he knew that the second killing would likely wreck chaos. Lanen didn?t want to be there when the problems started, so he wanted to finish his investigation of the crime scene before the sun popped up over the massive Coruscant skyscrapers.

Within minutes, Lanen made it into the Senate. It took him a while to find the office of the Alderaanian Senator, mainly due to the fact that he had never met with her before. It was only the five Senate Guards standing outside the door that alerted him to the location of the office. Identifying himself as a Jedi, Lanen was given permission to enter.

Greeting his sight was the view of a neatly organized office. The entire space was filled with plants, some hanging from the ceiling and others placed on the floor. Paintings decorated the white walls of the office, and the window behind the desk gave a neat view of the Jedi Temple.

While the office itself was beautiful, what caught Lanen?s eye was not the furniture or the view out the window, but rather the female Alderaanian Senator, who was lying on the ground next to her desk. He passed all the guards, who were once again searching for evidence, and gently reached out for the woman. There appeared to be no signs as to the cause of the death, even though it was clear that she was not alive. Lanen let go of the senator but remained crouched, deep in thought. Perhaps that was the reason he did not hear the entrance of Police Chief Bkar?ela.

?So, you have finally arrived.?

?Chief Bkar?ela, I didn?t hear you entering the office. I?m sorry I could not be here sooner, I am afraid I didn?t hear the comlink.?

?Yes, well, you need your beauty sleep, right Jedi??

?Indeed,? said Lanen. He had no intention of entering a verbal contest with Bkar?ela. ?What have you got for me??

?Not much, I?m afraid. The Senator was poisoned with a fast-acting drug. She died within thirty seconds after drinking it. The drug was placed in her drink, when she ordered a small snack. She was working late as she always does, so nobody checked on her. The assistant found her like this when she was on her way out.?

?Do you think the two killings are related, Chief Bkar?ela?? In fact, Lanen had almost no doubt they were, but he could not place his finger on the connection.

?I wo

 

Give me a sign that you are reading this I finally have an action-packed scene, ill post it later.

 

Here it is, the first action-packed scene I hope that if anyone's reading this, you'll enjoy. If you like it write here or PM, it makes me feel better

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Chapter Four

Lanen walked out of the Senate, and the sun was yet to appear above the gigantic skyscrapers, though it was visible sometimes, as he walked past the tall buildings. He was considering his options. He knew that he had to go through the newly deceased senator?s files, which the Police Chief had given him. And yet, his instincts told him that NightFall, the organization mentioned by Lonow Madin in his datapad, was the key to this assignment. Lanen decided to follow his instincts, and took his comlink out.

?Qui-Gon here,? said the voice on the other side of the comlink.

?Qui-Gon, this is Lanen. I hope I didn?t wake you. Listen, there was another killing in the Senate. This time it?s the Alderaanian Senator. I just left her office.?

?You didn?t wake me up, and I don?t think that is good news.?

?No. Listen, I need a favor of you. Can you check for me where NightFall headquarters is located? It?s a company of some sort.?

?Yes, sure. Hang on a bit.?

Lanen had to get to the bottom of the situation, and he would fly wherever it was needed in order to reach the headquarters of NightFall. It was then that he remembered the holonet news item he had heard inside the Corellian Senator?s office. Before he could say anything, Qui-Gon spoke.

?Lanen, NightFall headquarters is located here on Coruscant. East Quadrant, block three, building five.?

?Which floor??

?The entire building.?

?Thanks Qui-Gon. Can you do me another favor? I need you to get me a list of all the Senators who voted in favor of sanctions against Telos. Can you do that for me??

?No, I?m sorry. Obi-Wan and I have been given a mission. We are off to Melida/Daan. We leave soon. I?ll give it to Jocasta Nu, she can handle it. She will contact you as soon as she has the information for you.?

?Right, I?ll be waiting for it. Thanks and good luck Qui-Gon. May the Force be with you.?

?May the Force be with you.?

Lanen returned the comlink to his belt. The headquarters of NightFall was located nearly on the other side of Coruscant, so he quickly hailed an air taxi. He paid the driver the credits, and asked him to make the ride as quick as possible.

