Star Wars

Jedi Quest

Book 8

The Changing of the Guard

by Jude Watson

source: IRC

uploaded: 09.I.2006

CHAPTER ONE

Senate aide Tyro Caladian winced at the look  of  frustration  on  the

face of his friend Obi-Wan Kenobi. "I'm sorry," he said for the third time.

"There is nothing I can do."

Obi-Wan wanted to groan. He wanted to kick a  hole  through  the  rare

laroon wood paneling of Meeting Room A3000291 in the Senate. He  wanted  to

react like a privileged, arrogant Senator  used  to  getting  his  way.  He

wanted to lash out.

But he was a Jedi. Jedi did not do such things. They accepted even the

most nerve-torturing frustrations with calm focus and unswerving direction.

He must look for the flaw in the logic, discover the opening in the  locked

gate. Find the way. Petty emotions would only divert him.  Obi-Wan  took  a

deep breath and searched for his calm center.

He looked over at his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. If Obi-Wan  merely

felt like kicking a wall, it appeared  that  Anakin  would  do  so  at  any

moment. His gaze was turbulent, boiling. Then, as Obi-Wan watched,  a  mask

slid over Anakin's  frustration.  He  looked  composed  now,  perfectly  in

control.

An impressive achievement. Obi-Wan had noted Anakin's growth over  the

past six months while they had been tracking the evil scientist  Jenna  Zan

Arbor from her last known stop in the Vanqor system. Anakin  was  seventeen

now. He was becoming a man as well as a Jedi.

Together they had followed  Zan  Arbor's  trail,  tracing  rumors  and

finding clues. They knew the scientist did not have  access  to  her  large

fortune, which the Senate had confiscated and then dispersed among the many

planets she had wronged. They knew what the Vanqors had paid her would soon

be depleted. But they also knew that she had a taste for extravagance.  She

liked to live well. Perhaps she would leave a trail that way.

Obi-Wan and Anakin had found other  missions  along  the  way,  places

where they were needed that couldn't be ignored. Still  they  continued  to

search the galaxy  for  clues  to  Zan  Arbor's  whereabouts,  occasionally

diverted but never deflected from their goal.

The big break came when Anakin discovered she had  bought  a  limited-

production cruiser called a Luxe Flightwing.  The  ship  was  so  rare  and

beautiful that everyone remembered it  -  fuelers  on  obscure  spaceports,

repair personnel in busy capital cities, customs officials, and  especially

other pilots. It had  been  an  unwise  move,  typical  of  her  greed  and

arrogance. She wanted what she wanted, then she acquired it. But it  was  a

bad mistake. Bit by bit, information trickled in,  and  at  last  they  had

tracked her to Romin, a small planet in the Mid-Rim.

Before traveling there to arrest her, Obi-Wan  asked  his  friend  and

fellow Jedi, Siri Tachi, to help. Siri and her  Padawan,  Ferus  Olin,  had

been involved in the search from time to time but had been called on by the

Jedi Council for other missions. Still, Siri had  pledged  her  support  to

Obi-Wan. Whenever he needed her for the final capture  of  Zan  Arbor,  she

would be there.

Now in Meeting Room A3000291, Siri didn't show her frustration, but he

sensed it in the taut lines of her muscled body. Obi-Wan knew all too  well

how Siri despised having to deal with the bureaucracy of  the  Senate.  She

was always geared for action. In many ways, she was like Anakin.

"Look," she said to Tyro, "we're  not  stupid.  We  know  it  will  be

tricky. Romin is ruled by  Roy  Teda,  who  by  all  accounts  is  an  evil

dictator. It's not like he's going to invite the Jedi in. But the Senate is

committed to arresting Zan Arbor. Why won't they give us permission  to  go

in?"

"It's more complicated than that," Tyro  said.  Clearly  uncomfortable

under the scrutiny of Siri's blazing blue eyes, the Svivreni  fiddled  with

the thick metal clasp that held his long black hair in  a  plume  that  ran

down his back. Then he smoothed the glossy fur on his small, pointed  face.

"Senate procedure always is.  Teda  himself  is  in  violation  of  several

galactic laws. He imprisons without trial. We are certain he  uses  torture

to extract information. He  has  shut  down  the  information  bureaus  and

controls the only communications system on the planet. He has  even  raided

his planet's treasury for his own personal use."

"Exactly," Siri said impatiently. "He is a criminal. So why do we have

to listen to him?"

"Because he is a duly elected ruler," Tyro said. "But  he  rigged  the

elections!" Anakin burst out. "That makes no  difference,"  Tyro  answered.

