Vos Gesal Street, Coruscant-20 years Before the Battle of Yavin IV
Dilbun Vont: (Narration) apparently doing what you love can't get old, especially when yu're paid and encouraged to do it.
Cam Droids swarm as a lone caped figure descends upon the scene from a hovering aircar. media representatives are held back by Homeworld Security Command troopers.
Sloan Snickers: homeworld security continues to obscure the view of the most recent victim of the remorseless Lekku Loper, this being the seventeenth victim of the still at large murderer. a maniac whom it would appear both the Homeworld Security Command and the Jedi Order cannot bring to justice!
Trooper: move along! my orders are to be taken as if they came from the supreme chancellor himself!
the crowd clears and the Jedi enters the crime-scene. stretching out in the force, hoping to step backwards into the flow of events that led to this outcome. the images come suddenly; the spatter, the joy of the killer, his face and identity continue to be elusive. as if the perpetrator was so engrossed in the act that his whole identity was actually encumbered in the act of the murder.
puzzled the knight, scans the scene with his actual eyes. as expected, the Twi'lek woman is brutally wounded and beaten to death. no sign of a weapon having been used other than the vibroaxe used to hack off the lekku. and as usual, they where clearly removed as the victim died and are not to be found at the crime scene.
Empatojayos Brand:(removing hood) bring in the forensic droids. i must report to the council.
Trooper: (blocking path) the chancellor requires your presence immediately.
Empatojayos Brand: my report to the council is overdue and..
Trooper: according to the newly issued line of command, as long as the jedi are enlisted members of the Grand Army. a summons from the chancellor is infact a direct order to appear. Your car awaits sir.
Empatojayos Brand: how long before were ordered to adhere to a dress code and numbered identification?
Trooper: just following orders, general.
the LAAT speeds above regulated air traffic and descends upon the senate's front entrance. where a small media gathering surrounds the Chancellor, Mas Amedda and his red guards. The Laat lands beside the gathering, Master Brand approaches the podium.
Palpatine: and our Jedi Inspector arrives from the scene of the latest atrocity. what can you tell our galactic citizens Empata..ja master Brand?
Empatojayos Brand: (CLEARLY ANNOYED) as per customs chancellor. details of an ongoing investigation are classified. no matter how high the profile of the scenario. therefore i'm currently not at liberty to divulge any specific details regarding the newly discovered possible victim of the uh.."Lekku Loper".
Sloan Snickers: yet again the Jedi Order are stonewalling the public! first the infant snatching, then the confed's leader and now this! is it safe to assume this Lekku Loper is a member of the jedi order gone rogue and that is why your investigation continues to flounder Master Brand?
The crowd becomes unruly and the home-guard enters the scene. the air settles and the conference continues.
Empatajayos Brand: i'm not at liberty to speak for the entire order, but i am personally insulted by the slander you've uttered here today. as for this sham of a meeting, i will take no further questions from the media while these crimes continue to go unsolved. that will be all.
Brand attempts to leave the podium. but is blocked by red guards.
Palpatine: i'm sorry master Brand, but the republic requires answers and since you are unwilling to appraise them of the situation or bring this killer to justice then i must do what my authority begs of me.
Empatajayos Brand: and what might that be chancellor?
The crowd goes silent in anticipation, cam droids gather closely upon the unfolding scene.
Palpatine: as of this evening my office has been forced to pull five Jedi Generals from the fields of war to assist Master Brand in the Lekku Loper investigation. not only the war effort will suffer for Master Brand's failures, our ally Corellia will loan one of its finest CorSec agents to the investigation.
Sloan Snickers: why don't you just ship brand back to Murkhana! that battle ain't anywhere near done. or better yet send that tub of fodder to the jedi temple kitchens to clean up after the other baby snatchers!
The Homeguard troopers move in closer, the media falls silent.
