Star Wars

Jedi Quest

Book 6

The Shadow Trap

by Jude Watson

source: IRC

uploaded: 09.I.2006

CHAPTER ONE

Anakin Skywalker hated being  between  missions.  As  far  as  he  was

concerned, having free time was highly overrated. How many times  could  he

perfect his Jung Ma movement in dulon training?

Countless times, his Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, would say.

Anakin pulled his outer tunic over his  head  and  tossed  it  on  the

grassy bank of the lake. He took three  quick  steps  and  dived  into  the

clear, green water. Without a mission, he just felt aimless. There was much

to do at the Temple, of course. Being a  Jedi  meant  that  training  never

stopped. Perfecting his  battle  mind,  bettering  his  grasp  of  galactic

politics - these were all necessary tasks between missions. Usually, Anakin

tried to use his time at the Temple well. But this time... this  time,  all

he wanted to do was swim.

He chose a time when the lake was deserted. For some reason, this  was

at midday, when most Jedi students were deep in study or training, and Jedi

Knights were busy as well, perfecting the ideal battle skills  that  Anakin

should have been perfecting.

All Anakin knew was that he could not wait  to  dive  into  the  cool,

green water. He felt his mind calm as he swam underwater, playing with  the

rays of light that penetrated beneath the surface. He and his  Master  were

not communicating well. Ever since his mission to Andara,  there  had  been

distance between them. Obi-Wan had said he was deeply disappointed in  him.

Although it was not in the character of a Jedi to dwell on the past, Anakin

remembered that comment like a knife in his heart. It haunted every  moment

of their time together.

In the past he had sometimes felt irritated at Obi-Wan's  corrections,

his need to always show Anakin how he could have done something better,  or

more patiently, or more thoroughly. Now he missed them. He saw them now for

what they were - a dedication to him, a need to help him be the  best  Jedi

he could be.

Anakin broke the surface and shook off drops of water. He was close to

the waterfall now, and he paused to feel the cool mist on his skin. With  a

few quick strokes he swam  to  the  bank  and  hauled  himself  up  to  sit

underneath the spray.

And, just like that, it happened.

The vision came, and the peaceful scene  before  him  fell  away.  The

rushing water became a rush of air so intense that it hurt his ears. Images

came and went so quickly they were like pulses of light: a massive fleet at

his command; a revolt of hundreds of  slaves  as  they  shouted  his  name;

striding through the dusty streets of Mos Espa and reaching the door of his

old home. The images stopped and froze only once. His mother's face  as  he

clasped her against him. He touched the slave cuffs at her wrists and  they

fell to the floor. He heard the clang.

And then there was an explosion of light and sorrow, and  he  knew  he

had lost Shmi, had lost, in fact, everyone he loved, including Obi-Wan.

The One Below remains below.

Suddenly Anakin felt the grass underneath  his  fingers,  springy  and

soft. He heard the sound of the waterfall. The explosion of blinding  light

fractured and mellowed into the cool greens of the water.

It was the third time he had had the vision. Before, it had come  late

at night, when he was close to sleep. The first time it had been  almost  a

dream. The second, it had been clear  and  sharp.  But  this  time  it  was

insistent. It seemed to cling to him like a sticky web he couldn't escape.

What did it mean? Why did the vision of liberating slaves come to him?

He hadn't had that thought since he was a young boy on Tatooine.  He  often

dwelled on his mother, of course, dreamed of freeing  her  from  her  harsh

life. Yet this vision was so real. It felt as  though  he  really  had  the

power to do it. He saw now the difference between a dream and a vision.

Who was The One Below?

Anakin shook his head, watching as water droplets hit the skin of  his

forearm. He felt troubled and weary. Swimming every day  wasn't  enough  to

clear his mind, calm his heart.

It was time to tell Obi-Wan about it.

On Andara, Obi-Wan had faulted him for acting without  regard  to  his

instructions. Anakin had known that a fellow Jedi Padawan, Ferus Olin,  had

disappeared. Instead of telling Obi-Wan, he had gone off with the group  he

was  investigating.  Anakin  had  thought  that  he  would  find  Ferus  by

continuing with the mission. Obi-Wan  had  disagreed  when  he  found  out.

Anakin had never seen him so angry. He had felt that Anakin had violated an

essential core of trust between them.

It had not mattered at all that Ferus had been found  safe,  and  that

the mission had been successful.

It made no difference to the Jedi Council,  either.  Anakin  had  been

asked to appear before the full Council and accept a reprimand,  a  serious

failing for a Padawan. He and Obi-Wan had been on several  missions  since,

but things between them weren't the same. They had lost a rhythm Anakin had

not been sure was there, until he had lost it.

Reluctantly, Anakin slipped back into his tunic  with  one  hand  and,

with the other, contacted his  Master  on  his  comlink.  Obi-Wan  answered

immediately.

"It's Anakin. I need to speak to you about something. I don't wish  to

interrupt you, but - "

"I'm in the Room of the Thousand Fountains." "I'll be there in  a  few

minutes, then."

Anakin shoved his comlink back into his belt. He couldn't remember the

last time he'd felt free to tease his Master, or the last time Obi-Wan  had

made a joke. Lately he'd begun to wonder if Obi-Wan still wanted him as his

Padawan at all. It was not unheard of for a Master to step  away.  Unusual,

yes, but not every pairing was the right one. It was considered no shame on

the Padawan if a more appropriate Master was needed. But Anakin would  feel

the shame.

The Room of the Thousand  Fountains  wasn't  far  from  the  lake.  He

hurried down the wooded  trail.  Illumination  banks  overhead  created  an

impression of sunlight streaming through the green leaves. Anakin wished he

could enjoy the peace that the Jedi found on these shores.

His Master was sitting on a favorite bench, his eyes closed. No  doubt

he was meditating or listening to the fountains that were often compared to

the delicate chiming of bells.

Without opening his eyes, his Master spoke. "You sounded disturbed."

Anakin sat next to him.  Obi-Wan  opened  his  eyes  and  sent  him  a

penetrating glance. "I've had a vision,"  Anakin  said.  "It's  come  three

times, and I need to make sense of it."

"Visions do not always make  sense."  Obi-Wan  swung  around  to  face

Anakin. "Tell me about it."

Anakin outlined the vision. It was still so clear in his head that  he

had no trouble remembering the details.

"The One Below remains below," Obi-Wan murmured.

"Do you know what that means?"

Obi-Wan didn't answer. "Yoda should hear about this."

"Hear about what, I wonder," Yoda  called,  heading  toward  them  and

leaning on his gimer stick. "To find you,  I  come,  Obi-Wan.  Expecting  a

problem, I was not."

Obi-Wan smiled as he rose. "Not a problem. A vision has been troubling

Anakin."

"A vision, you say?" Yoda swiveled to fix Anakin with a curious  look.

He settled himself on a rock and rested his hands on top of his stick,  his

posture for listening.

Once again, Anakin related the vision, leaving out his feelings  about

it. He knew that Yoda would want to know only the details.

Strangely, Yoda repeated the same thing that  Obi-Wan  had.  "The  One

Below remains below," he murmured.

"Do you know who that is, Master Yoda?" Anakin asked.

Yoda nodded slowly. "Know her well, I do. Master Yaddle, it is."

"Master Yaddle was imprisoned for centuries on  the  world  of  Koda,"

Obi-Wan explained. "The Kodans gave her that name, The One Below."

Anakin nodded. He had known about Yaddle's long imprisonment,  but  he

had never heard that name. Yaddle was the same species as Yoda, and sat  on

the Jedi Council. She was a revered Jedi  Master.  He  was  surprised  that

she'd been a part of his vision.

"About to leave on  a  mission  to  Mawan,  she  is,"  Yoda  said.  "A

troubling one, I fear. Debated, we have, which Jedi team to send with  her.

The answer, perhaps your vision is."

Anakin felt a rush of disappointment. He realized at that moment  that

he had been hoping that the vision meant he needed to travel  to  Tatooine.

He had imagined that he would be able to step out of his  dreams  and  free

his mother in reality. "I thought perhaps the vision meant I could  somehow

help the slaves on Tatooine," he said hesitantly.

Yoda and Obi-Wan both shook their heads.

"Careful you must be. Difficult to interpret, visions are," Yoda said.

"A map, a vision is not."

Anakin hid his impatience. Wasn't Yoda  interpreting  his  vision  for

him, and telling him where he needed to go?

Obi-Wan sensed his confusion.  "Visions  of  freeing  slaves  are  not

surprising," he told Anakin. "That desire rests  deep  within  you.  It  is

natural that it would rise up in some form. To follow a vision literally is

often a mistake."

"But isn't following Yaddle also literal?" Anakin asked.

Yoda made a slight gesture with his gimer stick, an acknowledgment  of

Anakin's point. "A warning, the vision is." He turned to  Obi-Wan.  "Grave,

the situation on Mawan has become."

Obi-Wan nodded. "It is a sad situation. I knew the planet when it  was

thriving."

"Open now, this world is," Yoda said.

"Open?" Anakin asked.

"Mawan was  torn  apart  by  a  civil  war  ten  years  ago,"  Obi-Wan

explained. "The planet was decimated by the conflict and was never able  to

set up a  government  afterward.  The  capital  city  completely  lost  its

infrastructure - its roads deteriorated, its space lanes went  unmonitored,

and finally its power grid went down completely. Much of  the  housing  was

destroyed, too. A majority of the citizens were left jobless and  homeless.

Many moved to the country, but a famine devastated  the  population  there.

The absence of government, security, and hope left  a  void  that  criminal

elements rushed in to fill. It's now an  open  world,  where  anything  can

happen without fear of the law. Criminals from throughout the  galaxy  have

set up operations there. There is no safety for the citizens."

"Too busy, the Senate has been," Yoda said. "But  ignore  Mawan,  they

can no longer. Ripples of evil, open worlds have. Affect the  galaxy,  they

do. Asked  the  Senate  has  for  a  Jedi  presence  to  help  establish  a

provisional government committee. To  have  the  trust  of  the  Mawans,  a

diplomat we need."

"A diplomat, yes, but also a warrior," Obi-Wan remarked. "Someone  who

can convince the criminal gangs that it is in their best interest to  leave

the planet. I can see why you chose Yaddle."

Yoda inclined his head. "Our most able diplomat, she is.  Accomplished

in the ways of the Force. But assistance she needs. Help her, you and  your

Padawan must, for important this mission is. As goes  Mawan,  so  go  other

worlds. Growing in the galaxy, the dark side is."

"We are ready, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin nodded. But he felt a dread he did not understand. Even hearing

the name of the planet had created a sour feeling in his stomach. Usually a

mission excited him, no matter how difficult or dangerous. Yet he knew that

he did not want to go to Mawan.

CHAPTER TWO

The Republic cruiser flew low over Mawan's  capital  city  of  Naatan.

Obi-Wan leaned closer to look out the cockpit window. The  power  grid  was

being fought over by the crimelords, and had  been  repeatedly  damaged  in

successive raids and takeovers. Tonight the grid was down and the city  was

black. It rose out of the night like a dark shadow.

He had flown into Naatan at night before. Years ago, before  the  war.

The city had glowed from kilometers above in space. The Mawans were fond of

soft colors, which they used to filter the harsh light of their world. They

used delicate rose lights to illuminate their streets and plazas at  night,

and from the air the city had glowed like a rare pink jewel.

He had always enjoyed his visits  to  Naatan.  The  city  had  been  a

thriving cosmopolitan center. It had been an important stop on the  primary

Core trade route, and the wealth of the  city  had  spread  to  its  parks,

libraries, and schools.

As they flew lower, dipping down into an unused space lane,  he  could

see that those parks were now black holes in the landscape, as  painful  as

wounds. The schools were now in ruins, the libraries leveled.  Obi-Wan  saw

broken windows, twisted gates, half-demolished  caf©s.  Abandoned  speeders

left on the street. Everywhere he looked, Obi-Wan saw desolation. It wasn't

just the property, it was what the property represented - the  ruin  of  so

many lives, busy lives that had been lived in  pleasant  surroundings.  Now

those lives had been driven  underground,  and  evil  had  moved  into  the

vacuum.

"Gone underground," Euraana Fall said. "The only ones who  remain  are

part of the criminal gangs." A native of Naatan, Euraana had the  delicate,

pale skin and blue veins that were prized by  the  Mawan.  Mawans  had  two

hearts and their blue veins lay close to their skin, a mark  of  beauty  on

the planet. Euraana's grief showed in her shimmering  gray  eyes,  but  her

voice was steady. "Most of the citizens live in the infrastructure tunnels.

Before the Great Purge - what Mawans call the civil war - all of our  goods

were transported below the city, in tunnels, and airlifted to the  surface.

Our computer centers and control links are there, too. It's what  made  the

city so pleasant. For a busy city, we had little traffic."

"Yes, it was a wonderful city to stroll in," Obi-Wan said as the craft

neared landing. "Your caf©s and restaurants were always full  of  talk  and

music."

"And our parks held the laughter of our children," Euraana agreed, her

gaze quietly sweeping over  the  city.  "All  gone."  She  pointed  in  the

distance. "There is the quarter where the crimelord Striker  rules.  He  is

known by that name because of the projectile  pistols  his  gang  used  for

their first raid. Strikers are not sophisticated weapons, but they won  the

battle. Now they are better armed, of course. He is  reputed  to  have  the

most extensive weapons cache of all the crimelords."

Obi-Wan leaned over to look at the quarter of the  city  that  Euraana

had indicated. Garish blue and green glowlights were  hung  from  poles  to

cast their eerie  light  on  the  streets.  Half-destroyed  buildings  were

rebuilt  with  inexpensive,  brightly  colored  plastoid   materials.   The

replacements were slapped onto  old  buildings  built  of  polished  stone,

making a tawdry contrast. This  quarter  did  have  a  few  beings  in  its

streets, with state-of-the-art speeders sporting shiny paint  and  flashing

lights moving through the streets and caf©s full of beings. It was  obvious

that there was trading going  on.  The  progress  of  their  transport  was

watched with calculating eyes.

"What are they buying and selling?" Anakin asked.

Euraana shrugged. "Weapons. Spice. Illegal medicines they will sell to

the unfortunates in the galaxy. Fortunes are being  made  down  there.  And

those fortunes are built on the ashes of our civilization."

"No longer," Yaddle said softly. She had talked little on the  journey

and had spent much of it meditating. Now the sharp  gaze  from  her  green-

brown eyes seemed to give strength to Euraana, who nodded. Although  Yaddle

was small in size, her presence loomed large.

Without air traffic guidelines, the Senate pilot didn't need clearance

or coordinates. The landing platforms for the city had all been  destroyed.

He set the cruiser down in a  large  courtyard  of  a  formerly  impressive

living complex, carefully avoiding the rubble.

Obi-Wan watched Anakin as his Padawan grabbed his  survival  pack  and

waited with the others for the ramp to lower. Usually at the start of a new

mission Anakin's  eyes  were  alive  with  curiosity.  Obi-Wan  had  always

appreciated how his Padawan threw himself into a new situation,  using  all

of his  senses  to  gather  information.  But  Anakin's  expression  looked

shuttered.

He walked beside him as they exited the craft. "Any  impressions?"  He

was always interested to hear what Anakin had picked up. The Force spoke to

Anakin in a different way than anyone Obi-Wan had ever known.

Anakin shook his head. "Nothing to speak of. I feel the dark  side  of

the Force, of course. That's clear."

"And to be expected," Obi-Wan  said.  "What  about  your  vision?  Any

connections?"

Anakin shook his head. "Nothing."

There were shadows between them now. He could  see  them  in  the  way

Anakin held his shoulders, the way his eyes  spoke.  It  wasn't  as  though

Anakin didn't meet his gaze directly. But his gaze was like glass.  Obi-Wan

found himself sliding off it into uncertainty.