Half an hour and a wild ride later, Lanen was standing outside the square and dull building that flashed NightFall above its entrance. Deciding to waste no time in a stakeout, he made his way inside. The lobby was empty at this time of the morning, except for one security guard, who was standing near the elevators and was looking like he would rather be anywhere but there.

?Hello there. I need to talk to the man who runs this company. Is there any chance he might be in his office?? Lanen asked as he approached the guard.

?He?s out. It?s early morning. You don?t think he works all day do you? Come back later.?

Must I always choose the rude people? Lanen thought to himself quietly.

?Then you will show me the elevator to his office,? Lanen nudged the guards? brain.

?I?ll show you the elevator to his office,? said the guard, pointing to the third elevator from the right, which looked as normal as any other elevator.

?Right, thank you.?

?You?re welcome.?

Lanen was almost inside the elevator before he remembered something.

?Excuse me, what?s the password?? Lanen asked. He assumed that as the only guard, he would know.

?The password is Crion.?

The elevator opened, and Lanen stepped inside. There were no buttons, so Lanen assumed that this elevator reached only one place ? the office of the head of NightFall. The doors closed and the elevator started its slow climb upwards. Finally something is going right.

The elevator slowed down and stopped, the doors opening. He was now in a long and narrow corridor, bare and lightless, with a big steel door at the end of it. Lanen felt s

 

Right well, here's the situation. I've got another action scene in store for you lot tomorrow. In fact, there's going to be alot of action from today, so if you got this far, you can expect some treats

Chapter Five is in the works, will be completed tomorrow at some point, and posted after I beta it.

Any replies here will be hot

 

Comon guys, what do you think?

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Chapter Five

Still in the air taxi, Lanen activated the datapad. The sun was finally out in the sky, shining bright. He noticed that all the files on the Alderaanian Senator were overridden when he downloaded the NightFall files. He hoped that the files he just took would be important, not because he could not get the Chief to make him a new datapad, but because he knew that the request would most likely strengthen the Bothan?s dislike of him.

Lanen quickly read through the files that were nothing more than useless information about the company. Interestingly enough, he noticed that the company, while having businesses and projects running on a number of planets, remained clear of Telos. They also had no plans of starting a project there.

Something was wrong. Why would NightFall be so interested in downing the vote for sanctions on Telos? They don?t have anything to do with the planet anyway.

Lanen kept scrolling down the datapad, and he briefly saw two folders that were coded. He didn?t have time to dwell on it, because at that moment, he heard and saw the unmistakable streak of red light, which meant the air taxi was being fired upon. This day keeps getting better and better.

?Driver, you might want to speed up, someone?s firing at us.?

?You don?t say? First you jump on my taxi, then you ask me to take you to the other side of Coruscant, and now we?re being fired on! Who did you piss off??

?Jedi business. Concentrate on the driving.?

The driver, whoever he was, apparently didn?t understand the situation. Lanen needed to do something quickly, or they would both be fried. Luckily, the Jedi saw the chasing speeders were far behind. They fired too soon. They lost the element of surprise.

?Driver, why don?t you let me take over??

?Yea right. So you can crash my taxi??

?No, so we can get out alive. The Jedi will pay for any damages, but I suggest you either speed up or give me control of the taxi.?

?Well, all right, take control.?

Lanen quickly moved over to the driver seat. At least the driver thinks quicker than he drives. Now in control of the vehicle, Lanen pushed the throttles open. They were close to the Temple by now, and all he had to do was make it there. Unfortunately, the speeders behind him closed the gap when he and the driver changed seats.

Moving left to avoid another speeder, Lanen was forced into the opposite traffic lane. The driver next to him seemed to have gone unconscious. Weaving left and right to avoid the oncoming vehicles, Lanen had to concentrate as well on the two speeders that were breathing down his neck. They kept up with him, firing while managing to avoid the different spacecrafts and speeders. Their aiming is off. I guess their having some problems with the traffic.

Still, the chasing speeders were slowly adjusting their aim, and they were a threat to other vehicles out there. Lanen knew it was only a matter of time before some speeder took the brunt of the fire and exploded. He was now to the left of the Temple, and he decided it was time to finish the chase.

