Star Wars - Coruscant Nights 02 - Street of Shadows

by Michael Reaves

  "A knowledge of the law, especially as it relates to Imperial dictates, is an important facet of protocol,"

  I-Five said. "You must admit that these days, with new laws being promulgated every day and old ones revised or eliminated, it is next to impossible even for specialists in such matters to keep up. You need not be Michael Reaves 129

  embarrassed to confess ignorance in such matters."

  The Baron seemed on the verge of apoplexy. "I was not confessing anything!" he sputtered. "Least of all ignorance! Of all the—"

  Reaching out, Dejah put a hand on his arm. The Zeltron touch was enough to calm their host somewhat. He was by no means pacified, however. He stared hard at I-Five. "You're right, however. Today's statute is tomorrow's misdemeanor, so to speak.

  None of which addresses the matter of you speaking unbidden."

  Jax hastened to interpose himself between the two.

  "I-Five's encoding has been modified. He doesn't always react like your standard protocol model." The Jedi glanced warningly at the droid. "Sometimes he suffers from an intermittent glitch known as Big Mouth Syndrome."

  I-Five projected annoyance. "The dimensions of my verbal simulation orifice are absolutely factory-standard."

  "Maybe," Jax said, "but the brain behind it sure isn't. You will show our host proper respect."

  A moment of uncomfortable silence ensued as the Jedi glared at the droid. Then I-Five turned to face Baron Umber and bowed slightly from the waist.

  "My sincere apologies, sir, if I have inadvertently offended you."

  "And...?" Jax prompted him.

  I-Five's immobile metal countenance somehow managed to look disdainful—or perhaps Jax was reading too much into it. He hoped so, at any rate. "I also 130 Star Wars: Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows regret speaking out of turn," the droid continued.

  Umber was mollified. "Well, no harm done, no insult intended. Especially if, as you say, this model's programming has been clumsily personalized."

  "Clumsily?" I-Five echoed. "May I just point out that—"

  "—our questions will be concise and our time here brief," Jax hastily concluded for the droid, punctuating his assurance with a glare in I-Five's direction that fell just short of melting several of the softer alloys.

  He stepped between the droid and their host, blocking the former's view from the latter. "Dejah tells me," he continued, "that you're a longtime collector of the late Ves Volette's work."

  Umber gestured assent. Turning, he indicated the alcoves where many of the artist's finest creations twirled and flashed in syncopated brilliance. By themselves, they provided more than enough light to illuminate the end of the room in which they were displayed.

  "From the moment I encountered his works I knew I had to have one," the Baron said. "The first led to a second, the second demanded a third to offset its shape and style, and by the time I determined to purchase a fourth and fifth, I counted myself not merely a patron of Ves Volette, but his friend." He looked to where Dejah sat quietly on a couch. "And his companion's friend as well."

  She smiled. "Ves abhorred the formal art scene on Coruscant, where creators are expected to mingle with potential buyers, flatter their usually nonexistent taste, and offer discounts. He was a true artist. If you liked his Michael Reaves 131

  work, fine. If not, he dismissed you, but without anger or prejudice. He recognized that tastes differ, or all art would be the same."

  Umber nodded solemnly. "That was one of the things that made Ves and his work so special. He was entirely independent of the commercial art arena. He did what he wanted, the way he wanted."

  Dejah was obviously thinking back to happier times. "I remember once when a Senator from a wealthy world approached Ves about one of his pieces." She smiled. "He asked if Ves would alter the main spectral current so that the result would match the decor of the Senator's sleeping chamber. The asking price for the work was high, and Ves could have pocketed substantial credits. He simply refused, quietly and without rancor. 'This is the color scheme that coalesced in my mind,' he told the Senator. 'This is the pattern the color took. It is what it is—just as are you and I.'" She looked up at Jax. "That was Ves. He was as straightforward as his art."

  "Straightforward is another word for blunt,'" Jax said. "And bluntness could be misconstrued as arro-gance."