He knew he was partly responsible.  Ever  since  Andara  he  had  held

himself back from his Padawan. His anger had gone, but it had been replaced

with caution. He had wanted to give Anakin room, time  to  reflect  without

the pressure of his own opinions and interpretations. He knew he  could  be

heavy-handed at times. He  remembered  Qui-Gon,  how  his  own  Master  had

sometimes withdrawn his focus on him and gone to a place Obi-Wan could  not

reach. It had sometimes left Obi-Wan feeling stranded, but  it  had  forced

him to come to terms with his own feelings. He wanted to do  the  same  for

Anakin. His Padawan was sixteen now. It was  time  for  him  to  achieve  a

deeper connection to his core.

Anakin had been wrong on Andara. The fact that he  had  concealed  the

disappearance of a Jedi still astonished Obi-Wan. His actions did not  take

away from the fact that Anakin was special. When  he  made  mistakes,  they

were big ones. His need to be perfect, to be powerful, was a flaw.  Try  as

he might, Obi-Wan could not show Anakin  that  if  he  held  himself  back,

everything would come to him. Anakin just kept pushing.

He resolved to work out some of their  differences  on  this  mission.

They were on a journey together, and for  each  phase  they  would  develop

different rhythms, different paces. Anakin needed  to  understand  that.  A

little distance between them didn't mean that the core was threatened.

"Our contacts are meeting us nearby," Euraana Fall said. "This way."

The Jedi picked their way through the  rubble  of  the  courtyard  and

followed Euraana down the  dark  street,  leaving  the  pilot  and  cruiser

behind. "Better not use  a  glow  rod,"  she  said.  "No  need  to  attract

attention. This part of the city isn't used much. It will be a  good  place

for us to set up operations."

She led them to a building that seemed miraculously untouched  by  the

signs of war, until they entered and saw that part of the rear portion  had

been blown out. The domed ceiling was half destroyed.  Stars  littered  the

sky above, thrown like mineral dust on shimmersilk.

"This was once a meeting hall." Euraana's voice echoed in  the  space.

"I attended lectures here, and concerts. There are still offices and even a

caf© here. We can make it work."

Two forms separated from the  shadows.  Obi-Wan  tensed,  but  he  saw

almost immediately that they were friendly. They were most likely the Mawan

contacts. They were both short, muscular men with pale complexions and long

hair that was tied back with metal clasps. One of the men had gleaming dark

hair, the other snowy white.

The shorter one with the white hair and youthful face gave a short nod

to Euraana and held out his  hand,  palm  out,  in  the  Mawan  gesture  of

friendship and welcome. "Glad to see you made it." His voice rumbled like a

balky sublight engine.

"Greetings to you, Swanny," Euraana said to the white-haired man. Then

she faced the dark-haired Mawan and said, "Hello, Rorq." Euraana turned and

introduced the two to the Jedi party. The two men nodded greetings.

"Swanny  and  Rorq  were  tunnel  workers  before  the  war,"  Euraana

explained. "They live below. The tunnel workers have agreed to help us, and

they are their representatives."

"I'm afraid I haven't been thoroughly briefed," Obi-Wan said politely.

"Tunnel workers?"

Swanny bristled. "What's wrong with that?"

Euraana said quickly, "Let me explain.  Before  the  war,  the  tunnel

workers were... well, near the bottom of the social structure - "

"Meaning the high-and-mighties looked down on us," Rorq said, crossing

his thick arms. "Called us subrats."

"Even though we kept everything running for them," Swanny added with a

cynical twist to his mouth.

"So the order of things,"  Euraana  said,  holding  her  hand  up  and

flipping it over, "is now reversed."

"Subrats on top," Swanny said. "It's a sweet thing."

"The citizens below depend on the tunnel workers to  bring  provisions

and keep their generators going," Euraana continued. "They have practically

fashioned a city down below."

"We saved their hides," Rorq growled.

"We've gotten a taste of power, and we like  it,"  Swanny  said.  "Not

only that, we're good at it. So we'd like to be involved in the  rebuilding

of Naatan. Not from the bottom, though. Things have changed."

"Everything has changed," Euraana said quietly.

"Before the Purge, Euraana here wouldn't have given  me  the  time  of

day," Swanny said. "Now she has to deal with me."

"Oh?" Euraana said, cocking an eyebrow.  "Do  you  know  me  so  well,

Swanny Mull? Enough to call me a snob and an opportunist in one breath?"

Swanny grinned and held up his hands. "Maybe I spoke too soon."

"Maybe you should stick to things you know about," Euraana snapped  in

a tart tone. "The crimelords, for example." She turned to the others.  "The

tunnel workers serve as go-betweens. The citizens are forced to  buy  their

food and goods from the crimelords in temporary markets set up below in the

tunnels. The tunnel workers set it up." She  gave  Swanny  an  icy  glance.

"They are paid by the crimelords for their services,  as  well  as  by  the

citizens."

"Why shouldn't we be paid?" Swanny asked mildly. "We take the risks."

"Tell us about the crimelords," Obi-Wan said. If he didn't step in, he

had a feeling Euraana and Swanny would trade taunts for hours. "Who is  the

most dangerous? Who is the most powerful? Sometimes they aren't one and the

same."

Swanny frowned. "Most of the criminals in Naatan are  low-level  types

working for bosses. I'd say your three biggest problems are Striker, Feeana

Tala, and Decca."

"Let's start with Decca," Obi-Wan said.

"She's a Hutt," Rorq said with a shudder. "The daughter  of  Gardulla.

Decca took over Gardulla's  organization  when  she  died.  Her  center  of

operations used to be on C-Foroon, near Tatooine, but she got  chased  off.

She came here and brought her goons with her. She's  mainly  in  the  spice

trade."

"But she has a personal grudge against Striker," Swanny said. "He  hit

her operation within days of arriving on  Mawan.  Grabbed  control  of  the

power grid and a warehouse full of weapons. But Decca's  got  the  edge  in

transport. She controls most  of  the  main  tunnels.  She  stole  most  of

Naatan's transports when she arrived and she's managed to hold on to them."

"The only trouble is, she doesn't have  fuel  for  them,"  Rorq  said.

"Striker keeps raiding her fuel  supplies,  just  to  make  her  angry.  He

doesn't need that much fuel. He doesn't have as many transports."

"Nobody knows who Striker is?" Anakin asked.

Swanny shook his head. "Not many have even  seen  him.  His  operators

were in control for years, and he only dropped in from time  to  time.  But

he's been spending all of his time here lately." He nodded at Obi-Wan. "I'd

say he was the most powerful. And dangerous."

"And Feeana Tala?" Yaddle asked. "A native of Mawan, she is."

Rorq nodded. "She controls most of the goods  and  services  that  are

sold to the citizens below. Small potatoes for the other crimelords."

"Still, they raid her when they feel like it," Swanny said. "They want

to control as much of what happens  on  Mawan  as  they  can.  Decca  wants

Striker off-planet, and he wants the same for her. Feeana's  edge  is  that

she knows the tunnels below almost as well as we do."

Euraana looked at Yaddle. "So what is our first step?"

"Return and take back the city, the citizens must," Yaddle  said.  "So

control of the power grid we must have."

"You'll have to guarantee their safety," Euraana said.

Yaddle turned to her and blinked in a gesture that was very much  like

Yoda's. "Guarantee, you say? Guarantees, there never are." She  spread  her

hands. "Help them we will. Courage must they find themselves."

Euraana nodded. "If we can get the power grid back, we might  be  able

to persuade them to leave the tunnels. And  if  there  was  at  least  some

progress with the crimelords - "

"That is our job," Obi-Wan said, indicating himself and Anakin.  "They

must be told that if  they  don't  voluntarily  leave  the  planet,  Senate

security forces will make them go."

"If the Senate will send them," Euraana said  worriedly.  "They  still

have not agreed."

"Agree they will, if take back the city we can," Yaddle said.

"What if the crimelords don't listen to talk?" Swanny  asked.  "In  my

experience, they seldom do."

"We have to  find  a  reason  to  make  them  listen,"  Obi-Wan  said.

"Everyone is vulnerable somewhere. For now we just need to learn more about

their operations."

"Swanny and Rorq can help you there," Euraana said.  "Aboveground  has

been so destroyed that even the crimelords have bunkers belowground."

"Safer down there in case something  bad  happens,"  Swanny  said.  He

grinned at Obi-Wan and Anakin. "We know just about everything that goes  on

down there."

"Take us below," Obi-Wan said. "We'll be in touch while you take  care

of the power grid," he said to Yaddle. Yaddle nodded good-bye.

"If you'll follow me." Swanny gave a bow to the Jedi that held a  hint

of mockery.

Obi-Wan and Anakin strode after the two. Obi-Wan's instincts  were  on

alert. He had his doubts about the value of Swanny and  Rorq's  assistance.

They were scruffy, rude, and probably untrustworthy.

Qui-Gon would have befriended them instantly.

CHAPTER THREE

Anakin walked with Obi-Wan, following Swanny through the dark  streets

to an industrial part of Naatan, an area made even darker by  the  presence

of the shells of unlighted buildings looming overhead. Swanny led them to a

booth that was a tall cylinder made of opaque  black  glass  in  a  passage

between two former warehouses.

"This is a forced air tube," Swanny said.  "We  use  them  instead  of

turbolifts. If you've never been on one, it can feel a little strange.  You

step out on air, and the pressure lessens, dropping you below." He opened a

control panel and punched in a level and a speed. "I'll keep  it  slow  for

your first time. Just don't ever turn the control to 'eject.'  That's  what

we used to get rid of toxic substances - we'd  just  blast  them  into  the

atmosphere. The roof of the cylinder retracts, and you'd find yourself lost

in the clouds."

"Are there many levels below?" Obi-Wan asked.

"About twenty," Rorq said. "And the tunnels  extend  over  the  entire

area of Naatan. It's like another city down there. You'll see."

Rorq stepped into the air tube with no floor.  He  hung  there  for  a

second, grinning at them, then shot below. Swanny gestured. "After you."

Obi-Wan stepped out into what seemed to be a black void. Anakin  heard

the faint sound of rushing air. The next thing he knew, his Master had sunk

down out of sight.

"Next," Swanny said.

Anakin stepped into the chamber. It  felt  strange  to  feel  the  air

pressure against his boots. He descended, the air rushing against his ears.

The sensation felt oddly familiar,  even  though  he'd  never  been  in  an

airlift before. When he reached the bottom he felt the shock of the  ground

against his boots and almost stumbled as he stepped off.

Obi-Wan and Rorq were waiting. After a  moment,  Swanny  joined  them,

stepping off the airlift with the ease of long practice.

"Ah," Swanny said, spreading his  arms  to  take  in  the  dim,  dirty

tunnel, "home, sweet home."

Anakin wrinkled his nose. The air  was  dank  and  heavy  and  smelled

stale.

Swanny grinned. "The purification system  is  hooked  into  the  power

grid. Sometimes it's off, sometimes it's on. Lately it's been off."

Swanny activated a glow rod and they set off down the tunnel.  It  was

wide and high, big enough for the four of them to walk side by side.

"This is one of the main transport  tunnels,"  Swanny  explained.  "We

used to have speeders operating along here. Now we motor the  old-fashioned

way."

Obi-Wan glanced around at the network of tunnels  branching  off  from

the one they were walking down. "I don't know how  you  keep  from  getting

lost."

"There are map kiosks, but when the  power's  down,  we  can't  access

them," Rorq said.  "Luckily,  we  could  find  our  way  around  down  here

blindfolded. Patrol, Swanny."

Quickly, Swanny deactivated the glow  rod.  Rorq  dived  into  a  side

tunnel and Swanny urged them through the opening. They pressed against  the

walls of the side tunnel as a speeder slowly made its  way  down  the  main

tunnel. Two guards sat, blaster rifles at the ready.

"Better to avoid them," Swanny whispered. "Decca's crew."

"Does she run patrols frequently?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'd say randomly," Swanny said. "She doesn't  have  enough  fuel  for

regular patrols, so she counts on surprise. She's always looking  to  round

up some of Striker's men if she can. They capture  you  and  ask  questions

later. I'd rather avoid a rifle butt on the scalp, thank you."

They walked back into the main tunnel. "The substations are where  the

main computer relays used to be," Swanny said, holding the glow rod high so

that they could pick their way down the tunnel. "Most  of  them  have  been

destroyed in blaster shoot-'em-up battles. There are also docking bays  for

our once-gleaming fleet of transports. Decca controls most of  the  docking

bays. And  the  rest  of  the  crimelords  have  taken  over  most  of  the

substations."

"Where do the Mawans live?" Anakin asked.

"They took over a half-dug-out area that was supposed  to  be  another

loading bay before the Purge. They set up a kind of tent village there.  We

subrats serve as scouts to protect them from raids.  We  also  ferry  food,

water, and other supplies."

"For a fee," Obi-Wan said.

Swanny nodded. "A small fee, just to  cover  costs.  We  have  to  pay

bribes to the crimelords."

"Who controls the power grid now?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Striker, at the moment," Swanny said. "That could  change.  The  main

generator is in a substation down here. Striker has it guarded."

"Can't you switch power from the main substation to  another?"  Anakin

asked.

Swanny shrugged. "Technically, yes. But it's not easy. They'll need  a

lot of luck to boost the system from another source. Plus there's  a  relay

substation that  will  shut  the  whole  system  down  if  procedure  isn't

followed. Nobody wants to do that, even the crimelords. Too much risk  that

the entire system would never restart. They all want to control  the  power

grid. They don't want to destroy it."

"What did you do before the Purge, Swanny?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'm a water rat," Swanny  said  cheerfully.  "I  programmed  all  the

wastewater systems. I know every pipe down here, just about. Rorq here  was

on fuel transport tunnels."

"Barely got paid a living wage to  keep  the  surface  running,"  Rorq

grumbled.

Swanny clapped an arm around Rorq's shoulders. "Ah, but it was a sweet

life, wasn't it, my friend? Low life expectancy, no bonuses,  the  contempt

of our fellow citizens - you've got to admit, you miss it."

Rorq shook his head. "You're crazy."

"That's why I'm happy," Swanny said with a twisted grin. "How else  do

I stay sane?"

"Why are you working  with  us?"  Obi-Wan  asked  curiously.  "If  the

citizens  take  back  Naatan,  there's  every  chance  you  could  end   up

underground again."

"True words," Swanny said. "Most of the  tunnel  workers  are  hanging

back. They won't give their support. They like the power they have, even if

they're operating under a corrupt system that could get them killed at  any

moment. Call me crazy, but I want to live long enough to see the sun again.

Naatan will be returned to the Mawans one day. I'm sure of that. If I  help

the right people, I'll be rewarded." He grinned. "Just call me a  visionary

with a deep interest in my own wellbeing."

"If you like," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin could see by the expression on Obi-Wan's face that  his  Master

was amused by Swanny. It never failed  to  surprise  him  when  his  proper

Master loosened up with some sort of odd character.

"Now, where would you Jedi like to start?" Swanny  asked.  "Naturally,

Rorq and myself would  prefer  to  keep  ourselves  out  of  any  extremely

dangerous scenarios, but we're ready for almost anything."

"We need to observe the systems they've set  up,  how  they  operate,"

Obi-Wan said. "I don't want them to know the Jedi are  here,  not  yet.  It

doesn't pay to present a deal until  you  know  what's  important  to  your

adversary."

Rorq looked nervous. "You mean infiltrate their hideouts?"

"Unless you can think of another way," Obi-Wan said.

"Down, boy," Swanny said absently to Rorq. His  eyes  narrowed  as  he

thought, and he stopped walking. "We arrange temporary markets for  Feeana.

Set up a time and place for the  Mawans  to  buy  and  trade.  There's  one

tonight. She's the one who deals with us  most  often.  Doesn't  cheat  the

Mawans quite as much as the others. If you keep your hoods over your  faces

and don't attract attention to  yourselves,  you  could  pass  for  Mawans.

Feeana will probably be there. She likes to keep an eye on things."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Let's go."

Swanny and Rorq led them through the maze of tunnels, walking fast and

purposefully now. They descended several levels and twisted through a small

network of tunnels that suddenly opened out into a large space.