Cutting hard to the right, Lanen left the traffic lanes and entered the restricted airspace surrounding the Jedi Temple. Whoever were driving the chasing speeders, he noticed, were still on his tail.

Almost immediately, Lanen noticed Jedi Fighters leave the Temple Hanger. The Temple had a few fighters, whose job it was to protect the Temple from any approaching vehicle that was considered a threat.

?Approaching speeders, this is Jedi Knight Clee Rhara. You have entered restricted airspace. Turn back, or we will engage.?

Opening a com-channel, Lanen tried to remember what frequency the fighters used between themselves for communication. It took him a few seconds, but he eventually remembered and punched it in.

?Clee, this is Lanen Berus. Authorization code JM-34335. I?m in the front speeder, being chased and shot upon. Request assistan

 

Tomorrow i'll upload chapter six ..

 

Hi, Shahar!
Better late than never, right?
I've read all the chapters so far and I'll keep an eye on your story. I hope they will be able to solve the mystery before there are more victims!

 

Mind_Tricked, thanks for the reply first of all Indeed, better late than never. Merry X-mas, to you, and all

Here's chapter six:

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Chapter Six
Clee Rhara?s fighter landed in the hanger. Lanen picked up the driver and jumped off. The feeling to his left arm had returned, and it felt like it was on fire. The pain was unbearable, and Lanen had to use the Force in order to soothe it. Clee Rhara opened her cockpit canopy and jumped off.

?Lanen, are you all right??

?Yes I am. Thanks Clee, you saved us from a whole lot of trouble. I knew I could count on you.?

?No problem. Are you doing all right? You look to me like you?re in pain. You need a quick visit to the healers??

?No, I?m fine. I just bruised my left arm hanging to the cable, but it?ll be fine. I lost my lightsaber though. I had to jam the taxi?s wheel with it in order to pick this guy up.?

?Sorry we couldn?t be there sooner.?

?Not your fault Clee, don?t worry about it. Can you get this guy up to the Healing Ward though? I?m having trouble lifting him up anyway.?

?Not a problem. May the Force be with you.?

?May the Force be with you.?

Clee hoisted the unconscious driver up on her shoulder and left the hanger.

****

Lanen took a moment to organize his thoughts. He wasn?t having the best of his days, which started with another murder to investigate. Then he was forced to jump out of a high-rise skyscraper and was almost shot down by a pair of speeders. Not to mention he needed a new lightsaber. Checking the pockets of his tunic, he could feel his lightsaber crystals and the datapad containing the information from NightFall.

First thing is first, thought Lanen. Reaching the turbolifts located at the corner of the hanger, the Jedi went down three levels in order to reach the Encryption Department, which was located three floors above the lightsaber dueling areas. Prinaas Rokgort greeted him.

?Master Berus, welcome back.?

?Thank you Jedi Rokgort,? Lanen bowed. ?Is it possible for you to start working on another datapad??

?Of course, place it here, I will start working on this as soon as I finish the others,? Prinaas informed him, pointing at a big stack of datapads.

?Is it possible for this to get top priority? It has to do with the Senate murders.?

?All right, place it third in the stack. I?ve got three priority datapads to take care of now,? smiled Prinaas.

?Thank you. May the Force be with you.?

?And with you, Master Berus.?

With the datapad taken care of, Lanen decided to head to the Healers before taking care of his lightsaber, since his arm was starting to trouble him more than he could bear. Taking the turbolift another two levels down, he entered the Healing Ward.

?Master Berus, what can I do to help??

Lanen looked around, and saw Jedi Healer Liktiss Merkes smiling kindly at him. He bowed slightly and nodded at her.

?Healer Merkes, how do you do you? I actually have some pain in my left arm. I was wondering if you could take care of it quickly.?

?Of course, what happened exactly??

Lanen told her of the wild chase and how he was forced to jump from the malfunctioning air taxi. He didn?t know if he was imagining things, but he thought that Liktiss gave him a stiff stare, as if she disapproved of his actions.

