THE EVIL EXPERIMENT

CHAPTER 1

He heard sound, but it was only a rush of white noise. His eyes  were

open, but he could only see vapor. He was wet, but he  was  not  in  water.

Since he was not able to trust his sight or hearing, Qui-Gon  Jinn  decided

to focus on the pain.

He tracked its location and measured its quality. It was on the  left

side of his chest, above his heart, and ran up to his shoulder. It wasn't a

white-hot pain, but a steady burning ache, as deep as muscle and bone.

It told him he was alive.

He tried to move his right arm. The slight contraction of muscle, the

effort required, seemed enormous. He hit something smooth with his fingers.

He followed it slowly, tracing it up, then down. He moved his other arm and

reached out his hand. Again, he met a solid wall. It was all around him. He

realized that he was trapped.

A jolt of panic raced through him as he  realized  that  he  did  not

remember why he was here. Qui-Gon allowed it to exist and then  watched  it

go. He breathed deeply. He was a Jedi Knight. His lightsaber  was  gone  as

well as his utility belt, but he still had the Force.

He was not alone.

As he breathed, Qui-Gon  brought  his  mind  to  stillness.  He  told

himself that his memory would return. He would not strain for  it.  He  did

not need it to live in the present moment.

He concentrated on his surroundings. Slowly he realized that  he  was

in a transparent chamber. The reason he felt dizzy and strange was that  he

hung suspended, upside down. A cloudy gas surrounded him. Somehow  it  kept

him floating in the tank. He could not see clearly through the vapor to the

outside. He shifted, hoping to change position,  and  pain  shot  down  his

shoulder to his side. Blaster wounds were tricky. You thought the flesh was

knitting, and then your wound told you otherwise if you tried too much, too

soon...

Blaster wound.

Memories flooded back.

He had been on a mountainside with his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi.  They

were trying to protect his friend Didi Oddo and Didi's daughter, Astri. The

bounty hunter had shot Didi, and he had fallen

Didi!

- and Obi-Wan had leaped an astonishing distance to knock the bounty

hunter down. The bounty hunter  had  tried  one  last  desperate  maneuver,

throwing a knife at Astri. His Padawan had caught  it  in  midair.  Qui-Gon

remembered the pride he felt when he saw the skill of his Padawan, how Obi-

Wan had timed his move and called on the Force in order to catch the deadly

spinning weapon by the hilt, not the blade.

The bounty hunter had known she was defeated then. She had  activated

a cable line, which launched her down the mountain toward her  craft.  Qui-

Gon had followed. He had just made it onto the launching ramp when she shot

him. He remembered his surprise at the white heat in his chest,  remembered

falling forward into the ship and the ramp closing after him. He thought he

could still hear Obi-Wan's cry.

He had left his Padawan on a remote planet with a wounded Didi -  let

him be wounded, not dead - and a young girl.

Qui-Gon moved again, and his wound screamed fire.

A female voice suddenly came to him, amplified within the tank.

"You might be experiencing some pain. It's from the chest  wound.  It

has been treated. You will survive."

"Who are you?" Qui-Gon asked.

"You are a subject of scientific experimentation," the voice went  on

pleasantly. "You will not be hurt, only studied."

"What do you mean, I won't be hurt? I'm confined!" Qui-Gon protested.

"You will be treated well."

"I am here against my will! Who are you? Where am I?"

The voice did  not  answer.  Instead,  an  apparatus  shot  into  the

chamber. At the end was a syringe. Qui-Gon tried to twist away, but he  had

nowhere to move. A needle pricked him in the neck.  He  watched  his  blood

move down the transparent tube. The syringe  retracted.  Slowly,  his  body

revolved until he was right-side up again.

Dizziness swamped him, but he knew it would  pass.  He  gathered  his

strength, waiting out the spell.

As soon as he felt strong, he gritted his teeth against the pain  and

lashed out with both feet. He could not get enough leverage, and he bounced

off the transparent material. He struck out with a balled fist, but got  no

response. The material did not bend. It did not even move a millimeter.

"Now, is that suitable behavior?" the voice chided. "You  are  not  a

child."

"I am a Jedi Knight!" Qui-Gon shouted.

"Precisely. And your life is one of  service.  Isn't  that  so?"  The

voice did not wait for him to respond. "Now you will be of service  to  the

galaxy. Much more so than when you dash from world to  world,  waving  that

lightsaber around. I'm doing you a favor.  You  get  to  truly  prove  your

commitment - how many Jedi can say the same? So relax. Let's  see  some  of

that famous Jedi meditation."

The note of dry  amusement  was  suddenly  familiar  to  Qui-Gon.  Of

course! As his memory returned, so did his suspicions.

His captor was Jenna Zan Arbor.

The brilliant scientist who appeared so perfect on the  surface.  The

researcher who had saved whole populations  from  famine  and  plague.  Yet

somehow he had suspected that she was behind the plot to kill Didi. He  was

glad to see that his instincts had been correct.

Unfortunately, he was now her prisoner.

And he had not confided his suspicions to Obi-Wan. The boy would  not

know where to look, whom to suspect.

"Jenna Zan Arbor, you will not be able to hide  from  the  Jedi,"  he

said, matching her coolness with his own.

"Ah, so you know who I am. I'm impressed. What a specimen! It  merely

proves my choice is correct. I have researched you, Qui-Gon  Jinn.  I  have

found that you are an esteemed Jedi Knight, strong in the  Force.  You  are

perfect for my needs."

"And what are your needs?" Qui-Gon asked.

He heard her dry, humorless laugh. "All in good time,  Qui-Gon.  Just

say good-bye to the life you knew. You are mine now."

CHAPTER 2

Obi-Wan Kenobi stared at the floor. It was a change.  For  hours,  he

had been staring at the wall.

He was in the Jedi Temple med center. With  one  look,  Obi-Wan  knew

Didi needed the best care in the galaxy. He and Astri had brought Didi  in,

talking to him constantly during the journey, even though he had  long  ago

lapsed into unconsciousness.

The Jedi medics and healers had rushed Didi into  an  interior  room.

They had only come out to tell Obi-Wan and Astri that Didi was still alive,

and that they were hopeful.

Over the long night, Bant had sat by his side, then Garen,  his  best

friends at the Temple. Bant did not speak, but occasionally would slip  her

slender hand into his. All night they had sat, waiting for news. At last he

had sent his friends away to eat breakfast. He could not eat. He could  not

sleep.

Didi struggled for life in the next room. What about Qui-Gon? Was his

Master alive or dead?

He is alive, Obi-Wan told himself fiercely. He is  alive  because  he

must be alive.

He had seen the blaster fire hit Qui-Gon in the chest near the heart.

He had seen him stagger and fall back. But Qui-Gon had reserves of strength

that were astonishing. Even if he were  the  bounty  hunter's  captive,  he

would manage to stay alive until Obi-Wan could find him. The bounty  hunter

would not leave him to die.

He told himself this, over and  over.  But  when  he  remembered  her

impassive face, her ruthlessness in battle, Obi-Wan felt despair.

And still I sit here. Waiting.

He had briefed Yoda and Tahl, the Jedi Knight  who  was  coordinating

the search for Qui-Gon. He had told them everything he knew. But  he  could

not tell them where the bounty hunter was headed. They did not know who had

hired her to track down Didi. They did not know why. They did not even know

her name. There were too many questions. And Qui-Gon's  life  hung  in  the

balance.

Yoda  had  assigned  several  Jedi  teams  to  investigate  Qui-Gon's

disappearance. Tahl was trying to crack  the  code  of  Jenna  Zan  Arbor's

datapad, as well as look for clues that might  lead  to  the  identity  and

whereabouts of the mysterious bounty hunter. Everything that could possibly

be done was being done. All the resources of the Jedi  were  turned  toward

finding Qui-Gon. Except for Obi-Wan. He could only sit.

"Have you memorized the floor yet?"

Astri's voice broke into his thoughts. She gave him a half smile.  "I

have. There are twenty-seven squares of stone between here and the wall."

"It can't be much longer," Obi-Wan said.

She sighed and leaned  forward  on  her  knees,  clasping  her  hands

together. Astri was tall and slender, with midnight-black hair that hung in

curls to the middle of her back. She was older than  Obi-Wan  and  had  run

Didi's Caf© with her father. He did not know Astri well, but he had come to

know that she did not like to show weakness or affection. Having her father

shot before her eyes had devastated her. Trying to conceal  her  shock  and

despair was defeating her.

"I never knew my birth parents," Astri said as she stared down at the

floor. "Someone left me in Didi's Caf©. He took me in."

"I didn't know that," Obi-Wan said.

"I think whoever left me there must have cared  about  me  somewhat,"

Astri went on softly. "They chose Didi  to  be  my  father.  They  knew  he

wouldn't give me away to be placed by the government. They knew  his  heart

would melt at the sight of a baby. And it did. I was lucky."

"Yes, I can see that," Obi-Wan said. "Sometimes the home you find  is

the one you are meant to have." It was how he felt about  the  Temple.  And

Qui-Gon.

She turned to look at him, sorrow in her dark eyes. "I'm sure Qui-Gon

will be all right. He's so strong. I've known him all my life,  Obi-Wan.  I

have seen how strong he is."

Obi-Wan nodded. If Qui-Gon were dead, he would know it. He would feel

it.

"I know you want to find him. Thank you for staying here with me."

"I wouldn't know where to start," Obi-Wan confessed. "We  don't  know

why the bounty hunter was hired."

"We know she tried to steal that datapad," Astri said.  "So  we  know

there is information on it that is valuable to someone. And  we  know  that

datapad belonged to Jenna Zan Arbor. Fligh stole it from her."

"But he also stole Senator S'orn's datapad," Obi-Wan pointed out. "So

the connection to the bounty hunter could lie there. Your friend  Fligh  is

dead and cannot give us answers. And even if we did find out who hired  the

bounty hunter, we still don't know where she would take Qui-Gon."

Astri nodded. "But you will find him," she said.  "The  Jedi  can  do

anything."

She stood, wincing as she did so. Astri had a wrenched  shoulder,  as

well as bumps and bruises from  being  dragged  down  the  mountainside,  a

prisoner of the bounty hunter's whip.

"Are you all  right?"  Obi-Wan  asked.  "The  medic  could  give  you

something for the pain."

"No, I want to stay alert. What about you?" Astri asked Obi-Wan. "How

is your leg?"

Obi-Wan felt the bandage on his thigh. His leg had been sliced by the

spiking of the bounty hunter's whip. The wound had been bathed in  a  bacta

tank. It would heal. Already the pain was ebbing.

And Qui-Gon? Have his wounds been attended to?

Astri prowled around the small waiting  room.  It  was  designed  for

comfort and calm, in colors of pale blue and white. The seating areas  were

grouped for both privacy and intimacy.

Astri looked out at the view of Coruscant. "I am so grateful  to  the

Jedi. The healers and medics have been so  good.  I  just  wish  they  were

faster."

The door to the inner treatment rooms opened. The Jedi healer,  Winna

Di Yuni, came toward them, dressed in the light blue tunic of a medic. Obi-

Wan had been glad when Winna had taken over Didi's care. She was  an  elder

Jedi, tall and strong, with a gentle manner. She was renowned for her great

skill as a diagnostician. She had a vast knowledge of all the  diseases  in

the galaxy.

Now Obi-Wan's heart beat faster when he saw the look on Winna's face.

He knew in a sudden flash that she was not bringing good  news.  He  stood,

and Astri quickly crossed to his side.

Winna looked at Astri kindly and gestured for them to  take  a  seat.

She sat opposite them. "We have done all we can for your father," she said.

"It is up to Didi now. His life energy is very low. He  himself  must  find

the strength to fight."

Obi-Wan saw Astri swallow. "His wounds are bad?" he asked.

Winna nodded. "Very bad,  I'm  afraid.  But  that  is  not  the  only

problem. Infection has set in, an infection that we cannot identify. We are

searching all our data banks. I did not want to  come  out  here  until  we

found out what infection this is, but you need to know what is happening."

"I don't understand," Astri said. "You are the best  healers  in  the

galaxy. If you don't know what is wrong with Didi, who will know?"

"We do not know everything," Winna said gently. "The galaxy is a very

large place. Infections and diseases pop up everywhere, new  ones  all  the

time. I have no doubt that we will locate the source of this  one.  But  it

may take time."

"Didi doesn't have time," Astri said, gripping  her  hands  together.

"That is what you mean."

"Do not look for the worst thing," Winna said.  "Think  of  the  best

thing. We will identify this infection and treat it."

Astri bit her lip. "Can I see him?"

"Yes, of course.  He  is  not  conscious.  But  he  might  feel  your

presence. Come with me."

Astri followed Winna. She looked as  though  she  were  sleepwalking.

Obi-Wan felt stunned as well. Didi was larger than life.  He  had  expected

the healers to come out with good news any second.

Instead, there was only more waiting...

The door to the main hallway opened. Tahl walked in with Yoda at  her

side.

"How is Didi?" Yoda asked. "Heard we did that news there is."

"He has an infection that they cannot identify," Obi-Wan said. "Winna

tried to reassure Astri, but I can see that she is worried."

"Do her best, she will. A great amount,  that  is."  Yoda  pressed  a

button and one of the seating cushions lowered. They  were  adjustable  for

the many species in the Jedi Temple. He lowered himself onto  the  cushion,

then leaned on his staff. "And you, Obi-Wan? No sleep you've had, I fear."

"I can't sleep until I know Qui-Gon is safe," Obi-Wan said. "Is there

any news?"

Tahl's  sightless  green-and-gold  striped  eyes  were  filled   with

frustration. She shook her head,  her  lips  tightening.  "I've  got  every

contact working, Obi-Wan," she told him. "Giett has returned from his  long

mission and is back on the Council, so Ki-Adi-Mundi  is  helping  with  the

galactic search. We could not ask for a better analyst."

Obi-Wan nodded. Ki-Adi-Mundi had stood  in  for  Giett  on  the  Jedi

Council for a time. With his binary brain, he was able to sift  through  an

extraordinary amount of information and analyze it.

"We don't have anything on the bounty hunter," Tahl  continued.  "She

has no known friends or comrades. Those who have hired her refuse to  talk,

even to us. They're scared of retaliation. But we're working on it."

"What about Jenna Zan Arbor's datapad?" Obi-Wan asked. "There must be

something on it that somebody wants."

"We can't crack the code," Tahl said. "Most scientists  encode  their

data - it doesn't mean that she is connected to the bounty hunter  or  Qui-

Gon's disappearance. But just in case, we don't  want  to  alert  her  that

we're on her trail. We have to explore all options until we find the  right

way to proceed. I won't rest until we find him, Obi-Wan."

"I know," Obi-Wan told her. Tahl was just as close to  Qui-Gon.  They

had gone through Temple training together.

"Teams we have all over the Duneeden system, Obi-Wan," Yoda told him.

"Find we will a trace of the bounty hunter's ship."

"We know  the  ship  was  equipped  with  a  hyperdrive,"  Tahl  said

worriedly. "There's a good chance she didn't remain in the Duneeden  system

at all. But we're going to check out every lead."

"News I have of one Jedi team," Yoda told them. "Dispatched they were

to Zan Arbor's lab on her home planet of Ventrux. Find we did that the  lab

has been closed down. Dismissed the workers were, and paid off."

A spark lit Tahl's eyes. "Well, at least that's something. Jenna  Zan

Arbor has to be involved. We've got to crack that code!"

Yoda nodded. "Think we do that she has another base  of  operations,"

he said. "Searching for it, we are." He turned  to  Obi-Wan.  "A  difficult

time for calm it is. Yet calm you must find. When news  comes,  go  with  a

steady heart you must. Direction you need. Direction we will find."

Obi-Wan's heart was far from steady. But Yoda was right. He  must  be

resolute, and resolution only came with calm.

The door to the inner chamber slid open. Winna came forward quickly.

"Didi's infection has been identified. The  blaster  fire  must  have

been tainted with a solution to trigger infection."

"Do you have a cure?" Obi-Wan asked.

Winna nodded. "The treatment has been discovered. It is an antitoxin.

But I have bad news. The lab that sells it has been shut down. There are no

stockpiles that we can find. This lab was the only source in the galaxy."

Obi-Wan glanced at Tahl. By the look on her face,  he  knew  she  was

thinking the same thing. Yoda nodded slowly.

"What's the name of the  lab?"  Obi-Wan  asked.  "Arbor  Industries,"

Winna replied.

It was the answer Obi-Wan had expected to hear.

CHAPTER 3

He was getting weaker, not stronger. Qui-Gon felt his body float.  He

wanted to give himself up to the  sensation,  bob  in  the  oddly  pleasant

vapor, let it lull him into long sleeps. Even in his worst illness, he  had

never felt so weak.

Was she doing  something  to  keep  him  weak?  Blood  was  extracted

regularly, but that still did not account for his fatigue.

Isolated from the world, from other living  creatures,  he  knew  the

Force still worked around him. He closed his eyes and reached out to it. He

would gather it around him like a  shield.  Qui-Gon  felt  the  Force  move

inside the chamber. He concentrated harder...

Through the veil of  vapor,  indicator  lights  outside  his  chamber

glowed. Dimly, he heard a sensor ring shrilly and  the  sound  of  hurrying

footsteps. Then Zan Arbor's amplified voice again:

"You just accessed the Force. Good. Don't be afraid to do so."

"How did you know?" Qui-Gon asked. The question was out of his  mouth

before he had a chance to think. His surprise had triggered it.

"I am monitoring your body functions. When you access the Force, your

body temperature drops. Your heartbeat slows. So strange.  Once  I  thought

the Force would have the opposite effect. But it works mysteriously. That's

why it is so interesting to study."

So she was studying the Force. Qui-Gon turned this new fact  over  in

his mind. The Force could  not  be  measured  or  manufactured.  But  if  a

scientist of Jenna Zan Arbor's brilliance was studying it, it was  possible

she could discover things she should not know. He  must  not  underestimate

her intelligence.

Which meant he could not use the Force to heal himself.