"We must still obey the laws of Romin. And there is a  law  forbidding  any

bounty hunters to enter."

"We are not bounty hunters," Ferus said. His dignity rang through  his

words. "We are Jedi."

Tyro swallowed. "Yes," he said, "but the law  says  that  no  one  can

arrest or transport a galactic criminal off Romin. And that's what you mean

to do. Teda has made himself wealthy by offering his planet as a refuge  to

the most-wanted criminals. They're happy to pay him a hefty bribe in  order

to relocate to his planet. In return, he makes sure that any bounty hunters

are forcibly expelled. If his security police find them, they are  made  to

`disappear.'"

"Then we'll just go to Romin without Senate approval," Anakin said.

Ferus frowned. Obi-Wan noted how Anakin bristled when he saw  it.  The

two had never gotten along, and Obi-Wan wasn't  surprised.  Ferus  followed

the rules. Anakin had no hesitation about bending them to get a job done.

"Ah," Tyro said carefully, "I'm afraid  that  you  do  need  approval.

Without legitimate cause, you will be asked to leave the planet. And if you

do not leave, it is likely you will be imprisoned - if you are lucky.  Teda

has been known to execute without trial."

"But the Senate cannot shield a  criminal  like  Zan  Arbor!"  Obi-Wan

leaped to his feet and began to pace out his frustration. Now he  knew  why

Zan Arbor had risked buying such a showpiece transport.  She  didn't  care,

because she knew she would be protected. That infuriated him.  No  one  was

above galactic law. "There has to be a way."

Tyro shook his head. "If there is, I can't think  of  it.  The  Senate

looks the other way when it comes to Romin. The Romin Senator wields  great

influence. He is a favorite of Sano Sauro - who as you  well  know  is  the

leader of a large voting bloc."

Obi-Wan groaned. "Not him again."  He  had  tangled  with  Sano  Sauro

before.

"If you land on Romin secretly, you will be  in  violation  of  Senate

laws," Tyro said. "And I assure  you,  the  Senator  from  Romin  will  not

hesitate to prosecute even a Jedi," Tyro spoke softly. "I'm afraid this  is

typical of the Senate these days. I am so sorry, my  good  friend  Obi-Wan,

that I cannot help you."

"I am grateful for  what  you've  done,"  Obi-Wan  said  woodenly.  He

refused to accept that Zan Arbor was untouchable. As  his  Master,  Qui-Gon

Jinn, had said, There is always another way.

Tyro sighed. "I come from a peaceful world. The growing lawlessness in

the galaxy troubles me greatly.

The prison worlds are not well maintained. Just recently there was yet

another escape from a high-security prison, the Greylands Security  Complex

on Tentator. It was a notorious gang  who  broke  free.  Luckily  the  gang

members were tracked and apprehended just hours ago. But such successes are

rare, I must admit."

Obi-Wan stopped pacing and fixed Tyro with a keen gaze. "Who are they?

"

"They are called the Slams," Tyro said.

"Species?"

"Humanoid. From Mamendin, in the Core. They  started  there  with  con

jobs, ID thefts, things like that. Then they roamed the galaxy,  mostly  in

the Core, pulling scams. They were the gang who heisted the entire treasury

of Vuma. The leaders are fairly young - a man named Slam and a woman  named

Valadon. Slam is a con man and Valadon is an ID  theft  expert.  They  have

only two other members - they keep their numbers small to maintain loyalty.

The Slams were caught when they tried to break into a security vault of the

Commerce Guild. You just don't go after the Commerce  Guild  without  major

consequences."

"I remember the Vuma affair," Siri said. "We heard  about  it  at  the

Temple. It just about bankrupted the planet. The  crystalline  vertex  they

stole is still missing." She gave Obi-Wan a curious glance.  "What  is  it?

You've got that look on your face."

"What look?"

"That look that says, You're going to hate this idea,  Siri,  but  I'm

going to do it anyway," Siri said dryly. Obi-Wan  grinned.  "Relax.  You're

going to love it."

CHAPTER TWO

Anakin looked over at his Master. They had grown even closer over  the

past months. Anakin had  broken  down  after  the  mission  on  Vanqor  and

confessed his fears to Obi-Wan. He had been afraid to tell his  Master  how

there were times he no longer wanted to be the Chosen One. He realized that

he had been walking around with a nameless dread in his  heart.  He  didn't

know what he feared, but he knew that he lived with the fear  every  waking

moment. Saying this out loud had shocked  his  Master,  but  it  had  freed

Anakin in a way he still didn't understand.