  The Baron hid a smile. Jax looked at him. "Are you amused, Baron?"

  "My apologies. But had you known Ves even for a short time, you would realize the absurdity of your suggestion. He never meant to hurt anyone's feelings."

  "But he sometimes did?" Jax glanced at Dejah, who nodded slowly.

  "Most people excused it on the grounds that he was an artist. Just being creative seems to excuse a multitude 132 Star Wars: Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows of offenses that would get ordinary folk thrown out of a party."

  "Or killed," I-Five said. This time Umber did not upbraid the droid for speaking without permission.

  Jax turned back to their host. "Did he ever offend you, Baron?"

  Umber looked startled. "No, never. I understood his art, therefore I understood him. We always got on well, and there was never a time when I was displeased to see him. We held differing political opinions, of course, and discussion of them sometimes led to raised voices and sharp gestures, but never to hostility." He paused, then asked, "You're not suggesting that I had anything to do with his death?"

  "Of course not," Jax replied immediately, though that was exactly what he was thinking. As a Jedi, he was sworn never to lie. Occasional misdirection in the service of the greater good was, however, permissible. "I'm just trying to build a picture of your relationship with Volette in order to get a better idea of what he was like, what his social life was like, and through that maybe a hint or two of the kind of individual who might have wanted him dead."

  "For example," I-Five suggested, "someone who owned a surfeit of an artist's work would stand to profit substantially by his death, if his passing subsequently raised the value of that individual's work."

  Jax contemplated deactivating his outspoken mechanical companion. What he really wanted to do at that moment was use the Velmorian energy sword sheathed at his waist to seal the droid's mouth shut.

  To his credit, however, and somewhat to Jax's surprise, the Baron took no visible offense; instead he simply Michael Reaves 133

  nodded thoughtfully. "That certainly might be so. In the case of Ves's work, however, he has not been dead long enough for the market to be thus affected. And I treasure even the least of his pieces in my possession and have not the slightest intention of selling any of them, so their monetary value is of only peripheral concern to me." Spreading his arms wide to encompass their elegant surroundings, he added,

  "As you can see, my position and personal resources are adequate to allow me to comfortably maintain a certain lifestyle without the need to—I believe the Basic term is hock—any of my property. Even if such a necessity should occur, my Volettes would be the last assets I would part with."

  Dejah managed an approving smile. "Of all Ves's clients, Baron Umber more than anyone deserves the honorific title of patron. Ves knew it, too."

  Their host performed an odd little sideways bow in her direction. "You honor me with your confidence, my dear." Straightening, he looked back at Jax. "You have other questions? Perhaps you would like to search my domicile for a murder weapon, or signs of Ves's DNA?"

  "No, no." Jax waved a hand. "I believe what you've told us." He looked toward the couch. "Even more, I believe what Dejah has said about you. Coming here, meeting you in person, seeing how you feel about the artist's work, I'm confident you had nothing to do with his demise." Leaning slightly to his right, he peered past their host. "You're not alone here, are you?"

  134 Star Wars: Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows Pivoting, Umber gestured to where a figure stood behind a fold of arch. "Come out, my dear, and meet our guests. Dejah is here."

  The Vindalian female was nota
bly larger than her mate, though not unattractive. While sexual dimor-phism was common among humanoid species, it was usually the male who was larger. Usually, but not always. In this case, the female who emerged from concealment not only massed more than the Baron, she was half a dozen centimeters taller as well.

  "This is Kirma, my wife," the Baron informed the visitors.

  The Baroness was casually dressed in a sweeping spinner-silk gown that clung to her form and did little to conceal her bulk. Jax found it somewhat startling. What looked bad on one variety of humanoid, he reflected, was often considered immensely flattering on another. Not knowing anything about the species, he could only assume that, given the clingy nature of her attire, Vindalians found size attractive.

