Star Wars

Legacy of the Jedi

by Jude Watson

source: IRC

uploaded: 09.I.2006

CHAPTER No. 1

The corridor was empty. The two thirteen-year-old boys paused  outside

the closed door. There were locks at the Jedi Temple, but they were  rarely

used. There was no need. There was nothing to hide. Nothing was  forbidden.

The Jedi's code of honor gave each individual the challenge  and  privilege

of walking the Jedi path. It was assumed that  the  discipline  needed  for

this would also prevail in one's private life.

So to enter another  Jedi's  room  without  an  invitation  would  not

violate a rule. Not one that needed to be spoken or written, at least.  Yet

Dooku knew it was wrong. It wasn't terribly wrong. But it was wrong.

"Come on," Lorian said. "No one will find out."

Dooku glanced at his friend. Lorian's face was  eager.  A  dusting  of

freckles scattered across his blunt nose  like  a  dense  constellation  of

stars. His eyes were warm, lit with mischief, a dark piney green with amber

lights, like a forest  shot  with  sunlight.  Lorian  had  been  suggesting

schemes since they were seven, and he'd talked  Dooku  into  exploring  the

garbage tunnels. The experience had left Dooku with a reeking tunic  and  a

healthy respect for sanitation practices.

"Besides, he's your Master," Lorian said. "He wouldn't mind."

It was true that Thame Cerulian was Dooku's Master. The renowned  Jedi

Knight had chosen him last week. Dooku had just turned thirteen, and he was

relieved that he wouldn't have to wait  any  longer  to  become  a  Padawan

Learner. Yet he had not had time to get to know Thame at all. Thame was  in

the Outer Rim completing one last mission before taking on a Padawan. Dooku

was proud to have been chosen by such a legend.

The question was, could he live up  to  that  legend?  Dooku  had  to.

Getting a peek into Thame's personal quarters might give him a head start.

He nodded at Lorian and accessed the door. It slid open  silently.  He

stepped inside. If he expected a clue to his new Master's inner  character,

he was disappointed. The sleep couch was narrow, pushed against one wall. A

gray coverlet was folded neatly at the bottom. A data-screen sat on a  bare

table. No laserprints or holograms hung on the wall. No personal items were

on the desk or the small table beside the sleep couch. There  was  a  glass

carafe with a small glass stopper. The  transparent  vessel  and  the  gray

blanket were the only signs that someone actually inhabited the room.

"Wait," Lorian said. "I found something."

He slid his hands along a seam in the wall that was almost  invisible.

He pressed a recessed button and the wall slid back to reveal shelves  over

the desk. They were filled with holobooks.

Dooku bent to examine the titles. Thame, he knew, was a historian,  an

expert in Jedi history. He had never seen  most  of  these  titles  before.

Galactic  history,  biographies,  the   natural   sciences   of   different

atmospheres and planetary systems. It was an impressive library.

Lorian dismissed them with a glance. "You'd think he'd have had enough

of studies after Temple training. I can't wait to get out into  the  galaxy

and do things."

Dooku reached for a holobook with no title or author.  He  flipped  it

open and scanned a page.

Meditation beforehand is necessary in order to ready  the  mind.  Some

suffer from nausea or dizziness at first viewing. But  primarily  one  must

prepare for the effect of the dark side upon the mind, especially the young

or weak. Nightmares and dark visions can result, lasting years....

"This is a manual about the Sith Holocron," Dooku said,  his  voice  a

whisper now. He handled the holobook carefully.

"The Sith Holocron? But no one can view it," Lorian said.

"That's not so. Jedi Masters are allowed.  Not  many  are  interested.

Most Jedi Knights think the Sith are extinct and will never return.  Except

for my Master." Dooku gazed at the book. His  stomach  twisted,  as  though

he'd gazed upon the Sith Holocron itself. "He believes there  will  come  a

time when the Jedi will have to fight the Sith again."

"Does this manual tell you how to access the Holocron?" Lorian  asked,

interested now.

Dooku flipped through it, his heart beating. "Yes. It  gives  warnings

and instructions."

"This is so  galactic,"  Lorian  murmured.  "With  the  help  of  this

handbook, we could access the Sith Holocron ourselves!" He looked at Dooku,

his eyes shining. "We'd be the first Jedi Padawans to do it!"

"We can't!" Dooku said, shocked at the suggestion. "Why  not?"  Lorian

asked.

"Because it's forbidden. Because it's dangerous. Because we don't know

enough. Because of a million reasons, all of them good ones."

"But no one would know," Lorian said. "You could  do  it,  Dooku.  You

have a better Force connection than any Padawan. Everyone knows  that.  And

with the help of the holobook, you'd succeed."

Dooku shook his head. He put the holobook back on the shelf.

"It would be amazing," Lorian said. "You could find out Sith  secrets.

If you really knew the dark side, you'd be a better Jedi Knight. Yoda  says

that we can't fight evil without understanding it."

"Yoda never said that."

"Well, it sounds like something he'd say," Lorian protested. "And it's

true. Isn't that what Temple training is all about? All we do is  study  so

we can be prepared. How can we prepare to meet evil if we don't  understand

it?"

That was the trouble with Lorian, Dooku  thought.  He  had  a  way  of

putting things that made sense, even when he was asking you  to  break  the

rules.

He looked over at the holobook again. It was tempting. And Lorian  had

put his finger on Dooku's secret wish - to be the  best  Padawan  ever.  He

wanted to impress his new Master. Could the Sith Holocron be the key to his

wish?

"We'll only take a quick look," Lorian said. "Just think,  Dooku.  The

Jedi are the most powerful group in the galaxy. We could be the best of the

best."

"A  true  Jedi  does  not  think  in  terms  of  power,"  Dooku   said

disapprovingly. "We are peacekeepers."

"Peacekeepers need power, just like everybody  else,"  Lorian  pointed

out. "If they don't have it, who will listen?"

Lorian was right, even though he wasn't  expressing  himself  in  what

would be considered a true Jedi way. The Jedi did have power. Jedi did  not

use that word, but it fit. Lorian knew that, and he wasn't  afraid  to  say

it. Jedi were renowned throughout the galaxy. They weren't feared, but they

were respected. They were asked by  governments,  by  Senators,  for  their

help. If that wasn't power, what was?

The best of the best. Wasn't that what he wanted?

"Thame is a great Knight," Lorian continued. "I'd think you'd want  to

be worthy of him. If I had a Master, I'd prepare as much as I could  before

we left the Temple. I wouldn't want to disappoint him."

"I won't disappoint him if I do my best," Dooku said. "That is  all  I

can do."

Lorian threw himself back on Thame's sleep couch with  a  groan.  "Now

you sound like Yoda."

"Don't sit there!" Dooku hissed, but Lorian ignored him.

Lorian stared at the ceiling. `No one has chosen me."

Dooku held his breath. Here it was, the big thing between them. He had

been chosen by a Jedi Knight, and Lorian had not. Dooku had been one of the

first to be chosen. Every day afterward, the two boys had waited for a Jedi

Knight to choose Lorian. They knew that many had watched him, and some  had

considered him seriously. Yet each time,  the  Knight  had  chosen  someone

else. Neither Dooku nor Lorian knew why. Dooku had  always  been  ahead  of

Lorian in battle skills and  Force  connection,  but  Lorian  was  just  as

brilliant in his studies and commitment. It  was  unthinkable  that  Lorian

would not be chosen eventually.

"It will happen," Dooku said. "Patience exists to be tested."

Lorian flipped over on his side and gave Dooku a flat stare. "Right."

Dooku wished he could take back his words. They  were  so...  correct.

They were something a Jedi Master might say, not a  best  friend.  But  the

truth was that he didn't know what to say. The period of waiting was  hard,

but everything would turn out all right.

Lorian coiled his body into a ball and then shot off the  bed.  "Okay,

make a decision. Do we access the Sith Holocron or not?"

Dooku reached over to straighten the wrinkles Lorian had made  on  his

new Master's bed. Thame was everything he'd hoped to get as  a  Master.  He

couldn't jeopardize that. Not even for his best friend.

"Not," he said. "We'd get in serious trouble if we got caught."

"You never worried about getting caught before," Lorian said.

That's because I never had so much to lose.  But  Dooku  couldn't  say

that. If he did, it would only point out that Lorian didn't have a Master.

Dooku felt Lorian's eyes on his back as he bent to smooth the coverlet

at the end of Thame's sleep couch.

"If you could do it without the risk of getting caught, you  would  do

it," Lorian said. "So the fact that it's wrong isn't really the reason  you

won't. Maybe you're not the true Jedi you think you are."

He sauntered out the door. "Just wanted you to know that I noticed."

CHAPTER No. 2

Now that Dooku was through with his official Temple training,  he  was

allowed to structure his days himself. Although he was expected to continue

to study and devote himself to battle training and physical discipline,  it

was also expected that he would allot the time for activities  he  enjoyed.

In the brief period between a Padawan's last official classes and  becoming

an apprentice, the Jedi Masters  indulged  their  students  and  gave  them

freedom to roam.

Dooku woke early. His conversation with Lorian the  day  before  still

troubled him. He decided to head to the Room of the Thousand  Fountains  to

stroll among the greenery and let the music of the water calm his mind.  It

felt luxurious to be able to decide how to spend his  time.  He  knew  such

days would be over soon, and he intended to enjoy every second of them.  He

wouldn't allow a small disagreement with his friend to ruin them, either.

He stepped out into the hallway  and  immediately  noticed  a  change.

Dooku sometimes wasn't sure whether the Force or his intuition was  working

- he wasn't that experienced yet. But he knew that the  atmosphere  in  the

Temple had changed. There was a humming current  underneath  the  calm,  an

agitation he could pick up easily.

Ahead of him, a few students stood  in  a  cluster.  Dooku  approached

them. He recognized Hran Beling, a fellow  student  his  age.  Hran  was  a

Vicon, a small species only one meter tall.

He didn't have to ask the students what  they  were  discussing.  Hran

looked up at him, his long nose twitching. "Have you heard  the  news?  The

Sith Holocron has been stolen!"

Dooku was naturally pale, but he felt his blood drain from  his  face,

and he was sure he looked as white as a medic's gown. "What? How?"

"No one knows how," Hran said. "There could  be  an  intruder  at  the

Temple."

One of the younger students lowered his voice to a whisper.  "What  if

it's a Sith?"

Hran's eyes twinkled. "Yes, what if it is?"  he  asked  solemnly.  "He

could be walking the halls. He could be anywhere. What if he's  behind  you

right now?" Hran gasped and pointed behind the young student, who jumped in

alarm, his Padawan braid flying.

The others burst into nervous laughter. Dooku didn't  join  them.  His

heart thumping, he turned away.

There had been no intruder. He was sure of it.

Dooku hurried to Lorian's quarters. The  privacy  light  was  on  over

Lorian's door, but he accessed it anyway. The door was locked.

Dooku pressed his mouth against the seam of  the  door.  "Let  me  in,

Lorian."

There was no answer.

"Let me in or I'll go  straight  to  the  Jedi  Council  room,"  Dooku

threatened.

He heard the smooth click as the lock disengaged, and  the  door  slid

open. The room was dark, the shade drawn against the rising sun. He stepped

inside and the door hissed shut behind him. All was  dark  except  for  the

hologram of Caravan, a model star cruiser Lorian had designed. It  traveled

the room in an endless loop.

Lorian sat in a corner, as if he were trying to press himself  against

the wall hard enough to melt inside  it.  His  hands  dangled  between  his

knees, and Dooku saw that they were shaking.

"You took it."

"I didn't mean to," Lorian said. "I just wanted to look at it."

"Where is it?"

Lorian pointed to the far corner with his chin. "Do you feel  it?"  he

whispered. "I feel so sick...."

"Why did you take it?" Dooku asked sharply, his gaunt features  making

him look older than his years. Sweat broke out on his  forehead.  He  could

feel the dark power of the Holocron. He didn't want to  look  at  it.  Just

knowing it was behind him in a dark corner was  enough  to  make  him  feel

shaky.

"I was in the archives. I had it in my hands. Someone  was  coming.  I

put it underneath my cloak. Then I ran." Lorian shuddered. "I was going  to

take it back, but I can't... I can't touch it again, Dooku. I didn't expect

it to be like this."

"How did you expect it to be?" Dooku asked angrily. "A  pleasant  walk

in the woods?"

"I have to bring it back," Lorian said.  "I  need  your  help."  Dooku

looked at him in disbelief. "I told you I didn't want anything to  do  with

this."

"But you have to help me!" Lorian cried. "You're my best friend!"

"You got yourself into this," Dooku said. "Just stick  it  under  your

cloak again and bring it back."

"I can't do it alone, Dooku," Lorian said.

Dooku's gaze rested on Lorian's shaking hands. He  didn't  doubt  that

Lorian wouldn't be able to do it. "Please, Dooku," Lorian begged.

Dooku didn't get a chance to answer. The door  suddenly  hissed  open.

Oppo Rancisis, Jedi Master and revered member of the Jedi Council, stood in

the doorway.

"Are you ill, Lorian?" he asked kindly. "Some of the  Masters  noticed

that you..." His voice trailed off. Dooku felt the atmosphere in  the  room

change, as though gravity had increased. He felt it pressing against him.

Oppo Rancisis stared at them. "I sense a  tremor  in  the  Force,"  he

said.

They could not speak.

His keen gaze swept the room. Suddenly he turned  and  strode  to  the

corner and picked up the Holocron. He  placed  it  carefully  in  the  deep

pocket of his robe. Then he turned and regarded the two boys.

Lorian pressed himself back against the wall and pushed himself  to  a

standing position.

"It was Dooku's idea," he said.

CHAPTER No. 3

Dooku was too shocked to say a word.

"The Council will want to see you both," Oppo Rancisis said sternly.

"But I didn't - " Dooku began.

Oppo Rancisis held up a hand. "Whatever you have to say will  be  said

before the Council. The truth will be spoken there." He turned  and  walked

out.

"Dooku, listen - " Lorian started.

Rage filled Dooku. He couldn't even meet his friend's gaze.

He ran blindly down the hall. He didn't know where he  was  going.  He

had so many sanctuaries in the Temple - a  favorite  bench,  a  spot  by  a

window, a rock by the lake - but he could not imagine any of  those  places

offering him sanctuary now. His heart  was  so  full  of  black  anger  and

bitterness that he felt he was choking.

His best friend had betrayed him. Throughout the years at the  Temple,

he could always depend on Lorian. They had shared jokes and  secrets.  They

had competed and helped each other. They had quarreled and made up.

The fact that this person could betray him shocked him  so  deeply  he

felt sick.

He didn't know how he passed the day. Somehow the news  got  out  that

the two had been caught. Students sent him sidelong looks  and  hurried  by

him. Jedi Knights who did not know him studied him as they  passed  in  the

hall. Dooku longed to go to Yoda and explain everything, but he  knew  that

Yoda would only repeat what Oppo  Rancisis  had  said.  He  had  to  suffer

through the days until the Jedi Council found the time to speak to them.

Dooku did not have the appetite or the nerve to face the others in the

dining hall for the evening meal. He stayed in his room. When at  last  the

hallways glowed with the cool blue light that meant the Temple was settling

down to sleep, he felt relief. At least for the next hours he  wouldn't  be

under scrutiny.

He couldn't wait to be called before the Council. He couldn't wait  to

tell the truth. He knew the Masters would believe him  and  not  Lorian.  A

Jedi Master was adept at discerning truth. Lorian would not get  away  with

his lie, and Dooku would have justice.

He turned out the light and lay on his sleep couch, his heart burning.

He imagined how clearly he would speak. He would tell the truth  -  all  of

it. He would tell them how Lorian tried to tempt him. He  would  tell  them

how he refused him, and how Lorian had  pressed  him.  It  was  with  great

satisfaction that Dooku imagined Lorian's  punishment.  A  reprimand  would

surely not go far enough. Lorian could even  get  expelled  from  the  Jedi

Order.

His door hissed open. He hadn't locked  it.  Dooku  never  locked  his

door. He'd never needed to, until now.

Lorian slipped into the dark room.  Dooku  said  nothing,  hoping  his

contempt would fill the space better than words.

Lorian sat on the floor, a few meters away from the sleep couch.

"I had a reason for saying what I did," he said. "I'm  not  interested

in your reasons."

"You don't understand anything," Lorian burst out.  "Everything  comes

so easily to you. You never  think  about  other  people,  about  how  they

suffer. You just kept telling me I shouldn't worry  about  getting  chosen.

Why shouldn't I worry? Time is running out! It's so easy for  you  to  say.

You were picked right away."

"So you're blaming me for that?" Dooku hissed. "Is that why  you  lied

to Oppo Rancisis?"

"No," Lorian said. "And I don't blame  you  for  anything  except  not

trying to understand how I feel. We're supposed to be best friends, and you

never, ever really tried. All you think about is your own pleasure in  your

success."

"Get out of my room," Dooku said.

Instead, Lorian stretched out on the floor. His voice lowered.  "Can't

you understand, Dooku? I'm in trouble. I need  your  help.  I  know  I  was

wrong. I shouldn't have taken the Holocron. But I was desperate. I  thought

if only I had an edge, if only I could know  something  that  no  one  else

knows.... Can't you understand why I would want that?"

"No," Dooku said. But he did.

"Now if the Council finds out I did it, I could be kicked out  of  the

Jedi."

"You're exaggerating, as usual," Dooku said scathingly. But hadn't  he

been thinking the same thing?

"Everything is at stake for me," Lorian said. "But you've already been

chosen by the great Thame Cerulian. Not only that, Master Yoda has taken  a

persona interest in you. The Council has watched you, too.  They  know  you

have an extraordinary Force connection.  They'll  forgive  you.  Especially

since your Master is interested in the Sith. You could say you just  wanted

to do some research."

Lorian's voice floated up in the darkness, ragged with desperation. "I

panicked when Oppo Rancisis came in. I saw my future, and it scared  me.  I

could get kicked out, and where would I go, what would I do?"

"You should have thought of that before you stole the Sith Holocron."

"I know I shouldn't ask such a big thing, but who else can I  ask  but

my best friend? Because no matter  what,  you're  still  my  best  friend."

Lorian paused. For a moment, all Dooku  could  hear  was  their  breathing.

"Will you cover for me?"

Dooku wanted to burst out with a savage  "No!"  But  he  couldn't.  He

didn't know if Lorian could get kicked out of the order - he  didn't  think

so. But it served Lorian right to have to worry about it.

Punishment would be severe for him, especially since he'd tried to lie

and cover up. But Lorian was right - Dooku  was  a  favorite  of  the  Jedi

Masters. He knew how he could tell the story so that he would  just  get  a

lecture, most likely.  He  would  let  them  think  it  was  a  hunger  for

knowledge, a desire to impress his new Master. They would believe that.

Dooku didn't know what to say. He  wasn't  prepared  to  lie,  but  he

couldn't say no to his friend. So he said nothing, and, after a long while,

the two friends fell asleep.

CHAPTER No. 4

Dooku woke before dawn. Lying in the dark, he listened to the  silence

and knew that Lorian had left sometime during the  night.  He  lay  on  his

back, feeling the weight of the air on his body as though  his  friend  was

sitting on his chest.

Reluctant to rise, he stared  at  the  walls,  watching  the  darkness

slowly silver into gray, until he could see the outlines of his  furniture.

The light on his bedside  table  began  to  glow  softly  and  increase  in

intensity, his signal to wake up. Then a holographic calendar appeared  and

glowed in the air overhead. Usually the day calendar had been  filled  with

appointments and classes. Lately he had liked  looking  at  its  blankness.

Soon he would fill it up with missions.

He stared at it, thinking of his future. It  was  secure.  Was  Lorian

right? Had he been smug about that and failed to  appreciate  his  friend's

distress?

He stared at the calendar for long minutes, thinking of  this,  before

it registered on his brain that the entire day had been blocked out.  Dooku

sat up. The urban search exercise! It was today! Not only that, he saw that

he and Lorian had been summoned  before  the  Jedi  Council  following  the

search.

The exercise was designed more for competitive fun  than  for  serious

training. The older students, the  ones  who  had  either  been  chosen  as

apprentices or who had finished their formal Temple training, were  invited

to sign up. They were divided into two teams, and had to track one  another

through a segment of Coruscant near the Temple. They had  to  use  stealth,

cunning, and surveillance techniques. Dooku and Lorian had  signed  up  the

week before.

Dooku swung his legs over the  bed.  Would  he  and  Lorian  still  be

allowed to participate?

He dressed hurriedly and grabbed his training light-saber.  He  walked

out into the hallway and saw Yoda ahead. Yoda nodded a greeting.

"Heading to the tracking exercise, are you?" Yoda  asked.  "I-I  don't

know if I am permitted.." Dooku stammered.

Yoda cocked his head at him. "A commitment you  made.  A  Padawan  you

are. And thus the answer you find is..."

"I'm going," Dooku said. He hurried off. He had just  enough  time  to

grab some fruit for the morning meal before the students assembled  outside

on the landing platform. He wondered if Lorian would have the nerve to show

up.

Lorian stood at the edge of the small crowd on the exterior  platform.

He was clearly uncomfortable and avoided standing too near or too far away.

He wore his hood low so that it shaded his eyes. Dooku stood at the edge of

the group, opposite from Lorian. No one paid attention  to  them.  Whatever

the gossip had been, it had died down, and the students now only thought of

the contest ahead.

The cool morning air flushed their cheeks and the wind  whipped  their

robes around them as they chattered  in  excited  voices.  Dooku  felt  the

combined Force from the group, energetic, unfocused, but strong.

For a moment he stood outside himself. It was something that  happened

to him from time to time. Suddenly he would  feel  removed,  as  though  he

floated above his classmates.

How young we all are, he thought, amused. Someday I will look back  on

this and wish for such simple things as  a  learning  exercise  on  a  cool

morning.

It made him feel better for a moment. Someday his problem with  Lorian

wouldn't matter. It would be a blip, a moment of static, something lost  in

a sea of missions in a remarkable career.

Then Yoda and Oppo Rancisis emerged from the interior of  the  Temple.

His gaze rested on Dooku only briefly, but it brought Dooku back to reality

with a bump. His mood suddenly soured as he thought of the Jedi Council  he

would have to face.

The students quieted as Yoda approached. He stood in the middle of the

group, nodding greetings at the familiar faces. He'd known them  all  since

they were babies and had trained them all when they were younglings.

"In an exercise know you  do  that  every  year  the  oldest  students

participate," he said. "Urban tracking, this year's will be. That this is a

test remember you must. Yet graded you will not be. Take it  seriously  but

lightly you must. Attempt to win you will; if you lose, enjoy it you may."

The students smiled at Yoda's contradictions and  fiddled  with  their

training lightsabers. Everyone was anxious to begin.

"And now, the rules," Oppo said. "You will be divided into  two  teams

of ten. In a moment, your team color will flash on your datapad. Each  team

will have a  different  starting  point.  The  goal  of  each  team  is  to

successfully bring a muja fruit from one of the  fruitsellers  in  the  All

Planets Market back to the Temple by sunset. Team members can be eliminated

only by one light touch with a lightsaber."

The students smiled. They knew that no matter how easy it sounded, the

actual exercise would turn out to be much harder.

"You must keep to the segment mapped out on your  datapads.  To  cross

the line is to be disqualified. Do you understand this?"

The students nodded, trying to conceal their  anticipation.  They  all

knew the rules.

Yoda nodded, letting them know  that  their  attempts  to  hide  their

impatience hadn't fooled him a bit. "Perhaps wait you should until the  sun

is higher...." he began, his eyes twinkling.

"No, please, Master Yoda!" the students chorused the words together.

"Ah, then teams you will become. Look on your data-pads, you must."

The students reached for the  palm-sized  datapads  on  their  utility

belts. Dooku's screen glowed blue.

"Blue and gold, the team colors are," Yoda said. "And the captains are

these: Dooku for blue, Lorian for gold. Waiting, the Jedi Masters  are,  to

take you to your starting points."

Startled, Dooku looked first at Yoda, then at Lorian, whose blank face

showed how deeply surprised he was. Why had they been chosen  as  captains?

Maybe yesterday morning they would have  been  chosen.  Yesterday  morning,

when they were  not  suspected  of  stealing  a  Sith  Holocron.  Yesterday

morning, when they were still Padawans in good standing.

Dooku gripped his datapad, still reeling by Yoda's words. He  had  not

yet completely figured out Jedi logic, that was certain.

"Hey, Dooku, wake up!" Hran Beling grinned at him as he tugged on  the

sleeve of his tunic. "Is it a little early for you?"

"Jedi Master Reesa Doliq is  waiting,"  Galinda  Norsh  said  briskly.

"Let's get started."

Dooku noticed that the Gold Team members were all scrambling to  board

a transport. He hurried behind the other Blue Team members  to  get  aboard

their own transport. Reesa Doliq smiled at the students as they crammed in.

"Room for everyone," she said. "Don't worry,  I'll  have  you  at  the

starting point in no time. In the meantime, you can start on your strategy.

"

The two transports lifted off. Dooku found that every Blue Team member

was staring at him, waiting for him to begin. He was the leader, after all.

He cleared his throat and looked down at his datapad. The map  of  the

area they would be operating in flashed onscreen. Dooku was  familiar  with

much of it. It consisted of the Senate buildings, several grand  boulevards

that he knew quite well, and the All Planets Market, which was  held  in  a

large plaza near the Senate complex. As a promising student  of  diplomacy,

he had signed up for special tutorials in Senate  procedure,  so  he'd  had

plenty of opportunities to explore the Senate grounds.

Quickly Dooku scanned the map, trying to locate streets and alleys and

space lanes. Everyone had to be coordinated and a strategy must be devised.

They should spread out and each student should get a muja fruit. That would

increase the odds of their win.

But why? Dooku thought suddenly. It was just what Lorian would  expect

him to do, so why should he do it?

"Our starting coordinate is Nova level," Galinda said.  "That's  good.

There are many alleys there  to  hide  in.  And  the  gravsleds  and  truck

transports will be unloading supplies for the market. We can use  them  for

cover." She looked over Dooku's shoulder at the map.

Hran Beling nodded. "We can pick the fastest among us to pick  up  the

fruit."

"They'll probably be staking out the fruit stands," Galinda said.  "We

have to get there first."

"Maybe not," Dooku muttered, his head bent over the map.

"Do you have a better idea?" Hran asked.

Dooku didn't answer. He was thinking. What would Lorian expect him  to

do?

He would expect me to race to get a muja fruit first. He would  expect

me to send three Padawans to retrieve the fruit, and guard  them  with  the

rest. If they all didn't make it, I'd send back two.

He looked at the map again.

"Do you have a plan or, what?" Galinda asked impatiently.

Dooku looked up at last. "Yes," he said. "We're not  going  after  the

muja fruit at all."

They looked at him skeptically. Dooku only smiled. He would bend  them

to his will. He would make them see his strategy. Because he knew one thing

on this day: He had to win.

CHAPTER No. 5

"Why expose ourselves to get the fruit  at  the  start?"  Dooku  asked

them. "Why not let the Gold Team try for the fruit, and pick them  off  one

by one? We might lose a few team members, but not as  many  as  they  will.

When you are intent on getting something, you take more chances. Then, when

no Gold Team members are left, we can simply stroll to the market,  pick  a

fruit, and head back to the Temple. Simple."

"Sure, if we're able to pick them all off," Galinda said. "What if one

of them gets through and makes it back to the Temple?"

"That is not an acceptable outcome," Dooku said. His coolness made the

others exchange glances. Dooku had learned early that in order  to  inspire

confidence he should not admit doubt.

Galinda was still skeptical. "But where can we  set  up  surveillance?

There's not much cover in the market. We need good sight lines."

"I have a plan for that, too," Dooku said.

Dooku stood as the transport landed. He noticed that Master Doliq  was

watching him curiously. He tucked his data pad into his belt. "Follow  me,"

he told the others.

He jumped off the ramp and led the way through the twisting streets to

the Senate complex. He walked so purposefully that no one asked  him  where

they were going.

When he arrived at the complex he led the others onto a turbolift  and

descended to the lower sub-offices. He had a foolproof  strategy.  It  just

depended on his powers of persuasion and how  much  a  friend  of  his  was

willing to bend the rules. He was learning that sometimes it was better  to

come at things sideways, especially when his opponent assumed he would come

at them head-on. Persuasion and deception could work better than battles.

Dooku turned to the others as he reached a door. "Wait here. I'll just

be a minute."

He accessed the door and walked in.  A  tall,  spindly  creature  with

waving antennae and bright yellow eyes sat at a datascreen.  He  looked  up

and saw Dooku, then pretended to tremble.

"Dooku! Oh, no! Have you come to show me up again?"