Perhaps it had been his experiences in the  prisoner  of-war  camp  on

Vanqor that had caused him to unburden his heart to Obi-Wan.  Whatever  the

reason had been, it had changed something  between  them.  They  had  grown

closer. They were truly Master and Padawan now.

He knew what had happened was a classic  step  in  the  Master-Padawan

relationship.  The  apprentice  invites  the  Master,  and  it  begins.  As

learners, they had all wondered what the expression meant. The  Master  was

the one to invite a Jedi student to be his or her apprentice. That was  how

it started. So what was the meaning of The apprentice invites the Master?

Now he understood. He had been Obi-Wan's apprentice for  years  before

he had truly trusted him with the inner workings of  his  heart  and  mind.

Once he  had  invited  Obi-Wan  to  share  his  deepest  fears,  his  worst

nightmares, their relationship had shifted and deepened. It was  as  though

they were starting again. It begins. Obi-Wan had told  him  that  the  same

thing had happened with him and Qui-Gon. "In  the  middle  of  our  journey

together, we began again," he'd told Anakin.

It was mysterious and wonderful. They knew what each  other  would  do

before it was done. They knew what was in each  other's  thoughts.  Whereas

before Anakin would worry about what was on Obi-Wan's mind, now he accepted

that some things he knew, and some things he didn't, and that  many  things

on Obi-Wan's mind had nothing to do with him.

He could not read Obi-Wan's thoughts right now. He had  no  idea  what

his Master was planning. He felt just as puzzled as Siri.  But  where  Siri

felt worried, Anakin felt excited.

Siri raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"We have a way to land on Romin and get to Jenna Zan Arbor,  then  get

her off-planet without violating any Senate  regulations  or  the  laws  of

Romin," Obi-Wan said. "Technically."

"Technically?" Tyro asked.

"We enter legally," Obi-Wan said. "As criminals."

Siri sat down and slung one ankle  over  her  knee.  "Well,  that's  a

relief. For a minute there, I thought you actually had  a  plan  that  made

sense."

"We take on the identities of the Slam gang," Obi-Wan said.  "I'll  be

Slam, you'll be Valadon. Anakin and Ferus can be the other two."

"Waldo and Ukiah," Tyro supplied. "But technically - " "So, we land on

Romin and find Zan Arbor," Siri said. "What next?"

"Well, I haven't planned it out completely," Obi-Wan said. "We find  a

way to lure her off-planet. That can't be too hard."

"Sure," Siri said. "One of  the  shrewdest  scientific  minds  in  the

galaxy is going for a joyride  with  us.  As  Garen  would  say,  piece  of

sweetcake."

"We'll think of something to tempt her to join us," Obi-Wan said. "The

point is to land on  Romin  and  contact  her.  We  can  only  do  that  as

criminals."

"Can I return to 'technically'?" Tyro asked. "Technically, you'd still

be in violation of several laws I can easily think of. If you get caught."

"We're not going to be caught. That's  where  you  come  in,"  Obi-Wan

said, turning to him.

Suddenly, Tyro looked uneasy. "Oh."

"We'll need ID docs and descriptions and background information," Obi-

Wan said. "And you said they operated on different  planets  in  the  Core.

That means they probably have a spaceworthy ship. Do you think you can pull

some strings for us and commandeer it?"

"I don't know," Tyro said doubtfully.  "That  would  take  some  favor

trading."

"Your specialty," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"It would all have to be top secret, so I'd have to go to  the  Senate

security committee first," Tyro said slowly. "They'd  have  to  give  me  a

waiver to approach the Overseer of Prison Worlds, who would have  to  issue

an edict to the prison world's Confiscation Authority...."

"I don't need the details, Tyro," Obi-Wan said. "I just need  results.

We'll also need time. You'll have to get the authorities to agree  to  keep

the capture of the Slam gang a secret until we've  completed  the  mission.

They have to still be listed as escaped, in case anyone checks."

Tyro frowned. "That might be difficult.  When  they  catch  criminals,

they like to boast about it. I'd need an indefinite Stop  Comm  order  from

the Central Posting Service - " Tyro caught Obi-Wan's  eyes.  He  shut  his

datapad briskly and rose. "I'd better get started."

Tyro hurried out of the room.

"We'll have to clear this with Master Windu," Siri said. "And I'd  bet

it will take some persuasion."

"He'll agree," Obi-Wan said confidently. "He knows how  important  the

capture of Zan Arbor is to the safety of the galaxy."

Anakin felt a surge of excitement as Obi-Wan and Siri began to discuss

possible courses of action and how soon they could leave.  The  frustration

of locating Zan Arbor but not being able to take her into custody was over.