It had once been used for storage, that was clear. Open  shelving  was

built into the curving durasteel wall frames. Plastoid bins lined one wall.

Everything was empty. Instead, blankets were  spread  out  on  the  scuffed

floor of the space, and a ragtag assortment of items were spread out. Fruit

that was past its prime, flour,  some  battered  kitchen  items,  a  broken

warming unit. Folded thermal capes, their edges ragged  and  torn.  An  old

pair of boots.

The Mawans wandered  among  the  goods.  Anakin  saw  how  their  eyes

lingered hungrily on the different items, how their hands dangled uselessly

by their sides or how they fingered empty purses hung on  belts.  The  last

time he had seen such hopelessness  had  been  in  the  slave  quarters  on

Tatooine.

"They can't afford anything, but they come anyway," Swanny said.

Bored gang members, blaster rifles in their hands, stood  against  the

walls, some leaning and trying not to doze.

Across the space a Mawan female sat astride a battered durasteel  box,

her hand resting lightly on her  blaster  holster.  She  was  younger  than

Anakin had imagined, about Obi-Wan's age, he guessed, and she  looked  wiry

and tough. She wore a comlink headset and spoke rapidly into it  while  her

eyes scanned the room. Anakin kept his hood forward to  conceal  his  face.

Without the telltale  blue  veins  of  a  Mawan,  he  would  be  identified

immediately as an outsider.

He and Obi-Wan kept their heads  down  and  shuffled  along  with  the

others. Anakin knew his Master was trying to get closer, hoping to overhear

whatever directions Feeana was giving on her headset.

He looked at her with a sidelong glance and saw how  sharply  she  was

watching the crowd. Her gaze slowly dropped, and suddenly,  she  stood  and

leaped. The strength and power of the leap surprised him. She  landed  only

centimeters away from him and Obi-Wan.

"Spies!" she cried, her blaster leveled at Obi-Wan's chest.  "Surround

them!"

CHAPTER FOUR,

Feeana's quick action didn't extend to her troops.  A  leader  with  a

headset sputtered toward them, trying to corral others  to  follow.  Anakin

knew that his Master could have foiled them in seconds, but he  waited  for

them to approach. Soon they were surrounded by twenty members  of  Feeana's

gang, and twenty blasters were pointed in their direction.

Anakin glanced at his Master. Obi-Wan said nothing. His gaze was  calm

and watchful.  Anakin  knew  his  Master's  strategy  usually  centered  on

waiting. Obi-Wan could strike faster than any Jedi he knew,  but  he  could

also wait longer than  any  Jedi  should  have  to,  in  Anakin's  opinion.

Especially when a blaster was pointed at his heart.

Still, he was an apprentice, and his job was to  follow  his  Master's

lead.

"You're from Decca's gang," Feeana said. "Don't bother denying it."

Feeana whirled toward Swanny and Rorq, who were both backing away with

careful steps.

"Swanny and Rorq brought them," she  said.  Immediately,  ten  of  the

twenty blasters turned on Swanny and Rorq.

"Whoa," Swanny said, holding up two hands while Rorq bared  his  teeth

in a nervous grin. "We just walked in at the same time."

"Never saw them before in  our  lives,"  Rorq  said  through  clenched

teeth.

"We're  not  spies,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "We're  Jedi.  We're  here   for

diplomacy, not battles."

"Prove it," Feeana sneered,

Only by a small expression did Obi-Wan reveal how annoyed  he  was  at

the request. He put out a hand, and Feeana's headset flew off her head  and

directly into his grasp.

Obi-Wan spoke crisply into the headset. "Cancel  all  orders.  Take  a

vacation."

The gang members looked at one another. The leader of the  group,  who

was wearing a comlink headpiece, put a hand to his ear,  as  if  unable  to

quite believe that Obi-Wan had just given an order.

Anakin could hear confused exclamations and questions  faintly  coming

from the headpiece in Obi-Wan's hand. He suppressed his grin.

Feeana tilted her head in a short nod of appreciation. "Okay, you're a

Jedi. Now, can I have my comlink back? They're hard to come by."

Obi-Wan tossed it to her. Feeana spoke into it. "Hold  your  positions

until further notice." She  glanced  at  the  Jedi.  "So  you're  here  for

diplomacy. Let's talk."

Feeana led the way to a corner. She pulled  up  a  durasteel  bin  and

overturned another for a makeshift seating area. Then she motioned  to  the

Jedi to sit down. She looked at Obi-Wan expectantly.

"The Senate has sent a Provisional Government  Committee  for  Mawan,"

Obi-Wan said. "They are aboveground right now. Senate security  forces  are

expected within a matter of days."

"In other words, they're finally going to do something," Feeana said.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "Mawan cannot remain an  open  world.  After  the

crimelords are put out of business, the Senate will arrange for a  transfer

of power to the Mawans."

Feeana put her hands on her hips. "So what do you want from me?"

"We hope that the crimelords will voluntarily  either  dissolve  their

gangs or move off-planet," Obi-Wan said. "Your choice. There's no other."

"And what do I get?" Feeana asked.

"You get to avoid going up against the Jedi  and  an  extremely  well-

armed security force," Obi-Wan said.

Feeana gave him a shrewd look. "You'll have to come up with  something

better than that, Jedi. Surely you know that deals have  high  stakes  when

one side has nothing to lose."

"Why don't you tell me what you want?"  Obi-Wan  suggested.  "It  will

save time."

Anakin admired his Master's cool. Obi-Wan seemed to know  what  Feeana

was thinking. He himself had no idea.

"Amnesty," Feeana said. "I'm a native Mawan. I don't want to  go  off-

planet. I'm not really a crimelord. Think of me as a thief who  does  well.

And you tell me what other choice I had. Because of the  greedy  leadership

of my government, I lost my home. I was forced  underground.  At  first,  I

stole to feed my family. Then I stole to feed other families. Then I needed

a cut of what I stole in order to keep stealing. Then I needed a few others

to help. Before I knew it I had a gang. I supply the Mawans with what  they

need to survive. Without me they'd be at the mercy of Decca and Striker. At

least I am loyal to Mawan. I am a Mawan first, a criminal  second.  Amnesty

shouldn't be hard to give."

"I think that can be arranged," Obi-Wan agreed. "What else?"

"A promise," Feeana said. "No doubt this Provisional Committee will be

involved in setting up the Mawan government. Insiders  will  get  the  best

jobs. I want to be part of that group."

"A moment," Obi-Wan said. He stepped away  to  activate  his  comlink.

Anakin watched as he spoke quietly into it. Then he returned and nodded  at

Feeana. "Your request is granted. And in return, you are expected  to  move

to the surface with your group to serve as a temporary security force while

the Provisional Committee works on getting control of the power grid."

"Hold that comlink," Feeana said. "I'm not doing  anything  until  I'm

sure you're going to succeed."

"I don't think you're in a position to make  demands,"  Obi-Wan  said.

"You have to earn your amnesty by proving your loyalty to  your  homeworld.

Didn't you just say you were a Mawan first, or am I mistaken? And if I were

you, I'd want to make a generous gesture that will win you support later."

He held her gaze. Anakin watched the battle of wills. He had no  doubt

who would win.

"All right," Feeana agreed at last. "I'll do it."

She moved off to speak into her comlink. Anakin let go of  the  breath

he didn't realize he was holding. "One down," he murmured to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan gazed after Feeana. "Maybe. We'll have to move  fast  to  keep

her loyalty. If she feels we might lose control of Naatan, she'll  go  back

on the deal. We have to neutralize Decca and Striker, and fast."

CHAPTER FIVE

Swanny and Rorq rushed across the hall. "My friend, that was  a  sweet

thing to watch," Swanny congratulated him. "You stared down Feeana and won.

If I had a hat, it would be off to you."

"Excellent diplomacy," Rorq echoed in a gush of obvious  flattery.  "I

learned a lot just watching you."

"Thanks," Obi-Wan said dryly. "Your support means a lot."

"Anytime," Swanny assured him.

"Particularly for the part where you pretended not to know  us,"  Obi-

Wan added.

"What can I say?" Swanny said. "My survival mechanism just kicked  in.

I run on instinct. Can't control it. I want  to  be  brave,  but  something

happens, and I open my mouth and a  womp  weasel  starts  talking.  Nothing

personal."

"Sure," Obi-Wan said. "But you owe me one."  Swanny  and  Rorq  looked

nervous. "And what would that 'one' be?" Swanny asked cautiously.

"Help us infiltrate Decca's camp," Obi-Wan said. "That means you come,

too. If I know Hutts, we won't be able to  bargain  the  way  we  did  with

Feeana. Decca won't willingly agree to vacate the  planet.  We'll  have  to

find the flaw in her organization, some way to smash it, or at  least  make

things too difficult for her to stick around. That means  we  have  to  get

right in the middle of things and see how they're done."

"We can certainly give you the location of Decca's camp," Swanny said.

"That is no problem."

"And your awesome Jedi skills would no  doubt  allow  you  to  smuggle

yourself in," Rorq added helpfully. Obi-Wan just waited.

"I can see that you are looking for more from us," Swanny said.

"Which you already promised," Obi-Wan said. "Unless you'd like to take

this up with the Provisional Committee."

"N0000," Swanny said, drawing the word out. "Don't think I'd  want  to

do that. Maybe there is a way to get you inside. There's a revel tonight."

"A revel?" Anakin asked.

"Decca won a skirmish today with Striker," Swanny  said.  "She  always

throws a big party so her gang can celebrate.  Food,  drink,  music...  and

that's where Rorq and I come in. I just have one question."

Obi-Wan and Anakin waited.

"Can you sing?" Swanny asked.

The band was called Swanny and the Rooters. Swanny told the Jedi  that

they had played at many of Decca's revels. If they showed up at  this  one,

Decca would assume that someone from her gang had booked them.  They  would

be taking a chance, but not a very big one.

Obi-Wan and Anakin had to  take  the  place  of  the  other  two  band

members. Swanny handed Obi-Wan a vioflute and Anakin a keyboard.

"Just fake it," he told them. "I'm so good  no  one  will  notice  you

can't play."

They set up in a corner of the vast substation while swaggering beings

from all over the galaxy chugged  flameouts  while  feasting  on  meat  and

pastries. A Whipid, his fur matted with sweat and chunks  of  food,  handed

two mugs of grog to a Kamarian, who rested one on his tusk and  downed  the

other.

"Fun crowd," Anakin muttered to Obi-Wan.

"Just what I was thinking," Obi-Wan said through his teeth. He settled

onto a stool, resting the vioflute uneasily against his  shoulder.  It  had

been surprisingly easy to crash the party - but that didn't mean  the  rest

would be easy.

Anakin sat next to him, holding his handheld keyboard. He  would  have

to pretend to play it. Swanny and Rorq needed backup singers, however.

"Just a few 'whee-whoas' on the choruses," Swanny swiveled  around  to

tell them. "No solos or anything. You can follow along, can't you?"

"Of course," Obi-Wan assured him.

Swanny and Rorq ripped into a lively song, and Anakin's foot began  to

tap. He was surprised to find that they were good musicians.

Swanny winked at him. "Wastewater is my life, but  music  is  a  close

second."

Decca the Hutt entered the room and heaved her enormous  bulk  onto  a

repulsorlift  platform  obviously  crafted  for  her,  large  and  low  and

festooned  with  shimmersilk  pillows.  Her  lieutenants  surrounded   her,

jockeying for position as she settled herself in. There were three, one  of

them a Kamarian who sat at her right, obviously her most trusted assistant.

His two tails waved as he leaned over to speak directly in her ear.

"I wish we could hear what he's saying," Obi-Wan murmured,  pretending

to pluck the strings on his vioflute.

"Sing," Swanny hissed as he and Rorq swung into the chorus.

Anakin began to hum the backup, and beside  him,  Obi-Wan  joined  in.

Unfortunately, Obi-Wan could not manage to find the melody. Swanny shot him

a horrified look.

"Uh, not so loud," he hissed. "Maybe you shouldn't sing, after all."

Anakin  hid  his  smile.  He  was  glad  his  Master  wasn't  good  at

everything.

"Look in the corner behind Decca," Obi-Wan said to  Anakin  under  his

breath. "There's a bank of datapads. I wonder if we could get close  enough

to take a look at what's on them."

"If she keeps downing those flameouts, we might," Anakin said.

"Notice how she's listening to the Kamarian, while the Ranat tries  to

get closer."

Anakin watched. The Kamarian adjusted the pillows for Decca  with  his

four arms while he spoke. He had Decca's  full  attention.  It  was  almost

comical the way the meter tall Ranat tried to  nestle  into  the  folds  of

Decca's fat in order to hear what was being said.

Anakin wasn't sure what conclusions to draw from what he saw.  But  he

knew that later his Master would ask him  about  his  observations,  so  he

watched carefully as Decca conferred  and  nodded.  Then  he  slowly  gazed

around the room, noting the side tunnels and the placement  of  guards.  He

estimated there must be at least forty gang members  at  the  party,  which

meant there were others on the surface and serving as guards. But how many?

No doubt during their break they would be able to mingle in the crowd.

Decca signaled to Swanny, and he stopped playing. Decca held  out  her

huge arms. Her flesh trembled. The substation fell silent.

"We hear the Jedi have arrived on Mawan with a  Provisional  Committee

from the Senate," Decca pronounced. "Foolish beings - they think  they  can

get rid of us."

The gang soldiers laughed and  pounded  the  hilts  of  their  blaster

rifles on the floor.

"They will regret coming up against Decca  the  Hutt.  I  vow  to  you

today, no committee will blast me off this planet!" Decca  suddenly  stood,

her flesh waving. "Tell the galaxy - Decca will never retreat!"

"Well, I didn't think diplomacy would work for Decca, anyway," Obi-Wan

muttered. "Let's mingle. We'll look for an opening to get to that data  pad

bank."

Anakin had been hoping for a chance to hit the food  table.  His  last

meal had been a protein pack on the transport. What  his  teachers  at  the

Temple had seemed to leave out of their lessons was that on  missions,  you

never got enough food. He placed his keyboard on the floor.

At that moment, an explosion blew them both off  their  stools.  Smoke

filled the substation. The ping of blaster fire suddenly filled the air.

"Stay down!" Obi-Wan shouted to Anakin. "We're under attack!"

CHAPTER SIX

The smoke was so thick and acrid that Obi-Wan's eyes  streamed  tears.

All he could glimpse through the haze was the  blur  of  movement  and  the

flash of blaster fire. Hoarse shouting and battle  cries  almost  smothered

the sound of Swanny shouting, "Whoa, show's over!"

He leaned closer to Anakin. "This could be an opportunity for us,"  he

said rapidly. "No doubt Decca has an escape plan  for  just  this  kind  of

attack. She'll take off and we might be able to get to those datapads.  Use

the Force to guide you through the smoke."

Keeping his head low, he threw himself into the  brawl.  Decca's  gang

members  were  literally  fighting  blind,  their  eyes  screwed  shut  and

streaming tears. This didn't stop them from firing their weapons,  however.

Blaster fire pinged and ricocheted around the room. Obi-Wan glided  through

the forest of arms and legs, allowing the Force to tell him when  to  raise

his lightsaber to deflect fire. He sensed that the rival  gang  was  moving

steadily toward Decca, trying to get to her before she escaped. Obi-Wan had

no doubt that Striker was behind the attack, most likely in retaliation for

Decca's victory earlier that day.

The barrage of fire was constant, shrieking by his  ears  and  filling

the room with more sparks and heat. Electrojabbers waved in the air, and he

saw one land by accident on another member of Decca's gang who  was  firing

his blaster rifle in the air. The gang member went down, his legs paralyzed

for a good two hours or more. He managed to drag himself away from a  Phlog

who was stomping toward the blaster fire, swinging a vibroax.     Screams  and

battle cries filled the air.

It was a demonstration of sloppy  fighting,  Obi-Wan  judged.  Decca's

gang might  be  large  and  fierce,  but  it  certainly  wasn't  organized.

Striker's soldiers were more efficient, moving slowly but surely toward the

corner where Decca had been. Now the smoke was so thick it  was  impossible

to tell where she had gone.