"Not at all, Eero." Dooku smiled. His first  meeting  with  the  young

Senatorial aide Eero Iridian had cemented their friendship, but not in  the

usual way. Dooku had been attending a seminar on the political  history  of

the Correllian system. Eero had read a paper he'd written on  the  subject,

and Dooku had raised a hand to correct a number  of  points  he  felt  were

inaccurate. Eero had bristled at the newcomer, but a quick  search  of  the

archives had revealed that Dooku had been right.

Eero had been hoping to impress both his father, a  Senator,  and  his

boss. Instead, he'd been publicly embarrassed. Yet after the  seminar  he'd

come up to Dooku and asked if the student would be  interested  in  joining

his study group. He'd been annoyed at Dooku, but he wanted  to  learn  from

him, too. Dooku had joined the group for a time, and he and Eero had become

friends. Eero's father was powerful  and  Eero  longed  to  follow  in  his

footsteps. Dooku admired how hard he studied and the fact that he took  the

job of a Senatorial aide so seriously.

Of course that was not why he had come to see him today.

"I need a favor," Dooku said.

"Anything I have is yours," Eero declared.

"I need your code card to the C level transport hallway," Dooku said.

"Except that," Eero said.

Dooku said nothing. He just waited.

Eero fiddled with a flexible antennae. "Okay, why?"

"A Padawan exercise," Dooku said. "I need the element of surprise, and

that passage overlooks the All Planets Market. There's also an exit with  a

turbolift straight down to market level. We can use it as a base."

"But it's restricted to Senate personnel."

"That's why I need your access card,"  Dooku  said  patiently.  Eero's

fault as a scholar, he recalled, was that he had trouble putting  different

facts together to reach a conclusion. He noted  the  reluctance  on  Eero's

face. Maybe he should offer a favor as an exchange. This  was  the  Senate,

after all.

"I'll help you with that Tolfranian brief that's giving  you  so  much

trouble," Dooku offered.

Eero looked torn. "I could use the help. But I could  get  in  trouble

with Senate security if I give you the code card. It could go on my record.

On the other hand, this brief is really  important  to  my  boss...."  Eero

began to fiddle furiously with both antennae now, twirling them around  his

fingers until they sprang loose in coils. "Okay," he finally said in a rush

of breath. He tossed the code card to Dooku.

"I'll have it back to you by this evening," Dooku said, hurrying out.

Now I have you, Lorian. You won't beat me.

The plan worked perfectly, for a while.  Dooku  and  the  team  had  a

perfect view of the muja fruitseller from a window in a storage area.  They

could clearly see the bustling market and the fact that Lorian and the Gold

Team members had set up several stakeout areas. They were waiting for Dooku

to strike. Dooku knew that Lorian believed the  Blue  Team  would  make  an

aggressive first move. It was usually how Dooku began a lightsaber  battle.

But a trademark move could betray you. It was better  to  mix  up  tactics.

Lorian had no idea that he, too, had a trademark move.  When  he  began  to

lose a battle, he made a deliberately wide pass  to  the  left,  then  spun

around to his opponent's rear. This gave him precious seconds to catch  his

breath and compose his mind.

Dooku sent out his group in pairs. They communicated by comlink.  From

their perch above they were able to track the evasive procedures the  other

team employed. It was easy to direct  their  team  members  below.  With  a

slight touch of the lightsaber, one after another, Gold Team  members  went

down. Each hit was recorded on everyone's datapad.

They were winning. Lorian's team had managed to hit only one Blue Team

member, and they'd taken out five of his.

Then Lorian must have figured out what they were doing.

Suddenly Dooku saw two Gold team members running toward the turbolift.

Unable to access it, they began to use their cable launchers to  scale  the

glass tube. They would find a way in. That  left  three  Gold  members.  If

Dooku were Lorian, he would try to ambush them at an exit.

Or Lorian would go for the muja fruit while he was running from him.

No, Dooku thought. Lorian knows the Senate well. He will think he  can

catch me here.

Just in case, Dooku barked into his comlink at his two team members in

the market. "Guard that fruitseller. We have to  abandon  the  surveillance

post." He turned to the remaining six members of his team. "Let's  get  out

of here."

The team members raced out of the storage unit.  There  was  only  one

other way down - through the turbolift that connected to  the  Senate  main

halls. Dooku thought rapidly as the turbolift  sank  downward.  Lorian  had

also attended seminars in the Senate. Lorian knew the building even  better

than Dooku. Lorian loved poking around in places he shouldn't. If he didn't

know before that this turbolift led to only two exits, he had no doubt made

it his business to know. It would have been easy to access a Senate map and

find out.

Dooku reached out and pressed the button to stop the turbolift. "We're

not getting out," he told the others. "We're going up."

He leaped up and balanced on the  handrail.  He  accessed  the  escape

hatch at the top and climbed up. Above his head was a  door  leading  to  a

Senate level. A training lightsaber did  not  have  the  power  of  a  true

lightsaber, but it could most likely get through the metal  door  over  his

head.

He worked his lightsaber along the seam of the door. "Galinda, Hran, I

need some help," he called down as he worked.

The two Padawans squirmed up through the opening. They got  out  their

lightsabers to help him. Within minutes they had peeled back the metal just

enough for them to squeeze through.

They crawled through the opening. Dooku saw an orientation  kiosk  and

hurriedly accessed the Senate map. He found the fastest route to an exit.

"We have about three to five minutes before Lorian  figures  out  that

we're not coming out of that turbolift and we're no longer in  hallway  C,"

Dooku said. "That's enough time to buy some muja fruit, I think."

Stained and dirty now from the turbolift tunnel, the rest of the  team

grinned as they tucked their lightsabers into their utility belts.  Winning

was so close now they could taste it.

They ran down the hallway toward the exit. They burst  into  the  open

air and ran in the direction of the market. The sun was high overhead  now,

but clouds were beginning to gather. Shade and shadow dappled them as  they

dodged shoppers and carts and made their way toward the fruitsellers.

Suddenly Dooku wished they had formed a  plan  before  they'd  charged

into the market. They were all running full-tilt, all of them hoping to  be

the first to buy a muja fruit and get it back safely to the Temple. He  had

lost his focus because the end was so near.

His datascreen flashed. His other two Blue Team members, the  ones  in

the market, had been hit. Lorian hadn't set up  an  ambush  in  the  Senate

after all.

"They're in the market!" Dooku yelled. "Split up!"

A blur of red, then green came to Dooku out of the corner of his  eye.

He stopped so quickly he almost fell backward into a display of  children's

toys. Members of the Gold Team were charging at his team, their lightsabers

held discreetly at their sides, but ready to strike. He saw Hran get tapped

and he turned away, a disgusted look on his face. Galinda held a muja fruit

in her hands as  Lorian  suddenly  appeared  from  behind  an  awning.  His

lightsaber whirled gracefully and came down with the slightest touch on the

back of her shoulder. Galinda winced. Lorian smiled, plucked the  muja  out

of her hand, and tucked it into his tunic.

Now each team had five members left. It was a tie. Dooku had lost  his

lead.

Lorian threw a glance at Dooku through the crowd. Dooku saw a  playful

challenge in his friend's gaze. Fury coursed through him.  He  didn't  feel

playful.

This isn't a game, he thought. Not for me.

Dooku leaped over the display of toys. He snaked around a couple  with

a baby in a repulsorlift carrier. He dived under a table, rolled, and  came

up behind a Gold Team member. He struck him lightly  between  the  shoulder

blades. He didn't stay to notice  his  reaction,  but  moved  on,  striking

another team member from behind, then moving in to engage  in  battle  with

another. He dodged the whirling lightsaber and kicked at a jar of syrup  on

display. It smashed on the floor,  the  Jedi  student  slipped,  and  Dooku

claimed another hit. He did not pause but ran full-tilt toward another Gold

Team member who was racing toward the fruitseller. Dooku accessed the Force

and leaped. Usually his control wasn't the best  for  this  maneuver  -  he

still had much to learn - but he surprised himself with perfect  execution.

He landed in front of the student and simply tapped his shoulder.

Breathing hard, Dooku glanced at his datapad. Lorian's strike had been

successful. Every one of his team members had been hit. But he had  managed

to take out the rest of Lorian's team. That made them even. Except for  the

fact that Lorian had a muja fruit.

No time to get the fruit. If he got Lorian, he'd get  the  muja.  He'd

make it to the Temple and deposit it  politely  right  into  the  hands  of

Master Yoda.

The Padawans had all trudged off, some in pairs  or  groups,  to  make

their way back to the Temple. They were not allowed to help their captains.

Lorian had disappeared into the crowd.

Think, Dooku. Don't act until you think. Dooku called on the Force  to

help him. At first  he  saw  only  beings  and  goods  in  the  market.  He

concentrated, waiting until his brain registered the  familiar.  A  certain

tilt of the head. A step. An angle of the chin. Some movement so tiny  that

his senses would pick it up in  a  sea  of  information  that  he  couldn't

process. But the Force could.

The Force surged. Everything fell away, and he saw Lorian. Cleverly he

had reversed his cloak so that the darker underside was out. Dooku set  off

after him. He would not make the same mistake again. He would wait for  his

moment.

He stayed well behind Lorian. He didn't think Lorian knew  he  was  on

his trail. Lorian headed out of the market and turned down  an  alley  that

Dooku wasn't familiar with. Leave it to Lorian to find all the back ways in

Coruscant. Dooku faded back, careful to stay out of sight. It was afternoon

now, and the sun had dropped behind heavy cloud cover.  It  was  almost  as

dark as evening, and the glowlights were on their lowest setting.

The alley twisted back behind the market and made a sharp  left  turn,

now snaking along the back entrances of a variety of shops and restaurants.

The odor of garbage was strong. Dooku put his cloak over his nose. He had a

fastidious nature. He liked cleanliness and order.

To Dooku's surprise, the Temple suddenly loomed ahead. They were  much

closer than he'd thought. His heartbeat  raced.  Lorian  was  in  sight  of

winning! He couldn't let that happen. He had to strike now.

Gathering the Force, Dooku  leaped.  He  landed  on  a  soft  heap  of

garbage, which gave him plenty of spring. Garbage is  good  for  something,

after all, he thought as the  momentum  sent  him  skyward.  He  flew  over

Lorian's head and landed in front of him, lightsaber activated. He did  not

wait to absorb the shock of his landing but used the bounce for his charge.

Lorian had less than  a  second  to  adjust,  but  his  reflexes  were

excellent, a source of envy among the other students. He  leaped  backward,

reaching for his lightsaber and tilting his  move  so  that  Dooku's  first

strike whistled through the air.

"So you found me," he said. He seemed delighted, not  dismayed.  Their

friendship had been built on competition.  It  had  always  been  fun.  But

Lorian's reaction only  enraged  Dooku.  He  resented  Lorian's  ease,  his

assumption that they would always be friends, no matter what.  That's  what

made Lorian push the boundary of their friendship. He pushed too hard. Then

he expected Dooku to take it.

There was a flash of surprise on  Lorian's  face  when  he  noted  the

coldness in Dooku's gaze.  He  stumbled  backward  as  Dooku  came  at  him

furiously, his lightsaber a blur of color and motion.

Lorian recovered almost instantly. He counterattacked in a  series  of

aggressive moves while Dooku was forced on the defensive.

The two friends knew each other's moves so  well  by  now.  Again  and

again Dooku tried to surprise  Lorian,  but  he  was  checked  every  time.

Frustration built in him, clouding his mind. He knew he  had  to  find  his

calm center in order to win, but he couldn't. He had lost his battle mind.

They fought down the length of the alley, using the  garbage  bins  as

cover and occasionally as weapons, pushing the bins toward  each  other  in

order to gain a precious moment or two to take a breath.

Time stopped. Dooku was lost in the battle, lost in his own sweat  and

his own need to win. They were both tired now. Lorian's face was bright red

with effort, and his hair was wet. Every so often they both  had  to  stop,

exhausted, and lean over to catch their breaths. Then  one  of  them  would

recover more quickly and launch himself at  the  other.  Their  grunts  and

cries echoed down the alleyway.

Time may have stopped, but the sun still moved.  Long  shadows  snaked

down the alley floor. It was past time for them to return to the Temple. By

the rules, they had both already lost.

"Come on, Dooku," Lorian said. "It's over."

Dooku took several ragged breaths. Spots had formed in  front  of  his

eyes, a sign that he was seriously exhausted. He felt dizzy. He reached for

the Force. It was elusive. Instead of flowing through him, he could  barely

feel it trickle. But it was enough  to  send  a  small  spurt  of  strength

through his limbs.

"Not yet," he said, attacking Lorian.

Lorian was at the end of the alley now. He had only a few steps before

his back would be against the wall. Dooku knew he could finish him there.

But Lorian suddenly turned, leaving  his  back  exposed  for  a  split

second, and ran at the wall. He used a basic Padawan  exercise,  but  Dooku

was surprised he still had the strength. He ran up the wall,  then  flipped

over Dooku's head. As soon as he landed, he leaped again, this  time  on  a

pile of garbage. From there he gained the roof overhead.

Dooku found the strength he was  looking  for.  He  followed  Lorian's

path, launching onto the garbage and  then  to  the  roof  so  quickly  and

gracefully it seemed one long, continuous movement.

The breeze had sharpened and quickened, and it gave them fresh energy.

Dooku flew toward Lorian,  putting  extra  strength  into  his  moves,  his

footwork sure despite the uneven material of the roof.

"You hate me, don't you?" Lorian grunted,  parrying  a  thrust.  "Just

because I finally asked something of you." "Something it wasn't fair of you

to ask."

"That is what friendship is."

"Not my definition."

"Yes, your definition is that someone  gives  and  you  take.  Someone

admires you and you accept that admiration." Lorian was breathing hard now.

"Someone you can use."

"You have always resented me," Dooku said. "Now I know how much."

He drove forward. Lorian's words filled with him anger. He knew he was

only supposed to touch Lorian to win, but that inability to reach  him,  to

even graze his skin, had built up the frustration to a boiling  point.  His

body felt hot.

Lorian made a half-turn to the left and swung out in a wide arc.

I have him now. He knows he's losing. It was Lorian's trademark move.

Dooku already knew Lorian would spring to his rear. If  Lorian  hadn't

been so tired, he wouldn't have tried it. Instead of moving  to  the  left,

Dooku moved back two steps. When Lorian came  at  him,  he  was  ready.  He

brought his lightsaber down on Lorian's shoulder, right where his tunic had

torn along the seam.

Lorian cried out and stumbled back. He looked at Dooku with disbelief.

It had been a true blow, designed to hurt.

"You gravel maggot," he said. He sprang at Dooku.

Now they fought without regard for rules of  engagement.  They  fought

hard, using every trick. They used their feet and fists as  well  as  their

lightsabers. They kicked at each other and struck out blindly as they moved

by. Dooku had never fought like this. In a part of his mind  he  knew  that

this style of  fighting  brought  him  nothing,  that  it  was  sloppy  and

unfocused and would turn them both into losers, but he couldn't stop.

"Enough."

The word was spoken quietly but it cut  through  the  sound  of  their

battle. They stopped. Yoda had appeared on the roof.  They  hadn't  noticed

him. They hadn't noticed that their battle had brought them within sight of

the Temple windows, either.

Yoda walked over to Lorian. Dooku saw now that the lightsaber blow had

left a deep bruise on Lorian's bare arm. It looked terrible, the  center  a

deep red with a blue-black bruise surrounding it. Lorian had a cut  on  his

cheek and one hand was bleeding.

"To the med clinic go you must, Lorian," Yoda said.  "Dooku,  to  your

quarters. Send for you both we will."

Lorian's gaze rested on the ground. He lifted his head. His  eyes  met

Dooku's. In that moment everything formed into a hard knot of certainty  in

Dooku's heart. They were enemies now.

CHAPTER No. 6

Dooku stood before the Jedi Council. He did not  know  if  Lorian  had

come before him or would be appearing after. He only knew one thing: It was

time to tell the truth. He described how Lorian had wanted them to take the

Sith Holocron, and later, how Lorian had asked him to lie for him.

"And were you prepared to lie for him?" Oppo Rancisis asked.

Dooku took a moment before answering. He wanted to lie and say that he

had never considered Lorian's request, yet he knew the Jedi  Masters  could

see through him like water. He wasn't as powerful as they were, not yet.

"I was not prepared to lie, no," Dooku  said.  "I  thought  about  it.

Lorian was my friend."

"No longer your friend, is he?" Yoda asked.

This he could answer without getting mired in  doubt  and  hesitation.

The truth was clear. "No. He is no longer my friend."

"Clear to us is this as well," Yoda said. "A  training  lightsaber  is

not meant to wound, yet wound Lorian you did."

"I did not mean to," Dooku said. "I was angry and my control  was  not

the best. My best friend had betrayed me."

"Lost control you did," Yoda said. "And too old for excuses you are."

Dooku nodded and looked down. He had expected this rebuke, but he  had

not expected it to sting so badly. He had never disappointed Yoda before.

"Tension between you there was, controlled the anger should have been,

" Yoda went on. "Used the exercise for feelings you should have let  go  in

other ways you did. Meditation. Discussion."

"Physical exercise," Tor Difusal broke in. "A conference with  a  Jedi

Master. You know the outlets available to you. Yet you  chose  not  to  use

them."

Dooku saw that he had been tricked. He had no doubt now  that  he  and

Lorian had been made team  captains  deliberately.  The  Jedi  Council  had

wanted to pit them against each other to see how deep the tensions ran.

"Tricked you were not," Yoda said, as if he'd read  Dooku's  thoughts.

"Given an opportunity you were. Not alone are you, Dooku. To ask  for  help

is no shame."

"I know that." He had been told it enough times.

"Know this you do, but practice  it  you  must,"  Yoda  said  sharply.

"Conquer your pride, you must. Your flaw, it is."

"I will, Master Yoda." Dooku almost sighed aloud. Would he  never  get

away from lessons?

"Go you may," Yoda said.

"Your decision?"

"You will hear of it," Tor Difusal said.

There was nothing to do but bow and leave. Dooku heard the  door  slip

shut silently behind him. Only a few words had been spoken, but he felt  as

though he had emerged from a battle.

The Jedi Council did  not  make  them  wait  long.  Dooku  received  a

reprimand for excessive aggression during the exercise. Lorian was expelled

from the Jedi Order, not for stealing the Sith Holocron, but for lying  and

implicating his friend.

Dooku felt relief course through him. He  hadn't  felt  in  danger  of

being expelled, but the affair could have had  worse  complications.  Thame

Cerulian could have dropped him as an apprentice. That had been  his  worst

fear.

He took the turbolift up to the landing platform. It had  always  been

one of  his  favorite  places.  He  and  Lorian  had  sneaked  in  here  as

younglings, hiding in  a  corner  and  naming  all  the  starships.  They'd

imagined the day when they'd be the Jedi Knights striding through, hoisting

themselves up into their cockpits and zooming off into the atmosphere.

He strolled down the aisle as the  mechanic  droids  buzzed  over  the

ships, doing routine maintenance. Now the time that he would be leaving was

approaching. Thame was returning in three  days.  He  could  be  off  on  a

mission within a week.

He saw ahead that the exit door to the  exterior  platform  was  open.

Someone must be leaving or arriving. He walked out. The clouds had gone and

the night was crystal clear. The stars hung close and glittered so hard and

bright it felt as though they could cut pieces in the sky.

He wasn't alone. Lorian  stood  on  the  platform,  looking  out  over

Coruscant.

"You've heard," he said.

"I'm sorry," Dooku said.

"Are you?" Lorian asked the question softly. "I hear no sorrow in your

voice."

"I am sorry," Dooku said, "but you have to admit that you got yourself

into this mess."

Lorian turned. His eyes glittered like  the  stars  above,  and  Dooku

realized there were tears in them. "A mess? Is that what you call  it?  How

typical of you. Nothing touches you, Dooku. My  life  is  over.  I'm  never

going to be a Jedi! Can you imagine how that feels?"

"Why do you keep asking me to feel what you feel?" Dooku burst out. "I

can't do that. I'm not you!"

"No, you're not me. But I know you better than anyone. I've seen  more

of what's inside you than anyone." Lorian took a  step  toward  him.  "I've

seen your heart, and I know how empty it is. I've seen your  anger,  and  I

know how deep it is. I've seen your ambition, and I know  how  ruthless  it

is. And all of that will ultimately destroy you."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Dooku said. "You wanted me

to lie to protect you. Do you think you're better than me?"

"No, that was never what it was about," Lorian  said.  "It  was  about

friendship."

"That's exactly what it was about! You've always been jealous  of  me!

That's why  you  wanted  to  destroy  me.  Instead,"  Dooku  said,  "you've

destroyed yourself."

Lorian shook his head. He walked past Dooku, back toward the  darkness

of the hangar. "I know one thing," he said, his voice trailing behind  him,

but clear and even. "I will never be a Jedi, it's true.  But  neither  will

you. You will never, never be a great Jedi Master."

Lorian and his words were swallowed up by the darkness. Dooku's cheeks

burned despite the coolness of  the  air.  Words  crowded  in  his  throat,

threatening to break free. Then he decided he would  let  Lorian  have  the

last word. Why not? He had the career. Lorian had nothing.

Lorian had been wrong. Dooku's heart hadn't been empty. He  had  loved

his friend.

But he had changed. Lorian had betrayed him. He would never believe in

friendship again. If his heart was now empty of love, so be  it.  The  Jedi

did not believe in attachments. He would fill his heart with  nobility  and

passion and commitment. He would become a great Jedi Master.

Dooku looked up at a sky that glittered with  stars  and  hummed  with

planets. So much to see, so much to do. So many  beings  to  fight  and  to

fight for. And yet he would take away from  his  time  at  the  Temple  one

lesson, the most important one of all: In the midst  of  a  galaxy  crowded

with life-forms, he was alone.

Dooku was blindfolded and  playing  with  a  seeker  when  he  felt  a

presence enter the room. He knew it was Yoda. He could  feel  the  way  the

Force gathered in the room. He continued to play with the seeker,  swinging

his lightsaber so the wind  batted  it  gently,  teasing  it.  He  circled,

listening and moving, knowing he could slice the seeker in two whenever  he

wanted.

Yoda had not spoken to him since Lorian had  left  the  Temple.  Dooku

passed the time waiting  for  Thame  to  return,  performing  classic  Jedi

training exercises, wanting to impress the Council with his commitment.

"Of your ability, sure  you  are,"  Yoda  said  mildly.  "Yet  between

sureness and pride, a small step it is."

Dooku stopped for a moment. He had wanted to impress Yoda, not provoke

a rebuke. The seeker buzzed around his head like an angry insect.

"Fitting it is that blindfolded you are," Yoda continued. "Pride it is

that blinds you. Your flaw, pride is. Great are your gifts, Dooku.  Mindful

of the talents you do not possess as well as the ones you do you must be."

Dooku heard only the slightest whisper of the fabric of Yoda's robe as

the Jedi Master retreated. The Force drained from the room.

Dooku was not used to criticism. He was the gifted one. He was the one

the teachers always pointed to as an example. He  hated  to  be  corrected.

Coolly, he struck out with his lightsaber and severed the seeker in two.

Thirteen Years Later

Dooku and Qui-Gon Jinn

CHAPTER No. 7

Over the years, Dooku had thought of Yoda's  words  often.  They  were

more a legacy than a lesson, for they were with him still.

He thought of them, but he  did  not  accept  them.  He  had  not  yet

encountered a situation where his pride was his downfall. He did not  think

of it as pride, anyway. It was assurance. Assurance of his abilities merely

grew with each mission, as it should. Yoda had mistaken sureness for pride,

which is exactly what he had warned Dooku not to do.

And if it was pride for Dooku to think of himself as wiser  than  Yoda

in this instance, Dooku wasn't concerned. Yoda was not always right.  Dooku

was not as great a Jedi as Yoda - not yet. But he would be one day.  If  he

could not believe that, what was he working for?

Dooku had learned much from Thame Cerulian. Now he was a  Master  with

an apprentice. Qui-Gon Jinn had been the most promising  of  the  Padawans,

and Dooku had maneuvered to get him the first time he saw him in lightsaber

training, at ten years old. Dooku knew that a Master would be judged by the

prowess of his Padawan, and he wanted the best of the best. When  Yoda  had

given his approval of the match, Dooku had been satisfied. Another step had

been taken toward his goal - to surpass Yoda as the greatest Jedi ever.

Luxury did not impress Dooku, but he did appreciate elegance.  Senator

Blix Annon had a  beautiful  starship,  gleaming  outside  and  all  luxury

within. In addition,  the  Senator  had  spared  no  expense  in  defensive

systems. The starship's armor was triple-plated, with energy  and  particle

shields, and front and rear laser  cannons.  It  was  a  little  large  for

Dooku's taste, but it was impressive.

He could tell that Qui-Gon was  dazzled  by  the  plush  seating,  the

brushed durasteel facings on the instrument panels,  and  the  silky,  soft

bedding in the quarters. Qui-Gon was only sixteen and what he'd seen of the

galaxy so far had not shown him the luxurious side of life. Their  missions

lately had been on dreary planets or isolated outposts in the Outer Rim.

Dooku had been glad when they had been  summoned  back  to  Coruscant,

although under normal circumstances he would consider this mission  beneath

him. He was simply an escort, a mission any Jedi could do. Lately there had

been a series of kidnappings of Senators while they traveled between  their

homeworlds and Coruscant. The Senators and sometimes  their  families  were

held for enormous ransoms, which were always paid. No one knew the identity

of the space pirate, and efforts to catch him had been unsuccessful.  Dooku

wasn't surprised. Senate security did well  with  protecting  the  Senators

within the Senate building, but when it came to a galaxy-wide search,  they

were hopeless.

Blix Annon was an important Senator who had done many favors  for  the

Jedi, and when he requested their presence, the Jedi Council had  not  only

agreed, but had asked Dooku if he would take the assignment. A little weary

of bad food and bleak surroundings, Dooku had considered a short flight  on

a luxurious cruiser not such a bad idea, with the additional  benefit  that

it would give Qui-Gon an inside look at a Senator's entourage.

Senators never traveled alone. Blix Annon felt the need to travel with

a speechwriter, a secretary, a chef, a hairdresser for the elaborate  style

he wore, and an aide whose sole function seemed  to  be  to  hover  at  his

elbow, waiting to approve of whatever he said. That aide turned out  to  be

Eero Iridian, Dooku's old friend.

When Dooku had arrived at the Senate  landing  pad,  he  had  been  as

surprised to see his friend as Eero was to see him. They  had  done  favors

for each other over the years, but after Eero had  lost  the  election  for

Senator of his homeworld for the second time, he had dropped out of  public

life. Dooku had lost track of him. Now he had turned up as an aide  to  one

of the most important politicians in the Senate.

Dooku sat and stretched out his long legs. It had  been  good  to  see

Eero again, good to remember the boy he had been.  They  had  talked  about

those years, about how mystifying the various rules of the Senate had  been

(admitting, with a laugh, that many were  still  mystifying).  Then  they'd

talked about the dreams they'd had. Dooku had achieved his - he was a  Jedi

Knight, traveling throughout the galaxy. Despite  his  heritage,  Eero  had

never achieved his dream of becoming a Senator.  By  the  time  his  father

retired, the old Senator had run  through  the  family  fortune.  Eero  had

contacts but no wealth, and wealth was what won elections.

Now Eero dropped into the seat next to him with  a  sigh.  "I've  just

been talking with your apprentice. Well, he didn't talk much,  but  I  did.

He's a good listener, that young man. I probably said more than  I'd  meant

to about my Senate experiences."

Dooku nodded. He had noted this ability of Qui-Gon's. Beings told  him

things, and then were surprised that they had said so much. This  could  be

good or bad, depending. Good if you were in the market for information. Bad

if you were looking for peace and quiet on a journey and  a  scruffy  space

pilot was telling Qui-Gon his life story.

"He will be a great Jedi Knight," Dooku said. He had no doubt of that.

Qui-Gon was quick to learn and very strong in the living Force. Dooku never

had to tell him anything twice. If he could get  rid  of  Qui-Gon's  rather

irritating tendency to befriend every  scoundrel  and  vagabond  they  came

across, the boy would be a perfect Padawan.

"I showed him the safe room," Eero said. "He was very impressed."

"It impressed me, too," Dooku said. The safe room  was  an  additional

security measure. In the event they were boarded, the Senator could retreat

there. The door was blast-proof - the only way to break it down would be to

use enough explosives to destroy the ship itself.

"I just hope we never have to use it," Eero said,  his  eyes  scanning

the expanse of space outside the window.

"I'm sure you will not, but we're prepared for anything," Dooku said.