  In addition to the gown, she wore a string of lightly polished green stones around her neck. No astrogeol-ogist, Jax didn't recognize them. It was the only jewelry on her person. Given the Baron's status, he concluded that she was either being deliberately modest or else had not had adequate time to prepare herself to greet visitors. His gaze drifted back to Dejah, sitting alone on the couch. She wore no jewelry and the most basic and functional of attire, but to Jax she outshone the noble's mate by several orders of magni-tude.

  "Dejah has engaged this gentleman," Umber was saying, "in the hope of finding who killed Ves." Yet Michael Reaves 135

  again he failed to mention the presence of I-Five. This time, thankfully, the droid kept his indignation to himself. Instead, he was studying the new arrival intently.

  "Dear Ves." Kirma Umber blinked rapidly, which Jax assumed to be a sign of anguish among her kind.

  "Who would murder a harmless artist?"

  I-Five had kept silent about as long as he was constitutionally able. "A serious critic."

  Kirma glanced at him, the droid's sarcasm apparently—and fortunately—lost on her. "Are you having any luck in your investigation ... ?"

  "Jax Pavan. We've only just begun. We're trying to build a picture of Ves's last moments by interviewing those who were closest to him." He nodded in Dejah's direction. "Since you're the artist's primary collectors, we came here first."

  "My husband is the one who is enamored of the light sculptures. Though I can certainly appreciate the skill that went into their construction."

  "You're not upset at the artist's death?" I-Five asked.

  "What a thing to say!" Kirma Umber's extensive lashes flared. "Ves Volette was a fascinating, devoted, and kind sentient. If he had been a lowly fashioner of cheap tourist trinkets, I would have been equally as fond of him. Of course," she added tersely, "being a machine, I don't expect you to comprehend such feelings."

  "Of course not," I-Five said drily. He went silent again, for which Jax was profoundly grateful.

  Kirma' turned to Jax. "Aren't you duplicating the work of the police?"

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  "Supplementing." Jax smiled. "My friends and I can work outside official channels. You never know what you may find there."

  "You can see how upset we both are," the Baron said. "If there's anything I can do to facilitate your investigation, I insist that you make use of myself and my good offices."

  "That's very kind of you." Jax glanced at Dejah. "I told you this wouldn't take very long."

  "You've only just arrived." Umber stepped closer.

  From his body wafted a faint odor of pomegrail, though Jax was not sensitive enough to tell if it was natural or the result of a flattering additive. "Won't you stay for second-morn meal?"

  "Thanks," I-Five responded, "but we're not hungry."

  Even the Baron had to smile nominally at that.

  "There's nothing I can offer you?" he persisted, looking from Dejah back to Jax.

  The Jedi hesitated. "Actually, there might be. I need a compressed energy crystal. Adegan or Luxum would be best, but I'd take whatever you'd be willing to part with."

  Umber acted as if he hadn't heard correctly. "You want to buy one of my Volettes?"

  Jax shook his head. "Not a sculpture. Just a CEC."

  The Baron was horrified and made no effort to hide it. "The CEC is at the heart of each sculpture. No,"

  he corrected himself quickly, "the CEC is the heart of each sculpture."

  Though a bit taken aback by the force of the Vindalian's reaction, having already ventured the request, Jax persisted. "Pardon my ignorance—I'm not Michael Reaves 137

  an artist, and I'm not exactly familiar with the genre—but couldn't you substitute something for a piece of Adegan? Another energy source? Marilite, maybe, or pressure-treated halurium grains?"

  Umber was clearly restraining himself with an effort. "Since you are honest enough to readily confess your ignorance, I take no offense. You do not understand. Once the CEC is removed from a Volette light sculpture, it collapses. It cannot be restored, certainly not by replacing the energy source. One can have an image repainted, reholoed, retooled, or a carving of some solid material reproduced. While not the original, an excellent copy may be so obtained. But once a Volette light sculpture is deactivated, it becomes as dead as the unfortunate artist himself."

  "What would happen if you tried it?" I-Five asked.

  Kirma looked at the droid. "You would get an amorphous blob of light. That's all. Maybe with color, according to the design. But the shape, the dance, the aesthetic, would be lost forever." She eyed her mate. "Isn't that the truth of it?"