"Why are you so interested in the Force?" he asked.

"Ah, we are full of questions today," she murmured.

"There is not much else to do in here," Qui-Gon pointed out.

"What about your famous Jedi meditation? That should pass the time."

"Even meditation has its limits," Qui-Gon said dryly.

He heard a low laugh. "Why shouldn't I study the  Force?  Why  should

the Jedi be the only ones to study it?"

Qui-Gon thought before answering. He needed to keep her  talking.  He

needed to appear to be interested in her studies.

"That is a good point," he said. "We believe the  Force  connects  us

all."

"That is exactly my point!"  Zan  Arbor  said  excitedly.  "The  Jedi

should welcome my interest."

"How do you know they do not?" Qui-Gon asked. "You haven't asked us."

"I don't need your permission," she snapped.

He was losing her.  "I  didn't  mean  that,"  he  said.  "You  are  a

brilliant researcher. You might  want  to  share  your  findings  with  the

galaxy."

"When I am ready," she said. "But not until then."

"And what are you looking for?"

She did not answer for a moment, and he was afraid  the  conversation

was over. Then she said, "My colleagues are fools."

Qui-Gon waited. He did not want to seem too eager. Something told him

that Jenna Zan Arbor wanted to talk.

"You've traveled. You must have seen  that  the  galaxy  is  full  of

fools."

"I have seen that many beings do not trust their eyes,  their  minds,

or their hearts," Qui-Gon said.

"Exactly! So you see what I have to deal with," Jenna Zan Arbor said,

her voice warming. "I have just come from a conference at  the  Senate.  My

colleagues are chasing dreams, not ideas. New ways  to  make  starships  go

faster. New engines, new fuels, new hyperdrives. They try to find  ways  to

make weapons more powerful, more effective. They look for  new  sources  of

power. Faster. Bigger. Better. That is what they  chase.  They  ignore  the

most powerful energy in the galaxy. The Force is far  more  important  than

any of these. With the Force,  you  can  move  minds.  That  is  much  more

important than ships!"

"I would agree with that," Qui-Gon said.

"How ironic," Zan Arbor said. "Only a Jedi would understand. And  yet

only the Jedi can be my best subjects. The others... even those who had the

Force, who were, as you call them, Force-sensitive...  they  did  not  know

what they had. They could not control it. It is hard to  measure  something

that will not be controlled. That was the flaw in my experiments."

Qui-Gon had a sudden notion that chilled him. Was Zan  Arbor  keeping

him in a condition of weakness so that he  would  use  the  Force  to  heal

himself?

He could do nothing in this chamber. He  would  never  escape  if  he

didn't get out, even for a short time.

Perhaps he could form some sort of bond with his captor.

"I will make a deal with you," he said.

"I hardly think you are in a position  to  offer  deals,"  Jenne  Zan

Arbor said, amused.

"I think I am," Qui-Gon returned quietly. "I have something you want.

That puts me exactly in that position."

There was a pause. "What do you want?"

"I want to be let out of this chamber for two hours a  day,"  Qui-Gon

said. "If you do this, I will use the Force to heal myself. If you do  not,

I will not access it."

"You will die," she warned.

"Yes," Qui-Gon replied calmly. "As a Jedi, I am prepared  for  death.

It does not frighten me."

"I do not make deals!" Zan Arbor cried  shrilly.  "I  am  the  leader

here! I make the decisions!"

He did not answer. He closed his eyes. He was gambling that she would

not refuse him. He sensed the  fever  in  her,  the  compulsion  to  follow

through on her experiments. She would give in.

"All right," she snapped. "But not two hours. One hour.  That's  all.

Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal," Qui-Gon answered. He had expected  her  to  counter

with one hour. It was not a problem. One hour would have to be enough.

CHAPTER 4

Yoda, Tahl, and Obi-Wan were silent for a long moment. The news  that

Jenna Zan Arbor controlled access to Didi's antitoxin disturbed them.

"It's very strange," Winna continued. "Not only is  Arbor  Industries

closed, but there is no other source we can find anywhere.  There  must  be

some mistake, something we haven't thought to check. This infection is very

rare, but still, Arbor Industries should have allowed other labs  to  stock

the antitoxin. This is an astonishing breach of ethics. They left  no  word

when they'll reopen, or where - "

"Something you should  know,  there  is,"  Yoda  interrupted.  "Under

suspicion by the Jedi, Jenna Zan Arbor is."

"She could be involved in Qui-Gon Jinn's disappearance," Tahl said.

"Not to mention murder," Obi-Wan added.

Winna's frown grew deeper as shock slowly  registered  on  her  face.

"You mean that Zan Arbor  has  deliberately  deprived  the  galaxy  of  her

medicines?"

"I think it a very great possibility," Tahl said. Winna's  expression

was grim. "My patient will die without that antitoxin."

"I don't understand." Astri had come up behind them so  quietly  they

had not heard her. "You say that Jenna Zan Arbor has the medicine  that  my

father needs, and you can't find her?"

"I am afraid that is the case," Winna said.

Obi-Wan went to Astri. He hovered by her side, uncertain of  what  to

say or do. "You mustn't lose hope," he said.

She nodded, her mouth tightening. He saw her shoulders  shaking.  She

was trying not to cry aloud.

"Obi-Wan is right," Winna said. "The antitoxin must be held somewhere

in the galaxy. We will find it, Astri."

"I know you will do everything you can." "Our good  friend  Didi  is,

Astri," Yoda told her. "Take good care of him, we will."

"You are very kind." Astri turned and walked toward the  window.  She

stared out blankly. "She has lost hope," Tahl murmured.

"Bad news, it was," Yoda said. "Hard to absorb."

"I'd better get back," Winna said tersely, and hurried off.

"Go to Astri, you should," Yoda told Obi-Wan. "Her  friend  you  are.

Console her, you must. Hope must not die while Didi lives."

But Astri wasn't really his friend. He'd just met her. And he  wasn't

very good at consolation. If only Qui-Gon were here!

Yoda and Tahl left, and Obi-Wan went to stand  awkwardly  by  Astri's

side.

"He's going to die," she said. "And I will be alone."

"We cannot lose  hope,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "The  Jedi  are  capable  of

extraordinary things. We will find the antitoxin or Jenna Zan Arbor."

"I am certain that you will," Astri said. "But  will  Didi  still  be

alive? He looks so small, Obi-Wan. His spirit filled him. Now he's so weak.

.."

"He is not weak," Obi-Wan said. "He had one of the strongest  spirits

I've ever seen. It is still there, his strength."

"I thought I had  troubles  once,"  Astri  said  slowly.  "Running  a

business wasn't easy. But now I know despair for the first  time.  Even  if

Didi survives, we have lost everything. The caf© has  been  closed  by  our

landlord. We owe him credits we  cannot  pay.  Even  as  I  sit  by  Didi's

bedside, begging him to live, I wonder what he will return to. And it's  my

fault. I spent all our savings  on  improvements  for  the  caf©.  We  have

nothing."

Obi-Wan did not have to wonder what Qui-Gon would say. "You have each

other."

"You're right, Obi-Wan. I'm feeling sorry for myself."  Astri  rubbed

her forehead. "It's just that I'm so tired."

"Why don't you rest here?" Obi-Wan suggested, indicating the  seating

area. "You wouldn't have to go to the sleeping quarters. I will  make  sure

you won't be disturbed, unless... unless Didi awakens."

Astri sank onto the cushions and laid her head down. "Maybe  just  an

hour," she said as her eyes closed.

Obi-Wan decided he would stay until he was sure she was  asleep.  His

nerves were jumping. He was anxious to check with Tahl and  the  Jedi  code

breakers. He wanted to be present when they cracked the datapad.

He reached into his tunic to remove the Force-sensitive  river  stone

that Qui-Gon had given him. He often found comfort in  turning  the  smooth

stone around in his hand. It made him feel closer to Qui-Gon.

A crackle alerted him that there was  something  else  in  his  inner

pocket. Obi-Wan took it out. It was a durasheet. On it, Jenna Zan Arbor had

written the names of the guests she had invited to Didi's Caf©.  The  names

were already beginning to fade.

Obi-Wan thought back to only a few days before. Qui-Gon had asked her

to write out the information when they'd visited her at her hotel.

Qui-Gon  never  did  anything  without  a  reason.  Obi-Wan  frowned,

thinking hard. They had gone to see Zan Arbor because they  had  discovered

that she had learned about Didi's Caf© from Didi's friend Fligh. Fligh  had

stolen the datapad of both Senator S'orn and Zan Arbor. Later he  had  been

found dead, his body drained of blood. At that point, they did not know  if

Zan Arbor was involved. They were just following a thread.

In other words, Zan Arbor hadn't been a suspect. So why  had  Qui-Gon

asked for this list?

Back then, Obi-Wan thought that the Outlaw Tech gang  had  hired  the

bounty hunter. But Qui-Gon must have had his doubts. Had he been trying  to

link the bounty hunter to Zan Arbor?

They had never solved the mystery of how the bounty hunter  had  been

able to break into Didi's Caf© after Zan Arbor's guests had left. They knew

the caf© had been locked up tight, every door and window bolted.

Could Qui-Gon have wondered if one of the guests had  stayed  behind?

Astri might not have noticed in the confusion of departure.

And the bounty hunter was a master of disguise...

Obi-Wan looked over at Astri. She was sleeping peacefully.  He  could

leave her for a short time.

He crossed to a small desk in the  corner.  Quickly,  he  copied  the

fading names onto a fresh durasheet and tossed the old  one  in  the  trash

container.

He headed out the door. It wasn't  much  to  go  on,  but  it  was  a

direction.

CHAPTER 5

Yamele Polidor

Nontal Quincu

Aleck W'a Ni Odus

Dobei Eranusite

B'Zun Mai Reesa On Von Taub

Obi-Wan took an air taxi to the Official Committee Liaison Office  at

the Senate. This office handled the transportation and residence  needs  of

the many committees from around  the  galaxy  that  came  to  petition  the

Senate. Since it was a Jedi request,  he  was  given  the  home-worlds  and

contact information of each being on the list.

Quickly, Obi-Wan scanned it. Only three  of  the  guests  were  still

staying on Coruscant. The others had returned to their homeworlds. He would

start here. If he found nothing, he would move on. If he had to  travel  to

the Outer Rim for a clue, he would do it.

Yamele Polidor and Von Taub still had business with  the  Senate  and

were staying in a guesthouse nearby. Obi-Wan went  there  first.  He  found

them together in the sitting room, going over the  record  of  the  meeting

they had attended that day.

Obi-Wan explained that he was on a Jedi mission to discover  who  had

broken into Didi's Caf© after their group had left.

Yamele Polidor was a petite Rindian with pointed ears and two  eight-

fingered hands. She nodded politely at Obi-Wan. "Of course I will  be  glad

to help."

The Corweillian Von Taub nodded. "As will I." "Did anyone  come  into

the caf© while you were there?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Just the members of our own party," Yamele Polidor answered  in  the

low, singsong manner of a Rindian.

"Did you notice anyone on the street outside?"

Von Taub shook his head. "We left, and the owner of the caf©, a young

woman, locked the door after us. Jenna Zan Arbor was very  upset  with  the

service and food. I didn't think it  was  that  bad,  myself."  He  smiled.

"Maybe I'm more used to disorganization. But Jenna is a scientist who can't

tolerate disorder."

"Do you know the other names on this list well?"  Obi-Wan  asked.  He

handed the list to them.

Yamele Polidor ran one of her long fingers down the list. "I know all

of these scientists personally, except for Dobei Eranusite and Reesa On."

"I know Dobei quite well," Von Taub said. "Reesa On was a stranger to

me as well."

"Did anyone know her?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Jenna Zan Arbor," Yamele Polidor answered.

"Yes, they worked on a research project together,"  Von  Taub  added.

"Jenna was very complimentary about her skills as a scientist. None of  the

rest of us knew her."

Obi-Wan kept his voice steady despite his rising excitement. "Do  you

remember what she looked like?"

"Not really," Yamele Polidor said with a shrug. "Tall, maybe? She was

humanoid. That, I remember."

"Very striking," Von Taub said. "She wore a silk turban and a  lovely

septsilk robe."

Obi-Wan realized he had seen her himself. He had a vague memory of  a

woman in a jeweled turban. He pushed his urgency away  and  left  his  mind

open, let the memory  come  as  it  would,  as  he  had  been  taught.  The

information he sought would come to him.

He and Qui-Gon had been talking to Astri when the guests arrived.  He

remembered the look of distaste on Jenna Zan Arbor's  face.  And  one  tall

woman had gathered her rich robe around her as if it would get  dirty  from

touching a chair or the floor. She had very strong hands...

It had been her. The bounty hunter.

He was sure of it. And now he had a name.

"One last question," Obi-Wan said. "Do you know if Zan Arbor has more

than one lab? I know that her main lab is on Ventrux."

Both the scientists looked puzzled. "But why would she  need  another

lab?" Von Taub asked.

"I have never heard such a thing," Yamele Polidor added.

"Thank you for your help," he said, rising  and  bowing.  He  hurried

outside and immediately summoned Tahl on his comlink.

"We could have a lead," he said. "I think the bounty hunter posed  as

a scientist named Reesa On. Most likely she disguised herself in  order  to

steal the datapad back from Didi and Astri. She would have if Qui-Gon and I

hadn't returned and surprised her. The Senate still lists her as  being  on

Coruscant. She's supposed to inform them when  she  returns  to  her  home-

world. I have the address."

"Don't go alone," Tahl warned. "Wait, and I'll send a team to you."

"I can't wait," Obi-Wan argued. "She's listed at  a  lodging  only  a

short distance from here. Let me at least see if she's there."

"Do not engage her in battle or even  show  yourself,"  Tahl  warned.

"She could lead us to Qui-Gon."

"I won't," Obi-Wan promised. "I'll just keep her under surveillance."

"I'll see what I can discover from here," Tahl told him. "Good  work,

Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan cut the communication and headed down the walkway that led to

Vertex, the street that was listed as Reesa On's address. He drew his  robe

around him and lifted his hood to cover his face.  He  must  follow  Tahl's

advice. He knew Tahl was just as anxious as he was to find Qui-Gon. If  she

urged caution, it was only because being careful would bring them  to  Qui-

Gon faster.

The inn where Reesa On was staying was similar  to  the  one  he  had

left. Many small guesthouses existed around the Senate to cater to  wealthy

guests with Senate business that required long stays. It was a far cry from

the shabby, decrepit inn where he'd had his first  confrontation  with  the

bounty hunter.

And it had security. Guests used swipe cards to enter. All others had

to be announced.

He loitered outside the building, wondering what to do.  Most  likely

he would not be lucky enough to see  her  enter  or  leave.  And  would  he

recognize her even if she did? She had impersonated an old man,  a  wealthy

scientist, and a young boy parking speeders at a grand hotel. Her powers of

transformation were incredible.

The door to the house slid open, and someone stood on the  threshold.

Concealed behind a row of speeders,  Obi-Wan  looked  carefully.  A  Rodian

stood for a moment as if to test the weather. Even  a  master  of  disguise

could not impersonate a Rodian. This one was bulky and  short,  with  green

skin and the usual ridge of spines along his skull. No, this  was  not  the

bounty hunter.

Quickly, Obi-Wan stood and crossed the walkway. He headed up the ramp

and nodded at the Rodian, then walked through the open door. It  slid  shut

behind him.

The guesthouse was operated by automation. He glanced around  quickly

at the terminals set in the walls. Here guests used their cards to pick  up

messages. He spied a keyboard and quickly typed in Reesa On.

ROOM 1289

PLEASE SWIPE SECURITY CARD FOR MESSAGE ACCESS

Obi-Wan took the turbolift to the twelfth  floor.  He  moved  quickly

down the hall and stood in front of Room '1289. He pressed his ear  to  the

door, every sense alert. Listening was a  Jedi  skill  that  was  honed  in

exercises during Temple training.

He heard the soft whisper of fabric. Its regular  movement  told  him

that it was just a curtain stirring  with  a  breeze.  He  could  not  hear

footsteps or even breathing.

What now? Obi-Wan knew that it would not be the last  time  he  would

ask himself that question. Without Qui-Gon, he was unsure of every step.

Obi-Wan was concentrating so hard on the sounds behind the door  that

he heard the opening of the turbolift just a second too  late.  He  felt  a

surge in the Force, warning him an instant before blaster fire slammed into

the door over his head.

CHAPTER 6

Obi-Wan ducked and rolled, reaching for his lightsaber  at  the  same

time. It was activated and ready for the next round  of  fire  even  as  he

leaped in the air toward his assailant.

"Obi-Wan, no!" Astri screamed.

She fell backward, the blaster flying from her grasp. Her  feet  flew

up, barely missing the blade of the lightsaber. Obi-Wan quickly deactivated

it. She landed with a thump and a cry that must have been  heard  by  every

guest on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"What are you doing here?" she shouted at the same time.

Obi-Wan silenced her with a gesture and pointed to Reesa  On's  door.

Astri stood, straightening her tunic.

"She's not there. I already checked the room." "What?"

Down the hallway, a door slid open a few centimeters, and two  orange

eyes peered out at them.

"Come on," Obi-Wan muttered. "We can't talk here."

He grabbed Astri's blaster and tucked it into his  utility  belt.  He

didn't speak while they were in the turbolift. Astri stole a few glances at

him. She opened her mouth once or twice, but decided to stay silent.

He waited until they had left the guesthouse and had walked  a  short

distance from it. He struggled to gather his patience. He did not  want  to

show his anger. But he did not have Qui-Gon's gift for serenity.

"What were you doing there?" he  demanded.  "You  could  have  ruined

everything!"

"I thought you would need help - "

"You're a cook, not a Jedi!" Obi-Wan burst out. "How did you find me,

anyway? Did you follow me?"

"I read that durasheet you  left,"  Astri  said.  "I  recognized  the

names. They were the guests at Jenna's dinner party at our  caf©.  And  you

think the bounty hunter was one of them."