Eero gave him a nervous look. "The ship is  impregnable.  That's  what

the security experts told us."

"No ship is impregnable," Dooku corrected. "That's why  the  Jedi  are

aboard."

He saw Qui-Gon hover in the doorway and waved him in.

"Do you need me, Master?" Qui-Gon asked respectfully.

Dooku gave his apprentice a small smile. "Yes. I need you to enjoy the

trip. Mind the present moment, Padawan. We have a chance to rest and relax.

We do not know when it will come again."

Qui-Gon nodded and seated himself a short distance away.  He  did  not

stretch out as Dooku was doing, but he did look a bit more  relaxed  as  he

glanced out the window. Dooku always admired his apprentice's manner.  Even

at sixteen, Qui-Gon had a quiet  grace.  Qui-Gon  also  had  a  quality  of

reserve that Dooku should also  have  admired.  Yet  somehow  he  found  it

frustrating not to know what his own apprentice was thinking  most  of  the

time.

"Allow me to make up a tray for us," Eero said, rising. "We have  some

excellent pastries. The Senator's chef - " Eero stopped abruptly as a sharp

buzz came from the pilot's instruments. "What's that?"

"Nothing to be alarmed about," Dooku said, glancing over.  "The  pilot

has the warning system activated. A ship is  within  our  airspace,  that's

all." Despite his words, he kept an eye on  the  instruments,  noting  that

Qui-Gon was doing so as well.

"A small cruiser," the pilot said aloud. "Everything  seems  normal...

except..."

"Except?" Dooku leaned forward.

"There's no airspeed. The ship is dead in space." Alarmed, Eero looked

at Dooku. "Is it a trick? It could be the pirate!"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, old friend," Dooku said. "Ships  break

down all the time. See if you can raise them on the comm unit," he told the

pilot.

But before the pilot had a chance, a frightened voice  came  over  the

speaker. "Somebody help me, please!" a girl's voice cried.  "Our  ship  has

been attacked!"

"Well now," Dooku said, his voice unruffled as  he  smoothly  rose  to

stand behind the pilot. "It appears our relaxation time is over."

CHAPTER No. 8

The pilot looked over at Dooku.  "Answer  it,"  Dooku  said,  smoothly

coming up behind him. "But don't identify yourself."

"We acknowledge your transmission," the  pilot  said.  "What  is  your

situation?"

In answer, sobs came over the air. "I... I didn't think  anyone  would

hear me...."

The pilot looked up at Dooku again. "This sounds genuine."

Dooku nodded. It did sound genuine. But that didn't mean it was.

The pilot's tone was gentler now. "Tell us what  happened  so  we  can

help you."

The intake of breath was so shaky they  heard  it  clearly.  "We  were

attacked - a space pirate. Our ship was under  heavy  fire.  The  pilot  is

dead. My father.." A sob shuddered, and then they  could  almost  hear  the

child's effort to control herself. "They  were  taking  him  away.  But  he

fought back, and they killed him."

"Identify yourself, please," the pilot said.

"I am Joli Ti Eddawan, daughter of Senator Galim Eddawan of Tyan." The

voice quavered. "The ship is failing. The warning  system  lights  are  all

blinking. What should I do?"

"Who else is aboard?"

"They are all dead." The voice was small.

"That attack missed us by hours," Eero said. "Do you know  the  planet

Tyan?" Dooku asked.

Eero nodded. "It's a Mid-Rim planet, I think. Part of the Vvan system.

I don't know the Senators there."

"Can you check on the whereabouts of Senator  Eddawan?"  Dooku  asked.

"We need to stall," he told the pilot. "But the systems are failing - "

Dooku turned to Eero. "Now," he said, as Eero hesitated. "Go!"

Eero hurried toward the onboard computer suite. He sat  down  and  his

fingers flew over the keys.

"Hello?" the child's voice  called.  "I  think  maybe  the  oxygen  is

failing. It's in the red level. It's getting hard for me to breathe."

"Master Dooku!" the pilot exclaimed. "What should I do?"

"The order is the  same,"  Dooku  said  calmly.  "Stall."  "But  she's

suffocating!"

"Talk to her," Dooku said. "Tell her we are getting ready to save  the

ship."

"Joli, hang on. We are  putting  together  a  plan,"  the  pilot  said

kindly. "Take very slow breaths. Lie down."

They only heard rasping breathing. "All right,"  Joli  said.  "I'm  so

tired...."

"Oxygen deprivation," Qui-Gon murmured.

Dooku felt a spurt of annoyance. He didn't need Qui-Gon to give him  a

diagnosis. "Eero, do you have anything?" he called.

"Not yet! Hold on."

"Stars and planets, Master Dooku, we have to do something!" the  pilot

cried. "That child could die while you wait for information!"

Qui-Gon looked pale. He bit his lip, as if  to  prevent  himself  from

speaking. Dooku felt very calm.

"I've got it," Eero said. "Senator Galim Eddawan of Tyan. He does have

a daughter named Joli. And he was scheduled to arrive at the  port  station

Alpha Nonce yesterday. He never arrived."

"Slowly approach the ship," Dooku told the pilot, who let out  a  held

breath. "Keep your flank away from the center of the ship."

"It's just a small cruiser," the pilot said. "A ship like  that  might

have some small arms, but nothing that can penetrate our shields."

"Do as I say," Dooku snapped.

"Joli? We're coming to get you," the pilot told the child.  Her  voice

was a mere whisper. "Good."

"Master?" Qui-Gon's voice was low. "Do you think the distress call  is

authentic?"

"I do not know, Padawan," Dooku said. "What do you think?"

"I feel that child is in great danger," Qui-Gon said.

Dooku raised an eyebrow at him. "I did not ask you what you felt,  but

what you thought." The Jedi insistence on feelings was all well  and  good,

but Dooku preferred analysis.

"I think we should proceed carefully.  We  cannot  ignore  a  distress

signal," Qui-Gon said.

"Better." Dooku turned to the pilot. "Engage laser cannon tracking. Be

prepared to fire."

The pilot set the controls. The silver ship dipped closer  gracefully,

as if initiating the first movement of a dance. The other ship sat,  eerily

motionless.

"Stay out of range of laser cannons," Dooku said. "But if we don't get

closer, we can't send the shuttle to board," the pilot said.

"Just do it."  In  another  moment,  Dooku  would  take  the  controls

himself. He trusted the pilot's abilities more than his  judgment,  and  he

wanted to remain free to move  in  case  the  worst  happened.  In  Dooku's

experience, it often did.

Suddenly, the dead ship roared to life. It veered to the  right  in  a

burst of speed. At the same time, panels slid back on the underside of  the

cockpit.

"Turbolasers!" Dooku shouted. "Reverse  engines!"  "Turbolasers?"  the

pilot asked, stunned. "That  ship  is  too  small  to  have  that  kind  of

firepower."

Dooku lunged forward and grabbed the controls. He reversed the engines

himself. The ship shuddered and the engines screamed  in  protest  as  they

struggled to reverse at high velocity. The ship responded, zooming back out

of range.

"A lesson for you, Padawan," Dooku said as the pilot took the controls

again and the first turbolaser fire erupted. "Never trust anything."

The ship shook from the percussive effect of the fire, but  they  were

out of range. Senator Blix Annon rushed into the cockpit. "What's going on?

"

"We came to the aid of a distress signal," Eero said, hanging onto the

back of a chair while the  craft  dipped  and  surged  in  evasive  action.

"Apparently it was a ruse."

"Apparently!" the plump Senator roared. "What are we  doing  answering

distress calls? Who authorized this?"

"I did," Dooku said. "You put the Jedi in charge when you asked for us

to escort you, Senator."

The Senator disturbed  his  carefully  arranged  hair  by  raking  his

fingers through it angrily. "I did not authorize rescue missions!" The ship

lurched, and he almost fell. He snapped at the pilot, "Stop this ridiculous

maneuvering. Our particle shields will protect us."

"We'll have to lower the particle shield in order to  fire  the  laser

cannons," Dooku said.

"I'm aware of that," the Senator snapped, beginning to  look  nervous.

"Eero?"

"We also have an energy shield, to protect against  turbolaser  fire,"

Eero reassured him.

"Of course," the Senator said. "I'm aware of that, too."

"There is a difference between a particle shield and an energy  field,

which I'm sure you know," Dooku said as a blast shook the ship. "The energy

shield will not protect against laser cannons. And we  can't  operate  both

shields simultaneously. That means that  we'll  have  to  alternate  as  we

attack."

"Stop telling me things I know and do them," the Senator  ordered.  It

was obvious to Dooku that despite his words, Senator Annon had no idea  how

his defensive and offensive systems worked. There really was no reason  why

he should, except that he had most likely paid a fortune for them.

Laser cannons fired as the ship bore down on them. The pilot sent them

into a steep dive, and the cannonfire missed them by meters.

"They can outmaneuver us," the pilot said to  Dooku.  "Their  ship  is

smaller and faster."

As if to punctuate his words, suddenly a blast hit  the  ship,  nearly

throwing them to the floor.

"What was that?" the Senator screamed.

"Direct hit," the pilot said tersely. "Another one like  that  and  we

could be in trouble."

"What are you talking about? We have a triple-armored hull!  It  can't

be penetrated."

"Well, it has," the pilot said.

"This kind of firepower is usually reserved for capital ships,"  Dooku

said. "The attacking craft must be custom-fitted with scaled-down versions.

"

Suddenly the pilot leaned  over  and  began  to  frantically  hit  the

controls. "The energy shield is malfunctioning!"

Qui-Gon's  eyes  flickered  at  his  Master.  This  would   make   the

difference, they knew.

"Then we'd better go on the offensive," Dooku said calmly.

"Senator, I should escort you to the safe room," Eero repeated. "Now."

The Senator looked pale. His hand fluttered and clutched at his chest.

"I hardly think that's necessary - "

A blast suddenly shook the bridge, sending them flying. Dooku held  on

to the console and managed to  stay  upright,  but  the  Senator  and  Eero

skidded across the floor. Qui-Gon fell but anchored himself by grabbing the

base of the co-pilot's seat.

Already the attacking ship was zooming to the left, ready  to  inflict

another blow. It was nimble, darting closer and retreating, coming at  them

from all angles, making a tough target. The Senator's ship by contrast  was

now a lumbering beast. Dooku could see a plume of  smoke  coming  from  its

underbelly. The intense heat was causing the armor to peel off  the  ship's

surface in strips of gleaming metal.

"We've lost one of our laser cannons," the co-pilot reported.

"You'd better get to that safe room, Senator," Dooku said  as  another

blast shook the ship.

The Senator didn't argue this  time.  Eero  and  Senator  Annon  left,

staggering as they moved.

"Have  you  noticed  something  unusual,  Qui-Gon?"  Dooku  asked  his

apprentice.

Qui-Gon nodded. "The ship is firing  whenever  we  drop  the  particle

shield in order to fire our weapons. That would take incredible reflexes on

the part of whoever has the controls. Even  an  onboard  computer  couldn't

obtain that kind of speed and accuracy. I've never seen anything like it."

Dooku nodded. "Neither have I."

"They've blasted the loading  dock  bay  doors!"  the  pilot  shouted.

"They're going to get on board!"

CHAPTER No.9

Dooku and Qui-Gon raced down the halls of the ship. When they  arrived

at the docking bay, the pirate ship had already  landed.  War  droids  were

rolling down the ramp. It took  less  than  a  second  for  the  droids  to

pinpoint their targets. Blaster fire tore up the ground in  front  of  them

and they heard it ping off the walls of the docking bay.

Dooku admired how Qui-Gon did not flinch or hesitate, but kept  moving

in  the  same  fluid,  graceful  manner.  Qui-Gon  had  so  little  of  the

awkwardness of adolescence. He moved swiftly and easily, his  arm  swinging

with the motion of his lightsaber as he parried the blaster fire.

"If we can prevent the pirates from  disembarking,  we've  got  them,"

Dooku said as they moved. "They might decide  the  prize  isn't  worth  the

effort."

Suddenly the droids ejected smoke grenades from their  flanks.  Thick,

acrid clouds  rolled  toward  them,  stinging  their  eyes.  They  kept  on

advancing, their eyes streaming tears.

Then a voice echoed through the thick smoke. "Please..."

It was the girl's voice again. "Stop - please don't shoot.  I'm  here.

I'm standing on the ramp. They made me. Please!" Her begging voice was full

of tears and terror. Qui-Gon stopped.

"Keep fighting!" Dooku snapped. "Don't listen!"

But Qui-Gon ran ahead and was swallowed up by the smoke. The fool  was

going to try to save the girl.

Angrily, Dooku rushed after him, straight into the worst of the cloud.

He felt that the voice was a ruse. It had been from  the  start.  Yet  Qui-

Gon's respect for the living Force would not allow for doubt. If he thought

there was a chance that a child was in trouble, he wouldn't hesitate. Curse

him and his empathy, Dooku thought, coughing from the smoke.

He took out the droids as he moved, hearing them before he  saw  them.

The smoke thinned. He could see now that droids  littered  the  ground.  He

stepped over them. Qui-Gon stood on the ramp, alone. Dooku raced up to join

him and together they rushed the ship.

It was empty. Dooku strode over to the ship console. A  recording  rod

was resting on the pilot's chair. He activated it.

"Help me, please."

Dooku shut it off.

"I'm sorry, Master." Qui-Gon looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe

someone would use a child in jeopardy to get what they wanted.

"Let's go." Dooku vaulted over the pilot's seat  and  raced  down  the

ramp, hearing Qui-Gon follow behind him.

Something about the situation nagged at Dooku.  In  the  middle  of  a

mission, he never lost his focus, or his faith that he would  prevail.  Why

did he suddenly feel that failure was breathing on his neck as closely  and

persistently as Qui-Gon's footsteps behind him?

Dooku felt his heart fall when he saw that  the  safe  room  door  was

open. The pirate had worked extraordinarily fast.  The  gleaming  durasteel

facing was still glowing red from the blast that had blown it open.

Inside, Eero lay unconscious. His skin  was  blackened.  Qui-Gon  bent

over him and began to feel for vitals.

"Not now," Dooku said. He turned and raced back  out  the  door,  down

another corridor that led to the docking bay. Qui-Gon caught up to him with

long strides. The ship lurched,  and  emergency  sirens  were  now  wailing

continuously. The systems were failing.

They raced back to the loading dock. As they entered, they  were  just

in time to see Senator Blix Annon, his hands bound with laser cuffs,  being

pushed inside the craft. The pirate was tall and lean, dressed in full-body

armor and a plastoid helmet that concealed his face. He turned, even though

they'd made no sound.

Accessing the Force, Dooku leaped. He landed on the  ramp,  lightsaber

raised. He felt Qui-Gon land behind him. Blaster fire had already  peppered

the air, zinging past his ears, close and rapid. The pirate  had  excellent

aim. Dooku had to keep the lightsaber moving in order to deflect the shots,

advancing all the while. He had no doubt that he would win this battle. The

pirate's eyes gleamed, the green of his iris so intense  that  Dooku  could

read it from behind the gray tint of his visor.

A dark green, shot with glints  the  color  of  flames.  Dooku's  mind

lurched.

The pirate made a half turn to the left and swung out in a wide arc.

Dooku moved in an instinct so old it was automatic. He stepped away to

avoid a blow that did not come. Lorian.

Did he hear a chuckle from underneath the helmet? Dooku  wasn't  sure.

But Lorian took advantage of that split second of hesitation, as he  always

had been able to, and jumped  backward  into  the  ship.  The  ramp  closed

rapidly, spilling Dooku onto the floor.  He  landed  next  to  Qui-Gon  and

together they watched the ship roar out of the bay doors.

CHAPTER No. 10

I will not think of this now,  Dooku  told  himself.  If  I  think  of

Lorian, I will lose control.

The ship was dying. Eero could be dead. The  first  thing  to  do  was

check on him. They ran back to the safe room, where he  was  struggling  to

rise.

"Lay back," Qui-Gon said gently. He  folded  a  cloak  and  placed  it

beneath Eero's head.

Eero's eyes fluttered. "The Senator?"

"Gone," Dooku said.

"We have to go after them," Eero said, trying to get to his feet.

"We have more immediate problems," Dooku said. "The  ship  is  falling

apart. And you don't look so well yourself."

"I'm fine," Eero said. He stood quickly, then immediately  crashed  to

the floor.

"Obviously," Dooku said dryly. "We'll send someone  for  you.  In  the

meantime, I have a feeling the pilot needs our help."

They could feel the cruiser shudder and list to one side as  they  ran

to the cockpit. The pilot was feverishly flipping switches. "I've  got  the

maintenance droid working on the electrical systems, but  the  sublight  is

going."

"Where's the nearest port?" Dooku asked, striding to stand behind  the

pilot's seat.

"I'll check," Qui-Gon offered, moving to the onboard computer. In only

a few seconds,  he  called  out,  "Voltare  spaceport."  He  read  out  the

coordinates. "Master, I can try to work on the sublight mainframe control."

"Do it." Dooku had no patience for the details of technology.  He  had

already recognized that his apprentice was better at repairs than he.

"What can I do?" the pilot asked, his eyes darting  nervously  to  the

controls.

"Just keep us flying," Dooku said.

Qui-Gon released a control panel in the floor and jumped down to  work

on the system controls. "I think I can fuse it," he called.  "If  we  don't

push the engines, we might be able to make it."

"Push them? I'll baby them," the pilot muttered.

Qui-Gon vaulted out of the chamber and switched places  with  the  co-

pilot. "I'll keep my eye on the warning lights. You just fly," he told  the

pilot.

With the white-knuckled pilot gripping the  controls  and  the  steady

presence of Qui-Gon in the co-pilot's chair, the ship finally  limped  into

the Voltare spaceport.

Eero was rushed to the med clinic. The other passengers and the  pilot

headed for the spaceport cantina.

Dooku and Qui-Gon sat  in  the  cockpit.  Qui-Gon  kept  a  respectful

silence, realizing that his Master needed time to think.

At last, Dooku had a chance to consider what he knew.

Lorian. How could he fall so low? Once a bright Padawan, now  a  space

pirate, preying on Senators he had once been trained to protect.

Lorian still had Force abilities,  which  explained  the  split-second

timing of his laser cannon attack. It wasn't as  though  Dooku  could  have

guessed, but he should have been more alert.

Enough. Jedi did not waste time on what they should have done.

What now? A momentary flame of fury burst in Dooku as  he  thought  of

his old friend on his ship, laughing at how he'd outmaneuvered him.

He controlled it. Anger was a  waste  of  time.  Action  was  what  he

needed.

Because Lorian could not win.

"We should contact the Jedi Council," Qui-Gon said.

Of  course  they  should  contact  the  Council.  That  was   standard

procedure. But if they contacted the Council, Dooku would have to tell them

that he had no doubt that Lorian Nod  was  now  a  space  pirate,  and  had

kidnapped Senator Blix Annon right under his nose. That was something  that

Dooku could not do.

The Council didn't have to know  yet,  anyway.  What  would  they  do?

Merely tell him to proceed. They wouldn't send another Jedi  team  at  this

stage. They would trust that Dooku and Qui-Gon could handle it.

"Master?"

"Yes, Padawan," Dooku said. "We will contact the Jedi Council. All  in

good time." What he needed to do was find the Senator before anyone knew he

was missing. "But it would be better to contact them when we know where  we

are going. When it comes to a  kidnapping,  speed  is  the  most  important

factor. We are in a position to find the Senator. We must act quickly."

Dooku remembered from the data file that  the  pirate  usually  waited

twenty-four hours before releasing his ransom demands.

His comlink signaled, and he saw that Yoda was trying to contact  him.

He placed the comlink back in his utility belt. "We should maintain comlink

silence from now on," he told Qui-Gon. "All of  our  energies  need  to  be

focused on our search."

Qui-Gon nodded, his face showing  nothing  of  what  he  felt.  If  he

thought it was odd to maintain comlink silence, he wouldn't utter a word or

even twitch an eyebrow.

"What's our first step, Master?" he asked.  "Until  we  get  a  ransom

demand, we don't have a place to start."

"There is always a place to start. Go over the battle  in  your  mind,

Qui-Gon. If you examine every detail, you will find at least  one  clue  to

follow. Try to remember anything that seemed out of order or  doesn't  make

sense."

Dooku waited, watching his Padawan.  Qui-Gon's  gaze  was  remote.  He

could tell that his Padawan was looking out at the busy  spaceport  without

seeing it. He was reliving the battle. Dooku already knew  what  his  first

step would be. But telling Qui-Gon would not help his Padawan  learn.  Qui-

Gon had an excellent mind. He could analyze data rapidly and organize it to

reach a conclusion.

Dooku had to wait less than a minute.

"The energy shield failed,"  Qui-Gon  said.  "And  the  armor  plating

peeled off. If the Senator really used the best security  outfitters,  that

doesn't seem likely. The cannon fire wasn't prolonged enough to explain it.

"

"Good," Dooku approved.

"There must be serious flaws in the ship's armor and shields," Qui-Gon

went on. "And they were able to blast through the  safe  room  doors  using

conventional explosive devices."

"And what does that tell you?"

"That the Senator was lying to us, or has been cheated."

"And was the pirate lucky, or smart?"

It took Qui-Gon less than a moment to understand. "The  pirate  worked

so fast that he had to be aware of the ship's vulnerabilities."

"Perhaps. Let's look over the data file again." Dooku reached into his

travel pack and extracted the slender holofile. He accessed it  and  leafed

through  the  reports  of  previous  kidnappings.  Qui-Gon  read  over  his

shoulder.

"There's a pattern," he  said.  "The  pilots  report  malfunctions  in

security, or failures they can't explain."

"Nothing catastrophic enough to raise suspicions," Dooku noted. "First

of all, the pilots and security officers are too interested in covering  up

their own failures.  And  second  of  all,  everyone  is  focusing  on  the

kidnapping, not how it occurred."

Dooku knew something else, something  he  would  not  share  with  his

Padawan. Lorian took calculated risks. He did not like surprises.  It  made

sense that he would somehow find a way to attack a  ship  that  he  already

knew had a flawed security system.

"With all this information, what would your first step be?"  he  asked

Qui-Gon.

"Find out where the ship was outfitted  with  its  security  devices,"

Qui-Gon said promptly.  "Go  there  and  investigate  whether  there  is  a

connection. It will be difficult without the space pirate's  identity,  but

maybe we'll turn up something."  Qui-Gon  hesitated.  "There  is  something

else.... I don't know how to say this."

"Just say it, Padawan."

"Something I am picking up from you," Qui-Gon said. "Anger?  Something

out of proportion to what happened."

There was that irritating living  Force  connection  again.  "You  are

mistaken, my young apprentice," Dooku snapped. "Let us focus on the  matter

at hand."

"Yes, Master."

Dooku would tell Qui-Gon eventually, but not yet. If Qui-Gon knew that

a former Padawan was involved, he would wonder why they weren't  contacting

the Temple immediately. Dooku wanted Lorian in custody before  the  Council

found out the details. When Dooku's name was spoken throughout the  Temple,

it would be in the name of glory, not humiliation.

Pale and weak, Eero's head shake was  surprisingly  vigorous.  "That's

impossible," he said. "I myself arranged the security upgrades. I chose the

most renowned company for vessel security - Kontag.  I  have  an  extensive

file on them, I did my research. If you could get me my travel bag - " Eero

pointed to a bag resting near his clothes.

Dooku handed it to him and he extracted a holofile. "Here. Just  look.

They are experts."

Dooku flipped through the file. It was a promotional piece that Kontag

gave to prospective customers.  He  saw  long  lists  of  clients,  and  he

recognized the names. Descriptions of highly technical systems,  images  of

the factory floor. It was impressive. He himself had heard of Kontag.  They

were justly renowned for their excellent security systems  and  were  often

linked to the Techno  Union.  He  couldn't  imagine  that  there  could  be

sabotage at one of their plants.

Nevertheless, if something looked wrong, it had to be wrong.

"Qui-Gon, see if you can look up the histories of the ships that  were

attacked," he told his Padawan. "They should be in the file."

Qui-Gon accessed their data holofile and quickly flipped  through  it.

"They were all serviced by Kontag," he said, looking up at Dooku.

"There has to be a connection," Dooku said.

Dooku stepped away from Eero's bedside and used his comlink to contact

Kontag headquarters. But after questioning a number of  officials,  he  got

nowhere. He shut his comlink in disgust.

"All security information is confidential. I'm not  surprised.  That's

how a company dealing in security has to operate."

"If they won't tell us what we need to know, what can we do?"  Qui-Gon

asked.

Dooku rose smoothly. "They will tell us what we need to know. But they

will not know they are doing it."

CHAPTER No. 11

It was not far to the planet Pirin in the  Locris  sector,  where  the

Kontag headquarters and factories were, yet even the few hours it  took  to

get there were too many for Dooku. He had learned long ago how  to  conceal

impatience, but he had not learned how to eliminate it.

Dooku had time to think on the way to the factory and decided that  it

would do them no good to demand  anything.  In  his  experience,  a  little

subterfuge always worked better than direct confrontation.

"Do we have a plan, Master?" Qui-Gon asked, breaking the long silence.

"Follow my lead," Dooku said. "We will pose  as  prospective  clients.

The main thing we need to do is get a look at the factory floor.  If  there

is sabotage, perhaps we can pick up something."

Dooku strode into the company  offices.  A  recording  rod  flashed  a

holographic worker, a pretty young female. "Welcome to Kontag,"  the  image

said in a musical voice. "Please state  your  business  and  make  yourself

comfortable in our custom-designed seating that can be retrofitted into any

cloud car."

Dooku introduced himself and Qui-Gon  and  said  that  the  Jedi  were

interested in a large-scale project to upgrade their  security  devices  on

spacecraft. Almost instantly, a  salesperson  materialized  from  an  inner

office.

"I am Sasana," she said. "We're so pleased that the Jedi have  thought

of Kontag for their needs.  We  thought  your  order  preferred  to  handle

security internally."

"We are considering other options," Dooku said.

Sasana nodded. "Always wise. Let me show you what  kind  of  top-notch

security Kontag can provide." She handed Dooku a file identical to the  one

that Eero had showed them.

Dooku  pretended  to  look  through  it  and  handed  it  to  Qui-Gon.

"Interesting. Can you show us the factory?"

Sasana's smile slipped. "That is an... unusual request."

Dooku's smile took the place of hers. "A deal breaker, I'm afraid. The

Jedi are very particular."

He could see that the visions of a big contract were dancing in  front

of Sasana's eyes. "Of course," she said finally. "This way."

Sasana tried to control the pacing and thoroughness of the  tour,  but

Dooku knew that once he got inside the factory he  would  see  whatever  he

wished. They strolled down the aisles  while  droids  flew  or  walked  by.

Panels were examined,  sensor  suites  were  worked  on,  and  the  hum  of

machinery made it difficult to talk. The tour ended at  a  prototype  of  a

state-of-the-art speeder.

Dooku had seen enough. He told Sasana that they would be in touch  and

left.

As soon as they were outside, he looked at his Padawan. "Impressions?"

"Something isn't right," Qui-Gon said.

"Why is that?" Dooku asked.

"There is evidence both of prosperity and decline," Qui-Gon said. "The

offices are luxurious, but there were empty work spaces,  as  though  staff

had been dismissed. The list of clients includes jobs in progress. Yet from

the activity I saw, the  amount  of  droids  and  material,  they  couldn't

possibly be serving that number. And there were areas on the factory  floor

that indicated that machinery had once been there and had been removed."

"Excellent," Dooku said. "Conclusion?"

Qui-Gon hesitated. "They are concealing something, of that I  have  no

doubt. But I don't know what it is."

"If the client base is correct, the work is being done somewhere. Just

not at this factory," Dooku said. "What I see is a once-wealthy company who

fell on hard times and has turned to a cheaper factory to do the work  they

once did. The factory here is a sham. It is not  where  the  real  work  is

being done."

"How can we discover the real factory?" Qui-Gon asked.

Dooku removed a sensor suite from underneath his cloak. "I think  this

might tell us something. Sensor suites always have a factory mark buried in

their software. I took the liberty of removing it from the  prototype."  He

drew out his datapad and inserted the suite, then tracked  the  information

streaming across the screen. He pressed a few buttons. After only a moment,

he smiled. "The Von-Alai factory planet," he said.

Von-Alai had once been a cold planet covered with snow  and  ice.  Its

inhabitants were adept at foraging a living from the icy wastes.  With  the

introduction of factories and toxic refuse, the  climate  had  warmed,  and

periodic floods devastated the countryside. Instead of halting growth, more

and more factories were built, and  worker  housing  was  built  on  raised

platforms. The owners  of  the  factories  held  political  power,  so  the

decision was made to adapt to the  changing  climate  instead  of  limiting

toxic outflow. As a result, the native plants died, floods were common, and

a once-beautiful, silvery planet was now a soggy  wasteland.  The  air  was

thick and tasted metallic. Pristine snow no longer fell, only a  cold  rain

tainted by toxins.

