Star Wars

Jedi Quest

Book 9

The False Peace

by Jude Watson

source: IRC

uploaded: 09.I.2006

CHAPTER ONE

He had chased after one man for years. He had found him. He had fought

him. He had lost him and found him again. Each time, he had vowed that this

encounter would be their last.

This time was no different. Obi-Wan  Kenobi  wanted  a  showdown  with

Granta Omega. Once and for all, he wanted to put a stop to  a  criminal  he

knew was dedicated to bringing down the Jedi Order. Deep in his  heart,  he

knew the showdown was near.

But he also suspected that, like the others, it would not  come  in  a

manner of his own choosing.

Obi-Wan strode through  the  busy  streets  of  the  capital  city  of

Falleen, Anakin Skywalker by his side. Siri Tachi and her apprentice, Ferus

Olin, were only a step behind. They had landed on the planet only  the  day

before. Obi-Wan was grateful to his friend Siri. She had  pledged  to  help

him bring Omega to justice, and so far she had traveled halfway around  the

galaxy, fought an army, and worn a dress in order to do it.

Now he  felt  responsible  for  her  impatience.  Siri  believed  that

problems were solved by vivid action. If there was one thing  she  avoided,

it was uncertainty.

Obi-Wan wasn't crazy about it, either. They couldn't pinpoint  Omega's

location.  Instead,  they  had  to  randomly  search  for  clues   to   his

whereabouts. They knew he was on Falleen. But they did not know  where,  or

why.

He wished he did not have the feeling that Omega was always  one  step

ahead. He wished that in his mind, the same  scenario  did  not  constantly

revolve: He would burst into an empty room just in time to see a  transport

take off. Omega would have escaped again.

Obi-Wan glanced at his apprentice. He knew Anakin had no such  doubts.

Anakin did not consider the possibility of failure. He was not  haunted  by

his defeats.

Other things haunted his Padawan. Things too deep for Anakin to  share

at one time.

Yet they worked so perfectly together now. Thoughts and feelings  were

shared, sometimes without speaking. There were times when  Obi-Wan  thought

that the shadow he sensed within Anakin was  gone.  That  the  struggle  to

accept his role as the Chosen One had been conquered. That  Anakin  was  at

ease with where he was, and the gifts that  had  been  given  him.  Obi-Wan

hoped that was the case. Anakin had shared his feelings with his  Master  -

and the release had changed him.

The Jedi moved carefully through the streets, staying in the middle of

the crowds. They were dressed as space travelers, and they were careful not

to attract attention. The walkways of the city were filled with beings from

many worlds. The city was built on three levels, and  every  caf©,  hostel,

and multi-residence was packed.

Factories on Falleen were booming, and more  were  being  built  every

day. In a quick survey, the Jedi had learned that  most  of  the  factories

manufactured weapons. Jobs and opportunities were plentiful. Visitors  from

star systems all over the galaxy flocked to the small planet to make  their

fortunes.

But if the booming capital city made it easy for the Jedi to hide,  it

also made it easy for Granta Omega to  conceal  his  activities.  They  had

learned on the planet Romin that Omega was  in  league  with  the  criminal

scientist Jenna Zan Arbor. She had developed a secret drug, called the Zone

of  Self-Containment,  which  could  make  beings   feel   blissfully,   if

dangerously, content, leading them to forget their cares, or any  need  for

taking action. They knew that she had not yet learned how to  transmit  the

Zone to more than a few individuals at a  time.  Anakin  himself  had  been

under its influence for a short while.

The two criminals, along with the former dictator of Romin, Roy  Teda,

had plans to pull off a major criminal operation. The Jedi  suspected  they

planned to use the Zone to do it. Zan Arbor had  enlisted  the  help  of  a

criminal gang, the Slams, to help them.

The Jedi knew that much. But that wasn't enough.

They had followed Zan Arbor and Teda here, but Omega  had  managed  to

hide them well. So far they had kept a low profile and traveled through the

streets and caf©s, attempting to pick up some  word  about  the  criminals'

whereabouts. There was plenty of talk swirling about the best factories  to

work in, and who was hiring. Obi-Wan had contacted the Jedi Temple with the

names of various corporations that owned factories on Falleen, but it would

take some time before they could discover if any had ties to Omega. Weapons

merchants often hid ownership of companies behind other companies, so  that

it was hard to trace who exactly owned what.

Which is exactly what Omega counts on, Obi-Wan thought.

"I've never seen this much security  on  a  peaceful  planet,"  Anakin

remarked, adjusting his hood as he walked.

It was true. Surveillance droids were  everywhere.  "They  aren't  all

official security droids," Obi-Wan observed. He  had  studied  the  various

droids over the past few hours, cataloging them in his mind. "As  a  matter

of fact, most of them seem to be private droids. And they're armed."

"Omega?" Siri asked.  Her  blue  eyes  were  keen.  "Looking  for  us,

perhaps."

"Just as we are looking for him," Ferus Olin said. "So we're even."

"Any ideas, Master?" Anakin asked him in a low  tone.  They  had  been

walking through the streets for some time.

"That new factory we've heard of - Blackwater Systems," Obi-Wan  said.

"Let's head there. It was built quickly and already has  a  bad  reputation

among the  Falleens.  There  are  rumors  that  bribes  were  paid  to  the

government to keep away inspectors."

The factories were built just beyond the outskirts of  the  city.  The

Jedi hopped aboard a cloud bus to take them, blending  in  with  the  other

passengers. They exited at the last stop.

Here the three  grand  pedestrian  levels  were  narrow  and  squashed

together, one on top of the other,  so  that  a  tall  species  would  have

trouble on the lower ones. Large factory complexes  were  built  on  ground

level and rose into the sky. They knew that at night the factories  belched

their toxins into the  sky.  The  Falleens  called  this  area  the  Yellow

District because a constant haze of that color hung in the sky.

The Jedi were now alone here on upper walkway, underneath  the  yellow

sky. This was not an area anyone would stroll in, and it was in the  middle

of a factory shift, so the workers were inside. The Blackwater Factory  was

at the end of the long line, more than two kilometers from the last  cloud-

bus stop. It was colder here. The wind howled off the vast  plains  outside

the city and carried a special bite, tasting of the vast  ice  sheets  from

the distant mountains.

The Blackwater Factory rose in their vision as they approached. It was

windowless and completely fashioned from black  durasteel  and  stone.  One

main building hulked on the site, with a wing flung out from one side  like

a useless arm.

As he drew his cloak around him, Obi-Wan suddenly tensed. He  saw  one

surveillance droid zoom into his line of vision.  Another  followed.  These

did not seem to be moving aimlessly. The Force surged to warn him.

"We're being tracked," he said to the others. "Move normally. Could be

routine."

"Up ahead," Siri remarked, casually swinging her arms as she walked.

Ahead, a narrow alley led diagonally off  the  main  walkway,  running

along the side of the main building. As they passed they darted inside  and

began to run. The droids would have to double back, and those  few  seconds

could make a difference. The Jedi turned a corner, then another. They could

sense rather than see that the droids were still  in  pursuit,  but  hadn't

been able to get a fix on them. The alley was narrow  and  twisted  around,

connecting the factory to various smaller outbuildings.

"What now?" Ferus asked. His voice was  steady,  even  though  he  was

running hard. Siri's Padawan did not have Anakin's great Force  connection,

but he made up for it with excellent physical training and a keen mind.

Anakin's head cocked. "I hear something. This way."

Following Anakin now, they ran through the maze. They passed gravsleds

and durasteel bins marked as waste. They didn't see any tiny  creatures  or

birds here. No living thing would linger in this place if  it  didn't  have

to.

Their race ended at a tall stone wall. Anakin stopped. Now the  others

could hear what he had detected so many twists and turns  before.  A  crowd

was on the other side of the wall.

The Jedi activated their cable  launchers.  Quickly  they  scaled  the

wall. The crowd was just ahead,  focusing  on  a  female  Falleen  who  was

speaking. Her voice rolled over the crowd.

They jumped down and quickly moved into the crowd for concealment. The

two teams had doubled back during their run and were now  standing  outside

the main gate of the factory. The Falleen female stood, hanging on  to  the

gate with one hand to keep herself above the crowd while she spoke  into  a

voice amplifier headset. She was tall for the species, with the distinctive

gray-green color to her scales.

"... and we ask them, what are the wastes you  produce,  and  what  is

your disposal system? And they tell us - "

"NOTHING," the crowd shouted.

"And we ask them, what is  the  nature  of  the  experiments  you  are

conducting in your secret wing? And they tell us - "

"NOTHING!"

"And we ask them, what about the four  workers  over  the  past  three

months who have died without any reports being filed? And they tell us - "

"NOTHING!"

"And we ask them, when you have your products and your  profits,  what

will you do for the citizens of Falleen? And we know the answer, don't we?"

"NOTHING!" The crowd screamed the word.

"And will we do nothing, or will we demand what is our right to demand

- a full accounting of what is made here?" the female Falleen shouted.  "If

our leaders will not make them obey our laws, we must! Are you with me?"

"YES!" the crowd shouted.

"Are you willing?"

"YES!"

"Are you ready to go in and find what we need?" "YES!"

"Then come on!"

A small explosive charge went off. The Falleen female  leaped  to  the

ground. At first Obi-Wan thought she'd been hurt, but then it  was  obvious

that she or one of her cohorts had set it off, for the  gates  swung  open.

With a cry, the crowd surged forward.

"We shouldn't be in the middle of this,"  Ferus  said.  Anakin  looked

fascinated.

It didn't matter if they should be there; they were caught. The  crowd

was ahead of them and behind them now. As it moved, they moved with it. And

then ahead, Obi-Wan saw black objects fly out from the factory.

"Attack droids," he shouted. "Take cover!"

The crowd panicked and moved backward like one  great  breaking  wave.

Then they turned and ran, back toward the walkways. The Jedi  fought  their

way through the crowd, moving against them, toward the droids.

Obi-Wan watched the Falleen female. As soon as the  droids  had  come,

she had dropped from the gate. Instead of fleeing with the others, she  ran

along the outside of the gate. He knew she was heading toward  the  alleys.

He saw her make a turn. In that direction, she would run  straight  into  a

wall.

Two of the droids peeled  off  and  followed  her.  "Anakin!"  Obi-Wan

called. "Let's go."

CHAPTER TWO

Anakin had seen the same thing as his Master, and  he  read  Obi-Wan's

intention before it was fully formed. They needed to talk to  the  Falleen.

Anakin looked around quickly. There was no one in sight, and no  danger  of

blowing their cover.

He charged toward the droids, leaping  and  slashing,  his  lightsaber

moving so fast that it was back in his belt before he hit the  ground.  The

two droids lay in smoking ruin.

Grinning, Obi-Wan kept pace with him. "Nice work." "Don't mention it."

Siri and Ferus joined them. Racing now, the four Jedi turned a  corner

and saw the female Falleen futilely trying to scale the wall.  She  whirled

and tensed when she heard their footsteps.

"We're not with Blackwater," Obi-Wan said quickly.  "We  were  in  the

crowd."

She nodded. "I'm afraid we're trapped."

"The droids tracking you crashed into  each  other,"  Siri  told  her.

"They're destroyed."

"There will be others," the Falleen said. "The factory owners have  my

vitals. They can track me. If I were you, I wouldn't  stick  with  me.  I'm

afraid my back is literally to the wall."

Anakin admired her bravery. She spoke coolly, but he could  feel  that

inside she was terrified.

"The wall," Obi-Wan said, "is not a problem."

He strode forward and attached one end of his cable  launcher  to  the

Falleen's utility belt. "Always be prepared," he said. His tone was  light,

and Anakin knew he was trying to reassure her.

The Jedi moved forward. In a few seconds,  they  had  activated  their

launchers and swung up and over  the  wall,  Obi-Wan  keeping  the  Falleen

steady as they climbed. They dropped down on the other side.

The Falleen looked around. "I know a back way to  the  cloud-bus  stop

from here," she said. "I'm Mazara, by the way."

She gazed at them curiously.

"We arrived on Falleen recently," Siri said. "Looking for jobs."

"We'd better hurry," Obi-Wan said. "It won't take them  long  to  look

further."

Mazara took them on a different path through the maze of  alleys  that

ran behind the factories. They had to scale the locked  gates  between  the

properties, but they saw no new evidence of tracking droids.

Mazara waved at the surrounding plains as she  walked.  "This  is  why

Falleen is so ideal for them," she told them.  "There  is  plenty  of  land

outside our city. Transports can land and take off without being logged in.

Waste can be dumped or offloaded onto orbiting platforms."  Her  voice  was

full of disgust. "Not to mention that as Falleen, we don't  like  to  raise

our voices. The population is growing distressed with the situation, but no

one says anything. It is not 'appropriate, - she said, giving a  wry  twist

to the word. "Believe me, I'm not an activist. I was a journalist, before I

got fired for writing an article on Blackwater. Both our land and our skies

are becoming dumping grounds. I've seen it happen to other worlds. I  can't

watch it happen to my homeworld."

"Why did you target Blackwater Systems?" Obi-Wan asked.

"They are the worst offenders,"  Mazara  answered.  "The  factory  was

built quickly, with little regard  for  basic  safety  practices.  Enormous

bribes were paid to inspectors to overlook violations that are part of  the

laws of Falleen. There have been several deaths at the  facility  and  each

time an investigation is done the result is the same - the  worker  was  at

fault."

"Do you know who the owners are?"

Mazara sighed. "It is the usual game of company  behind  company.  But

this muddle seems murkier than most. I've been investigating  almost  since

they arrived, and I don't have any answers. What I do know  is  that  their

security is extraordinary. Those attack  droids  are  programmed  to  shoot

blaster fire. Not to stun, to kill."

Suddenly Mazara stopped and gave them a shrewd  look.  "Attack  droids

don't usually crash into each other."

"Yes, it's an unusual sight," Siri said.

She looked at them carefully. "I've traveled widely. I've seen  enough

to know you aren't workers. You took those droids down, didn't you?"

The Jedi said nothing, but Mazara nodded, as though they had confirmed

her guess.

"You are Jedi," she said.

"Why do you say that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"There is word on the street that those who identify Jedi will be paid

for it," she said. "Don't worry, you can trust me. What are  you  doing  on

Falleen? Have you come to help us?"

"We've come to investigate  several  of  your  factories,"  Siri  said

carefully.

"That will help us, no matter what your purpose,"  Mazara  said.  "You

can take word of what is happening back to the Galactic Senate."

Anakin exchanged a quick glance with Obi-Wan. He knew that  like  him,

his Master had his doubts that the Senate would be able to  stop  what  was

going on here. The Senate was roiled with  its  own  problems  as  the  new

movement  of  Separatists  was  fraying  old  loyalties  and  creating  new

alliances. Very little legislation was being  enacted,  and  petitions  for

help from many worlds were delayed by procedure.

"Have you  heard  of  someone  called  Granta  Omega?"  Obi-Wan  asked

casually.

Mazara shook her head.

"How about Roy Teda?"

"Yes, of course, the deposed dictator of  Romin.  He's  here."  Mazara

grimaced. "Falleen seems to attract the worst of the galaxy, these days."

"Do you know where he is?" Siri asked.

"Of course. He's staying in the kind of reclusive hotel  reserved  for

the ultra-rich. I learned about it back in my investigative days."

"Is he staying with anyone else?"

Mazara shook her head. "Not that I know of."

Obi-Wan glanced at Siri. Roy Teda and Zan Arbor  had  split  up,  most

likely.

"You said that there were deaths at the  Blackwater  facility,"  Ferus

pointed out.

Mazara nodded. "And rumors of sicknesses  that  cannot  be  diagnosed.

Rumors that Falleen are forced to work in water tunnels.  We  are  able  to

stay underwater for long periods of time."

"Water tunnels?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin felt a surge of excitement. So they were  on  the  right  track

after all. They knew that Zan Arbor was trying to perfect the  transmission

of her Zone of Self-Containment through water.

"That wing of the factory is restricted. It's set up for  transmission

experiments," Mazara said. "Workers are  forced  to  sign  a  statement  of

confidentiality, and so far, no one has dared to contest it. The  penalties

are unknown, but they must be severe."

"We would like to examine that wing," Obi-Wan said. "Can  you  get  us

inside the factory?"

"That is easy," Mazara said. "There  are  Falleen  in  the  employment

office who will help us. I can get you inside as workers. After  that,  the

rest is up to you."

CHAPTER THREE

Mazara was as good as her word. She arranged an interview for  Obi-Wan

and Anakin that she promised would be a mere formality. Meanwhile, Siri and

Ferus decided to stake out the exclusive hotel where Teda was  staying  and

see what they could learn.

The four Jedi split up in the early morning. Their breath clouded from

the cold air as they paused in the main square of the city to say good-bye.

"So how come I get to freeze on a factory floor while you hang  around

a luxury hotel?" Anakin grumbled good-naturedly to Ferus.

Ferus grinned. "Just lucky, I guess."

Obi-Wan was glad to see the ease between them.  Ferus  had  unburdened

himself on Romin and spoken to Obi-Wan of his fears about  Anakin.  Obi-Wan

had been both irritated and alarmed by Ferus's  insights.  But  it  was  as

though passing along his worries had freed Ferus to unbend  around  Anakin.

As  a  result,  the  tension  between  the  two   Padawans   had   lessened

considerably.

"May the Force be with you," Siri told them.

Obi-Wan and Anakin headed off to join the river  of  workers  crowding

aboard cloud buses for the journey out to the Yellow District. They rode to

the end of the line, then hiked the remaining distance. The  other  workers

were silent, their faces gray and composed. The long, hard day lay in front

of them.

Obi-Wan and Anakin went directly to the employment office.  There,  no

questions were asked and they were given passes to the main  factory  floor

by the employment officer, a Falleen named Wanuri.

"We are interested in working in the transmission wing," Obi-Wan  told

Wanuri as the Falleen pushed two security swipe cards across  the  desk  to

them.

Wanuri shook his head. "Can't do it, even for Mazara.  Word  has  come

down that no more workers are  needed  there.  The  night  shift  has  been

canceled, so everyone will be leaving exactly at six. The last hire  always

sweeps the factory floor. Be sure and lock the hydromop  and  repulsorbroom

back in the utility closet. Here's the card.  Be  sure  not  to  stay.  Two

security officers and droids make a sweep  of  the  factory  every  fifteen

minutes."

He pushed the card across the table. Obi-Wan pocketed it.

"Great," Anakin murmured as they headed to  the  factory  floor.  "Not

only do we have to work all day, we have to clean up afterward."

"He gave us the job as a way to stay behind," Obi-Wan told Anakin. "We

can hide somewhere until everyone leaves. He also told us how  security  is

handled."

Obi-Wan and Anakin clipped the swipe cards to the front of  their  red

unisuits, the uniform of the workers. They were given a manager  to  report

to. He split them up into two different areas of the factory.

Obi-Wan took his place in a line of workers who were  checking  levels

on machines that monitored the injection of liquid into small canisters. He

could only assume that the Zone was packaged somehow within the  canisters,

but he didn't know if it was liquid  or  gas  or  some  kind  of  suspended

particles.

He was surprised at how disorganized the factory  floor  was.  It  was

hard to tell what, exactly,  was  being  manufactured.  Each  part  of  the

factory was sealed off from the next, and Obi-Wan had  no  idea  where  the

final product was being assembled.

Deep troughs were cut in the factory floor for the  waste,  which  was

simply flushed down through the floors  to  outflow  valves.  If  a  worker

stepped or fell into the trough by accident, he or she was coated in  waste

material. There was no way to know if the material was toxic. Unlike  other

factories, there were no decontamination rooms.

