"Oh, they are things not people, Jedi Tam," says Moran.
"The two leads I have for you are this. The uncertain one is a recent attack on an orbital depot around Malastare, carrying ship parts. The attack was very comprehensive and damaging. I can't prove it was this 'Kuylen' and followers, and it has officially been blamed on pirates, but that place had a sophisiticated security system and many guards, yet there were no pirate casualties. And that it has happened at this time... it COULD be a coincidence, butnI doubt it. Call it the instinct of an old policeman!
"The second crime is a murder; a pointless murder that appears to have no motive. But I know it is relevant, because... well, I have never seen what a person cut in two with a lightsabre looks like before, but what we have found is definitely it.
"We can take you to either or both places, any way you wish! Nothing has been disturbed; you can see the crime scenes fresh"
(There ARE about twenty friendly casualties, though...)
But in that case, you guys are off down to the surface of Malastare, which is a rather gloomy planet with the occasional swamp full of green vapour. it IS a major Republica world, however, with a reputation for a thriving entertainment industry, and one of the only legalised (but VERY heavily regulated) gambling set-ups inside the Republic- pod racing and all.
The buildings are, on average, shorter than you are used to, though the centre of the capital you are heading towards is high enough. The crowded streets are populated by tall Grans (the three-eyed ones), moody Dugs (like Sebulba) and, of course, humans.
Moran is leading you towards an alleyway next to a large building in a mostly run-down area, the building being conspicuous in its newness.
"It was a policeman who noticed the smell first, luckily," says Moran. "I got here as fast as I could; no-one else has been here." You pass two guards who had the alleyway sealed.
And in this alleyway, between an abandoned building and the large new one, lies the body, in two halfs, cut diagonally from just under the shoulder on the right side to the waist on the left. You can see the marks of a sabre blow at once. In his right hand the dead Gran seems to have a wooden stick, about a foot and a half long, burnt at the end. His body is near a back door to the newer building.
(Moran does not want to be seen to prejudice your findings, so he'll stay back until you reach some conclusions)
It is indeed a wooden sword, BB. The sort of thing you might use in training. There's the other half not, far from the body, also burned at on end. Yes, it is consistent with it being sliced through by a lightsabre.