Now they had a focus. They had a way to apprehend her.

He pushed away the thought of seeing her again. Anakin had focused his

attention on catching her. He had not thought about what he would  do  when

they found her. He had met Jenna Zan Arbor in the prisoner of-war  camp  on

Vanqor. She had been pleasant, polite. Yet  the  memory  of  what  happened

there chilled him. She was the inventor of a drug  that  induced  what  she

called  the  Zone  of  Self-Containment.  Anakin  had  felt  pleasure   and

contentment while under its influence. Nothing had bothered  him.  For  the

first time in his life, he had felt at peace. It was  the  feeling  he  had

hoped to achieve as a Jedi. What had scared him was  the  thought  that  he

would never feel that again. He had achieved true serenity in the Zone, but

it had been a cheap victory, for after it was over, it had  left  him  with

guilt and fear. The very emotions he had tried to escape from.

Focus on the first step. The others will follow.

Much good had come out of his  experience  on  Vanqor.  The  Zone  had

broken him down in a way that had been helpful. He had felt vulnerable  and

afraid, and he had leaned on his Master. He had come to  see  that  Obi-Wan

cared for him a great deal. His Master would be there for him always.  That

had been a great gift to carry away from an uncertain time.

Anakin tore his mind away from his own preoccupations and noticed that

Ferus looked as though he were debating whether to speak. Anakin  hoped  he

wouldn't. He rarely liked what Ferus Olin had to say.

Siri noted her Padawan's hesitation. "Is there something on your mind,

Ferus?" she asked.

"I am just wondering if this plan is appropriate for the Jedi,"  Ferus

said. "It is not for me to question Jedi Masters..."

"Questioning is part of the  role  of  an  apprentice,"  Obi-Wan  said

kindly. "Go ahead."

"This isn't the kind of thing that  a  Jedi  should  do,"  Ferus  said

stiffly,   obviously   uncomfortable   at   second-guessing   his   Master.

"Impersonating criminals? We are not  tricksters.  We  are  ambassadors  of

peace and justice."

Anakin wanted to roll his eyes. Ferus was such a show-off.  He  always

had to bring up Jedi rules, as if he was the only one who remembered  them.

Did it ever occur to him that the important thing was to get the job  done?

Anakin looked over at Siri. She was nodding thoughtfully, as though she was

truly considering Ferus's point. He wondered if she was just trying to be a

good Master when she really wanted to call him a pompous bore.

"Of course that is true," Siri said. "But the galaxy is  complex.  The

Jedi must operate differently and take different kinds of risks. There  are

planets that do not welcome our presence, yet circumstances demand that  we

help for the good of the galaxy."  She  sighed.  "I  have  gone  undercover

before, Ferus. The Council decided that it was the only way to infiltrate a

vast space pirating operation. I had to pretend to leave the Order. It  was

difficult. Every Jedi thought I had turned to the dark side, even Obi-Wan."

"It was a great act of bravery on Siri's part," Obi-Wan said.

"Every second of my deception went against my core,"  Siri  continued.

"I don't like lies. To live a lie takes a toll. Yet am I  glad  I  did  it?

Yes. The Jedi were able  to  bring  down  a  vicious  pirate  and  liberate

hundreds of slaves."

"I tangled with Jenna Zan Arbor before, when I was your age,"  Obi-Wan

told Ferus. "She is a great enemy of the Jedi. She imprisoned  Qui-Gon  and

drained his life in order to study the Force. She almost  killed  him.  She

has killed others. She is capable of  anything.  With  the  Zone  of  Self-

Containment she could subdue an entire population. We must use any means to

stop her."

"Any means?" Ferus asked.

There was a silence. Anakin saw Obi-Wan exchange a quick  glance  with

Siri. Everyone in the room was thinking the same thing. Means  equal  ends.

It was one of the core beliefs of the Jedi. In order to do good,  one  must

act rightly at every step. If the means used were wrong, then  the  outcome

was wrong, too.

"I did not choose my words carefully," Obi-Wan said.  "My  meaning  is

this - - if we must use a little deception to catch her, then we  will.  In

this case, our only hope is to beat Zan Arbor at her own  game.  She  could

consolidate her power on Romin. She could use the  planet  as  a  base  for

operations, thinking she cannot be touched there. She could do vast amounts

of damage. Lives are at stake. Perhaps millions of lives."  Obi-Wan's  keen

stare fixed on Ferus. "Don't you think that is worth forsaking your dignity

and taking another's identity for a few days?"