The work wasn't hard, just grindingly dull. The workers were used as a

double-check to the machines, which rarely made errors.

The interesting thing to Obi-Wan was that  supervision  was  light.  A

tier ran around the upper level of the  vast  space,  where  managers  were

supposed to monitor the workers below.  But  he  noted  that  the  managers

rarely looked down. They were more concerned with eating, drinking tea, and

joking with one another. There seemed to be  no  central  authority  making

sure everything was getting done.

This worried Obi-Wan. It wasn't like either Omega or Zan Arbor to  run

a slipshod organization. Was he in the wrong place?

He confided his doubts to Anakin at the break. Anakin nodded.

"I've noticed the  same  thing,  Master.  My  work  partner  said  the

managers all changed two weeks ago. The workers  haven't  had  to  work  as

hard. They're all relieved."

But Obi-Wan wasn't. He was uneasy.

"We're wasting time if this factory isn't preparing the Zone for use,"

Obi-Wan said.

"We'll find out tonight," Anakin said.

But would it be too late? Obi-Wan couldn't shake his uneasiness.

The rest of the day passed in repetition  and  drudgery.  The  workers

were bored and worked at half speed, and none of the managers cared.

Before the end of the workday, Obi-Wan  reported  to  the  manager  in

order to clean the factory floor. Together  with  Anakin,  they  swept  and

mopped. There was no one to oversee them or make certain they  did  a  good

job. When the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the workday, Obi-Wan and

Anakin headed to a  utility  closet.  They  placed  the  repulsorbroom  and

hyrdomop inside. With a quick glance to make sure no one was watching, they

ducked inside the closet, too.

The noises of the departing workers faded. They heard a lone  security

guard make his rounds. Then everything shut down at once.  They  heard  the

locks slam home on the doors outside. The tiny light  in  the  closet  shut

off.

They waited a few minutes, listening intently for any movement outside

the door. Then Obi-Wan opened the door carefully. They quickly  moved  down

the hallway and peeked out on to the factory  floor.  The  machines  looked

like sleeping creatures in the dim light.

"We have  about  eleven  minutes  before  the  droid  sweep,"  Obi-Wan

murmured. "Let's head for the wing."

They ran down the aisle, keeping an eye out for  the  security  guard.

They hurried to the door that led to the restricted wing.

Now they were faced with a double-coded lock.

"Our swipe card will work if we can override the code," Obi-Wan  said.

"We don't want to tip anyone off that we were here."

He worked at the keypad for several minutes. "Master, the droid sweep.

"

Frustrated, Obi-Wan tried another combination. He had studied codes at

the Temple with the great Jedi Master Nan  Latourain,  but  this  code  was

proving too difficult for him.

"Master!"

Obi-Wan jumped away as he heard the whirr of the droids. He and Anakin

hid behind a gravsled as the  droids  swept  by,  their  surveillance  unit

revolving steadily. As soon as they were gone, the Jedi re-emerged.

Obi-Wan attacked the keypad again.

"Let me try," Anakin suggested.

Obi-Wan stepped aside. He watched Anakin work.  He  felt  Anakin  call

upon the Force. The Force grew around them, pulsing and shimmering, but the

Force could not unlock keypads.

"We're stuck," Anakin said. "There has to be another way."

Obi-Wan felt the same uneasiness, the same sense of  urgency,  he  had

felt earlier today.

Suddenly in his mind, he saw Qui-Gon Jinn's easy smile.

You know the answer. Why don't you trust it?

Obi-Wan withdrew his lightsaber and slashed through the  lock  in  one

motion. The door swung open.

"Well, that's one way," Anakin commented.

They found themselves in a short hallway with another  security  door.

Obi-Wan didn't hesitate  this  time,  but  buried  his  lightsaber  in  the

durasteel. It peeled away in a glowing arc of light and smoke.

They hurried through. They were now in a large room that served  as  a

laboratory. Anakin quickly headed to the  console,  where  he  thought  the

files might be kept. Obi-Wan made a survey of the room.

"There are valves here that go  to  tunnels,"  he  told  Anakin.  "Big

enough to walk in. I suspect that despite the laws,  they  experimented  on

the workers themselves."

"They did," Anakin said, reading from the files. "Different levels  of

the Zone. The four worker deaths were from overexposure. They  were  trying

to calibrate exact amounts  for  large  crowds.  Thousands  at  once.  This

factory is definitely Omega's. Zan Arbor can't be far off."

Obi-Wan strode over to read over Anakin's shoulder.

"Zan Arbor had already  perfected  one-on-one  transmission,"  Obi-Wan

said. "But this indicates she's searching for a way to infect a whole city.

"

"So we were right," Anakin said. "The proof is in these files."

Obi-Wan pointed to the bottom of the file.

TRACK A EXPERIMENT VOIDED.

TRACK B EXPERIMENT BEGUN.

"Track A and Track B? I wonder what that means," he said.

"This science is over my head,"  Anakin  said,  flipping  through  the

holofile. "We'll have to get inspectors in."

"We have enough evidence to go straight to  the  Supreme  Chancellor,"

Obi-Wan said. "That's the only way things get done, these days."

Anakin looked at his chrono. "We have another six minutes  before  the

next droid sweep."

"Let's check out the tunnel."

Quickly they opened the valve and  stepped  inside  the  tunnel.  They

walked down, using their glow rods  for  illumination.  Vents  were  spaced

evenly on the tunnel walls, and the plastoid sides were smooth.

Obi-Wan stepped over to the side and peered into a vent. "I  see  some

ducts and hoses. This must be how the Zone is administered,"  he  said.  He

stepped away to study a schematic drawing that was light-lasered  onto  the

wall. Tunnels branched out from the main tunnel, and it appeared to  be  an

extensive system.

"The tunnels go on for whole  kilometers,"  Obi-Wan  said,  surprised.

"Enough to approximate an entire small city, right  here  in  the  factory.

This tunnel dips underground and joins the  main  system.  It  connects  to

other smaller tunnels..."

Anakin cocked his head. "Master..."

"It's so detailed. I wonder if it's based on an actual city system....

"

"Master." Anakin's voice was urgent now.

Obi-Wan turned. "The droids? I doubt they sweep the tunnels."

"Not droids," Anakin said. "Water."

Obi-Wan whipped around just as a wall of water rushed down the tunnel.

His feet were swept out from  under  him  and  he  was  propelled  forward,

smashing against the side of the  tunnel  and  then  somersaulting  out  of

control against the power of the water. He fought his way to  the  surface,

kicking and stroking. Once his head cleared, he  saw  Anakin  nearby.  They

were careening down the tunnel with the force of the current.

"Aqua breathers!" Obi-Wan shouted.

He drew his out of his utility belt. Anakin did  the  same.  At  least

they would not drown. But it would be impossible to fight their way back up

the tunnel against the water. On the drawing, the tunnel seemed  simply  to

end in bedrock. They would be smashed against it at this rate.

Then Obi-Wan heard a worse noise, one he hadn't expected. Fighting the

pull of the water, he thrashed around until he was facing behind  him,  the

way they had come. At first he could only see the wall of  churning  water,

waves of it coming toward him. Then he realized what was happening.

The tunnel was imploding behind them. In  another  few  seconds,  they

would be crushed in the collapse.

CHAPTER FOUR

Anakin saw the danger at the same time as his Master. He did not waste

time worrying. His gaze raked the  tunnel  sides,  looking  for  a  way  to

escape, even as the torrent of water turned him end over end in a  tumbling

motion that left him dizzy.

Most of the vents were too small, but Anakin remembered something.  He

had glanced only briefly at the schematic plan, but he remembered a  larger

vent that came a quarter-kilometer from the  end  of  the  tunnel.  It  had

connected to another tunnel that had seemed to come to a dead end.  But  it

would have to do. That would be their only chance to escape the water. That

is, if the side tunnels had not been flooded as well.

But how far had they traveled? Which vent was the right one?

Obi-Wan must have had  the  same  thought,  but  Anakin's  Master  had

studied the blueprint longer. "Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted over the  sound  of

the rushing water. "Vent coming up on the left, five hundred  meters!  Grab

on!"

"All right!" Anakin yelled, and got a mouthful of water.  Choking,  he

stroked to keep himself above  water.  He  would  need  every  bit  of  his

strength. Dust and debris from the collapsing tunnel now  filled  the  air,

making it difficult to breathe. The roar was deafening. Underneath the flow

of the water, Anakin felt something else - a deep shuddering, as though the

ground itself was moving.

He saw his Master stroke against the water. Anakin fought through  the

torrent, kicking his legs, and pushing against the water with his arms.  He

could not make headway.

The Force bounced over the water. It came from his Master. Anakin used

it as Obi-Wan intended. He was part of the water now.  He  could  feel  the

spaces within the drops and was able to let the water break  over  him  and

find a way to move against it. He pushed with all his might, but his effort

didn't cost him his strength. It doubled it.

He made headway against the water, reaching the side  of  the  tunnel,

immediately behind Obi-Wan. Now the trick would be to get inside the  vent.

His Master held his cable launcher  aloft,  over  the  foaming  water,  and

Anakin saw his objective. He unhooked his launcher as well, keeping himself

afloat with one hand as he was knocked against the tunnel wall.

Now the vent was coming toward them - fast, faster than  he'd  planned

for. He saw Obi-Wan's launcher snake out and catch  on  the  vent.  Obi-Wan

grabbed the cable, fighting his way back against the water. Anakin aimed at

the metal grid of the vent and missed.

He called on the Force to help him even as he was swept down past  the

vent. He pushed against the water, feeling it break against  his  skin.  He

felt the spaces between the particles and slipped through them.

Fingers dug into his coveralls and pulled. Obi-Wan reached  under  his

arm and yanked him forward. Anakin was able to grab on to  Obi-Wan's  cable

and hauled himself the rest of the way.

He joined Obi-Wan, hooking his fingers into the grating. The  pressure

of the water held the vent in place. They pulled with all their strength as

the water cascaded over their heads, sometimes submerging them  completely.

The tunnel behind them was collapsing, chunks  of  plastoid  and  durasteel

falling into the churning water and sometimes slamming against them on  its

way.

The Force gathered and grew. The grating popped off, then bounced away

on the rushing water.

Obi-Wan pushed Anakin inside the small space of the vent. Anakin  slid

forward as fast as he could pull himself, making room.  His  Master  pulled

himself up and in.

They  panted  for  a  moment,  acknowledging  the  difficulty  of  the

struggle. Then Obi-Wan quickly began to crawl forward.

"I see something ahead," he called. "A bit of gray light."

"Let's hope it's a way out."

Anakin followed his Master on his hands and knees. The small pipe they

were crawling through was shaking now as the ground trembled around them.

Ahead he could now see that the  blackness  was  faintly  tinged  with

gray.

"There's a ladder."

He could hear the relief in his Master's voice. Anakin  looked  up.  A

metal ladder rose vertically and disappeared into the blackness above. Obi-

Wan began to climb.

Anakin followed. A sudden blast of  debris  roared  through  the  pipe

below and rose toward them. He tasted dirt  and  metal  in  his  mouth  and

choked.

He couldn't speak. He coughed out the debris in  his  mouth  and  kept

climbing. He knew the pipe was collapsing below. At any moment  they  could

be buried underground.

Obi-Wan suddenly stopped. He knocked on something over his head. "It's

layers of durasteel," he said, struggling to reach for  his  lightsaber  in

the tiny space. "I'll have to cut through."

Anakin knew they had barely any  time  left.  He  watched  as  Obi-Wan

buried his lightsaber in the metal plating above. The ladder was hot  under

his hands. It began to peel away from the side of the pipe. The system  was

collapsing.

Suddenly another stream of light joined Obi-Wan's from  above.  Anakin

saw the durasteel peel away.  Then  Siri's  face  appeared.  "You'd  better

hurry," she said.

"That's the general idea," Obi-Wan answered, scrambling up the ladder.

Anakin followed as the ladder began to melt beneath him. He grabbed on

to Siri's strong grip and threw himself toward the  opening.  He  was  half

pulled, half hauled up to the surface. He lay flat on the ground, breathing

heavily.

"Come on," Siri urged in his ear. "We have to get  out  of  here.  The

entire factory is imploding."

Anakin could feel the ground moving beneath him. He rose and began  to

run with the others. Ferus was in the lead, dashing over the ground even as

it pitched and heaved. It was like running across a turbulent air current.

They reached the safety of the open plain and turned back to look.  It

was an amazing sight. The ground simply cracked apart in chunks and  opened

up. It swallowed the huge factory and caved in with a shower  of  fire  and

dust. Within only minutes, there was a smoking crater where the factory had

been.

All the evidence had been sucked into  the  ground.  Not  even  debris

remained.

"We came to find you,"  Siri  said.  "We  saw  the  beginning  of  the

collapse. We knew you would be inside the wing,  so  we  raced  around  the

perimeter, looking for a way in. The Force led me to the spot  and  then  I

sighted your lightsaber."

"Omega knew we were here," Anakin said,  gazing  at  the  crater.  "He

destroyed the factory to silence us and to cover his tracks."

"Teda has left the planet," Siri said.

"We fear Omega and Zan Arbor went with him," Ferus added. "They didn't

file a flight plan. There's no way of knowing where in the galaxy they  are

headed."

Anakin saw his Master's jaw tighten. He knew Obi-Wan was at the end of

his control. He could feel the frustration coiled inside him.  Once  again,

Granta Omega had escaped.

Obi-Wan's comlink signaled. He glanced at it. "It's Master Windu,"  he

said in a tight voice.

They all waited a moment. Anakin watched his Master curiously. He knew

Obi-Wan was fighting the temptation to throw the comlink into the vast area

of the plains.

"Maybe you should answer it," Siri suggested in a  soft  voice  Anakin

had never heard before. She was gazing at Obi-Wan with concern in her  deep

blue eyes.

Obi-Wan pressed the holomode on his comlink.

Mace Windu appeared in miniature holographic form. "Obi-Wan, Siri. The

Jedi teams must return to Coruscant immediately."

"But we are on the trail of Granta Omega," Obi-Wan said. "We just - "

"Immediately," Mace interrupted. "There is trouble."

CHAPTER FIVE

Mace Windu was too busy to meet the two teams in the Council Room,  or

one of the smaller meeting rooms. They had to catch up to him as he  strode

down the Great Hall on his way to a Senate meeting.

He did not ask them how their pursuit of Granta Omega  was  going,  or

how their journey had been. Obi-Wan was relieved. The answers  to  both  of

those questions would have been negative. He felt fatigue shudder along his

bones, and he knew both Ferus and Anakin, who  were  walking  a  few  steps

behind, needed rest. There did not seem to be much  rest  for  any  of  the

Jedi, these days.

"A feeling of distrust toward the Jedi Council has been growing  among

certain Senators," Mace said as he walked purposefully, his  robe  swinging

with the motion. "We have felt  it  for  some  time.  We  were  not  overly

concerned. We knew Senators like Sano Sauro  undermined  us  whenever  they

could. Lately, things have escalated. A  faction  is  now  active;  it  has

influence. The Jedi Council  senses  that  there  is  someone  behind  this

faction, but we don't know who it is."

Obi-Wan looked at Siri incredulously. They had been called back to the

Temple because of a Senate power  struggle?  There  were  few  things  that

interested him less.

"False stories have been spread," Mace continued.  "Events  have  been

twisted so that  the  Jedi  are  seen  as  disloyal  to  the  Republic,  as

interfering in galactic political matters by making them worse."

"Master Windu," Obi-Wan said carefully, "you have  called  us  off  an

important mission to find a great enemy - "

"I know exactly what I did, Obi-Wan," Mace  said.  "A  powerful  enemy

outside and powerful enemies within. Can you decide who is more deadly?"

"But a Senate power struggle... is not  unusual,"  Obi-Wan  protested,

trying to keep his composure under the glare of Mace's penetrating eyes.

Mace stopped so abruptly that his robe swung around like  a  whip.  He

looked at each of  the  Jedi,  and  seemed  to  pick  up  the  fatigue  and

frustration there. He hesitated a moment.

"I recognize the importance of your mission," he  said  gravely.  "But

your mission is one of hundreds, which  all  involve  peacekeeping,  saving

lives, helping governments, fostering alliances. The Jedi are  involved  in

missions throughout the galaxy, which will be compromised if  this  faction

is not dealt with."

"What do you mean? How could one faction in the Senate harm  thousands

of Jedi?" Siri asked.

"By organizing the withdrawal of official Senate support for the  Jedi

Council," Mace said. He let his words settle over them.

"You understand what this would mean," he continued, when he was  sure

he had their complete attention. "To operate without Senate approval  would

make us rogue diplomats and would completely  undercut  our  authority.  In

short, without Senate  support  the  effectiveness  of  the  Jedi  will  be

decimated."

"But why did you call us back to fight this?" Anakin asked.

Ferus glanced at  Anakin,  amazed.  Obi-Wan  had  to  admit  that  the

question did sound more like a complaint than a query.

Mace settled his severe gaze on Anakin. Obi-Wan  thought  that  Anakin

was most likely  the  only  Jedi  apprentice  who  could  take  it  without

flinching. Most Padawans seemed to visibly shrink as  Master  Windu's  eyes

plumbed their depths, seeming to find every petty motivation, every  secret

weakness they had.

Anakin merely waited. Strong, graceful, sure of himself.

"I chose this team because of your special skills," Mace told  Anakin.

"Obi-Wan may hate it, but he has a great knowledge of the Senate  workings.

I contacted Yoda on Kashyyyk, and he was in agreement."

Obi-Wan tried not to groan aloud. Siri allowed herself one small smile

at his discomfort.

"His contacts are invaluable," Mace went on. "I chose Master Tachi for

her lack of patience."

Siri's small grin disappeared. Mace raised an eyebrow at her.

"A fault she has tried to correct, but one that often gets in her way,

" he said. "I have a feeling it will be useful in this situation.  Senators

are used to deference. Without it, they feel lost. I wouldn't mind some  of

them feeling a bit unbalanced. And Ferus, of course, is a worthy  addition.

He studied Senate structure and knows more about it  than  any  apprentice.

And you, Anakin..."

Anakin waited.

"You have two things that can help us. One, of course, is  your  Force

connection. You are just beginning to realize how it can work on beings  as

well as objects."

Anakin looked startled, as if he didn't understand  that  anyone  else

knew this. Obi-Wan suddenly realized it was true, and that he had known  it

without acknowledging it. How had Mace Windu discovered this? He  had  been

with the group on Romin for only a short time.

Well. That was why Mace was on the Jedi Council. That was why,  except

for Yoda, Obi-Wan thought him the most powerful Jedi he'd ever known.

"Yes, together with observation and intuition the Force can  help  you

see into the hearts and minds of others," Mace said softly,  his  eyes  not

leaving Anakin's face. "That is why the Force must be respected and handled

with care."

"I know that, Master Windu," Anakin said.

"Perhaps you do. Or perhaps you will learn it more with every mission,

the way the rest of us do. And  there  is  one  other  thing,"  Mace  said,

resuming his walk. "Chancellor Palpatine has asked to see you  and  Obi-Wan

specifically. He has requested a meeting."

Obi-Wan felt his heart sink. Most likely it would be the first of many

meetings in the Senate, where it would be explained to him why the simplest

way to do things was actually the most complicated.

"When is the meeting?" Obi-Wan asked, trying not to sigh as he matched

his walk to Mace's long stride.

For the first time, Mace's features softened, and Obi-Wan  was  almost

sure he caught the slightest of smiles. "Do not fret, Obi-Wan. You  are  on

your way to it."