?That?s not a problem, Master Berus. I?ll get the ointment in a second,? said the Healer, heading for the back room, which contained the supplies.

?Maybe I am imagining things,? muttered Lanen to himself.

Just then, his comlink buzzed. Answering it, Lanen heard the voice of the Librarian of the Jedi Archives, Jocasta Nu, on the other side.

?Master Berus, this is Jocasta Nu.?

?Master Nu, I hope all is well.?

?As well as can be. Qui-Gon asked me to do you a favor earlier, about Senate Vote Three-Four-Two-Eight-One-Alpha.?

?Is that the Telos sanctions vote??

?Yes it is.? Lanen thought Jocasta Nu sounded slightly irritated at his questio

 

Well, that's what I call suspense. I'm on the edge of my seat!

Poor Lanen, not having his lightsaber when he needs it most. I'm sure he can help the Senator without it!

Great part with the Healer. He's lucky not to get an ointment for sunburn or something even more useless. There's nothing like an irritated Healer!


Thank you for the wishes. I hope your enjoying your Holidays too!

 

Mind Tricked, I'm glad you liked the part with the Healer It wasn't in the original plot but I put it in there at the last minute ..

So, for you (damn cliffhangers eh? ), here's the continuation

The end of Chapter Seven will be either later today or early tomorrow.

-------------------------------

Chapter Seven
Lanen?s hand didn?t feel the smooth handle of his lightsaber. Instead, there was the cold handle of the blaster he had taken from the Temple. Realizing he would not have enough time to aim at the intruder, he called upon the Force and pushed Egia Amosit back inside to his room. The Rodian, who didn?t notice the Jedi at the elevator, shot at the empty air where the Senator had stood before.

With a scream of rage, the Rodian turned her attention to Lanen. The Jedi got off a quick round, however the barrage of fire from the Mandalorian Rifle forced him to take cover behind one of the supporting pillars. Calling the Force to his aide, Lanen leapt to the left, but the Rodian was already firing at him. Focusing on the Bounty Hunter?s rifle, Lanen called it to his hands. Instantly, the gunfire stopped. He dropped both of his pistols in favor of the bigger and more dangerous Mandalorian Rifle.

Unfortunately, the Rodian was already on the move, running at him with a two vibroblades, one in each hand. She surprised him by throwing one of them, and if it wasn?t for his Jedi reflexes, he would have met a very gruesome death at her hands. Still, she had managed to pin his robe to the wall. Blast it! What I would give for a lightsaber.

Still, Lanen knew that this was not the time to contemplate on what could have been. He needed to keep his attention focused on the battle, or he would lose. Dropping out of his robe, Lanen continued the motion with a role to the right, away from the Rodian?s reach. He picked up the fallen Mandalorian Rifle, which he threw seconds ago in order to avoid the incoming vibroblade. His senses alerted him of the danger, and he put the rifle in front of his face. The second vibroblade smashed into the rifle, which sparked.

Lanen dislodged the vibroblade from the rifle, and, looking up, he saw the Rodian take the vibroblade from the wall. His robe fell to the ground, no longer pinned by the weapon. Slowly, both figures circled the center of the room.

?Who are you?? asked the Jedi Master.

?That is none of your business Jedi. Stay out of this. Leave now, and I will not harm you. Stay and I will be forced to kill you,? answered the Rodian.

?Who hired you, Bounty Hunter??

?Enough with the questions Jedi. You either stay or you leave. What?s it going to be??

?I think I?ll take my chances.?

?That will be a very unwise decision. You seem to be having a minor problem fighting without the help of you lightsaber.?

Lanen smiled. The Rodian gave another howl and lunged at the pistols, which were left on the floor near the elevator at the beginning of the fight. Lanen used the Force and called one of the blasters to his hand. The Bounty Hunter reached her pistol just as Lanen closed his hand on his blaster. Both fired simultaneously, and both missed.

The Rodian moved quickly behind a steel desk, and Lanen quickly took cover behind a second pillar. Both combatants had one blaster and a vibroblade. It seemed to be a standoff.

?Bounty Hunter,? spoke Lanen, ?Leave now and you will not be harmed.?