A panicked voice panted by his ear. "Wherever you're  going,  take  me

with you."

"Swanny, what are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked, whirling  his  lightsaber

to deflect a sudden barrage of blaster fire. "Stay by  the  band  platform,

you'll be safe there."

"Are you kidding? There is no band platform. Some Phlog stepped on  it

on the way to Striker's gang."

"We're sunk," Rorq said, suddenly appearing as he crawled up  to  Obi-

Wan. "You've got to get us out of here."

Obi-Wan looked down at them, exasperated. The  Force  surged,  and  he

quickly whirled around to slice an electrojabber in half, held by  a  Decca

gang member who had mistaken him for an enemy.

He had to get to those datapads.  He  couldn't  do  that  and  protect

Swanny and Rorq.

Obi-Wan leaped closer to Swanny, protecting him from a sudden  barrage

of fire from a repeating blaster. The fire was fast  and  furious.  Obi-Wan

had to twirl his lightsaber in a continuous motion. He called  out  to  the

Force, using it to slow down time so that  he  could  see  each  individual

blaster shot. Where was Anakin?

As if his thought had conjured him, Anakin appeared through the smoke.

His lightsaber held high and constantly moving, he was leaping  toward  the

repeating blaster, which some enterprising members of  Striker's  gang  had

set up against the wall.

Anakin hit the repeating blaster  with  both  feet,  using  the  split

second between the blasts to make his strike.  The  blaster  flew  off  its

supports. Anakin came down, slicing the weapon in two.

Then he snaked his way back to Obi-Wan.

"Get Swanny and Rorq to safety," Obi-Wan shouted above the  din.  "I'm

going to get to those records. As soon as they're safe, follow  me."  There

was no time to come up with another plan. The smoke rolled toward him,  and

he plunged into it.

Instantly his eyes began to tear again, and he felt the smoke  in  his

lungs, making his breathing difficult. He fought his way forward.  Even  in

this smoke, it would be hard to hide a Hutt.

He had to step over the bodies of the dead and wounded. Obi-Wan tasted

smoke and death in his mouth. He felt tiredness seep into his bones.  Greed

had that effect on him. He could better  understand  the  Mawans,  who  had

fought for ideas, than those who worked for the  crimelords.  Stamping  out

greed was impossible; controlling it was a never-ending task. His job would

never be finished. In the middle of a battle such as this, a great tide  of

weariness could wash over him at the thought.

His battle mind had slipped. That wasn't good. Obi-Wan  wrenched  back

his concentration. Suddenly the bank of datapads burst into flame. They had

been hit by a grenade.

Obi-Wan stopped to consider what to do next. But he didn't  have  time

to change his direction. A percussive force  almost  blasted  him  off  his

feet. The floor rose to meet him and he fell on one knee, his ears ringing.

The size of the blast told him  that  it  had  been  caused  by  a  thermal

detonator. More smoke filled the air, and he could hear screams and cries.

He leaped to avoid a sudden stab with  a  stun  baton.  His  assailant

disappeared into the smoke as quickly as he had appeared.

Obi-Wan decided to find Decca. If he followed her, he  might  discover

her exit strategy and her backup plans.  Perhaps  she  would  lead  him  to

another hideout. He reached the end of the substation  at  last.  He  could

just glimpse Decca lowering her bulk into  a  specially  designed  speeder,

wider and larger than normal. The pilot jammed its throttle forward, and it

sped down the back tunnel.

He had missed the chance to follow her by seconds. There was no  other

speeder in the tunnel to take.

Obi-Wan turned. The smoke was clearing. He saw the gang members  lying

on the floor, or sitting, their heads in their hands. Some who could  still

run had taken off after the retreating members of Striker's gang.

Swanny was holding out a hand, helping Rorq to rise.  They  had  taken

cover behind a garbage bin.

Obi-Wan scanned the crowd. Where was Anakin? He hurried over to Swanny

and Rorq. "Did Anakin follow the others?"

Swanny shook his head. "I don't know, I didn't see. He pushed us  back

here just before something very big exploded."

The thermal detonator. What if Anakin had been close to it?

Something lay on the floor nearby. Obi-Wan felt a terrible dread steal

over him. Slowly, he walked forward and crouched down by the object.

He picked it up and ran his fingers over it. The hilt was  caked  with

dust and one deep scar now marred the finish.

It was Anakin's lightsaber.

CHAPTER SEVEN

At least I'm alive, Anakin thought. I may be stupid, but I'm alive.

It was a very un-Jedi thought. Jedi did not berate themselves.  Anakin

didn't care. He felt stupid and careless. He  tried  to  rearrange  himself

within the garbage container he found himself in, but there  was  no  room,

and whenever he moved, his shoulder sent out a scream of protest. He wasn't

hurt badly. He had landed on his shoulder when the thermal  detonator  hit.

He had seen it but not soon enough. It had exploded, and he'd been hit.

And dropped his lightsaber. Something a Jedi was never, ever  supposed

to do.

Now he was being brought somewhere. He had been dazed from the thermal

detonator, picked up like a sack of onions, and dropped into a container on

top of a pile of greasy bones from the feast. His assailant had ripped  his

utility belt off his tunic, so he'd lost his  comlink,  too.  He  had  been

banged down the tunnel, been thrown into a vehicle, and now was careening..

. somewhere.

He couldn't wait to hear what his Master would say about this one.

Things were bad enough with Obi-Wan. What would happen when  he  found

out that Anakin had lost his lightsaber and been captured?

Anakin pictured the exchange.

I saw the thermal detonator too late, Master. It was a surprise.

There are no surprises when the Force is with you, my young Padawan.

Anakin grimaced. He couldn't wait for that one. If he ever got out  of

here.

He moved his fingers along the  container.  It  was  a  standard-issue

garbage bin. The lid was hinged and had a simple lock. If he  could  manage

to get on his back, he might be able to kick the lid with enough  power  to

shatter the lock.

He could try it. He was on fire to get out of  this  stinking  prison.

But thanks to Obi-Wan, he had learned how to wait.

He was almost certain that  he'd  been  captured  by  Striker's  gang.

Without his lightsaber, he might not be taken for a Jedi.  Perhaps  he  was

one of many prisoners. He guessed that  he  would  be  taken  to  Striker's

hideout. He could bide his time and  observe.  They  were  here  to  gather

information, after all. Maybe he could discover  something  valuable  about

Striker, something they could use.

So maybe the best thing he could do  was  lie  here  and  wait  to  be

released.

As he had that thought, Anakin felt the speeder slow. It stopped,  and

the container was grabbed roughly, then dropped. Anakin had braced himself,

but he banged his head on the side. Patience was hard to find now,  with  a

smarting head, but he reached for it,  calming  himself  for  whatever  lay

ahead.

The container lid was yanked open. Rough hands reached in. Anakin  let

his body go slack. He was grabbed and slung over someone's  shoulder,  then

dumped on the ground.

Anakin looked up into cruel yellow eyes.

"There's your welcome, slug." A giant lmbat smiled down  at  him  with

mossy teeth. Then he reached for his utility belt, where  a  pair  of  stun

cuffs dangled. They looked like delicate bracelets in  his  huge  hand.  He

slapped them on to Anakin. Then with a grunt, he simply turned  and  walked

off.

Anakin rose unsteadily to his feet. His shoulder still ached,  and  he

could feel a lump rising on the side of his forehead near his left eye.

Around him, activity swirled, but no one paid him  any  attention.  He

was free to wander, but the stun cuffs guaranteed he would not be  able  to

wander far. From what he could tell, he was the only prisoner.

Anakin did what he knew Obi-Wan would want him to do. He observed.

The substation was even larger than the one Decca had used.  Banks  of

monitoring equipment, now unused, ran along one wall.  Benches  and  chairs

had been ripped from their floor supports and were piled  in  a  corner.  A

weapons rack held an impressive array of small arms.

The gang members were busy and didn't even glance at  him.  Some  were

checking and cleaning weapons. Others sat at improvised computer  stations,

entering information. Others manned comm units. Everyone seemed to  have  a

job. Compared to the slipshod air of Feeana's operation and the  chaos  and

suppressed violence of Decca's, this seemed like a professional operation.

Which told him that of all three criminals, Striker  was  the  one  to

worry about.

Anakin had no idea where he was. How would Obi-Wan  ever  be  able  to

find him?

But he didn't want Obi-Wan to find him. Not until he had a  chance  to

learn something. It would redeem him in his Master's eyes. Maybe  he  could

discover something important and then escape.

Anakin drifted closer to the computer banks. He focused his  attention

on the fingers of a man entering information. He tapped into the  Force  to

help him. He felt time slow down, and he tried to put words  together  from

the letters the man was entering.

B I 0... he missed several letters, someone walking by... P 0 N

T 0 X

Frustrated, Anakin leaned forward to see. A huge hand suddenly  landed

on his sore shoulder, sending a fresh jolt of pain through his  body.  "The

boss wants to see you."

Without checking to make sure that he was following, the  lmbat  loped

across the space. He accessed a durasteel door that led to a room  off  the

main substation. He waited for it to open, then shoved Anakin  inside.  The

door slid shut behind him.

The room was almost empty except for a bare table and one  chair.  The

man standing in front of  him  was  smiling  and  holding  out  his  hands.

"Forgive my manner of bringing you, my friend. I was impatient to see you."

Anakin felt shock ripple through him.

It was their greatest enemy, Granta Omega.

CHAPTER EIGHT

"You want us to bring you to Striker's hideout?" Swanny asked. "But no

one knows where that is."

"You said you knew where everyone was, and everything that  went  on,"

Obi-Wan said.

"A slight exaggeration can often seal a deal," Swanny said. "Note  the

word 'hideout,' however. That implies that something is hidden, doesn't it?

"

"Then we're just going to have to find it," Obi-Wan said.

"We?" Rorq asked. "What do we have to do with it?"

"Anakin came close to that thermal detonator because  of  the  two  of

you," Obi-Wan said. "He saved your lives."

"And we're sure he wouldn't want  us  to  lose  them,  after  all  the

trouble he went to," Rorq said earnestly.

"Look, Master Obi," Swanny said. "The reason Striker is  so  effective

is because nobody knows anything about him. They don't know where  he  came

from. They don't know his name. They don't know where he lives. They  don't

know when he'll strike  again.  There  are  kilometers  and  kilometers  of

tunnels,  some  of  them  half  finished,  and  empty  substations  on  the

perimeters. He could be anywhere. And it's not like we ever wanted to  look

very hard."

"Then we'll smoke him out," Obi-Wan said.

"I think I've had enough smoke for one night,"  Swanny  said,  rubbing

his fingers along his smoke-blackened face.

"Not real smoke," Obi-Wan said. "I mean provoke him so that he'll come

out into the open."

"Provoke him?" Rorq moaned. "That doesn't sound good."

Obi-Wan was feeling on the edge of his patience. He should have stayed

with Anakin when they were under attack. Now he did not know if Anakin  was

badly wounded or worse.

He remembered feeling so angry on Andara. thought you'd  be  proud  of

me, Anakin had said. And he had wanted to reply that  he  was  proud,  that

Anakin's progress astonished him, that there was so much about Anakin  that

he admired. Instead he had held his  tongue,  thinking  there  would  be  a

better time. He did not want to praise Anakin when his apprentice had  made

such an error.

But maybe he should have. That better time had not arrived.

"Where is Striker most vulnerable?" he asked Swanny.

"I have no idea," Swanny said. "Nowhere, if I had to guess.  He's  got

personal guards that surround him at all times. Plus surveillance, weapons,

assassins, a huge army... can I stop now?"

Obi-Wan's comlink signaled. He snatched it up eagerly.

"Speak with you, I must," Yaddle said. "At the airlift, meet we will."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said. "But I  was  just  about  to  contact  you.

Anakin is missing. I think Striker has taken him."

Yaddle hesitated for only a beat. He could feel her concern. Then  she

said slowly, "Your problem, my problem - fix each other, they might."

Swanny and Rorq seemed relieved at the diversion. They were  happy  to

lead him to the airlift.

Yaddle stepped off the airlift with the graceful,  gliding  step  that

never seemed to abandon her, even when she was tired or impatient.

"In addition to the mainframe substation of the power grid, taken over

another crucial station, Striker has," she said. "Substation 32, a  central

relay station. Crucial it is as a network point for restarting the grid."

Swanny nodded. "That's right. He can override the power surge you need

for start up from that substation."

"Retake it, we must," Yaddle confirmed.

"I was looking for a way to provoke Striker," Obi-Wan said.

"That will do it," Swanny muttered. "He just got that substation  back

from Decca tonight. I imagine he feels pretty good about it."

"If we attack the substation, he'll have to send reinforcements," Obi-

Wan said to Yaddle. "We can tail them back to the hideout."

"Can I say something here?" Swanny asked. "Taking  the  substation  is

impossible. Just wanted to mention that."

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He has his best men protecting the power  grid,"  Swanny  said.  "His

most explosive weapons. I've seen the Jedi  in  action  and  it's  a  sweet

sight, don't get me wrong. But can two Jedi go up against grenade launchers

and missile tubes?"

Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Yaddle.

"There's only one entrance to substation 32," Swanny  went  on.  "It's

the only way in. And you won't  go  more  than  two  meters  before  you're

blasted to pieces."

"I guess that's that, then," Rorq said. "There's no other way."

Yaddle smiled. Obi-Wan turned to Swanny and Rorq. "For the Jedi, there

is always another way," he said.

CHAPTER NINE

Don't let him see your surprise. Don't give  him  even  a  flicker  of

satisfaction.

"Oh, come on, Anakin," Granta Omega said. "You're surprised. Admit it.

And maybe just a little bit pleased?"  Omega  smiled  at  him.  Anakin  was

always mystified by his charm. He had liked him, once. Before he'd tried to

kill Obi-Wan. Before it was clear that the dark side dominated his acts.

Granta Omega was out to lure a Sith into the open. He was  not  Force-

sensitive, but he wanted to be close to the Force. He wanted to  understand

the source of such power. He would do anything to attract the one  Sith  he

knew was at large in the galaxy. He was enormously wealthy, and  would  use

anyone or anything to get what he wanted. Even the Jedi.

"I  wouldn't  say  pleased,"  Anakin  replied.  "And  I  wouldn't  say

surprised. I'd say very unhappy."

Omega cocked his head and regarded Anakin. "I'm sorry  to  hear  that.

But I know that soon you'll understand why we keep running into each other.

You are strong in the Force. Stronger than any  Jedi.  Stronger  than  your

Master - and he knows it.  I'm  still  interested  in  the  Sith,  but  I'm

becoming even more interested in you."

"The feeling isn't mutual."

Omega strolled around the empty room. He  was  what  was  known  as  a

"void," a being who could neutralize his appearance and aura so  completely

that those who met him could not recall what he  looked  like.  To  Anakin,

he'd seemed different each time they'd met. The first time he'd  seen  him,

he'd appeared to be a weary bounty hunter. Anakin had also spent time  with

him when Omega was posing as a scientist  named  Tic  Verdun.  He'd  had  a

haphazard, nervous manner then, and friendly brown eyes.

Now Anakin had the feeling he was seeing the real  Granta  Omega.  His

hair was dark and flowed to his shoulders. His eyes were a dark, deep blue,

not brown as they'd appeared before. His body was slim but strong.  And  he

looked younger, too, perhaps even younger than Obi-Wan.

"At least be impressed at how I've forgiven  you,"  Omega  said.  "You

notice I don't hold a grudge. You and your Master killed a good deal for me

last time we met. I was close to cornering the market  on  bacta.  I  would

have made a fortune. Instead I almost drowned in a tidal wave. Then  I  was

forced to erase all my secret financial records. No hard feelings, though."

"On your side, maybe," Anakin said.

"As I was saying, that little adventure cost me. I had to make  it  up

somehow. Planets like Mawan are made for beings like  me.  We  can  set  up

operations without too much interference. There's no one to bribe,  no  one

to fight. We just grab our piece. I already  had  some  business  interests

here, so it was just a matter of coming myself and devoting all  my  effort

to it. I've made up what I lost in just a few months."