CHAPTER SIX

Anakin and  Obi-Wan  stood  in  the  reception  room  outside  Supreme

Chancellor Palpatine's private offices in the Senate. They  stayed  by  the

window, looking out at the busy space lanes, while Siri and Ferus  took  up

positions near the door and Mace, with the utmost calmness, took a chair.

"I know how disappointed you are, Master," Anakin said.

"Master Windu is right," Obi-Wan replied. "We  are  needed  here.  And

besides..."

The pause continued. Anakin  waited  for  his  Master  to  finish  the

sentence, but Obi-Wan continued to stare out at the  airspeeders  jockeying

for position. Some were coming to dock at the vast  landing  platform  that

served the Senate. Anakin watched  them  for  a  moment  as  well.  If  the

Senators or their underlings could not obey traffic rules on when to  yield

and when to go, how could they solve the problems of the galaxy?

"On Romin, do you remember how  Teda  said  they  would  be  going  to

Coruscant?" Obi-Wan said at  last.  "We  couldn't  decide  if  that  was  a

diversion or not."

"We didn't think Teda was clever enough to create a diversion," Anakin

said with a grin.

"Exactly. What is happening here... it has the marks of Omega on it."

Anakin was startled. "Do you think Omega is involved in  the  movement

to discredit the Jedi?"

"I don't know. Maybe not directly, but it's best to keep it  in  mind.

It certainly fits his interests, doesn't it? Maybe returning here  was  not

an end to our journey, but a continuation."

Sly Moore slipped out from the interior room with  silent  grace.  She

nodded at the waiting Jedi to indicate that Chancellor Palpatine was  ready

to receive them, then lifted one slender arm draped in  silvery  fabric  to

indicate the door they should take.

Siri, Ferus, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Mace entered the inner office.

Palpatine stood by a grouping of  chairs.  Anakin  thought  he  looked

imposing in his simple robes of muted colors.  His  face  looked  pale  and

drawn, almost bloodless. Anakin imagined that the Chancellor's  job  robbed

him of rest and outdoor activity. He was sacrificing his life in  order  to

save the Senate from being overrun by those who would use it for their  own

ends.

"I am indebted to you for coming so promptly," Palpatine greeted  them

in the deep voice whose softness served to convey his power.  "Please  sit.

There is no time to lose."

He waited until the Jedi  were  all  seated  before  sitting  himself.

Palpatine shook his head, as if in deep thought. "I feel  such  sorrow  for

having to bring you here," he said. "I am ashamed of the Senate. There is a

growing tide of anti-Jedi feeling and the best of us cannot  seem  to  stop

it. It is full of lies and half-truths, all  twisted  to  fit  an  agenda."

Palpatine opened his palms in a gesture of helplessness. "I am at a loss to

explain it, except to say that in a galaxy so mired in conflict some  might

turn to a scapegoat to further their own plans."

"Or deflect attention from those plans," Mace said.

"That is true, Master Windu," Palpatine  said.  "And  wise.  But  what

these plans are, I do not know."

"Is Sano Sauro behind this?" Obi-Wan asked. Senator Sauro was an enemy

of the Jedi, and Omega had been his prot©g© as a boy.

Palpatine shook his head. "Not this time. The leader of the  anti-Jedi

faction is a formerly  obscure  Senator  from  Nuralee.  His  name  is  Bog

Divinian."

Obi-Wan started. Bog Divinian! He was married to Obi-Wan's good friend

Astri Oddo, the daughter of Didi Oddo. Obi-Wan had met  Bog  on  a  mission

during the Galactic Games. Bog was not yet a Senator at that time,  but  he

had lied in his testimony to an official investigation in order to  protect

the Commerce Guild. Obi-Wan had no doubt then that Bog had the makings of a

politician. He was not surprised to hear he had succeeded in his career. No

doubt the gratitude of the powerful Commerce Guild had helped.

Obi-Wan glanced at Mace. Now he knew there was another reason  he  had

been called to help.

"I know Bog Divinian," he said. "His wife is an old friend."

Palpatine looked relieved. "That is good news. I  urge  you  to  speak

directly to him. Perhaps a personal appeal can help."

Obi-Wan doubted this was  the  case,  but  he  inclined  his  head  in

agreement.

"I must inform you of a recent development," Palpatine said. "Roy Teda

has arrived on Coruscant. I know that the Jedi were  recently  involved  in

the coup on his planet of Romin."

Obi-Wan felt this news pass like electricity between him and the other

Jedi. Perhaps his idea about Omega  being  involved  here  wasn't  so  far-

fetched.

"Teda has lost no time in joining the anti-Jedi faction, I'm  afraid,"

Palpatine continued. "He's already  given  testimony  that  the  Jedi  were

responsible for aiding the unlawful coup on his planet."

"Unfortunately this  is  technically  true,  though  a  misreading  of

events," Mace said, arching an eyebrow at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan knew  that  Mace

was still annoyed  at  him  and  Siri  for  aiding  a  coup  without  first

consulting the Jedi Council.

But Teda's arrival on the planet could be good news, Obi-Wan  thought.

It would give them a chance to observe  him  closely.  Perhaps  they  could

learn more about Omega. Teda was not a bright creature,  and  no  doubt  it

would be possible to discover how he fit into Omega's larger plans.

"He has also claimed that the Jedi  were  responsible  for  a  factory

implosion on Falleen. He's managed to get the Falleen Senator  quite  upset

about it." Chancellor Palpatine steepled his fingers and looked  over  them

at the Jedi. "I'm afraid there is nothing I can do  about  this.  There  is

just enough evidence in the charges to make them  credible.  Teda  has  the

right to petition for asylum on Coruscant. It is up to the Jedi Council  to

refute the charges."

"Are the charges formal?" Mace asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes. That is the reason for this meeting. There  will  be  a  hearing

this afternoon. I suggest that a Jedi presence is needed."

Mace stood. "Master Kenobi will attend the hearing."

"He must," Palpatine said. "He has been called as a witness."

Once again, Obi-Wan inclined his head, but he seethed inwardly at  the

distraction. Just my luck, he thought. A meeting and a Senate hearing,  all

in the same day.

Omega could be in his grasp, but if he wasn't careful, he would  spend

all his time in meetings and hearings and never accomplish a thing.

Just like a Senator, Obi-Wan thought with an inward groan.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The hearing was held in a smaller  meeting  room  at  the  Senate.  It

wasn't as big as the main chamber, but it held twenty  tiers  with  seating

for onlookers and pods for several hundred Senators. The  room  was  packed

with an overflow crowd. Senators, aides, HoloNet news  correspondents,  and

curious Coruscant natives crowded the seats and the aisles  in  the  tiers,

and every pod was full.

Obi-Wan sat in a pod with Mace Windu, docked in a mid-level tier. "I'm

surprised there is such a crowd for this hearing,"  he  murmured  to  Mace.

"Usually meetings like this are so dull that no one attends."

"Note who is here," Mace said in a low tone. "The room is packed  with

Bog Divinian's supporters. I hear that one must obtain tickets to  observe,

and supporters of the Jedi were told there were no seats."

Obi-Wan watched as Bog Divinian leaned forward to call Roy Teda to the

stand. Teda's pod floated forward.

"I greet you hello, fellow rulers,  amazing  Senators,  all  wonderful

beings who love democracy and truth," Roy Teda said. "I, too, am a believer

and a lover of the democratic principles of many  voices,  all  saying  the

same thing."

Roy Teda began his testimony, and began to lie.  Obi-Wan  listened  to

the lies fall from his mouth. He was not surprised.

"I beseech you, Senators, rulers, fellow citizens of the galaxy," Teda

concluded, spreading his arms. "Stop  this  outrageous  outrage  before  it

overtakes us completely! The Jedi came to my planet and secretly plotted in

an underhanded way with an unlawful army to bring about the destruction  of

the elected government!"

Obi-Wan snorted. "Hardly an army," he said quietly to  Mace.  "And  we

didn't plot with them."

"The truth has no place here," Mace replied. "They don't want to  hear

it. But you must tell your truth anyway."

"They overthrew my government! They rampaged through the streets!  And

it is no accident," Teda said, leaning forward  on  his  fists,  "that  the

Romin treasury of wealth disappeared!"

"Yes, because you looted it," Obi-Wan muttered.

"Jedi interference must be outlawed on every planet  in  the  galaxy!"

Teda thundered. "Let them go back to their Temple and practice their secret

hidden arts on one another!" he shouted. "Leave governing the galaxy to the

Senate!"

Blocs of Senators roared approval. The crowd hooted and stamped.

High above Teda, Bog Divinian hovered. He did not dock his pod the way

the presiding Senator usually did. He remained in midair, so that he  would

be in full view of the crowd.

"Senator Divinian, I have  signaled  for  questioning  and  have  been

ignored!" Bail Organa's voice was a shout. He stood,  maneuvering  his  pod

closer to Bog's.

"If you have a question, of course the presiding official -  which  is

me, may I remind you - will recognize it," Bog said, clearly displeased  at

the interruption. "The Honorable Senator from Alderaan has the floor."

Organa's pod zoomed closer. "Do you have any evidence of your  claims,

Former Ruler Teda?" he asked. His handsome face was stern,  and  his  robes

were thrown back off his shoulders as he faced the former dictator.

"Yes, of course," Teda answered smoothly. "The evidence is  on  Romin,

only I am in exile and cannot reach it."

"The committee has ruled that a subcommittee will be formed  in  order

to investigate the charges," Bog announced.

"And who will  be  appointed  to  this  subcommittee?"  Organa  asked,

turning to Bog.

"Some members of my committee - "

"All enemies of the Jedi!" Organa thundered.

" - who will choose its members, according to rule 729900,  subsection

B38 of the subcommittee rules - "

" - which are currently being revised by a committee headed by Senator

Sano Sauro, another enemy of the Jedi!" Organa pointed out. There were  few

Senators who studied the bureaucracy as extensively. Organa knew  that  the

tedious work of keeping up with the bureaucracy netted  results.  Injustice

often began when  the  powerful  Senators  who  headed  committees  changed

obscure rules that they knew no one would notice.

No one but Bail Organa.

"The Honorable Senator from Alderaan must agree  that  no  matter  how

unhappy he may be, it cannot be argued that procedure isn't being followed,

" Bog said smugly.

"The procedure was changed by the same Senator who has been  asked  to

investigate unfounded charges that suit his  own  agenda,"  Organa  pointed

out. "It is the very definition of unfair. It is also an outrage."

Obi-Wan was impressed. Organa spoke with authority. He did not bluster

or shout. He made his points with acid, not with blows. He spoke truth, but

Mace was right - this crowd did not want to hear it.

"The presiding official refuses  to  get  bogged  down  in  procedural

details," Bog said, waving his hand. "The Honorable Senator  from  Alderaan

will now yield the floor. Your objections will be noted  in  the  log.  The

presiding official calls Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi for testimony."

Obi-Wan stood at the front of his  pod.  He  pressed  the  lever  that

controlled its movement. The box moved forward to the center of the room.

Bog did not acknowledge that he knew Obi-Wan or had  met  him  before,

not even with a slight nod.

"Tell us, Jedi Kenobi, did the Jedi secretly meet with the  resistance

army on Romin?"

"Members of the resistance movement captured two of our  apprentices,"

Obi-Wan replied. "The Jedi were on Romin to pursue a galactic criminal - "

"Ah, let's talk about that. Isn't it true you were on Romin  illegally

and using false ID docs?"

"It is true that we used false ID docs. Sometimes  the  Jedi  need  to

travel in secrecy," Obi-Wan answered. "We were on the trail of an extremely

dangerous criminal who had the means to destroy - "

"I am not asking your  intent,  merely  clarifying  your  means,"  Bog

interrupted. "Which, as I pointed out, were against the laws of Romin.  Did

you have personal dealings with the criminal Joylin who has seized power on

Romin?"

"An action that the Senate sanctioned due to the  criminal  activities

of Roy Teda," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"There are some in the Senate who pushed through this initiative, it's

true," Bog said, implying  that  this  action  was  highly  suspect.  "That

initiative is currently under investigation."

"Senator Divinian!" Bail Organa called.

"Senator  Organa,  you  are  out  of  order!"  Bog  thundered.  "I  am

questioning this witness!" He turned back to Obi-Wan. "Answer the question.

Isn't it true that the Jedi assisted the takeover?"

Obi-Wan hesitated a fraction of a second. It was true  that  the  Jedi

did assist Joylin and his band. But the plans had already been in place.

"Answer, please." Obi-Wan saw a flash of mean triumph in Bog's eyes.

"Yes. We offered them assistance."

"So you overthrew a legally elected government for your own purposes."

"No. We - "

"The record will note  that  the  question  has  been  answered,"  Bog

snapped.

Bog looked down at his datapad, but Obi-Wan was sure it was for  show.

Bog knew exactly what his next question was going to  be.  He  wanted  Obi-

Wan's admission to hang in the air. The chamber was silent now, every  face

turned toward Obi-Wan. He was in an impossible position, and he knew it. He

could not save the Jedi here. He could not save the Jedi with  words,  with

truth.

Obi-Wan rarely felt helpless. He hated the feeling. He  felt  it  burn

inside.

"Isn't it also true that the Jedi were involved in a factory implosion

on Falleen?"

"We happened to be in the vicinity."

"Oh," sneered Bog, "Jedi Knights are factory workers now?"

"Two of us were," Obi-Wan answered honestly.

"Do you mean to tell me that you got jobs in a factory? That's hard to

believe."

"Truth is sometimes hard to believe," Obi-Wan said evenly. "That's why

ignorant minds have a difficult time with it."

Bog's face reddened. Obi-Wan realized he had done  an  ignorant  thing

himself. He had allowed his temper to  get  the  better  of  his  judgment.

Always a bad idea - and, for a Jedi, a severe lapse.

"So you sabotaged the factory - "

"No." It was Obi-Wan's turn to interrupt. "We were caught  there.  The

factory was deliberately destroyed by its owner to cover up violations."

"And you were there, after hours, after everyone else had gone home."

"Yes."

"I see. So you were the only ones there during the implosion, but  you

did not trigger it."

"I don't know if we were the only ones there. How do you?"

Bog flushed again. "What I see before me is arrogance and  a  complete

lack of remorse at the destruction of property - "

"Oh, I feel remorse," Obi-Wan said.

"That is unusual," Bog snapped.

"I never received my paycheck."

Guffaws exploded throughout  the  chamber.  Bog  looked  helpless  and

angry. Obi-Wan followed his gaze to a dark corner of the chamber,  where  a

pod hugged the wall. Obi-Wan recognized the slim, dark form of Sano Sauro.

Sauro must have sent Bog a private message on  his  datapad,  for  Bog

looked down. He nodded vigorously, while the laughter slowly died down.

Obi-Wan had succeeded in something, at least. He knew  now  that  Sano

Sauro was controlling Bog like a puppet.

"The witness is dismissed," Bog said. "The hearing is adjourned."

Obi-Wan maneuvered the pod back to the wall. He crossed to sit next to

Mace. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Obi-Wan. You did the best you could."

Mace looked out over the chamber crowded with  beings.  "Something  is

here," he murmured. "Some darkness. We feel it growing, but every  time  we

look, we see nothing at all. You spend your time on missions, Obi-Wan.  You

are not here, like the Jedi Council is. Lately, I have been wondering..."

"Yes, Master Windu?" Obi-Wan asked respectfully. It wasn't often  that

Mace revealed what he was thinking.

"We send the Jedi throughout the galaxy. To help. To  keep  peace.  To

bring aid to suffering populations. But in the  end,  I  wonder..."  Mace's

stubborn gaze raked the chamber "... if our real job lies here."

"I hope not," Obi-Wan said, gazing over  the  room.  "Out  of  all  my

missions, this is one place where I do not want to stand  and  fight.  It's

like shouting into the wind.

"None of us want to be here, Obi-Wan," Mace said. "Perhaps that is our

undoing."

He took a step back, then turned and  disappeared  into  the  interior

hallways. Obi-Wan looked out over the crowded chamber.  How,  he  wondered,

had it come to this? Why were so many willing to believe the worst  of  the

Jedi Order?

He glanced over at the shadowy box where  Sano  Sauro  sat,  receiving

guests. Obi-Wan had first tangled with Sauro as a mere boy, when Sauro  had

questioned him in a hearing  to  investigate  the  accidental  death  of  a

student at the Jedi Temple. Sauro had twisted Obi-Wan's  words  even  then,

and Obi-Wan suspected that the Senator had crafted Bog's questions today.

Disgusted, Obi-Wan turned  and  headed  out  of  the  box  toward  the

interior reception room, where most of the crowd was now  congregating.  He

saw Bog Divinian hurrying toward him, a wide smile on his face.

"Obi-Wan! So good to see you again!" Bog thumped him on the  shoulder.

Obi-Wan gazed at him incredulously.

"Oh, you didn't mind my questions, did you? Politics.  A  rough  game,

eh? I hope there are no hard feelings. After all,  politics  is  temporary.

Friendship is forever."

Obi-Wan just stared at him. Friendship? With Bog? They had never  been

friends. Bog's words were completely hollow, as empty  as  the  man  before

him.

"Oh, excuse me, I forgot." Bog whipped  out  a  small  data  recorder.

"Hearing ended, great success, now greeting supporters."

Bog indicated the recorder to Obi-Wan. "This is how I  keep  track  of

things. And one day it will come in handy when  my  biography  is  written.

You'd be shocked and dismayed  if  you  knew  how  many  important  leaders

neglected to keep notes and records for the biographer to follow."

Obi-Wan said nothing. Whereas once he  bowed  and  scraped  to  please

those in power in order to advance his career, now Bog  saw  himself  as  a

great leader. He had fulfilled his early  promise  and  become  a  pompous,

scheming bore.

Bog rode over Obi-Wan's silence. "Have you seen my wife?  She's  here.

She is dying to see you." Bog searched above the crowd, then began to wave.

"Astri! Astri! I found our friend!"

Obi-Wan saw Astri then. She was dressed in a simple blue robe, but her

carriage was regal, and she looked as impressive as the Senators and  their

entourages who were dressed in opulent cloaks.  She  had  cut  her  springy

curls short, clipped to fall softly around her head. She  came  toward  him

slowly through the crowd, not rushing, as Astri always used to do. Her gaze

seemed to slide off him in the way that he had  come  to  know  from  other

officials - diplomats, Senators, rulers - those who met  beings  constantly

and never invested in a true exchange of hearts and minds with any of them.

His heart fell in disappointment. Astri, he feared, had become a  Senator's

wife.

"Hello, Obi-Wan." Her voice was pitched lower, yet another thing  that

had changed. "I'm glad to see you looking so well."

"I'm glad to see you, too," Obi-Wan said, even though he realized that

Astri hadn't really said she was glad to see him. "And how is Didi?"

"He is back home." At last a small smile appeared on Astri's face, and

he saw a flash of the prettiness he'd known. "Entertaining his grandson. Or

should I say, they are entertaining each other."

Obi-Wan smiled. "You have a son?"

"A beautiful boy. His name is Lune. He just turned three."

"My son is the light of our lives," Bog said. "Astri, my dear, I  fear

that Obi-Wan is a little put out with me." Astri's gaze lost its warmth and

formality  clicked  back  into  place.  She  looked  away,  past  Obi-Wan's

shoulder, into the crowd.

"You must tell him that each of us must follow our  convictions,"  Bog

continued.

"Obi-Wan knows this, no doubt."

"You must tell him how I've struggled with my  decision  to  throw  my

support behind this. But I've come to feel that the Jedi Council wields too

much influence in the Senate and with the Chancellor. I don't want to  make

enemies, I'm just looking for a more balanced approach. Is that so strange?