Ferus's cheeks colored. Anakin realized that Obi-Wan had  put  a  sure

finger on the spot that was most tender in Ferus. His dignity. Obi-Wan  had

done it kindly, but Ferus had felt a sting.

Ferus nodded. "I will, of course,  do  as  you  say."  "But  you  must

believe it, too," Siri said.

After a short pause, Ferus said, "I do. I trust that those  with  more

wisdom know the way."

Ferus seemed to be sincere. He was incapable  of  lying.  Yet  it  was

clear that Siri and Obi-Wan had not done away with all of his uneasiness.

Obi-Wan turned back to Siri and Anakin. "If  all  goes  well,  we  can

brief Master Windu and leave tonight," he said.

Anakin nodded. He bent his head closer to Siri  and  Obi-Wan  as  they

discussed their  next  step.  Ferus  was  silent  throughout  their  entire

discussion. For once, Ferus was the outsider. For once, it wasn't him.

CHAPTER THREE

Tyro did not tell Obi-Wan the details of the favors he had  called  in

and the promises he had made. He  just  gave  him  the  results  that  he'd

wanted. It was not the first  time  that  Tyro  had  proved  an  invaluable

friend.

"I'm still negotiating with the Central Posting Service about the Stop

Comm order," Tyro said as Obi-Wan and Anakin greeted  him  in  one  of  the

Temple's small meeting rooms. "The good news is that  the  order  has  gone

through. The bad news is that I don't know how  long  I  can  suppress  the

announcement  of  the  arrest.  But  you  might  as  well  proceed  to  the

Confiscation Station at the prison. You have a release for Slam's  vehicle.

It's an Ubrikkian star yacht."

Anakin whistled. "Sweet."

"All the data records, ID text docs, and wardrobes are onboard,"  Tyro

said. A small smile brightened his furry face. "I understand that Slam is a

bit of a dandy."

Obi-Wan was more concerned with other matters. "Give us as  much  time

as you can. It will take us a standard day to  travel  to  Romin  from  the

prison."

"You know I will do my best for you, my good friend," Tyro said.  "You

go into danger, and I wish you safety and success. The Svivreni do not  say

good-bye. We consider it bad luck. We say, the journey begins, so go."

Tyro raised his hand, fingers spread, in the Svivreni gesture of good-

bye. Obi-Wan did the same. Tyro then pressed his palm against Obi-Wan's. It

was a gesture used by the Svivreni to those closest to them.

"So go," Tyro said softly, and left.

Mace's good-bye was not quite as fond as  Tyro's.  He  agreed  to  the

necessity of the plan, but he didn't approve of the rule bending.

"Just try not to alienate the  entire  Senate,"  he  said.  "In  other

words, succeed." He drew his robes together in dismissal. "May the Force be

with you, and may I not hear from you until it's safely over."

The four Jedi had packed their gear  and  were  streaking  across  the

galaxy within hours.

At the Greylands Security Complex, they had no trouble with the papers

Tyro had supplied them with. They were given access to the Slams' ship.

The Ubrikkian  star  yacht  was  a  light  cruiser,  built  for  quick

getaways. Equipped with a hyperdrive, it carried no weapons except for  two

hidden proton torpedo shafts. It had also been  modified  to  contain  more

secret compartments than Anakin had ever seen. Every time he thought he had

found them all, he  discovered  another  hidden  within  the  various  deck

platings of the ship. The ship had been  scanned  by  the  authorities,  in

hopes of discovering the cache of crystalline vertex the gang  had  heisted

on the Vuma job. No contraband had been found, and the rest of  the  gang's

possessions had been searched and then left intact.

Ferus went through  the  computer  files.  The  gang  kept  meticulous

records and multiple ID docs for false identities. Siri found a  device  to

override iris scans and, rolled into a tiny hidden  compartment  under  the

cockpit dash, a detailed analysis of the accounting practices of the Senate

Relief Fund.

Ferus whistled under his breath. "I could be wrong, but I  think  they

were planning to rob the Senate depository."

"That's a big job, even for the Slams," Obi-Wan said. "Good thing they

landed in prison."

Anakin flipped further through the file. "This  is  just  speculation.

They didn't have a concrete plan."

"We'll go over the files in depth later," Siri said, her head  in  the

Slams' personal wardrobe closet.  "We'll  have  to  be  up  on  the  latest

criminal tech scams. There's a criminal gossip network. Our reputation will

precede us. We have to be the Slams. Speaking of which..."

