Star Wars

Jedi Apprentice

Special Edition #1

Deceptions

by Jude Watson

. lit by DrB 12/04

CHAPTER 1

The water  was  cool  and  green. Light  trickled  down  and  made

shifting patterns on the bottom.  Ripples of gentle waves were  formed

from the force of the waterfall hitting the surface high above.

Obi-Wan Kenobi followed the shimmering  tunic of his friend  Bant,

who swam ahead. He was wearing a breathing tube, but she was not. As a

Mon Calamari, she could stay underwater for long periods of time. Bant

navigated the deep pool with grace and ease.

There had been a  time when he hadn't  enjoyed swimming with  Bant

that much. He  had felt clumsy  in the  water next to  her. He  hadn't

liked that she was better at something. But his Master, Qui-Gon  Jinn,

had taught him that  to value a  friend's better ability  was to be  a

true friend.  Once Obi-Wan  realized that,  he had  looked forward  to

their swims as much as Bant.

Bant turned and  smiled at  him, her  arms waving  softly. It  was

always amazing to  Obi-Wan that Bant  could feel so  peaceful in  this

pool. It was here that she had  almost died, chained to the bottom  by

the evil Xanatos.  Yet here was  where she always  chose to swim.  She

wanted to remember, she  told Obi-Wan. The day  she had felt her  life

ebb was the day she had felt closest to the Force.

Bant pointed to the surface, and Obi-Wan nodded. They burst upward

into the bright sunlight. They knew the sun was artificial, created by

vast illumination  banks overhead,  but they  welcomed its  warmth  on

their cool skin.

Obi-Wan hauledhimself up on the grassy bank facing the  waterfall.

Although Bant  found peace  in this  place, he  did not.  Here he  had

battled the former Jedi  student Bruck Chun for  Bant's life. Here  he

had seen Bruck fall to his death. It had not been his fault that Bruck

had died, but he still felt responsible.

"Thank you for coming here," Bant told him. "I know it is hard for

you." A glint  of mischief lit  her eyes. "Maybe  I ask you  to do  it

because I know that."

He nudged her with a shoulder. "Oh, am I your Padawan now?"

Bant's gaze clouded, and Obi-Wan  realized he had made a  mistake.

He had reminded her of what they had come here to forget.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean-"

"Don't be  silly." Bant  hugged  her knees.  "I  have to  face  my

disappointment. Didn't you come here to talk to me about it?"

Bant had been  hoping to be  accepted by Jedi  Master Tahl as  her

Padawan. Tahl had seemed  to take a special  interest in Bant,  giving

her projects to do and tracking her progress. Yet just yesterday, Tahl

had taken off on a mission and told Yoda and the Council that she  had

decided to take no Padawan at all. Obi-Wan knew that Bant was upset by

Tahl's decision.

"Yes," Obi-Wan admitted. "I know how it feels to be rejected. Even

though Qui-Gon took me as Padawan in the end, he said no at first, and

it hurt."

"I don't think there is any hope that Tahl will change her  mind,"

Bant said sadly.

"There are other  Masters," Obi-Wan  said gently.  "You have  done

well as a student. You will get the Master you were meant to have."

Bant brooded as she stared at  the green water. "Yes, I know  that

is Jedi wisdom. But what do you do  when you feel it is wrong? I  felt

so strongly that Tahl was the right  Master. Do you know what I  mean,

Obi-Wan? Didn't you have the same feeling about Qui-Gon?"

"I did," Obi-Wan admitted. He did not know what to tell Bant. Jedi

students  were  taught  to  trust  their  feelings.  They  were   also

instructed to be  certain that  those feelings were  pure. That  meant

that a feeling could have  more to do with  what you wished could  be,

rather than what was meant  to be. The feeling  must rise in you  like

something that  breaks loose  from  a deep  place  and floats  to  the

surface, where it touches the sun.

Was Bant's feeling like that? He couldn't say. He could only trust

his friend's judgment.

"Then maybe it's meant to be," Obi-Wan said.

"Still, I must not wait for it," Bant said. "I know that much."

Obi-Wan  spied  the  tall  form  of  his  Master,  Qui-Gon   Jinn,

approaching  along  the  winding  path  to  the  pool.  He  stood   in

expectation.

Bant rose as well. "I have  stolen Obi-Wan's time away from  you,"

she said  to  Qui-Gon  as he  walked  up.  "I'm sorry.  I  needed  his

counsel."

Qui-Gon gave Bant the special warm smile he reserved for her. "I'm

glad Obi-Wanhas you as a friend, Bant.  You may take all the time  you

wish. But right now, the Council requests Obi-Wan's presence."

"The Council?"Obi-Wan asked in apprehension. Being summoned by the

entire Council was an unusual  event. In Obi-Wan's experience, it  was

never good. Bant gave him a concerned look.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Dry yourself off, Padawan, and come. They want us

immediately."

Obi-Wan quickly toweled off his hair and buckled his utility belt.

He wished he had  time to change  into a fresh  tunic. He hadn't  done

anything wrong ... lately. Why did he suddenly feel as though he had?

CHAPTER 2

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stood in the center of the round Council Room.

A steady rain beat against the  windows that offered a panoramic  view

of the busy space lanes of Coruscant.

Qui-Gon had noted Obi-Wan's nervousness  and now was proud of  the

way his Padawan  stood, erect and  seemingly at ease  in front of  the

scrutiny of so many Council Masters.

Only Qui-Gon knew how nervous Obi-Wan reallywas . He had faced the

Council before. His Padawan had reason to be apprehensive. He knew how

firm the Jedi Masters could be.

As usual, Mace Windu opened  the meeting. He always looked  grave,

but today Qui-Gon  sensed an uncharacteristic  disquiet. He had  hoped

that this sudden summons  meant that the Council  had decided to  send

them on  a special  mission. But  now he  feared there  was  something

wrong.

"Do not be nervous, Obi-Wan," Mace Windu said, fixing him with  an

intent gaze. "You are not here to be reprimanded."

It was  unusual  for  Mace Windu  to  reassure  anyone.  Qui-Gon's

concern shot up a notch. He glanced  at Yoda, but he could never  tell

what Yoda was thinking.  He turned his quick  gaze to Adi Gallia.  Her

bearing was as regal as ever, but her eyes were full of compassion for

Obi-Wan.

Mace Windu placed  his hands on  the arms of  his chair. "We  have

received a communication from Vox Chun, Bruck Chun's father."

Obi-Wan gave a start. Qui-Gon was just as surprised.

"He has recently been pardoned of his crimes against the state  on

Telos," Mace Windu continued.  "Now he wishes  to come to  theTempleto

receive a report on the death of  his son. This is his right, and  the

Council has agreed."

Obi-Wan nodded. His skin had gone  pale. "I must speak with  him?"

he asked.

"You must relate the details of  the death of his son, yes,"  Mace

Windu said in a voice that held a rare gentle quality.

"Know we do that this is not easy for you, Obi-Wan," Yoda said.

"He arrives in  two days," Mace  Windu said. "Qui-Gon  will be  by

your side. May the Force be withyou. "

They were dismissed. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed, turned, and walked

from the room. As  soon as the door  slid shut behind them,  Obi-Wan's

step faltered.

"Must I do this?" he asked Qui-Gon.

"You know the answer to that question," Qui-Gon said. "I know this

will be hard. But I feel it  could be helpful, Padawan. You will  have

to speak of  something you think  you cannot, something  deep in  your

heart. Perhaps if you see this thing plain and honest in front of you,

it will cease to plague your dreams."

Obi-Wan gave him a startled glance.

"Yes, I know how much it still troubles you," Qui-Gon said gently.

"Isn't it time to put an end to it?"

Obi-Wan's face  was  still  drawn.  Qui-Gon  put  a  hand  on  his

shoulder.  "Find  Bant  and  get  some  food.  It  is  past  time  for

themiddaymeal." Food always revived Obi-Wan somewhat. Qui-Gon did  not

want the boy to worry too much about the upcoming interview. No  doubt

it would be  rough, but  Obi-Wan was  in the  right, and  so he  would

survive it.

After Obi-Wan headed for  the turbolift, Qui-Gon lingered  outside

the Council Room. He hoped to  have a talk with Yoda. Tahl's  decision

not to take a  Padawan and her sudden  disappearance troubled him.  It

was always helpful to have Yoda's perspective.

The door slid open noiselessly, and the Council members filed out.

Yoda spotted  him and  nodded.  Qui-Gon had  an  idea that  Yoda  knew

exactly why he was waiting.

"Worried you are, Qui-Gon," Yoda said as he walked toward him, his

robe rocking with his sideways gait. "Yet not just aboutyour  Padawan,

I think."

"Tahl," Qui-Gon said shortly. "Why did she not take a Padawan? And

why did she leave so suddenly?"

Yoda leaned on his staff. "Should I be the one you ask this?"

Qui-Gon sighed. "You mean I should ask Tahl. I wanted your opinion

first."

Yoda nodded. "Think  I do that  Tahl did not  want to burden  Bant

with a  blind  Master. Afraid  she  was  that it  would  limit  Bant's

experience."

"Burden! Limits!"Qui-Gon  exclaimed  incredulously. He  could  not

associate those words with Tahl. "That's ridiculous!"

"Yet not think so,  Tahl does. Time she  needs, Qui-Gon. Help  her

with this, you cannot. Her decision,  it is." Yoda's wise gaze  rested

on Qui-Gon.  "And time  it  was she  left  theTempleto take  on  wider

duties. We sent her to the pilot program on Centax 2."

Qui-Gon was  surprised. Centax  2 was  a satellite  of  Coruscant.

Transports and spaceliners often docked there in order to ferry  goods

and passengers  to Coruscant  on smaller  ships. The  Jedi had  chosen

Centax 2 to set up  their new pilot program,  run by Jedi Knight  Clee

Rhara.

"Is there a problem?" Qui-Gon asked.

"That we do not know," Yoda answered, blinking his large eyes. "We

only suspect. Aware you are that  this project does not have the  full

support of the Council. Clee Rhara believes that the Jedi should  have

a squad of starfighter pilots. Some agree. Some do not."

Qui-Gon knew  the  project  was  controversial.  The  Council  had

finally agreed to the  operation, but only on  a trial basis. Some  of

the gifted older students, like Obi-Wan's friend Garen Muln, had  been

chosen for it. There were some  on the Council who believed that  Jedi

should continue to take rides on consular ships or haulers, or  borrow

small transports for  short flights.  They believed  that Jedi  pilots

would lead to  a Jedi  fleet, a  complex operation  that would  divert

their attention from peacekeeping efforts in the galaxy.

"Clee Rhara,  you  know,"  Yoda  said.  "Charismatic,  she  is.  A

following among the  young pilots,  she has. Many  are delaying  their

Padawan status. Allow this, the Council does, but many are uneasy."

Qui-Gon nodded. He had gone throughTempletraining with Clee Rhara.

She had a bright  wit and a fierce  will that had attracted  followers

even then.

"What is Tahl's mission there?" Qui-Gon asked curiously.

"A grave  problem we  have,"  Yoda said.  "Until now,  the  Senate

donated the starfighters  for Jedi  pilots. Outmoded  or damaged,  the

starfighters are.  Clee  Rhara has  her  own shipyard  for  refitting.

Worked well, this  system has.  But mechanical  failures lately  there

have been. One  quite serious. A  Coruscant air taxi  was almost  hit.

Aboard, an important Senator was."

"Does Clee Rhara suspect sabotage?" Qui-Gon asked.

Yoda nodded. "Tahl has gone to investigate. Some there are in  the

Senate who  resent  the Jedi.  Whispers  there are  about  our  taking

advantage. Track these whispers, we cannot. Concerned, the Council is.

Clee Rhara must make the program work, or abandon it we must."

"I see," Qui-Gon  said. "So if  Tahl can discover  that the  ships

were sabotaged, the program can continue."

"Perhaps."Yoda  straightened  and   began  to   move  toward   the

turbolift. "Watching us some in the Senate are. Hoping to see us fail,

perhaps. And watching they will be the investigation of Bruck's death.

Also, forget we should not that Vox Chun was once in the employ of one

who plotted to destroy us."

"Xanatos," Qui-Gon said. His former Padawan was dead. Yet the evil

he spread lived on.

CHAPTER 3

Qui-Gon decided that the most courteous thing would be to meet Vox

Chun at the landing  platform as he arrived.  Obi-Wan knew his  Master

was right, but he wished he could postpone seeing Bruck's father for a

while longer.

"Here he  comes." Qui-Gon  indicated  a silver  transport  heading

toward them. He eyed  the sleek lines of  the ship. "How does  someone

who just got  out of jail  afford a transport  like that? Perhaps  Vox

still has powerful friends."

Obi-Wanwas too  nervous to  answer. Moments  later, the  transport

glided to a stop, and the ramp lowered and the exit door slid open.  A

figure stood at the top. Obi-Wan gasped. It was Bruck.

He took a step backward, and Qui-Gon put a hand on his arm.  "No,"

Qui-Gon told him in a fierce  undertone. "It is not him, Obi-Wan.  The

boy only looks like Bruck."

The boy had a shock of white hair, like Bruck. He was dressed in a

rough tunic similar to a Jedi's. But as he descended, Obi-Wan began to

breathe again. He saw that the boy's features were softer and that  he

was a few years younger than Obi-Wan.

"A brother," Qui-Gon murmured. "They  wanted to unsettle us.  That

is why he went first."

Behind the boy,  Vox Chun walked  slowly down the  ramp, his  deep

purple cloak swirling around the tops of his boots. The last passenger

followed a step or two behind,  and Obi-Wan glanced at him  curiously.

Vox Chun had not indicated that  he was bringing anyone with him,  and

the Jedi had assumed  he was coming alone.  This man was shorter  than

Obi-Wan. He  could be  Qui-Gon's age,  or he  could be  older. It  was

impossible to tell. He  had a smooth, unlined  face and dark hair  cut

short. He wore an austere black jacket and trousers.

Qui-Gon nodded as the three approached. "Welcome to theJediTemple.

I am Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Vox Chun's eyes were  the same blue-frost  color as Bruck's.  They

slid over  Obi-Wan like  a  coating of  ice  over water.  He  returned

Qui-Gon's nod of greeting.

"I am Vox Chun,  and this is  my son, Kad Chun.  This is a  family

friend, Sano Sauro. He has come to give us emotional support."

Obi-Wan glanced at Sano Sauro.  His opaque black gaze and  severe,

expressionless manner gave no hint  of his feelings. Obi-Wan  couldn't

imagine going to him for anything involving emotions.

"This way," Qui-Gon said,  indicating the passage into  theTemple.

"We have refreshments waiting, if you--was "I've come for answers, not

for tea," Vox Chun said brusquely.

"Fine. We have prepared a conference room-"

"Take me to the place where my son was killed."

Qui-Gon bristled at his choice  of words, but answered  carefully.

"You may see where your son died."

Obi-Wan trailed after Kad. From behind, the boy's stocky build and

stance brought Bruck back to Obi-Wan  vividly. Bruck had been a  bully

who had  tormented Obi-Wan  during his  years at  theTemple. For  some

reason, Obi-Wan had gotten  under his skin. He  did not have any  good

memories of the boy.

Yet Bruck had developed a close  core of friends at theTemple.  He

had inspired loyalty. There had been a side of him that Obi-Wan hadn't

seen. That was what  tormented Obi-Wan. There must  have been good  in

Bruck.

They did not speak in the turbolift or during the walk through the

corridors to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Usually, visitors  were

immediately struck with a  peaceful feeling as  they entered the  vast

space filled with  fragrant greenery and  hidden trickling  fountains.

The air smelled  fresh and  cool. Kad stopped  for a  moment, but  Vox

pushed him along. Sano Sauro's dour expression did not change.

"Let us begin," Vox  Chun said abruptly. "How  exactly did my  son

die?"

"TheTemplehad been under siege from an unknown assailant," Qui-Gon

began. "We knew that your son was involved-"

"I am not interested in  your Jedi history," Vox Chun  interrupted

rudely. "I want to know facts."  He turned to Obi-Wan. "Where did  you

engage with him? Who drew his lightsaber first?"

"I followed him here from outside the Council Room," Obi-Wan said.

"We both already had our lightsabers drawn."

"You mean your lightsaber magically appeared in your hand? You did

not draw it in attack or defense?" Vox Chun asked sarcastically.

"I drew it when  Xanatos and Bruck came  through the vent  outside

the Council Room," Obi-Wan said.

"Did Bruck have his lightsaber drawn?"

"No," Obi-Wan  answered. "He  was  hiding in  a vent,  waiting  to

steal--"

"Jedi history," Vox interrupted, waving his hand. "Not relevant to

my question. So he drew his lightsaber when he saw yours?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "We  battled, and Xanatos  ordered him to  go

make sure Bant was dead. He ran, and I followed."

"Did you attack him from behind?"

"No, he turned and  came at me.  We fought. We  ended up near  the

fountain."

"Show me this fountain."

Obi-Wan led  the way  down  the winding  paths to  the  thundering

waterfall and deep green pool.

"The  waterfall   was   not   operating   at   the   time,   since

theTemplesystems had been  shut down,"  he explained.  "But there  was

water in the pool.  I saw Bant  chained to the  bottom. Her eyes  were

closed. She  was alive,  but barely.  We fought  all the  way up  that

hill," Obi-Wan said, pointing to the rocky slope. "When we got to  the

top, I realized that in a few  seconds all the water systems would  be

reactivated in theTemple.  They had been  shut down because  of a  bug

Xanatos had  planted  in  the  system. I  drove  Bruck  into  the  dry

waterfall bed. My plan was that  when the water came back on,  Bruck's

lightsaber would short out.  That would disarm him,  and I could  then

free Bant."

"And leave your enemy  standing?" Vox Chun  asked. "That does  not

sound like a Jedi warrior."

"On the contrary," Qui-Gon broke in. "We avoid death at all  cost.

To disarm our opponent is our first objective."

Vox Chun shrugged,  as if  Qui-Gon had just  spouted empty  words.

"Obviously, this plan did not work out," he said evenly to Obi-Wan.

"His lightsaber did short out," Obi-Wan said. "He was knee-deep in

water. He scrambled  to get  his footing  nearer the  bank, where  the

rocks are. He picked  them up and  began to throw them  at me. In  his

struggle to  get the  rocks, he  went too  close to  the edge  of  the

waterfall. The rocks  are very  slippery there."  Obi-Wan paused.  His

throat felt dry. "The current was pushing him. He lost his balance.  I

reached out a  hand ... it  was too late.  He fell below  and hit  his

head. I ran down. I checked his vital signs, but he was already  dead.

He died as soon as he hit, I am sure. He did not ... suffer."

"So that is your story," Vox Chun said.

"It is the truth," Obi-Wan said quietly.

"We are  leaving  now." Vox  turned  to  go. Kad  and  Sano  Sauro

followed. Then Sano Sauro turned back and fixed his dark, opaque  gaze

on Obi-Wan.

"In your opinion, did Bruck Chun  really intend to kill Bant?"  he

asked softly.

"Xanatos ordered him to," Obi-Wan replied.

"That does not answer my question. Did Bruck intend to kill Bant?"

"I believe he did."

"You believe or you know?"

"I ... believe."

"What do you know? Did he take any action to kill Bant?"

"He didn't have to! She was chained underwater!"

"A Mon Calamari underwater is not so unusual."

"She was almost out of her store of oxygen."

"You know this? Or is this something you believe?"

"I know it. She told me so after I rescued her."

Sauro nodded thoughtfully. "How do  you know that Bruck would  not

have dived down and saved herhimself , if more time had gone by?"

Obi-Wan stared  at him.  How  could he  know  the answer  to  that

question? He didn't think  Bruck would have saved  Bant. But that  was

what he believed. He didn't know.

Sauro waited, but  when Obi-Wan  said nothing, he  gave his  first

smile. It made Obi-Wan shiver.

He turned back to Vox Chun. "I'm ready."

"There is one last thing," Qui-Gon  said. "The Jedi would like  to

present you with this, with  our sorrow. Bruck was  one of us, and  we

mourn him."

He reached  into  his  tunic  and withdrew  the  hilt  of  Bruck's

lightsaber. The crystals had been removed, but the hilt still bore the

markings Bruck had carved. Qui-Gon bowed and presented it to Vox Chun.

Vox Chun shoved it in his tunic pocket without looking at it. Then

he turned and walked  off without saying good-bye.  Kad Chun and  Sano

Sauro followed.

With a  glance,  Qui-Gon  told  Obi-Wan that  he  would  show  the

visitors out. Obi-Wan could remain.

As soon as  they were  out of sight,  Obi-Wan sank  onto the  soft

grass of the  bank. He felt  emptied out and  light-headed, as  though

he'd been sick with a fever. He  had told the truth, and they had  not

believed him. He tried to  take comfort in the  fact that at least  it

was over.

Yet deep insidehe feared that it was only beginning.

CHAPTER 4

Qui-Gon watched Vox Chun's  sleek transport rise  in the sky.  The

meeting had not gone well. In fact,  it could not have gone worse.  He

had seen in  Obi-Wan's face  that meeting Vox  and Kad  Chun had  only

increased his feelings of  guilt. Yet guilt must  ease for Obi-Wan  so

that sorrow could take its place.

He had spoken to the boy, but the words had not reached him.  Life

needed to teach him.  Time. Experience. These he  could not hand  over

like a piece of advice.

But he could do something for his Padawan. He could distract him.

Obi-Wan had returned to his  quarters. He lay on his  sleep-couch,

staring at the ceiling.

Qui-Gon leaned against the door frame. "How would you like to take

an excursion to Centax 2?"

Obi-Wan sat  up. His  troubled look  vanished."Really? I  can  see

Garen! And those starfighters!"

"Yes, I thought you  would like that.  Tahl is investigating  some

problems there. I thought she might be able to use our help."

Obi-Wan gave a vigorous nod. He would do anything for Tahl.  "When

do we start?"

"Now, if you like," Qui-Gon said. "Get your gear together. We  can

take an air taxi there."

Obi-Wan grabbed his survival pack, and they headed for the landing

platform. There, they boarded  an air taxi. It  was a short flight  to

the upper atmosphere, where Centax 2 was located. The satellite was  a

small, bluish moon with no vegetation  or water. Its deep valleys  and

mountain ranges had been leveled in order to accommodate huge  landing

platforms and various tech support buildings and hangars.