Palpatine: please do not mistake my displeasure regarding this ongoing investigation to be a personal vendetta against Master Brand, he was the jedi whom secured the surrender of Domb Treetor at the Battle of Bassadro after all. the actions i've taken this night are merely my duties as supreme chancellor! if the investigatory team assembled this night cannot bring the lekku loper to justice, then I’m afraid the senate will be forced to further amend the constitution with which our grand republic was formed. and that my friends cannot happen, for if it continues the separatists win.
Palpatine exits the podium as followed by Master Brand, Mas Amedda takes the holo-mic to bring an official close to the gathering.
Sloan Snickers: who are these five jedi the chancellor's called from battle!
Mas Amedda: in an effort to deny the enemy a strategic advantage that information will be confidential as long as it can be. this gathering is at an end.
The Chancellor's Office-20 years before the battle of Yavin IV
Empatajayos Brand: i'm greatly offended by the way your office has put my neck out on the chopping block chancellor, in my opinion the public has been given all together too much information regarding this entire investigation.
Palpatine: would you approve of my dismantling the holonet and abolishing the right of free speech Master Brand?
Empatajayos Brand: not at all, but as the acting wartime chancellor it would appear you can do whatever you please.
Mas Amedda: this bickering is pointless Master Brand, the truth remains. your investigation has offered no results therefore inorder to maintain a semblance of law and order on this being the capitol of the Republic, we must tarnish your image for the time being.
Empatajayos Brand: i take it this is an order and would i be safe to assume this is classified information that unlike the results of my investigation will not be leaked to the holonet?
Palpatine: Master Brand, i was under the impression that Jedi where above the petty insecurities of ego?
before the outraged Jedi Inspector can retort a hologram of Master Yoda flares to life beside the small group.
Palpatine: Ah, Master Yoda. i assume word of my intervention in the Lekku Loper investigation has reached you.
Yoda: (via hologram) seconds ago it had. understanding am i of the situation, but agree with your handling of it i do not. at the feet of the jedi are you laying the blame for the investigations status.
Palpatine: a common misunderstanding grand master, I'm employing a tactic which i can assure you, many of our legal analysts have concurred always leads to incarceration of such serial killers.
Yoda: (via hologram) regardless of your analysts assumptions, with the council lies the task of assigning Jedi to investigations.
Mas Amedda: Master Yoda while you've been on assignment another military command structure revision was passed. as of two cycles ago the chancellor has the authority to reassign the tasks of Jedi forces serving in the Grand Army.
Palpatine: speaking of which how goes your operation in the Bpfasshi system?
Yoda: (via Hologram) Unable to locate the Bpfasshi Dark Jedi cabal have i been, in the thrall of terror the Sluis Sector remains sadly.
Empatajayos Brand: if we can get past our internal problems, we still have an investigation to conduct. may i get back to it or am i to be recycled back to the war effort as suggested by the almighty public consensus?
Yoda: (via hologram) of the jedi whom have you reassigned to this Chancellor?
Mas Amedda: the chancellor is not required to share executive level intelligence with...
Palpatine: now, now. are the jedi not our allies in this conflict majordomo?
Mas Amedda: i'm sorry if i have insulted you grand master.
Yoda: (via hologram) not governed by emotions am i.
Palpatine: Master Brand will remain with the task force as per my statement this evening, he will be joined by Koffi Arana,An'ya Kuro,Nejaa Halcyon,Ylenic It'kla,Ranik Solusar and Rostek Horn of CorSec. whom i'd might add Senator Bel Iblis did not willingly reassign.
Empatajayos Brand: (flabbergasted) if i recall correctly Ranik Solusar was recently admonished for breaking several vows central to maintaining his commitment to the jedi order. and The Dark Woman doesn't work well with others.
An'ya Kuro: (materializing) one might also call into question the practices of Corellian Jedi?
Mas Amedda: (astonished) where'd she come from, security we've been breached!
suddenly the red guards spring from the shadows wielding their stun pikes. reacting flawlessly. both brand and kuro ignite their lightsabers and adapt a back to back fighting stance. the guards come within a breath of striking the deadly pair of Jedi.
Palpatine: (calmly) stand down.