"Am I supposed to say congratulations now?" Anakin asked.

Omega sighed. "Still a Jedi," he said. "Moons and stars,  you  can  be

boring. Your Master's influence, no doubt." He leaned  against  the  table.

"Can't you relax? Not all Jedi are as rigid as your Master."

"How would you know?"

"Some are interested in investigating deep in the archives and finding

that the Jedi know more about the dark side than they care to reveal.  They

don't waste their time meditating on favorite rocks  in  the  Room  of  the

Thousand Fountains or sneaking into the Council Receiving Room to watch the

Senatorial starships dock in the restricted space lane."

"How do you know those things?" Anakin asked, startled. Only Jedi knew

those things. They weren't important, but they were  things  that  Padawans

did.

"Maybe I know more about the Jedi than you," Omega said in  a  teasing

tone. "Jealous?"

He laughed at the expression on Anakin's face. "You look worried.  And

angry. Didn't I suggest that you relax? You'd think  you'd  just  gotten  a

reprimand from Rei Soffran."

Rei  Soffran  was  a  revered  Jedi  Master  and  a  teacher  of   the

intermediate students. He  was  legendary  at  the  Temple  for  his  tough

lectures. When you were called to Rei  Soffran's  chamber,  you  knew  your

faults would be dissected and you'd be carved  up  like  a  roasted  doisey

bird.

But how did Omega know that?

Omega swung himself up on the table. He sat  on  the  edge  and  faced

Anakin, swinging his legs like a young boy. "Oh, come on, Anakin. You don't

need Obi-Wan. You don't need the Council. Haven't you figured that out yet?

"

Anakin thought of his last mission on Andara.  He  had  infiltrated  a

group of students who acted as a secret squad,  hiring  themselves  out  on

missions throughout the galaxy. They chose what they  wanted  to  do.  They

answered to no one but themselves. Before it all fell apart, he had admired

them and maybe envied them. It had felt like freedom. It had made him think

what he would be like without having a Master or the Council  to  tell  him

what to do. He had shoved those thoughts deep into his mind, like  a  dirty

tunic in his utility bag.

Something must have changed in his face,  for  Omega's  eyes  gleamed,

becoming a sharp, clear blue. "You have figured that out." He continued  to

study him. "But you can't face it."

Anakin shook his head. "That's not true."

Omega laughed. "I thought Jedi weren't supposed to lie. You've got one

foot on the dark path, Anakin. Are you sure you are meant to be a Jedi?"

"It's all I've ever wanted," Anakin said. The words came  out  without

him wanting them to. They were in his head, as they always were.

"Yes, you were a special case," Omega said.  "I've  heard  the  story.

Chosen as a young boy. You were a slave, so of  course  you  dreamed  of  a

better life, a life you thought of as free. Welcome to reality, Anakin. Are

you free?" Omega snorted. "If I held on to my dreams as a young boy, I'd be

repairing starships for a living. I used to think that  was  exciting.  How

can you be so sure that your dream was the right one?"

"The dream is real because I am living it," Anakin said.

"The dream," Omega said softly, "was for opportunity and  freedom  and

adventure. That is not the same thing. You began as a slave. Of course  you

dreamed of freedom. But you are not a boy now. You must know that the  only

thing that buys freedom in this life is wealth. I have it. I can  give  you

more freedom than the Jedi can."

Anakin shook his head. "I don't want your brand of freedom."

"Why not? I can do anything I want. Let me tell you, power is  a  good

thing to have. It's even fun. You could do anything you want. With my help,

you could raise an army. You could return to the miserable planet  of  your

birth and free your mother. Isn't that your deepest wish? Why are the  Jedi

holding you back from it?"

Startled, Anakin remembered his vision. He had touched  the  cuffs  on

Shmi's hands and they had fallen to the floor. It hadn't been a  vision  of

what would happen, he realized suddenly. It had been a vision of what could

be.

What could be...

The thought flared up, searing him with promise.  He  thought  of  how

he'd felt in the dream. So powerful, so sure. Closing his  hands  over  the

remembered texture of Shmi's skin, seeing the light in her  eyes  when  she

saw him.

"Yes, Anakin Skywalker," Omega said softly. "I can give you the  means

to do it. We could leave here tomorrow if that's what you wished."

"No," Anakin said. I am not listening to this. I am not hearing this.

Omega pushed himself off the table. Anakin heard the slap of his boots

on the floor, but he didn't look at his face. "Well, think  about  it.  You

don't have to leave the Jedi forever. You could give me a  trial  run.  See

how you like real freedom. You can  always  return  to  the  Jedi.  They're

pretty desperate these days. They'll take you back."

"I will never give you anything," Anakin said.

"How about a deal? Something I want for something you want? I know the

Jedi want me off-planet. I'm not sure if I'm ready to go, but if the Senate

is going to get tangled up in Mawan  politics,  I'd  be  a  fool  to  stay.

Nevertheless, I have some demands. If you'll contact Yaddle and get her  to

come to a meeting here, I'll guarantee her safety."

"Who will guarantee yours?" Anakin shot back.

Omega chuckled. "You will. The fact that I'm holding a Jedi means that

whoever is in charge up there won't send an army after me to `negotiate.' I

may be  somewhat  greedy,  but  I'm  practical.  I'm  willing  to  move  my

operation. But Yaddle is the only one who can authorize my conditions.  Set

up the meeting. Then, while I make preparations to depart, you  can  decide

whether you want to come with me."

"I don't have to make a decision. I know what I  am.  I  know  what  I

want."

Omega sighed. "You Jedi. Always so resolute." He shuddered. "All  that

self-righteousness gives me the spooks. Let me know if you'll  set  up  the

meeting. I'll arrange to bring your comlink to you."

He accessed the door and strode out into the busy  substation.  Anakin

turned and watched him move across the room. He noticed how  Omega  quickly

checked and conferred with his assistants as he walked. He  made  decisions

quickly and moved on. The room hummed with activity. For the first time  he

saw how this man had amassed such a fortune.

How did Omega know such things about the Temple? Had  he  corrupted  a

Jedi? Had he infiltrated the Temple?  Such  things  were  unthinkable,  but

there had to be an explanation.

Omega's invitation for him to join his operation was laughable. Yet it

had brought the vision freshly into his mind, and  Anakin  still  felt  the

ache of it.

We could leave here tomorrow....

He could see her again. He could free her, and make sure she was  well

and safe. And then he could return to the Jedi.  Omega  said  he  could  do

that.

But the Jedi would not take him back if he did such  a  thing.  Anakin

knew that. Most likely Omega did, too.

His offer was hollow at the core.

But was there truth there, too? Were the Jedi holding  him  back  from

his deepest wish?

And was he strong enough to face the answer?

CHAPTER TEN

Yaddle  looked  around  the  tunnel  with  distaste.  "Too  much  time

underground, I have spent," she murmured lightly. "Glad I will  be  to  see

the sky again."

Obi-Wan smiled at her humorous tone,  but  he  knew  there  was  truth

behind Yaddle's words. He remembered the words from  Anakin's  vision:  The

One Below remains below. Yoda had interpreted it as a warning, and  Obi-Wan

agreed. Now Yaddle was belowground. What if the attack  on  the  substation

failed and something happened to Yaddle?

"I can handle this," he told her. "You should go back."

Yaddle shook her head at him. "Know what you are thinking, I do,  Obi-

Wan. Worried about your Padawan's vision, I am not. Think you that I should

run away?"

"That's not what I meant, Master Yaddle," Obi-Wan  said  respectfully.

"I was just suggesting that - "

"That run away I should," Yaddle interrupted. "Wasting time, we are."

Obi-Wan had been corrected, and he accepted Yaddle's rebuke. If he had

been in her position, he would not have retreated,  either.  He  turned  to

Swanny. "Didn't you tell me that  you  can  boost  the  grid  from  another

source, but only if the central relay substation is destroyed?"

"Right. Substation 32. That's my point," Swanny said  patiently.  "You

might recall that I told you if you blow up the relay equipment, the  whole

power grid might blow. And that's one sweet ka-boom. Kiss  your  lightsaber

good-bye."

Obi-Wan turned back to Yaddle. "If we  hit  substation  32,  can  your

experts boost the grid right afterward? We can't give Striker a  chance  to

hit back."

"Find out, we will." Yaddle immediately got out her comlink.

Swanny looked at Obi-Wan curiously. "I don't get it. How can two  Jedi

render an entire substation inoperable?"

"Well, we'll need a hand," Obi-Wan said. "That's where you come in."

"Me? You know I'd love to help, but I think you've seen  my  cowardice

in action," Swanny said.

"You won't have to go near the substation," Obi-Wan assured him.

Yaddle got off the comlink and nodded. "Do it, they can. Yet  crucial,

timing is. Destroy the relay substation we must within the hour. Impatient,

Feeana is. Need her we do to patrol the city. Trust us, the Mawan  citizens

must. If we promise them that control of the power grid and the backing  of

Feeana and her gang will hold the city, aboveground they will come." Yaddle

paused. "An idea you have, Master Kenobi."

It was a statement, not a question.

"We can't blow it up," Obi-Wan said.  "But  we  could  drown  it."  He

turned to Swanny. "Can you flood the substation from the  wastewater  pipes

without  getting  inside  the  station?  You  said  you  knew  every   pipe

belowground."

Swanny thought for a full minute while Obi-Wan tried not to  show  his

impatience. "There's a  small  wash-up  area  in  the  substation  for  the

workers," he said finally. "If I divert the wastewater from tank  102C  and

gush it through system A-9 with enough force, it  could  conceivably  break

through a pipe joint - the pipes going into substation 32 are part  of  the

old system, so they're not in great shape - and then  we'd  have  a  pretty

major flood in a matter of minutes. It would take me more than an  hour  to

get there and figure out what circuits I need to use."

"You have forty minutes," Obi-Wan said. "We'd better get started."

Swanny had been right about  the  firepower.  As  Obi-Wan  and  Yaddle

skirted the substation's  perimeter,  he  could  see  two  grenade  mortars

guarding the entrance. The operators sat on repulsorlift platforms, and the

Jedi could see that the targeting computers  were  engaged.  Attack  droids

stood in ready formation.

"We could use a diversion," Obi-Wan murmured to  Yaddle  as  they  hid

behind a utility box.

"Accomplish this we must, if the Provisional Committee is going to  be

successful," Yaddle said. "The longer it takes,  the  more  things  can  go

wrong."

"Look," Obi-Wan said, pointing at a stream  of  water  underneath  the

double durasteel doors of the substation. "Swanny must have been effective.

The flood has begun."

Yaddle opened her comlink to signal the power grid team  that  Euraana

had arranged to stand by.

Up on their repulsorlift platforms, the guards didn't notice the water

streaming out from underneath the crack in the durasteel doors. Their gazes

continued to rest on the targeting computers that would show them attacking

beings or airborne weapons.

"When it gets deep enough to endanger the equipment, the alarm  should

sound," Obi-Wan murmured. "I'm  betting  the  operators  will  leave  their

grenade mortars and let the droids guard the  entrance.  They'll  call  for

reinforcements."

"One problem, there is," Yaddle said. "Burst open, the doors might."

"And that would release the flood into the  tunnel."  Obi-Wan  nodded.

"In which case, the equipment might keep functioning."  He  thought  for  a

moment. "Can you use the Force to hold the doors?"

Yaddle nodded.

The water was now streaming down  the  tunnel  and  lapping  at  their

boots. Because of the downward slope, it ran out from underneath the  door.

They could see that the water inside was rising, since the  water  was  now

leaking out of the seam between the double doors. The pressure of the water

was causing the doors to vibrate from the strain.

Obi-Wan felt the Force surround them as Yaddle gathered it around her.

The doors and the water stopped moving. It  began  to  collect  around  the

wheels of the grenade mortars and the legs of the droids.

They watched as the water deepened, held back by the  Force.  Soon  it

was lapping at the repulsorlift platforms, but the  guards  still  did  not

notice, intent on their computers.

Suddenly a light flashed red over the doors. The alarm began  to  beep

insistently. The two operators sat up in their chairs and swiveled to check

behind them.

They saw the water.

"What's going on?" one of them shouted.

The other spoke into a comlink. "They're sending reinforcements.  Just

stay calm."

"I am calm!" the second guard shouted. "I just can't swim!"

The other guard began to enter a code into a handheld sensor.

"They'd better boost the grid  now,"  Obi-Wan  said.  Yaddle  listened

intently to the comlink.

"Bypassed the station, they have," she told Obi-Wan. "Wait we must  to

see if the power surge will restore the grid...."

Suddenly the attack droids snapped into formation,  splashing  in  the

water.

"They must have engaged a life-form sensor sweep," Obi-Wan said.

"A few minutes more, they need."

"We just ran out of time." Obi-Wan activated  his  lightsaber.  "Let's

go."

He charged out into the tunnel, moving quickly through the  water  and

heading straight for the mortar operators. They saw the Jedi  charging  and

scrambled to jump back on their mortar platforms. Yaddle released her  hold

on the doors, which burst open, releasing a  wave  of  water.  Obi-Wan  was

prepared, but the power of the water almost knocked him  down.  He  reached

out a hand, using the Force to push one guard off his feet.  His  head  hit

the durasteel doors and he slumped to the floor as the  water  flowed  down

the tunnel.

Right behind Obi-Wan, Yaddle took out an attack droid with a flick  of

her lightsaber while she sent the other guard  flying  against  the  tunnel

wall. The last guard took one look at the Jedi charging toward him  with  a

lightsaber and took off, splashing down the tunnel.

Attack droids cannot be intimidated, however. The line wheeled  toward

the Jedi. Obi-Wan had never fought beside Yaddle before. She was all  grace

and flowing movement, her lightsaber a blur, the Force growing and charging

the air around them until Obi-Wan could feel it humming in him  and  around

him. Charged with Yaddle's energy, he sliced through four droids  with  one

swift blow. The blaster fire was heavy but he had no problem deflecting it.

It felt easy and natural with the Force so  strong.  Yaddle  took  out  ten

attack droids in what seemed like no time and then buried her lightsaber in

the two grenade mortar controls. Within minutes, all  of  the  droids  were

sizzling in the puddles of water.

"Reinforcements should be here soon," Obi-Wan said.

"Feel them near, I can," Yaddle said. She listened to the comlink  and

then nodded. "Success," she said to Obi-Wan. "Up, the power grid is, and in

our hands. The city of Naatan is lit once more. Go now  to  the  Mawans,  I

must. Time to return to their homes, it is."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll wait for the reinforcements. They'll most likely

return to brief Striker."

"As soon as I can return to help find Anakin I will," Yaddle said.

Yaddle moved down the  tunnel  quickly,  her  robe  swinging.  Obi-Wan

stepped back behind the utility box and waited. The tramp of  running  feet

announced the arrival of the reinforcements.

They took one look at the spreading water,  the  still-sizzling  droid

parts, and the absence of the guards. The superior  officer  activated  his

comlink and spoke into it. Then he signaled to the others.

"Nothing we can do here," the officer said.

"Aren't you going to search the tunnels?" another one asked.

"Do I look crazy? Back to headquarters."

They tramped off. After a moment,  Obi-Wan  emerged  from  behind  the

utility box and followed.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

He was grateful,  at  least,  for  the  food.  Anakin  had  considered

rejecting the plate of vegetable turnovers with harima sauce, but what good

would that do? He'd finished the plate and downed a carafe  of  water  when

suddenly Granta Omega strode out  of  his  private  room  and  the  hideout

exploded in movement.

He couldn't hear the orders Omega rapped out but suddenly everyone was

busy. Computers were shut down. Bins were closed and locked.  Weapons  were

gathered. Gravsleds appeared and gang members began loading them.

Obi-Wan, Anakin thought. He smiled.

Within minutes, the substation was cleared.

Still cuffed, Anakin was hustled into a speeder with  the  same  lmbat

guard. He zoomed down the tunnel at a  fast  clip.  Anakin  kept  his  mind

focused so he could remember the many turns.