Qui-Gon stood on the  landing  platform,  breathing  the  yellow  air,

silently taking in the wasted planet. "What a terrible destiny,"  he  said.

"The Alains have lost their planet."

"Beings choose their own fate," Dooku said. "They  could  have  fought

for their planet, but their indifference and their greed made them passive.

There was no war here, my young  apprentice.  Merely  beings  who  did  not

choose to fight the power that ruled them."

"Perhaps they tried and failed," Qui-Gon said quietly. "Then they  are

also weak, which is worse," Dooku said dismissively. "Come."

This time, Dooku thought it better not to announce their approach.  He

simply walked through the factory gates. There was no security.

They entered a clamorous production facility. Grease stained the floor

and accumulated in puddles. The ceiling was low and the air was  dense  and

hot. Row after row of various workstations unfolded down  the  long  space.

Battered droids wielded servodrivers and airpumps. The workers looked half-

starved and unhealthy, and Dooku saw that most of them were quite young.

"They  are  using  children,"  Qui-Gon  said,  shocked.  "Under  these

conditions! This violates galactic laws."

"There are many such places, unfortunately," Dooku said.

"We must do something!" Qui-Gon said, his gaze anguished as it  roamed

the factory. "They look as though they are ill and starving."

"Keep your focus on the mission,  my  young  apprentice,"  Dooku  said

sharply. "We cannot save everyone in the galaxy."

"But Master - "

"Qui-Gon." Dooku only had to say his Padawan's name as a warning. Qui-

Gon's mouth snapped shut.

A plump human male, his sparse hair matted with sweat and grease, came

running  toward  them.  "Excuse  me,  who  are  you?  Never  mind,   you're

trespassing, so leave."

Dooku did not move.

"Excuse me, you're not moving," the man said with  a  frown.  "Do  you

want me to call security?"

"Please do," Dooku  said.  "Perhaps  we  can  discuss  the  number  of

galactic laws you are breaking."

The man stepped back. "You're not Senate inspectors, are you?"

"We need information," Dooku said.

"Well, you've come to the wrong place," the man replied.

Dooku looked around the factory pleasantly. "You are busy, I see."

The man nodded warily.

"It most likely would not please your superiors  if  the  factory  was

shut down under your watch."

"You have the authority to do that?"

Dooku shrugged. "Child labor. Dangerous conditions. I see grease pools

on the floor, toxic compounds left open to the air.... There  are  a  dozen

violations I can see without even turning my head."

"What do you want? Money? We pay our bribes, but I have  an  emergency

stash."

"As I said, merely information. Who owns the factory?" Dooku asked.

"I just send in reports. I don't know anything - "

"Who do you send reports to?" Dooku was getting  impatient.  He  fixed

his gaze on the manager.

"A company... I send them to a company.... The name of it is Caravan."

Caravan. The name of the holographic cruiser Lorian had  designed.  He

had gone to sleep dreaming of the places he would travel in it.

That was all Dooku needed to know.  He  reflected  on  how  smart  and

simple the scheme was. Behind the screen of a company, Lorian  cut  corners

on security, then exploited his knowledge  of  a  ship's  vulnerability  in

order to attack it.

He heard a rustle behind him and turned to see Eero threading his  way

through the machinery toward them.

"Great. Another inspector," the manager muttered.

"I had to come," Eero said. "I followed you here - onto the  transport

and now to this facility. I can't bear to hear that the  firm  I  hired  to

protect Senator Annon ended up being the reason he was kidnapped. I've  got

to help you catch the pirate and free the Senator. It's the only way."

Eero was sweaty and pale. "You look as though you need to  lie  down,"

Dooku said. Clearly, his old friend had gone to  great  lengths  to  follow

them. Dooku admired his tenacity - and was suspicious of it as well.

Eero shook his head. "I've found a factory worker here who is  willing

to talk," he said. "He says the pirate makes regular visits here. He  might

know where his hideout is."

The manager had faded back, anxious to disappear. "Let's talk  to  the

worker," Dooku said.

He and Qui-Gon followed Eero through the aisles. No one looked at them

as they walked. No doubt the workers had been punished for lagging  behind,

because they worked doggedly, without raising their heads.

Eero stopped suddenly and looked around. "Where  did  he  go?  He  was

right here." Craning his neck, he took a few steps and disappeared around a

large bank of machines.

Dooku felt the rush of the Force as it warned him. He reached for  his

lightsaber. Qui-Gon was only a fraction of a second behind him.

Colicoid Eradicator droids wheeled around  a  corner  and  headed  for

them, blasters at the ready. Dooku held his lightsaber aloft.

"Master." Qui-Gon's voice was  urgent.  "We  can't  fight  them.  Look

around."

Dooku surveyed the area around them.  Child  workers  were  everywhere

here, no doubt because their  smaller  fingers  were  useful  for  work  on

sensors. If the Jedi engaged the Eradicators in battle,  the  blaster  fire

would spray the workers. They would have nowhere to hide.

Still, Dooku did not drop his lightsaber. He had no doubt that  Lorian

had arranged  this.  He  knew  that  Jedi  would  not  fight  if  it  meant

endangering innocent lives - especially children's lives.  He  would  force

Dooku to surrender. But he would never surrender to Lorian!

"Master." There was steel  in  Qui-Gon's  voice.  His  lightsaber  was

already deactivated and at his side.

Dooku deactivated his lightsaber. He felt helpless rage take him  over

as the droids took them into custody. In his heart, he vowed revenge.

CHAPTER No. 12

Gray swirled before his eyes. Shadows that moved, that  hurt  as  they

moved, exploding inside his brain like pulses from a hot laser. Dooku tried

to reach out and could not. He flexed and felt pressure at his  wrists  and

ankles.

His vision cleared, and the shadows resolved themselves into  objects.

A table. A chair. He saw that his wrists and ankles were encircled by  stun

cuffs.

He breathed slowly, accepting the pain in his  head  and  telling  his

body that it was time to heal. He called on the Force to help him,  and  he

felt the pain ease its grip.

They had been taken by the droids, and a  paralyzing  agent  had  been

introduced through a small syringe. With  a  painful  glance  down  at  his

utility belt, he saw that his lightsaber was gone.

Qui-Gon was beside him. They were lying on a  cold  stone  floor,  the

laser cuffs binding them to durasteel hoops embedded in the stone.  Qui-Gon

groaned and opened his eyes. His breath came out in a hiss.

"Breathe," Dooku said. "The pain will ease in a moment."

He watched as his Padawan closed his eyes again and took  slow,  heavy

breaths. Color returned to his face. He opened his eyes. "Do you know where

we are?"

"No idea." They could have been unconscious for hours and  transported

off Von-Alai. It didn't matter. Because Dooku had not contacted the Temple,

no one had known they were on Von-Alai. There was no way to track them.

Lorian would not beat him. He vowed that it would not  happen.  Things

didn't look good - he was bound and imprisoned at the moment  -  but  Dooku

would find his opportunity and he would use it.

"Perhaps Eero will find us," Qui-Gon said. "Or tell the  Temple  where

we are."

"Eero is part of this," Dooku said. "He set us up."

"But he is your friend,"  Qui-Gon  said.  "And  he  was  hurt  in  the

invasion."

"So it seemed. Injuries can be faked. Eero was a good  actor,  nothing

more. I was foolish not to think of it before. This should be a  lesson  to

you, Padawan. Have as many friends as you want,  but  do  not  trust  them.

Believe me, I know what I am speaking of. The person who has imprisoned  us

was once in training with me."

"He is a Jedi?" Qui-Gon asked, shocked.

"No. He went through training but was dismissed. Never  mind  why.  We

were friends once. I am beginning to suspect that he might hold  some  kind

of grudge against me. So there is more going on here than you know."

"You mean you knew he was the space pirate?" Qui-Gon said no more  but

the words hung in the air. And you did not tell me?

"I recognized him as he left Senator Annon's  ship."  "And  you  think

Eero is in league with him?"

"I suspect so. Betrayal is part of life, Qui-Gon, and we can't  always

see it coming."

Qui-Gon strained against the energy cuffs.

"That won't do anything but exhaust you," Dooku told  him.  "You  must

accept that sometimes you are in situations over which you have no control.

Accept the situation and wait for your opportunity. Besides, we are farther

along than we were before."

"In what way?"

"We were looking for the space pirate, and  now  we  have  found  him.

We'll get taken to him eventually. He won't be able to resist gloating - he

never could. When we find him, we will wait for our opening,  and  we  will

not make mistakes."

Dooku closed his eyes. He did not like to feel anger  and  humiliation

roiling inside him. He needed inner calm. He never acted out of anger.

Long minutes passed. He felt his heartbeat slow.  Then  he  heard  the

swish of the doors opening.

"Old friend," Lorian said.

At the sound of his voice, rage spurted up in him again.  He  did  not

open his eyes until he had controlled it.

"I realized some time ago, Lorian, that we were never friends,"  Dooku

said evenly.

Lorian had grown into a handsome man. He  was  all  lean  muscle.  His

thick gold hair was cropped short, throwing into relief the bold  lines  of

his face and his green eyes. "You haven't changed," he said,  then  smiled.

"Yet it's good to see you, even though it's unfortunate for me. If  a  Jedi

had to be tracking me, I would've hoped for anyone but you. You knew me too

well. Once."

"Yes," Dooku said. "I knew how you would lie and  cheat  to  get  your

way."

"What is so bad about what I've done?"  Lorian  asked.  "It  was  hard

being in the galaxy all alone, trying to make my way. All I  knew  was  the

Temple. Did that ever occur to you, Dooku? We were raised in a bubble,  and

then everything I knew was taken away from me. I was forced  out  into  the

galaxy, a young boy with no Master to guide me."

"The Jedi hardly  set  you  adrift,"  Dooku  said.  "They  arranged  a

position for you in the Agricultural Corps."

Lorian snorted. "Tending hybrid plants on a Mid-Rim planet? Would  you

be satisfied with that life, after all the training we went through?"

"I had no reason to have to accept it," Dooku said. "I did not violate

the Jedi Order. You did. You seem to forget that."

"I was young and made a mistake."  Lorian's  face  hardened.  "I  paid

dearly for it. Was I supposed to turn into a farmer? I  was  trained  as  a

Jedi! So instead I went into business for myself."

"As a space pirate."

"Just temporarily. I started out kidnapping criminals,  but  that  got

risky. You'd be surprised how reluctant gangs can be to come  up  with  the

ransom. So I looked to Senators next. The only problem was,  they  had  the

best security. But what if their security wasn't as good as they thought it

was? When I heard Kontag was sliding into bankruptcy, it gave me the  idea.

So I bought this factory and offered Kontag a deal."

"A factory that employs children." Qui-Gon's voice was flat. His  gaze

told Lorian that he held him in contempt.

Lorian strolled toward Qui-Gon, his face alight  with  curiosity.  "So

this is your apprentice, Dooku? Qui-Gon Jinn? Yes, I can see you in him. He

is as sure of his own rightness as you are. What  would  you  have  me  do,

young Padawan? Fire the child  workers?  Many  of  them  support  families.

Parents who are injured or too sick to work, or parents who have  abandoned

them so they are supporting their brothers and sisters. Would you have them

starve?"

"I would find a better way," Qui-Gon said.

"Ah, he is unshakable. Well, I'll tell you  this,  young  Jedi.  I  am

planning to phase out the child labor. Improve conditions. But do you  know

what that takes? Money. The Jedi don't deal with credits. They don't  speak

of them. But the rest of us have to eat, you know."

"You are full of justifications," Qui-Gon said.

"They make the planets turn," Lorian  said  with  a  shrug.  Qui-Gon's

words did not sting. "Have you been  to  the  Senate  lately?  It  runs  on

justifications. I am not evil, Qui-Gon Jinn. I know this for certain.  I've

seen the face of true evil," Lorian said, his voice dropping. "And  I  have

known the terror of it. So don't be too quick to judge me."

"True evil?" Dooku asked. Could Lorian mean the Sith?

Lorian turned back  to  him.  "Yes,  Dooku,  I  did  access  the  Sith

Holocron. I was curious. And what I saw chilled my  blood  and  haunted  my

days for a long time. It haunts me still. And yet it is comforting somehow.

Once you've seen true evil, you can be sure that you will never be able  to

fall that low."

"Don't be so sure," Dooku said. "You're a kidnapper. A  criminal.  How

can you justify that?"

Lorian shrugged, smiling. "I need the money?" Dooku snorted.

"Look, so what if I kidnap a few corrupt  Senators  for  a  couple  of

weeks? Some of them even enjoy the attention. Nobody gets hurt."

"What about us?" Dooku asked.

"I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you're  wondering,"  Lorian

said. "I'm just going to hold you until the last job is done. I'm ready  to

retire anyway. I'd like to return to my homeworld and  start  a  legitimate

business. I still owe some  credits  to  Eero  for  setting  up  the  whole

security thing, but I have enough for myself."

"So Eero was in on your scheme from the beginning."

"Pretty much. We ran into each other on Coruscant. He was upset  about

his lack of a career. He was positive he'd be a  Senator  by  now,  but  he

didn't have enough money to really run an election. So he agreed to use his

contacts in the Senate to  recommend  Kontag.  Then  once  the  kidnappings

began, more and more Senators lined up for extra security. It was  a  truly

brilliant plan." Lorian sighed. "Too bad it all has to end."

The doors suddenly slid open, and Eero ran toward Lorian. "Now  you've

done it!" he cried. Dooku could now see that outside the room was some kind

of office. Laying on a console were two lightsabers.

"Calm down, Eero," Lorian said irritably. "There's no need to shout at

me."

"Yes, there is!" Eero said. "The Senator is dead!"

"Dead?" Lorian looked confused. "How? He's being held  in  comfortable

surroundings. I even sent in pastries, for galaxy's sake."

"He had a heart attack. He died instantly."

"Ah. This isn't good," Lorian said.

"No, I'd say so," Dooku said. "It's murder."

"Exactly!" Eero said. "How did you talk me into this! We'll  be  tried

for murder!"

"Only if they catch us," Lorian said.

"I just got into this for the credits," Eero said  fretfully.  "I'm  a

politician, not a murderer!"

"Yes, this certainly changes things," Dooku said  smoothly.  Eero  was

just as afraid of getting caught as an adult as he'd been as a  young  man.

''You've killed a Senator. The full might of the Senate security force will

come down on you. Not to mention the Jedi. They are already looking for us.

This will certainly give them a reason to hurry."

"We have to get out of here!" Eero said shrilly to Lorian.

"Calm down!" Lorian barked. "Can't you see what he's  doing?  Shut  up

and let me think!"

"Don't give me orders!" Eero suddenly drew out a vibroblade. "I'm sick

of it. You've bungled everything!" "You fool!"  Lorian  hissed.  "Put  that

away!"

But it was too late. Dooku summoned the  Force.  The  vibroblade  flew

from Eero's unsteady hand and landed on the energy  cuffs  binding  Dooku's

wrists. The blade cut through the cuffs easily. With  split-second  timing,

Dooku slipped out his hand before the vibroblade could injure him. He  felt

only a slight burn of heat.

Within seconds, he had released the other cuff and  the  ones  binding

his ankles.

Eero took one look at him and bolted out the door. Dooku reached out a

hand and his lightsaber flew from the room next door into his palm.

When he turned, lightsaber activated, Lorian had Eero's vibroblade and

a blaster in his hand. Dooku smiled. This time it was not a game.

Lorian backed up toward the door. Dooku saw that he meant  to  escape.

He would try to avoid the battle if he could. Dooku  leaped,  blocking  his

exit. Lorian would not leave this room alive.

He had never forgotten Lorian, and he had never forgiven him.  It  was

not in Dooku's nature to forgive or to forget.

"You betrayed me once, and now you've tried to make  a  fool  of  me,"

Dooku said.

"So glad  to  see  you  haven't  changed,"  Lorian  said,  giving  his

vibroblade a twirl. "Can I point out again that the galaxy doesn't  revolve

around you, Dooku? The kidnapping wasn't personal. I didn't know  you  were

on that ship." He grinned. "But I have to admit, I enjoyed winning."

The light mockery that danced in Lorian's eyes inflamed Dooku. The old

resentment balled up in his chest, the choking rage he had felt as  a  boy.

Now it joined the fury of a man. Dooku felt it surge, and he  didn't  fight

it.

He was older now, and wiser. Anger no longer had the power to make him

sloppy. It made him more precise.

"Talk all you want. You will never leave this room," he said with such

icy control that the smile faded from Lorian's eyes.

"Let's not be so dramatic," Lorian said uneasily.

"Master give me my lightsaber!" Qui-Gon called.

The words only buzzed faintly, as if they came from  a  long  distance

away. Dooku did not need his Padawan. Qui-Gon would only get in his way. He

needed to finish this alone.

Lorian had seen his intent in his  eyes.  Between  them  now  was  the

knowledge that Dooku would  not  allow  him  to  surrender.  He  fired  the

blaster. Dooku deflected the fire easily. There  was  no  way  that  Lorian

could win this battle. Dooku could see the desperation  in  his  eyes,  the

sweat forming on his brow. He enjoyed seeing it.

Lorian kept up a steady barrage of fire while he swung the vibroblade,

using the same Jedi training he  had  absorbed  so  long  ago.  Dooku  kept

advancing. He knew perfectly well where Lorian was headed  -  to  Qui-Gon's

lightsaber. Dooku decided to speed up the process. He  lunged  forward  and

with an almost casual swipe severed the vibroblade in two. Then he  whirled

and kicked the blaster out of Lorian's hand.

Lorian sprang and fumbled for Qui-Gon's lightsaber. Dooku allowed  him

to pick it up. He had no reason to fear.

Qui-Gon cried out, but Dooku didn't hear what he said. All  his  focus

was on Lorian now.

"Go ahead, attack me," Dooku said, holding his lightsaber at his side,

letting it dangle casually. "Show me how much you've forgotten."

Lorian activated the lightsaber. Even in the midst of a battle  Lorian

could not win, Dooku could see the pleasure the former Jedi took in holding

a lightsaber again.

He leaped at Dooku. The first strike was easily deflected. Without his

connection to the Force, Lorian could not handle the weapon as he once had.

Dooku enjoyed this humiliation  the  most.  He  parried  Lorian's  attacks,

barely moving.

"Pity," Dooku said. "You were a worthy opponent once.

Now a flare of anger lit Lorian's gaze. He suddenly shifted his  feet,

moved unexpectedly, and came close to landing a blow.

Dooku decided it was time to stop playing with him.  It  was  time  to

show him what fear was. Time to show him who the winner was.

He moved forward in perfect form, gathering the Force and  molding  it

to his desires. His lightsaber danced. Lorian managed to evade  one  strike

and parry the next, but it cost him. He stumbled with the effort.

"Master!"

Qui-Gon's voice cut through the heart of  Dooku's  concentration  with

the same annoying buzz.

" Master. Stop."

Qui-Gon did not shout this  time.  Yet  his  tone  penetrated  Dooku's

concentration better than  his  cry  had.  Dooku  looked  over.  Bound  and

helpless, Qui-Gon looked back.

That gaze. Dooku almost groaned aloud.  He  saw  integrity  and  truth

there, and he could not hide from it.  He  saw  himself  through  Qui-Gon's

eyes, and he could not do it. His Padawan  had  revealed  to  him  what  he

should have known already. He could not go down this road.

He deactivated his lightsaber. Lorian took a deep, shuddering breath.

"It's over," Dooku said.

CHAPTER No.13

Dooku handed over Lorian and Eero to  Coruscant  security.  He  didn't

speak much with Qui-Gon on the journey back. Dooku  knew  that  there  were

things that needed to be said, but he wasn't sure what they were.  He  knew

that Qui-Gon had saved him from something, and he was grateful. Yet he  did

not want to admit that he had come so close to violating the Jedi  code  he

was so proud of upholding.

They walked past the rows of cruisers in the Temple landing area,  the

place where he had said good-bye to Lorian so long ago, for what he thought

was forever.

"So what did you learn from the mission, Padawan?" he asked Qui-Gon.

"Many things," Qui-Gon answered neutrally.

"Name the most important one, then."

"That you will withhold facts from me that I need to know."

Dooku drew in a sharp breath. He did not appreciate a rebuke from  his

apprentice. This natural assurance of Qui-Gon's could get out of hand. What

Qui-Gon needed was a little more fear of his displeasure.

"That is my decision," he answered severely. "It is  not  for  you  to

question your Master."

"I am not questioning you, Master. I am answering you." Qui-Gon's gaze

was steady.

Angrily, Dooku walked a few more steps. "I will tell  you  the  lesson

you should have  learned."  He  stopped  outside  the  landing  bay  doors.

"Betrayal should never take you by surprise. It will come from friends  and

enemies alike."

He left his Padawan and walked down toward the great hall. He drank in

the sounds and sights of the Temple. He was glad to be back among the Jedi.

Seeing Lorian again had disturbed him greatly.

He found himself in front of the Jedi archives. Now he knew why he had

felt driven here. What Lorian had left him with was envy, and  he  realized

why.

Lorian had accessed the Sith Holocron. He had looked upon it. Maybe he

had even gleaned some secrets from it. And he wasn't even a Jedi!

Dooku had put it out of his mind for so many years, and now it had all

returned - the same hunger, the same irresistible urge to  know  the  Sith.

Was it fair that a non-Jedi had glimpsed the Holocron's secrets, and Dooku,

one of the greatest Jedi Knights, had not?

Dooku stood for  a  moment  outside  the  archives,  drinking  in  the

silence, thinking about what lay within. Now no  one  could  challenge  his

right to see it. He deserved to know, he told himself. He deserved  to  see

it.

The massive doors opened, and Dooku strode in.

Dooku and Qui-Gon's final mission together had lasted  two  years.  It

had been difficult and filled with dangers. They  had  worked  together  as

never before, their battle minds in perfect  rhythm.  They  had  succeeded.

They returned to the Temple, weary, leaner, and older.

Dooku had not spoken of the future.  Qui-Gon  would  now  undergo  the

trials. They both knew he was ready. Qui-Gon waited for some parting  words

on the long journey home, but none came.

They passed from the landing platform into the great  hallway  of  the

Temple. Almost immediately, Qui-Gon saw a familiar form ahead and his heart

lifted. Tahl had come to welcome him.

They had not seen each other in years. They walked toward each  other,

and they clasped each other's shoulders  in  their  old  greeting.  Qui-Gon

searched Tahl's striped green-and-gold eyes, needing to see  that  she  was

well and in good spirits. She nodded to let him know this was so.

"You're tired," she said.

"It was a long mission," he admitted.

He could feel Dooku waiting impatiently behind him.

They were scheduled to go straight  to  the  Jedi  Council  for  their

report. Tahl, too, felt his Master's irritation. She nodded a  quick  good-

bye and mouthed "later."

Qui-Gon turned back and walked in step with Dooku.  "I  see  your  old

friendship has not died, even after all these years," Dooku said.

"I trust Tahl with my life," Qui-Gon said.

Dooku was silent for the entire length of the long hallway.

"You have been an excellent Padawan, Qui-Gon," he  said  at  last.  "I

could not ask for a better one. I will tell the Council this  as  you  face

the trials. But I will not tell them this: You have a flaw. This in  itself

is not a bad thing. Each of us has one. It is bad when we don't see it. Yet

what is far worse is to see your flaw and to think it is not a flaw at all.

" Dooku stopped. "Perhaps it is my fault that I was never able to teach you

my most important lesson."

Qui-Gon looked at his Master. The long, elegant nose, the dark  hooded

eyes, the pale skin. It was a face he knew intimately, but  he  also  knew,

and had known for some time, that it was a face he did not love.  At  first

this had bothered him - until he realized he  did  not  need  to  love  his

Master, merely learn from him. He was grateful to have a Master  so  strong

in the Force. He had learned much.

"Your flaw is your need for connection to the living  Force.  Qui-Gon,

the galaxy is crowded with beings. The Jedi Order is here to  support  you.

Nevertheless you must carry the following knowledge in your  heart,"  Dooku

said. "You are always alone, and betrayal is inevitable."

Thirty-two Years Later

Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi

CHAPTER No. 14

Qui-Gon was the Master now, and he still remembered the lesson. It was

the only one Dooku had given him that he had not heeded. Qui-Gon  had  come

to believe that beings were more complicated than such  a  simple  formula.

And he had come to see that to live without  friendship  or  trust  was  to

inhabit a galaxy he did not want to live in.

Yet hadn't events in his own life proved his Master right?

Qui-Gon felt the hardness of the bench underneath him. He and  Obi-Wan

Kenobi were on a space cruiser crowded with beings. His eyes  were  closed.

Obi-Wan was beside him, no doubt thinking that Qui-Gon was sleeping. Behind

his closed lids, Qui-Gon imagined he could  feel  the  speed  of  the  ship

vaulting through the stars. Every kilometer that passed in a flash  carried

him forward into an uncertain future.

Betrayal should never take you by surprise.

But it did. Every time.

His first apprentice, who he had nurtured, had betrayed  him.  Xanatos

had turned to the dark side, had invaded the Temple itself,  had  tried  to

kill Yoda. Now Xanatos was dead. He had chosen death rather than surrender,

stepping off firm ground into a toxic pool on his homeworld of Telos.  Qui-

Gon had leaped to prevent him even as his heart knew he was  too  late.  He

had seen the man Xanatos fall, blue eyes blazing with hatred,  but  at  the

same time, he had seen the boy  he  had  once  known,  blue  eyes  full  of

eagerness, full of promise. It had cut him, made  him  grieve.  Months  had

passed since the incident, and Qui-Gon felt the memory as fresh  as  if  it

had happened yesterday. Had his former apprentice failed his  training?  Or

had Qui-Gon been the one to fail?

His second Padawan, whom he also loved, had also betrayed him. Obi-Wan

sat beside him now, but Qui-Gon did not feel the old harmony between  them.

Obi-Wan had left the Jedi Order in order to devote himself to a cause on  a

planet they had tried to save. Qui-Gon still  remembered  standing  on  the

rocky ground of Melida/Daan, seeing something in the eyes of his apprentice

he had never seen before. Defiance. Obi-Wan would not listen  to  Qui-Gon's

order to leave. He had remained.

Obi-Wan had come to see that he had been wrong. He had done everything

he could to rebuild what they'd had between them. They had begun on a  long

road. Trust was the goal.

Tahl's disapproving  frown  rose  in  his  mind.  You  are  always  so

dramatic, Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan is a boy who made a mistake.  Do  not  hold  him

responsible for your failure with Xanatos.

Was that what he was doing?

Time, you need, Yoda had advised. That is all.

Qui-Gon accepted that. But how much time was appropriate?  When  would

he know? And would Obi-Wan sense his struggle and come to  resent  him  for

his stubborn heart?

Your flaw is your need for connection to the living Force.

Qui-Gon saw the truth of this. He had not completely  discounted  what

Dooku had to say. In his daily life he tried to  keep  that  connection  in

balance with his Jedi path. No attachments.  He  did  not  see  this  as  a

conflict. He saw it as a great truth - that he could love, but have no wish

to possess. That he could trust, but not resent those who let him down.

Lately, that last one had been tricky.

"We're stopping for fuel," Obi-Wan said, breaking into  his  thoughts.

They were returning from a routine training mission, and their pace was not

rushed. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Master, but do you wish to  disembark?

We'll be here for several hours."

Qui-Gon opened his eyes. "Where are we?"

"A planet called Junction 5. Do you know it?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "Let's disembark," he decided. "It will do  us

good to stretch our legs. And I bet you could use some decent food."

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan said, bending for his pack. Qui-Gon frowned. There

it was. Once Obi-Wan would have agreed, would have grinned at him and said,

"How did you guess?" Now Obi-Wan was intent on being a  "correct"  Padawan.

He would not admit that the  days  of  gray,  tasteless  food  and  protein

pellets were dismaying.

Maybe it wasn't a case of forgiveness at all, Qui-Gon thought as  they

joined the line to disembark. Maybe it was a case of missing what he'd had.

He had his correct Padawan back. Now he missed the imperfect boy.

The planet of Junction 5 seemed to be a pleasant  world.  The  capital

city of Rion was built around a wide blue river. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon took a

turbolift down from the landing platform to the wide boulevard that was one

of Rion's main thoroughfares.

"Every visitor must register with the local security  force,"  Obi-Wan

said, reading off a pass they had been given. "That's unusual."