  "Truth it is," Umber confirmed. "I would no more destroy a piece of Volette art than I would surrender a limb. Especially since there will be no more. What exists now is all that there will ever be." Turning away from his visitors, he let his gaze roam over his collection. Even without resorting to the Force, Jax could feel the powerful emotions emanating from him. "Even if I needed the credits, young man, I would not—could not—comply." He turned back to Jax, and his gaze was hard. "I do not have the right.

  Maintenance of the Volette sculptures is more than a joy, now. It is an obligation."

  138 Star Wars: Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows Dejah was nodding her head in agreement as she spoke to Jax. "I told you what kind of collector the Baron is. What kind of friend he's been to Ves and me."

  "Yes, you did." Jax sighed. If he was ever going to acquire a CEC to power a lightsaber, it clearly wouldn't be from here. He would have to find another source. Unless, he reminded himself, Den had better luck.

  After his wife excused herself, the Baron escorted them toward the exit. "Just as a matter of personal curiosity, what does a private investigator want with a compressed energy crystal? I realize that such a scarce article has a multitude of uses, but I can't see how it would prove useful to someone in your profession. Leastwise, not sufficiently to justify the cost."

  He paused, adding, "Of course, you don't have to explain yourself. It's none of my business what you want with a CEC."

  "He's a budding inventor," I-Five explained. "He wants to make a functional probe that'll enable him to trace the neural paths to all the abnormal synaptic connections in his own brain."

  As they reached the doorway Jax shot the droid a look. "Speaking of abnormal synaptic connections, maybe it's time someone took an aligner to the back of your skull."

  "You see?" I-Five gestured by way of reinforcement. "Verbal confirmation of what I just said."

  Umber forced himself to repress a smile. "In addition to being remarkably, even dangerously, outspoken, your droid effects a most distinctive sense of humor.

  Michael Reaves 139

  "No, he doesn't." Jax stepped aside to let Dejah exit.

  "He's just rude. As to your question, Baron—I am looking for a CEC to use in my work. I'm sure you understand that someone in my position can't go into intimate details."

  Umber's eyebrows rose in response. "Intimate, is it? Well, then, I won't pry any further." As Jax looked on, he put his arms around Dejah. Jax thought the clinch lasted a good deal longer than civility required, but the lag was understandable. Those who h
ad the opportunity to embrace red Zeltrons, especially of the opposite gender, were reluctant to let them go.

  Stepping back, the Baron finally released her, though he still hung on to her extended hands. "If you need anything, Dejah, anything at all, Kirma and I are at your beck and call."

  She smiled. "Thank you, Baron. For everything.

  Ves would thank you, too, if he were here."

  "He is." Turning, Umber nodded back into the domicile. "Vindalia willing, he always will be."

  They were in the lift that was taking them back to the aircar hangar when Jax voiced the conclusion he had reached. "I don't think this Baron Umber had anything to do with Ves's death."

  Dejah nodded knowingly. "I told you. He was our best friend on Coruscant. Whenever there was a problem of any kind, Ves trusted him to take care of it."

  "You divine a lot from a brief conversation in someone's home," I-Five commented to Jax.

  Jax eyed the droid. "You disagree with my assessment? If so, give me reasons. Other than the fact that anyone 140 Star Wars: Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows could see you took a personal dislike to the noble."

  "I did no such thing." The droid didn't seem irritated. "I reacted to him and treated him exactly as I would have any other potential lead we might investigate."

  "Loutishly."

  "Directly," I-Five countered. "I am not confrontational. Merely straightforward. That's how one obtains desired information most rapidly."

  "Maybe when communication is machine-to-machine," Jax said. "As a protocol droid, you should know that interviewing organics requires patience, understanding, and something else that seems to have been wiped from your memory."

  "Which would be—?"

  "Tact. If I'd let you run your vocabulator, we would have been thrown out of that dwelling in the first three minutes."