At last they arrived at their destination, a smaller  space  that  had

once been a refueling center. Anakin was tossed out of the speeder  by  the

Imbat, but this time he was able to land on his feet. He watched while  the

gang members busily began to set up the hideout again. He  could  see  that

they had done this many times.

Granta Omega strode toward him, his boot heels clicking on the  floor.

He looked grim. "It's time to contact Yaddle."

"As long as I can tell her who you are and I can speak freely." He had

nothing to lose by contacting Yaddle. He had complete confidence that she'd

be able to handle Granta Omega. And Yaddle would be able  to  tell  Obi-Wan

that he was still alive.

Omega waved a hand. "Of course. I'm not trying to trick  you,  Anakin.

I'm a businessman. I want to make a deal."

"I'll need my comlink."

Omega tossed it to him.

"As long as I have it, I'd like to contact  my  Master,  too,"  Anakin

said. It was worth a try.

"Do you think he's worried about you?" Omega barked a laugh. "What you

don't know about your Master could  fill  your  precious  archives.  Kenobi

doesn't have a heart. Beings are just a means to get what he needs to be  -

the great Jedi in his own mind."

Anakin suddenly grasped a  feeling  that  had  floated  in  his  mind,

something he could not put words to. Now it formed into a belief.

"This is personal for you, isn't it?" he accused Omega. "You hate Obi-

Wan."

Omega flushed. "No calls to your Master. I deal with  Yaddle  only.  I

only have so much hospitality to offer."

Anakin contacted Yaddle. There was nothing  else  to  do.  He  quickly

explained that Striker was actually Granta  Omega,  and  that  he  was  his

prisoner, which was hard to get out. He still  felt  ashamed  that  he  had

allowed himself to be captured.

"Omega has requested a meeting," he finished. "He will only meet  with

you."

"Hold you hostage, he did not need to do," Yaddle said. "Talk to  him,

I would have done, if he had asked."

"I guess he feels he needs some insurance that you will  come  alone,"

Anakin said. "He's afraid that if he sets up a meeting he will be betrayed.

"

"I'm not afraid," Omega hissed to Anakin. "Just careful."

"I can't tell you where I am, because I'm not sure," Anakin said.  "We

just moved to a new hideout. And I don't know how sincere  Omega  is  about

making a deal. He says he is, but I don't  trust  him."  Omega  grinned  at

Anakin, not bothered in the least. "It is  up  to  you  to  decide,  Master

Yaddle. All I ask is that you do not come because of me. I am fine here."

"So far," Omega said so that Yaddle could hear. "Come, I will," Yaddle

said. "But inform Obi-Wan first, I must."

"I have a list of coordinates," Omega said to  Anakin.  "I'll  release

them one at a time. If at any point it seems that Yaddle is  not  alone,  I

will disappear... with you."

"Understood," Yaddle said, after Anakin had conveyed this information.

Anakin clutched his comlink. He hoped they both  had  made  the  right

decision. "May the Force be with you," he told Yaddle.

Omega rolled his eyes. "Oh, please," he said.

"Striker is Granta Omega?" Obi-Wan hissed into  his  comlink.  He  had

concealed himself in the near-empty substation to watch the  activity.  The

gang he had followed had come directly here, but it was  obvious  the  main

hideout had been moved. Now they were occupied in  gathering  up  the  last

weapons and equipment and loading them onto speeders with cargo holds.

"Going to meet him, I am," Yaddle said.

"I'm coming with you."

"Best you do not," Yaddle said.

"He is my Padawan - "

"And trust me with his security you do not?"

Obi-Wan held the comlink away and sighed. He rested his  head  against

the smooth surface of the tunnel wall. It was hard being matched up with an

esteemed Jedi Master like Yaddle. He would not win any argument.

"Moved his hideout, Omega has. It would take us too long to find it. A

shortcut, this is." Yaddle's voice softened slightly. "Watch out for him, I

will, Obi-Wan. But need you I do, to help with the Mawans. Agreed they have

to go aboveground. The exodus is proceeding.  A  Jedi  presence  is  needed

here."

Obi-Wan took a moment to accept this. It went  against  everything  he

wanted. He needed to see Anakin with his own eyes, to make sure he was safe

and well. But Yaddle had told him that Anakin said he  was  fine,  and  his

voice had sounded strong.

He needed to see Granta Omega, too. Anger rose in him, anger that made

him want to put his fist through a wall. Anger he must learn to accept  and

release.

Omega had his Padawan. His most dangerous enemy had his most treasured

companion. And instead of helping to release Anakin, Yaddle was asking  him

to shepherd complete strangers back to their homes.

It was that thought that helped him. He  was  a  Jedi.  The  needs  of

strangers were most important. His own needs meant nothing in comparison to

theirs. Obi-Wan repeated the words again in his mind, this  time  with  the

compassion and power that they warranted. He had to bring strangers  safely

to their homes.

"All right," he said to Yaddle. "But tell Omega that I  will  see  him

soon."

"A threat that is," Yaddle said sternly. "And so  deliver  it  I  will

not."

Obi-Wan rested his head against the wall again. "Unless  I  have  to,"

Yaddle concluded.

Anakin stood, waiting for Yaddle. Omega was using tracking  droids  to

make sure Yaddle came to each coordinate alone.

They were in one of the airlift tube stations, smaller  than  the  one

Anakin had used to come below only hours ago, though it felt like days.  He

guessed he was about twenty levels down, near the northeast quadrant of the

tunnel system. If he had to find his way back to Obi-Wan, he might be  able

to.

"She's following my instructions," Omega said.

"Smart.

"What did you expect?" Anakin said. "She's not afraid of you."

"Yes, I can always depend on  Jedi  arrogance,"  Omega  said.  "In  an

uncertain galaxy, it's so comforting to have one thing you  can  count  on.

Tell me, Anakin. Have you thought about what I said?  I'll  make  the  deal

with Yaddle and we can go to Tatooine tonight. You could see your mother as

early as tomorrow. I have a fast ship."

"I didn't need to think about what you said."

"Ah, but you did think about it, I can tell. This is your last chance.

I hate to be dramatic, but.." Omega shrugged. "Choose."

"There is no choice," Anakin said.

"Too bad. Your loss. Mine too, that's the sad thing. Ah, the  wee  one

approaches."

Yaddle came toward them, her robe swinging  with  the  motion  of  her

walk.

"Thank you for coming," Omega said courteously.

Yaddle studied Anakin for a moment. He saw her gaze rest on  his  stun

cuffs, then move on. Her eyes met his, and he nodded to show  her  that  he

was all right.

"Understand I do that you have conditions,  but  willing  you  are  to

leave Mawan," Yaddle said.

"Willing? Hardly. I have a good thing here," Omega said.

"Choose to leave you may not, but  warn  you  I  must,"  Yaddle  said.

"Hunted you will be, by  Senate  security  forces.  By  midday,  under  our

control Naatan will be."

"Impressed with your speed I am," Omega said, mocking Yaddle.

Yaddle did not show anger or  impatience,  yet  Anakin  saw  something

flare in her eyes, something very much like defiance. "And wish he did  for

me to tell you, Obi-Wan will meet you soon."

Omega laughed. "I'm sure he did.  I  wish  I  could  say  I'm  looking

forward to it, but Kenobi puts me to sleep."

"Waiting to hear your conditions I am," Yaddle said.

"Let me start by telling you that I  am  in  possession  of  a  highly

illegal bioweapon."

Anakin felt his stomach twist. He remembered the fingers  tapping  out

information. B I 0 P ON - Bioweapon! He should have put that together!  And

the next letters he'd glimpsed had been T 0 X X...

"It is a simple device, really," Omega went on.  "Beautifully  simple.

Basically a canister packed with a powerful explosive. But the canister  is

filled with dihexalon gas. Are you familiar with it?"

"Toxic to life-forms, it is," Yaddle said. "Deadly."

"Good, then you know what we are dealing with. The canister  has  been

loaded into this airlift tube. The detonator  is  controlled  by  a  remote

device that is not on me, but I can transmit the order in seconds.  I  know

you've been leading the Mawans back to their homes on the  surface.  That's

Obi-Wan's job, isn't it? Pity they all will die."

"You targeted Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked, fury ticking beneath his words.

"No, your Master is just a bonus." Omega eyed Yaddle. "You should know

by now that I have bigger ambitions."

Yaddle met his gaze. Anakin felt the Force stir. It seemed  to  rustle

around his ankles, then move up his body, as if Yaddle was drawing it  from

the ground itself. He felt it like a physical sensation.

"Wish you do to kill a Council Member," Yaddle said. "I'm afraid  so,"

Omega said.

Anakin realized then that he was just a pawn in this  struggle.  Omega

had used him. He had let himself be used. He had been so stupid!

"You must choose," Omega said. "The lives of the Mawans - or the  life

of Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One."

"Or my own life," Yaddle said. "So many lives, you play with."

"That's my job. Those cuffs on Anakin's wrists are  not  stun  cuffs,"

Omega said. "They carry enough of a charge to kill him."

Anakin looked down at the cuffs on his wrists. He had  done  this.  He

had been the bait to lure Yaddle here. Omega had lied. He still  wanted  to

impress a Sith. And what better way than to kill a Jedi Council member?

"Your death will be painless, Master Yaddle," Omega said.  "I'll  give

you that. I'm not interested in giving you pain. Anakin will bring the news

back to Obi-Wan. It will soon be known around the galaxy."

"And the bioweapon?" Yaddle asked.

"That's my insurance that I will get off-planet," Omega said. "With my

soldiers, with my equipment, with my wealth, with my records. But  The  One

Below will remain below. I will seal your legend, Master Yaddle."

The One Below will remain below...

Omega would have revenge on Anakin as well. Anakin would have to  live

knowing he had caused Yaddle's death.

"So what do you - " Omega started.

The movement was so sudden and so fast that even Anakin couldn't track

it. Yaddle's lightsaber was activated without him seeing her move  so  much

as a finger. She used it in a surgical strike at his  wrists.  He  did  not

have time to flinch, which was lucky, because she could easily have cut off

his hands. Anakin felt only  a  flash  of  heat,  as  though  he'd  touched

something hot and then pulled his hand away.

The cuffs clattered to the floor.

The cuffs, falling...

That was in his vision, too! But the cuffs hadn't been on  Shmi.  They

had nothing to do with Shmi. Obi-Wan and Yoda had been right.

"Launch it!" Omega screamed, then turned to  Yaddle  and  added,  "You

have just ensured the deaths of thousands."

Anakin realized in a flash that Omega must have had an open channel on

his comlink. That had been an order. He heard the rush of air in the tube.

He only saw the flash of the hem of Yaddle's robe as she  Force-jumped

toward the airlift tube. She pressed the maximum eject button with the hilt

of her lightsaber as she passed. She burst into the airlift tube  and  shot

upward like a blast from a laser cannon.

Omega was too stunned to move. Anakin didn't hesitate. He jumped after

Yaddle into the tube, pressing the maximum eject button as well.

The velocity was incredible. He shot upward to the surface so fast  he

lost his breath and his ears protested with a scream of pain. He  shot  out

into a night sky that glittered with stars. The lights of the city  were  a

blur as he passed them. He started to fall back down,  the  wind  whistling

past his ears. Only the Force saved him from an extremely bumpy landing. He

called on it to slow his descent but still  he  landed  hard,  bending  his

knees and rolling with the impact.

He lay on his back, still dizzy, trying to catch  his  breath.  Yaddle

had not landed. He felt the Force so strongly it served to yank him to  his

feet. Again, it was like a physical presence to him,  as  though  he  could

feel it on his skin and even in the roots of his hair.

Yaddle hung above him, above the tallest building of Naatan, the Force

holding her temporarily aloft. She  held  a  silver  canister  against  her

chest.

She was high above, but he heard her voice  clearly.  It  was  in  his

head, he realized.

If you lose your anger, find you it will. Embrace it and disappear  it

will. Chosen, you may be. But for what? Your question to answer, it is.

He barely registered her words. A terrible certainty was growing.  And

then everything was suddenly clear to Anakin, as clear  as  the  hard-edged

stars. He realized what Yaddle was about to do.

"No!" he shouted. But he could already feel it. Yaddle was drawing  in

the great net of the Force she  had  created,  drawing  it  around  her  so

tightly and fiercely and strongly that Anakin fell to  his  knees.  He  had

never felt the Force move like this. He couldn't speak or move.

From far below, Granta detonated the explosives.

Anakin heard a sharp pop, nothing more. The Force  grew  until  Anakin

was dazzled. Instead of exploding, the canister imploded, and  Yaddle  drew

the toxic gas and the explosive power in, absorbing it into her body.

Then she simply disappeared. A shower of light particles swirled, hung

in the air, then evaporated.

Anakin's face was wet. Tears flowed and he  did  not  feel  them.  The

night sky was empty, and Jedi Master Yaddle was dead.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Anakin sat, staring at the ground.  He  did  not  feel  time  passing.

Somewhere in his mind he knew he should find  a  comlink,  find  a  way  to

contact Obi-Wan, but the thought was distant and he did not pursue it.

Yaddle was dead. He knew it, but he couldn't grasp it. A member of the

Jedi Council, a wise being so practiced in the Force that she was a legend.

A being whose strength and wisdom the Jedi needed in these times.  She  had

sacrificed herself for him.   Because he had seen a  thermal  detonator  too

late. Because he had been captured. Because he had been tricked. A chain of

events had brought him to this moment. At any time he  could  have  changed

his course. Instead he had blundered on.

She had saved him first, then gone after the bomb.

Anakin puzzled over that. She had risked thousands of lives  for  his.

Why?

Chosen, you may be. But for what? Your question to answer, it is.

Was that why she had saved him?

If that was the reason, he could  not  bear  the  responsibility.  Her

death was his fault.

A pair of dusty, muddy boots appeared. Obi-Wan crouched down.

"Something terrible has happened," he said. "I felt the  Force  surge,

and then retreat, like a vacuum. Tell me."

"Master Yaddle is dead," Anakin said, his voice muffled.

Obi-Wan breathed in, absorbing his shock. "How?"

Anakin told him the story in a neutral tone. If he added his  feelings

to the telling, he would not be able to finish.

Obi-Wan was silent for long moments. He sat  back  on  his  heels  and

looked up at the sky.

"She went below for me," Anakin said. "She saved me first. If I hadn't

been captured..."

"Stop." It was Obi-Wan's sternest tone. "Jedi do not go down the  path

of 'ifs.' You know that, Anakin. You choose in each moment what  your  next

step will be. You do not look back in judgment."

Obi-Wan stood. "Yaddle made the only choice she could, and she made it

freely."

Obi-Wan reached down. Anakin's lightsaber was in his hand.

"We will mourn her, but not now. Now it is time to be a Jedi."

Anakin took the lightsaber. He rose and tucked it into his  belt.  His

Master's words should have made Anakin feel better, but they  hadn't.  They

had almost seemed automatic, as though Obi-Wan didn't really mean them.

Even Obi-Wan thought Anakin was responsible for Yaddle's death.

Sorrow and guilt filled him up so far he felt he was drowning.

And then there was an explosion of light and sorrow... He had lost, in

fact, everyone he loved, including Obi-Wan.

The vision had been right.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Obi-Wan contacted Yoda on the emergency channel. He hated having to be

the one to break the news. He would bring Yoda great pain. He felt the pain

himself, in the way his body moved like lead. He had barely  been  able  to

summon up the right words to say to Anakin, and he knew his words  had  not

reached him.

All he could think of was Yaddle. She had been part of his  life  from

his earliest memory. She had  taken  special  delight  in  the  young  Jedi

students. She had turned a blind eye to their pranks. She had hidden sweets

in their pockets. Her touch on the top of his head had felt like  the  most

comforting thing in the world.