The landing platforms  were busy  with traffic, and  the air  taxi

joined a line waiting  to dock. At last  they were given clearance  to

land. They exited the air taxi, and  Qui-Gon led the way to a  covered

moving walkway that  had exits for  different landing platforms.  They

got off at the  very end, where the  walkway looped around to  return.

Then they trudged along a windswept  lane to a small, private  landing

area in the  distance. Obi-Wan  could see five  starfighters lined  up

outside a tech dome.

As he got closer, he  saw two starfighters zooming overhead,  just

silver streaks in  the sky. He  kept his  eyes on them  as they  dove,

screaming, toward the surface, then pulled up. They flew side by  side

in mirror formation, then broke apart.

"I wish I could learn to fly like that," Obi-Wan said admiringly.

After the two starfighters  landed, Obi-Wan recognized a  familiar

figure jumping out  of one  of the  cockpits. Garen  Muln removed  his

helmet and  shook  out  a  head of  thick,  shoulder-length  hair.  To

Obi-Wan's surprise, Garen no longer wore the short hair and long braid

of a seniorTemplestudent. He  saw that the other  pilot had grown  his

hair as well.

Garen's keen gaze  picked out the  two figures approaching.  After

only a few seconds, he recognized Obi-Wan. With a delighted shout,  he

leaped off the starfighter and ran toward him.

"Obi-Wan! Why didn't you tell me you were coming? It's so good  to

see you!" Garen collected himself as  he realized he had neglected  to

greet a  Jedi Master.  "Excuse  me, Qui-Gon  Jinn," he  said,  bowing.

"Welcome."

Qui-Gon smiled. "Obi-Wan and I decided  to see how you were  doing

here at the base."

"We're doing  great. Except  for a  few mishaps  lately, but  Clee

Rhara has straightened that all out."

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Just wait  until you  meet  her," Garen  told Obi-Wan,  his  eyes

shining. "She's incredible. The best  pilot I've ever seen. She's  got

us doing things in  the air we  only dreamed about.  I've come such  a

long way from theTemple!"

"You don't  look like  a Jedi  any longer,"  Obi-Wan said,  noting

Garen's flight coveralls and long hair.

"I'm still a Jedi, don't worry," Garen said, flashing a grin.

Just then  Clee Rhara  strode  out from  the  tech dome.  She  was

dressed in flight coveralls, just  like Garen. Her bright orange  hair

was untamed  and flew  around her  face in  the wind.  Clee Rhara  was

petite and slender, barely  coming up to  Qui-Gon's shoulder, but  her

compact body was built  of wiry muscle. She  saw Qui-Gon, and a  broad

smile broke out on her face.

"What a surprise!" she called, hurrying forward.

"I'd like you to meet my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wanwas examined by a  pair of intense eyes  the same color  as

Clee's vibrant orange  hair. "I've  heard good things  about you  from

Garen," Clee said.  "Welcome." She  linked her arms  with Obi-Wan  and

Qui-Gon. "Let me  show you  the outfit. And  Tahl is  here. She'll  be

thrilled that you've come."

Clee gave them  a tour, showing  them the re-tooled  starfighters,

the student quarters, the study rooms, hangars, and even the kitchens.

Qui-Gon noted  how the  gaze of  the Jedi  students followed  Clee  as

shestrolled the grounds. Obviously she inspired great loyalty.

Clee ended her  tour at the  tech center, where  her students  had

hands-on experience  with  engines  and hyperdrives.  Tahl  sat  at  a

utility desk, using a  voice-activated computer. She stopped  speaking

as they walked in.

"You'll never guess who-" Cleebegan.

"Qui-Gon."Tahl said his  name flatly.  Qui-Gon felt  a flicker  of

apprehension. Tahl had never greeted him so coolly.

If Clee noticed Tahl's  manner, she made no  sign of it. "Here  we

are, the three of us, all together again!" she said cheerfully.

"Yes," Tahl said.

Qui-Gon shot Clee a  look. They hadn't seen  each other in  years,

but their  old friendship  gave  them a  connection that  would  never

weaken. She knew immediately that he wanted to talk to Tahl alone.

"Obi-Wan, do you want to see the starships?" Clee asked.

"Yes!" Obi-Wan answered immediately.

"Come on,  Garen  and I  will  show  you the  fleet,"  Clee  said,

striding toward the door. "Then we'll head back for the evening  meal.

See you there, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon waited  until the  others had  left. He  did not  approach

Tahl. "You're angry that I came."

She turned away from him so that he could not read the  expression

on her lovely face. Sometimes she did  this so that he would not  have

an advantage.

"You think I  am in  need of  help. You  think I  cannot handle  a

mission alone."

Qui-Gon was about to insist that such a statement was  ridiculous,

but he stopped himself. He did not need to see Tahl's face to  realize

that she was  feeling vulnerable. The  act of choosing  a Padawan  had

pushed her up against  something deep inside  that hurther, that  made

her doubt herself. He knew that feeling well, for different reasons.

"No," he said. "I  came because Obi-Wan had  a hard time with  Vox

Chun. I am worried about him. I  knew he would enjoy seeing the  base.

If we could help out as well, it might distract him further."

"Ah," Tahl said mockingly, "and that is the only reason you came?"

"I heard that you had decided not to take a Padawan--"

"And you thought I might need a heart-to-heart talk." Tahl whipped

her face around again. He read lines of bitterness there. "You want to

tell me how reluctant  you were to  take a Padawan,  how much it  cost

you, how valuable it  has turned out  to be, how  I must realize  that

even though I am blind  I have much to give  to an apprentice. Do  you

think I don't know  every word you would  say? So please refrain.  Any

discussion of Padawans or Bant is off-limits. I mean it, Qui-Gon."

"All right," he said quietly. "But will you, as a favor to me  and

Obi-Wan, let us help you in your investigation?"

"Just know that I do it for Obi-Wan."

"Fair enough."He walked closer  and drew up a  chair next to  her.

"What do you have so far?"

"My contacts in the Senate tell me that there are rumors that Clee

Rhara sabotaged the ships  herself," Tahl said,  passing a weary  hand

over her eyes.

"Why would she do that?" Qui-Gon asked, startled.

"In order to prove  to the Senate that  the project needs  funding

and more up-to-date ships," Tahl said.

Clee's booming indignation suddenly echoed off the metal walls  of

the tech dome. "What  a load of sludge  oil!" She strode toward  them,

her hands on her hips. "I would never endanger my pilots!"

"I thought you were  giving Obi-Wan a  tour of the  starfighters,"

Qui-Gon said.

"I came back  to make sure  you two weren't  killing each  other,"

Clee said. "I remember how you used to scrap at the Temple."

"We are Jedi Knights now," Qui-Gon said. "We don't scrap."

Tahl smiled. "We argue, and then I win."

Clee flopped in a chair. "Well, I'm  glad to see both of you.  I'm

really in a mess. If  I don't figure out  who is sabotaging my  fleet,

I'm sure the Council will cancel  the whole program. I can't let  that

happen!"

"Tell me about security," Qui-Gon said.

"Ships are refitted  at a nearby  yard, and all  the workers  have

undergone  Senate  security  checks.  After  the  first  incident,   I

restricted the workers who  take care of Jedi  ships to two. It  slows

things down, but it's safer. Each of them has passed the highest level

of security clearance from the  Senate. I thought everything would  be

fine. Yet another incident happened after this."

"So it has to be one of the two workers," Qui-Gon said.

"Or someone is  finding a way  to sneak into  a highly  restricted

area," Tahl said.

Clee leaned forward and gripped her hands in frustration. "I can't

tighten security  more  than I  already  have. Those  Senate  security

checks are incredibly thorough."

"There's another  possibility,"  Qui-Gon  said.  "Someone  in  the

Senate is behind this, and one  or both of the security clearances  is

false."

"I didn't  think of  that,"  Tahl said.  "That would  explain  the

rumors in the Senate. The  same someone could be responsible.  Someone

who wants this project to fail."

"But why?"Clee  asked. "Who  would  object to  a handful  of  Jedi

Temple students learning how to fly starfighters?"

"Someone who  is  afraid  of the  Jedi  increasing  their  power,"

Qui-Gon mused. "The program  is still young.  Its potential may  scare

them."

Qui-Gon's comlinksignaled, and  he excused himself  to answer  it,

walking a few paces away. It was Yoda.

"Unhappy news I have," Yoda said without preliminaries."Ruled  the

Senate has to form  a subcommittee to  investigate Bruck's death.  Vox

Chun has a hidden  powerful ally there. Discovered  we have that  Sano

Sauro is a prosecutor. Rumor is he is hungry to make his mark.  Return

you must, Qui-Gon. Three witnesses there will be--yourself, Bant,  and

Obi-Wan. Fear  I do  that this  process  will take  its toll  on  your

Padawan."

Qui-Gon's heart sank. "Yes,"  he said softly. "I  fear it will  as

well."

CHAPTER 5

The hearing  committee of  the  Senate did  not waste  time.  They

called the Jedi to their private inquiry room the very next day.

Obi-Wan felt a sense of dread as he dressed that morning. He could

barely choke down his morning meal. He was almost relieved when it was

time to meet Qui-Gon and head for the Senate.

"There will be fifteen Senators  on the panel," Qui-Gon  explained

to Bant and Obi-Wan  as they threaded their  way through the  Senate's

lavender halls. The hallways were  thronged with Senators striding  by

importantly, with  scurrying  aides,  consorts, and  droids  at  their

heels.

"I will be  called first," Qui-Gon  explained."Then Bant.  Obi-Wan

will be last. Sano Sauro will try to twist your words, so be sure  you

speak the truth with every sentence  you utter. The Jedi have  elected

not to  use a  representative. We  have truth  on our  side.  Remember

that."

Obi-Wan nodded. Qui-Gon's calm gaze  was reassuring. The walls  of

the Inquiry Room were fashioned from transparisteel, so Obi-Wan  could

see that the Senators had already  gathered at the long table  inside.

It was set up on a platform.  Vox Chun, Kad Chun, and Sano Sauro  were

already sitting opposite them. An empty table waited for the Jedi.

"Senator Pi T'Egal  is the  head of the  committee," Qui-Gon  said

softly, indicating the  Senator who sat  at the center  of the  table.

"That is good. He is a friend of the Jedi."

The transparisteel  doors slid  open. Qui-Gon,  Obi-Wan, and  Bant

gave short bows to  the Senators. Then they  took their places at  the

empty table.

"If we are all here, we can  begin," Pi T'Egal said. He pressed  a

button  and  the  transparisteel  walls  turned  opaque.  Obi-Wan  had

expected the shift, but it made him feel suddenly trapped.

Find your  calm  center. He  struggled  to breathe  as  Pi  T'Egal

consulted his  data pad  and  pressed a  few buttons.  Bant's  fingers

gently squeezed Obi-Wan's forearm in support.

At last Pi T'Egal  looked up. "This is  not a criminal trial,"  he

said. "It is an inquiry only. Vox  and Kad Chun have asked for a  full

accounting of the death of Bruck Chun in the Jedi Temple. We  Senators

have agreed to rule whether the  death was by mischance or if  Obi-Wan

Kenobi bears some measure of responsibility for this. If our ruling is

deliberate intent or responsibility, Vox and Kad Chun can then  pursue

the  matter  in  the  criminal  courts  of  Coruscant.  Does  everyone

understand this?"

Everyone nodded.

Pi T'Egal turned to Vox Chun.  "Do you understand that if we  find

there is no responsibility by others  for your son's death you  cannot

pursue this further?"

"I do," Vox Chun said.

"Then let us  begin. The  first witness  will be  the Jedi  Knight

Qui-Gon Jinn."

Qui-Gon rose and went to a chair set up on the platform, angled so

that all the Senators could see him clearly.

"Please inform us of the events leading up to and surrounding  the

death of Bruck Chun."

Qui-Gon began easily, quickly sketching the problems  theTemplehad

been experiencing  and the  fact that  there was  an intruder  on  the

grounds.

"We knew that  Bruck Chun was  involved in the  petty thefts,"  he

said. "He disappeared, and  we also knew that  a more powerful  figure

had intercepted security. We assumed that Bruck Chun had smuggled this

being into the Temple."

"You did not know this as a fact," Sano Sauro interrupted.

"No," Qui-Gon said, his cool  gaze resting on the attorney.  "That

is why I used the word ‘assumed. ’"

"Please go on, Qui-Gon Jinn," Pi T'Egal said.

Qui-Gon outlined  the many  instances of  sabotage, including  the

attack on Yoda  and the sabotage  of a horizontal  turbolift that  had

trapped a dozen small children and their caretaker. Then he  explained

how they  discovered  that their  adversary  was his  former  Padawan,

Xanatos, who was then head of the giant mining corporation,  Offworld.

They trapped Xanatos and  Bruck outside the Jedi  Council room as  the

two burst through an overhead vent.

"I  knocked  Bruck's  lightsaber  from  his  hand,"  Qui-Gon  said

quietly. "Xanatos  grabbed the  boy  and held  the lightsaber  to  his

neck."

Sano Sauro  sat up  straighter. "So  Xanatos threatened  the  boy?

Bruck Chun was his prisoner, not his accomplice?"

"No," Qui-Gon  said.  "Xanatos felt  loyalty  to no  one.  He  was

willing to endanger Bruck's life in order to gain an advantage."

"Such is your belief," Sano Sauro sneered.

"Yes. Based on many  encounters with Xanatos, I  have come to  see

how he  reacts under  pressure," Qui-Gon  answered. "We  were able  to

force Xanatos  to push  Bruck aside.  Bruck was  able to  recover  his

lightsaber. Xanatos  told him  to go  to Bant  and make  sure she  was

dead."

Pi T'Egal leaned forward. "He said those words?"

"’Makesure she is dead, ’" Qui-Gon quoted. "Those words exactly."

"Did you instruct Obi-Wan to kill Bruck?" Sano Sauro demanded.

Qui-Gon's hands gripped the chair arm for a moment, the only  sign

that the insolence in Sauro's voice had reached him. "No. Jedi do  not

instruct to  kill. My  instruction was  to follow  Bruck in  order  to

prevent him from killing  Bant. This is exactly  what he did. I  mourn

the loss of  life, but I  am proud of  my Padawan's actions."  Qui-Gon

gave Obi-Wan a warm glance.

"Proud?" Sano  Sauro stood."Proud  that a  young Jedi  student  is

dead?"

"Proud that Obi-Wan tried his best  to save him, even after  Bruck

Chun  tried  very   hard  to   kill  him,"   Qui-Gonsaid,  his   voice

strong."Proud that he was able to show mercy and compassion even while

facing great anger from another. That is the Jedi way."

Sano Sauro sat with  a sneer. "Did you  see this ... .  compassion

for yourself, Qui-Gon Jinn?"

"No. I was engaged in a battle with Xanatos."

"Then we will have to take your word for it."

"No," Qui-Gon said. "You will have to take Obi-Wan's word for  it.

I do."

Sano Sauro waved  his hand.  "I have  no more  questions for  this

witness."

Pi  T'Egal  looked  at  the  other  Senators.  None  of  them  had

questions. "Thank you, Qui-Gon Jinn. Now let us hear from Bant."

Qui-Gon strode back to the table, giving Bant an encouraging  look

on the way. Bant  came forward. Her salmon  skin glowed, but her  eyes

were dim with nervousness. When she  sat, Obi-Wan saw how she  reached

down inside  to  calm herself.  Her  chin  lifted, and  she  turned  a

resolute face to Pi T'Egal.

Pi T'Egal spoke gently, for Bant inspired gentleness in  everyone.

"Tell us what happened that afternoon, Bant."

"I was captured by Xanatos and Bruck Chun," Bant said in a  clear,

steady voice. "They took  me to the Room  of a Thousand Fountains.  We

used the water tunnels  so that we would  not be seen. There,  Xanatos

chained me to the bottom of the waterfall pool. He told me to  prepare

for death, that Obi-Wan and  Qui-Gon would not be  able to save me.  I

did not believe him. But  as the time went on,  I realized that I  had

reached the limit  of how long  I could stay  underwater. Then I  went

beyond it. I knew I was close to death. I prepared for it. And then  I

felt Obi-Wan's presence. I could not see him, but I knew he was there.

I felt the Force surge and give  me strength to hold on. A short  time

later, I  felt Obi-Wan  release me  and carry  me to  the surface.  He

dragged me up onto  the bank. I  saw Bruck Chun  lying nearby. He  was

dead," Bant concluded in a soft voice and bowed her head. "That is all

I know."

The note of insolence  in Sano Sauro's voice  changed to the  soft

purring of  a  deadly  animal.  "You say  you  were  near  your  limit

underwater. Is there a prescribed amount  of time a Calamarian can  be

without oxygen?"

"No," Bant said. "It varies from individual to individual."

"Have you ever passed out underwater, Bant?"

"No."

"Never reached your limit?"

"No," Bant said. "Not until that day."

"Yet you did not pass out, did  you? How old are you, Bant?"  Sano

Sauro asked, suddenly switching gears.

"I am twelve. I was eleven at the time this happened."

"If you had never reached it before, and you did not reach it that

day, how do you know  you were close to  death?" Sano Sauro fired  the

question abruptly.

She blinked slowly. "I felt death was near-"

"So it was a feeling."

Obi-Wan's muscles tensed.  Confusion flittered  over Bant's  face.

She had not expected this attack.

"Jedi are taught to trust our feelings."

"Ah. And what was your state of mind?"

"I was in a meditativestate, waiting for death should it choose to

come."

"Can you say for sure how much longer you could have held out,  if

Kenobi had not rescued you?"

Bant hesitated.

"The truth," he warned.

"No ... I cannot ..."

Sano Sauro spun around and faced the Senators. "So we are to trust

the feeling of an  eleven-year-old that she was  in mortal danger,  so

that any  efforts to  free her  were justified.  A young  man is  dead

because of this?"

"But I know  my abilities and  my capacities," Bant  cried. "I  am

sure I was close to death!"

"I have no more questions," Sano Sauro said.

"I think it's  time to end  for today," Pi  T'Egal announced.  "We

will meet again tomorrow at the same time."

The Senators rose. Bant rose shakily from the chair and approached

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.

"I failed you. ..."

"No," Qui-Gon said firmly. "You told the truth."

"It's all right,  Bant," Obi-Wan  said. "It was  that Sano  Sauro,

twisting everything. He has no respect for Jedi."

"The Senators do," Qui-Gon  told her. "They  will not swallow  his

interpretation. Do not fret  about it." He led  her gently toward  the

door, speeding up his pace a fraction  in order to avoid Vox Chun  and

Sano Sauro, who were also heading in that direction.

Obi-Wanwas left with  Kad Chun. Their  eyes met. A  wave of  anger

washed over Obi-Wan, a wave he knew he must resist. But he could  not.

They had attacked Bant, and he could not forgive them for that.

Kad caught his anger. Obi-Wan saw the flash of satisfaction in the

pale gaze that was so like Bruck's.

"So you are not so perfect, are you, Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Kad asked in

a tone of soft menace. "I see the hate in your eyes."

"I don't hate you, Kad," Obi-Wan answered, struggling to keep  his

voice even. "But that attack on Bant--is that your idea of justice?"

Kad's hands balled  into fists. "And  killing my brother--is  that

your idea of mercy?" he spat out.

Their gazes locked. Obi-Wan had never faced such blazing, personal

hatred and pain. He felt  the shock of it hit  him. He wanted to  run,

but he stood his ground.

Kad finally tore his gaze away.  Then he turned and hurried  after

his father.

CHAPTER 6

There was nothing more he could do for Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon  reflected

as he boarded an air  taxi for Centax 2.  He had said everything  that

needed to  be said.  One of  the hardest  tasks of  a Master  was  the

decision to step back. His Padawan needed to deal with his feelings on

his own.

And Tahl needed his help, whether she wanted it or not.

He landed on  Centax 2  and took the  moving walkway  to the  Jedi

base.  He  found  Tahl   in  the  tech   dome,  going  over   starship

specifications. By now she could  recognize his step moments after  he

entered a room.

"I thought I needed  to know some details  of a starship  engine,"

she said without  preliminaries. She  pushed away  the voice  recorder

that read specifications aloud to her and turned to him. "How was  the

hearing?"

"Hard to say."Qui-Gon sat next to her. "It was very hard on Bant."

"Bant?  Why?"  Tahl's  tone  was  sharp.  Qui-Gon  noted  how  she

instinctively jumped to Bant's defense.

"Sano Sauro grilled  her about how  long a Mon  Calamari can  stay

underwater. Bant was  forced to  say that she  could not  be sure  how

close to death she was."

Tahl groaned. "And Bant would see that as a betrayal of Obi-Wan."

"I'm afraid so. I'm hoping Obi-Wan will talk to her at the Temple.

Even in  the  midst of  his  own pain,  he  will reach  out  to  Bant.

Obi-Wanhimself cannot find composure."

She sighed. "They do so much and have come so far. We can't forget

they are still young."

"I know he'll be fine in the end," Qui-Gon said. "But it's hard to

stand  by  and  watch  him  go  through  this."  He  looked  at   Tahl

searchingly. "Yet it is satisfying just  the same to be able to  stand

by him."

Tahl turned and ran her fingers  over a blueprint. The lines  were

raised so  that her  fingers  could read  the  shapes, and  the  voice

recorder told her what she was  examining. "I didn't realize that  the

thrust dampers were located so far to the rear," she said coolly.

Obviously, even  a gentle  hint  that Tahl  could benefit  from  a

Master/Padawan relationship  would  be  ignored.  Qui-Gon  decided  to

follow her lead. Primarily because he knew he had no choice. "Have you

interviewed the two workers yet?" he asked.

"No, I was  just about to.  They know an  investigator is here.  I

wanted them to be nervous. Do you want to come?"

"If you don't mind-"

"Of course I mind,"  Tahl said, rising  smoothly. "But since  when

does that stop you?"

At least there was  amusement in her  tone. Qui-Gon walked  beside

her to the adjoining hangar, where the starfighters were refitted.

Once they  got into  the hangar  itself, Qui-Gon  had to  restrain

himself from taking Tahl's  arm. The ground  was cluttered with  tools

and stacks  of parts,  large and  small. But  using her  extraordinary

reflexes and  special training,  Tahl  now used  a gliding  walk  that

guided her safely around obstacles.

"You do not need TooJay any longer for navigation, I see," Qui-Gon

remarked, referring to Tahl's endlessly chattering personal navigation

droid.

Her lips curved in a smile. "I  worked very hard so that I  don't.