"Some societies are tightly controlled," Qui-Gon said. "As the  galaxy

becomes more fragmented, beings are more afraid of outsiders."

They strolled down the boulevard, glad to feel the sun on their faces.

But Qui-Gon had not gone more than a few steps when he felt that  something

was amiss.

"There is fear here," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes," Qui-Gon said. "We have an hour or so. Let's find out  why."  He

reached for his comlink. Since  Tahl  had  been  blinded  in  a  battle  on

Melida/Daan, she had made her base at the  Temple  and  was  available  for

research. She rarely had to access the  Jedi  archives;  her  knowledge  of

galactic politics was immense.

"Are you busy?" Qui-Gon asked.

Tahl's dry voice came clearly through the  comlink.  "Of  course  not,

Qui-Gon. I am sitting here waiting for you to contact me so that I'll  have

something to do."

His smile was in his voice as he answered, "We have a stopover on  the

planet Junction 5. The Force is disturbed here. Can you  give  us  an  idea

why?"

"We have been monitoring the situation," Tahl said.  "The  planet  has

not asked for Senate or Jedi help, but we are prepared  for  it.  For  many

years Junction 5 has maintained a rivalry with its moon, Delaluna.  Several

years ago Junction 5 discovered that Delaluna was developing a  large-scale

destructive weapon, capable  of  wiping  out  cities  with  one  blow.  The

citizens of Junction 5 call it the Annihilator. They live  in  a  state  of

constant fear that it will be used one day."

"Have they tried to negotiate a treaty?" Qui-Gon asked.

"The problem is that Delaluna denies the  existence  of  the  weapon,"

Tahl said. "Talks between the two governments are stalled. Because of  this

great fear that has gripped the population,  there  are  rumors  of  double

agents and spies trying to  undermine  the  government  to  prepare  for  a

Delaluna invasion."

"Are they planning an invasion?"

"They say not. But we don't know. In  the  meantime,  because  of  the

imminent threat, the government of Junction 5 has instituted  a  crackdown.

With the  help  of  a  security  force  called  the  Guardians,  they  have

infiltrated every aspect of the  citizens'  lives.  Nothing  they  do  goes

unrecorded by the government. All computer use, all comm use, is monitored.

At first the citizens voluntarily gave up their privacy in the face of  the

great threat. But I'm afraid the Guardians have abused their power over the

years. Now they really run the government. Citizens are arrested  and  held

without trial, just for speaking out against the  government.  The  prisons

are full. The citizens live in fear. Their economy is failing, and there is

even more unrest. As a result - "

"The Guardians have cracked down harder," Qui-Gon said wearily. It was

a familiar scenario.

"So be careful," Tahl warned. "They don't like  outsiders.  You'll  be

watched, too. If it's a stopover, treat it that way."

"I plan to," Qui-Gon said.

"Qui-Gon? Our connection must be breaking up. I thought  I  heard  you

agree with me," Tahl said.

"Don't get used to it," Qui-Gon replied, breaking the  connection.  He

didn't know what he'd do without Tahl. That was  a  connection  he  trusted

absolutely. No matter what Dooku told me.

"Should we go and register now?" Obi-Wan  asked.  "Let's  eat  first,"

Qui-Gon suggested. As long as they were  here,  he  might  as  well  gather

information in case a Jedi presence was needed at a future time.  It  would

be easier for now if the Guardians didn't know he was here.

Besides, he never liked being told what to do.

He filled in Obi-Wan on his conversation with Tahl as they  walked  to

the closest cantina. There weren't many selections, but Qui-Gon was able to

buy some vegetable turnovers for them, along  with  a  drink  made  from  a

native herb. As they ate, they listened to the conversations  around  them.

The citizens spoke in hushed tones, as though they  were  afraid  of  being

overheard and reported.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were able to screen out background noise with  the

help of the Force, concentrating on a conversation at a table behind them.

"The rumor started yesterday," a soft voice said. "It could  be  true,

or they could be covering up her death. Jaren is desperate."

"He must be careful."

"He is past that. I am afraid for them."

"She has risked everything."

"She was always willing to do that."

The voices lowered further, as if they suspected someone was trying to

overhear.

"Can't we do something to help here?" Obi-Wan asked, just as quiet  as

everyone else.

"Our transport is scheduled to depart in less than two hours," Qui-Gon

said. "No one has asked for our help. We can't solve the problems of  every

world in the galaxy." Even while talking and  eating,  Qui-Gon's  gaze  had

continually swept the cantina. He was not  particularly  surprised  when  a

security officer in a gray uniform entered and walked straight over.

"Passes, please."

"I'm afraid we don't have any," Qui-Gon said.

"All visitors are required to register at the Registry Office."

"We thought we'd eat first. Of course we'll head over  that  way  once

we're done."

"Not possible. Please follow."

The  officer  waited  politely.  Qui-Gon  considered  resisting,  then

rejected it. He wasn't on this world to make trouble, merely to observe. He

stood and motioned for Obi-Wan to do the same.

They followed the officer back down the  boulevard  and  down  a  side

street. A large, gray building sat behind an energy wall. It was  built  of

blocks of stone and looked like a prison.

The officer led them past the energy wall and into the building lobby.

There was a small office with a sign reading REGISTRATION ONLY. The officer

ushered them inside, clearly intending to make sure they followed through.

"Visitors to register," the officer said.

Qui-Gon walked forward and gave their names to a  clerk.  The  clerk's

fingers  faltered  when  he  gave  their  homeworld  as  the  Jedi  Temple,

Coruscant.

"One moment," the clerk said, her eyes downcast.

It took more than a moment -  almost  ten  minutes  -  but  the  clerk

finally slid two cards across the counter. "Carry these  with  you  at  all

times. You are scheduled to depart in one hour, fifty-three minutes."

They walked back into the hall, their footsteps loud on  the  polished

stone. A voice stopped them.

"It is always a pleasure to welcome Jedi to our world."  Qui-Gon  felt

it before he even turned, the sureness that he had heard that voice before.

The person greeting them was tall, with close-cropped blond hair  that

was now threaded with gray. His body was still muscular, still strong. Qui-

Gon did not even need a second to remember him.

It was Lorian Nod.

CHAPTER No. 15

Qui-Gon did not think that Lorian Nod showing up  was  a  coincidence.

The clerk must have alerted him to their presence, which  was  why  it  had

taken a bit too long to obtain their identity cards.

Nod was dressed in the same gray security uniform as the officer,  but

with a variety of  colored  ribbons  woven  through  the  material  on  the

shoulders, indicating a high rank.

It was obvious that he remembered Qui-Gon. His gaze traveled over him,

and Qui-Gon remembered the way Lorian had made everything, even a life-and-

death struggle, seem like a huge joke played on all of them.  He  had  been

puzzled by that as a Padawan. Now he recognized it as the defense of a  man

who had lost the only thing that had mattered to him, once  long  ago,  and

would never get that pain out of his heart.

"You are surprised  to  see  me,"  Lorian  said.  "Junction  5  is  my

homeworld."

"I am surprised to see you out of prison," Qui-Gon said dryly.

Lorian waved a hand. "Yes, well, I was a model prisoner.  I  ended  up

helping the Coruscant security force with a number of  problems  they  were

having inside the prison, and they were grateful."

"You mean you were an informer," Qui-Gon said. Lorian cocked his  head

and smiled at the Jedi. "You haven't forgiven me for what  I  did  to  your

Master." "Forgiveness is not mine to  give,"  Qui-Gon  said.  "And  how  is

Master Dooku?" Lorian said.

"I hear he is well," Qui-Gon said. He was not in touch  with  his  old

Master. He had not expected to be. Their relationship had not been based on

friendship. It had been one of teacher and student.  It  was  natural  that

they should not be in each other's lives.

It would be different with Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon thought. He saw  ahead  to

the days when Obi-Wan would be a Jedi Knight, and he would like to be  part

of that.

"I see that you work for the Guardians," Qui-Gon said.

"I am the Guardians," Lorian replied.  "The  old  security  force  was

helpless in the face of the great threat, so I proposed a  new  force.  The

leader of Junction 5 asked me to be the head of it."

Qui-Gon was  surprised.  A  former  criminal  was  head  of  planetary

security?

"You see, I am completely rehabilitated. So, what  are  you  doing  on

Junction 5?" Lorian asked, smoothly changing the subject.

"A stopover," Qui-Gon said.

"And this is your Padawan?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lorian Nod," Qui-Gon said.

"Did you know I was once a Padawan as well?" Lorian asked Obi-Wan, who

shook his head. "I left the Order."

Obi-Wan could not conceal the surprise on his face. Qui-Gon could read

him like a datascreen. Someone else had left  the  Order?  So  he  was  not

alone. And then the apprehension came as Obi-Wan realized - if I had  left,

is this what I would have become?

"At first I thought it a terrible punishment, but now  I  see  it  was

meant to be," Lorian continued. "Well, this has been delightful, but I have

duties to perform. Enjoy your journey. I suggest you be on  time  for  your

transport. Security here must be very tight, to protect us. If you overstay

your pass, there could be some trouble for you."

Qui-Gon knew they were being threatened. "Jedi are used  to  trouble,"

he said.

Lorian gave him a keen glance. "I have a brilliant idea. Because of my

old ties to the Jedi, I will help you. I'll provide  you  with  escorts  to

make sure you arrive at the transport on time. The streets of Rion  can  be

confusing to the traveler.

"That is not necessary," Qui-Gon said.

"Now, now, don't thank me," Lorian said firmly. "It is done."

The two security officers followed behind the Jedi as they made  their

way back to the landing platform.

"Lorian Nod seemed pretty insistent that we leave," Obi-Wan said.

"I never like being shown  to  the  exit,"  Qui-Gon  replied.  Obi-Wan

caught his meaning and grinned. "Should we lose them?"

"In a minute. Do you notice something. Padawan? Since we arrived, more

and more security officers are out on the streets. Somehow I doubt this has

anything to do with us."

"Do you think there is an alert?" Obi-Wan asked. Qui-Gon turned to the

officers behind them. "Rion is a beautiful city."

"Yes, we are proud of our homeworld," one of them said stiffly.

"The citizens seem happy."

"They know they inhabit the best planet in the galaxy," he said.

"Tell me," Qui-Gon went on pleasantly, "it appears you have much crime

in your capital city."

The officer stiffened. "There is no crime in Rion." "Then why do I see

so many security officers?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Extraordinary circumstances," he answered,  frowning.  "There  is  an

Outstanding Threat to Order. An enemy of the state has escaped from prison.

Cilia Dil is very dangerous. The security officers are looking for her."

"I see," said Qui-Gon. "What was her crime?"

"I have told you enough," the officer snapped. "Hurry or  you'll  miss

your transport. If that happens, you'll be arrested."

"You arrest people for being late?" Qui-Gon asked mildly.

"Don't be ridiculous. For overstaying your pass."

Ahead, a large utility vehicle was unloading cargo from a repulsorlift

platform. Traffic backed up behind the large vehicle, and pedestrians  were

stepping into the street in order to get by.  Qui-Gon  indicated  the  mess

ahead to Obi-Wan with just a shift of his eyes. Obi-Wan didn't nod or  show

any sign, but Qui-Gon knew that his apprentice was ready.

As they came up toward the vehicle, Qui-Gon used the Force to  disturb

a precariously stacked column of boxes. The produce spilled over  into  the

street while the workers shouted and cursed.

The pedestrians stepped on the produce, mashing it into  the  pavement

and making the workers shout at them angrily. Qui-Gon and  Obi-Wan  leaped.

The Force propelled them over the mess,  the  citizens,  and  the  workers,

leaving the security officers behind.

They hit the street and ran, dodging between pedestrians  who  quickly

jumped out of the way. They turned  onto  a  smaller,  quiet  street,  then

another and another. Soon Qui-Gon was sure they had lost their pursuers.

"Now what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I say we find Cilia Dil," Qui-Gon said. "It's likely she  would  have

many interesting things to tell us."

"But the entire army of the Guardians are looking  for  her,"  Obi-Wan

said. "How can we find her?"

"Good point, my young apprentice," Qui-Gon said. "In  such  cases,  it

becomes more reasonable to create a situation where she finds us."

It didn't take them long to find out more about Cilia Dil. Although no

one would speak to them directly, afraid  they  were  spies,  conversations

were easily overheard, and everyone was talking about  the  escaped  rebel.

Qui-Gon  was  not  surprised  to  discover  that  the  conversation  they'd

overheard that morning had  been  about  Cilia,  and  that  Jaren  was  her

husband.

He lived in the middle of the city, in  a  large  building  with  many

apartments. The Jedi paused, pretending to look in a store  window  at  the

end of the block.

"There is surveillance on the roof," Obi-Wan said. "But they are  only

watching the front door. We can come from behind, go down  the  alley,  and

find a side window."

"That is exactly what they want you to do," Qui-Gon said. "Look again.

"

It took only a moment for Obi-Wan to scan the area  again.  He  looked

crestfallen, as if he'd deeply disappointed Qui-Gon. "I saw a  flash  in  a

window next  door  overlooking  the  alley.  Electro-binoculars.  They  are

watching the alley, too. I'm sorry, Master."

It wasn't like Obi-Wan to apologize for a wrong call.  He  had  always

absorbed Qui-Gon's small lessons without comment. Then he  never  made  the

mistake again.

How can I give him back his confidence? Qui-Gon wondered.

"What do you propose?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Do you have any ideas?" Qui-Gon asked, prodding gently.

But Obi-Wan wouldn't venture another plan. His lips pressed  together,

and he shook his head. He was afraid to disappoint him again, Qui-Gon saw.

Qui-Gon buried his sigh in an exhaltation of breath as he  glanced  up

at the sky. "It's late. The end of  a  working  day.  I  say  we  seek  our

advantage in routine."

"Workers and families will be coming home," Obi-Wan said

"So let's see what develops," Qui-Gon agreed.

At first it was just a trickle of passersby, but  within  minutes  the

street was crowded with people on their way home.  Repulsorlift  transports

jammed with workers paused to open their doors and more beings spilled  out

on the walkways.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan loitered outside a shop near Jaren Dil's building.

They didn't have to wait long. Soon a mother and a group of  children  came

down the street. The mother carried a sack of food and various  other  bags

as her children ran around her legs, shrieking with joy at  being  released

from school. They paused for a moment at  the  entrance  ramp  outside  the

building. One of the small children, daydreaming, almost got  swept  up  in

the sea of people on the sidewalk. Qui-Gon quickly moved forward and picked

him up. He joined the group at the ramp. Obi-Wan quickly followed.

"Tyler," the mother scolded. "How naughty." She reached  for  the  boy

while she fumbled for her entrance card. Obi-Wan lifted several sacks  from

her arms to help.

"Allow me to carry him," Qui-Gon said,  making  a  face  at  the  boy.

"We've made friends."

The mother thanked him gratefully while inserting her  entrance  card.

Obi-Wan juggled the bags and put a hand on another boy's  shoulder.  To  an

observer, it would appear that the Jedi were simply two  other  members  of

the family.

They helped the mother to her door and said good-bye to the  children.

There was no turbolift, and they had to climb the stairs to the top  floor.

Qui-Gon knocked politely on the door, which was opened by a tall  man  with

sad eyes.

"Are you Jaren Dil?" Qui-Gon asked.

He nodded warily.

"We have come about your wife," Qui-Gon said.

Jaren Dil blocked the doorway. Despite the fact that he was  almost  a

meter shorter than Qui-Gon and so thin he was almost gaunt, he did not seem

intimidated. "I know nothing about my wife's escape."

"We wish to help," Qui-Gon said.

A twisted smile touched Jaren's lips, then disappeared. "You would  be

surprised," he said softly, "how often we  have  heard  those  words.  They

always say they wish to help."

"We are Jedi," Qui-Gon said, showing the hilt of his lightsaber.  "Not

Guardians."

"I know you are not Guardians," Jaren said. "But I don't know who  you

are, or who your friends are. I am expecting to be arrested at any  moment.

My crime is being married to Cilia Dil and not betraying her."

"I would like you to get a message to her," Qui-Gon said.

"I have not seen Cilia since she was  arrested.  She  was  allowed  no

visitors. I don't know where - "

Qui-Gon interrupted. "Tell her the Jedi want to help." Qui-Gon reached

for Jaren's comlink, hooked onto his belt. He entered  his  code.  "I  have

given you a way to contact me. We will meet her anywhere she wants."

Jaren said nothing. They walked away, down the stairs.  They  did  not

hear the door close until they were out of sight.

"He didn't trust us," Obi-Wan said.

"He would be foolish if he did. He is used to betrayal."  "So  why  do

you think she'll contact us?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Because in desperate times, the desperate seek out  those  who  offer

help. The fact that we are Jedi is on our side. They will discuss it.  Then

she will contact us."

"You seem sure of it," Obi-Wan said. "How do you know?"

"They have no one else to turn to," Qui-Gon said.

It was lucky for them that a full-scale hunt  was  on  for  Cilia,  so

catching the Jedi was not a high priority. That was why the  guards  around

Jaren's house did not notice as they left. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan  walked  the

streets, reluctant to sit in a caf© or even on a  bench  in  a  park.  They

needed to be mobile in case they were spotted. Security officers patrolled,

but they were able to avoid being stopped.

Dusk fell like a purple curtain. The  shadows  lengthened  and  turned

deep blue. With the cover of darkness, they felt a bit more secure. Qui-Gon

was beginning to wonder if he was wrong, and Cilia would not contact  them.

Then, the comlink signaled.

"What is it that you think you can do for me?" a female voice asked.

"Whatever it is you need," Qui-Gon answered.

There was a short silence. "I'm going to hold you to that."

Qui-Gon marveled that Cilia could sound humorous after escaping from a

notorious prison. "Tell me where and when we can meet you."

Cilia named a small pedestrian bridge that crossed the river  and  the

hour of midnight. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had passed the bridge  several  times

that day in their looping journey around the city. They  were  tired  later

that night as they walked there and stood at the edge, out of reach of  the

glowlights. The city was silent. Most of the citizens were home. They heard

only the soft lapping of the river against the stones of the bridge.

Yet Qui-Gon felt that Cilia was near, close enough to hear them.

"You may as well trust us," he said out loud.

A reply came from underneath the bridge. "It's a little early  in  our

relationship."

Qui-Gon realized that Cilia must be in a small boat, but  he  did  not

bend over to look.

"Well, you've come to meet us," Qui-Gon said. "I'll  take  that  as  a

sign."

A dark shape suddenly vaulted  out  from  underneath  the  bridge  and

landed close to them. Cilia was dressed in a waterproof suit, and her short

hair was slicked back behind her ears. She was tiny and slender. The  bones

of her wrists looked as delicate as a bird's. The slash of  her  cheekbones

created hollows in her face. Her eyes  were  the  dark  blue  of  a  river.

Underneath them were dark circles, marks of her suffering.

"Why do you want to help me?" she asked.

"Lorian Nod was once a  Jedi  in  training,"  Qui-Gon  said.  "He  has

created trouble for this world. Let's  say  the  Jedi  owe  the  people  of

Junction 5 their support."

"He was training to be a Jedi? That could explain things. He seems  to

know things... things he couldn't know, even by surveillance." Cilia pushed

away a lock of hair that had fallen onto her forehead. "I have a plan. Some

Jedi help would be welcome. It's dangerous, though."

"I would expect so," Qui-Gon said.

"I've put together a team to travel to  Delaluna,"  Cilia  said.  "Our

idea is to break into the Ministry of Defense and Offense in order to steal

the plans of the Annihilator. We can't  rely  on  our  government  to  take

action - obviously they are paralyzed with  fear  -  and  they  are  afraid

action will lead to reaction. Yet if we  get  the  plans,  perhaps  we  can

discover a way to defend ourselves from the weapon.  And  if  the  citizens

again feel free, the repressive government will have no  reason  to  exist,

and we can refashion a more just society."

"Dangerous is putting it mildly," Qui-Gon said. "I'd add difficult and

foolhardy to that."

Cilia put one foot on the railing, ready to vault back down  into  the

river.

"Count us in," Qui-Gon said.

CHAPTER No. 16

They spent the night in Cilia's hiding place,  a  safe  house  on  the

outskirts of the city. Cilia disappeared into an inner  room,  and  Obi-Wan

and Qui-Gon were left to share floor space in a small, bare room painted  a

surprising pink. They laid out their sleeprolls and  settled  down  on  the

hard floor.

"Master," Obi-Wan murmured, "should we contact the Council?"

"Why?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Well, we're about to break into another planet's government  building

and steal state secrets," Obi-Wan said. "Master Windu can get touchy  about

things like that."

"Precisely why we shouldn't bother him.  I'll  speak  to  the  Council

after the mission is over. Don't worry, Obi-Wan. The Council  doesn't  have

to know every move we make, nor do they want to. You worry too much."

"You don't know what I'm thinking all the time," Obi-Wan growled.

"Not all the time," Qui-Gon said "But at this moment I do."

"What am I thinking, then?"

"You are thinking about that turnover at the cantina and wishing you'd

had time to finish it."

Obi-Wan groaned and turned his face  into  his  sleep-roll.  "I'm  too

hungry to argue. I'm going to sleep."

Qui-Gon smiled into the darkness. Obi-Wan's breathing grew steady, and

soon he had dropped off into sleep.

Qui-Gon rolled himself tighter  in  his  blanket  and  stared  at  the

ceiling. Flakes of paint had peeled  off  the  surface,  revealing  a  dark

undercoat somewhere between brown and green. He had  forged  his  own  path

apart from Dooku, but there were  some  lessons  he  had  kept.  A  certain

independence from the Council made things easier on  a  mission.  Afterward

was another story. Obi-Wan was right. The Council would not be  happy  they

had joined Cilia's raid.

Qui-Gon was impressed by the organization of the resistance. Cilia had

arranged transport for the team and had even obtained worker identification

tags from the Defense and Offense Ministry of Delaluna.

"You must have been planning this for some time," Qui-Gon said.

Cilia nodded as she climbed into the transport.  "I  planned  it  from

prison. I was tired of peaceful protest. We need to strike one blow  -  and

win."

"How did you  communicate  with  your  group?"  Qui-Gon  asked.  "Your

husband said you had no visitors in prison."

"The  resistance  has  many  friends,"   Cilia   said,   setting   the

coordinates. "There was a guard at the  Guardian  prison  who  smuggled  in

messages. He had joined the Guardians and  became  disillusioned.  He  said

there were others like him. That's why I have hope."

The transport lifted off and streaked toward the moon of Delaluna. The

journey wasn't long, and soon they had exited  the  craft  at  the  landing

platform outside the capital city of Levan.

Cilia had kept the group small. In addition to the Jedi, there  was  a

security expert named Stephin and a weapons specialist named Aeran.

Their passes worked, which eliminated one of  Qui-Gon's  worries.  The

ministry was a bustling workplace, and they didn't attract any attention as

they walked through the halls.

Cilia had memorized the layout. She led them onto a turbolift and down

a long hallway into a separate wing of the building.

"I got the layout from a friend," she told Qui-Gon.  "There  are  also

those on Delaluna who don't like  this  situation.  She  passed  along  the

blueprints to Stephin."

They reached the Weapons Development wing. Cilia stopped.  She  swiped

her identification card, but the doors did not open.

"Stephin?"

"It's supposed to be card entry only," Stephin said, stepping forward.

Qui-Gon had taken in the situation in a glance. "It's now retinal  and

daily code."

"Daily code?" Stephin shook his head. "We're sunk. I can crack it  but

it would take hours. Plus I don't have a mainframe on me."

Qui-Gon admired Cilia's coolness. She did not show  her  exasperation.

Her skin seemed to tighten over the sharp  cheekbones.  "We're  here,"  she

said. "I'm not leaving without those plans. We have to find another way."

"We don't necessarily have to get into  the  secure  wing  ourselves,"

Qui-Gon said. "Not if we can get in through a computer."

Cilia looked at him, interested. "How?"

"We need to go to the only  one  who  has  access  to  all  files  and

documents in the system," Qui-Gon answered.

"The director," Cilia supplied. "Of course. I don't know what kind  of

security he has, though."

"Let's find out." Qui-Gon indicated that Cilia lead the way.

They returned to the main wing of the Ministry. The director's  office

was behind a frosted panel. An assistant sat behind a desk. Beyond him  was

another door.

"No doubt the assistant has a panic button if we try to force our  way

in," Stephin said. "And we have no way of knowing if the director is in his

office or not."

They walked on, anxious to avoid attention. At the end of the hallway,

Cilia frowned. "We have to get both of them out of that office. We  need  a

diversion."

"I think we can supply that," Qui-Gon said, beckoning to Obi-Wan.

They turned off from the others. Ahead, down a side  hallway,  Qui-Gon

had already seen what  he  was  looking  for  -  the  office  for  Internal

Security.

"What are we doing?" Obi-Wan murmured.

"You are a new employee," Qui-Gon told him. "Just be as  confusing  as

possible and leave the rest to me."

What Qui-Gon had found was that security officers in  corporations  or

government offices were all basically the same in one  respect.  They  were

all afraid of being dismissed.

He strode in and scanned the room. Security screens lined  two  walls,

and the tech equipment panel was as big as the room. Just  as  he'd  hoped,

there was only one technician there. A burly man rose  from  where  he  was

idly playing a one-handed game of sabaac.

"Thought I'd walk him over," Qui-Gon said, indicating  Obi-Wan.  "Your

new employee. Clearance from the top."

"Whoa, hang on, slick," the burly man said. "Just who do you think you

are?"

"Security consultant from Constant Industries," Qui-Gon said. "I guess

the director didn't tell you I was hired."

The burly man looked a little uncertain. "Credentials?"

Qui-Gon flashed his identification badge. "Look it up on the computer.

Or call the director's office."

"I'm  a  secured  weapons  surveillance  expert,"  Obi-Wan  explained.

"Trained at the tech  institute?  I'm  supposed  to  monitor  the  in-house

systems and coordinate the armed-response team."

"Wait a second. I'm the head of in-house systems," the burly man said.

Obi-Wan shrugged and looked at Qui-Gon.

"Not anymore, I guess," Qui-Gon said.  "Let's  take  a  look  at  what

you've got here."

"Now, wait a second," the man said. "You can't come in here and - "

"Right, right, you're absolutely right. The security drill  is  coming

up. We're supposed to monitor that closely." "We're  not  scheduled  for  a

security drill."

"You'd better check that," Obi-Wan said.  "There  was  a  test  system

override and a cross-tech flareup with a  monitor  glitch  that  fried  the

subsystem. Let me show you." He leaned over the panel.

"You can't touch that!"

"Wait a second. You didn't set the security drill?" Qui-Gon  took  out

his comlink. "I'd better notify the director.

"Wait, wait."

"I can take over," Obi-Wan said.

"I'll do it!" the man said, roughly pushing  Obi-Wan  aside.  He  made

several keystrokes, and an alarm sounded.

"Security drill," a voice announced. "Please go to your stations."

"Come  on,"  Qui-Gon  said  to  Obi-Wan.  "We'd  better  monitor   the

procedure. It's bound to be sloppy."

"But wait!" the burly man called. "What are your names?"

Crowds of beings had spilled out into the hallways. Obviously used  to

security drills, they continued to chat as they moved slowly down the halls

to the exits. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon threaded through the crowd.

Cilia was watching for them anxiously. "I'm assuming  you  did  that,"

she said.

"Yes. We'd better move forward or we'll look  suspicious.  Has  anyone

come out of the director's office?" "Not yet."

"There they are," Obi-Wan said quietly.

The door to the director's office opened, and several people filed out

and headed for the exit.

"Come on, let's go," Qui-Gon said.

They left the stream of people and quickly slipped into the room.

"I'd guess you  have  about  three  minutes  or  less,"  Qui-Gon  told

Stephin.

Stephin didn't take the time to reply,  but  immediately  entered  the

director's office and accessed his computer. He clicked keys quickly.

"Can you crack it?" Cilia asked.

"Hang on."  Stephin's  fingers  flew.  Qui-Gon  was  fairly  adept  at

cracking computer security, but even he couldn't begin to follow  Stephin's

code.

"I'm into his personal files,"  Stephin  said.  "Nothing  out  of  the

ordinary... whoa! Hold that transmission. I found the Annihilator file." He

clicked a few keys. "This is strange. You'd think there'd be  a  number  of

files,  but  there's  only  one."  A  holofile  appeared.  "It's  subtitled

Misinformation," he said. "Odd, don't you think?"

Cilia and Qui-Gon bent in front of Stephin  to  read  the  file  while

Aeran peered over their heads. Obi-Wan stood lookout.

Qui-Gon and Cilia's eyes met. "Do you think it's true?" she whispered.