?You are foolish, Jedi.?

Lanen heard the unmistakable sound of a thermal detonator being activated. Rushing forward, the Jedi caught the Rodian slightly off-guard. She dropped the detonator and leapt backwards. Lanen took the grenade and was almost peppered by gun fire. Knowing it would be a matter of seconds before it blew, Lanen used the Force to speed himself up, heading for the shattered window. Quickly, he threw the detonator outside, where it exploded in a blinding flash of white light.

The shockwave that followed the explosion literally knocked the Jedi off his feet, and he was sent flying backwards

 

It took him a few minutes to locate the exit from the sewers, but once he found it, it was a quick and short walk to 500 Republica. He didn?t know what was bothering him more ? his wound, or the weight of a dead Rodian. Approaching the building, Lanen saw that the police had already arrived, as well as HoloNet reporters.

Ignoring the reports, Lanen made his way to the highest ranking police officer and handed him the body of the female Rodian he had killed earlier. Informing the officer he will fill him in shortly, Lanen made his way to the Kuat Senator?s apartment. Knowing where the elevator was located, it didn?t take him long to arrive. Police Investigators were swarming the place, and Egia Amosit was standing in the middle of all the mess, looking as if she didn?t know the place. Lanen could not blame her.

Shards of glass were scattered all over the place from the Bounty Hunter?s impressive entrance. The steel table was now full of dents, a mark to the battle that had been going on. The Mandalorian Rifle was located in the center of the room, next to the Senator. The shockwave from the grenade seemed to have flipped over plants and paintings and other personal belongings.

Going to the left wall, Lanen saw that his Jedi Robe was still there, untouched. Picking it up, he went over to the Senator, and bowed. Senator Amosit looked at him for the first time, and frowned.

?You are a Jedi??

?Yes Senator Amosit. I trust you are doing fine??

?Yes, yes. Why did you not use your lightsaber??

?It was unavailable to me. I?m sorry about the property damage, but the most important thing is that you are alive.?

?I thank you, Master Jedi. You deserve my gratitude for saving my life,? said the senator, bowing.

?I am just doing my job, Senator Amosit. May I ask you a few questions? It will help resolve this mystery.?

?Of course. I will do anything to help.?

?Prior to the Telos vote, did you receive any warning threats from anyone, Senator??

?No, I?m afraid no one sent me any warnings. In fact, I didn?t decide which way to vote until the death of Lonow Madin. Out of sympathy, I voted in favor, but the killing seemed to scare everyone. The vote was supposed to be close, however only Trasti and I voted for the sanctions.?

?I see. Do you know why someone would want to kill you??

?Well, no. I don?t have any enemies I know of. So I have no idea why anyone would want to kill me.?

?That will be all Senator Amosit. Thank you for your time.?

?No problem, Master Jedi.?

Lanen returned to the elevator. While descending, Lanen thought about the Kuat Senator?s answers. Something didn?t smell right to him, and he intended to find out what.

 

I have not read al of this, just a bit of the first chapter and I am astounded. I enjoy your writing style.

I will read it all and comment on it later. Keep up the Good work.

 

I see our hero Lanen is so committed to his duties he actually forgot he's hurt. Please make him go to the Healers now

That was a great description of a fight and chase, too bad he didn't get any information from the bounty hunter... Well, let's see how much Hercule Poirot's traits he has!

Keep up the good work!

 

Zandoran_Celix - Im glad you enjoyed it Tell me what you think after you read it

Mind_Tricked - Well' Lanen is a good Jedi Im happy you enjoyed the fight scene


I'm still working on the end of Chapter Eight, should have it done in a few hours. Then I'll post.

 

Chapter Eight
The sun was still shining as Lanen walked out of 500 Republica. This day is definitely the worst I have ever had. And it isn?t even over yet. Lanen was out of leads, with the encrypted datapad still at the hands of the capable Encryption Department, which Lanen had come to suspect contained only a single Jedi.

And so, he turned his full attention to the Kuat Senator. Having bandaged his hand, Lanen was able to postpone his visit to the Healing Ward. He doubted that he would receive a warm welcome.

