Ok, I know this chapter is unbelievably short, but the stories coming nearer to the end, and i'm going for a suspense-thing, though not sure if it's working. Thanks to Bloody Dead Rose who remains a faithful reader (in fact, the only reader I think!) and sorry the whole thing so taking so long. A note on the whole Mary Sue thing: I apologise greatly if Leyana has Mary Sue-ish tendencies, I never actually wrote her as one, but she has probably turned out that way. Still, I hope you don't find her too annoying! Anyway, enjoy the next chapter (even though this is the size of half an ant!)
The room was cool with a sterile feel to it, the bodies laid on metal tables that lined the walls as desks in a classroom. Crea Landoor was the last on the right. His body had a slightly yellowish tinge to it, his silver eyes wide and staring, vacant.
The coroner glanced briefly at the Jedi over the top of a clipboard, her tone short and business like as she described the extent of injuries.
"Small bruise to left temple, fractured collar bone, most likely caused by a hard edged surface, and a needle mark to the left wrist. It is inconclusive how old the needle mark is, but the bruise is in its final stages of development, meaning it was most likely caused some time ago. The fracture was recent, most probable just before his death."
Leyana raised her eyebrows, questioning. "But these are all superficial injuries, they couldn't have killed him."
The coroner nodded briskly. "No," she agreed. "The cause of death is rather unusual."
"Unusual, how?" asked Obi-Wan.
"The death was caused by the imploding of his heart."
There was a short silence as each tried to contemplate this.
"His heart?" Leyana repeated doubtfully. "How could that be caused?"
"We have no idea."
The coroner picked up a small vial of electric blue liquid from a worktop.
"We recovered this from his blood. We have no idea what it is, but we suspect this is what caused such an adverse effect on the heart. The manner in which the heart walls have caved suggests something was putting a physical force on the heart, weakening it and, eventually, eroding enough of the muscle to successfully collapse it."
"How long would all this take?" asked Leyana.
"Ten minutes, give or take a few. The remaining heart wall shows a sudden decline in the layers of muscle, showing it was a fairly quick process."
"This liquid," Obi-Wan gestured to the vial in her hand. "You know anything about it?"
"We know whatever it does works on a time release."
"Time release?"
"A substance which can be administered days, hours, even years before the desired effects will take place."
"How do you know this is a time release substance?"
"Molecular structure," she replied shortly.
"But you don't know what it does."
"No." She sighed impatiently. "Look, we're doing our best here, but we've never seen anything like this before, and we are having to work around the clock to discover the source. If you have no further questions, I have research to do. I'll contact you as soon as any new information becomes available."
Outside, Leyana rubbed a tired hand over her eyes.
"Well, that got us absolutely nowhere."
"True," Obi-Wan agreed. "What now?"
After leaving the Hall of Negotiations, Obi-Wan and Leyana had followed various leads on their Masters' location, only to find each one held no answers. Both Jedi were tired, worried, and fuelled by a sense of urgency they didn't like too much.
"Landoor's wife?" she suggested.
Obi-Wan sighed and nodded. "It's worth a try."
They hailed a Dingen-taxi which agreed to take them out to Orland's Point for a sufficient fee, that Obi-Wan grudgingly agreed to pay, and were standing outside the Landoor household barely an hour later, trying to ignore the gathering clouds which felt suspiciously like a bad omen.
Neela Landoor looked paler, more frail than the last time they saw her. Her movements were slow and placid; she seemed unaware of her surroundings, staring blankly out of the window, never looking at the Jedi.
"Mrs Landoor...Neela," Leyana began gently. "We've come-"
"I know why you've come."
Her voice was whispery, tired.
"You've come to ask about him. You know what he was doing."
Obi-Wan glanced at Leyana. "What was he doing Neela?"
"You know," she repeated softly. "I know you know."
"Neela," Leyana leaned forward. "Please, you must tell us what you know. It's very important."
"He didn't want to hurt anyone." She seemed far away, unaware of Leyana's words. "He would never hurt anyone. Not my Crea. He loved me, you know." She shifted now, ghostly eyes fixed on Leyana's face. "He loved me so very much. He would have done anything for me."