"

Obi-Wan didn't answer. It was clear Bog did not expect one, and  would

not listen if one were given. The  words  he  spoke  seemed  to  have  been

memorized, crafted by someone far smarter than Bog.

How had Astri fallen for him? Obi-Wan had known Astri since he  was  a

boy. He had watched her brave blaster fire and bounty  hunters  even  while

being terrified. All in order to save  her  father  and  Qui-Gon.  She  had

turned herself from a cook in a rundown caf© into a warrior.

Now she was a Senator's wife. He felt sadness deep within him. Did  he

even know her anymore? Had everything, for Astri, only been about playing a

role?

"It was nice to see you again, Obi-Wan," Astri said. "Take care."

She drifted off into the crowd. Bog gazed after her with affection.

"A perfect Senator's wife. She's involved in relief efforts, which  is

so important for my profile."

Obi-Wan felt he'd had enough.  He  saw  Roy  Teda  leave  a  group  of

supporters and make his way toward the door. Saying  a  crisp  farewell  to

Bog, Obi-Wan followed him. He had wasted enough time.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Anakin sat with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in his red-walled office.

Red Guards stood outside at attention. He had wanted to see how his  Master

did at the hearing, but Palpatine had detained him, and he couldn't  refuse

the Chancellor. How could you refuse someone whose term as  Chancellor  had

expired years ago, but who stayed on to serve because so many  saw  him  as

integral to the well-being of the galaxy?

Anakin would have preferred to be  searching  the  galaxy  for  Granta

Omega, but he couldn't do that, either. There were times Anakin  felt  that

wherever he turned, there was yet another order he could not refuse. He was

trapped in everybody else's needs but his own.

Palpatine seemed to sense his mood. "You think you  are  wasting  your

time here," he observed.

Anakin searched for a way to be honest without being rude. "We were on

an important mission."

"I can understand being frustrated by the Senate," Palpatine  replied.

"Yet here is where the power lies."

"It is not power I'm interested in," Anakin said.

"Really." The former Senator from Naboo smiled. "That is a very  Jedi-

like response. Yet, can I say this - it is not entirely true. The  Jedi  do

not seek power, yet they have it. Why is that?"

The words sounded oddly familiar to him, as if he'd heard them before,

but Anakin could not figure out where. He had a feeling that Palpatine  was

posing the question just to hear what Anakin had to say.

"Because we have the Force," Anakin said. "It is a  source  of  power,

yet we do not seek it. It is simply there."

"And it is a Jedi's choice to use it," Palpatine said. Anakin  smiled.

"You sound almost like one of our critics."

"Hardly. I am the Jedi Council's biggest supporter. What I  am  trying

to do is discover a way to fight those who seek to take away  their  power,

their influence. I have come  to  several  conclusions,  though,  and  they

aren't helpful. Would you care to hear them?"

"Of course." Anakin leaned forward slightly to show his  interest.  He

felt flattered that Palpatine took him seriously enough to talk to him this

way. He had imagined that the Chancellor did not waste his time  with  mere

Padawan learners. He dealt directly with the Jedi  Council,  with  powerful

Jedi like Mace Windu and Yoda.

Palpatine looked out his window toward the spires of the Jedi  Temple.

His gaze was clouded. "One reason that the Jedi Order has become the object

of jealousy in the Senate is  that  the  Jedi  don't  know  how  to  defend

themselves. Of course the Jedi are bold warriors, but when it comes to  the

war of words in the Senate, they simply disengage. This is a grave mistake.

"

"Our actions and our results speak for themselves."

"There you are wrong. Results do not speak for themselves, not in  the

Senate. There must always be someone to explain why the results are  good."

Palpatine shrugged. "Everything must be interpreted, or someone  else  will

do the interpreting. Facts are not important, only the twist that helps the

Senators understand them. It is the way it is. They must be fed their  diet

of truth."

"You make Senators sound like children," Anakin observed.

"Ah, but they are." Palpatine shook his head. "I  did  not  seek  this

office, yet I must carry out the burden of carrying on its duties.  One  of

these duties is to recognize that what the Senate needs is a  strong  hand,

just as children do."

"The Jedi don't believe that," Anakin  argued.  "In  the  Jedi  Order,

children are given the freedom to dissent and be independent."

Palpatine smiled. "Unlike the Jedi, Senators are not gifted  with  the

Force. Jedi can afford to give their younglings freedom, because they  know

they are exceptional. Most beings are not exceptional,  Anakin.  They  need

someone to tell them what to do, and sometimes, what to believe."

Anakin struggled to grasp this. It went against what he believed.  Yet

he could not deny that Palpatine's strong hand had kept the Senate together

during these years of growing strife with the Separatist movement.

"You want to turn the Jedi into politicians," he finally said.

"No. I want them to recognize that they are politicians, whether  they

like it or not. Power and politics are inseparable."  Chancellor  Palpatine

rose. "You, Anakin Skywalker, you have power. I can see  it  in  you.  Your

connection to the Force gives you clarity  and  boldness.  The  Jedi  Order

needs more like you."

"I am still a student," Anakin said, standing.

"Then learn," Palpatine told him. "Take this opportunity. Find out how

to maneuver in Senate politics. It might turn out to be the skill the  Jedi

Council needs most. Not  exactly  the  glory  of  lightsaber  battles,  but

crucial nonetheless."

"How can I do that?" Anakin asked.

"Come with me to meetings while you're here," Palpatine said.  "Watch.

Listen. Tell me what you think, and I will share my thoughts with you."

It was an extraordinary offer. Anakin knew he had to take it.

"I will have to request permission from my Master."

Palpatine inclined his head. "Of course. And in the  end,  who  knows?

Perhaps you'll be able to teach Master Kenobi a thing or two."

CHAPTER NINE

Obi-Wan trailed Teda through the maze of  Senate  corridors  that  led

through the various wings. He hated how Teda strolled as though he belonged

there. He remembered the prison he had seen on Romin, the prisoners  ragged

and starving. He remembered the slums he had seen on the outskirts  of  the

capital city, the luxury of Teda's life compared to the suffering he pushed

outside the city walls. Teda did not deserve his clear conscience.  He  did

not deserve his ease.

Teda stopped at last at one of the little caf©s that were tucked  into

the alcoves of the Senate hallways, a place for beings  to  stop  and  take

light refreshment before returning to their duties. Teda hesitated  at  the

entrance and looked around, then headed to a table in a far corner. Obi-Wan

headed for the self-service refreshment bar. As he helped himself  to  some

tea, he saw in the mirror overhead that Teda was meeting Senator Sauro.

Obi-Wan made no attempt to conceal himself. He put down  his  steaming

mug and headed to their table.

"I can't say this is a surprise," he said. "I expected that you  would

be behind any plot to discredit the Jedi Order, Sauro."

"As usual, you begin every exchange with rudeness,"  Sano  Sauro  said

coolly. His thin face looked as tidy and pale as ever. His lips were almost

white. He was dressed in a severe suit of black cloth. "I don't  know  what

I've done to deserve your contempt and I don't care, but it continues to be

tedious to put up with it."

"You know very well what you've done in the past,  and  what  you  are

doing right now," Obi-Wan said. "You are the shadow behind these hearings."

Sauro sipped at a glass of water, the  only  item  in  front  of  him.

"Senator Divinian is the presiding official over the hearings, not me."

"How odd, then, that you are meeting with the main witness against the

Jedi," Obi-Wan said.

"I'm merely holding out a friendly  hand  to  an  exiled  ruler  of  a

democratic government  that  was  overthrown  by  Jedi  aggression,"  Sauro

answered.

"That's right," Roy Teda said, anxious to demonstrate  his  importance

in the discussion.

"Also, how odd that you chose to meet so far  away  from  the  hearing

chamber, in a deserted part of the Senate," Obi-Wan remarked.

"I like peace and quiet," Sauro said. "Obviously, I am not finding  it

at the moment."

"That's exactly right," Teda repeated, nodding. He looked  desperately

eager to please Sano Sauro.

Sauro didn't pay attention to Teda. He kept his cool gaze on  Obi-Wan.

"So you see, Kenobi, I have no hand in  the  utter  demoralization  of  the

Jedi. I am merely a witness to it."

Obi-Wan leaned over the table on his fists. He locked eyes with Sauro.

"I'll leave you to your thieves and murderers,  Sauro.  I  realize  they've

gotten you far, but one day the company you keep will ensure your downfall.

"

"Who are you calling a murderer?" Teda sputtered. "Or wait, am  I  the

thief?"

Obi-Wan turned on his heel and left. He  walked  quickly  through  the

halls and jumped into a turbolift. He didn't want to waste any  more  time.

He needed to talk to the one being he knew had the most knowledge of Senate

intrigue, the best political mind he knew - his friend Tyro Caladian.

He took the lift down to the lowest level, then  followed  a  twisting

corridor that narrowed as it descended. After a short ramp, it  turned  and

Obi-Wan found himself in a dim  hallway.  Bins  and  durasteel  boxes  were

stacked outside a door. He smiled. Tyro hadn't  changed  a  bit.  He  could

always count on his industry.

The door was slightly ajar, so he pushed it open and peered in. "Tyro,

I need you once again."

A voice came from behind a stack of procedural manuals. "My  ears  are

happy! It is the voice of my friend Obi-Wan!"

A Svivreni poked his head over the manuals. His  small  face  twitched

and his bright eyes were alight with pleasure. He scurried out from  behind

the desk that took up almost the entire room. He stopped directly in  front

of Obi-Wan, opened his hand, and closed it. He placed it against his heart,

and then Obi-Wan's.

Obi-Wan followed the same gestures. Svivreni had  different  codes  of

greeting and good-bye, and Obi-Wan had advanced to  the  most  affectionate

with Tyro. "It's been too long."

"Yes, indeed. Oh, let me find you a chair." Tyro broke away and  began

to sweep books off a chair. "You Jedi, never sitting, always moving."

Obi-Wan sat. Tyro leaned against the desk to face him. Now, they  were

eye to eye.

"I do not have to ask why you have come," Tyro  said,  his  dark  eyes

full of worry. "I was at the hearing." Obi-Wan grimaced. "I did badly."

"You did well, my friend. As did Senator  Organa.  But  the  anti-Jedi

faction had packed the house with supporters. And Divinian's  questioning!"

Tyro threw up his hands. "An outrage. It was obvious he wasn't looking  for

truth. In another time, too obvious. Steps  would  be  taken  to  have  him

removed from a position of authority. But these days..." Tyro shrugged  and

fiddled with the metal clasp that kept back his waist-length dark hair.  It

was a gesture he used when nervous, and Tyro was often  anxious  about  the

state of the Senate.

"Yes, things continue to decline, no matter how the Chancellor tries,"

Obi-Wan remarked.

"He does his best. But this uproar against the Jedi - I've never  seen

anything like it. Even for the Senate, it's  ridiculous.  And  frustrating.

It's just a distraction from the real work they should be doing."

Distraction. The word clanged like a bell inside his mind, but Obi-Wan

didn't know why. Another word had hit him earlier, just a tiny  ping,  what

was it...

Demoralized. Sauro had said that the Jedi were demoralized.

Disruption + Demoralization + Distraction = Devastation.

Xanatos!  Granta  Omega's  father  had  devised   that   formula   for

orchestrating evil to take root. He had done it at the Jedi Temple  itself,

hoping to destroy it forever. Could it be that his son was using  the  same

formula to destroy the Senate? Was that his real goal?

If Omega was behind this Senatorial effort, he had  already  succeeded

in disrupting the Senate, demoralizing the Jedi, and distracting  everyone.

But if that was truly the case, what was  the  coming  devastation  he  was

planning?

Obi-Wan didn't know. But suddenly  he  knew  in  his  bones  that  his

earlier instinct was dead-on. Omega was behind this.

".. and I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this,"  Tyro  was  saying,

"but it was inevitable given the circumstances, I suppose."

Obi-Wan wrenched his attention back to his friend. "What is it?"

"Bog Divinian's committee has taken an  unusual  step.  Instead  of  a

recommendation, it has just entered an official petition to  ban  the  Jedi

Order from any Senate action. This was clever...  but  not  clever  enough.

Senator Organa found a clause that allowed him to appeal  directly  to  the

Chancellor in a separate closed-door session.  Palpatine  is  scheduled  to

decide on the matter later this afternoon in a meeting with both Senators."

"This has all just happened since the hearing? I  thought  the  Senate

was supposed to be slow."

"Only when real things are getting done," Tyro said  drily.  "When  it

comes to political maneuvering, you have to move fast."  Tyro  gave  him  a

keen look. "What is it, my friend? The Jedi Order is  in  trouble,  but  we

will find a way to fight,  I  promise  you.  You  have  more  friends  than

enemies. You just have to remind your friends that they are  your  friends.

It's the Senate way."

"The Senate way," Obi-Wan pronounced in disgust. "And  what  is  that?

Talk. Deals. Bribes. Corruption."

"Obi-Wan." Tyro silenced him gently. "I agree with you.  All  this  is

true. But I still believe in the Senate. It is the  living  symbol  of  the

Republic. Until it was formed, the galaxy boiled with chaos. It is our only

chance to bring peace to the thousands of worlds that cannot manage  alone.

There are good beings in the Senate, like Senator  Organa.  Many  of  them.

They will win in the end."

Obi-Wan had never heard Tyro defend the Senate so passionately before.

Usually, he railed against it. But of course that was why he  continued  to

toil down in his little office, searching for ways to make it better. "What

amazes me is that you keep your faith in the Senate,  no  matter  how  many

times your heart is broken."

"Oh, my heart may break from time to time, but never  my  will,"  Tyro

said lightly. "In that way we are alike. Now, tell me what worries you."

"It's not so much the petition, but what the petition might  conceal,"

Obi-Wan explained.

Tyro shook his head. "I don't understand."

"What if this action to discredit the Jedi is just a diversion so that

something worse could occur?" Obi-Wan said.

What he liked about Tyro was that his friend did not waste  time.  His

small, furred face grew intent. "Ah. Of course. Continue."

"I have been tracking Granta Omega and Jenna Zan Arbor, both  of  whom

are familiar to you," Obi-Wan said to Tyro's nod. "What if they were behind

this latest scheme? What if it is merely a smokescreen for their real plan?

"

The possibilities clicked through Tyro's brain. "Of course  if  it  is

true that they're involved, this would be more than possible - it would  be

likely," he said rapidly. "It fits with the  way  Omega  operates.  And  it

makes sense, since Sano Sauro is involved." Tyro's face contracted into  an

expression of distaste. Sauro was his enemy, too. "That would  explain  why

he has remained in the background. He doesn't want us  to  connect  him  to

this campaign, because he knows we will immediately make the connection  to

Omega."

"There is something we're not seeing here," Obi-Wan said.

"The Chancellor is, of course, a big  supporter  of  the  Jedi,"  Tyro

said, thinking. "It's unlikely that he will approve the petition.  Bog  and

Sauro could then manipulate this defeat into a  call  for  a  no-confidence

vote. That would allow them to propose Sauro as Chancellor. I know that  is

his ultimate ambition."

"Then Omega would control the Senate," Obi-Wan said slowly.

Tyro tapped his tapered fingers on the manuals. "But Palpatine is  too

powerful and too skilled to be outmaneuvered. And I doubt even Sauro  could

muster enough support for a vote of no confidence. Let's see,  he  controls

the Viga alliance, and the planets in the Commerce Guild,  and...  yes,  he

could get several systems in  the  Mid-Rim.  But  in  the  Core?  No.  He's

powerful, but he's actively disliked, and  there  is  a  strong  opposition

faction headed by Bail Organa that can't be discounted."

Tyro ended his speculation, realizing that Obi-Wan had grown impatient

with the details of Senate politics.

"In conclusion," he said, sighing, "I have no conclusion. I can't  see

them trying such a thing. You don't try something like that  unless  you're

sure you can succeed. Palpatine is tremendously popular, especially at  the

moment. Tomorrow there will be a  ceremony  for  the  opening  of  the  All

Planets Relief Fund. A huge group of supporters will be attending-including

many Jedi. This is Palpatine's pet project,  and  it's  a  good  one.  He's

worked his way through the tangled bureaucracy to get it  off  the  ground.

Now any world in peril can petition the Senate directly for  funds  through

one central account. Palpatine  claims  this  will  stop  the  bureaucratic

slowdown for relief to troubled worlds. You see, before this, a world would

have to petition the committee for Relief, which would then turn the matter

over to a specially appointed investigatory committee, which would then - "

Obi-Wan's comlink signaled, and he held up a hand to  interrupt  Tyro.

He had to admit he was relieved not to  get  a  crash  course  in  the  now

outdated procedural details of Senate relief efforts.

Siri's crisp voice came through  the  comlink.  "We  found  something.

Possibly Omega and Zan Arbor's hideout.  We  need  backup.  They  could  be

inside."

She gave him the coordinates. Obi-Wan stood as he flipped his  comlink

closed and put it back in his belt - at last, action and not  meetings.  "I

have to go."

"And you will take care, I hope. I think you are  right.  Our  enemies

are hidden, and that makes them more dangerous." Tyro held  his  hand  out,

fingers spread. Obi-Wan pressed his own spread-fingered palm against it. It

was the gesture of good-bye that the Svivreni made to only those closest to

them.

The Svivreni did not say good-bye. They considered it bad luck.

"So go," Tyro said in the Svivreni farewell.

CHAPTER TEN

Obi-Wan was well acquainted with the many exit  doors  of  the  Senate

complex, and he hit the streets of Coruscant in minutes. He took a vertical

monorail down a hundred stories to the business  district  where  Siri  and

Ferus were located, near the bank of  Aargau.  On  the  way,  he  contacted

Anakin.

As he rounded the last corner he saw  his  apprentice  streaking  down

through the air. Looking up, Obi-Wan could see that  Anakin  had  made  the

jump from a platform twenty stories up.

"I'm sure there was a lift tube," Obi-Wan said as Anakin ran  up.  "Or

even stairs."

Anakin grinned. "Too slow."

Together, they ran up to Siri and Ferus, who had taken up  a  position

behind a jumble of airspeeders parked in  front  of  an  interior  mall  of

popular shops and restaurants.

"We got a tip from an informer," Siri said. She  pointed  to  a  small

white building across the way. A  blinking  sign  said  VIRTUAL  HAPPINESS.

Another sign, smaller and clumsily handwritten said: OUT OF BUSINESS.

"It was one of those sim-voyage places," Siri said. "You  know,  where

you can go and have a simulated vacation experience to the luxury worlds of

the Core. But our source says a couple moved in a few days ago.  They  said

they were starting a business, but nothing has been  done,  and  they  only

exit the building at night."

"It could be anyone," Obi-Wan said.

"Ferus did a quick check of the airspeeders parked here,"  Siri  said,

with a look that told Obi-Wan he should wait for her  to  finish.  "Nothing

unusual came up. Then he did a  check  with  Coruscant  security  and  went

through the tickets for illegally parked airspeeders,  cross-checking  with

known IDs used by the Slams. A  standard  Ralion  B-14  that  was  recently

bought at a speeder lot twenty levels down matched one of the false ID docs

the Slams had on their master ship."

"Good work," Obi-Wan said to Ferus. "I say we go  in.  We  don't  have

time to waste."

They strode to the door. As soon as they did, a buzzer sounded, and  a

light flashed. An automated female voice said in a pleasant tone, "Welcome.

We're not home. If you wish to leave a text message, use the keypad."

"I have a message, all right," Obi-Wan said, drawing  his  lightsaber.

"We're coming in."

He plunged his lightsaber through the door. It disintegrated from  the

center out.

The house was dark inside. Obi-Wan stepped in.