Obi-Wan stared at her in disbelief. "So how did you  find  out  where

Reesa On was staying? And how did you find out that the  bounty  hunter  is

Reesa On? Did you go to the Senate Liaison Office, too? That could tip  her

off!"

Astri waved her hand. "I don't have to go through official  channels.

I'm Didi's daughter, remember? Everyone who comes  to  the  Senate  doesn't

just go through a security check. They go through a criminal check."

"You mean they're scanned for outstanding warrants?" Obi-Wan asked.

She grinned as she sidestepped a  group  of  tourists.  "No,  they're

checked out by criminals. Nanno L'a and his gang keep tabs  on  all  Senate

petitioners and commission members who visit from other worlds.  You  never

know who might have something worth stealing. So I talked to Nanno. He'd do

anything for Didi. He gave me the rundown on the names  on  the  list.  His

gang had copies of the textdocs on each of them. The only one who  came  up

blank was Reesa On. She had a couple of ID facts in  her  textdoc,  but  no

record of financial transactions. For someone with plenty of  wealth,  that

seemed odd. So I figured Reesa On was a false identity. Nan no  knew  where

Reesa On was staying. So I went there."

"How do you know she wasn't in her room?" Obi-Wan asked.  He  felt  a

little irritated that Astri was able to focus on Reesa On quicker  than  he

had.

"These guesthouses all use the nearby caf©s and restaurants for  food

service," Astri explained. "I went to the Galaxy Grill down the street  and

asked my friend Endami for the service code. Then I  pretended  to  have  a

meal delivery and punched in the code." She shrugged. "That got me  inside.

The service code will also tell you who is staying in  what  room.  It  was

easy."

Easy! "So did you break into her room?" Obi-Wan asked irritably.

"I knocked and said I had a  food  delivery,"  Astri  said.  "No  one

answered, so I opened the door."

"But it was locked."

Astri smiled. "I learned how to bypass a basic security lock  when  I

was seven, Obi-Wan. My guess is she's not coming back. There was  a  travel

bag there, but it's filled with things that are supposed to make you  think

someone is there."

"If that makes sense, I'd sure like to hear why," Obi-Wan grumbled.

"It's got a new personal care kit with soap and bath items, but  they

haven't been used. A couple of fresh tunics and sleepwear that haven't been

worn. My guess is that the bounty hunter never even stayed there at  all  -

she just paid up for her two week minimum so that she'd  have  an  official

address."

Astri was probably right, Obi-Wan thought.

They  were  no  closer  to  finding  Reesa  On's  true  identity.  In

frustration, he turned away and started to walk.

"Where are we going?" Astri asked.

"You are going back to the Temple," Obi-Wan said. "I'm trying to find

Qui-Gon. This is Jedi business."

"This is my business." Astri stopped short, forcing Obi-Wan to  stop,

too. "Didi isn't waking up, Obi-Wan," she said, her dark eyes serious. "Not

without that antitoxin. You and I both know that. And Reesa On is our first

clue to where Jenna Zan Arbor is. You think she is holding Qui-Gon, right?"

Obi-Wan nodded reluctantly.

"So I have just as much reason to find Reesa On as you do. The bounty

hunter could lead us to Zan Arbor. And I have another reason. Nanno told me

that because of Fligh's murder and Qui-Gon's disappearance, a  warrant  has

been issued for the  bounty  hunter's  arrest  by  the  Coruscant  security

forces. There's a reward, too. Don't you see?" Astri tossed the  curls  out

of her eyes impatiently. "This is the only thing I can do for Didi.  I  can

find the antitoxin and get us a new stake. All I have to do is  find  Reesa

On."

He shook his head. "It's too dangerous." "I can help you, Obi-Wan."

"What are you going to do, cook us  out  of  danger?"  Obi-Wan  asked

skeptically.

"There are other things I can do!" Astri protested.  "Do  I  have  to

point out that I found Reesa On quicker than you did? You have to  admit  I

have some skills."

"Not with a blaster," Obi-Wan muttered. He thought for a  moment.  He

knew Astri well enough to guess that if he didn't include  her,  she  would

try to find the bounty hunter on her own. She would be safer with him.

"We can team up, but I need a couple of conditions," he said.  "First

of all, you don't use a blaster."

"But I need protection," Astri protested. "And I'm getting better  at

aiming."

Obi-Wan winced. "Sure. You came within five centimeters of killing me

instead of six. I'll make a deal with you. We have to wait until Tahl comes

up with information about Reesa On. I'll go back to the Temple with you and

choose a new weapon. We'll see how you do with  a  vibroblade.  You  should

have some kind of protection, I suppose."

"What's the other condition?" Astri asked.

"If things get dangerous, I'm going to  ask  you  to  return  to  the

Temple," Obi-Wan said. "A pile of credits  isn't  going  to  help  Didi  if

you're dead."

Astri hesitated.

"I know you think I have no right to tell you what  to  do,"  Obi-Wan

said. "That's true. But I represent the Jedi. You must trust us,  not  just

me."

Reluctantly, Astri nodded. "So we're a team?"

Obi-Wan nodded grimly. "For now."

Astri was  hopeless  with  a  blaster,  but  she  was  adept  with  a

vibroblade. Obi-Wan gave her a quick lesson in strategy  and  defense.  Her

body was agile and strong, and she was surprisingly quick.

"Try to stay behind me or at my side," Obi-Wan told her.  "But  don't

get in the way of my lightsaber."

"Don't worry," Astri told him.

The door to the training room opened and  Tahl  hurried  inside.  She

immediately turned her face toward Didi's daughter.

"Astri, you're here, too?"

"Yes."

"I have a clue," she said. "It's not  much,  but  it's  something.  I

couldn't find anything on Reesa On, but just on a  hunch  I  ran  the  name

through the language of Sorrus."

"The bounty hunter's home planet," Obi-Wan told Astri.

"It turns out that 'reesa on' means something in an obscure Sorrusian

dialect," Tahl said. "It's spoken by a tribe living in  a  remote  area  of

Sorrus."

"What does it mean?" Astri asked.

Tahl's mouth twisted. "'Catch me.' There is actually a childhood game

among this tribe called 'reesa on."

"So the name is a taunt," Obi-Wan said. "Catch me if you can."

"Exactly," Tahl agreed. "I have the coordinates of the tribe's  area.

I doubt that the bounty hunter is there. Jedi teams have been sent on other

leads. Most are working on finding Zan  Arbor's  lab  by  tracking  medical

shipments. This is such a tiny lead. Still..."

"We could find out more about her," Obi-Wan said.

"And we have nothing else to go on," Astri agreed.

Tahl cocked her head as if testing the meaning behind Astri's  words.

"We?"

"I'm going with Obi-Wan," Astri declared. Tahl shook her  head.  "You

can't go on a Jedi mission, Astri."

"But  this  isn't  a  mission,"  Astri  argued.  "There's  no  danger

involved."

"Where the bounty hunter is or could be, danger is there," Tahl  said

sharply. "Don't forget that."

Astri's chin set defiantly. Even though Tahl couldn't see  her,  Tahl

was able to pick up her stubbornness. She frowned.

"I promised Astri she could come with me for a  time,"  Obi-Wan  told

Tahl. "The bounty hunter shot her father, Tahl. She has a  right  to  track

her, too. And she'll be in less danger if she's with me. I'll send her back

to the Temple if I think the bounty hunter is on Sorrus."

"I don't like this," Tahl declared. "I should confer with  Yoda.  You

need to be temporarily assigned to a Jedi Master, Obi-Wan. Or else stay  at

the Temple."

"But I'm not going on a mission, just scouting out  a  lead.  Qui-Gon

needs my help," Obi-Wan argued.

He saw the hesitancy on Tahl's face.

"I have to find my Master, Tahl," Obi-Wan said steadily. "I feel him.

I know he needs me. Let me go."

"I'm sure we are breaking several rules here," Tahl murmured.

Obi-Wan smiled. "Qui-Gon would like that."

Tahl smiled, too. "Yes," she said softly. "There is a tech  transport

ship that could drop you off at the capital  city  closest  to  the  desert

tribe..."

Obi-Wan looked at Astri. "Let's go."

CHAPTER 7

Qui-Gon waited for his hour of freedom. He  did  not  know  when  Zan

Arbor would grant it. He wanted it so badly it was  difficult  for  him  to

think of anything else.

Being  suspended  in  this  vapor  without  sight  and  sound  was  a

particular  kind  of  torture.  Deprived  of  his  senses,  he  experienced

dislocation. He had to be conscious of his mind at  all  times,  wrench  it

back to its surroundings. He could move his muscles  very  little,  and  he

flexed them, one by one, every half hour. That was an effort. The  constant

withdrawal of blood was beginning to sap his strength.

He knew that at the Temple he was appreciated for several things: his

physical strength, his connection to the living Force,  and  his  patience.

Now he hung in a chamber, and none of these things were available  to  him.

He would just have to find other things he was good at.

The loss of his patience was the worst. He could not calm his  raging

desire to be free. He dreamed of freedom as another might dream of food.

So much for his great forbearance. Now he realized that he  had  many

more lessons to learn. How many times had he heard Yoda advise an  advanced

student that for a Jedi, true mastery of a skill  was  only  the  beginning

step to understanding it? How many times had he said the same to Obi-Wan?

The more you know, Padawan, the less you know.

By the time this was over, he would see how  much  he  still  had  to

learn about patience.

Was it his imagination, or was the vapor beginning to  thin?  Qui-Gon

looked down and could see his feet. Yes, the  vapor  was  slowly  siphoning

away. Did that mean that Zan Arbor was about to release him?

He had made no plans for his first release. His only intention was to

talk to Zan Arbor again. Somehow he felt he would gain a  clue  of  how  to

proceed.

The vapor cleared. His heartbeat quickened. He saw  movement  outside

the transparent wall of the chamber.

"I see you're excited, Qui-Gon." Zan Arbor's  cool  voice  penetrated

the chamber. "Try to contain yourself. I didn't throw you a party."

The chamber walls slid down, disappearing into the  floor.  Qui-Gon's

knees buckled and he fell forward. The floor against his cheek felt like  a

gift. Sense had been deprived for so long that the texture  of  the  stone,

the coolness of the temperature, felt like fresh rain on his face.

He saw Zan Arbor's boots approach, centimeters from his nose.

"Men have fallen at my feet, but it was  in  my  younger  days,"  she

remarked. "How nice to see I still have that power."

He would not speak until he  knew  his  voice  would  be  steady.  He

reached deep inside for the reserve of strength he knew was still there. He

had protected that reserve during the long hours of his captivity.

He did not raise himself to his knees until he knew he would be  able

to get to his feet. He stood in one smooth motion. He locked his knees.

He had always seen her in rich robes, her  hair  elaborately  styled.

Now Jenna Zan Arbor was dressed simply in a white tunic and  trousers.  She

was smaller than he remembered. Her hair was drawn back and  held  with  an

intricate silver clip.

"I would have thought you were the type of woman who  prefers  beings

to meet you eye to eye," he said.

She smiled. "But so few can. I am told I am intimidating."

"That's what makes the few who match you more valuable."

"I have no interest in other beings anymore, or  any  conventions  of

what the majority of those in  the  galaxy  want,"  Jenna  Zan  Arbor  said

coolly. "I don't need friendship. Only my work drives me. Nil!"

A tall, thin being shuffled forward. Qui-Gon recognized a being  from

the planet Quint. Quints were covered in delicate fur and had  small  heads

with triangular eyes. They were extraordinarily quick and fast. Nil had two

blasters strapped to his waist.  He  put  his  sharp-nailed  hands  on  his

blasters and gave Qui-Gon a contemptuous glance.

"Watch him," Zan Arbor instructed Nil.  "Even  an  unarmed,  weakened

Jedi is a formidable opponent." She turned back to Qui-Gon. "I should  tell

you that my security is state of the art. And if you  attempt  escape,  Nil

will not hesitate to shoot you."

Qui-Gon had no intention of attempting to escape. He knew he was  too

weak. He didn't acknowledge what she'd said, but ignored Nil  and  returned

to their conversation.

"How does your work drive you?" Qui-Gon asked. While they talked,  he

examined the space around him without seeming to  glance.  It  was  a  Jedi

skill. To Zan Arbor, he appeared to be totally fixated on her face.

"How does my work drive  me?"  she  repeated,  puzzled.  "That  seems

obvious."

Stone floor. Long metal lab tables. Records piled neatly on  a  desk.

Sensors, computer bank, lab equipment along one wall.

"Not at all. Scientists are driven for  different  reasons,"  Qui-Gon

said, beginning to stroll about to stretch his legs.  Nil  followed  a  few

paces behind. "Some for pure research - they have a hunger for  how  things

work. Some want to be remembered, to have their name on a  discovery.  Some

think of living beings and want to help them. Which kind of  scientist  are

you?"

Only one exit, a durasteel door. A security pad mounted to one  side.

He would need a code to exit. Or his lightsaber. Of course, he  would  have

to get by Nil, too.

"Why don't you tell me?" Her gaze was amused as she crossed her arms,

tracking his movement. "Which describes me?"

"None of them," he said. "Your ambitions are even grander, I fear.".

"You fear? What is wrong with grand ambitions?"

Qui-Gon stopped and faced her again. "You search for  the  unknowable

and attempt to tame what cannot be tamed.  Such  an  effort  is  doomed  to

failure."

Only a flare of her nostrils told him that he'd upset  her.  "So  you

say," she said, waving a hand.  "It  doesn't  matter.  I'm  used  to  being

underestimated. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"On the contrary," Qui-Gon said dryly. "I have a very  good  idea  of

how far you will go to get what you want."

"Excellent  point,"  she  said,  amused  again.  "You  are  a  worthy

adversary, Qui-Gon Jinn."

"I'm hardly an adversary," he responded. "Am I not your subject?"

"I have a feeling you are subject to no one," she answered, the  same

faint smile on her face.

Nil glanced at her and then gave Qui-Gon a look of pure loathing.

He is jealous, Qui-Gon realized. Perhaps that is something I can use.

Zan Arbor might have regretted her softer tone, for she  turned  away

and said briskly, "Now for your part of the deal."

She seated herself at a monitor. "I implanted sensors  in  your  body

when I treated your wounds. I am waiting. Use the Force."

"I need strength to use the Force - ""Stop stalling," she snapped.

Qui-Gon was weak, but he knew he could reach out for the Force and it

would be there. He could not show Zan Arbor how much he could depend on it.

He gazed at a clipboard on the table. Using the Force, he  caused  it

to slide rapidly off the table and clatter to the floor.

"A trick a first year student  could  accomplish!"  Jenna  Zan  Arbor

sneered. "I can't get a reading from that!"

Good. "It is the best I can do," Qui-Gon said.

"Liar!" She sprang up from her chair. "How dare you  defy  me!  Don't

you realize that you are at my mercy?"

"We made a bargain. You would  give  me  an  hour  of  freedom  if  I

accessed the Force. I did so. I do not think  you  have  the  right  to  be

angry," Qui-Gon said steadily.

She moved closer to him. "I... rule... you,"  she  spat  out  in  his

face. "Don't forget that."

She snapped her fingers at Nil. "Put him back in the chamber."

"I see you do not keep your word," Qui-Gon said, as Nil grabbed him.

"Do not play with me, Qui-Gon Jinn," she answered  angrily.  "I  know

exactly how much strength you have. You think you can deceive  me.  I  will

always be one step ahead of you. Don't you understand yet how much I  know?

You barter for your freedom with nothing. So you will get nothing from me."

Only too glad to use brutality against Qui-Gon,  Nil  roughly  pushed

him back to the square outline of the chamber. The transparent walls  began

to rise.

"The amount of effort you use for the Force will result in the amount

of time you are given your freedom," Jenna Zan Arbor told him. "Think about

it."

The vapor rose around him as the walls surrounded him.  Qui-Gon  felt

despair rise with the enclosing walls.

I need you, Obi-Wan. Find me soon.

CHAPTER 8

Obi-Wan and Astri hitched a ride on a tech transport to  Sorrus.  The

planet was a large one, with varied climates. Over its  vast  surface  were

rugged mountain ranges, huge deserts, and sprawling cities. Large bodies of

water were scarce, and a complex irrigation system crisscrossed the  planet

in an intricate series of waterways and pipes.

The pilot of the tech transport landed in Yinn La Hi,  one  of  three

capital cities. Obi-Wan thanked him for the lift.

The pilot gazed out at the city. "Good luck to you. I hope  you  know

where you're going."

"A desert region called Arra,"  Obi-Wan  told  him,  picking  up  his

survival pack. "Are the Sorrusians a friendly people?"

The pilot  grinned.  "Sure.  As  long  as  you  don't  ask  them  any

questions."

Obi-Wan understood the pilot's words within a short amount  of  time.

He asked three  different  passersby  for  information  on  where  to  find

transport to Arra. Each Sorrusian ignored him.

"Friendly place," Astri said. "I can see  where  Reesa  On  gets  her

sparkling personality."

Ahead Obi-Wan glimpsed a transport center. There, a clerk  behind  an

information desk directed them to a public air transport that made one stop

at an outpost in the desert of Arra.

Although it was customary throughout the galaxy  for  Jedi  to  hitch

rides on public transport without payment, here on Sorrus there was no such

courtesy extended. Astri and Obi-Wan paid for their seats  with  their  few

credits.

It was a journey of several hours to the desert. The  cities  thinned

out and the landscape became rugged. They flew over a  mountain  range.  On

one side were green fields, on the other desert. Dunes stretched as far  as

the eyes could see, with not a green plant growing. All Obi-Wan  could  see

were rocks.

The transport pulled up to a desolate landing platform.  Obi-Wan  and

Astri were the only ones to exit.

The air transport rose and disappeared. They stood  on  the  platform

and gazed at the sea of sand. The wind blew pellets into their  faces,  and

they pulled up their hoods.

"What now?" Astri asked.

"I have the coordinates of the last-known camp of the tribe," Obi-Wan

said. "Let's start walking."