But I brought  her here anyway.  Unfortunately, I still  need her  for

some things."

"The mechanics are  to the left,"  Qui-Gon instructed. He  studied

them as he and Tahl approached.

One was a Twi'lek,  with large head tails  wrapped up in cloth  to

keep out  of his  way. His  skin was  light blue.  The other  mechanic

washuman, his body short and compact, the sides of his head shaved  so

that his close-cropped hair ran down the center of his head.

"We wonder if we could have a few words with you," Tahl said.

The two mechanics  put down their  tools and turned  to them.  "Of

course," the Twi'lek said a bit nervously. "I am Haly Dura and this is

Tarrence Chenati. What can we do for you?"

"We   are   investigating   the   mechanical   failures   on   the

starfighters," Qui-Gon explained.

"We already have gone through  an investigation," Haly Dura  said.

"We were cleared."

"We just want to ask a few questions," Tahl said. "Clee Rhara  has

asked for our help."

"I'm sure we have  answered all those  questions," Haly Dura  said

impatiently.

"Then you will answer them a second time," Tahl said, a hard  edge

beneath her calm tone.

Tarrence Chenati  glanced  at his  coworker.  "Of course  we  will

cooperate. We do not want a cloud of suspicion over our heads. We  are

concerned as well. We have gone  over every moment of our shifts  with

Clee Rhara but can't understand how it could have happened."

"This is a restricted area," Haly Dura said. "We're the only  ones

allowed here.  That  means that  someone  must have  broken  in  after

hours."

Qui-Gon studied  both  mechanics.  He concentrated  on  looks  and

gestures for clues that  one might be lying,  knowing that Tahl  would

pick up vocal clues.

"You do all the  repair work on  the starfighters, correct?"  Tahl

asked.

The two workers nodded, then realized Tahl could not see them.

"Yes," they said together.

"What about the ionization chamber?" Tahl asked.

The last accident had taken place because of a malfunction in  the

ionization chamber, Qui-Gon knew.

"The ionization  chamber did  not  need retrofitting,"  Haly  Dura

said. "We ran a check on it, of course."

"How do you do that?" Tahl asked pleasantly.

"On the  control  panel. Here."  Haly  Dura indicated  a  computer

panel. "It showed no problems."

"The starship  was  cleared for  flying  the next  day,"  Tarrence

Chenati said. "Until  then the  ship was  here, in  the hangar,  under

tight surveillance."

"Do you mind if we look around?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Help yourself."

The two mechanics went on  with their work, soldering laser  power

converters. Qui-Gon and Tahl strolled through the hangar.

"Did you pick up anything from our two friends?" Qui-Gon murmured.

"A smell," Tahl whispered  back. "It was  on Tarrence Chenati  but

not Haly Dura. Could be nothing.  It's an industrial smell, though.  I

have an idea. Let's come back after they've gone."

They did not have long to wait. The two workers soon quit for  the

day. Clee Rhara  had given the  Jedi all the  security codes, so  they

quickly slipped back inside.  Qui-Gon powered up  the lights. Not  too

long ago, he would have been leery of relying on Tahl's sense of smell

for a clue. He knew better now.

Tahl  seated  herself  on  a  lowbench."Qui  -Gon,  bring  me  the

different  compounds  they  use--grease,  conductors,   solvents--they

should be all along the east  wall. There's a storage unit--I know  it

from the schematic of the repair sector. Bring them one at a time."

Qui-Gon was  too  curious to  mind  being ordered.  He  found  the

storage unit.  Everything  was neatly  labeled.  Qui-Gon knew  a  fair

amount about starship engines,  but even he was  surprised to see  how

many different kinds of grease, conductors, and solvents were used  to

keep a starship running.

He started with grease. Tahl inspected the various kinds, her eyes

closed in concentration. After  each deep sniff,  she shook her  head.

Some of the chemical compounds caused her to cough violently, and  her

eyes streamed tears, but she kept  going. They had run through  eleven

different chemical compounds when Qui-Gon brought her something simply

labeledconductor X-112 .

Tahl took a  deep sniff and  let out a  racking cough. She  leaned

over and took deep breaths of air. When she could speak, she  croaked,

"That's it. No wonder I could still smell it."

Qui-Gon entered the  compound into  the computer to  find out  its

uses. "It  only has  one function--as  a conductor  in the  ionization

chamber."

Tahl slapped her hand on the bench. "That's what I was hoping for.

Chenati lied. He worked on the ionization chamber. Yet they said  they

didn't have to."

"And that's where  the malfunction was,"  Qui-Gon said. "Let's  go

back and check out Chenati's credentials again."

After frustrated hours of searching, Tahl and Qui-Gon had come  up

with nothing.

"Everything checks out," Tahl said, sighing. "Just because I  pick

up a smell  from the  guy's coveralls  doesn't mean  he's a  saboteur.

There's probably another explanation."

"His security checks are flawless,"  Qui-Gon said, looking at  the

information they'd amassed. "His record is incredibly clean."

"Yet he has no family. Never married or had children," Tahl mused.

"And he sure moved around the galaxy."

"You could say all those things about me," Qui-Gon said.

Tahl's lips  curved  in  a  smile. "Well,  you  are  a  suspicious

character."

It was close to dawn. Soon the pilots and Clee Rhara would  awaken

and the day would begin. Today  all the starfighter pilots would  take

to the air.

"Maybe his clearances are too good," Tahl said. "I've got one more

idea." Her fingers flew over the data pad keys.

Qui-Gon leaned over her shoulder  to look. "You're doing a  search

of the deceased register?"

"Just wait."

Qui-Gon suppressed a yawn  as he stared at  the screen. Finally  a

list of information popped  up. As he scanned  it, the voice  recorder

read it out to Tahl.

It was the same background as Tarrence Chenati. The same  security

clearances. The same retinal scan.

Only this Tarrence Chenati had died twenty years before.

CHAPTER 7

Obi-Wan woke at dawn.  He heard the soft  footsteps of the  Temple

students heading  to  meditation. He  knew  he should  go  with  them.

Meditation would calm  his mind for  the day ahead.  But he could  not

bear to move. He did not want this day to begin.

The nighttime hours  had seemed to  stretch on endlessly.  Obi-Wan

had wanted  to contact  Qui-Gon, but  he had  nothing to  say, just  a

longing for his Master's serene presence. He had looked for Bant,  but

she had told him she was going to sleep early and didn't want to talk.

Just when he needed his friends, they disappeared.

Obi-Wan swung his legs over his sleep-couch. Across the room,  his

comlink was blinking. He hurried toward it eagerly. Maybe Qui-Gon  had

returned and wanted  to take  the morning meal  together. The  hearing

wasn't for hours  yet. If he'd  thought last night  was endless,  this

morning would be even worse.

He heard Qui-Gon's voice with joy, but disappointment flooded  him

within seconds.

"Obi-Wan, I'm still on Centax 2. Something has come up and I  need

to stay. I should be back for the hearing."

"Should be?" Obi-Wan couldn't keep the anxiety out of his voice.

"You will  do fine,  Padawan. Speak  the truth.  That is  all  you

need."

It is  not  all I  need!  Obi-Wan wanted  to  cry. He  needed  his

Master's presence.

Qui-Gon sensed his dismay. "Tahl and  I are very close to  solving

the problems here. The lives of Jedi  pilots depend on us. I will  try

to make it, Obi-Wan. Now I must go."

Qui-Gon sounded  rushed.  Obi-Wan  said  good-bye  and  ended  the

communication. He looked out at the spires of Coruscant, then above to

the upper atmosphere where Centax 2  was shrouded in clouds. Tahl  had

gone there alone to solve the  base's problems. She had made it  clear

that she did not welcome Qui-Gon's interference. Why had Qui-Gon  made

the decision to support Tahl instead of his Padawan?

Tahl had always been more important, Obi-Wan thought bitterly.  On

Melida/Daan, she  had  been  Qui-Gon's first  priority.  He  had  been

anxious to get her off-planet and out  of danger, even at the cost  of

leaving his Padawan behind. Tahl's evacuation had been more  important

than a civil war and a righteous cause.

He rested his  hot forehead  against the  cool pane.  He knew  his

thoughts were petty. He  knew that his guilt  about Bruck was  tearing

him up inside.

Bant. Bant would help him. She  always had a way of seeing  things

clearly, yet never making him feel  stupid for having the thoughts  he

did. He  went to  her  quarters, but  she  had already  left.  Obi-Wan

searched for her in  the meditation rooms and  the dining hall,  where

students were beginning to  gather. There was no  sign of her. No  one

had seen her that morning.

Obi-Wan decided to go  down to the Room  of a Thousand  Fountains.

Maybe he could  calm his fevered  thoughts there and  prepare for  the

ordeal ahead.

The coolness of  the air hit  him as he  exited the turbolift.  He

paused to listen  for the  quiet rush  of the  hidden fountains,  then

moved down the overgrown paths toward the waterfall. He threw  himself

on the grassy bank. The waterfall streamed over the rocks and caressed

his skin with its cool, gentle spray.  He gazed at the clear green  of

the pool, trying to calm his mind. ...

It was like a dream. Bant was at the bottom of the pool. Her  eyes

were closed. Her salmon skin was pale, paler than he'd ever seen it.

This was no  dream. Bant was  in trouble. Obi-Wan  bounded to  his

feet and dived into the pool in one fluid movement. Bant's eyes opened

as she saw  him stroking frantically  toward her. She  shook her  head

slowly, as if to tell him to  go away. Obi-Wan ignored her. He  simply

scooped her  up in  his  arms and  kicked  toward the  surface,  panic

sending a burst of energy through his muscles.

He came up gasping for air.  Bant sucked air in through her  lungs

and shook her head violently.

"No, no, let me go back--"

He dragged her to the bank and pushed her up. Bant scrambled  onto

the grass and collapsed.  He hauled himself out  and sat next to  her,

breathing heavily.

"What was that all about?"

Bant's face was pressed against the grass. "I was ... testing  ...

my limit," she said breathlessly.

Obi-Wan sat up. "You were what?"

"He said I didn't  ... know my limit,"  she said, sucking in  deep

lungfuls of air. "If I stayed under the same amount of time and passed

out, then we would know I was as close to death as I thought."

"Great plan," Obi-Wan said. "Do you  mind telling me how you  were

going to get to the surface?"

"I rigged a chronometer to a signal that would alert security that

I was in trouble," Bant said,  her breathing slightly more normal.  "I

wasn't in danger."

"What if  security  didn't get  here  in time?"  Obi-Wan  demanded

shakily. "What if you were already dead? You took a great risk,  Bant.

How could you do that to me?"

She looked up at him, astonished. "I was doing it for you!"

"But what  if something  had happened?  How could  you let  me  go

through one more death?"  Obi-Wan knew that the  best way to  convince

Bant that her plan was foolish was to make her think that the greatest

danger lay in hurting him.

"I didn't think of it that way," Bant said.

Obi-Wan took a  deep breath to  steady his voice.  "Thank you  for

trying to help,  Bant. But Qui-Gon  is right. You  can't. He can't.  I

must go through this myself. Promise me you won't do this again."

Slowly, Bant nodded."All right. I promise," she said gravely.

"This is when  we must  be at our  strongest," he  said. "We  must

trust in the truth and the Force."

"And the Force will be with us," Bant said.

CHAPTER 8

"Qui-Gon  was  right,"  Tahl  said  to  Qui-Gon  and  Clee  Rhara.

"Tarrence Chenati must  have the  backing of someone  powerful in  the

Senate."

"In the Senate?"Clee asked, her eyes flashing. "A Senator is doing

this?"

"Why not?"Qui-Gon asked  mildly. "They  are rarely  no better  and

sometimes worse than most beings."

"The Senate  uses its  own  spies," Tahl  said. "They  are  called

‘no-names.  ’  A  whole  identity  is  created,  with  text  docs  and

clearances. When the no-name dies, the identity is retired." She swept

her hand  toward  the  documents on  Tarrence  Chenati."This  kind  of

identity. What if someone had  access to those retired identities  and

stole one for the saboteur?"

"That makes sense," Qui-Gon said. "Who would have access?"

Tahl frowned: "Hard to  say. It could be  almost any senior  level

Senator with the right contacts and the right bribes. Tracing it would

be close to impossible."

"If Chenati is just a hired saboteur, he won't have much loyalty,"

Qui-Gon guessed. "If we capture him, he might tell us what we want  to

know."

"Chenati's shift starts in fifteen  minutes," Clee Rhara said.  "I

don't want him near those ships."

"Let us handle this,"  Qui-Gon advised her.  "Go to the  students.

Keep everyone away  from the hangar.  And try to  head off Haly  Dura,

too."

Clee Rhara nodded.  She strode  off toward  the student  quarters.

Tahl and Qui-Gon turned to  go, but a signal  went off on the  control

panel of the security system.

"It's Chenati. He's early," Qui-Gon said tersely. Without  another

word, Tahl and Qui-Gon hurried to the hangar. The huge durasteel doors

were already  open,  the starfighters  lined  up inside.  Qui-Gon  saw

Chenati working  on  a  control  panel  on the  side  of  one  of  the

starfighters.

"He's fifteen meters to the left, working on the right side of the

starfighter," he said to Tahl.

"Let's flank him," she suggested. "But not until the last  second.

We don't want to scare him off."

Qui-Gon and Tahl strolled toward Chenati, who had caught sight  of

them and  waved  cheerfully.  He  reached  down  into  his  tool  kit.

Something alerted Qui-Gon even before Chenati began to rise again.  He

was too friendly.

"He knows," Qui-Gon said.

Chenati came back  up with  a blaster.  The fire  pinged by  them,

since Tahl and Qui-Gon had already jumped apart. Qui-Gon's  lightsaber

was activated in a  flash, and he sprang  to deflect the blaster  fire

from Tahl.

"Stop protecting me!" she shouted.

But how could he?  Tahl's perceptions were extraordinarily  acute,

but even she could not deflect  rapid blaster fire she could not  see.

Tahl began to move in an erratic zigzag motion toward Chenati. Chenati

backed away, keeping up a steady burst of fire. Qui-Gon moved forward,

keeping himself between  Tahl and the  blaster fire. He  knew she  was

listening for the  rustle of  clothing, the stir  of air  to tell  her

which way  Chenati was  aiming. But  there was  too much  other  noise

surrounding her.

Suddenly Chenati raced  into the cockpit  of the starfighter.  The

windshield began to close.

Tahl heard the noise  and began to run.  The starfighter began  to

move, straight toward her.

"Tahl! Straight ahead!"Qui-Gon yelled. He started toward her,  but

Tahl had already accessed the Force and gave a great leap to her left,

placing her safely out of  the starfighter's way. The distraction  had

cost Qui-Gon. He could not reach  Chenati. He could only watch as  the

starship took off.

Tahl deactivated her lightsaber and tucked it into her belt in  an

angry motion. "Perhaps if you weren't so intent on protecting me,  you

could have captured him." Her voice was sharp and bitter. "Perhaps  if

I didn't need to be protected, things would be different."

"Tahl-"

"Qui-Gon! Tahl!"Clee came  running up. "I  saw Chenati take  off."

Clee stared at the sky, empty now.

"It was either kill him or let him go," Qui-Gon said.

"It's all right," Clee  said. "At least  we know the  starfighters

are safe now."

"You'll have to check  these out," Tahl said.  "He was here for  a

few minutes."

"Will do.  Thank you,  good friends,"  Clee Rhara  said warmly  to

Qui-Gon and Tahl. She had always had a sunny nature, eager to look  at

the bright side of things. "We can continue the program now."

"But you don't know who your enemy is," Tahl told her.

"That worries me, it's true," Clee said. "But I'm glad to have  my

base back. All this suspicion was tiring."

"Yes, mistrust takes  energy better spent  on other things,"  Tahl

remarked.

"Sir Tahl!"  The  singsong  voice of  Tahl's  personal  navigation

droid, TooJay, echoed through  the hangar. "You  left without me  this

morning! Look at all the obstacles  in this hangar. There is a  fusion

cutter by your left foot."

Tahl closed her  eyes in exasperation.  Usually, TooJay's  fussing

amused Qui-Gon. But he saw  that Tahl was close  to the edge now.  She

had had enough protection for one day.

"Tahl is fine, TooJay," he said quickly.

"Qui-Gon Jinn, hello," TooJay  said. "I haven't  seen you since  I

was reprogrammed. Lucky for me they left my memory cells intact."

Qui-Gon stopped. For a moment, he screened out his friends and the

chattering droid. He was  missing something. What  was it that  TooJay

said to trigger it?

First Tahl and Clee talked of mistrust. Then TooJay had  mentioned

her reprogramming...

Xanatos had placed a surveillance  device in TooJay. They had  not

known that  the droid  was busy  transmitting their  conversations  to

their enemy.  They knew  a spy  was  in the  Temple, and  Obi-Wan  had

suggested that Tahl could have been  the one. But even though it  made

logical sense, Qui-Gon had never mistrusted her.

Xanatos had  never  been  able  to  trust  anyone.  That  was  his

downfall.

So why would  he have  trusted Bruck?  He remembered  the feel  of

Bruck's lightsaber hilt, the  worn quality of  the carving, the  small

nick he  had felt  in the  handle. It  had touched  him at  the  time,

remembering the boy who had spent long hours carving it.

Everything came together then, and he  knew how he could turn  the

tide in Obi-Wan's favor.

He hated to leave Tahl with things unsettled between them. But his

Padawan needed him now.

CHAPTER 9

Obi-Wan had thought  he was prepared  for this. He  had gone  over

what had happened with  Bruck so many times  he felt certain he  could

give the account smoothly. He even  hoped that Vox and Kad Chun  would

be swayed. They would  realize that the painful  truth was that  Bruck

had chosen a dark path.

But it had not turned out that way.

From the moment he sat facing  the Senators and tried to tell  his

story, Sano Sauro had battered him with questions. He had twisted  his

words. He  had  made him  repeat  himself,  and if  Obi-Wan  made  the

slightest change, he pounced.

Somewhere Sano Sauro had heard that Obi-Wan and Bruck were rivals.

Or perhaps he just  asked the question, hoping  to get an  affirmative

answer.

"We do not think of rivals at theTemple," Obi-Wan said. "There are

certain activities that a few are  especially good at. We honor  that.

Everyone has a special skill. Cooperation is the basis of our order."

"Isn't it  true  that  once  you  fought  a  match  that  was  not

sanctioned by your teachers? That Bruck beat you badly and you had  to

hide your wounds?"

Obi-Wan looked at him, startled. How did Sano Sauro know that? The

only thing he  could think  of was that  Bruck had  told Xanatos,  and

Xanatos had told Vox Chun. "Bruck did not beat me," he said, his  eyes

flashing. "The fight was a draw."

"So you  say." Sano  Sauro gave  a chilling  smile. "But  you  did

fight."

"Bruck wanted to be Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan. He tried to prevent me

from that honor," Obi-Wan said.

Sano Sauro attacked. "So you resented him for that."

Obi-Wan had to tell the truth. "Yes," he said reluctantly. "At the

time, I did."

"So Bruck Chun confessed to his Jedi leaders that he'd fought, and

you tried to hide it."

Obi-Wan struggled for a moment to come up with the right answer to

that question. It was true that  a wounded Bruck had gone straight  to

the med center, but it was only to get Obi-Wan in trouble. Obi-Wan had

treated his own wounds himself.

"Is that true or not?" Sano Sauro pressed.

"It is true," Obi-Wan said. "But--"

Sano Sauro twirled around and walked back to his table. "And  this

was the  boy you  say was  not  a rival."  He threw  a glance  at  the

Senators. Senator Bicon Ransa gave a small nod.

"I did not say that, exactly," Obi-Wan said in a low tone.

"Yes, you tried  very hard  not to," Sano  Sauro replied  lightly,

with another eloquent  glance at  the Senators.  "But let  us move  on

before we get further snared in Jedi  logic. Is it true that you  once

left the Jedi order?"

Bant threw Obi-Wan a shocked look. Obi-Wanwas just as stunned. But

why should he be? Obviously Xanatos had pumped Bruck for  information,

gathering all he could about Qui-Gon and his Padawan. And Xanatos  had

told Vox.

"Yes," he said in a clear voice.

"And you were not  reinstated into the Jedi  order at the time  of

Bruck's death?"

"That is correct," Obi-Wan said.

Obi-Wan expected more questioning about his leaving the order, but

Pi T'Egal interrupted. "Is this  relevant to Bruck Chun's death,  Sano

Sauro?" he asked sternly. "Let us proceed."

"As your honor wishes," Sano Sauro said with a slight bow.

Pi T'Egal turned to Obi-Wan. "Please tell us what happened on that

day."

Obi-Wan began. Once  again, he  described Qui-Gon's  plan to  foil

Xanatos. His pursuit  of Bruck to  the Room of  a Thousand  Fountains.

Bruck's threat to kill Bant--

Sano Sauro interrupted. "How exactly did he threaten her life?"

"He said that Bant would die,  and he didn't have to do  anything.

And I would have to watch it." Remembering those words, Obi-Wan felt a

chill go through him almost as vivid as the one he had felt then. Bant

looked down at her clasped hands.

"I see,"  Sano Sauro  said in  a tone  that indicated  he  thought

Obi-Wanwas lying. "And how  did you know that  this was true? Did  you

know Bant was dying? Did you know that Bruck would let her die?"

"The Force was very dark in Bruck," Obi-Wan began to explain.

"Ah,  the  Force!  I  have  been  waiting  for  it  to  appear  in

testimony!" Sano Sauro declared,  raising his arms."The famous  Force,

which tells the Jedi what to do!"

"It does not tell us what to  do," Obi-Wan said. "It binds us  and

connects us--"

"This - command tells  you that a young  boy is willing to  kill,"

Sano Sauro answered witheringly. "So  therefore you kill him.  Because

of your mighty Force."

"The Force guided  me, yes,"  Obi-Wan said. "But  the Force  never

guides to kill." He threw a  glance at the Senators. Jedi believed  in

feelings. Here at the hearing they  wanted logic and facts. How  could

he explain that his feelings told him that Bruck had fallen so  deeply

into Xanatos's web of evil that he would even allow a Jedi student  to

die in front of his eyes?

Pi T'Egal and most of the Senators seemed to be listening intently

to him without any hint that they were moved by Sano Sauro's  sarcasm.

But one of the Senators looked uncertain, and Bicon Ransa leaned  over

to whisper in her ear.

Bant looked at  him, alarm in  her eyes. She  knew he was  losing.