Siri pulled out a purple cloak made of vela cloth. It was  embroidered

around the collar with thick braiding in a bright shade of green. "For you,

Slam," she said, handing it to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan eyed the garment. "Questionable taste, to say the least."

Siri winked at Anakin, but the face she turned to Obi-Wan was serious.

"Tyro said that Slam is well known as a dandy. You have to wear it."

Obi-Wan's face was a study in distaste as he  slipped  on  the  ornate

robe. Siri adjusted the elaborate collar so it framed his face. Anakin  bit

his lip. It was hard to keep his laughter inside.

Siri nodded thoughtfully. "Now you need  some  boots  to  match."  She

leaned over and pulled out a pair in red polished leather. "Here."

Obi-Wan took a step backward. "No"

"Oh, for galaxy's sake, don't be  such  a  stick-in-the  swamp."  Siri

tossed the boots at him. "You're impersonating  a  criminal.  You  have  to

dress like him. Don't you want to catch Zan Arbor?"

Siri turned her head slightly and winked at Anakin  again.  He  turned

away to hide his smile. Even Ferus looked as though he  was  suppressing  a

laugh.

Obi-Wan kicked off his travel boots and slipped on  the  soft  leather

boots. He turned to the large mirror on the inside of the closet  door.  "I

really hate this," he groaned. "I look like a full-feathered idiot."

"I think you  look...  incredible,"  Siri  said.  But  her  mouth  was

twitching, as she couldn't keep it in any longer. She burst out into a peal

of laughter.

It was impossible for Anakin and Ferus not to join in.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at them. "So glad to amuse."

Then he reached into another closet. They  heard  the  soft  sound  of

rustling septsilk. Obi-Wan tossed a garment at Siri. It was made of a  soft

blue clinging material, and  there  wasn't  much  of  it.  "There  you  go,

Valadon."

Siri looked at the piece of clothing. "Where's the rest of it?"

Obi-Wan grinned. "I'm afraid that's it."

"I'm not going to  wear  this."  Holding  it  between  her  thumb  and

forefinger, Siri tossed the tiny garment away with distaste.

Obi-Wan's expression was bland as he retrieved it. "Don't  be  such  a

stick-in-the-swamp. Don't you want to catch Zan Arbor?"

Grimly, Siri pulled the robe over her tunic and leather leggings. Obi-

Wan burst out laughing at  the  sight  of  the  feminine,  flowing  garment

haphazardly flung over Siri's rough clothes.  "I  don't  think  that's  how

you're supposed to wear it."

Siri gritted her teeth. "We're not on Romin yet."

Still chuckling, Obi-Wan reached into the closet and tossed  out  more

conventional garments for Anakin and Ferus, dark tunics and trousers.

"Anakin, you'll be Waldo, and Ferus will be Ukiah," Obi-Wan said. "You

fit the descriptions, roughly. Waldo is the security expert, and  Ukiah  is

weapons and defense. Anakin, you'll need a headgear disguise, since  you've

seen Zan Arbor recently. I think that should be enough."

Obi-Wan pulled a half mask from his knapsack. "I got this from the med

clinic at the Temple. It's used  to  knit  synth-flesh  together  after  an

injury. We can tell people you were wounded in the escape, if they ask. Try

it."

Anakin pulled on the mask. It fit over his forehead and  covered  half

his face, leaving his mouth and chin uncovered. There were  holes  cut  for

his eyes, with tinted lenses. It was made of a slippery fiber, and it  felt

cool against his skin.

He was glad to have  something  to  hide  behind.  He  remembered  Zan

Arbor's penetrating gaze, the sense that she wanted to  explore  his  mind,

figure out the essence of him. He didn't want Zan Arbor to know who he was.

He didn't want to get close to the person who  could  create  the  Zone  of

Self-Containment. He still wasn't positive how the Zone was transmitted. He

suspected it had been through water. That was something that Zan Arbor  had

perfected. Anakin never wanted to be under its influence again.

Was he wrong to think there had been some sort of  connection  between

him and Zan Arbor? He hadn't told Obi-Wan about that. She had sensed  there

was something different about him. He had intrigued her. Even  though  he'd

been in the Zone, he had sensed that this woman had made an  impression  on

him he wouldn't forget. And he had made an impression on her. What  if  she

recognized him again?

Obi-Wan was speaking, and Anakin wrenched his attention  back  to  his

Master. "I met Zan Arbor very briefly almost eighteen years ago. She  won't

recognize me."

Siri wrapped her utility belt around the soft  blue  robe.  "Question.

What if we meet someone on Romin who's met the Slams before?"