Immediately, lights blazed.  Sound  blared.  He  heard  the  sound  of

rockets, and he fell to the ground and rolled, lightsaber ready to deflect.

Behind him, the Jedi moved in to flank him.

The walls flickered and pulsed with sound and light.  It  took  a  few

seconds for Obi-Wan to make sense of it, then he realized every wall held a

moving image, a holoprojection of a separate scene. One was  a  field  with

exploding novas in the sky - the famous shooting stars of Nantama.  Another

was of the mountains of Belazura. Another showed fireworks  exploding  over

the translucent seas of Dremulae. All were popular vacationing spots.

The noise was at full volume - surf, fireworks, wind. So loud that  at

first he didn't hear the whirr of the seeker droids.

He was leaping before the others, cutting down two in a perfect  swoop

of the lightsaber. The droids peppered the walls with blaster  fire.  Smoke

rose and the noise was deafening. The images flickered in beautiful  colors

of blue and rose and green  while  the  shadows  of  the  droids  moved  in

menacing circles. The electric ping of the blaster  fire  crisscrossed  the

space, and each Jedi had to jump, whirl, and slash at the  droids  as  they

dived and circled.

Within minutes, the dozen or so droids were reduced to  smoking  scrap

on the floor. Obi-Wan strode over to a panel behind the door and shut  down

the holoprojection system.

"Careful, that might be - " Siri  started,  as  a  secret  blast  door

opened and three combat droids,  the  deadly  droidekas,  wheeled  out  and

clattered to life. Blazing blasterfire raked the  area  where  Obi-Wan  had

stood. Anyone but a Jedi would have been instantly annihilated.

"Booby-trapped!" Siri yelled, as she dodged the blaster bolts.

With deflector shields in place, droidekas  were  difficult  to  stop.

While the rest of the Jedi took a step backward, Anakin moved  forward.  He

had studied the droids ever since learning about them, and knew the precise

spot where their generators lay. He rolled onto  the  floor,  for  only  an

upward stroke could disable them.

The Force hummed in the room as Anakin deftly inserted his  lightsaber

once, twice, three times. The roar of blasters ended.

Now the floor was littered with droids. Other than that, the house was

empty.

"Let's search," Obi-Wan said. "They might have left a clue."

Siri moved past a table. "The only thing they left was dirty  dishes,"

she said, disdainfully pointing to several greasy plates on the table.

Other than the signs of a hastily abandoned meal, there wasn't a trace

of the occupants to be found.

"We've come up empty again," Siri said in disgust after a few  minutes

of searching.

"It's Omega's style," Anakin said. "He knows how to  leave  without  a

trace."

Ferus nudged a half-open closet door with his foot. "Nothing."

Obi-Wan drifted to the table. He bent over the  dishes.  There  was  a

scrap of roll on one plate, and a puddle of sauce on  the  other.  He  bent

closer and sniffed.

"Gotcha," he murmured.

"What is it, Master?" Anakin asked, turning. Obi-Wan  pointed  to  the

plate. "That's Dexter Jettster's slider garnish. I'd know it anywhere."

Siri strode over and looked at the plate. "Congratulations.  Our  best

clue is a garnish."

"It's a place to start," Obi-Wan said.

Siri nodded. "Why don't you and Anakin head over to Dexter's Diner and

ask some questions. I think Ferus and I should  study  the  water  delivery

system here on Coruscant. We know they're here. We'd  better  have  a  good

idea of what damage they could do."

"Good idea. We'll be in touch."

Obi-Wan signaled to Anakin, and they left the  house.  Dexter's  Diner

wasn't far, lying in nearby Coco Town. They  hurried  through  the  crowded

pedestrian ramps. The monorails were packed, and it was faster to walk.

They crossed through the plaza on the way to the diner. The  buildings

ringing  the  plaza  were  a  mix  of  low-rent  business  and  dilapidated

industrial  warehouses.  Dexter's  Diner  crouched   between   the   bigger

buildings, its bright sign casting a red glow through the gray day.

Anakin started toward the door, but Obi-Wan stopped him.  "Wait.  Look

who's inside."

Anakin peered into the window. Sitting alone in a  booth,  both  hands

cupping a mug, was Astri.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Astri looked up, surprised, when Obi-Wan  and  Anakin  slid  into  her

booth. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't seen them enter  the

diner.

"It's funny to see you here," she said to Obi-Wan. "Like  a  dream.  I

was just thinking of the old days. Everything is  so  different  now.  Even

here." She looked around.  "Dexter  actually  made  it  into  a  profitable

enterprise."

"Well, he doesn't give away meals and drinks the way Didi  did,"  Obi-

Wan said.

She smiled. "That's true." She held up her empty cup. "He doesn't even

give refills. But I like it here."

"Yes,  those  were  good  days,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "Things   are   more

complicated now. Like the fact that your husband is trying to  destroy  the

Jedi Order."

Astri's hands tightened on her cup. "I long ago made it a  policy  not

to discuss Bog's politics."

"So what do you think about, then?" Anakin asked. His question  wasn't

confrontational. It was easy, interested. Obi-Wan  was  relieved  that  his

Padawan had interfered so gracefully. He realized that he was deeply  angry

with Astri. He had expected better of her.

No expectations. Acceptance.

It was the Jedi way. And sometimes, so very hard to follow.

"My relief work," Astri responded promptly. "The economy of my adopted

world, Nuralee, is failing."

"I didn't know that," Obi-Wan said. "The last time I was on Nuralee it

was prospering."

She looked down into her empty cup. "That was probably some time ago."

Before Bog took office, Obi-Wan guessed.

"There are many too poor to buy food. I'm here on  Coruscant  briefly,

just to attend a meeting to ask for help from the new  All  Planets  Relief

Fund and attend the inaugural ceremony. A Jedi team is acting  as  couriers

and protectors for a shipment of food and medical supplies to Nuralee,  and

I must return to ensure it gets in the right hands."

"Do you know who they are?" Anakin asked.

"Soara Antana and Darra Thel-Tanis," Astri said. "I  am  grateful  for

their help."

You are grateful for the help we give you, but you will not  help  us.

Obi-Wan had the thought but would not say it aloud.

No expectations. Just acceptance.

And as he thought the words, his mind cleared. Now that he was sitting

quietly with her, he allowed himself to truly look at  her,  not  just  her

changed hair and clothes, but what her face revealed. Yes, she was  distant

and remote. But if he removed his own feelings from the situation, he could

see more clearly.

Something was wrong. He was picking up something.

Fear. She was afraid. But of what?

"So you are returning soon," Anakin said.

"The day after tomorrow. I am anxious to see my son and Didi."

Obi-Wan leaned back, still studying  Astri  without  seeming  to.  She

looked away, twining her fingers through the handle of her cup.

"So has Bog seen what Dex has done to the old place?" Anakin asked  in

a jovial tone, gesturing toward the red stools and the curved counter.

Excellent, Anakin. A casual question,  but  it  would  give  them  the

information they needed to know. Was there a connection between Bog and the

safe house?

"Yes, he's been here." Astri pushed away her empty cup. The subject of

her husband didn't interest her. But they had the answer they wanted.

Bog had been the one to bring food from Dex's Diner to Omega  and  the

others. There was a link between them now. Not a link he could prove. But a

link.

Astri began to slide out of the booth. "I should go.  I'm  late.  It's

always good to see you, Obi-Wan. Anakin."

She hurried out the door, not waiting for their goodbyes. As she left,

she almost collided with a cloaked figure who was also leaving.

Obi-Wan stared after her. Even the way she  moved  was  different.  He

remembered Astri striding down the streets,  her  curls  flying,  her  face

uptilted, her eyes alight, taking everything in. Now she  walked  with  her

head down, her hands thrust into the deep pockets of her tunic.

"She's afraid," he said out loud.

"Yes," Anakin said. "But not for herself. For her son."

Obi-Wan wrenched his gaze from the departing Astri and looked  at  his

Padawan. More and more, he was recognizing  that  Anakin's  sensitivity  to

others was growing and surpassing his in some cases. Anakin often seemed to

know what secrets were inside others, what drove them to  do  the  puzzling

things they did. It had something to do with his command of the Force,  but

it was more than that.

He remembered the words of Ferus, when he  had  confessed  his  doubts

about Anakin to Obi-Wan on RomIn. He had said that Anakin wanted to control

everything. Anakin's gift of seeing inside beings could turn  dangerous  if

he tried to control the feelings he found instead of just observing them.

But that was a Jedi lesson ingrained in  every  Padawan.  Anakin  knew

that.

"Master,  I  have  to  ask  you  something,"  he  said  now.  "Supreme

Chancellor Palpatine has offered me a chance to observe the proceedings  he

attends over the next few days. He thinks I would  gain  insight  into  the

political arena of the Senate."

"I agree," Obi-Wan said. "I have no objections, as long as it  doesn't

interfere with our pursuit of Omega. You  could  learn  something  valuable

that could help us. It is a great honor that Palpatine has bestowed on you,

my young Padawan."

Dexter waddled out from behind the counter, wiping his four  hands  on

his greasy apron.

"Obi-Wan! My friend! Why didn't you come back to the kitchen and greet

me?" Dexter's wide face creased in an enormous grin. "And you  brought  the

tadpole with you!"

Anakin winced at the nickname. Then he stood up. He  had  grown  since

the last time Dexter had seen him, and Dexter burst out  with  a  shout  of

laughter.

"Well, you showed me, you did, young Skywalker. I'd say you were full-

grown now!" He hooked one enormous foot over a chair rail  and  dragged  it

over to the booth, then eased his bulk onto it.

"Now, what can I get the two of you - ten-alarm chili?  Sliders?  I've

got a stew cooking with bantha meat,  cooked  long  and  slow  to  make  it

tender. I know they say banthas taste like  old  boots,  but  they  haven't

tasted Dex's stew! I'll tell you my secret,  boys."  Dex  leaned  over.  "I

leave the hooves in the pot while it's cooking."

"Sounds delicious, Dex, but we've come for information," Obi-Wan  said

quickly, as Anakin's face paled. "We're  on  the  trail  of  some  galactic

criminals, and we believe they have a taste for your slider garnish."

Dex slapped his knees with two of his hands. "And  who  doesn't?  I've

got to remember to bottle it. I could make my fortune! One of  these  days,

when I get a minute away from the stove, ha!"

"One of the criminals is Jenna Zan Arbor."

Dex whistled. "A nasty piece of work. Wouldn't know her  to  see  her,

though. And I haven't heard she's back on Coruscant."

"How about Senator Bog Divinian?"

"Astri Oddo's husband? Sure, he's been here.  Likes  my  sliders.  You

know, some people find them addictive! Picks up his dinner many a time  and

brings it back to his lodgings."

Obi-Wan briefly described the Slams. "Have you seen them?"

Dex stroked his chin. "Don't think so,  and  haven't  heard  of  them,

either. Hard to say. Here's the problem - we've been too busy  here  lately

to notice much of anything except dirty dishes. And things are set  to  get

even busier tomorrow, because the All Planets Relief Fund Ceremony will  be

held right across the way." With one fat finger, Dex pointed out the window

to the plaza. "This is the kind of area the Fund will be trying to improve.

Anyway, I'll keep my eye out. Many will be coming to see the big shots like

the Chancellor. But most will come, I'd  wager,  to  see  a  fortune  being

transferred. Everyone likes to be close to vertex, even if they don't  have

any themselves. They feel richer for looking at it - at least until they go

home and look around at what they've got!" Dex laughed heartily.

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan. Fortune? Vertex? "What do you mean, Dex?" he

asked.

"Don't you know the drill? Every planet  in  the  Senate  is  donating

vertex to the new fund. They present it to Palpatine, and then his personal

guard brings it to the vault." Dex pointed across the plaza. "The  Bank  of

the Core. Now don't be  thinking  there  will  be  hanky-panky,"  he  said,

waggling his finger. "There  will  be  security  like  you've  never  seen.

Coruscant security and the Chancellor's Red  Guards.  Tomorrow  they'll  be

cordoning off walkways and placing officers around the plaza. A  journalist

for the HoloNet news even paid me to keep her airspeeder out back so  she'd

be able to take off quick tomorrow to get to her vidcam  studio  hookup.  I

said yes because she was a looker - or maybe it was the credits she put  in

my hand, ha! Then she goes and parks  it  so  it  blocks  my  food-delivery

doors. Left it locked tight as a drum. Now you know I don't stand for that.

" Dex chuckled. "So I got my pal Acey to break in and  I  moved  it  myself

behind a dumpster."

Dex's words washed over Obi-Wan. There was something here. Item  after

item clicked in, but he couldn't add them up.

"Can we see that airspeeder, Dex?"

Dex gave him a puzzled look. "Don't see why, but what I have is yours,

Obi-Wan. This way."

CHAPTER TWELVE

Anakin and Obi-Wan followed Dex through the steamy kitchen noisy  with

clattering pans and spattering grease, through the rear exit doors into the

alley. A long airspeeder was parked in an angle, wedged between a  dumpster

and durasteel trash bins.

"It'll smell like old fish tomorrow, but I can't help it.  They  can't

block my kitchen," Dexter said.

"It's a Ralion B-14." Anakin said.

"Can you show me how it was parked before you moved it, Dex?"  Obi-Wan

asked.

Dexter stamped his enormous foot. "Right here. In the way."

Obi-Wan bent over and studied a round cover sunk  into  the  duracrete

street. He knocked on it with his knuckles. "Utility tunnel."

"For my water delivery," Dexter said. "I know because my  water  froze

last winter, and that's where they crawled down to fix it."

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance. It was all adding up.

"Got to check on my stew. You two come in when you have more time. You

know I like to feed you." Dexter waddled back into the diner.

"Must have been Valadon in disguise," Obi-Wan said. "The airspeeder is

for their getaway. And here," he said, stamping his foot on the cover,  "is

one of the entrance points for the Zone, most likely."

Anakin prowled around the airspeeder. "Doesn't seem to be  juiced  up,

at least on the outside. No extra exhaust valves. Seats  four,  five  in  a

crunch." He opened the door and slid inside.

Obi-Wan entered the speeder from the other end. "Looks clean."

"Fully fueled," Anakin noted.

Obi-Wan reached over toward  the  door  on  his  side.  Something  had

drifted down to the floor when he'd opened the door, the tiniest wisp of  a

thing. Attuned to notice every scrap, he bent over to pick it up. It was  a

thread. He held it up. Blue.

"Anything?" Anakin asked.

"I'll send it to the Temple  lab  for  analysis,  but  it  looks  like

standard cloth," Obi-Wan said, carefully placing it in  his  utility  belt.

"Certainly not the septsilk and veda cloth that  both  Zan  Arbor  and  the

Slams like to wear."

Anakin murmured a reply, busy studying the engine specs. "This doesn't

make sense," he said. "The transport body style doesn't fit the engine.  In

speeders, you maximize every particle of space. I'd guess  there  is  about

three centimeters unaccounted for."

"That's not very much."

"Oh, yes it is." Anakin looked over at his Master. "It's just like the

Slams' ship. They knew how to hide secret compartments in tiny spaces."

Anakin was already reaching under the dash.  Obi-Wan  felt  along  the

floor and the edges of his seat. He had found a  few  compartments  on  the

Slams' ship, but Anakin had found all of them.

"Got it." A drawer popped out toward Anakin. He reached  inside,  then

tossed an item to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan examined the palm-sized datapad. He switched it  on.  "It's  a

map of the plaza," Obi-Wan said as he accessed the file. "With notations on

street closings and space lanes." Obi-Wan pressed a  few  more  indicators.

"And the water transport tunnels are marked."

"Omega, Zan Arbor, and the Slams are planning to heist the new  Relief

Fund treasury," Anakin said.

"That's what they're after. Not only will it give them  a  fortune  to

operate with, it will embarrass Palpatine."

"It will be a political victory as well as a personal one. That's most

likely why Bog and Sauro got involved - they are looking at a way to strike

a blow against Palpatine. And if they profit from it as well, why not?"

"With the help of the Zone, a small band like the Slams can get around

the entire Coruscant security force," Anakin said, shaking his head.

Obi-Wan nodded. "And in his arrogance, Omega  expects  to  defeat  the

Jedi, too. If the Jedi Order allows the  heist  to  happen,  they  will  be

disgraced. That will help Bog and Sauro pass their petition - or win a  no-

confidence vote against the Chancellor."

His eyes gleamed at Anakin, and Anakin caught the  spark.  He  felt  a

spurt of excitement. The pieces were falling into place.

"At last we are one step ahead of Omega," Obi-Wan said.  "Now  all  we

have to do is set the trap."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Anakin expected his Master to explode  into  movement.  Obi-Wan  never

wasted time. Instead, Obi-Wan just looked at him.

"So?"

"So?" Anakin asked cautiously.

"What next?"

"You want me to decide?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "When  you  become  a  Jedi  Knight,  you'll  have  to

strategize as well as act."

There were a number of things to be done, and at first,  they  crowded

Anakin's brain so that he wasn't sure which to do first. But then a  moment

later everything was clear and he knew what to do.

"First, we should contact Siri and Ferus and tell them what  we  know,

so that they can concentrate their study of the water system  on  the  area

around the plaza," Anakin said. "Then, we should contact-Master Windu.  The

Jedi Council needs to come up with its own  plans  to  protect  the  vertex

during the ceremony."

"Good."

"And we should request a meeting with  Chancellor  Palpatine,"  Anakin

went on. "It's the only way we can get across the seriousness  of  what  we

think is going to happen. After all, it's just guesswork, and it  could  be

easily dismissed. But we  should  be  able  to  convince  him  to  increase

security and put monitors on the water systems.  Though..."  Anakin  tapped

his fingers on the dashboard "... if we do nothing and simply allow them to

sabotage the system with the Zone, we have an advantage."

Obi-Wan frowned. "We do?"

"The Jedi will not be affected, but our enemy won't know  that.  Omega

and the Slams will be lulled into the belief that they have  succeeded.  In

other words, we give them what they want in the beginning. But  we  control

the outcome."

"But Anakin, that means exposing thousands of beings to the Zone."

"It's not toxic. The beings  will  have  an  extraordinarily  pleasant

morning, that's all."

Obi-Wan's frown grew deeper. "We don't know that.

You experienced it early on. We don't know what Zan Arbor has done  to

it since then. Are you forgetting the four workers who died?"

"But we have every reason to believe the system has  been  perfected."

Anakin hesitated. He could see that he had displeased his Master.  "But  of

course we don't know that for sure. So we must guard the entry ports to the

system so the Zone cannot be deployed."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Anything else?"

Anakin thought briefly. "No. Not at the moment." "I agree. Let's go."

They headed for the Senate. While Obi-Wan called ahead  to  request  a

meeting with Chancellor Palpatine, Anakin brooded on his  mistake.  He  had

seen the uneasiness in his Master's eyes, though  it  had  passed  quickly.

Sometimes he made mistakes and wasn't sure why they  were  wrong.  He  knew

that his Master's deepest desire was to capture Omega. Anakin wondered  how

much it was permissible to risk in order to accomplish that. How much  risk

was too much? Who was best to judge? He wished he could ask  Obi-Wan  those

questions, but he didn't want to displease him further.

As soon as they arrived at the Chancellor's office, they were  ushered

in to see him. He stood at the large  window  behind  his  desk,  ready  to

receive them.

"Sly Moore tells me this is urgent," he said. "She is  not  accustomed

to such vehemence. I hope it's not bad news."

"Well, that depends," Obi-Wan said. Quickly, he filled Palpatine in on

what they had discovered and what they suspected.

"Naturally," Obi-Wan concluded, "the best thing to do is to cancel the

ceremony."