Obi-Wan felt a sudden sweat drench  his tunic. He had lost control  of

his testimony. Sano Sauro had twisted his words and made him look like

a hotheaded fool, or worse, a dangerous liar.

"Sano Sauro,  I  must caution  you,"  Pi T'Egal  said.  "The  Jedi

connection to the Force is well respected in the Senate."

Sano Sauro  nodded.  "I know  this,  Senator. Yet  this  Force  is

something that no one else  can see or feel.  It is something we  take

the Jedi's word for."

"The Jedi word  is also  something we  respect," SenatorVi  Callen

said severely.

"And is this Force something that we feel confident we can judge a

killing on?" Sano Sauro asked, turning to the Senators. His voice rose

in intensity as he spoke. "Something  only the Jedi can feel, that  is

used in the defense of this dangerous boy? He says he felt it. We must

trust that, and exonerate him? If so, then what have our laws come to,

that we mete out  justice according to something  that we cannot  see,

hear, feel, or understand? This ‘Force’--what is it? What have we seen

it do?"

Pi T'Egal looked to  the back of the  room. "Perhaps Qui-Gon  Jinn

can help us."

Obi-Wan looked over. Relief  coursed through him  at the sight  of

Qui-Gon standing  at the  back of  the room,  near the  door.  Qui-Gon

lifted a hand. Bruck's  lightsaber hilt suddenly  shot from the  table

and sailed directly into his waiting fingers.

"That is  one thing  the  Force can  do," Qui-Gon  said,  striding

forward.

Sano Sauro paled but quickly recovered. "Tricks," he sneered.

Qui-Gon ignored him. He turned Bruck's hollow lightsaber hilt over

in his hands, a  look of concentration on  his face. Everyone  paused,

watching him.

"This delay is also a stunt,"  Sano Sauro said, his voice  turning

shrill. "Let us continue ..."

"I believe I can  help put some questions  to rest," Qui-Gon  said

quietly.

"Ah, now will  we hear  what the  Force told  you, Qui-Gon?"  Sano

Sauro asked.

"No, you will hear Bruck Chun's own words,"

Qui-Gon replied calmly. He turned to the Senators. "As I told you,

I knew Xanatos  well. He did  not trust anyone,  even those under  his

power. He would not have trusted  Bruck. He would have made sure  that

the boy was  under his  complete control when  he sent  him back  into

theTempleto do  his work."  Qui-Gon lifted  the lightsaber  hilt.  "He

would have  access to  all of  Bruck Chun's  conversations because  he

would plant a listening device in the  one thing that a Jedi is  never

without."

Obi-Wan's mouth fell  open. How  did Qui-Gon figure  this out?  He

stared at the lightsaber hilt, hoping his Master was right.

Vox and Kad Chun looked at each other, startled. Sano Sauro sprang

forward. "This  is  highly  irregular! This  lightsaber  hilt  is  the

property of Vox Chun!"

"This lightsaber hilt is evidence,"  Pi T'Egal said sternly.  "You

did not hesitate to employ it in your own service to gain sympathy for

your client."

Qui-Gon pressed the nick in the handle and extracted a small disc.

"I'll need a recorder."

The court technician took the disc and inserted it into one of the

recorders on his desk.

"Let us proceed to the date and time of Bruck's death," Pi  T'Egal

said.

The court  recorder  entered  the  information.  A  moment  later,

Obi-Wan heard Bruck's taunting voice.

I was always better than you. Now I am even stronger.

It all came back in a rush. How he had to struggle to release  his

anger, how Bruck's words had seared him, how he knew Bruck was  trying

to anger him. ... Had he truly pushed his anger aside and fought  with

justice and calm? Sano Sauro had been right about one thing: Bruck had

been his rival. There had been  a deep animosity between them. He  had

not been able to conquer it. Even on that rocky slope.

It had been a time when he had been anxious to return to the Jedi.

That longing had been a kind of fever in him. Had he told himself that

he had fought  without anger  that day  only to  convince himself  and

Qui-Gon that he truly was a Jedi?

There was only the sound of  the battle now, the ragged breath  of

the two  of them,  the slipping,  sliding footwork,  the buzz  of  the

lightsabers meeting. Then  Bruck's voice again,  snaking out, full  of

venom.

She doesn't look too good, does she?

Kad Chun's shoulders jerked.

Obi-Wan heard his  voice on  the recorder scream  Bant's name.  It

sounded like him but unlike him, too, the sound of someone on the edge

of control, full of desperation.

Bant put her face in her hands.

And then Bruck's voice sang out, triumphant and cruel.

That's right, Obi-Wan. Bant is dying.

I won't have to do a thing. I'll just make you watch it. We  would

have freed her  if we got  the treasure. But  another person will  die

because of you.

Right in front of your eyes.

Pi T'Egal  made  a slashing  gesture  at the  court  recorder.  He

switched off  the machine.  "I do  not think  we need  to subject  the

family to more of this," Pi T'Egal said. "The Senators will listen  to

the rest in private, confer, and deliver a ruling."

A screen  descended  from  the ceiling,  obscuring  the  Senators.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon could  hear nothing. Vox and  Kad Chun kept  their

backs to them as they conferred with Sano Sauro.

"It will be over soon," Qui-Gon said quietly.

"But how will it end?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Patience," Qui-Gon replied.

The minutes dragged by,  but at last  the Senators reappeared.  Pi

T'Egal looked at Obi-Wan, then at Vox and Kad Chun.

"The death of a young being is always tragic," he said. "The  need

to blame is understandable. Sometimes it  is justified. But we do  not

think  so  here.  We  rule  that   Obi-Wan  Kenobi  is  free  of   any

responsibility in the death of Bruck Chun."

CHAPTER 10

Obi-Wan closed his eyes for an instant. Gratitude washed over him,

bringing warmth to his cold skin. It felt as though his blood had been

frozen and was at last able to move through his veins again.

Vox Chun spoke to Sano Sauro,  but his voice was raised enough  to

carry throughout the room.  "I should have known  better than to  look

for justice here. Once again the Senate bows to the Jedi!"

"There is  no cause  for celebration  or congratulation,"  Qui-Gon

said gently to Bant  and Obi-Wan. "We are  glad that justice is  done.

But we have lost a Jedi."

Obi-Wan pressed his lips together and nodded. Now that the  relief

was wearing  off, he  realized that  the guilt  had not  left. He  had

thought the verdict would  remove the sense of  shame he felt. But  he

felt no different. The burden he carried was still within him.

"Let us return to theTemple,"  Qui-Gon said as the Senators  filed

out. "Come, Obi-Wan."

"In a moment."Obi-Wan suddenly felt a need to be alone. All he had

wanted the past few  days was his Master  and friends around him.  Yet

now he could not bear to be with them.

Bant started  to say  something, but  Qui-Gon signaled  her to  be

quiet.

"We will wait for you at the Senate entrance," he said.

Obi-Wan could only nod numbly. He  had a sense of Qui-Gon and  the

others leaving. The table where Sano  Sauro and the Chuns had sat  was

empty. He wondered what he felt. He did not feel much of anything.

"You must be relieved."

Kad Chun spoke behind  him. Obi-Wan turned. The  boy stood in  the

aisle, fists clenched, eyes burning.

"Sano Sauro almost got you to reveal the truth," Kad Chun went on.

"You hated my brother.  All your noble Jedi  training failed you.  You

were glad to see him die."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No ..."

Kad shot forward unexpectedly. He swung out with his closed  fist.

The blow hit Obi-Wan on  the side of the  head near his cheekbone.  He

staggered back.

Kad swung again, but this time Obi-Wan was able to duck. The  blow

grazed his ear.

"You killed him," Kad grunted. "The one honor our family had.  You

killed it."

"I didn't ..." Obi-Wan ducked again and twisted away. He tried  to

capture Kad Chun's arms.

With a shove  that sent Obi-Wan  flying back into  the table,  Kad

Chun leaped away. He dodged behind  the long table where the  Senators

had sat so that it was now between him and Obi-Wan.

"Kad, I didn't want your brother to die," Obi-Wan said, his breath

ragged. "You heard his ownwords, you heard what he was willing to do!"

"He was angry! He  was taunting you. So  what?" Kad screamed.  "It

doesn't mean he would have done it!"

Obi-Wan shook his head helplessly. Kad worshiped his brother. That

was clear. He could  not bear to  hear the truth  about Bruck. He  had

never known him.

"He would have done it, Kad," Obi-Wan said. "I am certain of it."

"Who cares what you think!" Kad suddenly leaped onto the Senator's

table. In his hand he held the heavy wood and metal staff that Vivendi

Allum had used. It  was a formidable weapon.  With Kad's strength,  he

could knock Obi-Wan out cold.

Obi-Wan knew  he  could  neatly  slice it  into  pieces  with  his

lightsaber. It would only take moments. Kad was strong, but he was not

trained. Obi-Wan could disarm him in  a moment. But he would not  take

up his lightsaber against Bruck's brother.

Kad ran toward him, his face taut with fury.

Obi-Wan watched him run at him  with a strange detachment. It  was

as though he were in a dream. He  made no move to dodge. He saw  Kad's

arm muscles bunch as  he lifted the staff,  gathering himself for  the

blow. Obi-Wan still did not move. He saw the staff whistle down toward

his skull. ...

At the  last second,  Kad twisted  his wrist.  The staff  hit  the

table, splitting it in two. Kad  dropped the staff. He stared down  at

the floor, panting. Then he raised his gaze to Obi-Wan.

"I will  never forgive  you, Obi-Wan  Kenobi," he  rasped. "In  my

eyes, you will  always be  a killer." He  kicked aside  the staff  and

walked up the aisle toward the door.

Obi-Wan stood frozen, Kad's words  echoing in his brain. You  will

always be a killer.

No matter how  many meditations he  had done, no  matter how  many

talks with Qui-Gon he had had, nothing had done him any good. He could

not wipe the guilt  and shame from deep  within himself. He knew  that

Kad had seen into his heart.

In his own eyes, he was a killer, too.

Twelve Years Later

CHAPTER 11

Obi-Wan moved quickly along the path  that ran beside the lake.  A

fresh breeze moved across his skin and whispered through the  branches

overhead. Even after all  these years, he had  to remind himself  that

the breeze was caused  by hidden cooling fans,  the dappled shadow  on

the forest  floor  created by  a  series of  illumination  banks  that

mimicked the rise and decline of the sun.

His footsteps slowed  as he heard  the calls and  laughter of  the

Jedi students at the beach along the lake. Although he had received  a

message that he and  Anakin were to  report to Yoda,  he wanted a  few

seconds of delay. Anakin had so  few opportunities for play. He  hated

to interrupt him.

They had been heading back  from an intense physical workout  when

Obi-Wan had spied the students from Anakin's year heading to the lake.

He had seen the  longing in Anakin's eyes  as the students dived  into

the cool water.

"Go ahead," Obi-Wan had told him. "Take some time off."

Anakin had looked at him uncertainly, but Obi-Wan shooed him  off.

It puzzled and worried Obi-Wan how much time his Padawan spent  alone.

Anakin had told him that he'd had good friends on Tatooine, especially

a human boy named Kitster. He'd been at theTemplefor three years  now,

but he hadn't made  one close friend, although  he was well liked  and

certainly got along with the other kids.

Obi-Wan had tried to talk to him about it, but the boy would  just

shut down. His  eyes would turn  opaque and the  corners of his  mouth

would straighten  into a  thin  line. He  would  seem very  far  away.

Obi-Wan did not know  how to reach  him at such  times, but they  were

infrequent and passed as  quickly as a rain  shower. When they'd  met,

Anakin had been a warm-hearted nine-year-old boy with an open  nature.

He was twelve and a  half now, and the years  had changed him. He  had

grown to be a boy who hid his heart.

Obi-Wan had tried  to show Anakin  that friends he  would make  at

theTemplewould  be   his  for   life.  Obi-Wan's   friends  from   his

classes--Garen, Reeft,  and  Bant--were  now roaming  the  galaxy.  He

didn't see them  very often.  But that deep  tie was  still there.  He

wanted the same for Anakin.

Qui-Gon had been  dead for three  and a half  years. Sometimes  it

seemed like  an age,  but  most of  the time  it  seemed like  it  had

happened yesterday. Especially when he needed his Master's advice.  He

would always think  of Qui-Gon as  his Master. Qui-Gon  had been  torn

from him  too  soon,  and  Obi-Wan still  felt  his  presence  at  his

shoulder. He even knew what Qui-Gon would say right now.

You cannot make friends  for your Padawan,  Obi-Wan. You can  only

show him through  your own  actions how important  connections are  to

you.

Qui-Gon had  done  that.  Obi-Wanwas  still  running  into  beings

throughout the  galaxy who  came up  to him  and spoke  reverently  or

glowingly or  humorously of  their deep  friendship with  his  Master.

Obi-Wan hadn't realized how many  connections Qui-Gon had forged  with

the most unlikely sorts.

Smiling, Obi-Wan  paused behind  a screen  of trees.  He  couldn't

resist a moment to see if Anakin was enjoying himself with the others.

He scanned the  happy, splashing  group with  the smile  still on  his

face. It slowly faded as he realized that Anakin wasn't there. With  a

sigh, Obi-Wan turned  away. He  hurried to the  nearest turbolift.  He

knew where  Anakin  was.  The  boy  sometimes  retreated  to  his  own

quarters.

Obi-Wan exited at Anakin's floor and  quickly made his way to  the

boy's quarters. As he reached them, the lower half of a protocol droid

rotated out the door on its own.  It was followed a moment later by  a

battered astromech droid,  which tottered  and then  smashed into  the

wall.

Obi-Wan paused. As expected, a split second later Anakin raced out

the door and crashed right into Obi-Wan.

"By the suns, I thought I had it this time," he cried,  rebounding

off Obi-Wan and crouching by the droid.

"I thought you wanted to swim," Obi-Wan said.

That shuttered look came over Anakin's face. "I hadwork to do," he

muttered.

Obi-Wan crouched by him. "This  isn't work, Anakin. It's a  hobby.

And if you are using it to  keep distance between you and your  fellow

students, it's not a helpful one."

Anakin looked  up, his  bright eyes  keen again.  "But I'm  making

things, Master!  Look,  I've  almost  got  this  astromech  ready  for

service."

"Mechanical ability is a valuable  skill," Obi-Wan said. "That  is

not what I meant, and you know it."

"They don't want me," Anakin said flatly. He walked over and slung

the legs of the protocol droid under one arm. "I'm not like them."

Obi-Wan couldn't argue. Anakin was  unique. There was no  question

about that. He was an exceptional student, much more in tune with  the

Force than others his  age. He had come  late to theTemple. It  wasn't

that the other  students dislikedhim,  they just didn't  know what  to

make of him.

When did it happen? Obi-Wan wondered again. Why did it happen? Was

it the  loss  of his  mother,  followed so  closely  by the  death  of

Qui-Gon? Obi-Wan could not replace those people in Anakin's heart, nor

did he wish  to. He  had hoped that  with Jedi  training andtheir  own

relationship, Anakin would come to find peace. He had not.

"Yoda has requested  our presence,"  he told  Anakin, rolling  the

astromech droid back into Anakin's quarters.

Anakin looked up, excited."A mission?"

"I don't think so," Obi-Wan said carefully.

Barely two weeks  ago, Yoda  and Mace Windu  had expressed  doubts

that Anakin was ready  for a mission.  Anakin lacked discipline,  they

said. Obi-Wan disagreed. It wasn't so  much a lack of discipline  that

caused Anakin  to  break rules  and  send his  droids  scurrying  over

theTemplecorridors. It was  partially boredom, he  thought. No  matter

what he  threw  at  Anakin,  the  boy  mastered  it.  He  needed  more

challenges. Where  Yoda  and Mace  Windu  saw a  lack  of  discipline,

Obi-Wan saw an emotional restlessness that could not be cured by  hard

study or physical trials.

"Straighten your tunic," he admonished.  "And wash the grease  off

your hands."

Anakin scurried to comply, runningto  the sink in the corner.  His

quarters were crammed with  tools and droid parts.  Pieces of a  probe

droid were  scattered over  his  sleep-couch. A  pair  of legs  for  a

bipedal droid sat  in a  corner. Obi-Wan  knew that  Anakin had  found

these things by sneaking out  of theTempleand dealing in the  thriving

black market of Coruscant. He preferred  to turn a blind eye. So  far,

Yoda and  Mace  Windu  did as  well.  But  it did  not  help  Anakin's

reputation with the Council.

Anakin cleaned up and hurried  to keep step with Obi-Wan.  Obi-Wan

could   tell   that    he   was   bursting    with   questions,    but

uncharacteristically, he  did not  ask them.  Obi-Wan could  not  have

answered them if he had.

Yoda awaited them in a meditation  room, the place he favored  now

for conferences. Obi-Wan knew that Yoda  had often met Qui-Gon at  his

favorite bench in  the Room of  a Thousand Fountains.  Yoda never  sat

there now. It was the  only visible sign that  Yoda still was in  deep

mourning for his friend.

"A request the Council has  for you both," Yoda announced  without

preliminaries.

Anakin could not contain his excitement."A mission?"

Yoda blinked his  gray-blue eyes  and did not  answer. He  studied

Anakin for a moment. Obi-Wanwas often charmed by Anakin's  enthusiasm,

but it seemed to worry Yoda.

"A mission it  is not," Yoda  said. "But a  voyage you must  take.

Request we do that you travel  to a starship called the BioCruiser,  a

permanent home for a group of people gathered from many worlds in  the

galaxy. Those on the ship have come from damaged worlds--planets  that

have become toxic  or ravaged  by disease  or torn  apart by  criminal

gangs or civil war. Land on other worlds they do not. Roam the  galaxy

they do."

"You mean they live  on board a ship?"  Anakin's gaze grew  wider.

"Lucky."

"How do  they manage  it?"  Obi-Wan asked.  "What about  food  and

supplies?"

"Grow their own  food they do,"  Yoda answered.  "Self-sustaining,

they are. But  stop they must  for fuel and  for occasional  supplies.

Meet them you will  at the next docking  point. Complaints the  Senate

has received from the families of  those aboard." Yoda drew his  robes

around him. "Fear they do that  their loved ones have been coerced  or

brainwashed."

"Who leads this group?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Uni is  the  name  he  goes by,"  Yoda  answered.  "No  text  doc

information can we find about him. Agreed Uni has to a Jedi inspection

to calm  the  worries  of  the  Senate.  Danger  for  you  we  do  not

anticipate. Only a few days should this require."

Obi-Wan nodded and kept  his skepticism to  himself. He had  heard

these words before, and had been plunged into danger and disarray.

"So we are to travel far away to a ship where people might be held

hostage," Anakin said shrewdly. "It sure sounds like a mission to me."

"A request  only,"  Yoda corrected.  Telling  them that  he  would

provide further details of the  rendezvous soon, Yoda dismissed  them.

Anakin was silent as they left.

As soon  as they  rounded  the corner,  he  turned to  Obi-Wan,  a

delighted grin on his face."My first mission!"

"Request," Obi-Wan said sternly. But he saw Anakin shake his  head

and silently mouth the word "mission" with a smile.

CHAPTER 12

The next  scheduled  fuel  stop  for the  BioCruiser  was  on  the

planetHilo. Yoda  arranged for  a  transport to  pick up  Obi-Wan  and

Anakin at the landing platform.

Obi-Wan stood, looking up last-minute information aboutHiloon  his

datapad. Anakin's gaze remained fixed on the skies of Coruscant; every

so often he exclaimed about a ship that zoomed by in the crowded space

lanes.

"Master, look at  that starship!"  he called  suddenly. "Have  you

ever seen such a beauty?"

Obi-Wan looked  up. A  sleek starship  was negotiating  the  tight

traffic lanes,  jockeying  for  position.  "A  diplomat  or  Senator's

transport, most  likely," he  said, noting  the chromium  trim on  the

sleek black ship.  He watched  as the  skillful pilot  found space  to

slide into the  teeming lane, then  made a sharp  turn to come  toward

them. To Obi-Wan's  surprise, the  beautiful ship landed  on the  Jedi

platform.

"Maybe that's our transport!" Anakin cried.

The ramp lowered and a familiar figure strode down toward them.

"Garen!"Obi-Wanwas overjoyed  to  see  his  friend.  It  had  been

several years since  Garen had  been to theTemple.  He hurried  toward

him, and the  two friends clapped  their arms around  each other in  a

fierce hug. "This is a surprise," Obi-Wan said, quickly taking in  his

friend's appearance. He was relieved to  see that Garen looked as  fit

and healthy as ever.  His hair was still  worn long and loose,  waving

past hiscollar,  and  his  gaze  was  as  open  and  warm  as  Obi-Wan

remembered. He knew that Garen had been on a difficult mission in  the

Outer Rim, though he didn't know the details.

"You look older," Garen  said. "But wiser? I'll  have to hope  for

that." His eyes danced.

Obi-Wan grinned. "You haven't changed at all."

"I was sorry to hear about Qui-Gon," Garen said, his mood abruptly

changing. "I would have come, but ..."

"It is all right, my friend. It was a great loss for the Jedi."

"And for you."

"Yes. He was my friend as well as my Master," Obi-Wan said. He did

not speak of Qui-Gon  to many people. He  still found it too  painful,

even after all this time. "But let me introduce you to my Padawan."

"How strange it  is to hear  you say that,"  Garen said,  smiling.

"Now we  are old  enough to  have  our own  Padawans. Who  would  have

thought it?"

Anakin had been hanging  back, studying the  ship with avid  eyes.

When he saw Obi-Wan's welcoming glance, he hurried forward.

"Is this your ship?"

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said reprovingly. "This is my good friend,  Jedi

Knight Garen Muln. Garen, this is Anakin Skywalker."

"I am honored to meet you at last," Garen said. "No, this isn't my

ship. It's a royal starship from  the Bimin Three system, on  extended

loan for the Jedi."

"I knew you'd end up with a starship somehow," Obi-Wan said.

Garen  nodded  ruefully.  Obi-Wan   knew  he  had  been   bitterly

disappointed when the Jedi decided to end the starfighter program. But

Garen had gone on to become Clee Rhara's Padawan and had distinguished

himself on missions throughout the galaxy.

"It turned out for the best," Garen said. "I think in the end  the

Council was right to oppose the starfighter pilot program. A fleet  of

starfighters would have brought us trouble."

"Do you mean the Jedi once had a program for starfighter  pilots?"