And then he had grown, and  things  at  the  Temple  had  become  more

serious. There were hard lessons to learn. Yaddle  had  been  there,  in  a

different  way.  There  had  been  so  many  times  when  he  had   knocked

respectfully on her door with a problem he did not  want  to  trouble  Yoda

with. Obi-Wan realized how exceptional it was that a  member  of  the  Jedi

Council had allowed herself to be so available to  every  student.  Obi-Wan

had not been the only one to seek her counsel, to look for comfort there.

He had lost something so precious. It had been a part of his life  for

so long he hadn't seen it clearly. Yaddle had just  been  there,  with  her

quiet wisdom. It was almost as bad as losing Yoda would be.

He gave Yoda the details  quickly,  knowing  he  would  want  to  hear

everything.

Yoda's voice was liquid with sorrow. "Felt the Force move, I did. Know

I did that she was gone. Prepared my transport for Mawan, I  already  have.

Her work, we must carry on. May the Force be with us."

They hadn't slept since Coruscant, but there was no  time  for  sleep.

With Yaddle's death, the fragile coalition she  had  formed  threatened  to

fall apart. News of the bioweapon had spread, and the Mawans were close  to

panic. If Granta Omega had a weapon that devastating, who could say that he

did not have another?

Within hours, the Senate went back on their pledge to send a  security

force and sent word that they would await further developments. They  would

not commit an army to an unstable situation.

Anakin dropped his  head  in  his  hands  at  this  news.  "Isn't  the

instability the point? That's why we need them!"

Obi-Wan  sighed.  "Yes,  but  if  the  security  force  is  beaten  by

crimelords, the Senators are afraid it will look bad for them. Their  image

is more important than Mawan's security."

"What can we do?" Anakin asked.

"That's the simple part. Present  them  with  an  easy  win,"  Obi-Wan

answered. "The hard part is setting that up. Granta Omega  has  become  our

biggest problem."

"He would be happy to hear that," Anakin said.

They sat in a small office in the makeshift command center the  Senate

Provisional Committee had set up. Now that the power grid was  functioning,

they could monitor the streets through a system of  security  cams  set  up

around the city. Many had been smashed, but some  were  still  functioning,

enough to give them a sense of what was going on. The streets  were  eerily

quiet. Criminal activity  had  either  retreated  into  buildings  or  gone

underground. The sun was just rising, penetrating the gray with a blush  of

pink. Obi-Wan wished he felt as hopeful as the scene painted.

Euraana Fall entered, her face pale with fatigue  and  worry.  "Feeana

Tala is close to deserting the city and pulling her  patrols.  She  doesn't

think we can hold the city against an attack by Omega."

"That means the city will be left without security," Anakin said.

"Which means everyone will retreat belowground  again,  and  we'll  be

back where we started," Euraana said, lowering herself into  a  chair.  She

bent forward to lean her forehead against her clasped hands. She closed her

eyes. "I'm hoarse from talking and reasoning. I don't know what else to do.

I've been in communication with the Senate representative.  He  refuses  to

reconsider the decision to pull back the Senate security force."

"I will speak with him," Obi-Wan said.  "And  I'll  handle  Feeana  as

well. Let's go, Anakin." It seemed a great effort to haul  himself  out  of

his chair. Obi-Wan felt the fatigue deep in his  bones.  "We'll  grab  some

food on the way," he said to  Anakin,  and  saw  the  boy's  face  brighten

slightly.

They headed to the caf© on the second level. Once it  had  served  the

many Mawans who had flocked to the hall for music  and  lectures,  and  its

extensive stoves and cooling units spoke of the array  of  foods  that  had

once been offered. Now the shelves were bare. At least there  was  hot  tea

and a tray of muja muffins.

Anakin picked one up. "Stale," he said, disappointed. "Why do the  bad

guys get all the good food?"

Obi-Wan held up his tea. "That's what dunking  is  for.  Another  Jedi

lesson for you."

Anakin tried to  smile.  It  was  the  first  light  moment  they  had

exchanged since Yaddle's death. But a moment later, Anakin's face  darkened

again.

Something is very wrong, Obi-Wan thought. It wasn't just the aftermath

of Yaddle's death. Why was it that  whenever  he  needed  to  talk  to  his

Padawan, circumstances got in the  way?  There  was  always  a  mission  to

complete, and then, these days, as  soon  as  they  were  done,  there  was

somewhere else important to go, another crucial battle to fight.

Across the empty tables Obi-Wan spied Feeana Tala, slumped over a  mug

of tea. This was a bit of luck. He could approach her informally. Sometimes

that was better when you were trying to hold on to  a  deal.  It  would  be

easier to ensure the Senate's support if he could be sure Feeana would  not

fold.

Feeana looked as tired as Euraana had. She waved  Obi-Wan  off  as  he

approached. "Go away."

Obi-Wan sat down, summoning up a cheerful smile. He motioned Anakin to

do the same. He dunked a piece of muffin into his  tea.  "Good  morning  to

you, too."

"Don't bother with the pleasantries," Feeana said. "I know why  you're

here. You're going to tell me that my cooperation is essential  in  holding

the city. You're going to say that as a Mawan I owe it to my  home  planet.

You're going to say that if I take my gang  and  retreat  belowground  that

eventually I'll be imprisoned." She stirred her tea moodily.  "I  know  all

those things. But I've got my soldiers out on the streets, and there's  not

enough of them to hold the city against Striker - or Omega, as I  hear  his

name is. What am I supposed to do? Send them to their deaths?"

"I would not ask you to continue patrolling  the  city  if  I  thought

that," Obi-Wan said. "I am not willing to sacrifice so many  lives  to  get

what we need."

"But Decca and Omega - "

"We can handle Decca and Omega."

She placed her spoon down carefully. "So  you  say.  And  yet  a  Jedi

Master evaporated into dust particles just a few hours ago."

"Yaddle died in order to protect  your  soldiers  and  the  people  of

Mawan," Obi-Wan said sharply. "That should tell you how far  the  Jedi  are

willing to go."

There was a short silence. Feeana sipped her  tea  and  made  a  face.

"It's cold," she said. Then slowly, she nodded. "All right," she  continued

quietly. "I'll remain."

With Feeana's cooperation and the promise of Yoda's  arrival,  Obi-Wan

was able to convince the Senate to aid Mawan. He found it difficult to keep

his temper cool and speak reasonably. He wanted to shout at  everyone  that

Yaddle had sacrificed herself for their peace and security,  so  the  least

they could do was follow through. He knew that grief was making him  short-

tempered. His heart was heavy, and he was angry, too, angry that Yaddle had

to die.

These were emotions he could not carry with him, for they  would  drag

him down. He had to absorb them and let them go. Yet he felt as  though  he

was struggling against a rising tide.

Anakin said so little. He could not get up the energy to  address  his

Padawan's need, either. And somewhere below, Granta Omega  was  biding  his

time, concocting his plan for revenge, and he would surely try  to  exploit

Anakin's sadness for his own ends. Omega had already killed a member of the

Jedi Council. That had been his great goal, and he had achieved it.

How could Obi-Wan get rid  of  his  anger  when  he  knew  of  Omega's

satisfaction?

A silver streak in the sky told them that Yoda was arriving. They were

on the lookout for it, and they hurried toward the landing  site.  The  day

had dawned gray and cold. A sudden dip in temperature had kept most  beings

inside. It was a lucky break. If Feeana's security patrols didn't  have  to

worry about petty crime, it would be easier to keep them at their posts.

Yoda alighted from the cruiser. His gaze immediately went to Anakin.

"First, see it, I must."

Anakin nodded. He knew immediately what Master Yoda was  asking.  Yoda

wanted to see the place where Yaddle had died.

For long moments, Yoda stood underneath the spot where  Yaddle's  life

had ended. He leaned his head back as if to taste the air.  He  closed  his

eyes as if to feel the presence that still lingered. Obi-Wan imagined  that

he was saying a private, final good-bye to the friend he'd had for so long.

He turned away, wanting to give Yoda the moment. Anakin's  gaze  rested  on

the ground.

At last Yoda turned. "Ready, I am," he said.

They headed back toward the command center. They found Swanny and Rorq

waiting for them, sitting on the steps. They stood as the Jedi approached.

"Bad news," Swanny said. "Decca and Omega  have  settled  their  feud.

They've formed an alliance."

"I was afraid of this," Obi-Wan said.

"It gets worse. Now Omega has access to Decca's fleet, and  Decca  has

access to Omega's weapons. They are planning an assault on the city."

"We have no way to protect the city," Obi-Wan told Yoda. "All we  have

are security patrols."

"Then prevent the attack we must," Yoda said. "The strengths they have

are transports and weaponry? Then strengths we must attack."

"I'm getting tired of saying that's  impossible,"  Swanny  said.  "But

this time, it really is. Decca just got a big shipment of fuel. It was part

of the partnership deal - Omega supplied it. They just brought it below."

"A shipment of fuel," Obi-Wan murmured. "That might help us."

Swanny looked at him, incredulous. "I don't see  how.  But  I  have  a

feeling I will."

"Keep the information about the alliance quiet for now," Obi-Wan said.

"If Feeana gets wind of this - "

"Uh, I think it might be too late,"  Rorq  said.  He  pointed  to  the

distance, where Feeana was striding toward them, an angry look on her face.

"They have formed an alliance!" she exclaimed as she walked up.

"We know," Obi-Wan said.

"And you are just standing here?" she  demanded.  "A  suggestion,  you

have for us?" Yoda asked mildly.

She noticed him for the first time. "Who's this?" "Jedi Master  Yoda,"

Obi-Wan said. "One of our most esteemed Masters."

"Whatever," Feeana said. "Maybe he can tell me what I should  do  when

Omega and Decca attack my troops with transports and missile tubes?"

"Stop the attack before it starts, we will," Yoda said. "How?"  Feeana

demanded. "If you expect me to cooperate, I need more to go on."

"Just trust us," Obi-Wan said. "We need you to patrol all the  airlift

tube exits. As soon as we have control belowground, we will contact you."

"I guess I have no choice," Feeana said.

"Choice, you always have," Yoda told her. "But the best one this is."

A struggle still on her face, Feeana strode away.

"Well, I guess we'll just say good-bye and good  luck,"  Swanny  said,

beginning to head off. Obi-Wan caught him by his collar.

"Not so fast," he said. "You're coming with us."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Anakin was glad to go belowground. Being  under  the  open  sky  where

Yaddle had died had affected him. The sky had  seemed  to  hang  over  him,

pressing against his shoulder blades. Below in the tunnels, he felt safer.

Revenge was on his mind, and it frightened him. He hated Granta Omega,

hated him with a burning rage that threatened to go out of control. He  was

grateful that Yoda had joined them. The presence of the great, perhaps  the

greatest, Jedi Master was as deep and huge  as  Anakin's  rage.  Surely  it

would keep his anger in check. He would look to his Master and Yoda for the

control he needed.

He knew that Yoda and Obi-Wan also felt anger and grief. He saw it  in

their eyes, felt it in the air around them, noted it in the way they  moved

and spoke. Yet they were not deflected from their mission. He  had  watched

in awe as they exchanged information. Their shared glances  told  him  that

they had both come up with the same  plan,  at  the  same  time.  Yoda  was

obviously grief-stricken, yet he had traveled here to  finish  a  job  that

Yaddle had begun, and he would let nothing stand in his way, not  even  his

own sorrow.

He had been so wrong, Anakin  thought  suddenly.  On  Andara,  he  had

briefly imagined what it could be like to have no  Master,  no  Council  to

answer to. But he needed the Council. He needed his Master. They showed him

how far he had to go.

Their inner calm was something he desperately wanted. He would  learn,

he promised himself. On every mission he was brought  up  short  and  shown

what he needed to concentrate on. But he would learn.

If I can get Obi-Wan's trust back.

Anakin felt as  though  he  were  drowning.  Drowning  in  his  guilt.

Everything had changed for him now. Master Yaddle had died before his eyes,

and it had marked him forever. He knew that as firmly as he  knew  his  own

name. As surely as he knew he would do anything now to be a Jedi Knight.

"Okay, here we are," Swanny said, standing in front of a  map  of  the

wastewater transport system. "What do you have in mind? Are  you  going  to

flood the fuel depot?"

"We'd never get away  with  that,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "Too  many  people

around. I had something else in mind."  He  pointed  to  the  map.  "Here's

Decca's fuel depot. Where are the fuel storage tanks?"

Rorq pointed to a spot several levels above. "Here. The fuel is pumped

into a big storage tank here, then into the individual tanks in the depot."

Obi-Wan turned to Swanny. "Is  there  anyplace  where  the  wastewater

pipes come close to the fueling pipes between storage and the depot?"

"Sure," Swanny said. "The pipes run this way and cross the  wastewater

pipes here." He stabbed at a spot on the map.

"Where  is  that?"  Obi-Wan  asked.  "Is  it  in  Omega's  or  Decca's

territory?"

"No, it's close to where the Mawan tent city  was,"  Swanny  said.  He

whistled. "I think I'm getting this." "Is it possible?" Obi-Wan asked.

"We'd have to cut through the pipes and do some hydro-welding," Swanny

said. "But that's like a walk in the park for us."

"It's almost too simple," Rorq marveled.

Yoda nodded. "The best plan, the simple one is," he said.

Anakin saw what Yoda and  Obi-Wan  had  already  figured  out  on  the

surface. Decca's fleet would fuel in the depot. But if they  could  replace

the fuel with wastewater before it reached the depot, she  would  fill  her

transports  with  water  instead  of  fuel.  That  would  immobilize   them

completely. Even if they pumped out the tanks, it would take them  days  to

dry out. Any water in the fuel would cause problems with  the  engines.  It

was beautifully simple.

"We'll need to know if they start refueling, though," Swanny said. "If

we're working on the pipes at the same time, we could end  up  hip-deep  in

fuel."

"We'll keep an eye on the fueling depot," Obi-Wan said.  "Anakin  will

be sure to protect you while you work." Obi-Wan spoke to Anakin.  "As  soon

as Swanny and Rorq are done, join us at the fuel depot."

Anakin nodded. He was glad to  have  a  task,  even  if  it  was  only

guarding Swanny and Rorq.

They split up. Anakin followed Swanny and  Rorq  through  the  tunnels

toward the designated spot. Swanny stopped at a utility  shed  that  had  a

serious locking device wrapped around the door.

"We need tools," Swanny said. "We'll have to break into this. It could

take a  while.  If  I  had  a  fusioncutter  I  could  break  in,  but  the

fusioncutter is in the shed."

"Not a problem," Anakin said. He  activated  his  lightsaber  and  cut

through the metal door in less than a second.

"I've got to stop underestimating you guys," Swanny said.

He and Rorq reached in and grabbed what they needed. Then they hurried

on. They reached the designated spot and Swanny and  Rorq  began  to  work.

Rorq opened a small door set into the tunnel wall. Behind it  was  a  crawl

space that was crisscrossed with pipes.

"You sure you know which is which?" Anakin asked.

"Do I ask you if you know your job?" Swanny asked.

"All the time."

"Oh. True. Well, trust me." With a grunt, Swanny closed the valve on a

pipe, then began to cut through the metal with a macrofuser.

The minutes ticked by. Anakin shifted from one foot  to  another.  His

comlink signaled, and he answered it.

"Decca's crew has arrived. They're going to  start  fueling,"  Obi-Wan

said. "How close are they to finishing?"

Anakin asked Swanny, who held up three fingers.

"Three minutes."

"Make it two," Obi-Wan said.

"Almost," Swanny said, fitting a short length of pipe between the  two

pipes they had been working on. "We just need to fuse" - he bent over  with

the macro-fuser - "and seal.."

"Hurry," Obi-Wan said. "They've released the hoses."

"... one more second..."

"They're starting..."

"Done!" Swanny exclaimed. He slumped against the pipe.

Rorq patted it. "Let's hope this baby holds," he said. Anakin  felt  a

drop of sweat trickle from his neck and down his back.

He heard the gush of liquid through the pipes. Swanny  and  Rorq  kept

their hands on the pipe, listening.

"That'll be the wastewater," Swanny whispered, as  if  Decca  and  her

gang could hear. He patted the pipe. "The seal is holding."

