Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows (Part 2)

Welcome to Part 2 of Trail of Shadows. Jedi Investigator Emmerich Kaftor is stumped. It's been a long time since the incident with Master Loden, and he hasn't gotten anywhere with the investigation. Private Aishan Holt is recovering from the attack in which her partner, Keefar Branto, was killed by a Tarnab. As Emmerich and Shan separately contemplate the puzzle that they've uncovered, they are both summoned to the office of the Supreme Chancellor. When they arrive, Chancellor Soh tells them that they are to work together on Master Loden's case. She tells Shan that the case may have something to do with Keefar Branto's death. When Emmerich asks what the connection between the two incidents could be, he is told that someone very powerful among the Nihil has been trying to sell a powerful weapon on the black market. He and Shan are shown a hologram of the seller's agent, a Tarnab named Arthab Fal, the same Tarnab that killed Keefar and injured Shan. It turns out Keefar was working undercover to meet with Fal and find out more about this weapon. When Shan learns this, she says she will do whatever needs to be done to avenge Keefar's death. Chancellor Soh informs the duo that they have sent another undercover agent to make contact with Fal. We join the agent in an apartment on Vauzard 5, nicknamed Gambler's Paradise, as he waits to meet Fal. When he hears a knock on the door, he asks for a passphrase, but Fal bursts in, saying that they don't have time for silly games. He demands the agent pay for the item, but the agent, digging for more information, asks if the item is as powerful as Fal claims. On hearing what sound like doubts from the agent, Fal is enraged, and contacts his boss, who tells him that the deal is off, and to kill the agent. At that moment a group of armed Nihil burst into the room. It turns out Fal doesn't work for the Nihil, and they have been looking for him. At this time, Emmerich and Shan are headed for Vauzard 5 themselves. The two of them are irritated about having to work together, and Shan teases the stoic Emmerich. She gets him to change into street clothes, while she tells him that Keefar didn't really mean much to her, and she only pretended that his death was personal so that she could drive the price of her services up. On the other hand, she does have a personal stake in the mission, because Fal almost killed her too, and she can't let him get away with that. Meanwhile on the planet's surface, Fal contacts his boss. They are both surprised that the Nihil were able to find Fal. Once Emmerich and Shan land, they make their way to the apartment where they are supposed to meet the agent. A police officer stops them from entering, saying that the apartment is now an active crime scene. Thinking quickly, Shan tells the officer that they are from the city's major homicides and secret investigations department. It's a totally made-up thing, but the officer buys it and lets them in. He tells the duo that what's happened is a basic breaking and entering homicide, but Shan and Emmerich can see that that's clearly not what happened. The agent they were supposed to be meeting is lying dead on the floor. Both of them are experienced investigators, and infer from the crime scene that there were multiple gunmen in the room. They discover that the agent wasn't killed by blaster fire, but by something with sharp claws. As they investigate, the police officer receives a report of a shootout happening a few blocks away. It's Fal and the Nihil assassins. Outnumbered, Fal uses smoke screens and stealth to take out his adversaries one by one. As the smoke clears, the last remaining Nihil sees Emmerich and Shan emerge. He shoots at them, but Emmerich deflects the fire with his lightsaber, and Shan shoots the Nihil. The duo sees Fal, about to escape on a speeder. Q2, who's been hiding in the shadows, shoots a tracker onto the speeder. They track down Fal, and see him meeting with someone. Emmerich contacts Master Stellant Geos directly. He tells him they don't know who they can trust anymore, and says that he believes they've found the mastermind behind the mayhem. And that's how part 2 of Trail of Shadows ends. This video is sponsored by Shen Yun Creations. Every year, Shen Yun showcases classical Chinese dance, with hundreds of performances in theatres worldwide. Now, you can watch the performances online, at ShenYunCreations.com. Scan the QR code on the screen, or click on the link in the description. And use the code, IND91, to get a special discount. Hurry! Offer ends soon. Join us next time, as Emmerich and Shan's investigation grows more complex. If you haven't already, watch part 1 of Trail of Shadows here. Or watch the entire Trail of Shadows playlist.