"Not probable," Obi-Wan said.  "The  Slams  operated  in  a  different

corner of the galaxy. Their reputation is big, but they didn't travel  very

far. It's a risk we'll have to take."

Obi-Wan's comlink signaled. It  was  Tyro,  and  Obi-Wan  put  him  in

holomode so the rest could view the communication.

Tyro flickered before them in miniature form. "I've received my answer

from the authorities," he said. "I  did  my  best,  Obi-Wan.  But  I  could

persuade them to agree to keep the Slams'  arrest  secret  for  only  three

standard days. After that it will be posted on the HoloNet news. I'm sorry.

You'll have to complete your mission in that time."  Tyro  looked  worried.

"Is three days enough?"

"Most likely not," Obi-Wan said. "But it will have to do."

CHAPTER FOUR

The Teda Landing Platform on Romin was high in the  clouds  above  the

capital city of Eliior. It was the  only  arrival  station  for  the  area.

Nevertheless, it wasn't crowded. Anakin guided the ship down to the  nearly

empty platform.

"Not much business or tourism going on here," Obi-Wan  observed.  "The

planet's economy runs on bribes paid to Teda."

"That means that the only one getting rich is Teda," Siri said.

Anakin released the ramp control. Siri strode down in  front  of  Obi-

Wan. Obi-Wan was amused by the contrast between Siri's purposeful, athletic

stride and the lilac shimmersilk robe she now wore.  It  was  tied  with  a

rose-colored sash embroidered in delicate gold thread, but  over  the  sash

Siri had insisted on wearing her battered utility belt. Siri would  do  her

best, she'd promised, but Obi-Wan had his doubts that she would be able  to

summon up Valadon's  trademark  flirtatiousness.  It  was  good  that  this

mission would be short.

"Look, that must be Zan Arbor's ship,"  Anakin  murmured  to  Obi-Wan.

Anakin and Ferus were wearing their minimal disguises,  while  Obi-Wan  was

nearly unrecognizable in his finery.  All  had  managed  to  conceal  their

lightsabers except Siri, whose outfit was simply  too  revealing  to  cover

much of anything. So Obi-Wan carried hers.

A sleek white ship was parked in a hangar nearby.  Obi-Wan  recognized

the Luxe Flightwing. The nose of the cruiser was curved, the  wings  folded

back like a bird's in flight. The ship's exterior was made out  of  a  rare

gleaming white ore.

A security officer met them at the bottom of the ramp. He was  dressed

in an ornate uniform with silver cords  looping  over  his  shoulders.  The

Romins were a species with golden skin and eyes.  Their  noses  were  flat,

barely raised on their faces, and their mouths were wide and expressive.

"Welcome to Romin. Docs, if you please."

Obi-Wan handed over the ID docs. The officer perused them carefully.

"You have come to Romin for what purpose?"

"We would like to relocate here," Obi-Wan said.

The officer looked up. "There are procedures and waivers.  We  do  not

allow just anyone to be a citizen of Romin."

"We will be happy to follow all procedures,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "In  the

meantime, we would like to enter your beautiful city."  He  passed  over  a

bundle of credits.

The officer slid them into his pocket in one practiced movement.  "One

moment."

The officer left with their four ID docs. He took them  to  a  console

and began entering the information.

"He plugged in our names and discovered that we're escaped criminals,"

Siri murmured as the officer's face changed. He looked up and gave  them  a

quick glance. Then he spoke into his comlink.

They waited. The officer spoke, waited, spoke again. Then he put  down

the comlink but did not return to the visitors. The Jedi waited. They  knew

how to be patient. In a few moments, the officer's comlink signaled and  he

spoke into it again.

"We have to hope that Roy Teda's contacts are wide," Obi-Wan murmured.

"He will know that there is a fortune in crystalline vertex out there,  and

that we know where it is."

When the officer returned to them, he was smiling broadly. "Forgive me

if I failed to welcome you properly earlier. We are so busy here, you see."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said, waving his hand extravagantly and  ignoring

the empty spaceport.

"Due to your status as important guests, Great Leader Teda would  like

to extend a personal welcome," the officer said. "My name  is  Becka.  With

your kind permission, I am to escort you to his grand palace."

Becka led them to a large turbolift, which quickly brought  them  down

to the planet's surface. A large, six-seat airspeeder  was  parked  nearby.

Becka indicated that they should board. He slid into the pilot  seat.  They

glided out into moderate traffic on a wide boulevard.

"Eliior has no crime, as you will see," Becka said. "We have peace and

prosperity here. Citizens have plenty of work and plenty of  leisure  time.

