Star Wars_ Coruscant Nights II Streets of Shadows - Michael Reaves [23]
The prefect looked at the droid, then at Jax. “You program this smart-mouth machine?”
Jax shook his head. “He came that way.”
Haus made a rude, decidedly unprofessional sound. “Might want to have his head popped and a more polite template installed. Not all police are as easygoing as me.” He turned back to the inconsolable Dejah. “So let me see if I have this right. The deceased was the Caamasi light sculptor Ves Volette, your partner. You were worried about his safety, and your own, and thus engaged this guy”—he nodded at Jax—“for protection.”
This guy came out sounding quite a bit like this amateur to Jax. He silently counted to ten, first in Basic and again in Ugnaught pidgin. It was amazing the places and times where Jedi training could be put to use.
It was not really a question, but Dejah nodded assent. Before the cools had arrived, Jax had warned her about mentioning anything to do with fleeing the planet.
The prefect turned to Jax. “And it’s your business to routinely provide this kind of security service?”
The hard-edged light illuminating the hall flickered; a quick, ghostly strobe, before shining even brighter than before. The scene became sharper, almost crystalline. The unit was definitely on the verge of critical failure, Jax decided.
“That’s right,” he said to Haus. “We—I’m licensed to do so. It’s a new classification: Confidential Fact-finder. Nonprofit.”
“So the records seem to say. I have your time of arrival, and my docbot says the victim has been dead for two hours and fifteen minutes, give or take a few. I’ll need statements from you as to where each of you was at that time.”
Jax nodded, glad of the opportunity to agree. “Of course.”
The Zabrak looked at Dejah again. “If you were worried that somebody might make an attempt to kill you or your partner, why didn’t you call the proper authorities?”
She turned slightly and looked at the officer. The angle put half her face in deep shadow. “Ves’s homeworld was recently destroyed by what rumor suggests was an action by the proper authorities. With all due respect to you personally, Prefect, my companion had reason not to trust anybody who represents the Empire in any form. Nor do I.”
Haus turned contemplative. “I’ve heard about what happened to Caamas, of course. Everyone has. But it was a military action.” His tone sharpened. “The Imperial Sector Police is not political.”
“Really?” Her words emerged steeped in bitterness. “Somebody should tell that to the Vesarian students at Imperial City University.”
The prefect had the good grace to look embarrassed. “That incident was an aberration. As within any large organization there are, unfortunately, rogue elements. The centurion in charge of the unit in question was arrested and is awaiting trial.”
“I’m sure that makes the parents of the dead students feel much better.”
Haus made a dismissive gesture. “An officer will take your statements and will provide you two with locator rings.” He gestured at I-Five. “And a locator plug will be flashed to your smart-mouth droid. Stay dirtside—we’ll call you when we need to speak again.”
He turned away, dismissing them as thoroughly as he would have any inorganic piece of evidence. Which was fine with Jax—he was perfectly content to be treated as part of the scenery.
A police droid rolled up. “This way, citizens.”
Jax sighed. Hardly a great way to start one’s day: hired to save a pair of clients, only to have one die before they even got to him. Now they were, at best, witnesses to the scene, at worst possible suspects. Affixed with police locator rings that could not be easily removed, they weren’t likely to be leaving the planet anytime soon. Jax didn’t much like the idea of the cools turning over the