"I'm beginning to worry that this might be a waste  of  time,"  Astri

said as she trudged beside him. "We might not find the tribe at all."

"It's too soon  to  worry,"  Obi-Wan  answered.  But  he,  too,  felt

uncertain. There wasn't a sign of life anywhere, not even  vegetation.  Who

could survive in such a harsh land? Perhaps the tribe had moved on.

They hiked to a sheltered canyon near the foothills of  the  mountain

range. The coordinates matched what Tahl had given him, but  there  was  no

sign of a tribe. Obi-Wan slogged through the sand, looking for a clue.

"If they were here, they aren't now," Obi-Wan said. He  kicked  at  a

rock. "I don't know how any living being could  survive  here.  There's  no

food, no water."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Astri bent down and showed him the underside

of the rock. It was covered in a greenish substance. She grinned. "Hungry?"

Obi-Wan smiled and turned to scan the walls of the canyon.  "I  think

there might be caves in the canyon wall."

Astri squinted. "Perhaps they take shelter there during the hot  part

of the day."

"It's worth a look," Obi-Wan agreed.

Suddenly, an eerie, high-pitched sound split the air.  Obi-Wan  could

not tell if it was the wind, or some strange being.

"What was that?" Astri asked fearfully.

He glanced around, searching for  movement.  His  hand  went  to  his

lightsaber. He sensed danger, but he did not know where it was located.

The Force whirled around him, pulsating with the rhythm of the moving

sand. He saw a flicker of movement high above. Something  was  flying  down

toward him from the canyon wall. Then, more and more shapes filled the air.

Not shapes. Sorrusians. Obi-Wan and Astri were under attack!

Obi-Wan leaped backward as one Sorrusian nearly landed on top of him.

They were armed with weapons Obi-Wan  had  never  seen  before.  They  were

carved from bone and sharpened on each end. His attackers whirled them in a

circle so fast that the sharpened ends were just a deadly blur. There  were

ten, eleven, twelve of them. He was vastly outnumbered.

Unused to battle, Astri stumbled backward, panic on her face  at  the

numbers of Sorrusians. She fumbled for her vibroblade.

Obi-Wan needed to move fast to  cover  Astri.  He  leaped  and  spun,

neatly cleaving his opponent's weapon in two.

"Stay behind me, Astri!" he called. She moved a few  steps  backward,

already slashing with her vibroblade at an attacker from her right.

Obi-Wan cleanly sliced another Sorrusian's weapon in two, and  sprang

to protect Astri from three Sorrusians advancing from different directions.

Astri's vibroblade came down on the  sharp  blade  of  the  Sorrusian

weapon, slicing it to a dull end. Lightsaber pulsing, Obi-Wan  whirled  and

dispatched two opponents with a sky-to-ground sweep  followed  by  a  quick

reversal. He dropped to one knee and sliced the weapon of the third.

The others had seen  what  the  lightsaber  could  do  and  began  to

retreat. Obi-Wan saw this with relief. He did not want to harm any  members

of this tribe. Any chance he had of cooperation would be lost.

One of the robed members of the tribe raised a  hand  and  emitted  a

harsh, cawing sound. Simultaneously, the rest of the  tribe  dropped  their

weapons.

"We do not bring  trouble  to  your  people,"  Obi-Wan  said  to  the

Sorrusian who had raised his hand. "We come for help."

"We do not help strangers."

There was a gasp when  Obi-Wan  deactivated  his  lightsaber  and  it

disappeared with a buzzing sound.

The Sorrusian leader  circled  around  Obi-Wan  and  Astri.  He  said

something in a dialect Obi-Wan didn't understand.  His  gestures  indicated

that they had hoped to find something worth stealing and were disappointed.

Obi-Wan reached into his survival pack. "I have  food  capsules."  He

held out a handful of capsules, and they  were  quickly  snatched  away.  A

female handed them out to the children first.

Obi-Wan watched the tribe eat hungrily. There wasn't much to  satisfy

them. He wished he had more food. Astri quickly distributed her rations  as

well.

Obi-Wan took a few steps toward  the  leader,  who  had  refused  the

rations and watched the tribe eat.

"Why do you stay here if you are starving?"  Obi-Wan  asked.  "Across

the mountains is a fertile valley."

The leader said nothing. Obi-Wan feared the stony  Sorrusian  silence

would not crack. But the leader must have felt he owed Obi-Wan  a  response

since they had given a gift of food.

"You think we remain here because we choose to do so?" He  shook  his

head. "Once there were fertile patches in the desert as  well.  We  planted

and had plenty to eat. It was a hard life, but it suited us. Then ten years

ago a dam was built. The water was diverted from our lands.  Harsh  winters

have followed, one  after  another.  What  little  land  we  were  able  to

cultivate has dried up."

"Then why do you remain?"

"We have tried to move to more  fertile  lands,  but  are  constantly

driven back by other tribes. We are too weak to take land by force."

"The government of Sorrus will  not  help  you?  The  planet  has  an

irrigation system - "

The leader gave a harsh laugh. "The government of  Sorrus  built  the

dam. And worst of all, our tribe voted  for  it.  We  were  told  it  would

benefit us. But to get irrigation systems, one must bribe officials."

The members of the tribe began to drift back toward the canyon wall.

"We have come looking for someone," Astri said to the leader.

He did not answer, but kept his glance on the sandy expanse.

"She uses the alias Reesa On," Obi-Wan said. "She is a bounty hunter.

She is about my companion's height and size, but with a  shaved  head.  You

must know her. She comes from your tribe."

The leader did not answer this time.

"Please help us," Astri said quietly. "Lives  of  those  we  treasure

depend on it."

The leader simply walked away.

Astri looked after him, distress on her face. "Make him tell us, Obi-

Wan. We can't just give up. "

No, they couldn't give up. But what could they do?

A Sorrusian boy a little younger than Obi-Wan came forward.  "I  know

who you are looking for," he told them. "I know her real  name  and  things

about her. I can tell you things."

Obi-Wan gave him a shrewd glance. "What do you want in return?"

The boy pointed to Obi-Wan's lightsaber. "This."

No Jedi was ever willingly separated  from  his  lightsaber.  Obi-Wan

reached out with the Force. He turned his attention to the boy's mind.

"You admire the lightsaber, but do not want to possess  it,"  Obi-Wan

said. "You will tell us the information freely."

The boy looked puzzled. "No, I won't. I just told you  that.  It's  a

trade, or nothing."

It never failed to amaze him. Just when he began to feel confident of

his Jedi abilities, he was reminded that he  was  only  an  apprentice.  He

could not access the Force as surely as Qui-Gon. He could  not  affect  the

boy.

"Come on. What do you say?" The boy's avid eyes rested  on  Obi-Wan's

lightsaber, tucked securely in his belt.

Stricken with doubt, Obi-Wan hesitated. He  could  not  give  up  his

lightsaber. It was unthinkable. But was it the only way to save his Master?

He felt trapped between centuries  of  Jedi  tradition  and  his  own

anguish. The dilemma squeezed the air from his lungs. He could  not  speak.

He could not choose.

And meanwhile, his Master could be dying.

CHAPTER 9

The next time she let him out of the tank, Qui-Gon was alarmed at the

extent of his relief. He had feared that she would change her mind.

Again, he fell to the floor of the lab. Again, he did not rise  until

he was sure he would be able to stand.

Dressed once more in white, her pale hair drawn  back,  she  surveyed

him with glittering eyes. "I am disappointed in you."

His small smile was an effort. "How tragic for me."

"You are not weakening as fast as the others. I don't know why."

"I am sorry to disappoint you. Should I try to die quicker?"

Nil sidled forward a few more steps, his hostile gaze on Qui-Gon.  He

poked him with the barrel of a blaster. "Do not joke with Madame!"

"Are you going to help me this time so you can have  your  freedom  a

little longer?" Zan Arbor asked sharply.

"If I'm to help you, I need strength. I must use my muscles," Qui-Gon

said. "If I could walk outside the lab..."

She shook her head. "Impossible."

"If you want me to use the Force, why  do  you  weaken  me?"  Qui-Gon

asked. "When the body weakens, its ability to connect to the Force does  as

well."

"I know  that,"  Zan  Arbor  snapped.  She  prowled  around  the  lab

restlessly. "I discovered that right away.  But  I  need  to  analyze  your

blood. I believe there is a way to harness the Force in  it.  But  I  can't

find it! If I can discover more properties of the Force and how it's  used,

I can begin to break down exactly what it is."

Qui-Gon did not want to anger her, only distract her. He  wanted  her

to forget how long he was outside the chamber.

"What about your other research?" he  asked.  "Is  investigating  the

Force worth giving all that up? You saved beings throughout the galaxy. You

are renowned."

"I am tired of renown," Jenna Zan Arbor said, as sulky  as  a  child.

"What did I get for it?"

"Respect," Qui-Gon answered. "And the knowledge that  you  have  done

good for your fellow beings."

"I thought that mattered once," Zan Arbor  said  bitterly.  "It  does

not. I still had to fight in the Senate for research money. I still had  to

convince half-brained leaders to run trials of my vaccines. I still had  to

spend endless hours trying to fund my projects. I should have been working!

I am too valuable to have to waste my time."

"That is true," Qui-Gon said. "I did not  realize  your  difficulty."

Jenna Zan Arbor was consumed with her own brilliance, he saw.  Such  beings

liked to talk about themselves. If he was careful  not  to  annoy  her,  he

would be able to stay out of the chamber and learn more about her. His only

hope for escape lay in understanding his captor.

"No one does," Zan Arbor said, pacing back and  forth.  "When  famine

struck Rend 5 and I bioengineered a new food to feed the entire planet, did

I get a reward? When the Tendor Virus struck the entire Caldoni system  and

my vaccine cured millions, what did I receive  in  return?  Not  enough.  I

learned my lesson."

"What did you learn?" Qui-Gon noticed that Nil  was  looking  at  Zan

Arbor worshipfully. His attention had drifted from guarding Qui-Gon.

"That I must not depend on the galaxy to recognize my greatness," Zan

Arbor said. "I must depend on myself to raise the funds I  need.  A  famine

here, a disease there - what does it matter? They will get sick, they  will

go hungry for a time. Then they will pay for a cure." "I don't understand,"

Qui-Gon said.

Zan Arbor did not answer him directly.  "There  is  morality  in  the

galaxy, but I have not seen it," she mused. "I have seen greed and violence

and laziness. If you look at it that way, I do them a  favor.  I  thin  out

populations and the strong survive."

Qui-Gon saw behind the veil of her words to a truth that shocked him.

He struggled to conceal his disgust. His voice was calm and  even  when  he

asked the next question. "So you introduce a virus  into  a  population  so

that you can then cure it?"

But Zan Arbor must have picked up something in his  tone.  "I  forgot

for a moment about the Jedi morality. You think this is wrong."

"I am trying to understand your reasoning," Qui-Gon said. "You are  a

brilliant scientist. It's hard to follow the turns of your thoughts."

The answer seemed to please her. "Of course I approached the  problem

scientifically. I used models. I calculated how many deaths it  would  take

before a population panicked. Then I introduced  the  virus  in  a  certain

amount and waited for it to replicate. When a certain amount of people were

killed, the leader would contact me. Then I would pretend to  work  on  the

antidote I already had prepared. When they were desperate and ready to open

their treasuries  to  me,  I  dispensed  it.  So  you  see  there  were  no

unnecessary deaths."

Zan Arbor's eyes were shining with the pride of accomplishment.  Qui-

Gon saw that everything she said made absolute sense to  her.  He  realized

that she was crazy.

Did that make his situation easier, or more complicated?

"You are greatness!" Nil burst out.

Zan Arbor did not seem to register his praise. "I had to do this, you

see," she said to Qui-Gon. "The mystery at the heart of  the  Force  is  my

greatest research problem. I had to fund that research. If  I  get  to  the

heart of the Force, I get to the heart of power. I  get  to  the  heart  of

existence itself."

"And when you do that, what next?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I will have all the power I need at last," she said. "Then friends I

have left behind will understand that if sacrifices were made... I...  made

them for a good reason."

Qui-Gon noticed the slight hesitancy. "Do you mean Uta S'orn?"

"She is my friend. She has stood by me.  Supported  my  work  in  the

Senate. I was grateful, of course." Jenna Zan Arbor  looked  uncertain  for

the first time. "But one cannot let gratitude interfere with science."

"So when you discovered that her son was Force-sensitive, you  saw  a

way to further your research," Qui-Gon guessed.

"He said yes right  away!"  Jenna  Zan  Arbor  cried.  "He  would  do

anything for money. He did not realize the commitment he had  to  make.  He

was a scientific subject. Surely he should  have  known  there  were  risks

involved..."

"But he did not expect to die," Qui-Gon said.

"I did not expect it either," she said quickly.  "But  what  kind  of

life did he lose? A life of despair. Uta grieved for her son  every  minute

of her life while he was alive. It is no different now."

"So you believe she will understand," Qui-Gon said.

Behind Zan Arbor's coolness, he  sensed  unrest.  "She  must.  It  is

logical."

"It will be an interesting  conversation,  I'm  sure,"  Qui-Gon  said

neutrally.

"It is time for you to use the Force," she said suddenly, as  if  she

regretted her words. "And this time, I want to see something more than your

moving an object a few inches."

Qui-Gon summoned the Force. He closed his eyes  and  felt  it  around

him, felt it connect him to the living beings here and the world outside  -

wherever he was. He gathered it inside his body to help it heal...

And he felt an answering call.

Someone else was here. Obi-Wan?  Qui-Gon  concentrated,  drawing  the

Force around him.

No, not Obi-Wan. Someone else. She was  holding  someone  else  here,

someone who was Force-sensitive. And whoever it was, he  or  she  was  very

weak.

He heard beeping and opened his eyes. Zan Arbor sat at  the  console,

leaning forward to study a monitor.

"Excellent," she breathed.

He let the Force slip away. She turned and scowled.

"I am tired," he said.

"Then you won't mind returning to your chamber to rest," she taunted.

Yes, he minded. But not as much as he had before.  Someone  else  was

here. Next time she let him out, he would be ready to fight.

CHAPTER 10

Before Obi-Wan could speak or move, Astri stepped  forward.  "Why  do

you want his light-saber?" she asked the boy.

He thrust out his chin. "What difference does it make?"

"What if you want it so you can use it against us?" Astri challenged.

"Why should we hand it over then?"

"I don't want to kill you!" the boy protested.

Astri studied him. "But you do want to find food for your family  and

your tribe. And you think if you had this weapon you could defeat the tribe

on the other side of the mountain."

The boy stared greedily at the lightsaber. "I have seen what  it  can

do."

"There are two problems with your  plan,"  Astri  said  calmly.  "The

first is that you have to train for years in order  to  use  a  lightsaber.

Isn't that right, Obi-Wan?"

He nodded. "Even then, you have more to learn."

"So you wouldn't get anywhere," Astri concluded. "Except maybe  you'd

cut off your own foot. The second thing wrong with your  plan  is  that  it

won't solve your problem. Maybe if you fought this tribe and won - which is

highly unlikely, by the way - you'd get enough food for a week, or a month.

But you'd still be starving when the food ran  out.  You'd  have  to  fight

again. And this time the other tribe would be prepared to meet the attack."

The boy stared at her sullenly. "So what?  I  would  still  have  the

lightsaber. I would fight them."

"Still, we aren't about to  hand  over  such  a  powerful  weapon  so

easily," Astri said. "We'll make you a deal."

Obi-Wan shot her a look. We? He hadn't said a word.

Astri ignored him. "If you tell us what you know, I'll cook  you  and

your family a delicious meal. I'll show you where to find food and  how  to

prepare it so you won't ever have to go hungry.

The boy laughed. "You'll show me how to be a cook?"

"I'll show you how to feed your tribe," Astri corrected. "Not  for  a

week, or a month, but always. And if I can't do it,  you  get  my  friend's

lightsaber."

Obi-Wan shot Astri a look. He hadn't agreed to this. She put a finger

to her lips.

The boy looked out over the vast landscape of  sand.  Not  a  living,

growing thing could be seen. Slowly, he smiled.

"It's a deal."

"Okay," Astri agreed. "Run and get a pack to put food  in  and  we'll

begin."

The boy's name was Bhu Cranna. He followed behind them as  Astri  and

Obi-Wan trudged through the sand.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Obi-Wan murmured.

"You stick to lightsabers. I'll stick to food." Astri  moved  to  the

shadow of the canyon wall. Where sand met  rock,  she  dug  down  into  the

crack. She came up with a small purple mold.

"Looks delicious," Obi-Wan said doubtfully.

Grinning, she handed it to Bhu. "You'll see."

For the next hour, Obi-Wan and Bhu trailed  behind  Astri,  following

her instructions as they scraped mold off the bottom of rocks and dug  deep

underneath the sand to find roots. Astri cut off strips  of  flesh  from  a

spiny plant and then captured the juice that flowed from  its  heart.  They

crawled on their hands and knees through a cave to find  mushrooms  growing

in the cracks of rocks.

Obi-Wan  fretted  about  the  delay,  but  something  told  him  that

information about Reesa On was crucial to finding Qui-Gon.  He  only  hoped

that Astri's plan would work.

"When I took over the cooking at the  caf©,  I  had  a  plan,"  Astri

explained as she pulled the spines out from the fleshy plant  she'd  sliced

into pieces. "Every week I would feature  dishes  from  one  world  in  the

galaxy. Luckily, Sorrus was one of those worlds. I chose it because it's so

large and so many Sorrusians travel through the galaxy."

"If this is their own food, why doesn't the tribe know  how  to  find

this?"  Obi-Wan  asked,  indicating  the  plants  and  mushrooms  they  had

gathered.

"Because we were always able to cultivate  crops,"  Bhu  volunteered.

"It's only recently that we've run completely out of water."

Astri nodded. "In the Tira desert on the other side of  Sorrus,  they

never had a water source, so they live off the desert. I figured  that  the

same kinds of plants must grow here, too. And  they  do."  She  held  up  a

gnarled root. "This is called turu root. Tastes pretty awful  raw.  But  if

you cook it right, it can be delicious."