Anakin asked, stunned at this news.

"Yes, Anakin, long ages ago, back  when Obi-Wan and I were only  a

little older than you," Garen said, laughing.

"And they  cancelled it?"  Anakin's face  showed clearly  what  he

thought of that decision.

"It was for the best,"  Garen said. "But I  must admit it was  fun

while it lasted."

Anakin gazed at the ship. "How fast does she go?"

"As fast  as  you  want,"  Garen answered.  He  looked  at  Anakin

curiously. "Why do you like to go fast, Anakin?"

The dreamy, shuttered look came over Anakin's face. "Because I can

leave myself behind," hesaid, his eyes on the ship.

Garen glanced at Obi-Wan. He raised one eyebrow. It was not a Jedi

answer. Obi-Wan frowned, troubled  by it. There  were still places  in

Anakin he could not reach.

No. You will reach  them. Yoda and Mace  Windu are wrong.  Qui-Gon

was right. Anakin is not too old to learn.

Garen put his  hand on  Anakin's shoulder.  "Let me  show you  the

ship."

"We're  waiting   for   our  transport   toHilo,"   Anakin   said,

disappointed. "I don't think my Master will allow it."

"Oh, I think he will," Garen said. "I'm your transport toHilo."

Anakin seemed stunned at his good fortune. A delighted grin lit up

his face, and he ran ahead to race up the ramp.

Garen picked up Obi-Wan's survival pack. "He seems very young," he

observed.

Obi-Wan sighed. "He is getting older every day."

They came out of  hyperspace to a rush  of stars. It was  Anakin's

favorite moment, Obi-Wan knew. He  watched the boy's face, alert  with

interest as Garen piloted the ship toward the atmosphere ofHilo.

Garen whistled. "There she is."

The largest ship  Obi-Wan had  ever seen  rose ahead  of them.  It

seemed to be many ships welded  together, made up of different  metals

and rivets and  fasteners, so  that dull  green gave  way to  flashing

silver to gleaming black. It chugged in a slow, lazy orbit around  the

planet.

"We're supposed to land onHiloto pick  up a transport back to  the

ship," Garen said. "Apparently they  don't allow outsiders to dock  on

the ship."

"I've never seen anything like that," Anakin said. He got up  from

his seat to stand close to the cockpit viewport. He grinned and shot a

mischievous look back  at Obi-Wan.  "It looks like  something I  might

have built."

Obi-Wan had to agree. It had the chunky, cobbled-together look  of

some of Anakin's practice constructions.

The landing platform loomed ahead, a light freighter parked to one

side. As they drew closer, Obi-Wan could see that supplies were  being

loaded. Garen made  his usual  perfect landing. He  helped Anakin  and

Obi-Wan gather their packs and walked them down the ramp.

Obi-Wan and Garen exchanged a look of friendship and farewell, one

they had exchanged many times over the years.

"May the Force be with you," Garen said. "I can transport you back

if you need me. I'll be in this quadrant for a bit."

"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan told him.

Garen turned and strode up the ramp.  He did not turn for a  final

good-bye. He never did.  Only Obi-Wan knew that  his old friend  hated

farewells.

"You are  the  Jedi  inspection  team."  The  tone  was  curt  and

businesslike. Obi-Wan  turned  to  see  a tall,  balding  human  in  a

unigarment of pale blue.

"I am  Obi-Wan  Kenobi  and this  is  Anakin  Skywalker,"  Obi-Wan

answered.

"I am Nort Fandi," the man said. "I am the freighter pilot. We are

scheduled to  depart. Board  the  craft. We  do  not linger  on  other

worlds."

There was no  trace of  friendliness or courtesy  in Nort  Fandi's

curt tone. Obi-Wan and Anakin  boarded the freighter and found  seats.

In just a few  minutes, Nort Fandi and  two crew members joined  them.

Within seconds, they blasted off toward the BioCruiser.

"Will you be taking us directly to Uni?" Obi-Wan asked Nort Fandi.

He did not turn. "No. You will be given instructions."

He did not say  another word. As  they approached the  BioCruiser,

hatch doors slid  open in the  main ship and  Obi-Wan saw the  landing

area. Nort Fandi slid the freighter inside. The engines powered down.

A short woman in  the same pale blue  unigarment stood waiting  as

they walked down the ramp.

"I am Deleta," she said. "I am to show you to your cabins."

"Will we meet with Uni after that?" Obi-Wan asked.

Deleta led them  to a  bank of  turbolifts. "He  will contact  you

shortly."

Obi-Wan picked  up no  fear or  anxiety in  the many  beings  they

passed on the way to their  sleeping quarters. There were beings  from

across the galaxy, some wearing the  same pale blue garments, some  in

tunics, some sporting a headdress or leggings from their home  worlds.

They appeared  busy  andcalm, and  he  could discern  no  evidence  of

thought control. Their gazes were  clear and focused as they  regarded

Obi-Wan and Anakin with lively curiosity.

The Jedi's quarters were small and spare, but with a shared  small

library, a cubicle for showering, and  even a small cooler with  fresh

juices and snacks.

"Meals will be brought  to you," Deleta said.  "Do not wander  the

ship alone. If you wish a tour, one will be arranged for you shortly."

"How can I contact Uni?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He will contact you shortly," Deleta answered serenely, and left.

"So what do you think "shortly" means here on the cruiser?" Anakin

grumbled. He lay back on his sleep-couch on his elbows, his expression

sulky."A year? More?"

"It's been two days,"  Obi-Wan said. "Each  mission takes its  own

time." He repeated the words automatically. Like Anakin, he, too, felt

frustrated. Any additional  requests he had  made to speak  to Uni  or

even to get  a tour of  the ship had  met with the  same "You will  be

contacted shortly." When he and Anakin had ventured out on their  own,

they had been politely and firmly escorted back to their quarters  and

told they would be contacted ... "shortly."

At first Obi-Wan had been reluctant to press the issue. They  were

guests of the BioCruiser, and he never liked to start out a mission by

being insistent.  But he  had his  limits, and  he had  reached  them.

Obi-Wan pressed the button on the built-in message console. As always,

he was addressed by a pleasant, neutral voice.

"May I be of service?"

"I would like to leave a message for Uni," Obi-Wan said.

"He will contact you shortly-"

"Fine. Please inform him that if he  does not meet with us in  ten

minutes I will call back my transport and the full power of the Senate

will be unleashed against the BioCruiser."

Obi-Wan did not wait for a reply but cut off the connection.

Anakin was now sitting erect. "Will you really do that?"

"Jedi do not threaten," Obi-Wan said. "We inform." He sat  calmly,

but his eyes were on the chrono. Anything could happen. They could  be

locked inside their quarters. Or Uni could decide to boot them off the

ship to the nearest planet.

In exactly eight minutes, the door hissed open. Deleta stood  with

the same neutral expression on her face.

"Uni will see you now."

Obi-Wan and Anakin followed her through  a maze of corridors to  a

single turbolift. It brought them to a higher level of the ship.  They

emerged into a deserted hallway.

Deleta accessed a door at the far end of the corridor. They walked

into a round room lined with low seating and recessed glow lights. The

walls, floors, and furniture  were pale blue.  Deleta left, the  doors

hissing shut behind her.

"Do you think this is Uni's  private quarters?" Anakin asked in  a

hushed tone.

"Most likely," Obi-Wan answered.

The doors opened  behind him.  Obi-Wan saw a  tall, slender  human

walk in. His hair was close-cropped and  as white as a moon. His  eyes

were clear and very blue.

"I am Uni," he said.

But Obi-Wan knew immediately that it was Kad Chun.

CHAPTER 13

Obi-Wan felt as  if his throat  had been squeezed.  His feet  were

planted on the floor, or else he could have sworn that he staggered.

"Kad Chun." Obi-Wan spoke his name numbly.

Kad looked just as surprised.  He gathered himself with a  visible

effort."Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am Uni now."

Kad approached until he was standing close to Obi-Wan, closer than

Obi-Wan liked. His pale eyes flickered  as he registered the signs  of

maturity in Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan remembered  the face of the boy,  burning

with hatred in a Senate hearing room.

"So they sent you."

"Yes."

"I suppose they do not know who I am."

"No."

"Kad Chun is no more."

Obi-Wan's curiosity overcame his caution. "How did you come to  be

here?"

Kad turned and  began to stroll  about the room.  He did not  give

Anakin a glance, but the boy watched him steadily.

"After the hearing, my  father and I returned  to Telos. We led  a

quiet life, recovering from  our double tragedy--the  loss of our  son

and brother, and the  inability of the Senate  to bring his killer  to

justice."

Obi-Wan stiffened,  but Uni  did not  look at  him, just  strolled

about, picking up an object here or there, studying it and putting  it

down.

"Many good things happened on  Telos. I understand you were  there

at the beginning. A new government was formed, and the reclamation  of

our natural resources began. But as  the years passed it became  clear

that the corruption that had destroyed our institutions and government

had taken  a deeper  hold  than the  good  people of  Telos  imagined.

Special interests  again  took  over. Telos  began  a  steep  decline.

Corporations owned our natural resources and plundered them."

"I am sorry to hear this," Obi-Wan said.

"I found myself in a position of some leadership," Kad went on. "I

gathered followers. I  knew it  was too late  to save  Telos. We  were

wasting our time. We could never fight that kind of power. In order to

save the remaining examples of  responsibility and honor on Telos,  we

had to bring the last of the best with us. Which we did. We boarded  a

ship, taking our plants and minerals with us. We traveled through  the

galaxy. We did not look for another world. We did not need one. As  we

traveled I saw that Telos was not unique. So many worlds in the galaxy

are corrupt.  The  noblest beings  protest  and are  drowned  out.  We

welcomed them aboard. Our  core ship began to  grow. We have the  most

brilliant  scientists,  the  greatest  innovators,  teachers,   poets,

musicians, doctors. We all believe that given the state of the  galaxy

the only choice for the best of us is to disengage from it completely.

After the  galaxy  destroys itself  we  will be  the  seed for  a  new

community."

Kad turned at last. His pale blue eyes burned with fervor. "So you

see no one here is held against their will. They can leave at any time

at our next docking port. We are  working on a renewable fuel that  we

can produce on the ship, but we haven't been able to perfect it. So we

must still  stop  occasionally.  We  hope one  day  to  be  completely

self-sufficient. We will not  ever need to  have contact with  another

world. Until  then we  must  deal with  the  tiresome demands  of  the

Senate. I consider it  demeaning to the intelligence  of all who  live

aboard this ship. Nevertheless, I will cooperate."

"You will allow us access throughout the ship?"

Kad nodded. "I  will arrange a  tour so you  can get an  overview.

After that, you are free to wander on your own."

"We can speak to any of your followers?"

Kad frowned. "I do not use the word followers."

"These beings are here because of your philosophy?"

"A philosophy  they have  adopted  as their  own." Kad  raised  an

eyebrow."And what about the Jedi? How  different are we from you?  Yet

the Senate does not send envoys to investigate you, I notice."

"We are very different.  We lead lives  of contemplation but  also

engagement," Obi-Wan said  in the  even tone  he adopted  when he  was

irritated. "We do not isolate ourselves and abandon the galaxy."

"Yes, you still  believe you  can dogood ,"  Kad said  carelessly.

"Everyone on this ship felt that way once."

Obi-Wan sensed that disengaging was a good philosophy to adopt  at

that moment. He knew it was fruitless to argue with Kad and knew  that

Kad's carelessness was studied.  He was goading  Obi-Wan. No doubt  he

knew that Obi-Wan's calm was also a mask.

"I am sorry  you consider  this process  demeaning," Obi-Wan  said

carefully. "But  I'm  sure you  must  realize that  there  are  family

members throughout  the  galaxy  who  have to  deal  with  the  sudden

disappearance of their loved ones. Communication has been infrequent."

"That  is  because  no  one  understands  our  vision,"  Kad  said

impatiently. "Everyone here is an  adult, capable of making their  own

decisions. Now, I suggest  that you and your  follower proceed to  the

bridge, where I have arranged for one of us to give you a tour of  the

ship. Take the turbolift to Level four and you will be met there."

The doors opened  again. A frail  old man walked  slowly into  the

room. His scalp gleamed in the  light, and his hooded eyes were  dull.

It took Obi-Wan several seconds to remember Vox Chun. He was  startled

at how much he had aged.

Vox Chun's dull  gaze suddenly  blazed into rage.  It was  obvious

that his hatred of Obi-Wan had not diminished with the years.

"Father, the Jedi team  is proceeding to the  bridge for a  tour,"

Kad said  quickly.  Obi-Wan  saw  that  he  wanted  to  forestall  any

outburst.

Obi-Wan nodded at Vox  Chun, who did not  return the greeting.  He

kept his burning gaze on Obi-Wan as he and Anakin crossed the room and

walked out the doors.

The doors shut behind them. Anakin looked up at him.

"Why do they hate you?"

"Old  history,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "Missions  can  leave  grievances

behind. I do not think it will affect the present."

Anakin nodded, but  Obi-Wan could  tell he was  not satisfied;  he

believed that old grievances would affect this mission.

The trouble was, so  did Obi-Wan. It was  not the first time  that

Obi-Wan found it inconvenient to have such an astute Padawan.

CHAPTER 14

Anakin trudged  alongside Obi-Wan,  wondering about  the title  of

Padawan Learner. That implied  that he was  supposed to learn,  didn't

it? How could he learn when he never had the full story?

Yoda was full of riddles. Mace Windu spoke in hints and allusions.

Even  his  Master  deflected  most  talk  of  the  past,  except   for

affectionate or respectful references to his old Master. Sometimes  it

seemed to Anakin that everyone at theTemplespoke a different  language

from the one he knew. It was at such times that he missed his mother's

warm clarity. But  remembering Shmi brought  back an ache  so deep  it

never went away.

"At least we'll get a tour of the ship," Obi-Wan remarked as  they

waited for the turbolift. "You'vebeen wanting to explore it."

"But we'll have a guide,"  Anakin said. "They probably won't  show

us the whole thing. Wouldn't you rather explore on your own?"

"Sometimes it is helpful to see  what your opponent wishes you  to

see," Obi-Wan said, stepping into the turbolift. "It can indicate what

he is trying to hide."

Anakin stood quietly as the levels ticked off. He was still out of

sorts from first being ignored in the meeting between Obi-Wan and Uni,

and then not being  told the truth  by Obi-Wan. He  had felt the  dark

anger from both  Vox and Uni,  the man Obi-Wan  called Kad. Those  two

held more  than a  simple  grievance against  his Master.  Why  didn't

Obi-Wan trust him enough  to tell him the  truth? The turbolift  doors

opened and Anakin  got another  surprise. Obi-Wan broke  into a  broad

smile at the sight of a slender woman standing waiting for them.

"Is it Andra?" he asked.

The woman looked just as surprised and pleased."Obi-Wan Kenobi!"

Obi-Wan and  the woman  stepped forward.  Andra grasped  Obi-Wan's

hand. "I have never forgotten you."

"What a surprise to see you  here," Obi-Wan said. "I imagined  you

would be ruler of Telos by now."

Andra's face darkened. "The Telos I fought for is gone. My life is

here now."

"Yes, Kad told me how it deteriorated."

"We call him Uni now. Yes, we defeated Offworld, but other equally

powerful concerns took over. I watched my beautiful planet deteriorate

for the  second time.  I could  do nothing.  My rage  and  frustration

turned to deep sorrow. It was as though I was in a dark place with  no

way out. Then I met Uni." Andra shook her head as if to dislodge  dark

memories. "Uni gave me  a reason to live."  She looked over at  Anakin

and smiled. "And who is this?"

"This is my Padawan, Anakin Skywalker."

Andra  gave  him  a  warm  nod  of  greeting.  Anakin  liked   her

immediately. He felt  a kind of  warmth and acceptance  from her  that

reminded him of Shmi.

"So you have your own Padawan  now," she said, the smile still  on

her face as she glanced at Obi-Wan. "Qui-Gon must miss you."

Obi-Wan's bright gaze dimmed. "Andra, Qui-Gon is dead. Three years

now."

Her smile vanished, and sorrow filled her eyes. "I did not know. I

am so sorry. The galaxy is diminished without him."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "That is exactly  how I feel. But what  about

Den? Still getting on your nerves?"

"I'm afraid so," Andra said ruefully. "I married him."

Obi-Wan laughed. Den and Andrawere  an odd match, but Qui-Gon  had

seen how much  deep love  there was between  them. "Is  he aboard  the

BioCruiser as well?"

"Of course. He  was resistant  at first. But  he came  to see  the

truth of Uni's teachings." Andra paused. "You must be the Jedi come to

inspect us. I am to give you the tour."

"I can ask for no better guide," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin hurried forward as Andra  turned to walk down the  corridor

with them. "How do you two know  each other?" he asked her. Better  to

ask Andra than Obi-Wan. He'd get a more complete story.

"Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon helped  our world when  it was dying,"  Andra

explained. "A mining corporation  called Offworld had secretly  bought

up our national park spaces and had begun to mine them. I was part  of

the underground then-"

"A one-woman underground," Obi-Wan said admiringly.

"True, I  didn't have  many  followers at  the time,"  Andra  said

ruefully. "Just a thief and gambler short on ethics and long on charm.

He became my  husband, Den.  Despite the  fact that  we were  outlaws,

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon trusted us. They exposed Offworld, and the  people

got control of our sacred spaces again. Or so we thought. In the  end,

we lost the battle."

Andra stopped  in the  middle of  the circular  bridge. "But  I'll

never forget what they did for us."

"And what you did for us," Obi-Wan pointed out. "You saved us from

execution."

"Execution?"Anakin asked, staring at Obi-Wan, wide-eyed.

"Xanatos was a terrible enemy," Andra said softly.

"Xanatos?"Anakin asked.

"A story for another time," Obi-Wan said firmly.

Andra nodded,  understanding that  Obi-Wan  wished to  change  the

subject. She gestured  at the  busy workers surrounding  them and  the

banks of controls.  "As you can  see, our bridge  is more  complicated

than most starships'. The BioCruiser is made of different  components,

some of them originally designed to run differently from others'. Here

is where  everything  is  coordinated.  Already  our  scientists  have

discovered a  number  of  technological breakthroughs.  The  size  and

complexity of the ship is unprecedented."

"Do you have a defense system?" Obi-Wan asked.

Andra nodded."State  of  the  art. We  have  a  valuable  treasury

aboard. Each of us  brought all our assets  aboard when we joined.  We

use that money for research and development. Eventually, we want to be

a fully self-sustaining ship, as though we were a floating planet."

"Most planets are not fully self-sustaining," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"They depend on trade and the free exchange of information."

"When you open your doors to the galaxy, you invite corruption  to

overtake you," Andra said, shaking her head. "I have seen it happen on

Telos. I have talkedto  many aboard who have  seen it happen on  their

own worlds. Criminal gangs grow more powerful every day in the galaxy.

More and more,  giant corporations gobble  up natural resources.  They

just move on to the next planet ripe for exploitation. I believe  that

Uni is right. This,"  Andra concluded, spreading her  arms to take  in

the ship, "is our greatest hope. Now, let us proceed. We have much  to

see."

Anakin had never seen such a fascinating ship. It was crowded with

beings from all over the galaxy, and there seemed to be plenty to  do.

Most of the beings worked at least part of the day, either in the tech

centers, scientific labs, or service industries. There were all  kinds

of restaurants and cafés, with food from many worlds. There were  game

rooms and libraries and music rooms. One whole area of the  BioCruiser

was devoted to theCollectionCenter, where plants, flowers, and animals

from many worlds were kept. Anakin could not imagine ever being bored.

He wasn't sure  how he  felt about  Uni's philosophy,  but he  thought

living aboard a ship would be outstanding.

The tour took several hours. Andra left them at their quarters.

"I hope you can tell the Senate  that we wish no harm. All  aboard

are here of their free will," she said to Obi-Wan.

"I hope so as well," Obi-Wan answered politely.

Andra cocked her head. "Ah.  I had forgotten how noncommittal  the

Jedi can be."

"We reserve  our judgment  until we  can speak  plainly,"  Obi-Wan

said. "We enjoyed the tour, Andra. Thank you."

"I'll tell Den you're aboard. I'm sure he'd like to see you." With

a last friendly wave, Andra headed off.

As soon  as  she was  gone,  Anakin  turned to  Obi-Wan.  "Who  is

Xanatos?"

The question  seemed to  startle Obi-Wan.  But Anakin  had  sensed

something when Andra  had mentioned  the name. He  had felt  something

from Obi-Wan, something he wanted to know more about.

"Not now," Obi-Wan said.

"Shortly?"Anakin asked, discouraged.  "I keep  hearing that  word.

Why won't you tell me now? Is there some reason I can't know?"  Again,

he felt frustrated. It was hard to penetrate Obi-Wan's reserve.

Obi-Wan studied him for a moment. "No," he said finally. "There is

no  reason  you  can't  know.  Xanatos  was  a  former  apprentice  of

Qui-Gon's. He turned to the dark side. He used the Force to build  his

own power. He was the head of the Offworld Mining Corporation and laid

waste to whole worlds. Life meant nothing to him."

"Is he still alive?" Anakin asked.

"He died on Telos,"  Obi-Wan answered. "He  preferred to take  his

own life rather than  surrender to Qui-Gon." He  studied Anakin for  a

moment. "Now let's clean up and go out for the evening meal."

Anakin went into his quarters. He  felt a buzzing in his head,  as

if his thoughts  were so  numerous and  confused that  they could  not

register. He could not take in what Obi-Wan had told him. He could not

imagine that such a thing could happen.  How could a Jedi turn to  the

dark side? How could a Padawan  betray his Master? If he hadn't  heard

the story from Obi-Wan, he would have refused to believe it.

At last Obi-Wan  had shared  something real with  him. There  were

times, especially early on, when Anakin questioned Obi-Wan's motive in

taking him on as Padawan. He knew  Obi-Wan had done it because it  was

Qui-Gon's wish. Was he a burden to  Obi-Wan? Just a promise made to  a

dying friend? More than  anything, Anakin longed to  have the kind  of

bond with Obi-Wan  that his Master  had had with  Qui-Gon. There  were

times when that closeness seemed very far away.

CHAPTER 15

Alone in his cabin, Obi-Wan splashed cold water on his face.  When

he raised his head and gazed into  the small mirror over the sink,  he

was almost surprised to see his mature face. He had been plunged  back

into  his  boyhood  twice  today.  It  left  him  feeling  rocked  and

tentative, as though he was once again that thirteen-year-old boy.