"Looks like it's a go," Anakin said into his comlink. "I'm on my way."

Leaving Swanny and  Rorq  with  the  pipes,  Anakin  raced  along  the

tunnels. He found Obi-Wan and Yoda hidden behind a speeder directly  inside

the entrance to the depot.

"They've almost finished fueling," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin saw Decca lumber into the depot and speak to  her  pilots.  The

technicians ran back and forth, replacing the heavy hoses and making  last-

minute checks.

The pilots left Decca and hurried to their transports.

The first pilot started up the engine. It coughed and died.  The  next

fired his up. Another cough, a sputter, and  the  engine  wound  down.  One

after the other, the transport engines whined and sputtered out.

"What is happening?" Decca roared in Huttese.

"We've been sabotaged!" one of the  pilots  said.  "Engine  checklight

says the fuel tanks have a foreign substance in them."

"Granta has double-crossed me!" Decca bellowed. "Ah,"  Yoda  murmured.

"Suspicion among thieves, one can count on always."

Decca turned to the Kamarian by her  side.  "Send  the  seeker  droid.

We'll find that slimy monkey-lizard and take every  weapon  he  has.  We'll

crush him!"

"Time I think to take the speeder," Yoda said.

Obi-Wan slipped into the pilot seat while Yoda hopped  in  behind  and

Anakin jumped in the passenger side. They kept  their  heads  low.  Obi-Wan

started the engine and quietly zoomed out of the depot. He  idled  outside,

and the seeker droid appeared a moment later. It  darted  down  the  tunnel

like a fast-moving bird.

Obi-Wan gunned the motor, and they took off. It was easy to  keep  the

seeker droid in their sights. Decca could not move very fast, but no  doubt

she was gathering her troops to follow the trail of the seeker wherever  it

ended up.

The seeker suddenly slowed, so Obi-Wan did the same. It  hung  in  the

air, which meant it was keeping its target in sight without alerting him to

its presence. Obi-Wan glided to a stop, and they jumped out of the speeder.

They hurried along the few remaining meters. The tunnel curved  ahead.

Omega must be somewhere beyond the curve.

Walking slowly and cautiously now, they rounded the corner.  They  had

come to a large landing area. The doors were  slid  back  into  the  walls,

revealing the large open space. Omega stood talking to  a  man  dressed  in

heavy armor.

Anakin saw  rows  upon  rows  of  bins  marked  with  their  contents.

Fl©chette  launchers.  Flamethrowers.  Missile  tubes.  There  were  enough

weapons here to mount an invasion.

Which, of course, was the point.

"A troop of battle droids and some guards," Obi-Wan murmured. "Nothing

we can't handle."

"Prepared for this, he was not," Yoda said.

The seeker buzzed closer. Suddenly, a shadow moved, and  blaster  fire

erupted. The seeker exploded into shards of metal.

"Got it," Feeana said. "Looks like we have company.  Just  as  I  told

you."

From behind Feeana, the battle droids appeared,  rolling  into  attack

formation. First one line, then another, and another.  A  grenade  launcher

rolled into place.

Omega smiled, and Anakin realized that he had known they were coming.

Feeana had betrayed them.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Obi-Wan saw at once  they  were  hopelessly  outnumbered.  Behind  the

attack droids row after row of gang soldiers appeared, all  of  them  armed

with repeating blasters. They wouldn't lack for additional weaponry. It was

piled up around them.

Behind his troops, Omega stood on a gravsled with Feeana. Omega's arms

were crossed, as if in expectation of a staged battle for his pleasure, and

a slight smile was on his face.

"Do we have a plan?" Anakin asked hopefully.

Yoda drew his lightsaber. "Time for strategy,  it  is  not.  Time  for

battle, it is."

Obi-Wan felt the Force move, a giant wave that propelled  him  forward

into the room. He caught the flow and felt it  charge  his  first  move,  a

devastating sweep at five attack droids at once. He  cut  a  swath  through

them all and they clattered to the floor, smoking.

Omega's smile slipped, just a fraction.

Yoda had moved forward with Obi-Wan and Anakin, but his style was less

dramatic than Obi-Wan's sweeps and Anakin's whirling  lightsaber.  His  arm

barely seemed to move; his attacks seemed more flicks than stabs.  Yet  ten

attack droids were on the floor in a heap of twisted metal.

Obi-Wan saw the heavy durasteel containers suddenly move, floating  up

in the air, propelled by Yoda's use of the Force. As they hung  above,  the

hinged lids opened, and flamethrowers spilled out in a fiery  arc.  Spewing

fire, they rained down on the rest of the weapons. The blast of  discharged

explosives filled the air, smoke rose, and the remaining cache  of  weapons

fused from the intense heat.

The line of gang soldiers stumbled  back  from  the  fiery  spectacle,

coughing from the acrid smoke. They wavered.

"Forward!" Omega screamed.

"Gladly," Obi-Wan said, and he charged forward, Anakin and Yoda at his

side. Their lightsabers were hums of glowing energy. The Force  moved,  and

droids went flying. The others were reduced to scrap.  They  mowed  through

the second line of droids, and then the next.

The soldiers stumbled backward. Some began to flee.

"Hold the line!" Omega shouted. Then he turned his back and leaped off

the gravsled.

Obi-Wan saw Yoda lift his hand  and  send  a  trio  of  attack  droids

smashing against the wall. Even Anakin now was using a Force push to  clear

his path to attack the next line of droids. Obi-Wan had time to admire  his

Padawan's form, balance, and concentration. Clearly,  Yoda's  summoning  of

the Force had brought  something  out  in  Anakin.  He  was  fighting  more

brilliantly than Obi-Wan had ever seen.

So Obi-Wan felt confident in leaving him with Yoda to finish  off  the

droids. Omega was about to escape.

He gathered the Force and leaped, clearing the attack lines of  droids

and sailing over the retreating gang soldiers, who did not bother to try to

stop him.

A hundred meters ahead, Feeana was facing what appeared to be a smooth

tunnel wall made of a plastoid material. She pressed something at the side,

and 'a recessed door slid open. Omega and Feeana  disappeared  inside.  The

door slid shut behind them.

Obi-Wan raced toward it. He did not bother to search for the  release,

but plunged his lightsaber into the plastoid wall. He cut a hole in seconds

and pushed his way through.

He found himself in what was obviously meant one day to be  a  transit

tunnel. It had been  blasted  out  of  rock,  but  the  job  had  not  been

completed. Razor-sharp shards of rock jutted out  from  the  sides  of  the

tunnel.

A small, sleek silver cruiser was parked in a flat area ahead. Obi-Wan

did not recognize the make, but it was clear to him  that  Omega  would  be

able to fly aboveground and then blast  out  of  Mawan  airspace  into  the

galaxy. He would escape again. He was seconds away from doing it. Even now,

he was accessing the cockpit shell to climb in, Feeana at his heels.

Not this time.

"Always have a second exit plan," Omega said as he  stood  inside  the

craft, the cockpit dome still raised. "My father taught me that."

Something about the expression on Omega's face  stopped  Obi-Wan  from

moving forward. Omega would sacrifice Feeana in order  to  escape.  Obi-Wan

knew it, Omega knew it. The only one who didn't know it was Feeana. She was

still on the hull of the ship, impatiently waiting for Omega to move so she

could slide into the passenger seat.

Obi-Wan was also puzzled. In his investigation of Omega's  background,

he had learned that Omega never knew his father.

"Surprised?" Omega said. He was almost drawling now, as if he had  all

the time in the world. "I had  reasons  to  keep  my  father's  identity  a

secret. But I think it's time I had the pleasure of telling you. I  am  the

son of Xanatos of Telos."

Xanatos! Obi-Wan felt as though he had been struck. The former Padawan

of Qui-Gon's who had turned to the dark  side.  Qui-Gon's  greatest  enemy.

Obi-Wan had seen the evil that Xanatos had done. Xanatos had  even  invaded

the Temple and tried to kill Yoda.

"You killed my father," Omega said. "He was greater than  his  Master,

and Qui-Gon couldn't bear it, so he killed him - with your help."

"He killed himself," Obi-Wan said. "He jumped into  a  toxic  pool  on

Telos rather than be captured by Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon tried to save him."

"My father would never have killed himself!" Omega shouted.

"You have spent your life constructing your own brand of truth,"  Obi-

Wan said. "But it is not the real truth."

"Granta, let me in," Feeana said, an edge of pleading  to  her  voice.

"We have to get out of here!"

"My father protected me," Omega said. "He told me tales  of  the  Jedi

and the Temple and how they misunderstood the Force."  A  bitterness  crept

into his tone. "He had hoped that I would inherit his  gift.  But  he  knew

when I was an infant that I would never be Force-sensitive."

Obi-Wan saw the opening. He  saw  the  pain  in  Omega.  "And  he  was

disappointed," he said.

"He left me his company!" Omega burst out, as if he were bragging.  As

if his father  had  left  him  something  better  than  love,  better  than

approval. "He left me his fortune in Offworld."

Offworld was  the  corporation  that  Xanatos  had  formed,  a  mining

operation that had used slaves and bribes and violence to build its wealth.

Omega didn't create his wealth out of nothing. He had started with it.

Obi-Wan wanted to  kick  himself  down  the  tunnel.  He  should  have

guessed! He should have known that beneath the jibes and insults there  was

something personal, something bitter, in the way Omega felt about  him  and

the Jedi. He should have known!

He had the clues - why else would Sano Sauro pluck the  promising  boy

away and send him to school? Sauro was hardly a  benefactor  to  the  poor.

Sauro had known Xanatos well, had operated himself on Telos. And then there

was the mystery of the boy's origins - why else were the mother and son  on

Nierport Seven, a moon that was  basically  a  refueling  stop?  They  were

hiding, of course. Xanatos had sent them there. And  after  he  died,  they

didn't have the resources to leave.

Omega blamed Obi-Wan for his father's death. He was bitter that he did

not inherit his father's gift. So he would chase the  Force  all  over  the

galaxy. He would grow even wealthier than his father  had  been.  He  would

prove to a man no longer living that he was worthy.

Now Obi-Wan even saw Xanatos in his son. The eyes  with  the  metallic

glint of blue durasteel. The thick black hair.

He had every clue, and he had missed it.

"You are just like your Master," Omega sneered.  "My  father  told  me

about Qui-Gon, how he held him back. You do the same with  Anakin.  Control

is what you seek, and you hide it behind Jedi lessons." He  spat  the  word

"Jedi" like a curse. "Why don't you let him be himself? Why don't you  show

him what power he can have?"

Obi-Wan didn't have to turn. The Force hummed in the  tunnel,  and  he

knew Anakin was behind him. Anakin had heard everything.

"It ends here, Omega," Obi-Wan said.

"It will never end until you are dead," Omega said. He reached out and

grabbed Feeana's ankles. With a quick, powerful thrust, he  threw  her  off

the hull of the ship. Screaming, Feeana flew in midair,  straight  for  the

jagged, knife-edged rocks.

Anakin leaped. The Force  added  distance  and  precision.  He  caught

Feeana in his arms just millimeters from the pointed  shards,  twisting  in

midair in order to land safely.

Obi-Wan, too, had leaped, trying to land on the cruiser hull.  But  he

had to swerve to avoid Anakin, and Omega had already gunned the engine.  He

took off, the cockpit dome still unengaged. Obi-Wan landed badly  and  fell

to one knee.

The cockpit dome slid down. The cruiser gained speed.

Omega had escaped again.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Anakin watched as his Master rose. A heaviness seemed to lie  on  Obi-

Wan, a weariness Anakin had never seen before.

He kept a firm grip on Feeana, who was  staring  down  the  tunnel  in

shock, amazed that she had been left behind.

Anakin knew that all his questions were in his eyes. He had  heard  of

Xanatos. Every Jedi student had heard the story  of  the  Temple  invasion.

Obi-Wan had told him a little of it. Now  Anakin  realized  how  much  more

there was to know.

"We will discuss this later, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "We have a mission

to complete."

When they emerged back into the substation, the battle was over. Decca

was just arriving with her troops.

They were staring in disbelief at the litter of broken  droids,  fused

weapons, captured forces, and only three Jedi.

Obi-Wan stepped over a pile of droids to speak  to  Yoda.  "Omega  has

escaped. What should we do now with Decca?"

"A little reason now we shall use," Yoda said. "A dead  end,  she  has

come to. Listen now, she will." He moved forward to talk to Decca.

"I thought you would lose," Feeana  said  numbly  to  Anakin.  "I  was

afraid for my troops. I had had some dealings with Granta. He always said I

could join him. He said he would protect me and my gang. I was such a fool.

"

There was nothing to say, Anakin saw. He led Feeana to  sit  with  the

other prisoners and then returned to Obi-Wan.

"So your vision was true," Obi-Wan said. "Yaddle met her  death  here.

We just did not know how to interpret it."

Anakin nodded. A lump rose in his throat. Why did  having  the  vision

make him feel so responsible?

"And yet it was not true, as well," Obi-Wan said. "The vision was  not

about Shmi. It was about you. It was about the temptations in  your  life."

He hesitated. "What did Omega tell you?"

Anakin hesitated and then said, "That the Jedi were holding  me  back.

That I could free the slaves on Tatooine, free my mother. He said he  would

help me do it."

"That must have tempted you," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin said nothing. He could not admit it, but he could not lie.

"It is all right, Anakin. It is understandable that you would want  to

ease your mother's life. But being a Jedi means that your ties are  to  all

beings. You are the only Jedi with such a strong, deep tie, and it makes it

harder for you. But remember, a life of service is not  only  about  giving

up. It is about giving."

"I don't believe you're holding me back," Anakin said. "I hate him for

saying it."

"Hate is not an answer," Obi-Wan said. "Understanding is." He  sighed.

"Xanatos could twist feelings in just that way. He was a  dangerous  being.

Just as Omega is. We'll meet him again, I'm sure of it."

Anakin was sure of it, too.

Yoda  walked  slowly  back  to  them  using  his  walking  stick,  his

lightsaber tucked into his utility belt, his robe swinging. It was the Yoda

Anakin knew best, the wise teacher, rather than the warrior. He was glad he

had seen the warrior, however. He had seen how powerful Yoda was,  and  yet

he knew somehow that he had seen only one small corner of his power.

"Leaving the planet, Decca is," Yoda said.

"How did you manage that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Informed her I did that  the  Jedi  are  thinking  of  setting  up  a

satellite Temple on Mawan," Yoda said. "Seemed to dismay her, it did."

"We're thinking of setting up  a  satellite  Temple?"  Obi-Wan  asked,

surprised.

"From time to time, discuss an outpost, the Council does," Yoda  said.

"Merely suggesting it, I was. Enough it was to convince  her  that  it  was

best to leave." He blinked at Anakin. "See you do that the right  diplomacy

is always better than battles, young Padawan?"

Anakin nodded obediently, but something in his face must have  alerted

Yoda, for suddenly his gray-blue gaze grew keen. "Know you do that Yaddle's

death was not your fault," he said.

"I had the vision," Anakin burst out. "I should have known!"

"And Obi-Wan and myself?" Yoda asked sharply. "Told us of  the  vision

you did, and yet know we did not. Blame us as well, do you?"

"Of course not," Anakin said. "But things in  the  vision  started  to

come true when I was with Omega. I should never have asked Yaddle  to  meet

with him. I should have refused. I should have tried to escape."

"When you look back, lose your place on  the  path,  you  do."  Yoda's

voice gentled. "Learn you will, Anakin, that stars move and stars fall, and

nothing at all do they have to do with you."

Yoda walked off with his Master. Anakin was grateful for his words.

Why hadn't his Master said them? When he'd said  that  Yaddle's  death

was his fault, Obi-Wan had remained silent.

He knew in his bones that he had caused a chain of events that led  to

a Jedi Master's murder. Even if that didn't make him responsible,  he  knew

it would make it hard for him to sleep at night.

The vision hadn't been wrong. The essential truth it had left him with

was part of him now. He felt it inside him like a wound. It was  loss.  The

gulf between him and Obi-Wan was wider than ever.