Obi-Wan looked doubtfully at the plant. "I can't believe  Didi's  and

Qui-Gon's lives hang on a root. Can you really make all this  taste  good?"

"Just watch me."

Astri pounded roots into paste. She spread mushrooms out in  the  sun

to dry. She ground little bits of leaves and roots and combined  them  into

spices. Then she began to roast this and stir that and assemble the various

items into a meal.

When the meal was ready, Astri served it to the boy and  his  family.

Bhu turned out to be the son of the tribe leader, Goq Cranna.  He  was  the

first to taste the meal, trying each food one at a Lime and chewing without

expression. The boy and his mother waited, looking at him expectantly. Obi-

Wan found that he was holding his breath.

"It's good." Pleased, the father turned to Astri. "Where did you find

these things?"

"I can show you," Bhu said.

"And I can tell you about more," Astri added. "But now you must  tell

us about Reesa On."

The leader stood. "Her name is Ona Nobis. Bhu will show us  where  to

go."

Obi-Wan and Astri followed Bhu and Goq Cranna across  the  dunes.  As

they walked, Astri said softly to Obi-Wan, "Now, what  was  that  you  said

about my not being able to cook us out of trouble?"

"I stand corrected."

"We do not speak of Ona Nobis," Goq explained as they  caught  up  to

him. He spoke in short bursts, like the rest of the  tribe.  "Her  name  is

forbidden. For money, she betrayed us. A  shameful  thing.  The  government

agent spoke to us of the wonders of the dam. We  were  skeptical.  Yet  she

urged us to listen. She persuaded us. Later we discovered that she and this

agent had conspired together. They knew the dam would turn  our  land  into

this arid place. The agent  owned  land  across  the  mountain.  He  wanted

fertile lands. So he received the water.

We received the sand."

"What happened to Ona Nobis?" Obi-Wan asked.

"She left before we realized our mistake. We know how she  makes  her

living. Another shame."

"Where are you taking us?" Astri asked.

"My boy found this place," Goq said. "She kept  a  hideout.  Cleverly

hidden."

They came to another, smaller canyon. Bhu hesitated when he  came  to

an outcropping of a rock wall.

"When we turn this corner, the wind will be very strong," he  warned.

He raised his hood and directed them to do the same.

"It is the  way  the  land  is  formed,"  Goq  said.  "It  creates  a

downdraft. This is a place where no one goes."

They turned the corner. Obi-Wan was nearly blown off his feet.  Astri

staggered, and he reached out a hand to steady her. He pulled her  forward.

The wind here was terrible. It drove the sand against  their  skin  and  in

their eyes. They covered most of their faces with their cloaks.

"This way!" Goq shouted. "Stay close!"

Obi-Wan followed on Goq's heels. The  closer  they  got  to  the  far

canyon wall, the worse the sandstorm became. He could no  longer  see  Bhu,

who was only a few meters ahead.

When he saw Goq drop to his knees he did the  same.  He  motioned  to

Astri to go ahead of him so he could be sure she would not get lost.

Obi-Wan crawled, following the others. Ahead he saw  Astri  disappear

into a small opening in the rock face. He squeezed himself through.

Immediately, the wind stopped. Obi-Wan wiped his face  and  tried  to

shake the sand out of his hair and tunic folds. Bhu lit a glow rod.

"Follow me," he whispered. "In a few  meters,  we  will  be  able  to

stand."

Obi-Wan crawled after Astri. She passed through another opening,  and

he followed.

Immediately the walls widened. He got a sense of air and space around

him. He stood cautiously.

Bhu shined the glow rod.  Obi-Wan  saw  a  smooth  floor  and  walls,

bedding rolled up in a corner,  and  something  covered  with  a  tarp.  He

quickly reached for his own glow rod.

He lifted the tarp and held his  glow  rod  high  to  illuminate  the

boxes.

"Med supplies. Survival rations."

"We took a vote and decided to leave the  survival  rations  intact,"

Goq told them. "We did not want her to know that we found this  place."  He

gave a short smile. "We were getting close to raiding the  food  until  you

came along. Now we do not need to."

"So she doesn't know you've found this place?" Obi-Wan asked.

Bhu shook his head. "We have been very careful. I think she was  here

recently. One of the survival ration packs is gone."

"Now we will leave you here," Goq said. "We will wait for you in  the

next canyon. If you follow the canyon wall, you will find us."

Obi-Wan thanked them, and Goq and Bhu left.

"Here's a datapad, Obi-Wan," Astri called excitedly.

Obi-Wan hurried over. He quickly accessed the  file  system.  To  his

relief, the files were not coded.

"These are case files," he said, scrolling  through.  "Clients.  Jobs

she took on."

"Any hint of where she could be now?" Astri asked.

"Hold on. Let me access the latest file." Obi-Wan clicked a few keys.

He read carefully through the information. "This is it," he said excitedly.

Astri crouched down next to him. "What is it?"

"It's the case she's working on now," Obi-Wan said. "I guess her work

for Jenna Zan Arbor is over." He pointed at the  screen.  "She's  shadowing

the governor of Cinnatar. That's in this system. It's  less  than  a  day's

travel from here."

"The governor must be her next target," Astri agreed.

"I'll contact the Temple for a Jedi team." Obi-Wan  reached  for  his

comlink, but its indicator light was already activated.  Tahl  was  looking

for him.

A moment later, Tahl's clear voice came through the  comlink.  "We've

broken Zan Arbor's code at last. The Jedi are extremely concerned. We  know

that Zan Arbor is conducting experiments on the Force. We fear that she  is

holding Qui-Gon in order... in order to experiment on  him."  Tahl  cleared

her throat. "Her first experiment was on a subject with the initials RS."

"Ren S'orn?" Obi-Wan guessed. They had  known  that  Senator  S'orn's

late son had been mixed up in the mystery of the attack on Didi.  They  had

not known why.

"That is what we believe," Tahl confirmed. "There is a  lab  notation

that further experiments would be done. Yet  none  were.  The  notation  is

dated a few days before Ren S'orn was found dead on Simpla-12."

Obi-Wan swallowed. Ren S'orn's body had been drained of blood. He had

been an experimental subject of Jenna  Zan  Arbor's.  But  Qui-Gon  was  so

strong, so clever. Surely he would not suffer the same fate.

"You know our fears, Obi-Wan," Tahl said, her voice low.

"Yes."

"I was hoping you had a lead on the bounty hunter. We are  discussing

how next to proceed."

"I think I do," Obi-Wan said. "We've found out  the  bounty  hunter's

real name. It is Ona Nobis. I believe her next job is  to  assassinate  the

governor of Cinnatar."

"We will warn him and send a team there  to  meet  you  immediately,"

Tahl said. "Send Astri back here. Contact me when you arrive on Cinnatar."

Tahl shut the communication. Obi-Wan stared at  the  datapad  of  Ona

Nobis.

"Come on, Obi-Wan," Astri urged. "There's no time to  lose.  I'm  not

going back to the Temple. I'm coming with you."

"Wait," Obi-Wan said.

"Don't even try to argue," Astri said, her dark  eyes  burning.  "I'm

coming. Hurry. We don't want to miss the last transport back to the city."

He knew he should be hurrying to catch the transport.  But  something

was wrong. Something inside was warning him.

Always listen to doubt. Even in times of great haste,  take  time  to

listen. Then trust it.

Qui-Gon's words. Obi-Wan thought about his hesitancy.  Something  was

telling him that Cinnatar was not where he would find answers.

"Obi-Wan!" Astri called in frustration.

"Tell me something, Astri," he said. "The bounty hunter Ona Nobis  is

clever. Again and again she surprised us. She even outwitted Qui-Gon."

"Yes," Astri said impatiently.

"So why would she choose as an alias a name that we  could  trace  to

the place where she was from?"

"Because she didn't know you would trace it," Astri said.

"A part of cleverness is not underestimating the cleverness  of  your

opponent," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. "She knows the resources of  the

Temple. Why would she take such a risk?"

Astri took a few steps toward Obi-Wan. "What are you saying? That she

wanted us to find her?"

"No. She wanted us to find this." Obi-Wan gestured at the cave.  "And

this." He pointed to the datapad.

"But it was so hard to find. Bhu stumbled on the cave by accident..."

"It was only a matter of time before some member of the  tribe  found

this place," Obi-Wan said. "They wander in search of food  and  water.  She

knows this."

He touched the datapad. "What if she wanted to send us on  the  wrong

trail? What if she is still working for Jenna Zan Arbor?"

"You could be right, Obi-Wan," Astri said slowly. "But we need to  be

sure."

If he made the wrong choice, it could  mean  Qui-Gon's  life.  Yet  a

choice must be made.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He filtered out haste and worry. He breathed

in his fear of making a wrong choice and let it  go.  He  listened  to  his

instinct. If it was wrong to go to Cinnatar, where was he to go?

After a long moment, he opened his eyes. "We are going to  Simpla-12,

where Ren S'orn was found," he told Astri.

CHAPTER 11

The next time Qui-Gon was released from the chamber, Jenna Zan  Arbor

was not in the lab. Nil pushed him forward roughly. This time, Qui-Gon  did

not fall. He had gained back some of the strength he had  lost.  The  Force

was helping him now, slowly, by degrees. He was learning  now  to  use  his

captivity to reach out to the Force and let it trickle rather than flow.

Knowing that at least one other being was held here had  helped  him.

It had given him a purpose larger than himself.

"Where is she?" he asked Nil, trying to sound casual.

"None of your business," Nil growled. "Maybe she doesn't want to talk

to you anymore."

Qui-Gon gave him a considering glance. "Maybe it's  you  who  doesn't

want me to talk to her."

"You mock her," Nil burst out. "You are not  her  friend.  You  don't

realize her greatness."

"Well, you work with her, Nil. No doubt you see things that I do not.

You are the one who is valuable to her," Qui-Gon said.

"That's right!" Nil thumped his chest. "I am  the  one  who  protects

Jenna! Don't forget that. If you try anything, I will  shoot  you  down.  I

will not be the one to miss like Ona Nobis!"

Ona Nobis. That must be the bounty hunter.

"Yet if she only has you to talk to, she might  get  bored,"  Qui-Gon

added.

"She was not bored before you came!" Nil snarled. "I was  enough  for

her."

So Nil was the only guard.

Qui-Gon drew the Force around him. A sensor light began  to  glow  on

the console as his vital signs slowed, but Nil did not notice.

"She doesn't need Ona.  She  doesn't  need  you.  She  has  me,"  Nil

muttered. "All this talk distracts her."

Qui-Gon intensified his effort. He  knew  that  when  the  Force  was

strong, the sensor would make a shrill sound. He needed a split  second  of

distraction, no more.

The piercing sound of the  sensor  split  the  silence.  Nil  turned,

startled.

In that moment, Qui-Gon moved, quicker than the eye could see. He had

gathered his strength for just this moment. He twisted Nil's arm behind his

back and disarmed him of one blaster before Nil could blink.  He  tried  to

remove the other blaster from Nil's belt as Nil twisted. Nil put  his  hand

over Qui-Gon's, squeezing, and the blaster went off. The pulse  of  blaster

fire pinged past Nil's ear. His eyes  rolled  back  in  his  head,  and  he

fainted.

Qui-Gon dragged Nil to the door.  He  remembered  the  tones  of  the

security code and plugged it in. Then he pressed Nil's  thumb  against  the

register. The door opened. He dragged Nil back, but as he did a  red  light

suddenly shone on the console and the door began to close. There must  have

been an extra security precaution he didn't know about.

Qui-Gon threw Nil down and lurched forward. He got his arm inside the

door before it closed.

Pain ripped  through  him,  but  he  did  not  extract  his  arm.  He

maneuvered his body so that his other arm was free. He reached over to  the

lab table. A long, steel instrument lay on  the  table,  just  out  of  his

reach. Concentrating the Force, Qui-Gon caused it to fly into his hand.

Using all his strength, he pushed the door farther open.  It  opened,

centimeter by agonizing centimeter. When the opening was big enough for him

to squeeze through, he wedged the steel instrument against the door to hold

it. Then he eased through.

He raced down the hallway, every sense alert. He did not want to  run

into Zan Arbor. Three doors led off the hallway. One to the  left,  one  to

the right. One straight ahead. Qui-Gon paused.

He listened with the Force. He sent out as much of his energy  as  he

could. The effort was exhausting.

He felt an answering burst.

Qui-Gon turned right. He accessed  the  door  and  found  himself  in

another hallway.  Qui-Gon  took  the  first  door  to  his  right.  To  his

disappointment, he saw he had merely accessed a storage area.  Shelves  ran

from floor to ceiling and were filled with durasteel containers and medical

bins. He glanced at the labels. There were enough antitoxins and  medicines

here to cure whole worlds...

There was a disturbance in the Force. Qui-Gon began to turn,  but  he

felt a pain in his back. His legs went numb. He fell.

"That's enough!" Jenna Zan Arbor barked.

Qui-Gon saw her approach along with Nil. Nil was carrying a  harness.

He strapped it onto Qui-Gon, who was now paralyzed.

"Drag him back to the lab," Zan Arbor said. "Thank you, Qui-Gon,  for

that magnificent demonstration of the Force. I will have some  readings  to

analyze now. Thank my stars I can always count on Nil to be outsmarted."

Nil leaned down. Fury twisted his face.

"We should kill him," he said to Jenna Zan Arbor.

"All in good time," she said coolly.

CHAPTER 12

In a galaxy full of notorious planets, Simpla-12 was one of the  most

notorious of all. Once, it had been rich in minerals, but held little  life

and no native beings.  The  planet  had  been  mined  and  abandoned.  Then

gradually it became a landing spot for  trawlers  and  a  haven  for  space

pirates. A small colony sprang up, and an economy of sorts developed, based

on gambling and the sale of black market goods. Violence was common.

There was only one  colony  on  Simpla-12,  called,  in  a  burst  of

optimism, Sim-First. No other colonies had followed. Instead Sim-First  had

spread like mold over the planet's surface. The outpost  was  a  sprawling,

snaking growth of buildings with a maze of narrow walkways  made  of  metal

ties sunk into the dirt. Mud oozed from the cracks between the  ties.  Many

of the buildings had fallen into disrepair and had been patched with  scrap

metal and odd bits of plastoid materials.

Simpla-12's sun was weak. The planet was known for  its  heavy  cloud

cover, which made for a constant drizzling rain that dripped from a sky  of

lead.

"You take me to the nicest places," Astri murmured  as  they  slogged

through the mud.

"It's perfect for someone who wants to hide," Obi-Wan said. Was  that

why his instinct told him to come here? Was Jenna Zan Arbor's secret lab on

Simpla-12? When he had contacted Tahl to tell her his destination, he could

tell by her tone that she thought he was on the wrong trail.  She  did  not

try to stop him, however. She had sounded distracted,  as  though  she  was

concerned with more important leads. No doubt she was relieved that Obi-Wan

and Astri were pursuing what she felt would  be  a  fruitless  mission.  It

would keep them safe and out of trouble.

Obi-Wan had to agree that he was following the slenderest of threads.

He tried to call Qui-Gon, reaching out to the Force. He  felt  nothing.  He

touched the stone inside his tunic and felt its reassuring warmth. He could

not shake the feeling that every step he took brought  him  closer  to  his

Master.

It did not take them long to discover the names of  Ren's  associates

on Simpla-12. On a world such as this, information could be  bought  for  a

few credits. Ren's associates-Cholly, Weez, and Tup-could be found  at  the

12 Tavern.

They were directed down an even narrower,  dirtier  lane.  The  metal

ties that formed the walkway were completely covered in  mud  and  garbage.

Ahead a sign with the number  12  roughly  painted  in  red  swung  in  the

drizzling rain.

They were almost to the building when suddenly a body came flying out

of the tavern's front door. With a thump, the body landed face first in the

street, sending mud flying. A second body followed, landing with  a  squeal

and a curse.

The first  body  stirred.  "Weez!  That's  my  foot!"  Astri  started

forward. Obi-Wan put a hand on her arm. "I think we'd better wait."

A third body flew through the air, landing a short distance from  the

other two.

"Don't be so touchy!" the third being yelled back at the tavern.

A huge Devaronian stepped out onto the front  porch  of  the  tavern.

Quickly, the three beings scampered backward on their hands and knees. Obi-

Wan could not tell their species, but they were all humanoid.

"And don't come back again!" the Devaronian  boomed.  He  turned  and

thumped back into the tavern. The door slammed shut behind him.

"That was your fault, Tup," the first being said. He was the  tallest

of the three, with hair that straggled down his back.

"Was not," Tup said, wiping mud off his  round  face.  "Gibbertz  and

ham, who knew he had no sense of humor?"

The one called Weez wiped mud out of his  eyes.  "Most  beings  don't

like having their mothers called Kowakian monkey lizards."

"I thought his mother was a Kowakian monkey lizard," Tup said.

The first being, who Obi-Wan assumed was Cholly, stood and  tried  to

wipe the mud off his face with the end of his tunic. He only  succeeded  in

grinding more mud on. "What are we going to do now? We've been  thrown  out

of every tavern in Sim-First."

Obi-Wan walked forward. "Maybe a  few  credits  would  get  you  back

inside one of them."

Tup puffed out childish plump cheeks and blew out a short,  explosive

breath. "Woosh. Great idea, stranger. Thanks for the tip. Only, guess what?

We don't have any credits."

"Maybe there's a way you can earn some," Astri said.

"You have work?" Weez asked. He stood next to Cholly. He  was  a  few

inches shorter. "Sorry. We have a back injury."

"I can see why, if you keep getting  thrown  out  of  places,"  Astri

said.

"The galaxy," Cholly said sadly, "conspires against us."

Tup struggled to his feet. "We are  merely  victims  of  its  violent

tendencies."

"Innocents must suffer," Weez sighed. "Such is fate."