"I think not," Palpatine said. "This fund has been the result of years

of steady work on the part of many worlds. It is  a  tribute  to  the  very

ideals the Galactic Senate was founded upon originally  -  cooperation  and

benevolence. I hardly think that canceling the ceremony would  help  us  in

any way."

Anakin wasn't surprised, and neither was Obi-Wan.

"Then security must be increased," Obi-Wan said.

"I assure you, the best measures  are  already  in  place,"  Palpatine

said. "And I have every confidence in the  Jedi's  abilities  to  forestall

these villains."

"Then the water system should be shut off in that quadrant."

"And disrupt thousands of lives?" Palpatine looked impatient. "We will

monitor the system, of course. Place guards on the entry points. That won't

be difficult. If we know there will be an attempt, we will be able to  foil

it. Now, I have the distasteful task  of  having  to  attend  a  procedural

hearing with Senator Divinian."

Palpatine directed his gaze at Obi-Wan. "May I borrow your apprentice?

I think it could be a valuable experience for him."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll return to the Temple and talk  to  Master  Windu

and Siri," he told Anakin. "Keep in contact."

Anakin watched Obi-Wan stride out of the office. He  would  rather  be

leaving with him, but he had asked  to  be  included  in  the  Chancellor's

meetings, so he had to go.

"Capturing this Omega is important to your Master," Palpatine remarked

as they left the office and started down the hall.

"It's important to the galaxy," Anakin said. "He's a dangerous enemy."

"Yes, but not the most dangerous  enemy,"  Palpatine  said.  "From  my

experience, the most dangerous enemy is the one you can't see."

They drew up in front of a hearing room  and  walked  inside.  It  was

small and private. A long table took  up  most  of  the  room,  with  seats

equipped with repulsorlift  motors  that  could  adjust  to  the  differing

heights of many species. Bog sat in a seat at the center of the long table,

with Bail Organa opposite him.

Bog spoke into his data recorder in a low  tone.  "Supreme  Chancellor

arrived. Meeting will start on time."

Chancellor Palpatine sat at the head of the table and  indicated  that

Anakin take a seat behind  him.  Bog  half-rose,  then  sat  again,  as  if

uncertain what protocol to follow.

"I am here as the head of the Senate investigating committee  on  Jedi

Order abuses," Bog began. "The committee has entered its findings  and  has

delivered an official petition to ban the Jedi from future Senate business.

We request from the Supreme Chancellor  an  override  of  Senator  Organa's

counter-petition to stall our petition in a separate committee. We  believe

it must be debated in the full Senate and acted upon immediately."

Palpatine turned. "Senator Organa?"

"Senators from two hundred planets have signed a protest  and  request

to investigate the petition committee for undue bias in its deliberations,"

Organa said. "Until that investigation is concluded, the Senate can  hardly

debate the recommendations of the committee. Let alone vote on the issue."

"I have reached a ruling," Palpatine said.

Bog and Organa looked surprised.

"Th-the Supreme Chancellor has hardly had enough time to consider... I

have not had a chance to refute..." Bog stammered in confusion.

Palpatine held up a hand. "Relax, Senator Divinian.

I rule that you may enter, debate, and vote on the petition to bar the

Jedi Order from any further action on behalf of the Galactic Senate."

Palpatine rose, as Bog looked pleased and Bail Organa looked stunned.

"The vote should take place quickly - " Bog urged.

"I agree. The debate and vote shall take place tomorrow after the  All

Planets Relief Fund ceremony."

Bog stood and bowed. "Thank you for your ruling, Supreme Chancellor. I

assure you it is in the best interests of the Senate."

"I assure you that the best interests of  the  Senate  are  always  my

first concern," Palpatine replied, and swept out.

Anakin followed him hastily. He was  surprised  and  dismayed  by  the

meeting. He had expected to hear a spirited debate, and hoped  to  see  the

justly renowned Bail Organa in action. But he never expected that Palpatine

would rule for Bog.

"You look lost, Anakin," Palpatine said with a slight smile as  Anakin

swung into step beside him.

"Well, I have to admit I'm surprised. Why did you allow Bog to win?"

"I gave Bog what he wanted because I am sure he will fail,"  Palpatine

replied.

Anakin was suddenly struck. Wasn't this what he had suggested to  Obi-

Wan earlier? He had wanted to do the same for their enemy, Omega.

"Bog doesn't know it, but he just  destroyed  his  career,"  Palpatine

said.

Palpatine wasn't gloating, Anakin thought. That would be beneath  him.

But he did look rather... satisfied.

He remembered back on Romin, when  he  had  felt  a  surge  of  power,

realizing that the Force could not only allow him to move objects, but also

to see into motivations and consequences. Many beings were  transparent  in

their greed and ego, just as Bog was. Thinking several steps ahead was  not

that difficult.

Palpatine understood this; did his Master? Obi-Wan  was  so  cautious.

Anakin glanced at Palpatine, admiring  how  he  moved  through  the  Senate

halls. He did not exaggerate his power but  he  did  not  diminish  it.  He

accepted it and accepted the ways in which he would have to use it.

How satisfying it must feel to simply wait for events to unfold as you

have foreseen them, Anakin thought. How powerful to know the outcome before

it happened. This was what he could learn - and not from his  Master.  From

Palpatine.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

At the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan pored over the schematics  for  the  water

delivery system in the targeted area of Coruscant. Siri  and  Ferus  showed

him what they'd learned from the experts they'd consulted.

The laser map was holoprojected, and Siri used a laser pointer as  she

spoke. "The access points are here, here, and here,  including  the  tunnel

outside Dexter's Diner. They're the most likely places to  strike.  But  of

course with Omega we have to think of the least likely, too. That would  be

here and here.  We've  got  Senate  security  forces  on  each  point.  All

undercover, highest-level  clearance.  In  addition,  we  have  Jedi  teams

patrolling."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Looks good." "What about the thread analysis?"  Ferus

asked.

"Looks like a dead end," Obi-Wan reported. "A  question  of  too  much

information rather than too little. The  droid  analyst  says  it's  common

throughout the galaxy. Thousands of uses and manufacturers.  The  computers

are breaking them down into zones of probability, but..."

Siri looked back  at  the  holoprojection  map.  "We  have  everything

covered, Obi-Wan."

"But you do not feel secure."

Siri's eyebrows knit together. "No."

"Nor do I."

Ferus hooked his fingers into his utility belt. "I have a feeling none

of us will be sleeping tonight."

Obi-Wan and Anakin spent the night  patrolling  the  streets  and  sky

lanes. Keeping out of sight, the Jedi made sure the water  delivery  system

remained untouched. Master Windu had allocated the necessary  resources  to

do so. Nevertheless, Anakin and Obi-Wan watched the watchers. They did  not

know when Omega's team would strike, but they felt  they  could  not  trust

anyone else to be fully prepared. They knew Omega's cunning.

The first rays of the sun were flashing on the Temple spires  as  Obi-

Wan and Anakin returned from their rounds. Waiting for them  in  the  Great

Hall were Jedi Master Soara Antana and her apprentice, Darra Haariden.

Anakin hurried forward to greet his friend Darra. He had  barely  seen

her since their mission to Norah, where she'd been wounded.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Running on a full tank," she replied, her eyes smiling.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan drew Soara aside.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," he said. "Is everything.."

Soara nodded. "They're having breakfast at the moment. Master Alann is

with them."

Anakin overheard and shot his  Master  a  curious  look,  but  Obi-Wan

merely said, "Meet us at Dexter's Diner at the prearranged time."

Anakin joined Obi-Wan. He raised his eyebrows in a question.

"The fear you saw on Astri's face," Obi-Wan said grimly.  "I  want  to

make it go away."

It took some persuading, but Astri agreed to meet him. Obi-Wan  waited

outside Dexter's Diner. When he saw her  approach,  he  walked  forward  to

greet her.

"Obi-Wan, I can't interfere with Bog, even for you," she  said  before

he could speak. "I'm a Senator's wife now."

"Why can't you meet my eyes, Astri?" he asked. "Don't be  ridiculous,"

she said, but her gaze kept moving.

"Are you afraid you were followed?"

"No. I took precautions." Astri saw her mistake. She bit her lip.

"You are afraid," Obi-Wan said. "Don't worry,  you  weren't  followed.

There are Jedi watching your every move now. And yet you still  can't  meet

my eyes."

All he could see was the top of her head. The  dark  curls  that  once

tumbled down her  back  were  now  cropped  close  against  her  skull.  He

remembered when she had shaved off her  hair  in  order  to  impersonate  a

bounty hunter. Astri had never had much vanity. She was a pure spirit,  and

he had misjudged her.

"I am ashamed," she said quietly. "That is why I can't meet your eyes.

"

He took her arm and led her into the shelter of  the  diner  overhang.

"There is no need for shame, old friend," he said  softly.  "We  have  been

through worse together."

She shook her head. "No. We have not." She looked up, and he saw  that

her deep green eyes glistened with tears. "Now I have a child."

"And Bog has threatened him."

"He will take him away. He is so young, Obi-Wan.  I  cannot  let  that

happen. No matter what. Even your friendship, even the entire Jedi Order is

nothing to me in the face of that. I know that making a choice for one life

against so many lives is wrong, but I cannot help myself." This  time,  she

did not drop her eyes.

"Astri, that is not a cause for shame. I understand it. Of course that

is what you must do."

"You understand that I couldn't help you?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "And you must understand that I must help you."

"There is no help for me. Even from the Jedi."

"Look." He took her by the shoulders and  spun  her  around.  Now  she

could see inside the diner. Her father, Didi, was  comparing  recipes  with

Dexter. Lune, her son, was sitting on a stool, swinging his legs  as  Darra

teased him, making him laugh. A large plate of Dex's special cakes  sat  in

front of the child. He picked up a piece with his fingers and ate it,  then

licked his fingers.

Astri put a hand on her heart.

"I had Soara and Darra bring them. We can arrange to  have  them  back

before anyone knows they are missing, if that is your choice. But there  is

another."

Astri waited, her eyes drinking in the sight of her son.

"You can leave Bog. The Jedi will offer you protection."

She was already shaking her head. "He will find me. He will win."  She

turned. "You don't understand, Obi-Wan. He's not as stupid as  he  appears.

He is cunning. I didn't realize... I didn't know... the  lengths  he  would

go. He got one taste of power, and it corrupted him. He has aligned himself

with the worst in the galaxy.  It  started  so  softly.  A  favor  for  the

Commerce Guild. Then another. And soon he was approached by another Senator

- "

"Sano Sauro."

"Yes. He sold his honor. Well, the honor I thought  he  had.  And  now

there is someone else, someone so powerful he does not say his name."

"Granta Omega. And with Omega, Jenna Zan Arbor. Did you know that?"

Astri looked away. "Yes. I knew that. And still I did nothing."

He slipped his hand into her cold one and squeezed  it  briefly.  "You

were alone. Now you are not. You still have me."

"Bog was never a strong man," she said. "How strange it is to fear him

now."

She reached into the pocket of her tunic and handed several  disks  to

Obi-Wan.

"What is this?"

"Bog's data recorder. For his memoirs." She made  a  face.  "I  copied

them secretly. He says it only keeps a record of meetings, but  that's  not

true. He is too vain to hide what he  thinks  of  as  his  accomplishments.

There might be something on these."

Obi-Wan slipped them into his tunic. "You didn't know  I  had  brought

Lune and Didi here. Why did you bring the disks?"

"I've been carrying them with me. Seeing you, I felt so guilty,  going

along with Bog. I thought, there must be a way  to  help  somehow.  Bog  is

involved in something terrible. It is more than scheming against  the  Jedi

in the Senate. There is some kind of plot, a takeover  that  will  net  him

more power. He can't resist boasting to me. Soon we'll be  able  to  afford

whatever we want. A luxury cruiser for our trips to Nuralee. A villa by the

Sea of Translucency on Dremulae."

"Dremulae?"

"Yes, he saw an image of the perfect spot, he said."

Yes, Obi-Wan thought, in Omega's safe house.

"He has these grand plans. And he's questioned me  closely  about  the

details of what will take place during the Relief Fund ceremony. I  was  on

the planning committee. I can't imagine what that means."

"I can," Obi-Wan said. "Astri, I promise you, after today you will not

have to worry about Bog Divinian."

She looked up into his face. Something came over  her,  some  jolt  of

courage or certainty, and she nodded. "Thank you, old friend."

"And now," Obi-Wan said in a lighter tone, "it is time to  greet  your

son. I think he's almost out of cakes."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Everything was in place. Secret security milled in  the  crowd.  There

were infrared sensors on the gravsled with the treasury.  Extra  guards  in

the Core Bank itself. Droids buzzed overhead as thick as flies.

Obi-Wan stood to the side. In his ear was an  earpiece  in  which  Bog

Divinian's voice droned on. Bog's recordings were filled with  the  dullest

details, from when he took a tea break to the compliment paid  him  by  the

visiting ruler of Teevan. Obi-Wan noted that he even planned how late to be

for the Senate hearing on the anti-Jedi petition. Six minutes. Short enough

so  that  no  one  would  be  offended,  long  enough  to  demonstrate  his

importance, Obi-Wan guessed.

None of the information was useful,  and  none  of  it  was  valuable,

including Bog's insights into Senate politics. Still, Obi-Wan continued  to

listen. He had given a copy to Tyro, but he wanted to hear for himself.

The speeches on the platform were only slightly more interesting.  One

Senator after another came up and thanked the others  and  Palpatine,  even

while managing to convey that it was through his or her own  early  support

that the idea really took off.

In his ear, Bog worked on  a  speech.  Obi-Wan  could  even  hear  his

footsteps as he paced.

In this time of great grief and sorrow.

No. In this perilous time, we look to a leader who can  take  us  from

strong to stronger...

No, that's not quite the tone. More... leaderlike. Now only one of  us

can lead us through the valley of fear to the mountaintop of solidarity...

Obi-Wan switched off the recorder. Chancellor Palpatine was  speaking,

which meant the ceremony was almost over.

"I accept this treasury on behalf of the Senate,  and  thank  all  the

generous worlds that contributed," Palpatine said, with  one  hand  on  the

armored repulsorlift wagon that held the glittering gold boxes  of  vertex.

"This is the dawn of a new age. An age where  help  will  arrive  when  and

where it is most needed. Thank you all."

Palpatine, at least, had learned the value  of  brevity  and  modesty,

Obi-Wan noted.

He watched as the Supreme Chancellor  stepped  back  and  entered  his

personal transport. He sped off toward  the  Senate.  The  others  Senators

followed. There was a debate to attend.

The Blue and Red Guards, Palpatine's personal  guards,  slowly  guided

the vehicle to the great open doors of the vault of the Core Bank.  Obi-Wan

felt a murmur go through the crowd. Dex was right. There was nothing like a

huge fortune to cause beings to swoon.

And still there was no sign of trouble. Obi-Wan saw Siri  through  the

crowd. She shrugged. Anakin had his gaze fixed on the vault.

Obi-Wan's comlink signaled. It was Tyro. "Anything?" Obi-Wan asked.

"That  speech  he's  practicing...  did  you  get  to  that  yet?  Any

impressions?"

"He needs a speechwriter."

"Yes, it's awful, but did you get the subject?"

"No, I couldn't figure out what he was talking about. It  didn't  make

sense."

"That's what worries me."

Obi-Wan watched the Guards move into the  building.  "So  what's  your

point?"

"Well, what's his point, that's the question.  Obi-Wan,  this  may  be

off-base, but..."

Obi-Wan noticed that one of the Blue Guards had a  torn  hem.  Unusual

for these guards. They took their position as personal guards to  Palpatine

seriously.

Torn hem. Blue thread.

"Later, Tyro." Obi-Wan snapped his comlink shut  and  vaulted  through

the crowd. Anakin caught his movement.

"The guards!" he bellowed.

And then they were all moving - Anakin, Siri, Ferus, as the  durasteel

doors began to slide shut on the vault.

Obi-Wan leaped. He slammed  against  the  vault  door,  then  squeezed

himself inside, nearly leaving his foot behind as the  door  clanged  shut.

Anakin was above him, timing his own leap to slither through the  doors  as

they closed.

Obi-Wan landed on the floor and tackled the Blue  Guard  in  front  of

him. The helmet was knocked off, and he looked into the face of Roper Slam.

"Not you again!" Slam groaned.

Anakin tackled the next guard. It was Slam's sidekick, Valadon.

"This was supposed to be easy!" Slam yelped.

Valadon  struggled  to  release  herself  from  Anakin's  grip.  "What

happened to that Zone? We weren't supposed to meet any resistance!"

"We've been double-crossed," Slam said. He didn't struggle  with  Obi-

Wan. He sat cross-legged on the floor, then tried to rip off  the  robe  in

angry frustration.

Siri and Ferus ran in through the interior door of the vault, followed

by anxious-looking officials and part of the security force.

"It's all right," Obi-Wan said. "You can take them into custody."

"There wasn't even an attempt to hit the water system," Siri said.

"You see? Double-crossed," Slam said, slumping down.

"Another two minutes and we would have  been  out  of  here  with  the

vertex," Valadon said.

"Everything depends on minutes, Val," Slam said. "We live and  die  on

minutes."

Minutes, Obi-Wan thought.

Bog is going to be six minutes late for the debate.

To make himself more important? Or was there another reason?

Now only one of us can lead us through  the  valley  of  fear  to  the

mountaintop of solidarity..

It doesn't make sense. That's what worries me...

The truth blazed a  path  inside  his  brain.  Bog  was  practicing  a

nominating speech. A speech he would deliver sometime today.

The heist was yet another diversion.

The nominating speech was for Sano  Sauro  to  take  over  as  Supreme

Chancellor.

The real mission was to assassinate Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Anakin's head whipped around. One moment Obi-Wan was  there,  standing

over Roper Slam, and the next, he was gone.

Anakin whirled and charged out the door of the vault,  into  the  Core

Bank building itself. He was just in time to see his Master racing out  the

front door.

Anakin put on a burst of speed. Obi-Wan  was  doing  three  things  at

once. He leaped over four  chatting  security  officers  straight  onto  an

unattended swoop, even while he slipped his comlink out  of  his  belt  and

spoke rapidly into it. At the same time, he started the swoop engine.

Anakin jumped onto an empty swoop and revved the engine, lifting  into

the sky just as a security officer yelled, "Hey!"

Within seconds, he had caught up to his Master.

"What's up?" Anakin asked easily, even  though  they  were  going  the

wrong way down a space lane.

Obi-Wan went into a screeching dive to avoid a  crowded  airbus.  When

Anakin caught up, he said, "I think Omega's real goal is to use the Zone at

the Senate and assassinate Palpatine. I've already  tried  to  call  Senate

security, but I can't get through. All of security  is  caught  up  in  the

ceremony."

"Which is probably what he's counting on. We'd  better  hurry,  then."

Anakin pushed the speed on his swoop. Obi-Wan did the same.

They looped, dove, and flew flat-out, dipping out of the space lane to

do some highly illegal flying over the pedestrian walkways leading  to  the

Senate. Obi-Wan leaped off the swoop as it was still flying and held out  a

hand, using the Force to guide it to a safe stop. Anakin followed.

They ran into the Senate building, past the enormous  statues.  As  he

ran, Obi-Wan contacted Siri and told her what he suspected.       ,

"I'll contact Master Windu and head to the Senate. We'll need  backup.

The head of security is here, I'll talk to him."

"Do what you can." Obi-Wan shoved his comlink into his belt.

"How do you think they'll do it?" Anakin asked as they ran  along  the

elevated walkway leading to Palpatine's private office.