There were two things that bothered him with the Senators? answers. The Telos debate had been going on for a long time and was a very tense issue, and it was difficult for Lanen to believe that any Senator could stay neutral for such a long time. Another problem was the Senators? answer that she didn?t have any enemies. From his own personal experience, people always had enemies.

His first objective was to find out was for which side the Senator had been rooting for. He decided to try out Chief Bkar?ela, and so he went for his comlink.

?Chief Bkar?ela, this is Jedi Master Lanen Berus.?

?Yes, Jedi. I knew you would call. What would you like, a gift for you success at 500 Republica??

?Not at all, Chief. I was wondering if you knew if Senator Amosit was in favor of the Telos vote or against it.?

?Look Jedi, we both know she voted for it along with Senator Lithea.?

?Let me make myself clear Chief. I meant before the vote, which way did she tend to vote??

?Oh ? I have no idea, Jedi. Do I look like a HoloNet reporter to you??

?No you don?t. They behave better.?

Lanen shut off the communication, and tried another person. It took a few seconds for the man at the other side of the line to answer his comlink, but he eventually did.

?Daaice Roltin here.?

?Hi, old friend. This is Lanen.?

?Lanen! How are you doing? It has been a while since we last talked. Is everything alright??

?I?ve been better, but don?t worry about it. I hope you?re well. Listen, I need some information, can you help me out??

Daaice Roltin was the aide of the Chandrillian Senator, who also happened to be a member of the Voting Committee in the Senate. It was their job to keep records of all the votes that took place within the Senate.

?Sure, I can help you out. I owe you like a million favors anyway,? came the quick reply.

?Excellent. Listen up, I need to know who the Kuat Senator, Egia Amosit, tended to side with on the Telos dispute before the vote itself. Can you do that for me??

?Sure. I can tell you right now. She always was rooting for the sanctions. Weird woman.?

?Weird? How come??

?Well, it?s known that she is good friends with the Senator of Telos, what?s his name? I forgot, damn it. Anyway, she has a few Telosonian friends, so you?d think that she would vote against the sanctions.?

?Interesting. Thanks Daaice. I owe you one.?

?Nah. I just owe you one less,? laughed the aide.

So, thought Lanen, the Senator had lied once. Why would she lie to me? And why would she vote against her friends? She must have had some sort of personal agenda.

Next, Lanen wanted to dig up anything he could find about the Senator of Kuat. The place for that, he knew, was the Jedi Archives. Wasting no time, Lanen headed for the Jedi Temple.

****

Reaching the Temple, Lanen decided that the first thing he should take care of was his lightsaber. Not wanting to chance another battle without his lightsaber, the Jedi entered the dueling area, and found Master Yoda watching two Jedi Hopefuls.

Walking silently, Lanen joined Master Yoda?s side, watching the two battle it out. The sweat and heavy breathing of the two combatants made it clear to Lanen that he was watching a battle that was taking place for quite a while. One hopeful was a Mon Calamari. As such, he had a domed heads, webbed hands, and large eyes. The other was a human, with short blonde hair and fierce blue eyes. He was slightly shorter than the Mon Calamari, thou

 

All right. Next chapter will be either late today or tomorrow, the reason is that I am about two chapters ahead, and I need to fix some problems in the ninth chapter That will take me a few hours, and then I shall post

 

All right so! In a surprise chain of events, I finished the Fic today The Force has been with me, and I managed to write five chapters today. As I finished it, the remaning chapters will be posted only tomorrow (aprox. 12 p.m. GMT, or 7 a.m. Eastern, perhaps earlier) since I need to proof-read all of it for mistakes and other boring inconsistent parts

To the pair that have been reading this thougroughly, I would like to mention that Chapter Two, Part One, has been slightly edited to fit the continuation. It is not a big change, but I would recommend that you read it over, just to be sure It's not vital, just will help you understand how Lanen reaches his conclusions later...

Shahar, out for the night

 

Congratulations on finishing your fic!