"I think so," Qui-Gon said. "It's incredible, but it makes sense."

"I don't believe this," Aeran said slowly.

"What?" Stephin asked impatiently. Their heads were blocking the file.

"You know that  awesome  weapon  capable  of  wiping  out  our  entire

civilization?" Cilia asked. "It doesn't exist. There is no Annihilator."

"What? How can that be?" Stephin exclaimed.

"This is a record of correspondence between the director and the ruler

of Delaluna," Cilia explained  as  she  scanned  the  file.  "The  Ministry

Director has tracked a rumor that Delaluna has developed a fearsome weapon.

He admits this is untrue, but suggests they take advantage of the rumor."

"Why quash it?" Qui-Gon said. "It will  help  them  with  security  if

planets think they are too strong to attack."

"They know that  Junction  5  once  looked  at  them  and  thought  of

colonization," Aeran filled in. "So why should they let  their  enemy  know

they are vulnerable?"

Cilia jackknifed erect, her dark eyes blazing. "Do you see  what  this

means? If there's no weapon, there's no need for the Guardians to exist! We

won't have to fight them, they'll simply disband!"

Qui-Gon was about to speak, but Obi-Wan signaled him.

"Guard droids approaching," he said. "Someone must know we're here."

"We must escape," Qui-Gon told the others. "If we are  captured  here,

the news might never get out."

Cilia reached for her blaster. "We're ready."

CHAPTER No.17

The droids on Delaluna were small, airborne, and quick, equipped  with

paralyzing darts and blasters. Qui-Gon did not  recognize  the  model,  but

within seconds he had estimated velocity, path, and blaster range.

He needed to protect the group. Cilia and Aeran were adept  and  fast,

but Stephin was obviously not trained with weapons. Still, Qui-Gon also had

to make sure they had proof that the Annihilator didn't exist.

Obi-Wan must have had the same thought. He deflected blaster fire from

the droids and leaped in front of Qui-Gon as three droids headed  for  him.

Qui-Gon reached over and hit "copy" on the computer  console.  FILE  COPIED

flashed on screen. He reached out to extract the disk just  as  two  droids

headed toward him, flanking him on either side.

Obi-Wan moved before Qui-Gon could react. He jumped in  the  midst  of

the heavy attack, his lightsaber a constant arc of movement as he deflected

the barrage of blaster fire. Qui-Gon grabbed the disk and  tucked  it  into

his utility belt, then gave a backhanded sweep with his lightsaber that cut

a droid in two and sent it crashing in a battered heap of twisted metal and

fused circuits.

Stephin had taken refuge behind a desk and emerged  to  spray  blaster

fire in a random pattern that only  occasionally  hit  an  airborne  droid.

Cilia and Aeran worked back-to-back, covering  each  other  as  they  moved

toward the door, trusting the Jedi to take care of the bulk of the droids.

Obi-Wan launched himself over a desk, striking out at one droid with a

carefully aimed kick that sent it crashing against the wall,  splitting  it

into pieces. At the same time he swiped through another. Qui-Gon  took  out

two droids with one swift stroke and moved to  get  Stephin  as  Cilia  and

Aeran took out two new droids buzzing through the doorway.

"There they are!" the security officer shouted,  pointing  at  Obi-Wan

and Qui-Gon.

"Time to go, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. He pushed  Stephin  in  front  of

him, turning to deflect a new spray of blaster fire from behind.

Obi-Wan moved  to  take  out  a  droid  and  landed  in  the  doorway,

lightsaber slashing.  The  security  officer  stepped  back,  unwilling  to

engage. He expected the droids to do his fighting for him.

With a Force push, Qui-Gon sent the officer flying. The man slumped on

the floor, dazed and unwilling to get up.

"There's an emergency exit this way," Cilia  said,  jerking  her  chin

toward a side corridor. "It should be open, since we're in the middle of  a

drill."

Workers were beginning to stream back into  the  building.  They  took

advantage of the confusion by separating and melting into the  crowd.  Qui-

Gon and Obi-Wan followed Cilia as her  slight  figure  weaved  through  the

crowd, heading purposefully toward the exit.

They stepped out. The sky had darkened  and  was  threatening  a  hard

rain. A few drops pattered against the building.

Ahead in the dark sky  Qui-Gon  saw  a  light.  It  was  moving  fast,

traveling far beneath the clouds.

"Security vehicle," he said tersely. "We'd better get to our ship."

Because of the rain, many  pedestrians  had  moved  to  the  sheltered

walkways that hugged the buildings  and  shops.  A  large  canopy  overhead

blocked out the downpour as it began. Qui-Gon and the others hurried  along

this path.

The overhang protected him from the ship above. The  crowds  acted  as

further camouflage. Their ship wasn't far. They climbed  inside  and  Cilia

started up the engines. They shot  into  the  dark  sky,  streaking  toward

Junction 5.

Cilia let out a whoop of triumph. "We did it. We did it!"

Stephin  shook  his  head.  "I  still  can't  believe  there   is   no

Annihilator."

"This is all we need to end this reign of terror," Cilia said. "We can

go straight to Minister Ciran Ern and tell him that the  Annihilator  is  a

hoax. He'll disband the Guardians."

"We can free our citizens from fear and terror," Aeran  said.  "It  is

almost too much to believe."

"I suggest that before you do  anything,  you  ask  a  most  important

question," Qui-Gon said. "Rumors  don't  arise  out  of  the  air.  If  the

Annihilator is a fabrication, who made it up?"

The others paused.

"Does it matter who made it up?" Aeran asked.

"I'm afraid it matters very much," Qui-Gon said softly.  "Let  me  ask

another question. When did Lorian Nod come to power?"

"Eight years ago," Cilia answered.

"And the memos dated back - "

Cilia's face changed. The happy flush drained away, and she grew pale.

"Nine years," she said.

"And who benefited the most from the Annihilator?"

Cilia's face hardened.  "The  Guardians.  They  seized  control."  She

looked at him shrewdly. "So you think Lorian Nod created the rumor."

Qui-Gon nodded. "I do. It  is  a  bloodless  grab  for  power.  Create

something the population fears enough, and they will hand over  control  to

whoever appears with a solution."

"Yes, at first Lorian appeared to be our protector," Aeran said.

"Ciran Ern is said to be a puppet of Lorian Nod's," Cilia said.

"What makes you think that he would allow the truth to get out?"  Qui-

Gon asked. "He has much to fear from Lorian, and Lorian will certainly find

out. I guarantee that you will be denounced as crazy or as a  spy,  and  be

thrown into prison again."

"So what can we do?" Stephin asked.

"You must bypass the rulers and tell the people," Qui-Gon said.

"Impossible," Aeran said. "The Guardians control all communications."

"That is what makes it possible," Qui-Gon  replied  after  a  moment's

pause. "We must get control of that system. We must discover how  it  works

and where it is."

"I already know how it works,"  Stephin  said.  "I  was  part  of  the

original design team. The central control is within the Guardians compound.

It's impossible to break in."

Cilia nodded. "The Guardian compound is way  out  of  my  league.  The

security is flawless."

"No security is flawless," Qui-Gon said. "I can guarantee one  way  to

get inside."

The others looked at him. Obi-Wan smiled. He already knew the answer.

"We must get arrested," Qui-Gon said.

CHAPTER No. 18

With Guardians swarming all over the city, it was not hard for  Cilia,

Stephin, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan to get arrested. They were all wanted.  Aeran

had no outstanding warrant, but as a weapons specialist, her skills were no

longer needed. Promising to alert the resistance to be on the lookout for a

big announcement, she left them.

Qui-Gon suggested that in order to conserve time, they simply do  what

Lorian expected them to do. Cilia pretended to try to see her husband.  She

and Stephin tried to sneak into Jaren's apartment by going  over  rooftops.

Within moments they were  surrounded  by  undercover  Guardians.  As  Jaren

watched, white-faced, his wife was once again led away to prison.

Once they were sure that Cilia and Stephin had been captured,  Qui-Gon

and Obi-Wan headed to the part of the city known to be a meeting ground for

the resistance. They were picked up almost immediately.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were led to the Guardian compound, where they were

ushered into a holding cell. Cilia and Stephin were already there.

"Guardian Nod will be informed of your capture after  the  planet-wide

address," the officer said, engaging the security lock. The durasteel  door

clanged shut.

"What planet-wide address?" Obi-Wan asked Cilia and Stephin.

"Nod gives them from time to time," Cilia said. "It usually has to  do

with some new alert about the Annihilator that requires  stricter  security

measures. Now we know what a fake that is."

"How is the address broadcast?" Qui-Gon asked.

"It goes out simultaneously on all data and vid screens all  over  the

planet," Stephin explained. "There's a studio right here  in  the  Guardian

compound."

"Could you patch into the feed with this?" Qui-Gon asked,  holding  up

the disk that contained the information they'd seen on Delaluna.

Stephin nodded. "Absolutely. But we'd have to get out of here and into

a secure area. All the studio feed lines run though the central information

console."

"Speaking of which, how are we going to get out of here?" Cilia asked.

"That won't be hard,"  Qui-Gon  said,  pulling  aside  his  tunic  and

revealing his lightsaber.

"But weren't you searched?" Stephin asked.

"We have ways of diverting attention," Obi-Wan told them. He and  Qui-

Gon had used the Force to distract the guards from their lightsabers during

the search.

The Jedi ignited their lightsabers and sank them  into  the  durasteel

door. The metal melted and peeled back, glowing orange,  and  they  stepped

through the hole. The corridor was empty, but they could see by a  blinking

light that a silent alarm had been tripped.

Qui-Gon looked back at the gaping  hole.  "You  lose  the  element  of

surprise, but it's a quick escape."

"We'll have to move fast," Cilia said.

They ran down the corridor. Cilia and Stephin both  knew  the  complex

well, and they led them through a maze of  back  hallways  to  the  central

computer station. It was empty, but a high-security lock was on  the  door.

Through the glass, they could see a  row  of  vidscreens.  Lorian  Nod  had

already begun his address.

"How long will it take you to bypass the circuits  and  patch  through

into the feed?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Hard to say," Stephin answered. "Three minutes. Maybe four."

"The alarm will go off as soon as we break in," Qui-Gon said. "They'll

be able to pinpoint our location then. Just do the best you can. We'll take

care of whatever comes along."

Cilia and Stephin nodded to tell them they  were  ready.  Qui-Gon  and

Obi-Wan used their lightsabers to break through the  door.  Immediately,  a

red light began to pulse. As  they  walked  through  the  doorway,  another

indicator light began to blink.

Now they could hear Lorian Nod's voice. "...  And  it  is  with  great

reluctance that I stand before you now. Yet even with bad news we can  gain

comfort from the fact that we are strong and able to protect ourselves from

the great threat...."

Stephin hurried to the console. His fingers began to fly. Qui-Gon gave

him the disk and turned to face the doorway, lightsaber at the ready.

It took only seconds before the droids came. Qui-Gon had no doubt that

they would be  followed  by  armed  guards.  Obi-Wan  sprang  forward,  his

lightsaber flashing. They moved in the same rhythm,  ready  to  cover  each

other, knowing when the other would go on the offense. It was a  flow  Qui-

Gon remembered, when he knew what his apprentice would  do  before  Obi-Wan

did it. The Force surged around them, gathering so that it felt  like  heat

and light, making every move easy.

Within seconds, battered and smoking droids littered the floor.

"Stars and galaxies," Cilia breathed. She had not had time to draw her

own blaster.

"Three more minutes," Stephin muttered.

".. We are tracking a group of spies who are planning to undermine our

society, striking at our security itself. Thanks to the Guardians, we  will

be safe from them and their plans...."

"I'm entering the disk codes now," Stephin said.

"The information will  come  onscreen,"  Cilia  said.  "But  will  the

citizens believe it?"

"Leave on the audio feed," Obi-Wan told  Stephin.  Obi-Wan  spoke  the

words crisply, like an order. He did not glance at Qui-Gon. He was  totally

focused on the moment, on the problem at hand.

Qui-Gon felt a surge of satisfaction. It was  as  though  Obi-Wan  had

taken a step on a journey back to him. Puzzled, Stephin nodded.

Qui-Gon heard the sound of boots thudding in  the  hallway.  "Take  no

lives," he told Obi-Wan. If they could  accomplish  this  without  loss  of

life, it would be a good day.

".. that a new blast potential of the Annihilator has been discovered.

."

The security officers thundered in, blasters  pinging,  electrojabbers

swinging.

"Stay behind us!" Qui-Gon shouted to Cilia, who now was ready to fight

and had stepped forward.

The blaster fire was furious. Qui-Gon jumped and twisted, trying to be

everywhere at once. Obi-Wan moved to protect Stephin. The guards were  well

trained for battle. They kept constantly on the move,  using  sophisticated

flanking maneuvers. Qui-Gon realized that Lorian's Temple training had come

in handy.

Still, the security officers were not Jedi. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan  could

keep them at bay. He heard more boots thundering down the hallway  and  the

distinctive whirr of oncoming droids.

Yes, they could keep the attackers  at  bay,  but  if  more  and  more

arrived, how long would it be before blaster fire got through?

Qui-Gon could see that the same thought had occurred to  Obi-Wan.  His

Padawan did not flag, but a renewed burst of energy sent him in a  spinning

arc. He deflected blaster fire at the same time he destroyed  two  oncoming

droids with a well-placed kick.

Then the moment Qui-Gon was waiting for occurred. The image of  Lorian

Nod fuzzed and broke into shattered pieces. A memo flashed onscreen.

Stephin had been able to keep the audio feed open. The voice of Lorian

Nod boomed out.

"What is that? What is happening? Get that off the screen!"

MISINFORMATION REGARDING "ANNIHILATOR"

The memo title could be read clearly. More information streamed across

the stream as the holofile unfolded.

WE KNOW NOT HOW OR WHY THIS RUMOR BEGAN..

"Get that off the screen!" Lorian shouted. "Don't you see what it  is,

you fools? It's a lie!"

The focus of the security officers wavered.  Qui-Gon  saw  their  eyes

drift to the screen. They tried to keep fighting and keep track of what was

flashing.

Another voice came through the feed.  "This  says  that  there  is  no

Annihilator!"

It must have been another officer in the studio  who  had  blurted  it

out.

"It's a trick," Lorian said. "Spies..."

"It's an official document from Delaluna," another voice  said.  "Look

at the code seal."

The officers had all stopped fighting. They stared at  the  screen  in

disbelief. Whoever was programming the droids had stopped. They stopped  in

midair.

"Let's go," Qui-Gon said to Obi-Wan.

They raced out into the corridor.  Following  directions  Stephin  had

given them, they ran to the studio and burst through the door.

Lorian's face was dark with rage. "You are under arrest, Jedi!"

"I believe you are mistaken," Qui-Gon said calmly. "We  are  arresting

you."

"That arrest can only be ordered by  the  president  himself!"  Lorian

snapped. "Guards! Take these Jedi away."

A guard across the room lowered his comlink slowly. "The arrest  order

has come through," he said. "I am to detain you, Lorian Nod,  by  order  of

Minister Ciran Ern."

The color slowly drained from Lorian's face. He tried to smile, but it

looked as though it cost him a great deal of effort.

Looking at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, he shrugged. "How strange life is," he

said. "The galaxy is so immense, but I can't get away from the  Jedi.  They

have destroyed my life once again."

CHAPTER No. 19

Lorian Nod was in prison, awaiting  trial.  Cilia  was  no  longer  an

underground hero, but a public one, able  to  walk  the  streets  with  her

husband. The Guardians had  fallen  into  disarray  and  the  minister  had

promised to disband them.

It was time for the Jedi to leave.

Qui-Gon waited at the landing platform  with  Obi-Wan.  He  remembered

arriving on this planet while worrying about what  was  to  come  with  his

apprentice. It was true that he  missed  that  pure  trust,  that  lack  of

shadows between them. He had seen the flaws in Obi-Wan, and  the  flaws  in

himself. He had seen where their flaws could rub up against each other  and

create fissures in their relations, cracking them open like  a  groundquake

could split the very core of a planet.

Yet there was something to be gained from that, Qui-Gon  thought.  Now

their relationship could truly begin, for they had seen the worst of it and

they had both decided that what they wanted, the most important thing,  was

to go on. There had been no betrayal. Qui-Gon knew Dooku was wrong - he was

not alone.

"The idea to leave the audio feed open was a good one," he  told  Obi-

Wan. "Lorian was trapped by his denials."

"I thought he might say something incriminating," Obi-Wan said.

"You ordered Stephin to do it," Qui-Gon said. "You did not check  with

me. You did not even look at me." "I am sorry, Master - "

"It was the right thing to do."

Qui-Gon saw the flash of pleasure in Obi-Wan's eyes. He is  no  longer

afraid of displeasing me, Qui-Gon thought. Good.

"Shall we board?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Of course, Master." Obi-Wan paused and looked  longingly  at  a  food

court. "But can we eat first?" He grinned. "I'm still thinking  about  that

turnover."

Qui-Gon laughed. Yes, his Padawan was back. And the boy was back, too.

Now they could begin again.

He had not known the Jedi cruiser to Naboo  was  taking  him  on  what

would turn out to be his final mission with  Qui-Gon.  Yet  they  both  had

understood that the time was coming when Qui-Gon would  recommend  him  for

the trials. Obi-Wan knew he was ready, but he was not yet prepared to leave

his Master. He was anxious to be independent, but he was reluctant to  come

out  from  the  protection  of  his  alliance  with  Qui-Gon.  It  was  not

apprehension that kept him there, but loyalty. Friendship. Love.  They  had

spoken more on that trip than they had ever spoken before. Qui-Gon had been

in a rare talkative  mood,  and  they  had  remembered  old  missions,  old

acquaintances. They had laughed over the exploits of Didi Oddo, the  friend

who was always in trouble. They had remembered the loyal  brothers,  Guerra

and Paxxi, now heads of large families on their homeworld of Phindar.

From time to time a shadow would cross Qui-Gon's face and Obi-Wan knew

he was thinking of Tahl, who he had loved. Tahl had been  killed  during  a

mission to New Apsolon despite their intense efforts to find and save  her.

The pilot dimmed the lights for sleep. Still Qui-Gon and  Obi-Wan  did  not

move. They sat on their chairs, reluctant to move  to  the  sleep  area.  A

silence fell between them, as companionable as always. In the dark silence,

Obi-Wan had asked the question that had been in his mind for months.

"Master, can you tell me something I am lacking?  Something  I  cannot

see that I need to work on?"

He could not see Qui-Gon's face clearly now.  "Do  you  mean  a  flaw,

Padawan?"

"Yes. You have told me that I worry too much, and I've tried  to  work

on that."

"Ah. You mean you've worried about worrying too much?" Qui-Gon's voice

was light. He was teasing him.

"I can be  impatient  with  living  beings,  too.  I  know  that.  And

sometimes, I'm a little too confident of my abilities, perhaps."

Now Qui-Gon's tone was serious. "These things are true,  Obi-Wan,  but

they are not flaws. I have seen how hard you have worked.  I've  seen  what

you can accomplish."

"Then what is my flaw?" Obi-Wan asked.

There came a silence so long that  Obi-Wan  wondered  if  Qui-Gon  had

fallen asleep. Then his voice rose out of the darkness, soft and deep.

"You will be a great Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi.  I  know  that  with

every breath, with every beat of my heart. You will make  me  proud  I  was

there at your beginnings. If you do have a flaw, perhaps it is simply this:

You wish to please me too much."

Twenty-three Years Later

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker

CHAPTER No. 20

Obi-Wan had never understood the meaning of Qui-Gon's  words.  He  had

meant to ask him after the mission was over. He had puzzled over the words,

forgotten them, remembered them again, pushed them away only to  have  them

reappear in his mind.

And now, they haunted him.

The Clone Wars had begun. The galaxy had fractured  and  the  Republic

was threatening to split apart. They had discovered that the  former  Jedi,

Count Dooku, was leading the Separatists. Many Jedi had lost their lives on

Geonosis six months earlier. The tragedy of that battle infused the Temple,

made every Jedi walk with a heavy step. Their vision had been  clouded  for

so long. They realized this, yet their vision did  not  clear.  It  was  as

though a dark curtain was draped over the Temple.

And something had changed within Anakin Skywalker. Something that made

Obi-Wan uneasy. And now a worry had been pushed to  the  forefront  of  his

mind - had his love for Qui-Gon blinded him to the faults in Anakin for too

long?

The uneasiness he felt about Anakin, the sense of dull dread that  had

the power to wake him up  from  a  deep  sleep,  now  had  a  partner:  the

conviction that it was too late to do anything about it.

His Master could not have foreseen all that had taken  place.  Yet  he

had placed a sure finger on the spot that was most vulnerable  in  Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan had opened his heart to Anakin because  of  Qui-Gon's  belief  that

Anakin was the chosen one. Had he tried too hard? Had he overlooked what he

should not have overlooked?

Love had never blinded Qui-Gon. But it has blinded me.

There was too great a distance between him and Anakin now, at  a  time

when he needed to keep his Padawan even closer than before. Every  instinct

told him that Anakin had been profoundly  changed  while  they  were  apart

before the Battle of Geonosis. He knew that Anakin had been to Tatooine and

he knew Anakin's mother was dead. He knew that a  bond  had  grown  between

Anakin and the brilliant Senator Padm¨ Amidala.

He sensed that some of the change was for the better. Some not. It was

as if Anakin had grown harder - and more secretive. One thing  Obi-Wan  saw

clearly: Anakin had lost his boyishness. He was a man now.

Whatever the changes were, they did not bring  Anakin  peace.  Obi-Wan

sensed his Padawan's restlessness, his impatience. He saw  that  Anakin  no

longer felt the same sense of peace from the Temple. He always wanted to be

moving. He always wanted to be somewhere else.

Obi-Wan stood in the doorway of the Map Room of the  Temple,  watching

Anakin. This was a place Anakin came when his mind was restless.  For  some

reason his Padawan found it calming to set dozens  of  holographic  planets

spinning  while  voices  intoned  their   details:   geography,   language,

government, customs. Out of the chaos, Anakin would distinguish one  voice.

Then he would trace another, then another, until he could clearly hear each

voice amid the babble.

Anakin had grown quite adept at  this  game,  Obi-Wan  saw.  Holograms

whirled around his head like angry insects. The  voices  were  a  confusing

blur to Obi-Wan. He couldn't imagine why someone would  find  peace  during

this. As he watched, Anakin lifted a finger and added another planet to the

mix.

"Anakin."

Anakin did not turn. Most beings would. Instead he lifted a hand.  One

by one the planet holograms disappeared, the voices cut off until the  last

solitary voice was silenced. Obi-Wan noted that it had  been  intoning  the

precious metals of Naboo. Anakin stood and turned. Obi-Wan could  see  that

Anakin was still not used to his new artificial hand. He hugged that arm  a

little closer to his body. The sight tore at Obi-Wan's heart.

"Master."

"Master Yoda has requested our presence."

"A mission?"

"I do not know."

Over the past weeks there had been much to do, too much to plan -  too

many battles. The Jedi Council held  constant  strategy  sessions.  It  was

necessary to carefully place the Jedi where they were most needed.  Systems

and planets were now  vulnerable,  and  many  were  highly  strategic.  The

Separatists were gaining new planets with a  combination  of  coercion  and

force. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine pledged to help planets  loyal  to  the

Republic.

"You go to the Map Room when you are troubled by  something,"  Obi-Wan

said as they walked. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Anakin made a restless gesture. "What is the good of talking?"

"It can be very good," Obi-Wan said gently. "Anakin, I  see  that  the

past months have marked you. I am your Master. I am here to help you in any

way I can."

He  could  see  his  Padawan  only  in  profile,  but  Anakin's  mouth

tightened. "I have seen things I wish I had not seen. I did  not  think  so

many Jedi could die. I did not think a once-great Jedi Master could fall so

far."

"Count Dooku's fall has troubled us all," Obi-Wan  acknowledged.  "Now

we have a great and powerful enemy." His thoughts turned to his battle with

Dooku. He had never met such power in battle before. He had never  come  up

against something that had completely overpowered  him.  Even  meeting  the

Sith Lord who had killed Qui-Gon had not been the  same.  If  only  Qui-Gon

were alive, to give them insights into Dooku. Now Obi-Wan thought back  and

wondered why Qui-Gon had never spoken of his Master. He  would  never  know

that, either.

He would have liked more time to talk to Anakin, but they drew  up  in

front of the reception chamber where Yoda had asked them to  convene.  Obi-

Wan stepped forward to access the door but it slid open  before  he  could.

Yoda was always a step ahead of him.

Yet Yoda had a more significant surprise. He stood in  the  middle  of

the room with Lorian Nod. Lorian was older, his hair completely silver now.

He wasn't as lean, but his body still looked strong. Dressed in a cloak  of

veda cloth, he looked more like a successful businessman  than  a  soldier,

but it was unmistakably Lorian Nod.

"What is he doing here?" Obi-Wan barked. He was seldom, if ever, rude.

But lately he hadn't had the time to hide his feelings. Anakin was not  the

only one who had developed impatience.

"To help the Jedi, Lorian Nod has come," Yoda said. "Really,"  Obi-Wan

said, strolling in. "Are you offering to set up your  own  security  force,

Nod?"

Lorian bowed his head slightly, as if he had expected  Obi-Wan's  jibe

and accepted it as his due. "I knew I would meet skepticism if I came here,

" he said. "All I can say is that  I  admit  I  have  not  operated  within

galactic laws during some periods of my life. Yet now, when things  are  so

serious, I find that I must return to my beginnings. I  wish  to  help  the

Jedi."

"And how do you think you can do that?" Obi-Wan asked.

Yoda blinked at Obi-Wan. It was just a blink. But it told him that his

tone was not appreciated.

"Ruler of Junction 5, Lorian Nod is," he said.

Again, Obi-Wan was surprised. "How did you manage that? The last  time

I saw you, you were about to go to prison for a very long time."

"I did go to prison for a very long time," Lorian  answered.  "Then  I

got out."

"And you seized power," Obi-Wan said, disgusted.

"Obi-Wan." Yoda's voice had a quality Obi-Wan recognized, something he

thought of as durasteel sheathed in ice.

Chastised like a youngling, Obi-Wan indicated that  Lorian  should  go

on.

"I was elected," Lorian said. "When I got out of  prison,  things  had

not changed much on Junction  5.  Because  Delaluna  had  allowed  them  to

believe that they possessed the Annihilator,  the  great  distrust  between

them had not diminished. The population still lived in a climate of fear. I

suggested that I be an envoy to Delaluna and open talks between us. As  the

one who caused the worst of the trouble, I could be the one to stop it."

Obi-Wan crossed his arms, waiting.

"I would have failed," Lorian said, "if it wasn't for Samish Kash.  He

had recently been elected as ruler of Delaluna. He, too, believed that  the

mistrust between two such close  planets  was  harmful  to  them  both.  He

believed that open trade and travel between Junction 5 and  Delaluna  would

benefit everyone. So we sat down at a table and began to talk.  We  reached

an agreement, and trade began. Borders were opened. We formed a partnership

with the Bezim and Vicondor systems to build the Station 88 Spaceport. Both

our worlds thrived and prospered. Because of the success of our plan, I was

elected leader of Junction 5 three years  later.  I  have  ruled  during  a

peaceful time. Our two little worlds were overlooked by the powers  in  the

galaxy. In the  Senate,  we  were  one  tiny  voice  among  many.  And  now

everything has changed."

"The systems of Junction 5 and Delaluna, found they  are.  Crucial  to

the success of the Separatists, they have become," Yoda said.

"The Station 88 Spaceport," Lorian Nod explained. "We are a gateway to

the Mid-Rim systems."

Yoda lifted a hand, and a holographic map  appeared.  Junction  5  and

Delaluna  were  illuminated.  "If  Junction  5  and  Delaluna  fall   under

Separatist control, fall Bezim and Vicondor will," he said.  "Control  they

will a vast portion of the Mid-Rim systems."

"Count Dooku knows this very well," Lorian said. "He has contacted me.

So far he has tried flattery and bribes to sway me to the Separatists,  and

I have lied and said I was leaning that way. Officially Samish Kash  and  I

have not allied ourselves with either the Separatists or the Republic. I am

not sure which way Kash is leaning, but I know that  I  have  kept  my  own

allegiances hidden. If Dooku knew I was loyal to the Republic, he could use

force against my world - something I desperately wish to avoid. And I  want

to keep the Station 88 Spaceport as a strategic base for the Republic."

Obi-Wan nodded. He was interested now. He could see how important  the

tiny worlds of Junction 5 and Delaluna had become.

"Why not just declare your allegiance in the  Senate?"  Anakin  asked.

"They would send troops to protect you."