"They'll use the Zone to impair the  opposition  Senators.  They  will

have figured out a way to target them somehow, maybe by  inviting  them  to

the meeting first. That's why Bog is going to be late.  Then  they'll  call

for a vote and oust the Jedi Order. In the  meantime,  they'll  assassinate

Palpatine."

"So they will have eliminated Jedi interference and Palpatine  in  one

day," Anakin said.

"And Sano Sauro will be Supreme Chancellor."

They raced into Palpatine's outer office.  Sly  Moore  gazed  at  them

forbiddingly, her pale eyes showing her disapproval. "Not another emergency

meeting. The Supreme Chancellor is busy."

"This is life or death," Obi-Wan told her.

She hesitated a fraction of an instant. "He has already  gone  to  the

Jedi vote in the Senate. He took the South  Corridor!"  she  shouted  after

them as they ran.

They raced down the hallways. They couldn't be too late. They couldn't

let Omega win.

Ahead they saw Palpatine walking. Obi-Wan skidded up to him and pushed

him into an empty meeting room. When he touched his arm, he was shocked  at

how thin the Supreme Chancellor was. Yet his arm was  like  a  braiding  of

durasteel, ropy and strong. Something clanged along Obi-Wan's nerves,  some

feeling, some instinct that made him want to recoil. He felt dread well  up

in him, and he wondered if he was too late, after all.  Perhaps  there  was

something he had not seen. Was he missing something? Obi-Wan felt  suddenly

confused.

"Master Kenobi, what is it?" Palpatine asked. He  had  moved  his  arm

away quickly and was now adjusting the high collar on his cloak.

"An assassination plot against you, Supreme Chancellor," Obi-Wan said.

"Granta Omega is behind it. I am sure of it. Sano Sauro would be  nominated

by Bog Divinian as your successor."

Palpatine thought this over. A small smile crossed his thin, bloodless

lips. "Of course. That would be the inevitable next step."

"You don't seem very concerned about  your  potential  assassination,"

Anakin said.

Palpatine waved a hand. "My personal safety ceased to be an issue  the

moment I took on this position."

An odd thing to say, Obi-Wan thought, for a man who had developed  his

own security force, the Red Guard, whose masked members used force pikes as

weapons.

"I'll order a lockdown," Palpatine said. "That means every  door  will

open only with a retinal scan."

"Omega and Zan Arbor are probably already in  the  building,"  Obi-Wan

said. "My guess is that Teda got them past security."

"I have monitors on the water system," Palpatine said. "There  are  no

reports of sabotage."

"I advise you to shut down the entire system," Obi-Wan said. "We can't

take a chance."

Palpatine hesitated. Then he got out his comlink, notified Mas Amedda,

and gave the order.

"And now I will go to the assembly," he said.

"But Supreme Chancellor, you can't," Obi-Wan argued.

"But Master Kenobi, I must," Palpatine said softly. For the first time

in his acquaintance with the Supreme Chancellor,  Anakin  sensed  something

underneath his composure - just a hint of anger,  striking  as  fast  as  a

serpent, and then gone.

A red light began to glow on Palpatine's comlink.

"The most serious alert," he murmured, and accessed  it.  He  listened

for a moment, then shut it down.

"It could be nothing. A valve in a water tunnel won't  function.  They

wouldn't have noticed it, but when they shut down  the  water  system,  the

valve came up as non-functioning."

"Where?"

Palpatine gave him the coordinates,  and  Obi-Wan  turned  to  Anakin.

"Stay with the Chancellor."

"But Master - "

"Anakin, stay! Don't leave  him!"  Obi-Wan's  order  floated  back  to

Anakin as his Master ran off.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Stay.

Obi-Wan was off to face Granta  Omega,  and  Anakin  was  now  just  a

bodyguard.

Palpatine's pale gaze studied him.

"You can go."

"I can't disobey my Master. I can't leave you alone." "If  I  call  my

Red Guard they can be here in three minutes. Less."

"It would not matter," Anakin said  miserably.  "Obi-Wan  told  me  to

stay."

"Well, let us walk, then. I am scheduled to preside over the  vote  on

Senator Divinian's proposal."

"But my Master told you not to go."

"True. But unlike you, I do not have to obey an order of caution."

Caution. Obi-Wan's caution drove Anakin crazy.

"The work of the Senate goes on," Palpatine continued as they began to

walk. "To keep going on, no matter what the obstacles  -  that  is  what  a

leader must do. I have learned, Anakin, over the  course  of  my  political

career, one important thing: I cannot let anyone  get  in  the  way  of  my

service. In the beginning, I doubted myself. Who am I, I asked  myself,  to

decide fates, to make rulings? Then the answer came to me.  I  must  do  it

because there is no one else who can do  it  better."  Palpatine  chuckled.

"Oh, I'm not saying I'm keeping the Republic together single-handedly.  But

fate has thrust me into this position - and I would be untrue to myself  as

well as the galaxy if I did not utilize everything I have and everything  I

am in order to succeed at it."

Palpatine's serenity was  almost  eerie.  It  was  as  though,  Anakin

thought suddenly,  Palpatine  was  above  this,  looking  down.  As  though

criminals like Granta Omega were merely toys to be observed. Where  did  he

get that confidence? Anakin was reaching out blindly, trying to  probe  the

Supreme Chancellor, but his powers were not that developed. He kept meeting

a wall.

"What I wish," Palpatine said, "is that you will realize this one day,

too. That it is right to use every means at your disposal.  I'm  sure  your

Master would agree."

Anakin had his doubts.  He  saw  Siri  and  Ferus  pounding  down  the

hallway.

"Ah," Palpatine said. "Reinforcements."

Siri halted in front  of  them.  "Where  is  Obi-Wan?"  "There  was  a

security breach and he went to check it out," Anakin explained.

"Coordinates," Siri rapped out.

Anakin gave them to her, and she turned to Ferus. "Stay here with  the

Supreme Chancellor. I'll contact you if you're needed."

Ferus nodded. He did not seem to have  the  same  conflict  about  the

order that Anakin did. Siri raced down the hall.

"You go, too, Anakin,"  Palpatine  urged  him.  "One  Jedi  is  enough

protection."

Anakin hesitated. He would be disobeying a direct order from  Obi-Wan.

But Obi-Wan had given the order before Ferus had shown up. And even  though

Palpatine had dismissed the idea that the water valve malfunction could  be

a security breach, Anakin felt in his bones that it was Omega, just as Obi-

Wan had.

"If it is Omega, he is too dangerous an opponent to allow to  escape,"

Palpatine said. "The future of the Senate is at stake."

Ferus said nothing. His dark eyes moved from Palpatine to  Anakin.  He

knew that whatever he said, Anakin would not take it into consideration.

Anakin made his decision. He turned to Ferus. "I  have  to  go.  Don't

leave his side."

He didn't have time to wonder if Ferus was annoyed that he had given a

fellow Padawan an order. He felt the urgency of his mission. Everything  in

him pointed the way to a showdown with Omega. And it was just as  Palpatine

had said: Only he knew what he was capable of. Only he knew the right thing

to do.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Obi-Wan splashed through the water  tunnel.  There  were  only  a  few

centimeters of water on the bottom, but the tunnel was sweating water,  and

it dripped steadily on his head and down his  neck.  He  had  examined  the

valve that caused the malfunction alarm, and he was almost certain  it  had

been caused by a blow, probably from  a  tool.  There  was  a  deep,  fresh

scratch on the valve, and part of the edge of it was bashed in, lying flush

against the tunnel itself, making it impossible to open it. Had  Omega  and

Zan Arbor attempted to open the valve and failed? Was the damage  a  result

of frustration, or miscalculation?

It didn't matter. What mattered was that they were here.

The sound of dripping water magnified  in  his  ears  until  the  soft

plinks sounded like loud clangs. There were so many branches of the  tunnel

that he wasn't even sure where the main tunnel ran. He wasn't lost, exactly

- not yet - but he wasn't terribly comfortable with his sense of  direction

at this point. Obi-Wan splashed down another quarter-kilometer. He  had  to

go slowly, for fear of making too much noise, but at this rate, he'd  never

find them. The Senate complex was as large as  a  mid-sized  city  on  some

planets. If Omega and Zan Arbor decided to hide, it could  take  some  time

before he could find them.

Obi-Wan's comlink signaled, and  he  grabbed  it.  It  was  Tyro.  The

reception was poor, and the corn line crackled.

"Obi-Wan, I must meet with you. Where are you?"

"In the water tunnels. Tyro, I don't have time - "

"Listen to me. I've dug back, looking for links.  And  I  stumbled  on

something. Something... much more... terrible."

Even through the poor connection, Obi-Wan heard  the  fear  in  Tyro's

voice. "I know about the assassination plot on Palpatine," Obi-Wan told his

friend.

"What? No..." The comlink crackled again. "...  can't  talk  about  it

over a comlink. We must meet. This  involves  the  highest  level...  great

evil..."

"I know, Tyro!" Obi-Wan hissed into the  comlink,  exasperated.  "Sano

Sauro!"

".     only you can truly understand..." Tyro said through the static.

"Tyro? I can't pick up what you're saying! I'll get  back  to  you  as

soon as I can." Obi-Wan shut off  the  transmission.  He  saw  a  schematic

blueprint on the side of the tunnel, and he hurried over to examine it.

The blueprint was fashioned by raised laser lines  that  responded  to

touch. When Obi-Wan touched one part of the blueprint, it  lit  up  in  far

more detail.

Just like the blueprint at the factory on Falleen.

They had used the same system to map the tunnels. Did that  mean  that

the tunnels in the factory on Falleen corresponded to the Senate tunnels?

Obi-Wan touched the  area  he  was  standing  in.  The  tunnel  design

appeared, with all the different branches.

He didn't recognize the design. It  was  different  from  the  one  on

Falleen. But that didn't mean that another quadrant wouldn't match.  If  he

found the quadrant that they'd built on Falleen, he'd know  which  way  Zan

Arbor and Omega were going.

Which meant he would have to flash through each quadrant of the Senate

water system until he found the one that matched. Obi-Wan scanned the menu.

There were five hundred and seventy-two separately designated quadrants  to

the system. It would take too long for him to stand here and try  to  match

them.

Obi-Wan studied the tunnel around him in frustration. The  answer  was

here. Somewhere. There was something he wasn't seeing.

He closed his eyes, remembering the tunnel on Falleen. Had there  been

a clue there that he had missed?

In his mind, he saw the tunnel he was standing in and  matched  it  to

the one on Falleen. Something was different, he knew.  What?  Suddenly,  he

realized something crucial.

Vents.

The Senate water tunnel had no vents. Of course not. It had valves  to

regulate water flow.

The tunnel on Falleen had vents.

Obi-Wan bent forward and accessed the grid again. He saw on  the  menu

that the air and water tunnels were stacked on top of  one  another.  There

were several linking passageways for workers to get from one to the  other.

He pressed the key for the air tunnel quadrant  nearest  to  where  he  was

standing.

It was the same grid.

Obi-Wan realized then what he should have  realized  on  Falleen.  Zan

Arbor had  attempted  to  transmit  the  Zone  through  water  to  a  large

population. She had failed.

TRACK A EXPERIMENT VOIDED.

TRACK B EXPERIMENT BEGUN.

Track A had been transmission  through  water.  It  had  failed.  Four

deaths were the result.

Track B had  been  transmission  through  air.  Obi-Wan's  conclusions

thudded through his brain with sickening logic.

Zan Arbor and Omega knew he  was  expecting  them  to  attack  through

water.

They had wanted the Senate water tunnels to be shut down.

It was their way in. And while the water tunnels were being  searched,

they would release the Zone into the air.

He studied the blueprint again, then whipped out  his  comlink  as  he

ran. He could not get through. He was too deep in the system now.

He ran along the tunnel until he saw  the  light  indicating  a  pass-

through to the air tunnels. He accessed the door and rushed  through,  then

jumped on a constantly  moving  platform  that  took  him  up  to  the  air

transport systems. Obi-Wan raced through  a  circular  door  into  the  air

tunnel.

He remembered the blueprint perfectly. If he took a left turn, then  a

right, he would arrive in the main air tunnel. The one  that  went  to  the

main Senate chamber.

He ran down the tunnel, his footsteps making no noise. Before long  he

heard a faint humming noise.

A speeder bike.

He took the next turn and saw them. Zan Arbor and Omega, traveling  at

low speed through the tunnel.

He accessed the Force and leaped, throwing himself  through  the  air,

straight at the speeder.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Obi-Wan hit the end of the vehicle and grabbed on to the edge  of  the

backseat. The speeder lurched with the impact and collided with the wall in

a shower of sparks.

In the pilot seat, Granta Omega took a backward glance and saw him.  A

look of rage transfixed his features into a snarling mask.

"Grants, watch out!" Zan Arbor screamed.

The tunnel curved and now the speeder was  heading  straight  for  the

wall. Omega jerked the controls. The rear fishtailed wildly,  tossing  Obi-

Wan back and forth. He scrambled toward the third seat in the rear.

Zan Arbor took out a blaster. Obi-Wan activated his  lightsaber  while

she lifted it to aim. He swung, deflecting fire, but it was hard to hold on

with one hand and he knew he wouldn't be able to do it for long.

"Faster!" she shouted to Omega. With the other hand, she took  another

blaster out of her belt. "Just drive!"

To his surprise, she did not aim the  second  blaster  at  him.  Omega

piloted the speeder bike closer to the walls of the tunnel,  and  she  took

aim at the side.

At the vent.

Obi-Wan realized she wasn't holding an ordinary blaster. It was likely

packed with pellets. She was going to shoot into the vent. And right  about

now, if he remembered the blueprints correctly, they were on a direct  line

to the main Senate chamber.

"Get closer!" Zan Arbor screamed. She half-stood, half-crouched on the

seat, lining up her shot, ignoring Obi-Wan for now. She would only get  one

chance at the vent.

But Obi-Wan was well aware that Omega had two problems: He had to  get

close enough for Zan Arbor to shoot, but he had to keep Obi-Wan off balance

enough to prevent him from reaching Zan Arbor.

The Force hummed in the tunnel and around him. Time slowed down.  Only

a second remained until Zan Arbor would take  her  shot,  but  that  second

broke down into smaller pieces of time that Obi-Wan could use.

He could see the vent approaching. He waited until he knew Omega would

have to get the speeder closer to the wall. At the moment  Omega  made  the

adjustment, Obi-Wan threw himself forward, knocking Zan Arbor off position.

With a swift, precise kick, Obi-Wan dislodged the blaster from her hand. It

flew out, bouncing against the tunnel wall.

Zan Arbor crouched in the bottom of the speeder, her face contorted in

a scream.

"Do it now!" she screamed at Omega.

Of course. Omega would have a blaster, too. He always had a backup.

Omega threw the speeder into reverse. It was careening now, almost out

of control, but his arm was steady as he aimed the blaster at the vent.

Again, time moved for Obi-Wan just as  he  wanted  it  to  move,  with

spaces in between the seconds for him  to  exploit.  He  reached  over  and

pushed the speed lever forward. The speeder went into maximum  velocity  in

resverse.

Obi-Wan was prepared, but Omega and Zan Arbor were thrown forward with

the lurch of speed. Omega let go of the blaster.  Obi-Wan  reached  up  and

snatched it out of the air, then tucked it into his utility belt.

Omega tried to push the engines into forward again,  but  the  speeder

finally protested and stalled. The engine cut  out  and  the  speeder  spun

crazily, then bounced on the bottom of the tunnel and slammed  against  the

wall.

Omega was already jumping out as the speeder bike died. Obi-Wan leaped

after him, but found himself suddenly contending  with  a  dozen  miniature

seeker droids hammering blaster fire at him. Omega had released them from a

compartment on the speeder even as it came to its final stop.

The first dozen were joined by another dozen. Then another. And,  Obi-

Wan saw in dismay, another. The blaster fire kept Obi-Wan  moving,  but  he

could not get anywhere. He had to  leap  and  defend  himself  against  the

blaster fire while taking down the elusive droids, who were now between him

and the two criminals.

Zan Arbor ran toward Omega. "Let's move on to the exit plan."

Omega stood, watching Obi-Wan contend with the droids.  Obi-Wan  heard

him clearly. "I want to see him die. Not even a Jedi can escape  this  many

seekers."

"Don't be a fool. Come on! Security will be all  over  us  in  another

minute!" Zan Arbor started to run.

Taking a last look at Obi-Wan, Omega grinned. "Have fun."

Then he turned and started after Zan Arbor. Obi-Wan  leaped  into  the

air, barely missing blaster crossfire. The tunnel was  filling  with  smoke

from the heavy fire. He began to regret charging off alone to  hunt  Omega.

Maybe he'd been wrong not to wait for backup...

Jedi do not second-guess.

Especially when they are in a tunnel with thirty-three flying,  firing

droids.

Three droids in one blow. But there were thirty others, and  it  would

take time.

Instead of running forward, Obi-Wan retreated. He dashed back  to  the

speeder and threw himself underneath it. His face was directly against  the

hot metal, his arms and legs squeezed inside so that the blasters could get

not direct shots at him.

He heard the blaster fire rake the speeder, front to  back,  searching

for his position. He waited until he heard the distinctive sound of several

rounds of blaster fire penetrate the fuel tank.

He had enough time, he had more than enough time, thanks to the Force,

but Obi-Wan felt the hair on the back of his neck singe as he flew  through

the air, escaping the exploding speeder bike. The fireball took out twenty-

eight seeker droids at once. Obi-Wan slashed the remaining two as he  moved

through the air, propelled by the Force and the extremely  hot  air  thrown

off by the explosion.

He landed on his feet - singed, but fine.

He started to run, whipping out his comlink as he moved. He knew where

they were going. The Senate landing platform.

He tried his comlink, but the heat of the blast had fused it.  Obi-Wan

tossed it away as he doubled his speed. The landing platform must be ahead.

Omega and Zan Arbor had mapped out a plan that would get  them  inside  the

air tunnel and then out of the Senate as fast as possible.

Obi-Wan saw an air vent dangling off its hinges. He rushed forward and

peered inside. Only a few meters of crawl space separated him from the vast

landing platform. He crawled through.

The landing platform was kilometers long, big  enough  to  park  space

freighters in, though most often it was used for the smaller transports  of

the Senators and important guests. Vehicles were parked  in  orderly  rows.

There was no sign of Omega or  Zan  Arbor.  They  were  undoubtedly  racing

toward their transport and he could waste an  hour  looking  for  them  and

never find them. Omega would escape again. He had prevented the  Zone  from

penetrating the Senate, and had stopped the assassination of Palpatine - he

hoped. Omega was leaving in defeat.

None of that mattered. Defeat or not, Omega was still escaping.

Obi-Wan gathered the Force around him. He had never needed it more. To

his surprise, he felt it move like a gathering storm, already powerful  but

hinting at the greater strength to come.

Anakin.

His apprentice moved out from an aisle of  transports,  racing  toward

him. Siri was by his side. "Palpatine?" he asked Anakin.

"I left him with Ferus," Anakin replied. "Omega?"

"Here somewhere." Anakin had left Palpatine? He'd given him  a  direct

order! Of course, Ferus must have arrived, and the situation  had  changed.

But he had wanted Anakin to stay with the  Chancellor  because  if  he  had

missed something, Anakin would still have a chance to foil an attack.

"We tracked you through the tunnel," Siri said.

Anakin was turning, his eyes raking the  platform.  Obi-Wan  felt  the

Force build. He reached out, looking at the  platform,  searching  for  the

dark Force that was here, concealed, trying to hide.

"There." Anakin pointed. "Third aisle  over.  Thirty-seven  transports

down."

They raced down a parallel aisle, hoping to surprise them.