The three stood next to one another. Covered in mud, they  were  like

three descending steps. This ridiculous trio was his best lead to Qui-Gon?

Patience, young Padawan. Suspend your judgment, and every  being  has

something to teach you.

Obi-Wan sighed. "We're not offering you a job.  We  want  information

and we're willing to pay for it."

Cholly attempted to look shrewd. "What kind of information? We  don't

squeal on friends."

"Unless they get on our nerves," Weez said quickly.

"This friend is dead," Obi-Wan said.

"In that case, let's see the credits," Cholly said, as Weez  and  Tup

looked more cheerful. Astri held out a few credits.

"That's all?" Tup asked in dismay.

"We haven't heard anything worth paying  for  yet,"  Obi-Wan  pointed

out.

"What do you want to know?" Cholly asked.  He  reached  out  for  the

credits, but Astri closed her fist before Cholly could grab the currency.

"It's about Ren S'orn," Obi-Wan said. "Can you tell us about his last

days?"

At the name, the three friends traded sad glances.

"Ren." Tup took a deep breath, then let out a long,  drawn-out  sigh.

"Poor Ren. He told us about this offer he got. He was going to get  paid  a

lot of credits. We're always talking about the big score. Something to  get

us out of here. Ren said he found it."

"Did he say what it was?" Astri asked.

"He was going to be part of this big experiment,"  Weez  said.  "Some

scientist thought his brain was really  special  or  something.  Wanted  to

study him. Ren said he'd do it for awhile, but she  was  going  to  end  up

paying bigger than she thought."

"Obviously, Ren ended up paying bigger  than  he'd  thought,"  Cholly

said. The three friends bowed their heads.

"Did he tell you where the lab was?" Obi-Wan asked.

The three of them shook their heads. "When he got back,  he  wouldn't

say."

"What was he like when he came back?" Astri asked.

"Different," Tup said.

"Weak," Weez said. "He shook all the time." "He was  scared,"  Cholly

said flatly.

"And then he was killed," Tup said. "Woosh. It was sad."

Again, the three bowed their heads.

"Why was he scared?" Astri demanded. "Don't know. He wouldn't say."

"Maybe Tino would know," Weez said.

"Who's Tino?" Obi-Wan asked. Asking  this  trio  questions  was  like

pulling the fur off a Wookiee one hair at a time.

"Ren's  roommate.  He  took  him  in  when  he  got  back  from  that

experiment," Cholly said.

"Ren said he needed to hide out for awhile," Weez added.  "Tino  used

to hang around with us, but he got a job. Works over in that big  warehouse

near the landing platform."

"Can we have the credits now?" Cholly asked. He held out a hand.

Astri counted out a few credits.

"Hey, that's not very much," Weez complained.

"You didn't give us very much," Obi-Wan said. He had  a  feeling  the

three knew more. He was anxious to talk to Tino.

Obi-Wan and Astri left the three squabbling about how  to  divide  up

the credits and hurried back the way they'd come. Obi-Wan had  noticed  the

big warehouse by the landing platform.

"Maybe Tino will have more answers than that bunch," he told Astri.

"Let's hope so," she agreed.

By the time they reached the warehouse they were almost as  muddy  as

Cholly, Weez, and Tup. Huge loading doors stood open and inside they  could

see a multilayered structure  of  catwalks,  ladders,  ramps,  and  chutes.

Small, compact tech droids rolled through  the  aisles,  pushing  graysleds

filled with durasteel crates and boxes. Obi-Wan scanned the area  until  he

glimpsed the person in charge, a woman of middle years in  a  gray  unisuit

with a headset, who was barking orders at the droids.

Obi-Wan approached her.

"We're looking for Tino," Obi-Wan said.

She didn't take her eyes off the droids. "He's  unloading  in  Sector

Two. Through that door there. Tell him to get a move on and get back here,"

she said. "I need those droids!"

Obi-Wan and Astri followed the woman's directions and hurried through

the door into the Sector One portion of the huge warehouse.

There was no one on the ground floor, but one level  up  they  saw  a

sandy-haired young man in a unisuit. Droids on the next level were  pushing

crates onto a chute. The crates slid down and the young man hefted them and

loaded them one at a time onto a gravsled.

Obi-Wan glanced around for the ladder that would  take  them  up  one

level. He paused as he felt a sudden disturbance in the Force.

Quickly, he scanned the warehouse. The droids moved in orderly  rows,

the crates rolled down. There was no movement on the catwalks above...

Then he saw her one level above Tino. At first she was just a shadow.

Then she moved, and the shape became Ona Nobis. Dressed all in  black,  she

looked down at Tino. Unaware,  the  young  man  below  continued  to  work,

sweeping a bin off the chute and loading it onto the gravsled.

She unfurled her whip.

"Watch out!" Obi-Wan shouted.

CHAPTER 13

Tino looked up,  startled  by  Obi-Wan's  cry.  Obi-Wan  was  already

gathering the Force to make his leap. He landed on the catwalk overhead and

teetered back for an instant, trying to get his balance.

Fortunately, Ona Nobis was surprised and her timing was off. The whip

flailed uselessly in the air. Obi-Wan had time to note the shock turning to

anger on Ona Nobis's face as he raced down the catwalk and onto  the  chute

leading straight toward her.

Astri was already running up the stairs, trying to get to  Tino.  His

lightsaber in his hand, Obi-Wan dodged  the  boxes  that  Ona  Nobis  began

throwing down at him. He did not look forward to tangling with  the  bounty

hunter without Qui-Gon by his side.

He reached the next catwalk. The whip flashed above his head. Obi-Wan

saw it coming and slashed at it with the lightsaber. The two lasers tangled

as the whip wrapped around the blade of his lightsaber.

Below him, Astri pushed Tino behind a stack of  durasteel  bins.  Ona

Nobis  unfurled  her  whip  once  more,  releasing  Obi-Wan's   lightsaber.

Immediately, he charged toward her. In a flash, she set the whip to  normal

mode and snaked it around the railing of the  opposite  catwalk.  Then  she

used the whip to swing to the other side. Obi-Wan heard the  clang  of  her

landing on the metal catwalk.

She now had a clear shot at Tino.

"Astri!" Obi-Wan yelled.

Astri looked up and saw Ona Nobis. Her face was white and drawn  with

fear but she grabbed Tino and pushed him farther behind  the  bins,  making

sure he was safe before joining him. Obi-Wan  admired  her  courage  as  he

jumped on top of the catwalk railing and paused before his leap across open

space.

For him, the Force was sometimes elusive. He was still learning.  But

now he could feel it around him, steady and strong. It was almost as though

Qui-Gon was with him, joining his strength with Obi-Wan's. He leaped across

the gap.

He grabbed the railing of the opposite  catwalk,  his  body  slamming

against the metal. He had no time to feel the pain. He swung himself up and

over and charged.

Ona Nobis's lip curled as she set her whip to laser  mode.  With  the

other hand, she drew her blaster. The fire pinged around him  as  he  swung

his lightsaber in a wide swath, deflecting  the  fire.  He  moved  steadily

toward her.

Meanwhile, Astri urged Tino onto the gravsled. Kicking aside  several

bins, she got behind the controls and pushed the gravsled to full power. It

zoomed down the catwalk away from Ona Nobis.

Good work, Astri.

Ona Nobis cracked her whip. It tangled with the  lightsaber.  Obi-Wan

twisted his wrist, hoping to flick the whip away. Instead, it  curled  back

and struck again.

Obi-Wan twirled his  lightsaber  around  in  a  lightning-fast  move,

corkscrewing around the flexible whip. It wound around his lightsaber in  a

complex tangle.

With a snarl, Ona Nobis pulled  back  on  the  whip,  but  could  not

dislodge it. She fired her blaster, but she was off-balance and Obi-Wan was

able to turn away to avoid it.

He knew he would not be able to avoid it for long, however. He needed

his lightsaber to deflect the fire. Still, he was anxious  to  deprive  his

opponent of her most potent weapon. He did not want to let go of the whip.

Use your opponents' strategies against them and you take  away  their

power.

He took a chance and moved closer. She had expected him to pull back,

and he drove her farther off balance.

Get your opponents to lose their grace,  and  they  will  lose  their

purpose, Padawan.

Grimly, he advanced farther, pushing against the  lightsaber  as  she

stumbled backward, still unwilling to let go of the whip. Her blaster  fire

pinged harmlessly on the metal catwalk. Her eyes burned with hatred.

He saw now that two of  the  fingers  of  her  left  hand  had  fused

together. No doubt it was as a result of the injury he had inflicted in the

battle in the Cascardi Mountains. The hatred and rage she felt was  like  a

thick toxic cloud surrounding them.

He guessed that if he moved quickly, he might be able to release  the

whip and strike her down before she  had  a  chance  to  land  a  blow.  He

remembered how casually she had shot Didi. And Qui-Gon. He  remembered  his

Master falling back into her ship. He matched her rage and  hate  with  his

own.

Do not meet hate with hate. Meet it with purpose.

But what was his purpose? He did not want to take her life, only  her

freedom. He needed to capture her. Only then would they be  able  to  force

her to lead them to Jenna Zan Arbor and Qui-Gon. She would have to  make  a

deal.

Suddenly, he saw Astri behind Ona Nobis. Alone on the gravsled, Astri

drove at top speed toward the bounty hunter. They had her between them now.

Ona Nobis heard the noise behind her. She gave one last, enraged look

at Obi-Wan. Then she abandoned the struggle for the whip  and  leaped  over

the catwalk onto a ramp below. She slid down, her body straight and  sleek.

The ramp disappeared through the floor below into a lower level.

Obi-Wan leaped after her. He, too, slid down the ramp,  bumping  down

as fast as he could, keeping his lightsaber in the air.

But when he got to the bottom, Ona Nobis was gone.  He  saw  a  small

door leading outside that the droids used. He could not fit through it, but

Sorrusian bones compressed so that they could fit in small spaces.  He  had

lost her.

Furious, Obi-Wan trudged back up the ramp to Sector One. Astri waited

on the ground floor with a shaky Tino.

"She's gone," Obi-Wan said.

"At least she left this." Astri held up the whip. "Who was she?" Tino

asked. He shook his head dazedly. "And who are you?"

Quickly, Obi-Wan explained why they were there. "If there's  anything

you can add about Ren, we would appreciate it," he finished.

"I owe you both my life," Tino said. "Of course I'll tell you what  I

know."

He wiped his hands on his unisuit. His blue eyes  grew  cloudy.  "Ren

was my buddy. He watched my back, and I watched his. When he told me  about

volunteering for this experiment, I  tried  to  talk  him  out  of  it.  He

wouldn't listen. Nobody listens to anybody. Especially on Simpla-12.  Those

clowns Cholly, Weez, and Tup thought it was a great idea."

Tino sat down shakily on  a  durasteel  bin.  "He  came  back  really

spooked. Said he didn't realize what he'd  been  in  for.  He  talked  this

scientist into letting him go and promised to  come  back.  But  he  wasn't

going back, he said."

"Did you notice a change in him?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Sure. He lost all his strength," Tino said. "He could hardly  squash

a bug. That's why he hid at my place. He kept  saying..."  Tino  looked  at

Obi-Wan. "That he'd go to the Jedi for help,  as  soon  as  he  was  strong

enough. But first he had to go back to the lab."

"What was he afraid of?" Astri asked.

"Her," Tino said. "Whoever she is. He said he'd stared pure  evil  in

the face."

Obi-Wan felt a chill. This was the person who held his Master.

"Then why did he have to go back?" Obi-Wan asked.

Tino shook his head. "He wouldn't tell me.  Maybe  because  I  didn't

really believe him. Ren was always such a big mouth. Always  talking  about

his big connections. Said he came from a powerful family."

"He did," Obi-Wan said.

"Yeah. So I heard, after he was dead. But I didn't know then. So when

he said he had to get insurance, that this scientist wouldn't dare kill him

if he went back, I didn't believe that, either." Tino looked up,  his  eyes

bleak. "And then he died."

"I'm sorry," Astri said quietly.

"Me, too. You know, I told all this to the security force."

"Simpla-12 has a security  force?"  Obi-Wan  asked,  surprised.  He'd

thought it was one of the lawless worlds.

"The Coruscant security police investigated," Tino  said.  "Some  big

Bothan..."

"Captain Yur T'aug?" Obi-Wan asked.

"That was the guy. He was in charge of investigating  the  murder.  I

told him what Ren told me - that if something happened to him, he had  left

behind a clue, something that would lead them to  this  scientist  and  her

lab. I told them to ask Cholly, Weez, and Tup. Ren talked to them, too. But

he never questioned anybody on Simpla-12. He just shipped Ren's  body  back

to Coruscant, to his mother. I guess  they  didn't  care  that  much  about

solving the murder."

Obi-Wan thanked Tino. He and Astri walked slowly from the warehouse.

"What now?" Astri asked.

"I wonder why Captain Yur T'aug didn't follow up on any leads,"  Obi-

Wan said.

"You know him?"

"He investigated Fligh's murder," Obi-Wan said. "He didn't seem  very

interested in finding that killer, either."

Astri nodded. "I have a feeling we're heading back to Coruscant."

CHAPTER 14

Qui-Gon floated in  the  chamber.  His  limbs  felt  heavy,  but  the

paralyzing dart was wearing off.

Jenna Zan Arbor's face loomed through the vapor outside the  chamber.

He could just make out the outlines of her face. "Did you really think  you

could escape?"

"It seemed worth a try," Qui-Gon said.

"I am tired of our game," Zan Arbor said. "You amused me once. I  was

kind to you. I let you out of the chamber."

"Let us not forget that it was you who imprisoned  me  in  the  first

place," Qui-Gon said. "It's hard for me to muster up gratitude under  these

conditions."

She shook her head slowly. "Look at you. You still have your dignity,

even when you are at my mercy."

Qui-Gon met her gaze steadily. "I am a Jedi."

She waved her hand, as if this was something that didn't matter.

"You know," Qui-Gon remarked, "there is something strange  to  me  in

your attitude. You seem to have great respect for the Force. Yet you do not

respect those who are closest to it."

"That isn't true. I  respect  you,  Qui-Gon.  Just  as  I  respect  a

chemical, or the physical properties of a gas. You are a means to an end."

"You will never gain what you seek," Qui-Gon told her.  "There  is  a

fatal flaw in your plan."

She smiled. "So you say. And what is that?" "Understanding the  Force

takes wisdom - " "Are you telling me I am not wise?" she asked.

"You have intelligence. Maybe genius. But that is not wisdom."

He had disturbed her. She covered it with a  laugh.  "I've  heard  of

Jedi mind tricks. You are trying to  get  me  to  doubt  myself.  "That  is

impossible."

"Here is an example of what  I  mean,"  Qui-Gon  said.  "You  do  not

recognize what truth is, so you call it a trick. That is why  you  are  not

wise, Jenna Zan Arbor. Wisdom is something you cannot identify because  you

cannot measure it with your instruments."

She struggled to maintain  her  tight  smile.  "Anything  else  I  am

lacking to understand the Force?"

"The most important thing of all," Qui-Gon said. "An open heart."

Her expression  tightened.  "That  is  an  abstraction.  Meaningless.

Enough of your games. Enough of you.  The  final  experiments  will  begin.

Thank you for your contributions to science. You will die in the  isolation

tank. I need your blood.".

The vapor grew thick. Jenna Zan Arbor's face disappeared. The syringe

entered and pierced his flesh. He watched his blood move down the tube.

Qui-Gon closed his eyes. Now, there were only two things  ahead.  Two

things he must keep in balance, far apart though they  might  be.  He  must

hope for rescue. And he must prepare for death.

CHAPTER 15

"Captain Yur T'aug is busy," the sergeant said.

"He will see me," Obi-Wan said firmly. "This is a Jedi matter."

The sergeant paused.  Coruscant  security  forces  were  expected  to

cooperate with the Jedi, even if they didn't want to.

"I will ask him - "

Pushing past the sergeant, Obi-Wan strode through the  door.  Captain

Yur T'aug sat at a long, polished desk. He was  a  tall,  muscular  Bothan,

dressed in the security force navy uniform with tall boots  polished  to  a

high gleam. He was bent over, staring in a  mirror  while  he  clipped  his

beard. He looked up in surprise as Obi-Wan and Astri walked in.

"I am not to be  disturbed!"  he  shouted.  "Why  did  you  drop  the

investigation into Ren S'orn's death?" Obi-Wan demanded. He had no time for

preliminaries.

"How dare you question me!" Captain Yur T'aug sprang to his feet  and

stalked toward Obi-Wan and Astri.  He  came  within  centimeters  of  their

faces. "Get out!" he bellowed.

"Not until I get answers," Obi-Wan said, meeting the  captain's  gaze

resolutely. He had learned from Qui-Gon  how  to  meet  bullies  with  calm

strength. He did not raise his voice. Still, he  felt  intimidated  by  the

captain's manner. He was only a boy. Would the captain listen to him?

"I have no answers to  give  you,"  Captain  Yur  T'aug  sneered.  "I

investigated a murder. The killer was not found. The case file was  rotated

to inactive. Do you know how full our caseload is here?"

"Ren's friend told you that he might have been killed because he  had

information that someone did not want to get out," Obi-Wan said.  "You  did

not question anyone else. Why is  that?"  Obi-Wan  paused.  "The  Jedi  are

making this investigation a priority, Captain Yur T'aug."

"So they send a boy to question me?"

"I represent the Jedi Council. Know that if you oppose  us,  we  will

pursue this matter."

Captain Yur T'aug backed up a step.  "Always  the  Jedi  stick  their

noses in my business and I am asked to accept it."

"We are working for the same goal," Obi-Wan  pointed  out.  "Justice.

Did Jenna Zan Arbor pay you to drop the investigation?"

A flicker of surprise flared in Captain Yur T'aug's angry  gaze.  But

was it because Obi-Wan had guessed the truth, or because he  did  not  know

Jenna Zan Arbor was involved?

"The Jedi Council wishes to know the answer," Obi-Wan said. "We  will

go through official channels if we must. It would be easier  if  you  would

tell me the truth here and now."

