Star Wars_ X-Wing 03_ The Krytos Trap - Michael A. Stackpole [61]
“At this time, no sir, but I reserve the right to recall her.”
“Understood. Your witness, Counselor Ven.”
Iella straightened up in the witness box and tried to calm herself, but she felt her guts begin to knot up as the Twi’lek stood. Her heart started pounding a bit faster. She’d never liked being cross-examined, and she expected no mercy from Nawara Ven, especially after Halla made her mistake.
“Agent Wessiri, in your time with the Corellian Security Force, have you ever performed an investigation into a matter of treason?”
“No, but I have worked murder cases before.”
“I know. You’ve worked many murder cases, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And some have been easier to investigate than this one, haven’t they?”
Iella nodded. “Yes.” Though Nawara Ven kept his voice low and his demeanor easy, she didn’t like the way he started nibbling in around the edges. He was projecting an aura of calm control, running the trial, and she knew that was bad. Once he got into a rhythm and she started moving along with him, he could turn and surprise her, and get admissions out of her that would give the wrong impression to the Tribunal.
“How long would you say the average murder investigation you worked lasted?”
“You’d have to be more specific.”
“How long before an arrest?”
Iella shrugged. “Less than a week. If you don’t have a suspect in custody by that time the trail can get very cold.”
“The investigation itself, though, might go on longer than that, correct?”
“Sure.”
“Because there are details to check, lab reports to read and analyze, witnesses to depose, more facts to be checked, and the like, correct?”
“Yes.”
The Twi’lek smiled. “That takes a long time to do, doesn’t it?”
“That depends.”
“Say you want to do it right.”
“I always want to do it right.”
“Of course, but haste can make for sloppy work, can’t it?”
“Yes.”
“So a hasty investigation is potentially a sloppy one?”
“Yes.”
Nawara Ven nodded. “So would you characterize two weeks from murder to trial as fast, in your experience?”
Iella nodded reluctantly. “It’s faster than most trials.”
“Have you ever been involved in a case that went to trial as quickly as this?”
She shook her head. “No.”
The Twi’lek looked back at the datapad on his table. Iella saw lights flicker across the front panel on Whistler, then Nawara nodded and looped a braintail back over his shoulder. “I want to call your attention to People’s 34. How long after the incident described was the report made?”
Iella glanced at the small datapad monitor in the corner of the witness box. “There is a two-week gap between the incident and the filing of the report.”
“Now, in your experience as Corran Horn’s partner, would you say he was usually prompt in filing his reports?”
“Yes.” Iella glared at Whistler. “But sometimes there were delays, and the two weeks you mention were fairly busy.”
“Is that the only reason, being busy, that you believe Lieutenant Horn delayed filing his report?”
“Objection, calls for speculation.”
“Counselor Ven is asking the witness what she believes, not what she thinks the victim thought. I’ll allow it. Overruled.”
“Because we believed Captain Celchu was dead on Noquivzor, there seemed no way the report could be true, so there would have been no reason to file it.” Iella leaned forward in her seat. “However, the minute Corran learned Captain Celchu was alive, he made that report.”
“I understand that.” The Twi’lek flashed her a smile full of pointy teeth. “In your time as his partner, had you ever known Corran Horn to make a mistake?”
“He was only human.”
Ven’s expression darkened. “Perhaps you can expand on that answer for those of us who are not human.”
Iella blushed and glanced down at the floor. What a thing to say, especially here and now! “I mean, yes, he did make mistakes.”
“Thank you. Now, you alluded to something in the report that left a question in your mind about the veracity of