They stealthily moved around a gleaming transport. Across  the  aisle,

Omega and Zan Arbor were already seated in the cockpit  of  a  sleek  space

cruiser. Omega was quickly instituting takeoff procedures.

No time for delay or to make a plan. The Jedi charged. Anakin accessed

the Force and leaped straight onto the windscreen, startling Zan Arbor, who

screamed. Obi-Wan landed on the roof  and  leaned  over.  He  withdrew  his

lightsaber, ready to cut a hole in the door panel  below.  Siri  leaped  up

next to him.

"It really gets tiresome to be continually underestimated."

The voice was Omega's. He was transmitting outside the cockpit.

Grimly, Obi-Wan started to cut.

"Do you really think you have foiled my plans, simply  by  showing  up

here? If you cut through that door panel, Obi-Wan, you will kill  thousands

of Senators."

Obi-Wan continued to cut.

"Obi-Wan," Siri whispered.

"That's right, Master Tachi. This will be a day the Senate  will  long

remember. A bloodbath."

"He has a transmitting device," Anakin said from his position  outside

the windscreen.

Obi-Wan stopped his effort.

"Ah, better. Let me explain. I  have  programmed  hundreds  of  seeker

droids with the vital information to key Senators as well as to  Palpatine.

All I have to do is push the button."

Obi-Wan felt rage build up inside him. He could  not,  would  not  let

Omega blackmail him into letting him escape. But he had no doubt that Omega

was telling the truth. It was similar to the way he  had  orchestrated  the

death of Jedi Master Yaddle.

He felt the Force move, a boiling mass that caused  him  and  Siri  to

jump to their feet on top of the cruiser. Anakin was up, hanging in  midair

for the second it took him to slash  through  the  windscreen  directly  in

front of a shocked Omega. He jumped directly on top of the melted material,

material that must have been too hot to stand on. Zan Arbor screamed as the

melted windscreen fell into her lap.

Obi-Wan had never seen such speed. Even he could not fully  track  his

apprentice's movement. Balancing on the lip of  the  cruiser,  faster  than

sight, Anakin reached in and grabbed the transmitter from Omega's clutches.

"Whoops, no more button," he hissed at Omega.

With a cry of rage, Omega triggered the powerful engines. The  cruiser

shot up so fast all the Jedi slipped off. They fell to the ground as  Omega

took off in a burst of speed, clipping a cruiser's  wing  as  he  went  and

knocking over a row of swoops and disrupting traffic  in  the  nearest  sky

lanes.

Obi-Wan watched from the floor, momentarily stunned.

Anakin looked at the transmitter in his hand.

"He lied," he said. "The transmitter is locked  in  position.  He  has

already programmed the droids."

CHAPTER TWENTY

"The fastest way back to the Senate chamber is  though  the  tunnels,"

Siri said.

"We don't know the way," Anakin said.

"If I know Ferus, he does," Siri said crisply.

They ran back to the vent and crawled through, then ran down  the  air

tunnel. As she ran, Siri flipped open  her  comlink  and  contacted  Ferus.

Quickly, she filled him in.

"We're just entering the main Senate chamber," Ferus said. "There's no

sign of any trouble."

"Stay with Palpatine. Contact Master Windu and request reinforcements.

Can you get us through the tunnels to the chamber?"

"Yes. I loaded the Senate utility tunnels onto my datapad."

"Bring us in on a middle tier."

There was a pause of only seconds. "Travel back to the ZM7789 section.

Look for vent ZM22899. Go through that one.  It  will  ascend  two  hundred

meters and make a sharp turn to vent UB339. Go through  that.  Follow  that

tunnel straight to vent NW993. That comes out into the Senate chamber."

"Got it."

They moved fast, running now. Siri kicked  in  the  first  vent.  This

tunnel was large enough for them to walk in, but as Ferus had told them, it

turned sharply upward  for  two  hundred  meters.  They  used  their  cable

launchers to swiftly vault up.

"A sharp turn here." Siri kicked in the next vent. She ran ahead,  and

Obi-Wan had a chance to talk to Anakin.

"You left the Supreme Chancellor."

"Ferus was there."

"You could have contacted me."

"There wasn't time."

"And now there are hundreds of seeker droids heading to the Senate and

only one Jedi available to protect Chancellor Palpatine and the Senators."

Obi-Wan saw Anakin's mouth tighten. He grew  less  and  less  open  to

correction from his Master. It had  been  the  opposite  for  Obi-Wan.  The

longer they were together, the more he  welcomed  Qui-Gon's  remarks,  even

when they were critical.

"I'm at the next vent!" Siri cried. "I can hear something. Hurry!"

They scurried through the next vent, then ran down the tunnel  to  the

last one, Siri in the lead. Now they could hear it - blaster fire.  Shouts.

The random, terrible noise of violent chaos.

They burst out on a mid-level tier of the chamber. The  seeker  droids

were everywhere, looking for their targets. Senators marooned in pods  dove

to the floor. Bodyguards tried to protect their charges and  seeker  droids

went after them as well.

"I don't see Palpatine!" Siri yelled. "He's not in his pod."

"He could be stuck on one of the tiers," Obi-Wan said.

Siri called Ferus on the comlink but  there  was  no  answer.  He  was

either too busy to answer or his comlink wasn't functioning.

They didn't know where to start, so  they  started  where  they  were.

Anakin was a flash in the air as he moved, targeting droids as they  dipped

and revolved, spraying blaster fire toward their  targets.  Obi-Wan  saw  a

seeker droid homing in on a Senator cowering in his  pod,  at  least  fifty

meters below. He jumped off the tier into the pod, taking the droid down in

mid-leap.

Siri leaped from pod to pod, slashing at seeker droids in the  air  as

she went and ricocheting blaster bolts back into the droids. Many  exploded

as their fire was returned to them. With a quick glance  Obi-Wan  saw  them

flame out and fall far below to the ground floor.  They  were  hundreds  of

meters in the air, and the droids had the advantage. They  could  fly.  The

Jedi needed an edge.

Obi-Wan leaped down to the next tier and found a  terrified  assistant

hiding among the opulent drapery of the pod from the  planet  Belazura.  It

was still tethered to its docking point.

"Show me the main controls for the pods," Obi-Wan said.

"I-I-" the aide stammered, too terrified to speak. "Do it  now!"  Obi-

Wan barked.

The durasteel in Obi-Wan's voice caused the aide to snap to attention.

"There's a control on level 125...." "Let's go."

Obi-Wan leaped into the pod. He pressed the indicator  to  bring  them

down ten levels. The pod dropped like a stone.

The pod docked at Tier 125. "Come on," Obi-Wan said.

The aide darted forward, running low to make himself less of a target.

Still, every spray of blaster fire caused him to yelp in fear.

Obi-Wan protected him as they ran. The aide quickly  leaped  behind  a

large column. He grimaced when he saw a security officer on the ground, but

he moved to a panel in the wall. "Here,"  he  said,  accessing  the  panel.

"These controls can override the individual pod controls."

Obi-Wan quickly scanned the controls. He  pushed  several  indicators,

watching the pods move on a diagram. By moving  large  blocs  of  pods,  he

created a stepping-stone effect throughout the Senate chamber.

"Stay here, you'll be safer," he told the aide.

With a glance down at the dead guard  at  his  feet,  the  young  aide

nodded shakily. "Whatever you say."

Obi-Wan raced back to  the  tier.  He  could  see  that  he  had  been

successful. Siri was already jumping from pod to pod,  able  now  to  cover

more airspace. Anakin was doing the same.  When  Obi-Wan  looked  down,  he

could see, far below, Jedi charging out onto the Senate floor. He saw Shaak

Ti leaping onto the pods like steps, moving upward. A team led  by  Coleman

Trebor used the pod controls to move closer to their goal, then leaped into

the air to take out two, four, seven, ten  seeker  droids  at  once  during

their descent.

Obi-Wan saw Palpatine at last. He stood on a tier  far  below,  facing

out toward the melee. Ferus stood in front of him, angling  his  lightsaber

to fend off blaster bolts fired by the droids. Palpatine hardly noticed the

Jedi protecting him. His bleak gaze swept the chamber.

Then Obi-Wan saw Roy Teda on the same tier, making his way forward.  A

droid was tracking him, Obi-Wan saw, and Teda knew it. He was  running  for

his life.

Omega had betrayed Teda, as he  eventually  betrayed  all  who  joined

forces with him. He had programmed a seeker droid to assassinate Teda, too.

Obi-Wan leaped onto a pod twenty meters down. He knew he was  too  far

to reach the tier in time, but he had to try. As he made his way down,  his

lightsaber never stopped moving, swiping at the droids who were zeroing  in

on terrified Senators.

He was close enough now to see the snarl of fury and terror on  Teda's

face, and suddenly, Obi-Wan guessed his intent. If he was going to go down,

he wanted the seeker droid to take down Palpatine, too.

Obi-Wan leaped, then leaped again. Just below,  Teda  ran.  Ferus  had

turned to deal with a storm of blaster fire from five  droids  heading  his

way. Far below Ferus, Siri had seen nothing. Anakin had made his  way  down

to the Senate floor and was on his way back up again. He had  landed  in  a

large pod and was in the middle of protecting an entire delegation.

Obi-Wan continued to make his way down, slicing through droids  as  he

went. The Senate chamber was filled with shouts and screams, the  smoke  of

blasters, and the unmistakable smell of fear.

Teda was only a few steps from Palpatine when Ferus moved. Obi-Wan had

never seen him turn, had never seen him notice Teda, yet suddenly,  Ferus's

arm moved backward. Without even looking, he took out the lead seeker droid

that had been targeting Teda.

Then Ferus turned his full attention to the  droids.  He  Force-leaped

upward, the bronze glow of his lightsaber  a  constantly  moving  presence,

arcing and circling, slashing, flipping backward, moving forward.

Even as he leaped down the final meters toward Ferus, Obi-Wan saw  the

droids fall. Only one remained. Teda drew a blaster to fire at  Ferus,  but

the droid suddenly dipped and fired, and Teda fell, smoke rising  from  the

exit wound in his back. Ferus slashed the droid in half and bent over Teda.

Obi-Wan could see by the posture of Ferus's body that it was too late.

Obi-Wan landed at last. "Good work, Ferus." Ferus's mouth  was  tight.

"I was too late."

Even though Teda was an enemy of the Jedi, Ferus felt he had failed.

Obi-Wan repeated the words he had spoken, this time in a gentle  tone.

"Good work, Ferus."

Ferus turned to look out over the chamber. "The tide has turned."

The Jedi and security forces were gaining the upper hand. Senators had

been herded out of the chamber to safety. Others were being protected.  The

Jedi teams were now destroying the last  of  the  droids.  Obi-Wan  glanced

quickly over the chamber, searching for a Jedi who  might  need  his  help.

Suddenly he heard his name being called.

"Obi-Wan!"

It was Tyro. Obi-Wan half-turned, searching for his friend.

Tyro stood in the back of the  tier,  half-shrouded  in  darkness.  He

darted forward toward Obi-Wan, straight into the path  of  a  seeker  droid

homing in on Palpatine.

"Tyro, drop!" Obi-Wan shouted, already moving.

Ferus leaped as the droid fired. He deflected the fire from Palpatine,

but it was too late for Tyro.

Tyro fell on his knees, riddled with blaster fire.

"NO!" The cry was torn from Obi-Wan's chest. No,  no,  not  Tyro,  not

him, not this, I cannot bear this....

He ran toward him, his legs propelling him forward while a part of him

deep inside was still with dread,  knowing  what  the  next  seconds  would

bring.

Tyro met his eyes. There was infinite sadness in  his  gaze,  infinite

regret. He opened his mouth but could not speak.

Tyro lifted his hand. It trembled as he opened his  palm  toward  Obi-

Wan. He closed his hand into a fist and placed it against his heart.

Then he looked beyond Obi-Wan's shoulder, behind him.  Fear  flickered

in his eyes. And then he was gone.

Obi-Wan bent over him. He opened his own hand. He closed it. He placed

it against Tyro's chest and bowed his head  over  his  beloved  friend.  He

murmured the words every Svivreni told a loved one before a journey.

"The journey begins," Obi-Wan whispered. "So go."

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

The next day, the vote was finally held. There was no debate.  Senator

Bog Divinian's proposal to bar the Jedi from any action taken on behalf  of

the Senate was soundly defeated. Even Sano Sauro voted against it.  It  was

noted that the two of them  had  arrived  well  after  the  previous  day's

events.

Bog was disgraced. Back on his planet, those who  had  once  been  his

supporters demanded his resignation. Everyone but Bog  knew  his  political

career was over.

Because of his coolness on the day of the attempted massacre,  Supreme

Chancellor Palpatine's stature increased, and he  was  more  powerful  than

ever. Twenty-one Senators died that day, fourteen aides, and ten Senatorial

guards. It was considered a miracle that the numbers weren't higher.

For a day or two, the Senators seemed bound in  a  common  grief.  But

after the memorials and the speeches were over, the blame  began.  Who  had

allowed it to happen? What committee had not forseen it? What  faction  had

secretly approved of it? Who had not condemned it loudly enough?

Charges and countercharges. Speeches. Lectures. Tirades.

Obi-Wan was sick of it. Sick at heart.

He sat in Tyro's cluttered office. He  had  attended  Tyro's  memorial

service, which was packed with friends, with more  spilling  out  into  the

hallways, unable to participate or hear, but still wanting, needing  to  be

present. Obi-Wan had no idea that so many had loved him.

But here, among his beloved files and documents, here was  where  Obi-

Wan felt closest to him.

He had thought he couldn't bear this death. But of course he had.

There would be more to bear, he knew. The growing darkness that Master

Windu had spoken of was now in his heart. He could feel that darkness  with

every breath he took.

He had searched through Tyro's files,  through  his  datapad,  through

everything he could think of. There was no record of  what  Tyro  had  been

trying to tell him. Obi-Wan could not make sense of it.

I stumbled on something. Something... terrible.... the highest level..

. great evil...

... only you can truly understand...

What was it? Obi-Wan silently asked Tyro. What were you going to  tell

me?

He had assumed that the seeker droid that killed Tyro was heading  for

Palpatine. Yet the Senate investigator had told him that  morning  that  it

was programmed to hit Tyro.

Why would Omega want to kill a  lowly  Senate  aide?  It  didn't  make

sense.

He might never know the answer.

Obi-Wan looked around at the tiny office. He had arranged  for  Tyro's

files to be moved to the Temple, where a  team  under  the  supervision  of

Madame Jocasta Nu would go over everything. There could have been something

Obi-Wan missed.

By tonight, the office would be cleared. Knowing the demand for Senate

space, by tomorrow, the office would already be  occupied.  Any  memory  of

Tyro would be swept out with the dust.

Reluctant to leave, Obi-Wan lingered. He heard soft footsteps  outside

in the hallway, and Astri appeared in the doorway.

"They said I could find you here," she said.  "I'm  sorry  about  your

friend."

Obi-Wan nodded his thanks. "And how are you?"

"I am good," she said softly. "So are Lune and Didi.  Thanks  to  you.

Bog has been stripped of power, and he is now useless to the Commerce Guild

and Sano Sauro. That means he is powerless to hurt us, too."

"So what will you do?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Didi wants to return to Coruscant, but  I

don't know." She hugged herself and shivered. "It has changed. I don't like

it here anymore. I'm fearful here, but I don't know of what."

"I know what you mean," Obi-Wan murmured. He rose and came toward her.

He raised a hand and switched off the  lights  in  Tyro's  office,  feeling

something break inside him as he did so. Tyro was gone forever.

They walked down the hallway together.

"My advice," Obi-Wan said,  "is  to  pick  a  pleasant  world  with  a

genuinely democratic government. Raise your son." He smiled. "Keep Didi out

of trouble. And always remember I am here for you," Obi-Wan said.

"As you have proven time and time again," Astri said.

She stopped and put two hands on his shoulders. Her dark eyes searched

his.

"I see the sorrow in you," she said. "I can't take it  away.  But  you

have saved me and those that I love. Know that, at least."

The small moments, Obi-Wan thought, as he laid a  hand  over  Astri's.

They did not measure up against the times of sorrow. But  they  had  to  be

enough.

Anakin sat with Palpatine inside the Chancellor's office. They  looked

out together at the temporary garden planted in an  exterior  courtyard  of

the Senate complex. Below, Anakin saw the tops  of  trees,  delicate  green

leaves against silver bark. Running in a square outside the trees  was  the

colorful splash of exotic flowers. Towering above  the  flowers  were  twin

horns of the bloodred claing bush, native to Sano Sauro's world.

"I don't understand," he said to Palpatine. "You  gave  Senator  Sauro

the position of Deputy Chancellor. We are certain that he  was  in  on  the

plot to assassinate you."

"I offered it before the vote on the Jedi petition, knowing  he  could

not refuse," Palpatine said. "I knew he would betray Bog. The assurance  of

a powerful office would be enough to abandon a risky scheme."

"But you rewarded Sauro for betraying you."

"I have made my enemy my friend," Palpatine said.  "His  fate  is  now

linked with mine. And I will always know what he's up to."

Anakin nodded. He would miss these talks with Palpatine. He felt  that

he was learning, even though he had not yet been able to sift  through  the

nuggets of wisdom.

"I have asked you here to thank you for your  efforts  on  that  day,"

Palpatine said. "The Senate came close to being destroyed.  Please  do  not

fault me for saying this, but I feel that your Jedi Council did  not  fully

appreciate what you did that day. I watched you. I saw how many you  saved.

I understand that Ferus Olin was given a special commendation for  what  he

did. I don't understand."

"You don't? He saved your life."

Palpatine stared out at the vast Coruscant cityscape. "Good of him, of

course. But no more than he was asked to do. Whereas you, Anakin, always do

more. I just think it's a pity that the Council doesn't see that. Perhaps I

should talk to Master Yoda - "

"No," Anakin said quickly. "He would think I wanted you  to  speak  to

him about me, that I was seeking approval. Jedi do not seek approval."

"Then tell me, Anakin. From the point of view of a Jedi, since  it  is

sometimes difficult for those of us outside your order  to  understand  it.

Why did Ferus Olin receive special notice, and you did not?"

"Because he did his duty," Anakin said. He tasted  bitterness  in  his

mouth. "He obeyed his Master and stayed at his post. He saved your life and

dozens of other lives."

"You saved more."

"It was not a contest."

"No. It was a battle." Chancellor Palpatine sighed. He looked back  at

the garden.

Through the transparent screen that separated them, Anakin saw Obi-Wan

enter Palpatine's office. His Master  saw  them  outside.  He  waited,  not

wanting to interrupt.

"I see your Master has arrived to fetch you," Palpatine said,  rising.

"I want you to feel free to visit me from time to time, Anakin. I know  you

have other missions. And I know you will perform splendidly. I for  one  am

glad you are on my side."

"I am honored," Anakin said. He bowed his goodbye.

"Granta Omega," Obi-Wan said once Anakin had joined him in  the  hall.

"We don't know where he is. But we know where he's been."

Anakin looked back at Palpatine. Studying the Senate had not  been  as

bad as he'd thought. He'd been close to great power, the  greatest  in  the

galaxy, and he felt he was just on the verge of learning more about it.

But he felt he was not meant for power struggles and  intrigue  -  not

yet. He did not like to think about why the Jedi Council  was  so  hard  on

him, about why Ferus earned recognition from the Council when he did not.

He did not want these feelings. He wanted them to fall away and  leave

him with his core, a core that was not  threatened  by  what  other  beings

thought or said. On a mission, everything else did fall away. He  was  able

to concentrate, to focus.

He turned back to his Master. He was ready to go.