Captain Yur T'aug let out a breath, as if he'd made a  decision.  "It

is true I was asked to drop the investigation. But it was  the  request  of

Ren S'orn's mother. Uta S'orn is - was - a powerful Senator. And it was her

son who had died. Naturally I followed her wishes."

"Why wouldn't Senator S'orn want her son's killer to be found?" Astri

asked, baffled.

"You will have to ask her," Captain Yur T'aug said. "I do not know."

The last time Obi-Wan had seen Senator S'orn,  he  had  been  ushered

into a grand office in the Senate building. She had been  dressed  in  rich

ceremonial robes. Since that time, Senator S'orn had resigned.

She lived in a building near the Senate  where  other  Senators  from

many worlds kept quarters. She opened the door, dressed in  a  plain  linen

smock that hung to the floor. She was not  wearing  the  elaborate  wrapped

headdress of her home world of Belasco. Her dark hair hung loosely down her

back.

She did not look happy to see Obi-Wan. "More  questions,"  she  said.

"Where's your big friend?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said. "That's why I'm here."

She shrugged, then turned and walked into her quarters.

Obi-Wan and Astri followed. Boxes and bins were  piled  around  them,

some of them sealed, others half open. She was packing.

"You are leaving?"

"I am returning to Belasco. To do what, I don't know." She gave  Obi-

Wan a direct look. "Please ask what you came to ask. I am busy."

The Senator had always been direct. He  would  meet  that  directness

with his own. "Why did you have Captain Yur T'aug  drop  the  investigation

into your son's murder?"

"What good would it have done to continue?" Uta  S'orn  said  with  a

sigh. "He was killed by  some  lowlife,  some  criminal  on  Simpla-12.  He

associated with them, gambled with them, probably got into an argument.  He

led a life of squalor. Why investigate it, why  drag  every  sordid  detail

into the sun? Who knows what Captain Yur T'aug could have found about Ren?"

Uta S'orn's expression was tight and strained. "I did  not  want  to  know.

Don't you understand? I want it all to go away, and you keep bringing it up

again."

"But your son might have left a clue behind to help find his killer,"

Astri said. "He said he would leave a clue behind in case he was killed."

"Can't you understand that I don't care?" she said  impatiently.  She

picked up a blanket and began to fold it.

"What if you knew his killer?" Obi-Wan asked. "Why would I  know  the

dregs of Simpla-12?" she scoffed.

"We believe that Jenna Zan Arbor was involved in your  son's  death,"

Obi-Wan told her.

She whipped around to face him. "That is impossible."

"It is true,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "We  know  that  Jenna  Zan  Arbor  is

conducting experiments on the Force. We know she contacted your son - "

Uta S'orn laughed in disbelief. "You are on the wrong track. Jenna is

my friend. I have helped her with her funding, introduced  legislation  for

her, gotten her onto committees, sometimes at personal risk to my career...

She would never hurt my son. She didn't even know him."

"Did she tell you that she contacted him on Simpla-12?"

Uta S'orn went pale. She knew the Jedi did not lie. "You know this is

true?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Tell me. She knew Ren  was  Force-sensitive,  didn't

she?"

"I told her in confidence..."

"This was  at  the  beginning  of  her  experiments,"  Obi-Wan  said,

thinking. "She probably couldn't get to  any  Jedi.  She  was  looking  for

anyone who was Force-sensitive, most likely. Beings no one would miss  -  "

Obi-Wan saw pain constrict Uta S'orn's features. "I am sorry.  I  know  you

miss your son. Perhaps she thought you would not."

"I  was  not  in  touch  with  Ren  at  the  time,"  Uta  S'orn  said

reluctantly. "I told Jenna I had disowned him. I was trying to be strong."

"She offered him money if he would be a subject  in  an  experiment,"

Obi-Wan said quietly. "He went. When he returned, his friends  say  he  was

changed. He was afraid."

Uta S'orn's legs seemed to collapse underneath  her.  She  sat  on  a

chair. Her hands went to her mouth. "Did she... hurt him?"

"We are not sure what happened," Obi-Wan said. "Or why he was killed.

Do you know where Jenna Zan Arbor's lab  is?  Not  her  official  lab.  But

another lab, a secret lab."

Uta S'orn shook her head. "I didn't know she had one."

"We think Ren left  a  clue  behind,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "Do  you  have

anything of his?"

She stood and went to the pile of boxes in a corner. She  withdrew  a

small durasteel bin. "This is all he owned. If there's a  message  here,  I

haven't found it." She handed it to Obi-Wan. "Take it. And if you find  out

your suspicions are true, find her."

"I will," Obi-Wan promised.

Quickly, he and Astri  hurried  outside.  The  walkways  teemed  with

beings. The area surrounding the Senate was always crowded.

"We need to go through this bin, but we don't have time to get to the

Temple," Obi-Wan said. "I don't want to do it in public. Ona Nobis could be

anywhere."

"Didi's Caf© is close, and I still have the key," Astri said. "Follow

me."

She led him  down  an  alley  and  across  the  square.  Now  Obi-Wan

recognized where he was. They would approach Didi's  Caf©  from  the  back.

Astri snaked through several alleys and they came to the back door.

"Good, the landlord hasn't rented it yet," she said, swiping her  key

card through the lock. The door hissed open.

There was no power to the building, so Astri opened a shutter a crack

to let in enough light to see. They sat at the long kitchen table.  Obi-Wan

carefully removed the contents of Ren's bin and  spread  them  out  on  the

table.

A  utility  pouch  with  one  protein  food  capsule  and   a   small

servodriver. A few credits. A vibroshiv. A few crystals. A  deck  of  cards

for sabacc. A tunic with empty pockets. A thermal cape, folded neatly.

They were all items carried by the kind of being who owned little and

ranged throughout the galaxy. Nothing special. And if there was  a  message

here, he couldn't read it either. Disappointment thudded through him.

Astri slumped in the chair. "It's a dead end."

Obi-Wan felt a presence nearby. Out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  a

fleeting shadow flickered. There was someone  hovering  outside  the  half-

shuttered window. He did not turn and look. Instead, he signaled  to  Astri

with a glance that something was amiss.

"Maybe there is something hidden in the lining of the tunic," he said

in a normal voice. "I'll fetch something to slice it open."

"Try the office," Astri said. Under  the  cover  of  the  table,  she

withdrew her vibroblade from its holster.

Obi-Wan left the kitchen at a normal pace but raced up the stairs  to

the private quarters above. He slid open a shutter noiselessly  and  looked

down at the alley. Someone in a  long,  dusty  tunic  was  peering  in  the

kitchen window. The hood to the tunic was raised. He could not identify the

person as Ona Nobis, but he knew such a disguise would be easy for her.

He eased out onto the ledge and paused for a  moment,  gathering  the

Force. He would need help if he was to meet this  opponent  again.  Drawing

his lightsaber in one smooth movement, he leaped toward the intruder below.

CHAPTER 16

"N0000000000!" the intruder cried.

Still in midair, Obi-Wan looked down at the surprised face of Cholly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Weez and Tup spring back  out  of  the

way.

Obi-Wan twisted his body in midair to avoid landing on Cholly. But  a

panicked Cholly moved as well, and Obi-Wan half-landed on him. He cushioned

the fall with his hands, feeling the shock of the impact up to his armpits.

"Oof! You're a big one," Cholly puffed.

Obi-Wan rolled off and sprang to his feet.  He  gazed  at  the  three

incredulously as Astri burst through  the  kitchen  window,  vibroblade  in

hand. She took in the situation with one swift glance.

"What's going on?" she demanded. "What are the  three  of  you  doing

here?"

Tup looked  at  Weez.  "Uh.  Sightseeing?"  Obi-Wan  deactivated  his

lightsaber but kept it in his  hand.  "You  are  interfering  with  a  Jedi

mission," he said sternly. "There are lives at stake. So answer me, now!"

"Gibbertz and ham, everyone is so touchy today," Tup  said.  He  blew

out a breath. "Woosh."

"We have just as much right to be here as you do," Cholly said.

"It's a free planet," Weez added. He frowned. "Isn't it?"

Astri brandished her vibroblade menacingly. "It's a big  planet.  And

there's no one around. Haven't you noticed that?"

Cholly scampered backward. "Whoa, whoa, strong lady, okay,  okay.  We

were following you because of Ren's box."

"What about Ren's box?" Obi-Wan asked.

"His personal effects, yes?" Cholly asked. "We  requested  them  from

his mother after he... left us."

"We said, for sentimental reasons. We were  his  best  friends,"  Tup

added.

"She said no, why should she give what's  left  of  her  son  to  his

lowlife lizard friends?" Weez said. "Some people have no generosity."

"So true, wise friend," Cholly agreed  sadly.  "The  universe  is  so

often against us."

Astri rolled her eyes. "Cut the blather. Why do you really  want  the

bin?"

Cholly, Weez, and Tup exchanged glances.

"Ah, if we tell you, you won't cut us out of the deal?" Cholly asked.

Obi-Wan and Astri exchanged a glance. Obi-Wan did not trust the three

scoundrels, but they could give them a lead.

"We'll cut you in," Astri said.

Cholly, Weez, and Tup exchanged another glance. Then they all  nodded

simultaneously.

"The place where Ren was held," Cholly said. "He  said  the  lab  had

stockpiled medicines. Vaccines, antitoxins, cures for many viruses."

Astri stiffened. "And?"

"Well. We thought, if such a place  has  such  a  stockpile,  someone

somewhere would want to buy it. And someone would have to sell it."

"So why shouldn't the someone be us?" Weez asked.

"But Ren said no," Tup volunteered.

"He, too, wanted to steal the medicines," Cholly said.  "But  he  did

not want to sell them. He wanted to turn them over to the  Senate,  or  the

Jedi. Some agency that would disperse them honestly. And get this scientist

in trouble."

"We had a small disagreement about this," Weez said. "We  would  help

him steal them, but only if we made a profit of some kind."

"So what happened?" Astri demanded. "Did he tell you  where  the  lab

was?"

"This disagreement was not resolved," Cholly said. "Instead, Ren  was

murdered. But he told us he had the location of the lab in a safe place. So

if something happened to him, someone would know where to go."

"Then something happened to him," Tup added helpfully.

"And his mother would not release his belongings," Weez said.

"So we had nothing, just like before," Cholly added. "Until you  came

along. Then we thought, well, if you are on the trail of  who  killed  Ren,

perhaps we can find these medicines somehow."

"So we followed you," Weez said. "You see? No harm done. The end!"

"Unless, of course, you wish to steal the medicines as well,"  Cholly

added. "There is great profit here for all."

Astri grabbed Obi-Wan's arm and pulled him away.  "Now  we  know  for

sure that Zan Arbor didn't destroy the antitoxins she  developed.  She  has

them, Obi-Wan! We have to find that lab!"

"I know," Obi-Wan said. "But they don't know where the lab is."

"May I suggest something?" Cholly broke in. "Perhaps if we could look

at Ren's effects, we would see something you did not. Because we knew  him,

you see. We would understand the message that you could not."

"Why would he leave you a message if he  didn't  want  to  steal  the

medicines?" Astri asked angrily.

"Because we are better than nothing," Tup said.

"At least he knew we would try to find the lab," Weez said.

"I hate to say it, but they make sense," Obi-Wan murmured to Astri.

"We might as well see," she agreed.

Beckoning to the trio, Obi-Wan and Astri led them  inside  the  caf©.

Obi-Wan gestured at the items on the table.

"This is what was in the bin," he said.

Cholly picked up various items. "Not much here."

"No datapad?" Weez asked.

Obi-Wan shook his head.

"No big sign that says, LOOK HERE?" Tup asked hopefully.

Weez picked up the sabacc cards and rifled through them.  "We  played

many a game with these."

"Until no one would play with us anymore," Cholly said.

Weez sighed. "They thought we cheated. The galaxy  is  so  unfair  to

beings like us."

"Did you cheat?" Astri asked.

"Well, yes," Weez admitted. "We marked the cards. We  had  our  coded

system. But we didn't bet much. Se we didn't cheat them out of very much."

"We were fair cheaters," Tup said.

"We are so misunderstood," Cholly said sadly. "Wait a minute,"  Astri

said. "You marked the cards?"

"It's an honest living!" Tup protested.

Astri took the cards from Tup's hands and spread them on  the  table.

"Look at them carefully. Is anything different?"

The three  stared  down  at  the  cards  for  a  long  moment.  Then,

tentatively, Tup reached out one finger and moved  a  card  away  from  the

pack.

"Look," he said, pointing to the design on the back. "See the mark?"

"Of course," Cholly said. He squinted at the cards.

Cholly moved another card. Then Weez moved a third. One by one,  they

separated cards from the pack. Then Cholly arranged them in a row.

"These are marked," Cholly said.

"But the marks don't make sense for sabacc," Tup said.

"They correspond to numbers and letters," Weez said.

"I put them in order for you," Cholly added.

"But what does  it  say?"  Astri  asked  urgently.  "Do  you  have  a

durasheet?" Cholly asked. "I can write it out."

Astri scrambled in a drawer for a durasheet. She handed it to Cholly.

Consulting the cards, he wrote out:

L 1 Q2 BU 3 SP 1 2

"What does it mean?" Astri asked,  baffled.  Cholly,  Tup,  and  Weez

exchanged glances. "We have no idea," Cholly said.

"It could be an address," Obi-Wan said. He stared at the sequence  of

numbers and letters. Different worlds were coded on astrogation  maps  with

abbreviations  to  identify  them.  But  there  were  thousands   of   such

abbreviations. He would have to run the  sequence  through  an  astrogation

computer. The possibilities were almost endless.  It  would  take  so  much

time..

Look for the obvious first. Use what you know. Then move on.

He heard Qui-Gon's words as clearly as if his Master  had  spoken  in

his ear. "It could be," he murmured.

Astri only half-heard him. "What did you say?" "S  P  1  2,"  Obi-Wan

said. "That's the astrogation abbreviation for Simpla-12."

"So it is," Cholly agreed.

"Could Ren have been held on Simpla-12?" Obi-Wan asked them.

"You could hide anything on Simpla-12," Weez said. "But when he  left

for the lab, Ren told us he was going off-planet."

"Did you actually see him leave?" Obi-Wan asked urgently.

"No," Tup said. "He said good-bye at a caf©."

"The rest could be an address," Obi-Wan said,  staring  down  at  the

durasheet. "How is Sim First mapped?"

"By quads and blocks," Weez offered.

"Everything is on level one," Tup said. "There are plans  for  levels

two and three, but no one on Simpla-12 can get organized enough to build."

Obi-Wan pointed to the sequence. "Level One, Quad Two, Block Unit 3,"

he said.

Astri stared at the letters and numbers. "Are you  sure?"  she  asked

doubtfully. "This could mean anything."

"I'm not sure of anything," Obi-Wan admitted. "But I say we return to

Simpla-12."

CHAPTER 17

Obi-Wan hailed an air taxi to transport the group to the  Temple.  As

they zoomed through the crowded air lanes, he turned to Cholly,  Weez,  and

Tup.

"I need your help. But we're not going  to  steal  the  medicines  in

order to sell them," he told them. "It would be wrong."

Cholly, Weez, and Tup looked at one another as if  this  concept  was

new to them.

"But we helped you," Cholly pointed out, disappointed.

"Why should we keep helping you, if  we  don't  get  anything?"  Weez

asked plaintively.

"This scientist has a bounty hunter working for her named Ona Nobis,"

Obi-Wan said. "There's a reward for her capture."

"Hey, wait a second," Astri said. "That reward is mine!"

Obi-Wan shot her an impatient look. "You can share it. We need  their

help. And we need it now."

Astri's aggrieved look faded. "You're right."

Obi-Wan scrawled a few items on a durasheet and handed it to  Cholly,

Weez, and Tup. "Once we get to Simpla-12, we need you to find  these  items

as quickly as you can. Then you'll meet us at the address."

Cholly looked at the list, puzzled. "Obviously,  you  are  crazy,  my

friend." Then he grinned and tucked the  durasheet  into  his  tunic.  "But

perhaps you will make our fortune. So we're with you."

Obi-Wan had called ahead to alert Tahl that they were coming. He  saw

her erect figure on the landing platform as they docked. She had agreed  to

supply him with air transport back to Simpla-12.

Astri leaped from the air taxi as soon as it docked.

"My father?"

"The same," Tahl said. "Obi-Wan, who is with you?"

"Some new friends," Obi-Wan explained. He drew Tahl  aside  and  told

her what he'd discovered. "I don't know for sure if Zan Arbor's lab  is  on

Simpla-12," he said. "But there's a chance it could be. And there's a  good

chance that the antitoxin Didi needs is still stored  there  -  along  with

Qui-Gon."

"A slight chance is better than none," Tahl  said  thoughtfully.  "If

you feel strongly that you must pursue this, then you should do so. But  if

you find that you are right, contact me immediately.  If  Jenna  Zan  Arbor

knows that someone has found her, she could kill Qui-Gon."

"I know," Obi-Wan said quietly. "But if I could get inside  and  find

Qui-Gon without alerting her, we would have the information we need to send

in the Jedi."

"But how could you do this?" Tahl asked. "And are you sure you  could

get out again?"

He wasn't sure if he could. But it didn't matter. He had to save Qui-

Gon and Didi. That was most important. Obi-Wan glanced at Astri. "I have  a

plan."

"Do not take any impulsive action, Obi-Wan," Tahl warned.  "Simpla-12

is not far. I can send several teams to you if they are  needed.  And  make

sure there is no surveillance on the building  from  the  outside.  Nothing

must alert her that you are there."

"I would never endanger Qui-Gon's life," Obi-Wan  told  her  soberly.

"But I feel that the longer he remains her captive, the more danger  he  is

in."

"I believe this, too," Tah I said softly. Her comlink  signaled,  and

she frowned. "Now I must go.

Several teams are pursuing important leads. May  the  Force  be  with

you, Obi-Wan."

