Of Love and War Book 4: When Darkness Falls

Chapter 6: Rumors

Zelina used her first two days of leeway before she had to teach to focus on her investigation into the bombing. She was working with limited resources, since the Coruscant Authorities had brutally shot her down when she went with the request to give a statement to give them a chance to reopen the investigation and do it right. The brisk and almost heated conversation boiled down to an excuse that the case was already closed and they didn't need to be digging into it, even though Zelina told them she'd been right behind the transport and had seen something entirely different than an accident occur. Without the backing of the Jedi or the Coruscant Authorities, Zelina was forced to go back to the crime scene and try to find anything the authorities might have missed. She didn't have access to anything the authorities had found, either—or anything they might have taken to bury or destroy, as Zelina was ready to suspect at this point. She could interview witnesses, but there were billions of beings on Coruscant, and she wasn't sure the hospitals would willingly give out patient information so she could find anyone injured in the bombing to unofficially ask questions.

At least she had Padmé and Satine talking to their Senatorial contacts. Padmé had suggested that they try to make Senators aware of the reality of the situation, and try and garner enough support that another investigation would have to be opened. Zelina hadn't heard how that plan was going, yet, but she was hoping there were enough good Senators Padmé knew to tip the scales a little more in Zelina's favor.

Satine, meanwhile, was using her contacts to try and see if she could dig up any rumors about someone taking a bombing job. Zelina didn't know where the woman got her sources, but Satine knew how to use them, and if it worked and she did find a lead, Zelina would be quite pleased.

Now, however, she had to spend her time elsewhere. She had a friend to help, and now a class to teach. Which meant she was going back to the archives to see what other information she could dig up that might be helpful for Anakin and Padmé, and she needed to figure out what she wanted to impress upon the young minds of the Jedi Council.

She'd also have to be careful about that. She had...shifted, on her stance regarding the Jedi Order, and while she felt her recent change had not yet been noticed, she would like to keep it that way. Even going gray was enough to get someone kicked out of the Order, if there was enough of that darker pigment in your choices. She also needed to stay, because there was still stuff she could learn in the archives, and people she needed and wanted to protect and support.

So her lesson plan would need more care put into it than most Jedi so she could avoid drawing attention. Best to play it safe with her lesson plans then . . .

Zelina stopped halfway down the aisle she was in—history, passing through on her way towards the meditation section.

Curious . . .

Zelina let her hand move of its own accord, letting the whispers of the Force currently tickling her senses guide her hand.

Old Republic history . . . a good couple millennia before present day Republic . . .

Grandmaster Satele Shan.

Okay . . .

Not about to question the Force, despite the fact she couldn't see how Grandmaster Shan would possibly pertain to either of her current needs, Zelina took what information was available about Grandmaster Shan, or anything she'd dictated.

At this rate, she was going to need a bag for all the holos she was going to be taking. Did she even have time for this much reading and research?

She'd take them, like she was prompted to, but she couldn't guarantee she'd get around to reading much about Satele for now.