"Spread thin, the clone troops have  become,"  Yoda  said.  "Our  last

option, that would be. A better way, Lorian has suggested."

"You may not be aware of this, Obi-Wan, but Dooku and I  were  friends

during Temple training," Lorian said. "We had a falling out, but  that  was

many years ago. I'm not sure if Dooku trusts me, but he needs me.  It  also

makes sense to him that I would want to join the Separatists.

"It makes sense to me, too," Obi-Wan said. "Why don't you?"

"Because I have seen how making beings afraid or angry is the best way

to make a power grab," Lorian said. "The Separatists have  a  point  -  the

Senate has become a corrupt place where the needs  of  smaller  systems  go

unheard. They have taken this resentment and used it as a screen for  their

own ends. Who are Dooku's main backers? That is where I look. The  Commerce

Guilds. The Trade Federation. The  Corporate  Alliance.  The  InterGalactic

Bank Clan. What do they all have in common but wealth, and the  desire  for

more power? This movement is a cover for greed." Lorian shook his head.  "I

am no longer able to access the Force as I did before. But I don't need the

Force to show me that this road is a road to darkness."

Yoda bowed his head in agreement. Obi-Wan  agreed  as  well.  He  just

didn't like hearing this from Lorian Nod.

"Master Yoda, you had my first loyalty, and you have it still," Lorian

said. "I have done things in my life that I know were wrong, but I am  here

to do right. I am here to serve the Jedi."

"What do you propose?" Obi-Wan asked. He wasn't interested in Lorian's

avowals. He was only interested in what he would do.

"Dooku has called a meeting," Lorian said. "I have  indicated  to  him

that Samish Kash is leaning toward the Republic. He thinks he needs  me  to

persuade or strong-arm Samish into the Separatist camp. Also at the meeting

will be the rulers of Bezim and Vicondor. Dooku  has  proposed  this  as  a

friendly meeting at his villa on the world of Null."

"I've heard of this world," Obi-Wan said. "Dooku has its leader in his

pocket. It was one of the first to join the Separatists."

"Although he proposed this as a neutral place to  meet,  obviously  we

are on his territory," Lorian agreed. "I  have  agreed  to  come,  as  have

Samish Kash and the rulers  of  Vi-condor  and  Bezim.  We  have  a  strong

alliance among us. We have always acted as one. Dooku is hoping that I will

help him convince the others to join the Separatists."

"And what do you propose?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I am not proposing anything except that I will attend this meeting as

a spy, and hope to bring back useful information,"  Lorian  said.  "If  the

Jedi give me a specific task, I will perform it."

"Request we do that while we confer you wait here," Yoda said.

He accessed the door  to  an  interior  chamber.  Obi-Wan  and  Anakin

followed.

"I don't trust him," Obi-Wan said as soon as the doors  closed  behind

them.

"Ask for your trust I do not," Yoda said. "Asking for your help I  am.

No matter his past, help us Lorian Nod can."

"He could have been sent here by Dooku," Obi-Wan said. "This could  be

a trick."

"Unlikely it is," Yoda said.

"Qui-Gon told me that Dooku and Lorian Nod were bitter enemies,"  Obi-

Wan said. "Why would Dooku trust him now?"

"He said that Dooku didn't trust him," Anakin said. "But he needs him.

Alliances are seldom based on trust, only need."

Yoda nodded. "Wise, your Padawan is. Think I do  that  best  for  this

assignment, you are. If refuse you must, understand I will."

"What is it you wish us to do?"

"Travel to Null. This thread you must follow. Discover  if  Lorian  is

truthful. On this, the downfall of Dooku could depend."

CHAPTER No. 21

Null was a world of forests and mountains. It  had  no  large  cities,

only  small  mountain  villages,  each  so  fiercely  individualistic  that

attempts at alliances had always failed. There was a planet-wide government

and a system of laws, but  crimes  tended  to  be  solved  among  villagers

according to an ancient tradition of fierce, swift retaliation that left no

witnesses.

It was a perfect world for Dooku's hidden retreat. The villagers had a

fierce sense of privacy and kept his comings and goings secret.

As Obi-Wan guided the  small  cruiser  to  the  landing  platform,  he

deliberately looped around the coordinates  of  Dooku's  villa.  Dooku  had

taken over the cliffside dwelling of a monarch who had reigned hundreds  of

standard years before. It had originally been built of stone, but Dooku had

faced it in durasteel that was the exact gray of the mountain  cliffs.  The

durasteel had been treated so that it did not gleam. It seemed to  suck  in

light rather than reflect it. If Obi-Wan  had  not  been  looking  for  the

villa, he would have missed it.

Obi-Wan guided the  cruiser  to  the  landing  platform.  They  stood,

feeling a bit odd in their clothes. They  were  dressed  as  hunters,  with

thick short cloaks made of animal skins. Hunting was the only tourist trade

that Null supported. The mountains were full  of  wild  beasts  prized  for

their skins, especially the wily laroon. They disembarked, feeling the cold

wind against their faces like a slap.

"We're scheduled to rendezvous with Nod in the Spade Forest,"  Obi-Wan

told Anakin as he paid a fee to an attendant droid to keep the  cruiser  at

the platform. "We should avoid being seen with him, even  though  we're  in

disguise. We have time to check into the inn at the village."

Anakin nodded as he slung his pack over his shoulder. "Just don't make

me shoot anything," he said.

Obi-Wan grinned. The small joke brought back the days when  everything

was easy between them.

They were below the tree line, so the path ran through a heavy forest.

The mountains rose around them, stabbing the thin  air  with  their  snowy,

jagged peaks.  The  landing  platform  had  been  built  into  the  largest

mountain, which rose into the clouds. It was under this mountain  that  the

village crouched.

The thick trees cleared as they walked down the mountain and the roofs

of the village appeared. The buildings were made of stone and wood and were

only a few stories tall.

Narrow streets wound through the cluster of buildings.  The  villagers

seemed to rely on a sturdy native animal, the bellock, for  transportation.

Obi-Wan saw only a few speeders parked in yards.

Then they turned a corner and saw a cluster of  gleaming  speeders  in

front of a tall stone building, and they knew they had found the inn.  Obi-

Wan and Anakin entered, keeping their hoods  on.  The  interior  lobby  was

scattered with seating areas made of plush materials.  A  fireplace  twenty

meters tall held a huge blazing fire  that  chased  away  the  damp  chill.

Various beings sat  around  the  fire,  some  consulting  datapads,  others

drinking tea. By the look of  their  clothes,  Obi-Wan  guessed  they  were

outsiders, most likely aides to the rulers of the four planets. In  a  dark

corner a hunter sat, covered in skins, an awesome array of weapons  at  his

feet. His bored gaze seemed to regard the sleek, sophisticated beings  with

contempt.

"He's got enough weapons to bring down a capital  ship,  let  alone  a

laroon," Anakin remarked in a low voice.

Obi-Wan's gaze traveled up the fireplace. The wall  was  fashioned  of

jagged stones from the mountain, fitted together in intricate patterns.  He

could see no evidence of mortar or joinery, but each stone nestled  against

each other in what must have been perfect balance.

The innkeeper  smiled  as  he  greeted  Obi-Wan  and  Anakin.  He  was

obviously a native Null. They were tall humanoids, easily  a  meter  taller

than Obi-Wan and Anakin. The men wore heavy beards, which they braided, and

both men and women dressed in animal skins and thigh-length boots.  "I  see

you are admiring the stonework of the inn," he said. "It is a  native  art.

One pull of the keystone and the whole wall comes tumbling down."

"And which is the keystone?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Ah, that is the maker's secret," the innkeeper said. He  noted  their

traveling clothes and sacks. "Always glad to welcome  our  hunters  to  the

inn," he said. "As you can see, we have important  guests,  very  important

guests. But we do not neglect  our  regular  trade."  He  pushed  the  data

register toward Obi-Wan.

"What's going on here?" Obi-Wan asked, bending  forward  to  sign  the

register. "I didn't realize Null was now on the tourist track."

The innkeeper leaned closer. "A very high-level  meeting,  I  believe.

Don't know what it's about. But I expect more  of  these  meetings  in  the

future. So book early or you'll be out of luck!"

"We'll be sure to." Obi-Wan pushed the register back  along  with  the

credits to pay for a room.

A young woman sat in a small chair tucked against the wall. He had not

noticed her before, and  would  not  have  noticed  her  if  a  flicker  of

recognition didn't jolt him. He could not place her, but he  felt  he  knew

her. She was slender, dressed in a dark green tunic the color of the leaves

outside. A matching headwrap covered her hair.  He  had  met  thousands  of

beings all over the galaxy, and though his memory  was  excellent,  it  was

hard to remember everyone. Or maybe she just reminded him of someone....

He turned. "Anakin, do you recognize  that  woman  in  green,  sitting

against the wall?"

"What woman?" Anakin asked.

There was a flicker of green, and the door of the inn closed.  Obi-Wan

filed the woman away in his mind to investigate later. He  didn't  like  it

when something nagged at him.

The hunter warmed his hands at the fire, picked up  his  weapons,  and

rumbled to the door. The native Null workers rolled their eyes after he had

passed, clearly considering him an overly armed amateur.

"Come on," Obi-Wan said. "Let's find our room.  It's  almost  time  to

meet Lorian."

First they stowed their gear in their room, a small one  tucked  under

the eaves of the roof. Obviously  they  were  not  among  those  "important

guests" the innkeeper had mentioned.

They walked out into the village street and toward the path  that  led

into the forest. Obi-Wan called  up  the  prearranged  coordinates  on  his

datapad. They would meet not far from the village in a forest clearing that

Lorian had already determined was secluded but not difficult to reach.

As they reached the edge of the village, they saw a  villager  running

down the mountain path. The thud of his panicked  footsteps  came  to  them

clearly.

"Sound the alarm!" he shouted. "There's been a murder! Samish Kash has

been assassinated!"

CHAPTER No. 22

Three blasts of a horn sounded as Obi-Wan  and  Anakin  raced  up  the

trail. They found Samish Kash  lying  a  few  meters  off  the  main  path.

Villagers crowded around him, and a speeder arrived. Samish Kash was loaded

onto it. Obi-Wan saw the blaster wound near his heart. He was a  young  man

with curly dark hair, dressed in a plain tunic. As  far  as  Obi-Wan  could

tell, he was unarmed.

Lorian Nod stood by, his face full of sorrow. He acknowledged the Jedi

with a glance, then leaped aboard the speeder that held the body of Kash.

Obi-Wan saw the young woman in green turn  away.  Her  shoulders  were

shaking. The hunter with the impressive arsenal put a hand  underneath  her

elbow.

"An aide to Samish Kash," one of the villagers whispered.  "She  found

his body."

Then we will most definitely need to talk to her, Obi-Wan thought.  He

watched the young woman and the hunter. Now his  mind  was  clicking.  They

were arguing in a way that told him they were not strangers. Obi-Wan  began

to drift closer, hoping to overhear. But they kept  moving  away  from  the

circle of villagers, the woman trying to get away  from  the  hunter  while

still talking to him.

As she made an abrupt move to turn away, her hood fell  back,  and  he

saw that she had blond hair, braided tightly and coiled  around  her  head.

Then he caught a flash of wide blue eyes. The hunter spoke urgently in  her

ear.

"It's Floria and Dane," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin looked where Obi-Wan had indicated.  "The  brother  and  sister

bounty hunters we met on Ragoon-6? How can you be sure? It was so long ago.

"

"Look carefully."

Anakin studied them. "You're right.  What  are  bounty  hunters  doing

here?"

"Exactly what I'd like to find out."

The two Jedi moved quickly through the crowd. Floria and Dane had  now

moved well away from the commotion.

"If you had done what you were supposed to - " Dane was saying.

"So you're saying it's my fault?" Floria's voice was choked with anger

and tears. "You always - "

"You never - " Dane stopped talking as Obi-Wan and Anakin walked up.

"I must confess I never expected to see you again," Obi-Wan said.

Floria and Dane stared at them for a long moment.

"Black holes and novas, it's the Jedi," Dane said. Now  Obi-Wan  could

see his blue eyes, so much like Floria's. "What are you two doing here?"

"Which is exactly what I want to know about you  two,"  Obi-Wan  said,

steering them farther away from the others, and underneath the trees.  "Who

are you hunting? Are you involved in the death of Samish Kash?"

"No!" Dane exclaimed. "We're  his  bodyguards!"  "Obviously,  you  are

doing an excellent job," Anakin said. Floria burst into tears.

"Bounty hunting was getting too dangerous,"  Dane  said,  handing  his

sister a cloth to wipe her tears. "There were so many of us out there  that

all honor was lost. Some were using truly cutthroat techniques."

"I've seen a few," Obi-Wan concurred.

"So we decided to become bodyguards. It's simpler. Samish  Kash  hired

us a couple of months ago for protection. He  didn't  want  the  usual  big

goons or guard droids. He didn't want anyone to know. So Floria posed as an

aide, and I just used disguises. Then this meeting was called. Samish  told

us to be especially careful. He's  the  glue  that  keeps  the  Station  88

Spaceport alliance together. Without him, it would fall apart. He's the one

everyone trusts. So he thought if  some  group  wanted  to  take  over  the

spaceport, they'd go for him first." Dane looked distraught. "Then  instead

of staying in my sight, or Floria's, the way he promised, he disappeared. I

followed, and.."

"You found him dead?"

"Lying there," Dane said "Shot in the heart." "And you saw nothing?"

"What does it matter?" Floria asked them. She had wiped her tears away

and her face was pale. "He's dead."

Dane shook his head. "I was too late." He looked off into  the  trees.

"I should have - " Dane stopped abruptly and squinted into the trees.

Without another word, Dane took off. He raced to  his  swoop  hovering

nearby in suspended mode. He leaped aboard and took off.

"Come on, Anakin," Obi-Wan said,  spurting  forward.  "We'll  have  to

follow on foot."

The trees were dense here, and Obi-Wan could see ahead that  Dane  was

having trouble navigating between the trunks. He had  to  continually  slow

his speed. He was obviously chasing someone ahead of him on a swoop,  which

appeared and disappeared through the trees.

They gained on Dane, hurtling through the spaces  between  the  trees.

When they were meters away, Anakin leaped high to grab a tree branch. Using

the momentum, he swung forward and dropped neatly on  the  back  of  Dane's

swoop. The swoop lurched and careened toward a massive tree trunk. Dane let

out a piercing yell. Calmly, Anakin stood on the  back  of  the  swoop  and

leaned forward to grab the  controls.  He  steered  away  from  the  trunk,

circled, and came back to Obi-Wan.

"He'll get away!" Dane cried.

"Who?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't know! But I think he killed Kash!" Dane  cried  breathlessly.

"I don't know where I know him from, but I know him. He's a bounty hunter."

"Mind if we take over?" Obi-Wan asked Dane.

He jumped off the swoop. "Be my guest. Just be careful with my swoop!"

he yelled after them as Anakin sent the engines screaming to maximum.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan wished he were driving.

The suspect glanced back once and saw they were  still  following.  He

chose a difficult route through the trees. The narrow spaces were  hard  to

get through, especially at high speeds. Anakin flipped the  swoop,  turning

constantly to come at the openings at  the  best  angle,  never  slackening

speed. He crashed through leaves and branches. They were gaining, but  Obi-

Wan was positive he'd lose an arm or an ear in the process.

"Do you think you could slow down?" Obi-Wan yelled over the  sound  of

cracking twigs and the screaming engines.

"And miss all the fun?" Anakin asked, executing  a  quick  left  turn,

flipping the swoop, then flipping it back again. Obi-Wan tried to find  his

breath.

The ground was rising  sharply.  The  suspect  pushed  his  speed.  He

careened through two trees, lost control, and the swoop  flipped  over  and

scraped the side of the next tree, sending the swoop spinning  wildly.  The

assassin leaped off a moment before the swoop crashed into a large tree. He

hit the ground and ran.

"We've got him now," Anakin said, gunning the engine.

Obi-Wan caught a blur of large brown spots speckling the  tree  trunks

as they zoomed fast. A strange mold? he wondered. The spots had hairs  that

waved in the air like legs. They were legs, he realized.

Spiders. About the size of a small rodent  animal.  Obi-Wan  had  read

about them in his briefing notes on  the  journey  to  Null.  They  weren't

poisonous, but one had to watch out for their

"Anakin, watch out!"

Ahead the sunlight had just caught the silky threads of the giant  web

slung between the trees. The swoop hit it head-on. The web did  not  break.

The reclumi species of spider had a web so strong it could  stop  a  moving

vehicle.

It did.

CHAPTER No. 23

The swoop boomeranged backward, crashed into  the  tree  trunk  behind

them, then shot forward again, caught in the sticky web. The ropy  tendrils

clung to Obi-Wan's skin and hair and caught in his mouth. When he tried  to

pull the skin of the web off him, it stuck to his fingers.

"Aarrgh!" Anakin gave a strangled cry as he tried to pull the web  off

his face.

Obi-Wan managed to unsheathe his lightsaber and activate it. He cut  a

swath through the web, creating a hole. He dropped  to  the  forest  floor.

Anakin landed next to him. Tendrils of the web still stuck to  their  skin,

and they tried to get it off, but it stuck to them like a strong glue.  The

swoop hung above them while a spider with  legs  more  than  a  meter  long

scuttled across a tree trunk to see what it had caught.

Meanwhile, the assassin had disappeared. They would have to track him.

They ran quickly through the trees, snaking through  the  forest.  The

assassin had doubled back. After tracking  him  for  a  kilometer,  Obi-Wan

suspected that he was heading back toward the village.

They came out on another path that veered  downhill  sharply.  Through

the trees they could occasionally see the rooftops of the village. The path

ended at the outskirts of the village,  near  some  outbuildings.  A  large

stone building had a side parking area for speeders.

"Anakin, stop. There he is."

The assassin was moving from shadow to shadow across the street.  They

could see now that he was a  human  male,  dressed  in  dark  clothing  and

wearing a helmet with a brim that that shadowed his face.

Then Lorian Nod appeared from the back pathway to the mountain. He was

walking quickly and didn't notice the Jedi. "He's meeting  Lorian,"  Anakin

said.

Suddenly the street came alive with villagers.  They  surged  forward,

shouting in their native language and brandishing blasters and  the  native

weapon, a sharp blade atop a thick wooden pole. The  assassin  melted  back

into the shadows,

The villagers rushed down the street. Lorian was lost in the midst  of

them. Suddenly, Obi-Wan saw that Floria and Dane were being herded near the

front of the crowd. Their hands were bound in lasercuffs in front of them.

Dane caught sight of  Obi-Wan.  "They  think  we  killed  Samish!"  he

shouted. "Help us!"

Floria and Dane were carried  along  with  the  crowd.  The  villagers

surged into the stone building like one giant moving beast. The street  was

suddenly empty. Lorian had vanished.

"Should we try to find him?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan sighed. "He's not going anywhere. And we'd better  see  what's

happening with Floria and Dane."

They walked into the building. It was a basic prison, but the security

wasn't sophisticated. The cell  was  a  small  room  in  a  corner  with  a

durasteel door and a basic security coded  lock.  There  were  no  official

guards, no data-screens, no evidence of  record-keeping  or  comm  devices.

Obviously this was used as a holding cell until the  villagers  decided  on

their own brand of justice.

The locals sat around a massive wooden table, drinking  tea  and  grog

and arguing. Obi-Wan stepped forward. "We would like to see our friends."

"They are our prisoners." This was growled from the  largest  villager

who sat at the head of the table.

Obi-Wan dug into the bag at his side and threw the skin of a laroon on

the table. They had brought  skins  and  furs  with  them  to  cover  their

identities.

"We would like to see our friends," he repeated.

The fur of the laroon was inspected with  knowing  fingers.  Then  the

villager nodded. He rose slowly, ambled to  the  lock,  and  keyed  in  the

security code. The door slid open.

Dane was pacing in the cell. Floria  sat  quietly  on  the  one  chair

provided. The door slid shut behind the Jedi.

"Thank the stars you are here. They are going to kill us," Dane said.

"Don't be so dramatic," Floria said. "You don't know that."

"Let me think. They just debated on whether to use blasters or  do  it

slowly by lowering us into a laroon  den.  What's  your  conclusion?"  Dane

asked fiercely.

"They can't just kill us without a trial," Floria said. Obi-Wan  noted

that she had regained the color in her cheeks. Floria  had  been  a  pretty

girl. Now she was a beautiful woman.

"Of course they can! This is Null! They don't bother with trials here!

" Dane cried.

"Floria, Dane, if you could stop arguing for a moment," Obi-Wan  said,

holding up a hand. "Do they have evidence against you?"

"I found the body, and Dane came up right after," Floria said.

"In  other  words,  they  don't  need  evidence,"  Dane  said.  "We're

outlanders. We were in the vicinity. That's all  they  need  to  know."  He

slumped against the wall of the bare cell and drifted  down  until  he  was

sitting on the floor.

"We will protect you from the villagers," Obi-Wan said. "But you  must

help us."

"You were Kash's bodyguards," Anakin said. "You must have a few likely

suspects. Who would have hired that assassin?"

Floria shook her head. Dane shrugged.

"No one and everyone," Dane  said.  "He  didn't  have  any  particular

enemies. He had brought prosperity and peace to his people. But  with  this

Separatist thing, everything changes. It could have been Dooku himself.  It

could have been one of the other members  of  the  alliance,  Telamarch  or

Uziel, if they wanted to control the alliance."

"You didn't mention Lorian Nod," Anakin said.

"Him too, I guess." Dane looked gloomy. "I don't trust anybody."

"Not  Lorian  Nod,"  Floria  spoke  up.  "They  started  the  alliance

together."

Obi-Wan crouched down near Dane. "Dane, you said the  assassin  looked

familiar. You have to remember where you met him."

Dane buried his head in his hands. "Floria and I have  been  all  over

the galaxy. I've met so many beings. He's one in a line of  awful  ones.  I

really need to retire." He looked up. "Hey, how's my swoop, by the way?  Is

it safe?"

Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged a glance.

"Well, it's definitely not going anywhere," Anakin said. "We ran  into

a reclumi," Obi-Wan said.,

"Web!" Dane shouted.

"Yes, a big one - "

"No, Web! That's his name! The assassin," Dane said. "I met him  about

two years ago. Robior Web. We had auditioned for the same job but he didn't

get hired. The thing about him was, he got started as  a  security  officer

but the security force was disbanded on his planet so he found himself  out

of a job. He's got a reputation for taking  on  big  jobs,  assassinations,

things like that. He used to be a Guardian on Junction 5."

Obi-Wan slowly rose.

"There is our connection to Lorian Nod," he said.

CHAPTER No. 24

Promising to return, Obi-Wan and Anakin raced out of  the  prison  and

into the inn. They found Lorian in a secluded area of the  lobby,  deep  in

conference with the rulers  of  Bezim  and  Vicondor.  Obi-Wan  and  Anakin

hovered unseen, able to pick up some of their conversation.

"What is happening?" Yura Telamarch asked, his voice full of distress.

The ruler of Bezim was a tall humanoid  with  a  domed  head  and  a  grave

manner. "Do you think Count Dooku is behind the murder of Kash?"

"I  don't  know,  Yura,"  Lorian  said.  "They've  arrested   Samish's

bodyguards. It could be an internal plot of Delaluna."

"We are not safe here," Glimmer Uziel, the ruler of  Vi-condor,  said.

She had a musical voice and pale  gold  skin.  Four  tiny  tentacles  waved

delicately in the air, like fronds. "What if this  is  a  trap?  There  are

those among my aides who say that Count Dooku will  not  show  up.  He  has

lured us here to kill us all and take the space station by force."

"Without Samish, our alliance is weaker," Yura  said.  "No  doubt  the

pressure will increase. What do you think, Lorian?"

"I think we trust Dooku  for  now,"  Lorian  answered.  He  stood.  "I

suggest you get some rest. The meeting is scheduled to  take  place  in  an

hour."

Reluctantly Yura and Glimmer rose and headed for the stairs.  As  soon

as the rulers were out of sight, Obi-Wan and Anakin walked  up  to  Lorian.

"Trust Dooku?" Obi-Wan asked sardonically. "Good advice, Lorian."

"What did you expect me to say?" Lorian asked. "Dooku must not suspect

that I am against him."

"Are you against him?" Obi-Wan asked. "Things have  changed  now  that

Samish Kash is dead. If  someone  wished  to  drive  a  wedge  through  the

alliance, it has worked."

"Are you accusing me of killing Samish? He was my friend."

"So you say. Have you ever heard of Robior Web?" Obi-Wan asked.

Lorian frowned. "The name is familiar, but..." "He was a Guardian."

"I could hardly be expected to remember every Guardian."

"He is now working as an assassin."

Lorian took several moments to reply. "He  is  on  Null?"  "Yes.  Dane

recognized him."

Lorian nodded slowly. "You think this Web killed Kash, and I hired him

to do it."

Obi-Wan said nothing.

"I did not," Lorian said. "And if you think about it for a moment  you

will see that if someone wanted to smash the alliance, the  way  to  do  so

would be to kill one member and  pin  the  murder  on  another.  It  is  no

accident that the assassin  is  a  former  Guardian.  Naturally  you  would

suspect me."

"Naturally," Obi-Wan said.

"And that is exactly what Dooku would want Yura and  Glimmer  to  do,"

Lorian continued. "This is how he works. He waits. He watches. He likes  to

undermine loyalties. He likes to fracture  bonds.  He  likes  to  encourage

betrayal."

All of this was true, but it didn't mean Lorian  wasn't  guilty.  Just

clever.

"There is more going on here than the Force can sense,"  Lorian  said.

"And more than your logic can decipher. There are feelings  here,  Obi-Wan.

And among those feelings are mine for Samish. I did not do it."

"We have only your word for it, along with everything  else,"  Obi-Wan

said. "That is the problem."

"There is only one solution to the problem, then," Lorian  said.  "You

must trust me."

"Can you give me any reason to do so?" Obi-Wan asked.

Lorian hesitated. "No. I cannot prove my honesty."

"Then we'll continue to suspect you," Anakin said.

"We come from the same place," Lorian said, looking at them  both.  "I

was raised in the Temple. I fell away from its teachings for a time. Why? I

was afraid. I was young and alone and I took a step forward, the only  step

I felt I could take. Then I took another, and another, and I ended up in  a

life I didn't recognize."

"These are excuses,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "Tell  that  to  the  people  of

Junction 5. Tell that to Cilia Dil."

"I harmed my people," Lorian admitted. "And I must say that  Cilia  is

not one of my supporters. She can't forget what I was. I know  all  I  have

are excuses. When you live a life filled with wrong, what else do you  have

but excuses and blame?" He paused. "Do you believe in redemption, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan had been asked the question, but it was Anakin who  spoke  up.

"I do."

"I do, as well, young Anakin Skywalker,"  Lorian  said.  "It  is  what

keeps me going. At the end of my life, I will do good.  That's  all  I  can

tell you for now."

"Do you believe him?" Anakin asked as they walked outside the inn.

"I think he talks well," Obi-Wan said.  "And  I  don't  know  what  to

believe. Not yet." Would Qui-Gon have known? He had always seemed  to  know

who to trust.

"You are too hard on beings sometimes,"  Anakin  said.  "Mistakes  are

made. Things happen. That means that change can happen, too."

"The meaning of life is change," Obi-Wan said,  startled  at  Anakin's

characterization of him. The charge stung. He did not think he was hard  on

other beings. Perhaps that had been true once, but he had learned from Qui-

Gon. "I didn't say I didn't believe Lorian. But I can't discount  the  rest

of his life just because he tells me I should. If  he  is  in  league  with

Dooku, we should find out what they are planning.  And  if  he  is  not  in

league with Dooku, we should still find out."

"So what's our next step?" Anakin asked.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I have a question," Anakin said. "If Robior Web  was  hired  to  kill

Samish Kash, he has accomplished his objective. Why is he  still  on  Null?

Assassins seldom hang around after they finish an assignment."

"He was going to meet Lorian and give his report," Obi-Wan said.

"That could be true," Anakin  said,  "but  usually  that  is  done  by

comlink or dataport. Usually an assassin and his employer don't like to  be

seen together."

"So if he's still  on  Null,  he  could  have  another  assignment  to

accomplish before the meeting," Obi-Wan said. "Maybe we should find him."

"Sure," Anakin said. "But how? It's a big mountain."

"Exactly," Obi-Wan said. "If I were Web, I'd want transport.  His  was

destroyed. I'd need to do it without attracting any attention, so that lets

out stealing one from a villager or an aide. But he knows where another one

is - "

Anakin grinned and finished the sentence. " - just hanging around."