An'ya Kuro: (looking at palpatine) never thought i'd miss the days of Valorum.
Empatajayos Brand: You really need to teach me how to do that phasing technique.
An'Ya Kuro: all it requires is complete humility before the Force.
Yoda: (via hologram) safe to assume it is that under control the situation on Ord Namurt remains Master Kuro?
An'Ya Kuro: there is no situation, master Yoda. my padawan elected to join the war effort.
Palpatine: ahh, another fine warrior for the republic. how proud you must be Master Kuro.
An'ya Kuro: first off chancellor, as a sign of selflessness i abandoned my name shortly after my trials. secondly my apprentice's talents lay along the path of the seer. plus Vors aren't exactly known for their combative abilities.
Palpatine: well rest assured Master..Jedi, that your apprentice can rely upon her loyal clone infantry where her weakness may intrude.
a brief silence falls over the overly opulent meeting room.
Yoda: (via hologram) In your hands it would appear the details of this investigation remain Master Brand. May the Force be with you.
the hologram of yoda dissipates.
Jedi Temple Briefing Room-Coruscant-20 years Before the Battle of Yavin IV
Koffi Arana: Excuse me if i come across as curt if i am unable to grasp the reasoning behind all of our involvement in this Investigation? my work on Tatooine was beginning to foster clues regarding the Sith Lord Master Kenobi vanquished during the battle of Naboo.
Ranik Solusar: interesting point Koffi, i myself was sifting through the remains of the black sun crime organization right before the news of my sons parentage happened to tear a new hole in space across the holonet.
Empatajayos Brand: been alot of that going around lately.
An'ya Kuro: why you continue to serve the order is beyond me Ranik! a jedi whom flagrantly disregards the edicts of the order should be expelled!
Ranik Solusar: spare me dark woman i've already willingly submitted myself to the admonishment of the council and the disrespect of the entire order.
Nejaa Halcyon: the conclave on Corellia has already offered you and your family asylum Master Solusar.
Empatatjayos Brand: my fellow jedi, it is my opinion that we are assembled here for a single purpose. misdirection.
Ylenic It'kla: surely you cannot believe that these murders are not connected Master Brand.
An'ya Kuro: the media's attentiveness towards its every movement is unusual to say the least.
Koffi Arana: and you cannot detect any imprint of the killers identity at the crime scenes Master Brand?
Empatatjayos Brand: as stated in my reports Koffi.
Ylenic It'kla: one witness is all that we require for me to form a memnii.
Rostek Horn: (entering the room) we both know a string of memnii won't hold a bucket of water in a courthouse Ylenic.
Nejaa Halcyon: (shaking hands) well here we go again.
Rostek Horn: (shaking hands) same as always huh?
An'ya Kuro: Corellians.
Koffi Arana: (listening to comlink) better soak up your camaraderie while you can guys, they just found another body.
Vos Gesal Hotel-Coruscant-20 years Before the Battle of Yavin IV
Sloan Snickers: the scene is a gloomy one, yet again citizens the media has been shut out of the loop of the habits,characteristics of the notorious Lekku Loper! two strikes in one rotation where will it strike next! we cannot tell you because we do not know thanks to the blundering actions of lead investigator: Emppa-tayjayoos Brand!
Trooper: this section is currently under the direct control of the home-guard cease broadcast of that communication immediately!
the media team disperse, a single LAAT sets down near the entrance to the seedy hotel. five jedi and one Corsec agent enter the building.
Rostek Horn: too bad i don't have central authority here, i smell ryll. ryll Nejaa can you believe that?
Nejaa Halcyon: you should take in some of the decay on the fringes, there are worse things going unnoticed within the shadow of this accursed war cast upon the galaxy.
Ylenic It'kla: press back the dark thoughts Spicewood, they dull your other senses.
Nejaa Halcyon: thanks, i almost let them get the better of me.
An'ya Kuro: since when are caamasi jedi as oblivious to central beliefs of the Jedi as corellian Jedi?