Chapter Eight was great. I loved Lanen's conversation with Master Yoda. I hope he'll decide to get himself a Padawan. Rived Rohaz would be best, of course! Maybe his friend Qui-Gon could give him some advice when he's back with Obi?

Why would the Senator lie? This is getting very interesting...

 

Mind_Tricked - Thank you I am glad you enjoyed Chapter Eight ... the convo was actually difficult to write, and you will see what happenes. Rived Rohaz is actually, in a form, the name of my best friend

About the advice with Obi, that is not likely going to happen, as they are after all on Melida/Daan. Will ont spoil it if you have not read JA books, but advice will not come from there

Sorry about the delay with posting, its taking a bit longer to read mainly because it has been one very busy day. I will have it on here by the end of it though!

 

Here it is!! The ending - chapters nine through 14! Enjoy and comment

----------------------------------------------------

Chapter Nine
The Main Hall of the Jedi Archives was the largest single chamber of the Jedi Temple. The Jedi Temple Archives contained possibly the single largest source of information in the galaxy. Within the polished architecture of the Temple, incredible amounts of data were stored electronically and holographically. The Archives covered a vast range of criteria, including details on supposedly every planet and species in the Galactic Republic.
Lining the main hall were bronze busts of some of the most revered and accomplished Jedi Masters, both living and dead.

Any Jedi that required information used the carefully organized data to aid in his studies and missions. It was where Lanen had just arrived. Amongst the ocean of information, Lanen knew he had to find out all he could about Senator Egia Amosit of Kuat. Unfortunately, he had no idea where to start. Sitting in front of the computer terminal, he tried searching for the Senators? name. Almost instantly, hundreds of matches popped up on the screen.

He scanned the first few items, but found nothing that could provide him the information he needed. Deciding that it would take him too long to search each of the matches, Lanen attempted to narrow the search with various different keywords, but none of his attempts yielded any information that he could use.

?Is there anything you need?? asked Jocasta Nu from behind him.

?Not really, Master Nu. I?m just looking for some information about a certain Senator.?

?Hmm. It doesn?t look like your having much success, Master Berus,? said the Librarian. ?Perhaps you want to reconsider??

?No thank you, Master Nu. I?ll give it a few more attempts,? answered Lanen, smiling.

?Well, have it your way. I?ll go finish looking for some information Qui-Gon Jinn wanted. As if he couldn?t do it himself.?

?Qui-Gon? He?s away on a mission. He can?t search by himself, Master Nu,? said Lanen.

?Yes, Master Berus, he?s on a mission. The information he wanted, however, was about Xanatos, who has nothing to do with the mission. Why he would want this information now, I don?t know.?

?I think I do. He?s planning to chase him down at some point in the near future, probably as soon as his mission on Melida/Daan is finished. Nothing short of an attack on the Temple will stop him, not after their last meeting. He wants all the recent updates.?

?Well, if that?s the case, he has a long way to travel. Telos is very far away from Melida/Daan,? answered Jocasta Nu.

?He will travel as much as he needs to, to bring Xanatos to justice,? said Lanen. ?What makes you think Xanatos is on Telos anyway??

?Well, Master Berus, I started looking for information already. Xanatos was born on Telos.?

?But do you know he is there now??

?Well ? no, but I assume so. It was good talking to you Master Berus, but I must return to my work,? she said, heading back to her desk.

Lanen turned back to his panel, which was still showing the latest result of his search of information. He continued to scroll down, and passed several items, the Senators? financial files amongst them, which he refused to look at. I definitely will not read those. He had no intention to bore himself to death.

More than an hour later, the lights in the Jedi Archives turned on. Lanen realized it was getting late, and he still had nothing. Giving up for the day, Lanen was about to shut off the computer panel when he remembered his conversation earlier with Jocasta Nu. He was interested to see what Xanatos, whom he knew from his days as Qui-Gon?s Padawan, was up to.

Searching for anything which mentioned the former Jedi Padawan, Lanen found only one entry. Opening it, Lanen saw Qui-Gon?s report from his mission to Bandomeer. No wonder Jocasta Nu had said she was having difficulties finding information. Everything in the Archives about the Dark Jedi was inserted by Qui-Gon himself,