Seeing Andra was a pleasure. It brought back a satisfying  memory.

The mission on Telos had  been treacherous, but Obi-Wan remembered  it

as a time when he and Qui-Gon  had begun to rebuild the bonds  between

them after he had left the Jedi and his Master for a short time.  They

had worked together in  the old rhythm, and  for the first time  since

Obi-Wan had left,  Qui-Gon had truly  welcomed him back.  He had  made

Obi-Wan feel that their bond was strong and would grow even  stronger.

As it did.

But Kad ... Uni, Obi-Wan corrected himself. That confrontation had

been less pleasant. He  still remembered the hate  in Kad's eyes,  the

sound of the  table splintering as  the rod came  down, the  knowledge

that this boy wanted to kill him. And how he had waited for the  blow,

defenseless, feeling that  in some way  if the blow  fell he would  at

last be at peace with Bruck's death. He would have paid a debt.

He had never told Qui-Gon about that moment. It was not the way  a

Jedi should think, or feel. He should have felt peace with the outcome

of his battle with Bruck. But, Obi-Wan thought, staring bleakly at his

mature reflection, twelve years later he still had no peace.

He wrenched  his  mind back  to  the  present. He  had  noted  his

Padawan's admiration of the workings of the BioCruiser. There was much

to admire. But Obi-Wanwas disturbed by Uni's philosophy. To his  mind,

the BioCruiser  held a  gathering  of disillusioned  idealists.  Uni's

philosophy of withdrawal was based in anger and bitter disappointment.

He did not like  the change in  Andra. He remembered  her as a  fierce

defender of her planet. Had Uni caught  her in such a low time in  her

life that he had tapped into her bitterness and sense of futility?

Obi-Wan had  been on  missions  that had  seemed hopeless  at  the

start. He had  seen criminals win,  of course. He  had seen civil  war

tear worlds apart. But he had also seen beings band together to  fight

for their planet and succeed against impossible odds. Uni's philosophy

did not impress him. Uni was a cynic hiding behind a veil of idealism.

He was  also  disturbed  by  the idea  that  all  who  joined  the

BioCruiser donated their wealth to  the treasury. Andra had said  this

offhandedly, but Obi-Wan had to  wonder who controlled such vast  sums

and who had access to  them. Kad? His father?  He still did not  trust

Vox Chun. Despite his supposed rehabilitation, Obi-Wan did not  forget

his part  in the  plundering of  Telos. He  was surprised  that  Andra

could. She seemed to have left her healthy skepticism back on her home

planet.

Still deep in  thought, Obi-Wan fetched  Anakin and suggested  the

nearby café for the  evening meal. He would  like a chance to  observe

the inhabitants of the BioCruiser when they were relaxed and at ease.

Anakin was  soon  engrossed  in  his food,  which  was  fresh  and

delicious. Food meant less to Obi-Wan as he grew older. He had come to

realize what a good Master Qui-Gon had been, in small ways as well  as

large ones. Qui-Gon had treated him as a Jedi, but never forgot he was

a growing boy. If he hadn't had Qui-Gon's example, Obi-Wan wondered if

he'd be as sensitive to Anakin's needs as he tried to be.

Obi-Wan ate methodically. He  glanced casually around the  crowded

room, but  he was  alert  and attuned  to  every gesture.  He  watched

carefully how the various diners interacted with one another.

Suddenly a tall man plopped down  in a chair opposite him, a  wide

grin creasing his rugged face."So. What are the odds?"

Obi-Wan grinned back."Den!"

"It's good to see you again,  my friend. If someone told me  you'd

end up on  this rust-bucket, I  never would have  taken the bet."  Den

grinned amiably  at Anakin.  "Hey there,  kid. I  heard you  like  big

ships."

"I like most ships," Anakin said, his mouth full.

"Not me. I prefer to have my feet on the ground."

"So what are  you doing  here?" Obi-Wan asked,  pushing his  empty

plate away. Den looked only a little older than he had all those years

before. His sandy hair was still boyishly tousled, and the smile lines

around his eyes were only  a little deeper. Den's pleasant  expression

did not falter.

"Escaping the horrors of corruption and environmental degradation.

What about you?"

"Investigating you," Obi-Wan shot back. He had forgotten the bumpy

rhythms of  Den's  speech, the  way  he  seemed to  treat  no  subject

seriously. He remembered how Qui-Gon had accepted Den immediately  and

had been amused by him. It had taken Obi-Wan a bit longer to get  used

to the fact that  they were depending  on a thief to  help them on  an

important mission.

"Yes, Andra told me," Den said. "Why don't I walk you back to your

quarters?"

Obi-Wan nodded. Anakin combined the  three remaining bites on  his

plate into one and hurriedly crammed it into his mouth. Still chewing,

he followed Obi-Wan and Den from the café.

"Tell me how you truly feel," Obi-Wan said quietly to Den as  they

strolled down the corridor.

Den sighed.  "I only  joined  up because  I  didn't want  to  lose

Andra."

"Ah," Obi-Wan  said. Den  had confirmed  what he'd  suspected.  He

couldn't imagine independent Den  surrendering to someone else's  idea

of how to live.

"The ironic  thing is,  I was  the one  to make  her go  to  Uni's

lecture," Den went on. "She was in  a bad state, Obi-Wan. You have  to

understand that many felt the same. Telos was dying, and no one  could

save it. Uni offered  hope. Andra was one  of the first organizers  of

the BioCruiser." Den made a wry face. "She had a cause again."

"You tried to talk her out of going?"

"Sure. I told her we should  stay and fight for Telos.  Oremigrate

to another  world, not  reject  the galaxy  and become  crazy  nomads.

Naturally she agreed to everything I said. Joke! Since when does Andra

ever agree with me?" Den asked morosely. "I had no choice. I pretended

to swallow this wacky idea, and I came aboard. Something didn't  smell

right to me, and  it still doesn't. Listen,  I may have gone  straight

for Andra's  sake,  but  the  criminal  antennae  never  die.  There's

something wrong with this operation."

"Tell me," Obi-Wan urged.

Den waved cheerfully at a group across the corridor. "Things  just

don't feel right. I'm  not sure about Uni,  but Vox definitely has  my

antennae quivering. He managed to  convince everyone on Telos that  he

had nothing to  do with handing  our sacred spaces  over to  Offworld,

even though he  was in Xanatos's  pocket. He keeps  to himself on  the

BioCruiser, stays up in  those fancy quarters of  his. But twice  I've

spotted him having a  pretty intense conversation  with a tech  worker

named Kern."

"Why is that suspicious?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Vox thinks he's too good for the rest of us," Den said, his  eyes

narrowing. "Why would he waste his time talking to some low-level tech

worker?" Den tapped his nose. "I'm telling you. Doesn't smell right."

"Anything else?"Obi-Wan asked.

"Whenever we  dock for  fuel  and supplies,  it's always  at  some

industrial planet," Den  said. "Why  is that?  And why  is Vox  always

among the landing party?"

"He wasn't back atHilo," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"Yeah. I noticed that. I figure  he didn't want to ride back  with

the Jedi team.  Maybe he  thought it would  be suspicious  if he  went

down. Who knows?" Den tapped his  nose again and wrinkled his face  as

if he'd smelled something foul.

They stopped in  front of  their quarters. Anakin's  eyes were  on

Den. Obi-Wan could see the boy was listening intently.

"I don't know, Den," Obi-Wan said. "You don't have much for us  to

go on."

"Did you know that one of the reasons we stopped atHilowas to do a

repair that didn't need to be done?" Den asked. "It turned out to be a

readout malfunction. The actual part was fine."

"That happens--"

"--sometimes, I  know.  But  guess  who's  in  charge  of  readout

systems? Kern."

Obi-Wan nodded, but he still wasn't convinced. He sensed that  Den

was searching  for  anything  that would  prove  that  the  BioCruiser

operation was  corrupt. His  desire to  have his  wife back  could  be

coloring his perceptions.

"Now that you're here,  my odds of getting  to the bottom of  this

just improved a thousand percent,"  Den said, slapping Obi-Wan on  the

back. "Get a good night's sleep. You'll need it."

Den gave them a cheerful wave and hurried off. Obi-Wan sighed.

"You don't trust him?" Anakin asked.

"It's not that,"  Obi-Wan said.  "I'm just  not sure  I trust  his

perceptions."

"But he's  thinking  like  a  Jedi,"  Anakin  pointed  out.  "He's

trustinghis feelings. Shouldn't we honor that? Besides, we don't  have

any other paths to follow at the moment."

Sometimes, Anakin reminded Obi-Wan of Qui-Gon. He had the same mix

of logic and emotion that Obi-Wan struggled so hard to balance.

"I trust my own feelings," Obi-Wan finally muttered. "Not Den's."

CHAPTER 16

Obi-Wan and Anakin had barely finished their morning meal when Den

came to Obi-Wan's quarters.

"I have a way to break into the text-doc files on the BioCruiser,"

Den announced.

"I thought you had given up being a criminal," Obi-Wan said.

Den shrugged. "I was bored.  It's been a long  time since I got  a

chance to flex my muscles." His eyes twinkled. "Don't you want to  see

Kern's background?"

"If the Senate finds  out that the Jedi  illegally broke into  the

BioCruiser's   confidential   records,   it   could   compromise   the

investigation," Obi-Wan said  with a  frown. "I  don't think--was  Den

flourished a  sheaf  of  durasheets.  "Too late!  I  printed  out  the

information for you."

"Great!" Anakin enthused. "Now we can start."

Den grinned. "I like your style, kid."

With a  sigh,  Obi-Wan took  the  durasheets. He  quickly  glanced

through the information, absorbing it. Then he handed it to Anakin.

"You see the problem?" Den asked Obi-Wan.

He nodded.

"I don't get it," Anakin said.  "Everything seems in order to  me.

He's got top-level  security clearance. From  the Senate, even.  Isn't

that hard to get?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said."Very hard. That's why there's a problem."

"Why would a  low-level tech worker  like Kern need  high-security

clearance from the Senate?" Den asked.

"It's odd, but it doesn't necessarily have significance,"  Obi-Wan

said. "It probably just means that he worked on sensitive material  at

one point. Everyone has a past."

Den collapsed in a  nearby chair. "If you're  going to think  that

everything I bring you is useless, we're not going to get anywhere."

"Relax, Den. I  didn't say  we wouldn't follow  up." Motioning  to

Anakin, Obi-Wan stood. "As a matter of fact, I'd like a more  complete

tour this morning. Do you think you can lead us to the tech center?"

Den indicated Kern with a nod as they entered the tech center.  He

was a good ten years older than Obi-Wan, with close-cropped light hair

and eyes set close together.

"This is our info-tech center," Den began. "As you might  imagine,

the readout panels are extensive. Every  single aspect of the ship  is

monitored, from damage control  to how our plants  are growing in  the

greenhouses."

"A complex operation," Obi-Wan observed. He gave Anakin a look. He

had already briefed his Padawan on what he should do.

While Den continued to talk and Obi-Wan murmured admiring comments

or questions,  Anakin  slipped  away. He  stood  examining  a  readout

console. When  he knew  Kern was  looking at  him, he  glanced up  and

caught his eye.

"I've never seen a board like this one," he said.

"It's a big  ship." Kern turned  away, bored by  the prospects  of

conversation with a young boy.

"Do the readout  monitors really capture  every single thing  that

could go wrong?" Anakin asked.

"Yes."

"Are there separate readouts for every engine part?"

"Yes."

"The thrust trace dampers, even?"  Anakin pitched his voice  high.

He had an ability to seem younger than he was.

"Yes," Kern said, exasperation coloring his voice. "Go away,  Jedi

kid, I'm busy."

"Let's say your  power core  overheats, but  there's no  emergency

readout on the converters, and  the hyperdrive conduits show a  steady

lightspeed. Would your readout take into account a faulty  hydrostatic

field connector?"

Kern swiveled in his chair. "You know a lot for a kid."

"Do you know the answer?" Anakin asked.

"I'd check the  readout for the  hydrostatic field connector,  but

first I'd investigate the drive turbine air intake," Kern said. "We've

got a couple  of sublight  engines of  the Dyne  class, and  sometimes

those flaps can get gunky if the fuel lines get clogged. Okay, kid?"

"Okay," Anakin said cheerfully.

He joined up with Obi-Wan and Den, who was concluding the tour. As

soon as they were outside, he repeated the conversation to Obi-Wan.

"I'm telling  you,  something's  up  with  this  guy,"  Den  said.

"Readout tech workers  are totally separate  from motor experts.  They

don't know about sublight engines.  They just send the information  to

the mechanics."

"He could have worked on engines before," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"But it doesn't say that in his text doc," Den shot back.

Obi-Wan frowned. "I know. Let's go back to my cabin."

It was at times like this that Obi-Wan missed Tahl. When he'd been

with Qui-Gon,  they could  always rely  on Tahl  to do  an  exhaustive

search, using all her  contacts. She inevitably  turned up clues  that

brought them to the next step. And she'd done it fast.

He didn't  know Tnani  Ikon,  the Jedi  Knight  now in  charge  of

computer searches at  theTemple. But  Obi-Wan called  him and  quickly

told him that they needed deep research on Kern, sending Tnani all the

text-doc information they already had.  He asked for priority, but  he

could never be sure  what other Jedi missions  were at stake.  Obi-Wan

cut the communication but did not put away his comlink.

"What is it?" Anakin asked.

"I have an  idea." Obi-Wan  contacted Tnani  again. "While  you're

doing the search,  can you also  investigate any Kerns  who have  died

within the last twenty years?"

The impassive Jedi  Knight did  not question Obi-Wan.  "I will  do

so."

Obi-Wan  cut   the  communication   again.  Den   looked  at   him

quizzically.

"What was that about? Sure, the  guy is ugly, but he doesn't  look

dead," Den said.

"I'm still thinking about  that high security clearance,"  Obi-Wan

said, tucking his comlink back into his utility belt. "I remember that

Qui-Gon told me that there are secret operatives called "no-names" who

are used  by  the Senate.  They  use fabricated  identities  that  are

retired when they die. Except Qui-Gon  knew of several cases where  if

someone had  enough  money  or  influence they  could  buy  a  retired

identity." Obi-Wan shrugged. "Maybe Kern is a purchased identity. It's

worth checking into."

"I knew I needed you!" Den said, clapping Obi-Wan on the back.

"But if  Kern  is a  bought  identity, that  means  that  somebody

powerful wanted him to infiltrate this ship," Anakin said. "Who  could

it be? And why?"

"That," Obi-Wan  said,  "just  might  turn  out  to  be  the  most

important question of all."

CHAPTER 17

Den had to return to his job--"They've got me raising  vegetables,

can you believe that?"--so  while he was waiting  for Tnani to  reply,

Obi-Wan suggested to  Anakin that  they strike  up conversations  with

some of the residents of the BioCruiser. They spoke to as many  beings

as they could--a librarian, a tech  worker, a teacher, a former  ruler

of her planet who was now  an administrator aboard ship. Each of  them

spoke glowingly of Uni and their  life aboard the BioCruiser. Each  of

them looked  at their  decision to  leave their  worlds as  a kind  of

salvation.

"What do you  think?" Obi-Wan  asked Anakin  as they  headed to  a

nearby café for themiddaymeal. "Do  they seem brainwashed to you?"  He

was always curious about Anakin's  perceptions. Often he was  startled

to discover  they  were  sharper  than  his  own.  Anakin  saw  things

intuitively, while Obi-Wan knew he had a tendency to overanalyze.

"Not brainwashed," Anakin said."Just sad, somehow."

"Sad?"

"Well, they gave up. That's always sad, isn't it? And leaving your

family and friends behind makes you  sad, too. They push it way  down.

But it's there. It's there in their dreams. Where else can it go?"

Intrigued, Obi-Wan mulled over Anakin's  words. He would not  have

phrased it that  way or  perhaps even  formed the  same thoughts,  but

Anakin had put his finger on what was bothering him.

The only trouble was, they couldn't bring a charge of "instituting

sadness" back to  the Senate.  They hadn't really  found any  evidence

against Uni.

A group of security officers suddenly wheeled around the corner in

lockstep. Obi-Wan watched them curiously  at first. Then his  instinct

kicked in. The officers were coming for the Jedi.

The officers were  armed with blasters  (still in their  holsters)

and electro-jabbers  (in their  hands). Anakin  had picked  up on  the

disturbance in the  Force a  beat later  than Obi-Wan.  He tensed  and

glanced at his Master, uncertain of what to do. Obi-Wan didn't want to

engage with security  aboard the  vessel. This  was to  be a  peaceful

investigation, nothing more.

The lead security officer brandished his electro-jabber. "You must

come with us."

"On whose authority?"Obi-Wan asked.

"Uni's. Now move."

The officer  raised his  electro-jabber and  moved toward  Anakin.

Obi-Wan saw  that he  meant to  use  it. Such  a blow  could  paralyze

Anakin's arm or leg for some time. The security officer didn't have  a

chance to blink. Obi-Wan's lightsaber was activated and moving  before

the electro-jabber had shifted even a few centimeters. The  lightsaber

neatly cleaved the  jabber in two.  The officer crashed  to his  knees

from the strength of the blow. He was unhurt, but dazed.

Immediately the other security officers sprang forward. Anakin had

already whirled away from the first officer and drawn his  lightsaber.

It was only a training lightsaber on loan from theTemple, but even its

low power was effective.

"No harm, only disarm," Obi-Wan had  a chance to murmur before  he

flipped backward to avoid a security officer who tried to come at  him

from his  left. Obi-Wan  turned, his  lightsaber a  blur of  heat  and

energy, and  turned the  electro-jabber  into a  smoking heap  on  the

floor.

Anakin's training lightsaber circled and whirled before an  upward

sweep sent the third officer's electro-jabber crashing to the floor in

two  molten  piles.  Obi-Wan  and  Anakin  sprang  forward  to  defend

themselves against  the  last  two officers,  who  stumbled  backward,

unnerved by the display of Jedi skill. One dropped his  electro-jabber

and  fumbled   for   his   blaster.  Obi-Wan   cleaved   the   other's

electro-jabber in two and turned the blade of the lightsaber close  to

the last officer's face.

"Do you really want to draw that weapon?" he asked.

The security officer's eyes wobbled. He licked his lips. "Not-no."

"We will come with you voluntarily," Obi-Wan said, looking at each

officer in turn. "Do you understand?"

The first  officer  stood.  "We  are well  trained,"  he  said  to

Obi-Wan. "We just never met Jedi before. If you'll follow us ..."

Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and  motioned for Anakin to  do

the same.

The security officers formed a  wary guard around them. The  first

officer marched toward the turbolift.

"What do you think this is about?" Anakin murmured.

"I have no  idea," Obi-Wan answered.  "Either we've violated  some

rule, or Uni has decided he's had enough investigation."

They proceeded  to  the upper  level  and were  marched  to  Uni's

quarters. The doors slid open. The security officers lined up  against

the back wall. Vox and  Uni stood in the  middle of the room,  waiting

for them. Obi-Wan could see that Vox was trembling with rage.

"As always, we see that we  cannot trust the Jedi," Vox spat  out.

"We invited  you to  share our  home, and  you have  betrayed us.  Our

confidential files have been broken into!"

Den, Obi-Wan thought  in despair. He  should have remembered  that

Den hadn't been the most accomplished thief, even when it had been his

profession.

"You are accusing us?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Of course I am accusing you!" Vox almost screamed.

"We did not break into your files," Obi-Wan said honestly.

"Can you tell me you were  not involved?" Vox sneered. He waved  a

hand."Never mind.  My son  and I  know firsthand  how the  Jedi  order

twists the truth--"

"We don't!" Anakin burst out. "Jedi don't lie."

Vox gave Anakin a contemptuous glance. "What do you know, boy? Has

your Master told you how he killed another Jedi student and then  lied

about it? Ah, I thought not."

"That's not true," Anakin shot back.

"The past is not at issue here,"  Uni said, placing a hand on  his

father's arm. "We  are speaking of  right now. You  have violated  our

trust, Obi-Wan Kenobi.  We demand  that you summon  your transport  to

collect you. Until then, you are confined to your quarters." Uni spoke

more calmly than his  father, but Obi-Wan could  see the hard fury  in

his eyes. He picked up a sense  of triumph as well, as though Uni  had

been waiting for  Obi-Wan to misstep.  He was exhilarated  to have  an

excuse to  toss the  Jedi off  his ship.  Things were  still  personal

between them.

"I am here on the Senate's  behalf," Obi-Wan tried. "If you  order

us  to  leave   before  our  investigation   is  complete,  a   fuller

investigation will follow. The  Senate will not  take kindly to  this,

especially since you have no evidence that we were involved."

A flicker of worry passed over Uni's face, but Vox waved his  hand

as if flapping away a pesky  insect. "We are not worried about  that,"

Vox said. "The Senate does not frighten us."

"Contact your return transport  right now," Uni  said. "We do  not

allow outsiders to dock  on our ship, but  we will make an  exception.

Then we must confiscate your comlink."

Obi-Wan considered  his options.  They could  resist. Escape  from

this room would be  easy. He was  not threatened in  the least by  the

security officers in the  room, although no doubt  Uni and Vox  gained

comfort from their presence.

But where would they  go? They could hide  on the ship. Den  would

help them.  But  what would  that  accomplish?  He had  not  seen  any

evidence that beings aboard the BioCruiser were mistreated. There  was

no compelling reason for him to defy Uni and Vox at this point.

The veiled triumph  in Uni's  gaze now  blazed into  life. He  had

Obi-Wan cornered, and he knew it.

Obi-Wan reached for his  comlink and activated  it. He punched  in

Garen's frequency.

"We are done here," he said. "We need a pickup." He gave Garen the

coordinates that Uni handed him.

"That was fast. You're lucky. I'm nearby, in the Tentrix system. I

can be there in an hour," Garen replied.

They cut the  communication. Uni nodded  in satisfaction and  held

out his  hand. Obi-Wan  put his  comlink into  it. He  then turned  to

Anakin. After a nod from Obi-Wan,  Anakin placed his comlink in  Uni's

hand.

"These will be returned to you before your departure," Uni said.

"Unlike you, we are not thieves," Vox sneered.

"The security officers will escort you back to your quarters," Uni

said. "I will not be seeing you again, Obi-Wan Kenobi." For the  first

time, he smiled. "I must admit I am glad of it."