Tahl hurried away. Obi-Wan climbed into the  transport,  where  Astri

and the others were waiting. He powered up the engines and headed  straight

for the upper atmosphere. With every second, he  felt  Qui-Gon's  life  was

dwindling. With all his heart, he begged Qui-Gon silently to hold on.

Quad Two was on the very outskirts of Sim-First. Here,  any  attempts

to keep order or cleanliness were abandoned. Many  of  the  buildings  were

sealed with durasteel sheeting. An occasional speeder flashed by, but there

were no pedestrians on the walkways.

Astri squinted through the drizzle. "I didn't think  Sim-First  could

get any worse," she murmured.

Obi-Wan consulted a handheld nav computer. "Block Unit Three is  this

way."

As  they  walked,  the  neighborhood  deteriorated  further.   Clouds

thickened until the day turned as dark as evening.  It  was  easy  to  stay

concealed. The area was all shadow. Many of the glow  lights  overhead  had

not  been  maintained.  Occasionally  one  would  send  a  weak   spot   of

illumination onto the walkway.

Obi-Wan stopped. A short distance away, across  the  walkway,  was  a

large, windowless building made of shiny black metal. It took up an  entire

block unit. He pulled Astri back into the shadow of an overhang.

"That's it."

Remembering Tahl's instruction,  Obi-Wan  left  Astri  to  watch  the

entrance and skirted around the side of the building. He moved from  shadow

to shadow, checking for surveillance devices. He climbed onto the roof of a

nearby building to inspect the roof below. He  could  see  no  evidence  of

guards. He used his macro-binoculars to study the building from all sides.

He returned to Astri. "Security must  be  inside.  There's  a  visual

monitor by the front door. There's no thumbprint register or retinal  scan.

That's good. I have a feeling about this, Astri. This must be the lab."

She looked behind them. "Are you sure you can trust  Cholly  and  the

others to come through?"

"Don't worry. They'll do anything for credits," Obi-Wan said.

They didn't have long to wait.  Before  long,  they  heard  footsteps

approaching. Cholly,  Tup,  and  Weez  hurried  down  the  street,  casting

apprehensive glances around.

"Woosh, I'm glad we found you," Tup  said  as  they  approached.  His

round eyes were full of anxiety. "I  didn't  know  Sim-First  could  be  so

scary."

"Did you get what I asked?" Obi-Wan inquired.

Cholly unloaded a number of items from his pack.  He  handed  one  to

Obi-Wan. "Hope it fits."

"It's for Astri," Obi-Wan said as he handed the black visor to her.

Astri fitted it over her head. It obscured her features and gave  her

a menacing look. "It's fine," she said.

She took it off and shook out her  long,  curly  hair.  Next  Obi-Wan

handed her a pair of high leather boots. Shrugging out of  her  tunic,  she

buckled her utility belt tighter around her waist and pulled on the boots.

"One more thing," Obi-Wan said. "I'm sorry, Astri, but - "

She gritted her teeth. "Go ahead."

Using a vibro-razor Cholly handed him, Obi-Wan  first  trimmed,  then

carefully shaved off Astri's pretty curls.

"Such a shame," Tup murmured.

Astri's face was set in determined lines. "It's worth it."

When he had finished, Astri fitted the dark visor over her eyes.  Her

shaved skull gleamed. Obi-Wan handed her Ona Nobis's whip.  She  coiled  it

and fastened it to her utility belt. With the extra height  of  her  heeled

boots, she resembled the bounty hunter.

"I just hope they don't look too closely," Obi-Wan said. He turned to

Cholly, Weez, and Tup. "You stay here. If the real Ona Nobis turns  up,  do

your best to keep her out of the building. She's very fast, very clever."

"It's three against one," Cholly said. "How can we fail?"

"You have surprise in your  favor,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "I  gave  you  a

contact number for Tahl at the Temple. If Astri  isn't  out  again  in  ten

minutes, call Tahl and tell her to send the teams after us."

"We will take care of everything," Weez assured them.

Obi-Wan wasn't so sure, but he hoped that Ona Nobis wouldn't show  up

at all. He didn't need much time.

He and Astri strode across the walkway to the building entrance.

"What did you mean, if I don't come out?" Astri asked him  under  her

breath. "What about you?"

"If we find Qui-Gon and can't release him, you must leave without me,

" he told her. "Contact Tahl and tell her what happened."

"I can't leave you, Obi-Wan - "

"You have to," he said firmly. "I am your prisoner. Hand me  over  if

you have to, then look for the medicines. Then leave. Promise me. You could

be Qui-Gon's last hope."

He couldn't see her eyes behind the helmet,  but  Astri  pressed  her

lips together grimly. "I promise."

She pressed the button. Obi-Wan noted that her fingers were  shaking.

What if Ona Nobis was already inside? Once again, Obi-Wan marveled  at  her

courage. Astri accepted her fear and charged ahead.

"You're as good as a Jedi," he told her softly.

He could not see her expression under the visor, but she reached  out

and briefly squeezed his hand in thanks.

The face of a guard appeared on the screen.  Obi-Wan  recognized  the

fine, feathery fur and the triangular eyes of a Quint.

"It's me," Astri said bluntly, pitching her voice low.

"What are you doing here?" the guard asked. "I have a Jedi prisoner,"

Astri barked impatiently. "Let me in."

The screen went blank. Obi-Wan felt the seconds tick away. Would they

be allowed to enter?

The door hissed open. Obi-Wan saw Astri take a deep breath. Then they

walked together into the secret lab.

The door shut behind them. They stood in  a  narrow  hallway  with  a

smooth polished floor. There was one double door ahead of them with a small

viewing window. They started toward it.

The door suddenly opened and the same Quint guard who had appeared on

the monitor hurried toward them.

"We're busy here, you know," he snapped. "You'll have  to  bring  the

prisoner to holding room C yourself."

"I don't take orders from you," Astri snapped back.

"Why isn't the prisoner restrained?" the Quint  asked  suddenly,  his

steps slowing. "You always use servo-cuffs with prisoners." His  hand  went

for his blaster.

In another moment, Astri's real identity could be discovered. He  had

hoped to get farther than this, but at  least  they  were  inside.  Obi-Wan

reached out and unfurled Astri's whip in one smooth gesture. He snapped  it

overhead, aiming for the Quint guard. It wrapped around his ankle and  Obi-

Wan pulled back with a jerk. The Quint  went  down  with  a  howl.  Obi-Wan

jumped forward and quickly wound the whip around the guard, restraining his

arms and legs. Then he dragged him  past  the  double  doors  into  a  long

hallway. Astri ran ahead and accessed a door, which hissed open,  revealing

an empty holding room. Obi-Wan dumped him inside.

"We'd better hurry," he said. "No doubt he's supposed to report back.

And there are probably more guards."

There were hallways to the left and to the right, and one door at the

end of the hallway straight ahead. It was broken and had been left slightly

open, its frame bent. Obi-Wan felt the Force surge. His Master  was  beyond

that door.

Obi-Wan motioned to Astri to hang back. Hugging the  wall,  he  moved

silently toward the door. He inched over to peer through the opening.

The lab was bright white and  filled  with  equipment.  At  first  he

thought no one was there. Then he looked again  at  a  transparent  chamber

filled with vapor. Through the  clouds  of  gas  Obi-Wan  clearly  saw  his

Master, imprisoned. Qui-Gon's eyes were closed. He could even be dead.

Obi-Wan wanted to rush into the lab and  smash  the  chamber  into  a

thousand pieces. But he remembered Tahl's warning to be careful. He took  a

breath and let his anger go. He must concentrate, he must be calm.

He signaled to Astri to follow him and entered.

He approached the transparent chamber. He put his hands on the smooth

wall. Qui-Gon floated, his eyes still  closed.  Obi-Wan  felt  choked  with

anguish at the sight. He knew his Master was alive. Yet he felt  as  though

he had witnessed his death.

He didn't think his voice would penetrate the chamber. Obi-Wan  spoke

his Master's name quietly. "Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon's eyes opened. He saw Obi-Wan.  He  smiled.  He  mouthed  the

words.

I knew that you would come...

Obi-Wan put his hand on  his  lightsaber.  "Obi-Wan!"  Astri  hissed.

"Someone's coming!"

He hesitated.

"You can't release him yet," Astri whispered. "If anyone knows we are

here, we might not be able to get out again."

Obi-Wan looked desperately at Qui-Gon. He had come  so  far.  He  had

made so many decisions. He did not know what to do now.

Wait, Qui-Gon mouthed. He signaled with a glance that Obi-Wan  should

hide.

Obi-Wan heard footsteps. He whirled and grabbed  Astri's  hand.  They

dove behind a pile of equipment just as the scientist walked in.

CHAPTER 18

Jenna Zan Arbor spoke into a comlink as she walked to her lab table.

"Nil!" she barked. "Nil! Where are you?"

She banged the comlink down on the table.  "Probably  turned  it  off

again, the brainless fool."

Bending over, she studied the data streaming across the  screen.  She

turned and smiled at Qui-Gon. Then she pressed a button on the console.  No

doubt this would carry her voice inside the chamber.

"Ah, some Force activity. Thank  you.  But  it  won't  save  you,  my

friend. I am done with you. But I'll take all your blood before I  let  you

go."

She released the button and picked up the comlink again. "Nil!  Bring

Ona Nobis to me immediately! Nil! Usually she's in a hurry  to  get  paid."

She looked at the comlink in disgust, then threw it down and stalked out of

the lab.

As soon as she was gone, Obi-Wan hurried over to Qui-Gon. He knew now

that if he let Qui-Gon remain in that chamber, his  Master  would  die.  He

activated his lightsaber and cut a hole in the chamber. The vapor  escaped,

and Qui-Gon began to fall. Obi-Wan reached in to help support him.  Qui-Gon

half fell and Obi-Wan half dragged him to the floor.

"Master," Obi-Wan murmured brokenly. It was shocking to  see  Qui-Gon

so weak. He always counted on his Master's strength.

"You... must... help me,  Padawan,"  Qui-Gon  said,  his  white  lips

barely moving. His face was very pale. He held up  his  hands,  palms  out.

Obi-Wan pressed his own palms against Qui-Gon's.

He felt his Master's power flicker and  reach  out  toward  him.  The

Force moved between them. Obi-Wan gathered it around him. He felt the Force

grow with their combined effort, felt it flow from his  fingers  into  Qui-

Gon.

After a moment, the cloudiness in Qui-Gon's  eyes  vanished.  "I  can

walk now," he said.

He rose to his feet. Obi-Wan rose with him.

Qui-Gon glanced at Astri's outfit. "I see you have a new profession."

"Yes," she said with a shaky grin. "Saving you."

"We must hurry," Qui-Gon said. "There is at least one other  prisoner

here. I felt a presence. It is Force-sensitive."

"Didi is dying," Astri blurted. "Zan Arbor has withheld the antitoxin

that could save him."

"Then that will be our first priority," Qui-Gon told  her.  "Come.  I

think I know where to find it."

Qui-Gon did not move as quickly or gracefully as he usually did.  But

he gathered strength as he went. They quickly jumped through the  half-open

door and ran down the hallway. Qui-Gon led them to the supply room  he  had

stumbled upon earlier. He accessed the door and they rushed inside.

"Do you know the name of the antitoxin?"  Qui-Gon  asked,  indicating

the shelves.

Astri tore off her helmet and scanned the labels. She placed her hand

on a shelf. "Here." She removed several vials and filled  a  pouch  on  her

utility belt with them. She then filled her  pockets  with  as  many  other

vials as she could. Obi-Wan took handfuls of medicines and tucked  them  in

his tunic.

"What now?" Qui-Gon asked. "Do you have a way out?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "We've tied up one  guard.  Are  there  other

guards?"

"I don't think so," Qui-Gon said. "She relies on Nil and the security

system. Between the three of us we should have  no  difficulty.  Zan  Arbor

does not yet know she has been invaded. Our odds are excellent."

The intercom crackled, and they turned to watch the screen. Ona Nobis

appeared.

"I have arrived," she said. "Nil, give me access. Nil!"

"It appears our odds have changed," Qui-Gon said.

CHAPTER 19

Qui-Gon looked over at Astri's panicked face. He  could  not  imagine

what it had taken for this young woman to come this far. She had cooked and

run a caf©, and now she was facing death on a dangerous mission to save her

father.

"Do not worry," he said softly.

"But now Zan Arbor will realize  she's  been  tricked,"  Astri  said.

"We'll all be trapped. What should we do?"

"Leave," Qui-Gon said, opening the door. "We'll have to come back for

the other prisoner. Zan Arbor will discover that she has been invaded.  But

she won't know where we are."

They raced down the hallway. Qui-Gon felt the weakness in his legs as

he ran. Strength was returning, but he knew he would have trouble if he had

to fight the bounty hunter. He wished he had his lightsaber.

Before they turned  the  corner  toward  the  double  doors,  Qui-Gon

stopped and peered around. Jenna Zan Arbor had left the doors ajar. She had

her back to them. Ona Nobis stepped into the building.

"There's been a security breach," Jenna Zan Arbor said  breathlessly.

"I can't find Nil. I think someone is here, trying to rescue  Qui-Gon.  Two

people, one of them a Jedi. Maybe both of them. You must find them."

"My mission has been completed," Ona Nobis said in a  flat  tone.  "I

came for my payment."

"What are you talking about?" Zan Arbor's voice  rose.  "I'm  telling

you I'm in trouble!"

"I am telling you it is not my concern," Ona Nobis said in  the  same

emotionless tone. "You sent me after that friend of Ren S'orn on Simpla-12.

The Jedi beat me there. That was my last task for  you.  I  have  taken  on

another job. And I have my own plans for that Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Listen to me," Jenna Zan Arbor spat out.  "There  are  intruders  in

this lab. You must search the premises and destroy them."

Ona Nobis did not answer. She held out her hand for payment.

"But Obi-Wan Kenobi could be here right now!"

"I will meet him on my terms. Not yours. Not here."

"If you think I'm going to pay you,  you  are  mistaken,"  Zan  Arbor

hissed.

Ona Nobis stared at Zan Arbor with a  flat,  neutral  gaze.  "If  you

think you can threaten me, you are mistaken. Keep in mind who I am. Do  you

want to pay me what you owe me, or do you want to die?"

Jenna Zan Arbor seemed to shrink. She was no match for Ona Nobis, and

she knew it. She reached inside her robe  and  withdrew  an  envelope.  She

slapped it in the bounty hunter's open palm.

"You will never work for me again," she said furiously.

"How that crushes me," Ona Nobis said coldly. She tucked the envelope

into her belt, turned, and left.

The door hissed shut behind her. Qui-Gon quickly  herded  the  others

back to the storage room. With any luck, Zan Arbor would hurry back to  her

lab to try to find Nil. They would use the opportunity to escape.

She walked by them, her face flushed and furious.

"At last," Astri breathed.

They moved out into the hall and accessed the double door. They  were

steps away from the entrance when the speaker buzzed. The  monitor  at  the

front door suddenly filled with Jenna Zan Arbor's face.

"Greetings  to  my  unwelcome  guests,  and  to  Qui-Gon,"  she  said

smoothly. "I assume you are on your way to my door to escape.  Perhaps  you

should pause for a moment and consider this. Do you really think I would be

so foolish as to rely on one stupid guard and one basic security system  to

protect what is mine?"

Qui-Gon stopped.

"I did not merely withdraw your blood, Qui-Gon,"  she  continued.  "I

also injected a device into your system. Not  only  does  it  measure  your

vital signs - by the way, your heart is beating quite rapidly right  now  -

but it also contains a transmitter. If you  cross  the  threshold  of  this

building, that transmitter will set off another. There is  another  subject

in my lab. If you leave, a poison will be released into his system. He will

be dead in thirty seconds. You do not know him, but you are close  to  him.

There is a riddle for you. And a choice." She gave a bland smile.  "Perhaps

you will accept my hospitality for a little while longer."

The screen went black. Obi-Wan turned to Qui-Gon.

"She could be bluffing." Qui-Gon shook his head. "She is not."

"But you have no real evidence that someone else  is  here,"  Obi-Wan

said desperately.

"But I know someone is," Qui-Gon said. He turned to Obi-Wan.  He  saw

the desperation and dread in his Padawan's eyes. "You know  what  you  must

do, Padawan."

"No," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head violently.  "I  will  not  leave

you."

"You must." Qui-Gon put his hand on Obi-Wan's arm. "You did well. You

released me from the chamber. But I cannot leave  this  building,  and  you

must bring those medicines back. Didi's life, and other lives, hang in  the

balance."

"I can go," Astri said. "I will take the antitoxins."

"You have acted bravely, Astri," Qui-Gon told her. "But we cannot let

that much responsibility rest with you. Those vaccines and antitoxins  must

be duplicated. Both of you must go."

"I can't leave you," Obi-Wan repeated, his voice shaking.

"You must, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "Getting those medicines  back  to

the Temple is a Jedi mission. A Jedi must complete it."

"There is a Jedi team on the way here," Obi-Wan said. "But  now  that

she knows we have found her. She'll fortify this place. She'll devise  ways

to keep us out..."

"She cannot keep the Jedi out," Qui-Gon said firmly.  "Give  me  your

comlink."

Obi-Wan handed Qui-Gon his comlink. Then he gave him his  lightsaber.

It was the greatest gift one Jedi could give another.  Qui-Gon  placed  his

hand on the hilt.

"I will keep it safe until you return for it," he said. "Now go."

Astri hurried forward. She pressed the button  to  access  the  door.

Fresh air rushed in with the scent of coming rain.

Obi-Wan looked back at Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon saw anguish and heartbreak on

his Padawan's face. "I will return."

He nodded. "I will be here."

Obi-Wan and Astri left. The door hissed  shut  behind  them.  Qui-Gon

stood in the doorway, Obi-Wan's lightsaber in his hand. The  stale  air  of

the lab soon chased away the fresh scent of rain. He had seen freedom  only

meters away. Now it was gone.

He turned back toward the lab and his new enemy.  And  now  the  game

would begin.