When they got to where Dane's  speeder  was  hanging  emeshed  in  the

spiderweb, Robior Web was in the tree, trying to slice  the  web  with  his

vibroblade. It was clear he had been trying for some time  to  release  the

swoop. His hands and tunic were covered with the sticky, ropy web.  He  had

managed to free the back of the swoop,  and  it  hung  suspended  from  the

handlebars, which were covered in the sticky goo. Below on  the  ground,  a

dead reclumi spider lay in pieces, a victim  of  the  same  vibroblade,  no

doubt when it tried to defend its web.

Robior Web consulted  a  chrono,  then  attacked  the  web  even  more

fiercely. He succeeded only in winding a large tendril of  the  web  around

his  arm.  They  could  not  hear  his  curses,  but  they  could  see  his

frustration.

"Time is running out," Obi-Wan  murmured.  "My  guess  is  he  has  an

appointment."

With one last savage thrust, Robior Web managed to cut  loose  a  ropy

tendril, but it flopped away, then smacked back against  the  body  of  the

swoop. Now it was more enmeshed than ever.

With a strangled cry, the assassin dropped from the tree and  hit  the

ground. He began to run.

Obi-Wan and Anakin followed. They had to keep well behind, but it  was

easy to track his progress through the forest. He was  heading  around  the

mountain but climbing steadily.

"I think he's heading for the landing platform," Obi-Wan said.  "We'll

be coming at it from above."

After a hard climb,  they  realized  Obi-Wan  was  right.  Robior  Web

climbed over a peak and disappeared below.  Obi-Wan  and  Anakin  waited  a

moment, then climbed behind him and peered over the edge.  Web  was  moving

down toward the landing platform below.

Suddenly the sun was blocked out overhead. They  looked  up.  A  large

transport was hovering. Robior Web quickened his pace and almost slid  down

to the deserted landing platform.

Behind the large transport, a sleek interstellar  sloop  dropped  down

from the sky, a sail ship, like none other in the galaxy.

"Dooku has arrived," Obi-Wan said.

The solar sailer landed. The landing ramp  slid  down  and  the  tall,

elegant  figure  of  Count  Dooku  emerged.  Obi-Wan  felt  Anakin   tense.

Unconsciously, he touched the metal hand that had replaced  the  one  Dooku

had severed.

"So Dooku hired the assassin," Obi-Wan muttered as Robior Web  skidded

to a stop in front of Dooku, then bowed. "With or without Lorian, we  don't

know."

Distracted, he had not realized Anakin was rising  until  his  Padawan

was almost to his feet.

"Anakin what are you doing? Get down!"

"Let's get him now," Anakin said.

"Get down!" Obi-Wan insisted. To  his  relief,  Anakin  crouched  down

again. He faced him, his eyes full of fire and purpose.

"We have our chance to end it here," Anakin said. "Let's kill him.  We

can take him together. We won't make the same mistakes this time."

"Like being reckless and rushing him without a  plan?"  Obi-Wan  asked

pointedly. "It is what cost you your hand last time, and you are  doing  it

again, Padawan."

"What are we waiting for?" Anakin  asked.  "We  missed  him  at  Raxus

Prime, but we won't here. If we kill him, we kill the Separatist  movement.

What is one life against thousands? Maybe millions?"

"Anakin - "

"He  killed  our  brothers  and  sisters  on  Geonosis,"  Anakin  said

bitterly. "Have you forgotten how they died?"

"I remember it every moment," Obi-Wan said. "But this is not the time.

This is not the way."

"You don't know what I can do," Anakin said, and there was an  ominous

tone in his voice. "My connection to the Force is stronger than yours.  I'm

telling you I can do it! No matter what you say."

Obi-Wan was shocked. "You are still my apprentice," he  said  sharply.

"I am your Master. You must obey." The set of Anakin's mouth was sullen.

"Anakin, you must trust me," Obi-Wan said forcefully. "There  will  be

another time to face Dooku. This is not the time.

Anakin looked at him. The sullen look was gone. His gaze was clear and

cool. Obi-Wan could almost read contempt in it. But as the thought occurred

to him, the look was gone. Had he really seen it?

"Look below," Obi-Wan said. "What do you think is in  that  transport?

Super battle droids. We would be dead before we  took  two  steps  on  that

platform. They're being unloaded now."

Anakin looked down at the  platform.  Lines  of  droids  clicked  into

formation as they rolled off the  transport.  Obi-Wan  could  see  the  way

Anakin's mind focused on  the  immediate  problem.  He  could  almost  feel

Anakin's anger drain away.

But why had it been there in the first place? Obi-Wan had a feeling he

had seen a flash of something much deeper than he'd ever known before.

"He is taking no chances," Obi-Wan guessed. "If things do not  go  his

way at the meeting, he will use force."

Reluctantly, Anakin tore his gaze away. "We should warn them."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "But who? Any one of them could  be  secretly  in

league with Dooku. We must consider our next step carefully. We must figure

out who to talk to first."

"I say we talk to Floria," Anakin said.

"Why Floria?" Obi-Wan asked, puzzled. He didn't know what  Anakin  was

thinking. He rarely did, anymore. But  at  least  he  was  glad  they  were

talking.

"I sense she is not telling  all  she  knows,"  Anakin  said.  Obi-Wan

thought back. He realized that he had picked up something from Floria, too.

But he had been too focused on Lorian to consider it.

Your mind must be everywhere at once,  Padawan.  The  truth  has  many

sides.

Yes, Qui-Gon.

"There is more going on here than the Force can sense,"  Anakin  said,

repeating Lorian's words. "Feelings, he said. What did he mean?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said.

"That is why we must talk to Floria," Anakin said. He rose to his feet

in one quick movement and began to run. Obi-Wan had to put on  a  burst  of

speed to catch up.

"Do you remember," Anakin said, "how upset she was when  the  body  of

Samish Kash was found?"

"She had failed in her mission to protect him," Obi-Wan said.

"I think the loss was more personal,"  Anakin  said.  "And  later  she

called him 'Samish.' Dane always calls him 'Kash.' I think  she's  in  love

with him."

"How is that relevant to our mission?"

Anakin shot him a sidelong look. Amazing that they were  running  hard

down a mountain, and Anakin could still have the energy for a healthy  dose

of scorn.

"Love is always relevant, Master," he said.

CHAPTER No. 25

Another bribe got them access to the cell.

"Take your time," the villager said, waving a hand as  the  door  slid

open. "We've decided to kill them at dawn."

The rest of the villagers roared and pounded the table. They had  been

drinking grog for some time now. The door slid  shut,  drowning  out  their

laughter.

"Did you hear that?" Dane hissed at Floria.

"She's not afraid," Anakin said. "Why is  that,  Floria?"  "I  am  not

panicking like my brother, it's true," Floria said.

"And you are no longer grieving," Anakin said. "Why is that?"

Floria turned her extraordinary sky-blue eyes on Anakin.  They  looked

at each other for a long moment. "You love him," Anakin said.

"Of course she loves me," Dane said. "I'm her brother."  Another  long

silence. Anakin waited her out. Obi-Wan kept very still.

"I love Samish,"  Floria  admitted.  Her  chin  lifted  and  her  eyes

flashed, as though to say the words out loud had given her great pleasure.

"You love who?" Dane shouted.

"And he is still alive," Anakin said.

Floria nodded.

"What?" Dane cried, leaping in front of Floria. "You love Samish Kash,

and he's still alive?"

"Dane, stop. He was shot, but he survived," Floria said.  "He  decided

to let everyone think he was dead after the attempt on his life. He  wanted

to find out who had put a price on his head and why. The alliance  is  very

important to him, and he doesn't trust Dooku."

"He was our employer!" Dane said. "We worked for  him.  You  were  his

bodyguard. You went against all professional standards - "

"Be quiet," Anakin ordered, turning on Dane. "Floria couldn't help her

feelings."

"You can always help your feelings," Dane said. "Feelings  need  help.

Otherwise they get completely out of control!"

Obi-Wan ignored Dane. "When we first saw you, you thought Samish  Kash

was dead." At Floria's nod, he continued. "How did  you  find  out  he  was

alive?"

"You let me think I was going to be executed!" Dane cried, as a  fresh

wave of indignation swept over him.

"Lorian told me," Floria said. "He had brought Kash to the clinic. He,

too, had thought he was dead. Kash revived on the med table. Lorian  bribed

the doctor and he and Samish came up with the plan. The first thing  Samish

asked Lorian to do was tell me. Right after that, we were arrested."

"Did you ever think of mentioning that the person we supposedly killed

wasn't dead?" Dane asked.

"I couldn't say anything. Not until the  meeting,"  Floria  said.  "If

Dooku has a plan, it will take place there. Lorian and Samish decided  that

Samish  should  show  up  at  the  meeting.  If  Dooku  had  arranged   his

assassination, it might be enough to foil his plans."

"So Lorian  told  the  truth,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "He  didn't  hire  the

assassin. He could have gotten off the hook by telling us Samish was alive,

and he didn't."

"He had sworn to keep the secret," Floria said.  "Samish  always  said

Lorian had come both early and late to honor. I wasn't sure what he meant."

"I think I do." Obi-Wan looked at Anakin. "They  are  walking  into  a

trap," he said.

A trap he could have prevented. He could have told  Lorian  about  the

battle droids, and he had not. Angry  with  himself,  Obi-Wan  piloted  the

speeder up the mountain toward Dooku's villa at maximum speed. It had  only

taken a little truth, a little persuasion, and two glowing  lightsabers  to

get the villagers to release their prisoners. As soon as  they  heard  that

Samish Kash was alive and that the two hunters  were  actually  Jedi,  they

even turned over several speeders for their use.

Obi-Wan and Anakin had each taken a speeder. Floria and Dane  insisted

on coming with them. Despite everything, Dane considered  Samish  Kash  his

responsibility to protect. Floria just wanted to  be  with  him,  "whatever

happens."

The villa rose above  them,  as  gray  and  forbidding  as  the  stone

mountain. The meeting was about to begin. Obi-Wan  saw  the  security  gate

ahead. The speeder had light armor mounted on the hull. He opened fire  and

blasted his way through the gate. Immediately a durasteel shield  began  to

descend over the wide double doors of the front entrance. It would no doubt

prove impenetrable to explosives.

Before Obi-Wan could react, Anakin gunned his  speeder,  blasting  his

weaponry at the double doors beyond the descending shield.  In  an  amazing

display of skill, he cut the power, flipping his speeder  up  at  the  same

time and leaping off. The speeder skidded  to  a  stop,  its  armored  hull

pointing up toward the swiftly descending shield.

The shield came down on  the  speeder.  Metal  shrieked  and  groaned,

slowing the descent of the shield. Anakin ducked under  the  moving  shield

and leaped through the hole he had blasted through  the  double  doors.  He

disappeared into the darkness of the villa.

This had all taken only seconds. Obi-Wan had already  leaped  off  his

speeder and was running toward the durasteel shield,  now  slowly  crushing

the speeder underneath it. There was just enough room for Obi-Wan  to  duck

underneath and inside. Floria and Dane followed, rolling under the door  as

it goaned downward and shut with a crash, the  speeder  now  part  pancake,

part mangled transport.

Anakin was waiting in the darkness of the hallway. The ceiling was  so

high it was lost in the gloom above. Together they ran down the grand hall,

looking into the large rooms as they passed. They heard voices ahead.

Obi-Wan slipped into a circular room that had been built in the center

of the villa. There was no ceiling, only the  roof  above.  Narrow  windows

were cut into the stone high above and let in a  faint  light.  One  entire

wall was made up of an enormous fireplace, big enough for a Null  to  stand

erect in. A large circular stone table sat in the center of the  room,  but

it was dwarfed by the soaring space. Dooku stood at one end.  Samish  stood

at the opposite side of the table, facing him. Yura,  Glimmer,  and  Lorian

looked small and defenseless. The table was so  large  that  there  was  an

expanse of space between each of them.

Obi-Wan guessed that Dooku had sensed his presence. He felt  the  dark

side in the room, how it surged and grew. Anakin came  and  stood  next  to

him, and Floria and Dane followed, staying against the wall in the  shadows

so that they would not be seen.

"I believe you  tried  to  assassinate  me  so  you  could  smash  the

alliance," Samish was saying.

"So much emotion, so little logic,"  Dooku  said.  "Let  us  be  calm.

Station 88 Spaceport is a vital strategic link. This is something that must

be decided carefully. You have not  even  heard  what  my  organization  is

willing to give to you for the rights to the  spaceport.  I  am  sure  your

partners would want to hear. Do you deny them that right?"

Samish looked uncertain. "Yes, we should at least hear him out,"  Yura

said.

Anakin stirred. Obi-Wan put a hand on his arm. If  they  moved,  Dooku

was capable of anything. And he had seen Robior Web  standing  against  the

wall, almost lost in the shadows. He had no doubt that Samish Kash  was  in

danger, and most likely all of the other rulers in the alliance, as well.

Samish turned to the others. "Why should we listen? Everything  he  is

about to tell us will be lies."

Dooku turned to Lorian. "We haven't heard from you, old  friend.  Tell

Samish what you have decided."

Lorian stood. "I support Samish Kash. And I support the Republic."

Dooku gripped the edge of the table. It was clear that a  great  surge

of rage had overtaken him. He controlled it. His dark eyes seemed  to  suck

in the light around the table and devour it.

He leaned over the table. "So you betray me again. I assure you, it is

for the last time, Lorian."

"Yes," Lorian said. "I am certain of that."

"Vicondor must stand with Delaluna and Junction 5, my  friends  Samish

and Lorian," Glimmer said. "The alliance will support the Republic."

Dooku looked over into the shadows and acknowledged the Jedi  for  the

first time. "So you support a corrupt government?" he thundered. "Have  you

forgotten the battle of Geonosis, how they crushed a small planet  with  an

invading army? They are ruthless. They hide in the shadows. Look!"

The rulers turned and saw the Jedi. Lorian appeared very glad  to  see

them. "That is one way of looking at it," he  said.  "But  it  is  not  the

truth."

"I stand with the decision of the alliance," Yura said.

"It appears the negotiation is over," Dooku said.  He  had  controlled

his anger and spoke now in a mild tone. "How unfortunate. I suppose I could

try to persuade you. But as I grow older, I  have  found  that  I  have  so

little... patience for such things."

The door behind Obi-Wan, Anakin, Floria,  and  Dane  slid  shut.  They

heard the security locks snap. Shutters slid down over the windows and  the

room was thrown into deep shadow.

Then hidden doors in the walls of the circular room slid open  and  at

least a dozen super battle droids marched in.

Obi-Wan saw it all happen in a frozen moment. There was  Dooku.  There

were the droids. There was Robior Web, the capable assassin.

Yura, Glimmer, and Kash were not fighters, but politicians. Floria and

Dane could handle themselves, but not against such  firepower.  There  were

too many beings to protect. And it was clear that  Dooku  meant  to  murder

them all. The room was a trap. It was a tomb.

He remembered the arena at Geonosis, the arrival of the gunships,  the

battle, the slaughter.

In that frozen moment the thought blazed,  white-hot  and  searing:  I

cannot bear one more death. It was illogical - he knew in his heart that he

would have to bear many more - but not today.

Not today.

Dooku stepped back from the table.  Anakin  charged,  putting  himself

between the approaching droids and the politicians. Fire erupted  from  the

super battle droids at the  same  time.  Yura  and  Glimmer  both  sensibly

dropped to the floor.

No one had expected Floria to move so fast.

She streaked across the space as Obi-Wan was  moving  to  deflect  the

blaster fire of the droids. She would come  between  Dooku  and  Anakin,  a

dangerous place to be.

Single-minded, intent, Anakin increased his  speed.  Obi-Wan  saw  him

move from light to shadow, shadow to light. He felt the Force in  the  room

like a pulse, like a heartbeat, like a rolling wave.

"Anakin, Floria!" he shouted.

Anakin shuddered with the effort of stopping his relentless charge. He

altered his path to scoop up Floria, tucked her under his arm, and kept his

lightsaber moving, deflecting the blaster fire of the droids. He  deposited

Floria next to Samish Kash, so lightly and  gently  in  the  midst  of  his

soaring leap that not even a hair of Floria's coiled braids was disturbed.

Obi-Wan saw the relief on the face of Samish  Kash.  Anakin  had  been

right about Floria's love. Now Obi-Wan saw the same love on Samish's  face.

He would not allow these two to die.

He caught the surging Force from Anakin and embraced it, doubling  it,

making it grow. The droids re-converged on the rulers. Obviously they  were

programmed to target them. Anakin leaped again,  and  Obi-Wan  met  him  in

midair. They swept the room in a glance. There were only seconds to  decide

on a strategy.

Dooku was leaving. They saw his cloak flicker as he moved  toward  the

wall, toward the one door that still stood open.

Lorian saw Dooku moving and ran toward him.

Yura and Glimmer had no  weapons.  They  sat,  back-to-back  behind  a

massive chair for protection that was being rapidly decimated by the  droid

blasts. The expression on their faces told Obi-Wan that they  were  waiting

for death and would meet it bravely.

Floria handed one blaster to Samish and had the  other  in  her  hand.

While Samish and Dane tried to protect her, she  shot  a  droid  repeatedly

with unerring accuracy. It flamed out and fell heavily on the table.

Robior Web took aim at Samish.

Obi-Wan landed, then jumped again, somersaulting in midair and landing

against Web's chest with both feet. The assassin flew back and hit a  chunk

of stone protruding from the wall. He lay still.

Obi-Wan had time to register the chunk of stone with only a  flash  of

his consciousness, but something  about  it  was  important.  He  was  busy

deflecting blaster fire as it pinged past him toward Yura and Glimmer.

Anakin had managed to herd the group together in  one  corner  of  the

room so that they  would  be  easier  to  protect.  With  a  swipe  of  his

lightsaber, he hewed off a chunk of the stone table, then pushed the others

behind it for protection.

They could only last so long, Obi-Wan thought desperately. They  could

not win against these droids.

The chunk of stone - why did it keep rising in his mind? The keystone.

One pull of the keystone and the whole wall comes tumbling down.

Obi-Wan raced back to Anakin. They  spoke  while  they  protected  the

others, deflecting fire. Samish, Dane, and Floria popped out to fire at the

droids, then dived for cover again.

"Glimmer has been hit in the leg," Anakin  said.  "Lorian  went  after

Dooku. We have to help him. We have to get out of here."

"The keystone in the fireplace," Obi-Wan said. "If we herd the  others

to the opposite end of the room quickly, then pull the keystone,  it  would

knock out most of the droids."

Anakin's eyes traveled over the fireplace wall even as his  lightsaber

whirled.

"Finding it, of course, is the problem," Obi-Wan said. He felt  Anakin

gather in the Force then, feeling it shimmer from the stones and  the  wood

and the living beings, feeling it grow... Anakin focused on the wall.

Obi-Wan saw one stone midway up the wall ease out a fraction. He heard

a rumble.

"Move!" he shouted, leaping toward the others. He picked  up  Glimmer,

pushed Yura, yelled in Samish's ear, "Go to the doorway!"

They moved, ran, scrambled, as the wall began to move and the rumbling

and scraping filled the air. Then the rocks shot  forward,  tumbling  in  a

lethal avalanche, spewing dust and debris far taller than any  person.  The

rocks and part of the ceiling tumbled on the droids, sending them careening

into walls, the floor, and one another.

Obi-Wan and Anakin pushed the others down and tried to cover them with

their bodies as the wall collapsed. The dust and smoke bit into their lungs

and stung their eyes. They could taste the mountain in their mouths.

But they were all alive.

Three droids were still standing. Obi-Wan and Anakin ran,  covered  in

dust, and brought them down.

Then they faced the pile of rubble. Behind it was  the  doorway  where

Count Dooku had disappeared and where Lorian had followed.  It  would  take

some time to get out of the collapsed chamber.

"May the Force be with him," Obi-Wan said.

CHAPTER No. 26

Lorian had not felt the Force in many years. When he reached  out  and

felt it move, it startled him, as if he'd burned his hand.

But within seconds, it all rushed back, and he knew he could depend on

it.

Dooku was ahead of him in the narrow  passageway,  running  toward  an

airspeeder. Dooku must have known very well that Lorian was behind him, but

he didn't bother to turn and engage him. Lorian was  sure  that  Dooku  was

taking no more notice of him than he would a fly.

He had no time to think of strategy. He knew  Dooku  was  vastly  more

powerful. Why was he doing this? he thought as he ran. Why? It was a  death

wish, a fool's errand, and he had never courted death or been a fool.

All the wrongs of his life, all the  mistakes,  all  the  unforgivable

deeds, all the pain he had caused, all the lives he had broken,  they  were

all here in this dark corridor. They would choke him, they  would  lay  him

flat, but the Force had touched him just when  he  needed  it,  bringing  a

memory of a childhood when he knew what was right and wanted to do it.

He had a blaster, but he knew its puny power  would  mean  nothing  to

Dooku. Within seconds it would be wrenched from his grasp  and  fly  across

the corridor.

So why use it? Why use any weapon when Dooku could swat it away like a

fly?

Lorian had not stopped running while he thought. What did he have that

Dooku did not have? What did he know about Dooku that  no  one  else  knew?

What did he know about him as a boy that would not  have  changed?  Did  he

have a flaw?

Pride. He was vain. He liked to be admired.

That wasn't much to go on.

Then Lorian noticed the airspeeder at the end of the  corridor,  ahead

of Dooku. He was familiar with the model. It was a  Mobquet  twin  turbojet

with a boosted max airspeed. Mobquet Industries were known for their  swoop

bikes, not their speeders. Dooku's transport was a good  choice  for  quick

getaways, with its boosted airspeed and high maneuverability. But possibly,

just possibly, Dooku did not know this: The Mobquet speeder had a flaw. The

data cables that connected the frontal controls to the cabin  were  mounted

behind a thin panel on the underside of the  body.  It  would  take  Lorian

about six seconds to find that panel and fuse those cables with  a  barrage

from his blaster.

All he needed was six seconds.

He called ahead, his voice echoing. "You've done  well  for  yourself,

Dooku. But did you ever realize that you couldn't have done it without me?"

Dooku stopped and turned, as Lorian had known he would.

"Excuse me, old friend?"

"The Sith Holocron. You accessed it, didn't you? Sometime  later.  You

could never stand it if I knew something you didn't."

"Why shouldn't I have accessed it?" Dooku asked.

Lorian kept moving forward. "Of course you  had  the  right.  Yet  you

never would have had the courage if I hadn't done it first."

Dooku laughed. "You are unbelievable. Don't you realize how tempted  I

am  to  kill  you?  And  now  you're  provoking  me.  You  certainly   live

dangerously, Lorian."

Lorian had circled around Dooku and stood near the speeder. Dooku  was

not afraid of him; he would allow him to come as close as he wanted. Lorian

leaned against the speeder, crossing his leg as though he had all the  time

in the world to chat. "I realize now that I was wrong when I asked  you  to

cover for me about the Holocron."

"An apology at this late date? I'm overwhelmed."

"I should have taken the responsibility myself. I wouldn't  have  been

kicked out of the Jedi Order. I see that now. But now I wonder... why did I

think I would?"  Underneath  the  cover  of  his  cloak,  Lorian's  fingers

searched for the panel.

"I find revisiting the past so tedious," Dooku said. "If you'll excuse

me - "

He put one foot on the speeder, ready to leap inside.

"Could it be that you encouraged my fears? Looking back, I  find  that

strange. I would not have done that to you.  I  would  not  have  fed  your

fears, but tried to allay them." His fingers slid across  a  seam.  He  had

found the panel.

Dooku's eyes flared. Lorian brought out the blaster and put the barrel

against the panel.

The dark side surged in a shocking display of power, and Lorian  found

himself flung like a child's doll in the air. He slammed against  the  wall

and then hit the floor, dazed. Somehow, he held on to his blaster.

Dooku saw it, of course. "That was your clumsy attempt at a diversion,

I suppose," he said, drawing his lightsaber with the curved hilt. "I  think

I've shown enough mercy. Let us end now what should have ended then."

He had one last chance. One only. He could blast the panel and prevent

Dooku from taking off. Obi-Wan and Anakin would have to do the rest. If  he

failed, he would die. If he succeeded, he would also die. He had  no  doubt

about that.

Lorian reached out to the Force to help him. He needed it here, at the

last. He felt it grow, and he saw Dooku's eyebrows rise.

"So you haven't lost it  completely,"  he  said.  "Too  bad  it  isn't

enough."

He moved toward Lorian. Lorian remembered  his  footwork.  The  attack

would come to his left. At the last moment, he rolled  to  the  right,  and

Dooku's lightsaber hit rock and sliced through it. Expecting an easy  blow,

Dooku turned a second too late, and Lorian had already  begun  to  run.  He

knew Dooku expected him to turn and try to get behind  him.  He  would  not

expect him to run to the speeder.

He had the blaster aimed and ready, but he knew he would get only  one

shot, and it had to be a good one. It had to be dead solid perfect

Behind him was a whisper. That was all he heard. He  looked  down  and

saw the lightsaber and he thought, how odd, Dooku is behind me, why is  the

lightsaber in front of me? Then he realized he had been pierced through.

He fired the blaster, but the shot went wild. He went down.

I have failed, he thought. I have failed.

Dooku stood over him. He saw the dark eyes like hollow caves.  He  did

not want this to be his last sight. He had lived  so  long  with  hate,  he

could not die with it in his vision. So with a great effort, he turned  his

head. He saw the rocks of the corridor, the stones both smooth and  jagged,

and noticed for the first time that they weren't gray, but were veined with

silver and black and red and a blue the color of stars....

The thought pierced him with the same sure pain as the lightsaber had:

What else have I missed?

Too late to find out now.

He drew the Force around him like a blanket, and with an explosion  of

color lighting his vision, he smiled and let go of his life.

CHAPTER No. 27

Anakin sat on the cold ground, watching  the  streaks  of  orange  cut

through the gray, The sun was rising. "It is time to go," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin rose. He was tired after having moved  the  hundreds  of  large

stones that had barred their exit.

"I've brought Lorian's body aboard," Obi-Wan said. He  stood  next  to

Anakin, facing the rising sun. "We will take him back to the Temple."

They had found him in the corridor with a  blaster  nearby,  his  eyes

open and, oddly, a faint smile  on  his  face.  There  was  evidence  of  a

struggle in the disturbance in the dirt. Blaster fire had marked the rocks.

They could see the acceleration blast  marks  from  a  speeder.  Dooku  had

escaped.

"Lorian went up against impossible odds," Obi-Wan said. "He was  never

more a Jedi than at the last." "So redemption is possible," Anakin said.

"Of course it is," Obi-Wan said. "As long as there is breath, there is

hope. If not, what are we fighting for?"

"I wish I didn't feel that I had failed," Anakin said. "Dooku escaped.

The Station 88 Spaceport is saved for the Republic, but for how long?  What

is to stop Dooku from trying to kill them again?"

"We are," Obi-Wan said.

"There is such darkness ahead," Anakin said. He  stopped  outside  the

cruiser and looked up at the stars. They were fading in the growing  light.

"I can feel it. It weighs on me."

You worry too much. Qui-Gon had told Obi-Wan this, more than once. Was

that his legacy to Anakin? He had tried to give him so much more.

"You didn't fail here, Anakin," Obi-Wan  said.  "Our  mission  was  to

ensure that the spaceport didn't fall to the  Separatists,  and  to  gather

information. We succeeded. Dooku's villa contains valuable data."

"A small victory," Anakin said with a curl of his lip. "Can we  win  a

war that way?"

He had not reached him. Anakin had wanted to end the Clone Wars  here.

He had wanted to destroy Count Dooku. His ambition would always be  greater

than every mission. Obi-Wan saw that clearly, and it pierced  him.  He  had

taught Anakin everything, and Anakin had learned much - but had  he  missed

the most important things?

I have failed, Qui-Gon. I have failed.

They walked up the landing ramp. Anakin slid behind the controls. Obi-

Wan sat at the computer to enter the coordinates for their journey back. On

the surface, everything was as it had always been.

Soon they would be ending their journey together.

They both knew it. He had never had to bid good-bye to  Qui-Gon  as  a

Master. He was still Qui-Gon's Padawan when he died.  Maybe  that  was  the

reason he felt so close to him still.

He did not know if Qui-Gon would have left him with words  of  wisdom,

with a direction to follow. Now he had no way of knowing what else he could

give Anakin. He had given him everything he could. It wasn't enough.

Sadness filled Obi-Wan as they blasted into the upper  atmosphere.  He

loved Anakin Skywalker, but he did not truly know him. The  most  important

things he had to teach he had not taught. He would  have  to  let  him  go,

knowing that. He would have to let him go.