CHAPTER 18

Obi-Wan requested that Anakin be allowed to remain with him in his

quarters. After a  second of  hesitation, the  first security  officer

agreed. The door hissed shut, and they were alone.

"Do we really have to leave?" Anakin asked.

"We have  an hour,"  Obi-Wan  said. "We  should  be able  to  find

something out in that time. I wish Uni hadn't asked for our  comlinks.

We need to hear from Tnani about the background check on Kern."

"But what can we do locked in here?" Anakin asked.

"They didn't take our lightsabers," Obi-Wan pointed out. "I  think

they knew we would not give them up voluntarily. We can get out if  we

have to. But I don't think we'll need to cut our way out."

Anakin grinned."Den?"

Obi-Wan nodded.  "I'm sure  he'll be  along. Now,  what were  your

conclusions about the meeting?"

Anakin sat  on a  chair and  focused his  concentration. "Vox  was

afraid," he said at last.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Good."

"It is hard to separate fear  from anger," Anakin went on  slowly.

"Yet I sensed the fear propelling the anger."

"We don't  know  if he  can  pinpoint  that we  were  looking  for

information on Kern,"  Obi-Wan said. "I  have to assume  that Den  was

smart enough to cover his  tracks in that area.  But he knows we  were

searching the text-doc files. That was  enough to unnerve him. It's  a

good sign. Den was right. Something is wrong here. Anything else?"

"The point where he should  have been nervous, he wasn't,"  Anakin

said. "Most beings  in his  situation would worry  about the  Senate's

reaction to kicking  two Jedi  off the ship.  After all,  they had  no

evidence we were involved in  the text-doc theft. Uni looked  worried.

But that seemed the least of Vox's concerns."

"Very good, Padawan," Obi-Wan congratulated him. "I could not  ask

for a more perceptive reading of the situation."

Anakin gave him a sidelong look. "If I am so perceptive, why don't

you trust me?"

Surprised at the blunt question, Obi-Wan sat opposite from Anakin.

Memory flooded  back.  Qui-Gon had  kept  things from  him,  too.  Now

Obi-Wan understood his  Master's caution. But  he also remembered  how

Qui-Gon's decision to share his past had deepened their connection. It

was what he wanted for himself and Anakin.

It was time to tell his Padawan about Bruck.

He took his time,  explaining theTemplesabotage, his history  with

Bruck, and the agony of seeing a boy he'd known die. He explained  the

hearing but did not tell Anakin of  the guilt he felt. Anakin did  not

have to know every detail.

Anakin shook his head in disbelief when Obi-Wan had finished. "How

could they suspect you?"

Obi-Wan's gaze grew cloudy. "Bruck  and I had never gotten  along.

After his death I wondered  if I had been the  best Jedi I could  have

been. Instead of meeting his anger with my own, could I have  absorbed

it without complaint? Could I have  tried to understand the source  of

it? Would that have changed the course of Bruck's life?"

Obi-Wan's gaze cleared,  and he  looked at Anakin  with his  usual

keenness. "You see why the Jedi Masters at theTempleoften speak to you

of anger and fear, Anakin. They have seen what it can do. So have I."

"I have, too," Anakin volunteered.  "I was a slave, remember,  and

the son of  a slave? I  was not brought  up in theTemplesurrounded  by

fountains and peace and gentleness. I think I know better than  anyone

what fear and anger can do." Anakin's voice was suddenly harsh.

Obi-Wan paused, letting the tone  remain in the air between  them.

"I have not forgotten that, Anakin," he said quietly."Nor should  you.

It is part of what  shapes you. But if  that memory always brings  you

back to your anger, you must find a way to think of it differently."

A soft knock  came at  the door. "Are  you in  there?" Den  called

softly.

Obi-Wan quickly crossed to  the door. "We've  been locked in.  Can

you get us out?"

Den chuckled. "Does a dinko bite? Does a howl runner howl? Does  a

nightcrawler--"

"All right, Den,"  Obi-Wan said  through the door.  "But first  we

need a comlink. I have to contact theTemple."

"No problem," Den murmured.  "I'll be back  before you notice  I'm

gone. Don't go anywhere."

They heard his footsteps recede.

"Let's get back to Vox Chun," Obi-Wan said. "If we both picked  up

that it was odd he wasn't nervous about the Senate reaction, we should

wonder why."

"I don't know," Anakin confessed.

"There are two possible answers," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "One,

that Vox has a powerful  ally in the Senate  who will smooth over  any

difficulties  for   the  BioCruiser.   Or   two--and  this   is   more

disturbing--that Vox is allied with an organization that is even  more

powerful than the Senate." Obi-Wan stood up and began to wander around

the  room.   "The  galaxy   has  changed.   It's  full   of   criminal

organizations. Some of them are  enormously powerful. With the  Senate

mired in debate, there is little they have done to control this.  Even

Chancellor Palpatine is powerless to stop their growth."

"If  the  second  guess  is  true,  do  you  think  this  powerful

organization is interested in the BioCruiser?" Anakin asked.

"Well, it  does  have  a  large  treasury,"  Obi-Wan  mused.  "But

attacking a ship  this large  has logistical  problems. They  wouldn't

want to destroy  the ship--they'd  lose the treasury.  There could  be

another reason, something else we don't know yet."

They heard a series of  beeps at the door,  and it slid open.  Den

jumped inside quickly and the door  hissed shut behind him. He  tossed

Obi-Wan a comlink.

"You see? I can always get you out of trouble," he beamed.

"You got  us into  trouble,"  Obi-Wan pointed  out. "Vox  and  Uni

figured out that someone had broken into the text-doc files."

"Kill me now!" Densaid,  his hand over his  heart. "I did my  very

best. Nobody's perfect."

Obi-Wan signaled Tnani at theTemple. A moment later his voice came

through. "Obi-Wan, I have been trying to signal you. Someone  answered

but they did not use the coded frequency."

"My comlink  was confiscated,"  Obi-Wan  explained. "What  do  you

have?"

"The text-doc for Kern checks out  on all the normal channels  for

deep background," Tnani said. "But  a little further digging tells  me

that Kern is actually  a fabricated identity.  This being called  Kern

died eight  years  ago.  Here  is  the  odd  thing--he  was  a  Senate

operative."

"A no-name," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes, that is the term. Those  names are retired, but someone  has

resurrected this one."

"Thank you, Tnani." Obi-Wan turned to  the others. "If Kern is  in

league with Vox, they must be planning something. And if they  suspect

that  we  are  close  to  exposingthem,  that  might  step  up   their

timetable."

"Right now there is  a General Meeting taking  place in the  great

hall two levels down," Den told them. "Everyone is required to attend,

except for skeleton staff. Vox's quarters  are empty." He held up  the

small device he had used to circumvent the door's security system.  "I

can break in."

Anakin jumped up. "What are we waiting for?"

They met no one  as they hurried to  Vox's quarters. It only  took

Den three seconds to break into  the room. Vox had plush,  comfortable

quarters twice the size  of Uni's. Obi-Wan,  Anakin, and Den  searched

the  room  and  went  through  Vox's  holofiles.  They  found  nothing

suspicious.

"Well, of course he wouldn't  leave anything incriminating out  in

the open," Den  said, his gaze  roaming the room.  "Let's see.  Beings

usually  hide  things  according  to  their  natures.  Vox  is   vain,

lazy--never seen  him  volunteer to  help  a soul  on  this  ship--and

frail."  Den  crossed  to  Vox's  sleep-couch  and  lay  down  on   it

experimentally. "You see? Everything is right here, so he doesn't have

to get up.  Comlink, monitor, light,  mirror--I told you  he was  vain

..." Den flipped over  in order to examine  the buttons on a  console.

"Why are there so many buttons on this thing?"

Den pressed a button,  and the closet  doors opened. Another,  and

the light over the  washbasin came on. He  pressed buttons and  levers

and dials, activating various doors and lighting controls. He  pressed

one button and loud music suddenly blared. Anakin covered his ears.

"Glad to see  you're keeping  this low  profile," Obi-Wan  shouted

over the music as Den fell off  the sleep-couch in an attempt to  turn

the music off.

The music ended abruptly. The  silence was complete. Den  remained

on the floor.

"Den?"

"Well, kill  me  now. What's  this?  Another control  panel."  Den

reached out an arm  and pressed a  button just below  the slat of  the

sleep-couch, where someone lying down could easily reach it. The thick

railing of the sleep-couch support slid out, knocking Den in the head.

It revealed a secret  drawer cleverly concealed in  the bottom of  the

sleep-couch.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing his forehead.

Obi-Wan hurried forward. "What is it?"

Den craned his neck to see into the compartment. He let out a  low

whistle. "Somebody's  not turning  over  his own  wealth to  the  ship

treasury, that's for  sure," he  said. "Look at  all this  crystalline

vertex. Tradable throughout the galaxy." Den held up his cupped hands,

displaying the currency.  "Can you imagine  his face if  he found  all

this gone?" Den made an approximation  of Vox's long, thin face,  then

added an expression of horror.

"Put it back," Obi-Wan told him sternly.

"Joke, right?"Den asked hopefully.

"May I remind  you that  you're a former  thief?" Obi-Wan  pointed

out.

Den sighed and let  the vertex run through  his fingers back  into

the drawer.  "Let's  try the  next  button.  This time  I'll  keep  my

distance." Den jumped up on the  sleep-couch for safety this time.  He

pressed the next button, and another concealed compartment slid out.

Obi-Wan hurried forward. "There's  a holoprojector here, too.  Now

we're  getting  somewhere."  Obi-Wan  quickly  activated  the  device,

accessing the file directory.

"Let's see," Obi-Wan murmured. "Here's  an itinerary of stops  the

BioCruiser will make over the next six months."

"That's odd,"  Den said.  "I didn't  think stops  were planned  in

advance. We just cruise until we have a problem, then find the nearest

planet. Or at least we're supposed to think so."

"Here's an evacuation  plan for  the ship."  Obi-Wan accessed  the

file. "It looks prettyroutine . But why would Vox be so interested  in

safety procedures?"

"Beats me. I was on the original committee that drafted the  plan.

He never came to the meetings. What's that?" Den pointed to an icon at

the bottom of the plan. Obi-Wan  touched it, and another file  opened.

It was titled "Broken Circle," but it was blank.

"This could be coded,"  Den said. "Holofiles  can appear blank  if

you don't know the password. Not to  worry, my friends. I never met  a

code I couldn't crack. I just need a little time." He looked over at a

chrono on Vox's table. "We'd better get back. The meeting is over. But

let's take this before we go." Den reached down and swept up the  tiny

holoprojector unit. He stuffed it inside his shirt.

"But Vox will notice that it's missing," Anakin said.

"So what?"Den grinned.  "By the time  he figures it  out, you  two

will be halfway to Coruscant."

They had  started toward  the door  when Obi-Wan  noticed a  light

flashing on Vox's main control panel. "What's that?"

Den went forward to  examine it. "There's  a ship approaching  the

docking bay. Could it be your pickup?"

"If it is, we'd better get back to our quarters," Anakin said  ...

just as they heard footsteps outside the door.

CHAPTER 19

Obi-Wan signaled  them  to retreat  toward  the closet.  He  would

rather avoid  confrontation.  It  was imperative  that  they  get  the

holoprojector out so that Den could break the code of that file.  They

squeezed inside Vox's huge  closet, pressed up  against his many  fine

tunics and robes. Obi-Wan left the door open a tiny crack.

Vox entered the room. He  immediately crossed to his  sleep-couch.

He accessed the  hidden drawer  with the  crystalline vertex.  Obi-Wan

heard Den  let out  a  muffled groan  as Vox  scooped  it out  into  a

drawstring pouch. Vox  tucked the  pouch inside his  tunic. He  looked

around the  room for  a moment,  his eyes  taking in  the  comfortable

quarters. Then he hurried out, the door closing behind him.

They eased out of the closet.

"If he's takingall his vertex, something's up," Den said.

"Can you get  us to the  docking bay to  meet Garen without  being

seen?" Obi-Wan asked. "Another Jedi might come in handy."

"Does a nightcrawler crawl?" Den grinned.

Den knew the unused corridors of the ship, where food and supplies

were moved from one area  to another. He was able  to get them to  the

docking bay without being seen. They lingered near the outflow  pipes.

Garen's sleek starship  had landed, and  he was checking  in with  the

BioCruiser's technicians.

"If they don't know we're missing, they will soon," Obi-Wan  said.

"We have to get Garen's attention."

Anakin focused inward. He drew in the Force from all the  elements

around him. He motioned to Garen and  saw the tall young man look  up.

His gaze roamed around the docking bay and then focused on where  they

were hiding.

"He knows we're here," Anakin said.

Den gazed at  him, baffled. "How  did you do  that?" He shook  his

head. "Is it really too late for me to become a Jedi? I could use some

of those skills. Not to mention those lightsabers."

"Yes, it's too late," Obi-Wansaid, his eyes on Garen.

Garen was now talking in a  friendly way with the BioCruiser  tech

worker, gesturing around the giant  hangar. Obi-Wan knew that his  old

friend was  complimenting the  ship and  the design.  The tech  worker

nodded, gesturing  at  the  space,  and walked  off.  Garen  began  to

casually stroll around the hangar, seeming to admire its design.

He came closer and lingered near them. "What's up?"

Obi-Wan spoke in a low voice. "Things have changed. We need you to

sneak away and come with us."

"Be happy to." Garen glanced around at the tech workers. They were

busy at the console, so  he quickly melted back  in the shadow of  the

outflow pipes.

Obi-Wan quickly explained the  situation. "We need to  investigate

what Vox Chun  is doing before  we leave the  ship," he concluded.  "I

have a feeling the people aboard the BioCruiser could be in danger."

Gravely, Garen nodded.

"I've got a place where we can  hole up until I break this  code,"

Den told them. "It's not far."

They sneaked  back the  way they  had come.  As they  reached  the

utility corridor they had used to enter, suddenly Den sprang back  and

motioned to them to do the same. "It's Kern," he whispered. "Why is he

heading to the docking bay?"

They pressed back into the  shadows of the columns supporting  the

bay. Kern passed them, looking harried.

Garen frowned. "Who is that?"

"We think he might be in  league with Vox," Obi-Wan told him.  "We

don't have proof yet."

Garen nodded,  but his  expression still  seemed  absentminded."He

looks... familiar."

"Come on," Den urged.

Den led them through a maze of utility corridors to the greenhouse

where he raised  the native flowers  and vegetables of  Telos. At  the

sight of blooming purple flowers,  Obi-Wan suddenly remembered a  ride

on a speeder over the fields and mountains of the Telosian wilderness,

so many years  ago. They had  fought so  hard to save  Telos. Yet  its

natural beauties  had ended  up destroyed.  Offworld had  started  the

process, under the name of the company UniFy. Other powerful interests

had taken up where Offworld had left off. ...

Remembrance flooded  Obi-Wan. "Broken  Circle,"  he said  to  Den.

"What happened to Offworld after it was kicked off Telos?"

"I suppose they  went on to  ravage the rest  of the galaxy,"  Den

said. "They reorganized  under a  different name, I  heard. They  were

never allowed to operate on Telos again."

"Xanatos had  a scar  on his  cheek," Obi-Wan  said. "He  made  it

himself by pressing  his father's  molten ring against  his skin.  The

ring had been broken by Qui-Gon's lightsaber. It was a broken circle."

"Do you thinkBroken Circleis Offworld?" Garen asked.

"It makes sense," Obi-Wan said.  "Vox was secretly in league  with

Xanatos and Offworld. What if he never broke those ties? And  Offworld

was used to setting up other companies to conceal their involvement."

"So Vox  could have  never  stopped working  for them!"  Den  said

excitedly. "Let me tackle that coded file."

Quickly,  Den  set  up  the   holoprojector.  He  used  the   code

"Offworld," and nothing happened.

"Try UniFy," Obi-Wan suggested.

Den typed out the word. "We're  in," he said in satisfaction.  The

others pressed forward to read the file.

"We're right," Obi-Wan said.  "These are the  records of a  mining

corporation."

Anakin's face  fell.  "But  this  is  just  a  list  of  planetary

operations. That doesn't help us much."

Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Den. "Unless ..."

Den  nodded  grimly.  He  called  up  the  file  that  listed  the

BioCruiser's scheduled stops.

"Each of the stops  the BioCruiser has made  has been to a  planet

targeted by Offworld  for development,"  Obi-Wan noted.  "Vox Chun  is

always in the landing party."

"And up to no good, I'm sure. Bribes or intimidation, who  knows,"

Den said. "And look how successful  he's been. BioCruiser shows up  at

aplanet, and a few weeks later they allow Offworld development. It's a

beautiful system. Kern is  in the readout room.  He triggers the  need

for fuel or repairs. It's not done often enough to cause suspicion. We

orbit the planet, and  Vox goes down to  do Offworld's dirty work.  No

wonder his  secret  drawer  was filled  with  crystalline  vertex.  He

probably uses it for bribes."

"Do you think Uni knows?" Anakin asked.

"No way to tell," Den said. "I  don't think so, though. I may  not

agree with Uni, but I don't think he's a crook like his father."

"I don't either," Obi-Wan agreed.

"But why was Kern heading to  the docking bay now?" Den  wondered.

"Is he planning to leave the ship?"

Obi-Wan leaned forward again and studied the list of planets where

Offworld had mining operations. "What system are we near now,  Garen?"

he asked.

"Tentrix," Garen answered. "It'sa few hours away."

"That must be  TRX. It's  the only system  that's coded."  Obi-Wan

accessed the  name, and  a new  file appeared.  Once again,  they  all

leaned forward to study it.

After a  moment, Den  let out  a long  breath. "Kill  me now,"  he

breathed. "I can't believe this. Let me look at those evacuation plans

again."

Den activated  the  evacuation  file.  He  carefully  studied  the

blueprints for long minutes.

"This is different from the official plan," he said finally.  "The

official plan calls  for an  escalating series of  emergency codes  so

that we don't panic anyone. We would need organization and control  to

offload so many beings.  This plan calls for  an immediate Code  Five.

That means the vessel  is breaking up, and  evacuation has to  proceed

immediately. And the code is instituted in the tech readout  room--not

the bridge."

"Kern," Anakin said.

"It's  clever,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "A   false  Code  Five  will   be

instituted. A fake distress signal will  be sent. And who will  answer

it?"

"Offworld ships," Garen said grimly.

"According  to  theBroken  Circleplan,  all  the  beings  will  be

evacuated," Obi-Wan continued. "Offworld droids will board the  vessel

and remain  -- only  they won't  be helping  with the  rescue  effort,

they'll be  stealing the  treasury.  Then Offworld  will blow  up  the

BioCruiser. None of  Uni's followers  will realize that  the ship  was

blown up intentionally.  Offworld will  look heroic, and  no one  will

know it stole the entire treasury."

"How will Offworld blow up the ship?" Anakin asked.

"It must be already set to  blow," Densaid, his face white.  "It's

already been sabotaged."

"We did  find  out that  Kern  knows  his way  around  a  starship

engine," Anakin said.

"Kern!"Garen burst out. "I  know where I've  seen him before.  His

name was Tarrence Chenati. He  sabotaged the Jedi starfighters  twelve

years ago. He disappeared without a trace."

"And was given a new  identity," Obi-Wan said. "Strange that  both

times Vox has been around, isn't it?"

"Do you think  he was  behind the sabotage  of the  starfighters?"

Garenasked, his face grim.

"It's a big coincidence if  he wasn't," Obi-Wan pointed out.  "Vox

wanted to  discredit  the Jedi  and  distract us--"  Hefrowned.  "That

reminds me of something  Qui-Gon told me  when Xanatos was  sabotaging

theTemple.  The   keys  to   destroying  something   are   disruption,

demoralization, and distraction."  He exchanged a  glance with  Garen.

"Vox wanted to win in that  hearing. He certainly managed to  distract

and disrupt us. I think  we solved the mystery  of who was behind  the

sabotage of your starfighters."

"Can we get back to the present?" Den asked. "Uh, I hate to remind

you, but the ship might blow up."

"We must go to see Kad now," Obi-Wan said. "He needs to hear  this

information. Den, you try to find Kern."

"Do you think Kad will  listen?" Anakin asked doubtfully.  "You're

his worst enemy."

"It doesn't matter," Obi-Wan said. "We have to try."

CHAPTER 20

Kad's face was pale. He was so furious he could barely form words.

"How dare you accuse my father of this?"

"We have the  holographic files," Obi-Wan  said. "And your  father

has a pouch full of vertex. If you would only look ..."

Vox Chun sat  impassively during the  Jedi's denunciation. Now  he

rose and pointed a shaking finger at them."Liars and thieves!  Nothing

has changed, my son."

"Are you  so bent  on  destroying my  family?" Kad  asked  Obi-Wan

hoarsely. "Do you hate us so much?"

"It is not hate that brings me here," Obi-Wan said earnestly.  "It

is justice,  and the  safety  of those  you  have brought  aboard  the

BioCruiser. At any moment, Offworld ships will be surrounding us."

"I assume this is your pilot,"  Kad said, indicating Garen. "I  am

ordering you to leave my vessel. You have intruded on my peace for the

last time.  Go!" He  shouted the  last word,  his pale  face  suddenly

suffused with red.

Just then the  announcement system  on Kad's  console crackled  to

life. "Attention, attention,"  a voice  said. "Ships  are ringing  our

vessel, claiming they received  a distress call.  We cannot trace  the

call. Pleaseadvise ."

Kad moved his  head in increments,  as though it  was painful  for

him. At last he locked gazes with his father.

"You have done this?" he croaked.

Vox did not answer.

"Answer me!" His voice was suddenly full of strength.

Vox took a step toward his son.  "You can come with me. They  will

take care of both of us, they promised-"

"No!" Kad covered his ears like a child for a moment, then dropped

his hands. "You've betrayed me, you've betrayed my cause-"

"Your cause," Vox corrected angrily. "Did  I have a choice in  the

matter? I am an old man."

"Obviously, you have made sure  that your own nest is  feathered,"

Kad said scornfully. "Didn't  I give you  everything you desired?  The

finest quarters on the  ship, the ability to  visit other worlds?  You

had a  good life  here.  You did  not need  money.  Is your  greed  so

ravenous?"

"It is not  money I  want," Vox  answered, drawing  his fine  cape

around him. "It is power. You are  right about only one thing in  this

philosophy of yours,  my son.  The galaxy is  changing. Corruption  is

everywhere. And I will not be  left behind! You have never  understood

that to be ruthless is to win. I have powerful friends, I always have.