Leyana smiled. "Yes, I know. Neela, do you know who could have killed him, why someone would have wanted to kill him?"
"Because of what he knew."
"What? What did he know?"
"Golden slumber kiss your eyes, smiles await you when you rise."
The singing was soft, a haunting tune which sent uneasy shivers down Leyana's spine.
"Neela.
Please…"
"Sleep, pretty baby"
"Neela-"
"Do not cry, and I'll sing you a lullaby."
Her eyes were closed as she rocked back and forth on her chair.
There was silence.
Long moments past in which Leyana couldn't hear her own heartbeat, nor the songs of the birds, nor Obi-Wan's breath. It was deathly quiet.
"Golden slumber kiss your eyes…"
The simple lullaby wrapped around Leyana like a sinister taunt, flooding her veins with ice.
"Neela-"
"Hush."
Neela up a single finger, staying the words on Leyana's lips.
"What is it?" Obi-Wan whispered.
"Can't you hear them?" she asked.
"Hear who?"
She tipped her head back, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"The lost souls," she breathed. "They are calling, calling to me. But I cannot help them."
She opened her eyes suddenly, leaning forward, so her pale, lifeless eyes stared directly into Leyana's.
"I am dying you know. As I grow fainter their connection to me grows stronger. They hope I can take them with me, but the condemned may not pass into the next life."
She began to hum, placing her hands over her ears and shaking her head.
"They won't leave, no they won't go. They tell me things, whisper secrets that I should not know."
Leyana placed a gentle hand on the Seratiniun's arm.
"What do they tell you Neela? What do they say?"
Neela yanked her arm back from Leyana's touch as if burned.
"Are you one of them?" she asked.
She looked so lost, so afraid. Leyana reached out to comfort her, but Obi-Wan pulled her back.
"This is getting us nowhere," he said softly. "Remember what Landoor said about her illness, "removes rational thought, messes up the brain". She's talking nonsense."
"Just wait a little longer, I think she may be able to tell us something."
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows slightly. "You believe she can hear these…spirits?
"I'm not sure," Leyana admitted. "Please, just a little longer?"
Obi-Wan held his hands up in surrender, and Leyana turned back to Neela, kneeling slowly infront of her.
"Neela," she said gently. "We need you to help us. We need you tell us about Crea, about your husband."
Neela didn't reply for a moment, eyes closed, face impassive. Finally, she opened her eyes and stared into Leyana's gaze.
"They want me to help you," she whispered. "They want me to show you."
She stood.
"Follow me."
She led them from the room, through the deep red hallways, up a grand sweeping, staircase. The corridor above was a rich yellow with doors on either side, ornate, beautiful doors. She stopped infront of the grandest set, tall, perfectly carved, finest wood.
"Wait here."
She closed the doors behind her.
Leyana glanced at Obi-Wan.
"Do you think it's anything?"
Obi-Wan sighed. "I hope so."
Neela could feel that something was wrong.
The voices were shouting, screaming, desperate to be heard over one another, but she could not make out what they were saying. She wavered slightly, hand reaching out to steady herself on the wardrobe. She had to make it to the bookcase. The bookcase.
Slow, concentrated steps across the room, one foot infront of the other.
Don't listen, don't listen.
The bookcase.
Her hand, shaking, reached for the books, pushing novels and volumes aside, thudding to the floor.
Don't listen.
Behind the books, there it was.
Slim, blue, innocent looking.
Who knew it could hide such destruction, such pain?
She turned, preparing to make the walk back, to finally give it all up.
She stopped.
In that moment it became clear what the voices were saying, became clear that she would not make that walk back. Became clear that she was about to die.
"No," she whispered. "No. Not you. Please, not you."
The figure stepped towards her, smiling, terrifying.
"I've been waiting for you, Neela."
There was no scream, no warning of any kind.
They didn't feel the danger, feel the darkness on the other side of the door.
They heard the breaking of the huge glass window.
They felt Neela's fear as she fell.
They heard her body break on the ground far, far below.
And as they entered the room, all they saw was a pale blue folder, lying infront of the broken window.