Yes, I would  stop at nothing  to get  what I want.  I wanted  justice

twelve years ago. So  did you. If  I arranged to  sabotage a few  Jedi

starfighters, what of it?"

Kad straightened his shoulders and fixed his father with a  steely

gaze. "This  ends now.  I  will inform  the  Offworld ships  that  the

BioCruiser is not in danger. Then you may choose a planet, and I  will

transport you there. I will never see you again."

Vox appeared shaken by his son's cold tone. "I see I must  agree."

He strode from the room without a backward glance.

Kad turned away  from the Jedi  for a moment  to composehimself  .

When he turned back, his eyes were clear.

"I had no idea," he said.

"We know that," Obi-Wan told him.

Suddenly, the ship was rocked by  an explosion. Kad was thrown  to

the floor.  Obi-Wan and  Garen planted  their feet  and rode  out  the

blast. Anakin staggered.

The comlink  Den had  given him  signaled. Obi-Wan  activated  it.

Den's agitated voice boomed out.

"Kern has sabotaged the ship! It's breaking apart!"

CHAPTER 21

Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Garen raced to the docking bay. Kad tried  to

keep up, but  lagged behind. When  the Jedi reached  the docking  bay,

they saw Den desperately trying to detain both Kern and Vox, who  were

attempting to access the escape pod.  Kern had his blaster drawn.  Den

was unarmed, and had grabbed  a hydrospanner for defense. The  attempt

was foolish and brave.

Obi-Wan reached out to the Force. He held out a hand and a pile of

equipment barrels  shot out  from a  stack and  tumbled to  the  floor

between Kern and  the pod  airlock doors.  That should  also give  Den

cover.

Vox grabbed at Kern's  arm. "You stole  the treasury! That  wasn't

the plan! What is Offworld going to do with me?"

Kern shook him off and tried to aim at Den. "Get away from me, old

man!" He caught sight of the  Jedi and turned the blaster fire  toward

them.

Garen  and  Obi-Wan  deflected  the   fire  as  they  ran,   their

lightsabers swinging  and  circling  in a  blazing  trail.  Frail  Vox

summoned up a burst of strength  and dodged around the barrels  toward

the pod. He accessed the doors and jumped inside the pod.

Kern leaped over the barrels  clumsily, keeping up a furious  rain

of fire at the  Jedi. Obi-Wan jumped forward,  accessing the Force  to

cross a great distance. He landed on the opposite side of Den. With  a

casual gesture, Kern turned for a  split second, shot Vox, then  threw

him out of the pod. A wounded Vox hit the ground.

"Father!"Kad screamed. He had arrived  at the landing bay and  now

began to rush forward.

Kern aimed his blaster  at Kad as he  dove backward into the  pod.

Anakin sprang  forward  to deflect  fire  as Obi-Wan  lunged  for  the

closing escape pod doors. He was too late. Kern jumped inside, and the

escape pod blasted off. Kad raced to his father's side and fell to his

knees. Garen checked Vox's vital signs and shook his head at  Obi-Wan.

Vox was dying.

The ship reeled  from another  blast. Tech workers  began to  rush

into the  landing bay,  trying  to ready  escape  ships. Kad  did  not

notice. He gathered up his dying father in his arms.

Vox's lips were  white. "Forgive  me, son." Tears  fell like  soft

rain from Kad's cheeks onto his father's uplifted face. He wiped  them

away from his father's face with great gentleness.

"Yes, Father," he said. "I forgive you." Vox barely managed a nod.

Then, his gaze still on his son, he died.

Kad bowed his head over his father. Obi-Wan motioned to the others

to step back.

"We have to get  everyone off the ship,"  he said. "I've no  doubt

that if Kern really double-crossed  Vox and stole thetreasury, he  has

rigged the ship to explode."

Just then Andra burst  in, running toward them  at full tilt.  Her

eyes took in  the scene  of Kad  cradling his  father's body.  Another

explosion sent the ship trembling.

"What's happening?" sheasked, her gaze wide and fearful.

"We must evacuate  the ship,"  Den told her.  "Kern has  sabotaged

it."

"We are also  under attack,"  Andra told them.  "Those ships  that

arrived due  to a  false distress  call are  now shooting  at us.  The

defensive shield has been sabotaged."

Anakin stepped forward. "We need to fight them from the air."

Obi-Wan knew  his Padawan  was  right. He  also knew  that  Anakin

wanted to be a part of that fight. His need to protect Anakin and  the

knowledge of Anakin's extraordinary skills  as a pilot battled  inside

him. Anakin kept his gaze on Obi-Wan. There was no pleading in it.  It

was the steady gaze of a Jedi, not a boy.

Obi-Wan turned to Andra. "Do you have a fast attack ship?"

She nodded. "We are peaceful, not stupid."

"Anakin will pilot it."

"I'll use my starship," Garen said. "Come on, Anakin."

"I'll organize the evacuation with  Andra," Den said. "There's  no

time to lose."

Kad rose from the floor. "I'm needed on the bridge. We'll have  to

find the closest port."

Kad's comlinksignaled, and a panicked voice boomed out. "An attack

droid team has boarded the ship! They're-"

A burst of blaster  fire sounded over the  comlink, and the  voice

was cut off.

CHAPTER 22

"I'll handle the droids," Obi-Wan  said. He tucked his  lightsaber

back into his belt and took off.

He raced down the  corridors of the lurching  ship. While he  ran,

his mind  clicked over  the facts  that he  knew, searching  for  what

didn't fit. He  had learned  from Qui-Gon that  even in  the midst  of

battle, he must not stop thinking.

Vox had accused Kern  of stealing the  treasury. If Offworld  knew

that Kern would steal the treasury before leaving the ship, why  would

they send droids to  board it? The only  answer was that Offworld  did

not know that the treasury was missing. Either Kern had double-crossed

Offworld, or he had  been a double agent  and had never really  worked

for them at all.

That was  a concern  for another  time. Obi-Wan  guessed that  the

droids were  following the  original  plan and  heading for  the  tech

readout controls, and then for the treasury. He hoped he was right. He

raced into the tech readout room.  Two tech workers lay on the  floor,

stunned from  blaster  bolts. One  remaining  worker had  taken  cover

behind a console. The droids marched  forward, keeping up a stream  of

blaster bolts from their chests and hands.

Obi-Wanwas on  them in  a flash.  His lightsaber  was in  constant

motion. With attack droids,  he did not have  to worry about the  fine

points of strategy.  They did not  have the split-second  timing of  a

living being. They were relentless, and their firepower was rapid  and

fierce.

Obi-Wan could have relied  on someone to cover  his flank, but  he

took the natural defense of the  pillars and consoles of the room  for

cover. He  used  long  strokes  to  down two  droids  at  a  time.  He

somersaulted through  the air,  too  fast for  a  droid to  track.  He

slashed through the head of one droid and wiped out the front  control

panel of another. He turned and kicked, sending one droid flying,  but

another had sneaked up on his flank. Blaster fire burned his arm,  but

he kept moving, slicing the  droid in two. He  was hit, but he  didn't

know how  badly.  His left  arm  was  on fire,  and  useless.  Obi-Wan

switched his attack  to ground level,  bending and then  using a  fast

combination of upward strokes to vanquish the rest of the droids.

He stopped at  last. Sweat  rolled down  his face  and soaked  his

tunic. The floor  was littered  with droids.  He felt  dizzy from  his

wound.

The tech worker who had taken shelter behind a console popped  up.

Obi-Wan recognized him as a Pho Ph'eahian by his four arms and  matted

blue fur. "You've been hit."

Obi-Wan winced as he looked at the wound. "It's not bad."

"We have a  med kit  here. Hang on."  The tech  worker hurried  to

bring the kit to Obi-Wan. "I  have some medic training, don't  worry."

Using his four arms, he unwound a bandage at the same time he  cleaned

the wound, shook  bacta on  it, offered Obi-Wan  a sip  of water,  and

bandaged his arm.

"You should get to the loading bays," Obi-Wan told him when he had

finished. "The ship is being evacuated."

"Where is Uni?" the worker asked.

"On the bridge. He  won't leave the ship  until everyone is  safe.

And he's hoping to get to a port to save the ship."

"Then I'll stay. He'll need someone in the readout room to monitor

the equipment."

Obi-Wan nodded at him, admiring his courage. "What is your name?"

"Rhe Pabs."

"Thank you, Rhe Pabs.  I'm heading for the  bridge now. I'll  tell

Uni that you'll remain."

Rhe Pabs nodded. The ship  suddenly shook from another blast,  and

Obi-Wan staggered, his arm slamming against the console. He stifled  a

cry of surprised pain.

"You should see a real medic," Rhe Pabs said.

"And you should  evacuate," Obi-Wan said.  They exchanged a  grin,

and Obi-Wan raced out the door. The corridor was now crowded with  the

inhabitants of  the BioCruiser.  Some were  carrying belongings,  some

were panicked, some were just bewildered. Over the speaker system,  he

could hear Andra's calm voice.

"Panic will delay us. Watch out for your neighbor. Proceed to  the

loading bays. We have room for all. Safety is our first concern.  Help

your neighbor."

Obi-Wan dashed through the crowd, heading for the bridge. When  he

burst in, Kad was sitting at the main controls.

"Do you know how to fly this?" Obi-Wan asked him.

"Yes." Kad's  face was  taut. "I  sent the  others to  the  escape

liners. I will not leave the ship."

"The tech readout room is  still operational. Rhe Pabs has  agreed

to remain."

"Good." Kad's  eyes  searched  the skies  outside  the  wraparound

cockpit window.  "Your Jedi  are doing  well. Two  Offworld ships  are

down."

Obi-Wan saw Anakin's starfighter zooming  in and taking aim at  an

Offworld battleship whose  guns were  blazing at  the BioCruiser.  The

BioCruiser staggered from an explosion. Anakin dived, proton torpedoes

firing. Another Offworld ship suddenly  peeled off from its attack  on

the BioCruiser and swiveled its gunports toward Anakin's ship.

"I hope your Jedi has eyes in the back of his head," Kad murmured.

Obi-Wan hoped so, too.

In many ways, Anakin felt most comfortable alone in the pilot seat

of a starship. There was just him  and the ship and the infinite  ways

he could maneuver. Although it was recognized at theJediTemplethat  he

had gifts as a pilot, he did not get much of a chance to fly. That was

why he was so frustrated to learn that if only he could turn  backtime

, he  could have  been one  of  Clee Rhara's  pilots in  the  training

program.

He knew the Offworld ship was behind him. He did not have to look.

But he did not take  evasive action. Not yet.  He knew the ship  would

wait until he was  out of range of  the attacking Offworld ship.  They

would not  want the  wreckage  of Anakin's  ship  to spiral  into  its

neighbor.

At the very  last second, he  pushed the ship,  screaming, to  the

right, then climbed straight  up, flipped over,  and came upside  down

toward the ship at his rear.

"Didn't expect that, did you?" he  shouted as he fired his  proton

torpedoes. The Offworld ship disintegrated  into a shower of fire  and

light. Anakin felt his  blood rise with the  sight. He knew he  should

not feel triumph, but  he did. He  was outgunned by  the power of  the

Offworld ships, but he would never be outmaneuvered.

Garen's voice came over the comm unit. "Two ships heading for  the

escape liners. I'll take the one on the left."

"Copy that." Anakin dived.  The controls felt  warm in his  hands,

even though he knew they weren't. A ship felt alive to him, an organic

creature he controlled. He had felt that way since the first day  he'd

put his hands on the controls of an airship, back when he was a  young

slave boy with a cantankerous Podracer on Tatooine.

He saw Garen ahead now in his sight line. Garen swung to his left,

and Anakin  swung  farther to  the  right. Four  Offworld  ships  were

bearing down  on the  escape liners.  He could  clearly see  theBroken

Circlelogo on their wings.

Anakin reached out to the Force. He felt at one with the  engines.

The will of the ship was entwined with his. He even felt entwined with

Garen.

The two pushed their engines to the maximum. They zigzagged  their

way toward the  larger ships.  The ships  saw them  coming and  turned

their barrage of firepower on the two agile starfighters.

"Time to climb,"  Anakin muttered, easing  the controls. The  ship

zoomed upward  and he  reversed  direction, avoiding  a blast  to  his

starboard engine. He somersaulted and came at one ship from a sideways

angle, blasting his  torpedoes. He  peppered the wing  with fire,  and

then he got lucky. One of the blasts hit the fuel tank. The ship  went

up in a whoosh, sending shock waves toward him. His starfighter danced

on the vibrations.

"Good show!" Garen called through the comm unit. "Let's get number

two in a pincer movement."

"Copy that. Ready or not ..." Anakin dived to the left while Garen

dived to the right.  Torpedoes blasting, they  caught the second  ship

between them. The ship spiraled out, its engines dead.

Anakin was already  heading for  the third ship.  While he'd  been

engaged, the third ship had managed  to damage the wing of the  rescue

liner. Anakin came at  the Offworld ship from  above, dropping at  top

speed as though  he would crash  into the bridge.  At this angle,  the

ship's guns could not reach him. It swerved, and he followed. When  he

had a clear shot, he went for the left engine. Torpedoes blasted,  and

the engine blew. Limping, the Offworld attack ship headed back to  the

Offworld cruiser.

Garen had taken care of the  last ship. Anakin looked around.  The

sky was empty of Offworld ships.

"I just spoke  to Obi-Wan," Garen  said. "He and  Kad are  staying

aboard the BioCruiser. Kad wants to  make it to Tentrix. The  guidance

system blew. They need us to escort them."

Anakin could tell by  Garen's terse wording that  the ship was  in

deep trouble. He could see it: The  ship was listing to one side,  and

great plumes of smoke were rising from the engines. The BioCruiser was

a death trap. The  last thing Anakin  wanted to do  was stay out  here

while his Master was marooned on a failing vessel. He wanted to be  by

his Master's side.

But he was  a Jedi.  He was learning  that it  meant doing  things

opposite to his nature. He turned  the ship to the right and  followed

Garen.

"I'm getting a  reading that  the secondary power  cell system  is

going," Rhe  Pabs  said. His  voice  was  calm, but  Obi-Wan  and  Kad

exchanged a glance. If the secondary power cell system went, the  ship

would go into catastrophic failure. They would not have time to get to

an escape pod.

"Rhe Pabs, it's time for you to go," Kad said, his voice even.

"No sir, I think I'll stick it out here."

Kad gave  a  sigh  of  exasperation. "All  right,  then.  Keep  us

posted." He turned to Obi-Wan. "I'm going to gamble. I could use  less

power, which might spare  the system. But we'd  just have to keep  the

ship operational a longer period  of time. Other systems are  failing,

too. I'm going to increase power so we can reach Tentrix faster."

Obi-Wan nodded."All right."

Kad turned back to the controls. "This  is a good time for you  to

evacuate."

"I'm staying," Obi-Wan said.

"This is not your fight."

"It is now," Obi-Wan responded.

It was  an  agonizing journey.  The  ship controls  were  erratic.

Warning lights flashed on almost every panel.

Obi-Wan kept his  eyes on the  ships flanking them.  They were  so

close that he could see Anakin's  tense expression, the strain on  his

face as he tried to smile and give Obi-Wan a thumbs-up.

"Why do you want to save  the BioCruiser so badly?" Obi-Wan  asked

Kad.

"Because I invited all those beings  to join me," he said  grimly.

"They left their  homes. They have  lost their treasury.  This is  the

only thing they have left. I will not lose it."

Garen's voice  crackled over  the comm  unit."Tentrix dead  ahead.

Orbiting docking platform will be in position in eight minutes."

"We'll make it," Kad muttered.

Now Obi-Wan  could see  the vast  planet of  Tentrix. The  docking

platform was a small  dot in the  distance, just a  bit larger than  a

star. As  they came  closer and  the docking  platform orbited  toward

them, it grew larger and larger.

"Almost there," Kad breathed.

Suddenly the comm unit came to life, and Rhe Pubs's agitated voice

sputtered out  a warning."Attack  droids still  on board!  I saw  them

heading for the bridge!"

Obi-Wan whirled around, his lightsaber drawn, just as the doors to

the bridge  slid open.  A  squad of  battle droids  entered,  blasters

firing. Blaster  fire pinged  off  the console  and thudded  into  the

upholstery of the command benches. Obi-Wan leaped over the console  as

two droids took aim at Kad. He deflected the fire with his  lightsaber

at the same time that he sailed  toward the droids. He slashed at  one

droid's control panel while he kicked out at the other. They both fell

with a  clatter.  He  whirled  around and  sliced  the  next  in  two.

Diverting blaster fire,  he advanced  steadily until  the droids  were

cornered, then with onestroke, cut both of them off at the knees. They

sank to the floor, still firing,  and he sliced off their heads.  They

rolled together with a clunk and were still.

"Beginning docking procedures," Kadsaid, his voice shaky. He threw

Obi-Wan a grateful look. "We'll make it. Thanks to you."

CHAPTER 23

The sun rose late  on Tentrix. After  their morning meal,  Obi-Wan

and Anakin went  out on  the main docking  platform to  watch the  sun

splash the deck  with orange and  touch the planet  below with  light.

Anakin felt exhilarated. It  was a good feeling  to be halfway  across

the galaxy from Coruscant and theTemple, looking down at an unfamiliar

planet after a successful mission. For the first time, he felt like  a

true Jedi.

"I  don't  care  what  Yoda  says,"  Anakin  remarked.  "I   think

discovering sabotage, helping  an evacuation, and  guiding a  crippled

ship to safety counts as a mission."

Obi-Wan smiled. "It was a mission, Anakin."

"Good," Anakin said  with satisfaction. "There  are some things  I

don't understand about it, though."

"That is usually the case after a mission."

"How could Kad forgive his father  at the end?" Anakin burst  out.

"He had betrayed  him. He  could have been  responsible for  countless

deaths."

"Yes, he did many bad things,"  Obi-Wan agreed. "But he asked  his

son for forgiveness when  he was dying. There  must have been good  in

him. I think  it is  a mark  of Kad's character  that he  was able  to

forgive his father."

Anakin shook his head. "I still don't understand it."

"Would you forgive  Yoda if  he did  something terrible?"  Obi-Wan

asked.

"Yoda would never do something terrible," Anakin said firmly.

"No, I don't think he would," Obi-Wan said. "But you must remember

always, Anakin, the strength of the dark side."

Anakin's mouth set in a thin line. He still did not understand. He

decided to change the  subject. "I just wish  we'd been able to  track

Kern."

"Perhaps Garen will be able  to." Garen had volunteered to  search

for the escape  pod. They  continued to havehope  that the  BioCruiser

treasury could be returned.

"I don't understand  what Kern  was doing," Anakin  said. "Was  he

working for Offworld or not?"

"I doubt it," Obi-Wan said. "I think he is working for a different

gang. Or maybe Vox contacted him  on Offworld's behalf and he  decided

to work for himself instead. That treasury was a great temptation. And

Kad told me that Kern stole  the blueprints of the BioCruiser. He  has

detailed plans of all their technological innovations."

"What do you think he wants with them?"

"He will sell  them," Obi-Wan said.  "A constantly traveling  ship

with a large population could be  seen as a threat by an  organization

that seeks control of the galaxy. Whatever or whoever is guiding  Kern

was interested in destroying Kad's  movements as well as stealing  the

treasury. If we can find Kern, maybe we can get some answers."

"You sound as though you don't think Garen will find him,"  Anakin

guessed.

Obi-Wan looked out at the stars, which were beginning to fade  due

to the rising sun. "There are many  places to hide in the galaxy.  And

Kern is used  to deception. But  it is  a good ending  for your  first

mission, Anakin. Sometimes evil beings escape. We do what we can."

"But I always want to win," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan frowned. "Missions are not about winning and losing.  They

are about leaving good behind."

They heard footsteps behind them. Kad came toward them.

"A beautiful world, Tentrix,"  he said, looking  down at the  blue

planet.

"Will you stay here for a while?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The repairs will take some  time, I'm afraid," Kad answered.  "We

are holding meetings to decide on our next step. It is not clear  what

that will  be. I  am reluctant  to  make the  decision. Some  talk  of

colonizing a new world or finding a planet in the Outer Rim that would

welcome us. We shall see. I have  led all these beings away from  what

they knew, but I cannot provide them with a future."

"I'm sure the path will become clear," Obi-Wan said.

Kad nodded. "I want you to know  that if I am uncertain about  the

future, I have at least buried my  past. I hope it is buried for  you,

too. You saved my life, but that is not why I can bury it. I know  now

that you  didn't  cause my  brother's  death. Bitterness  was  at  our

family's core. I know now that Bruck had it. My father had it. And the

hardest thing I  had to acknowledge  is that  I have it,  too. I  have

based a system  on rejection. I  turned my face  away from life.  What

else causes that other than a bitter heart? Funny how facing that  has

brought me peace at last."

Anakin  watched  carefully.  His  Master  and  Kad  locked   eyes.

Something passed between them. He  felt something ease in his  Master,

some heaviness lift from him.

"Then life has given you a gift," Obi-Wan said. "You get to  begin

again."

"I hear you have arranged transport back to Coruscant," Kad  said.

"Will you come and say good-bye to Andra and Den? They're waiting  for

you."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said."Anakin?"

"I'll be right behind you," Anakin said. He did not want to  leave

the loading platform just  yet. His mind  still teemed with  questions

and lessons. He longed to ask  Obi-Wan, but he didn't think he  would.

Whatever was  in  Obi-Wan's  past  was a  wound  that  went  deep.  He

understood that. He had his own  wounds. Maybe someday he would  stand

as a man, just like Obi-Wan, and feel the burden lift.

He thought again  of Kad, cradling  his father as  he died,  tears

falling from his eyes.  There were levels to  compassion he still  did

not understand.  How did  a  being go  about transforming  anger  into

mercy? Frustration bit inside him. Obi-Wan tried to understand him. He

loved his Master for that. But no one could understand. Not his fellow

students at theTemple, not his teachers, not even Yoda, who seemed  to

understand so much. Would he always feel apart from the others because

of his background? And would that  feeling of separation mean that  he

would never become as great a Knight as Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan? It was his

greatest fear.

Anakin turned back  toward the  shelter of  the spaceport,  toward

friends, warmth, light, and his Master. The future would come, he told

himself.

At that moment, all  he felt was grateful  that he had Obi-Wan  to

show him the way.