Our gardens are renowned and our goods are the finest in the galaxy. I will

take you by our best shopping street on the way to the palace and you  will

see."

"You are lucky to live on such a world," Siri said. "We are  lucky  to

have a leader such as Roy Teda," he replied.  "He  has  created  the  great

perfection around us." Just as Becka finished this statement, they drove by

a battered security wall, hundreds of meters high. Security  droids  buzzed

overhead.

"What is that?" Obi-Wan  asked.  He  knew  the  answer,  he  was  just

interested in the  official  explanation.  In  a  dictatorship,  it  rarely

matched reality.

He'd been thoroughly briefed by Tyro. The city of Eliior was populated

by the wealthy. The workers lived outside  the  city  walls  in  concentric

rings of hovels that grew progressively worse as their  distance  from  the

city increased. The wall  was  manned  by  guard  droids  and  surveillance

devices. The workers had to obtain passes in order to enter the  city,  and

they needed a work reason for coming. Those inside the city rarely ventured

outside its walls. If a trip was necessary, it was taken under heavy guard.

Becka made a quick turn down another wide boulevard lined  with  tall,

leafy trees. "You mean the Cloud-flower Wall. Some of our  citizens  prefer

to live outside the city. There is beautiful  countryside  outside  Eliior.

The wall allows them to have the illusion that they live in wilderness.  It

is planted with cloudflower vines on the opposite side. Another great  step

of progression by Great Leader Teda! Truly, he is remarkable."

Just then they passed a large laserboard. In pulsing light, the  image

of a noble-looking Romin appeared in profile. Words appeared in Basic:

WATCHING CARING PROTECTING

GREAT STEPS OF PROGRESSION

GREAT LEADER TEDA LOVES HIS PEOPLE

Becka beamed. "Now, here  you  will  see  examples  of  our  excellent

commerce and wonderful goods."

They rode down a street full of the exclusive  shops  that  Becka  had

promised. They caught glimpses of luxurious goods arrayed in bright  window

displays. Becka slowed down and gestured to the shops with pride.  Yet  the

street was nearly empty. There were hardly any customers in the stores.

"There's no one in the shops," Siri said.

"Not a traditional shopping day," Becka said. "Ah, now, here  are  our

great residences."

Past the shops, the palaces began, made of  stone  and  durasteel  and

glimpsed behind fortified walls. One by one, the grand structures appeared,

framed by lush gardens and sparkling fountains.

"Many of our most substantial citizens live  here,"  Becka  explained.

"One after the other, in luxurious and spacious villas. The boulevard  ends

at the grand palace complex of Great Leader Teda."

Soon a  pair  of  ornate  gates  appeared  ahead.  Becka  stopped  the

airspeeder at  the  security  checkpoint  and  was  admitted.  The  massive

security gates opened. Ahead was a huge palace that sprawled  over  a  lush

landscape of flowers, trees, and shrubs. Flowering vines snaked around  the

trees and the high walls surrounding the compound. Their scent was heavy in

the warm, humid air.

Becka pulled up in front of the main doors.  "It  was  a  pleasure  to

serve you," he said. Then, with an amiable wave, he took off.

The  durasteel  doors  swung  open.  A  short  Romin  man  in  flowing

multicolored  robes  stood  in  the   doorway.   Obi-Wan   recognized   him

immediately. He was surprised. Great Leader Teda had come to  welcome  them

personally.

"Welcome to my world," Teda said, opening his arms wide. "So, what  do

you think of my Romin so far?"

Obi-Wan wondered what the flamboyant Slam  would  say.  "Amazing!"  he

cried. He opened his arms wider than Teda's. "Incredible! We're overcome!"

"I am seeing that this is true by your faces!" Teda answered, beaming.

"We Romins are so proud of  our  world  that  we  are  not  surprised  when

visitors decide they must live here. On behalf of  all  Romins,  I  welcome

you!"

Obi-Wan threw back his purple cloak and gave a short bow. "I am  Slam.

These are my associates, Valadon, Waldo, and Ukiah."

"And I am Great Leader Teda." Teda ignored Anakin and Ferus and headed

directly for Siri. He slipped an arm through hers. "I have  heard  of  your

beauty, but words are nothing next to the reality of the realness  of  you.

Your presence will only add to the beauty of our planet. You  are  prettier

than a cloudflower." He stroked her arm with a finger.

The smile on Siri's face seemed fixed with a strong adhesive.  Obi-Wan

knew she was trying not to recoil from Teda's touch.  "You're  very  kind,"

she purred admiringly.

He kept his face close to hers. He held up one chubby finger. "I speak

only the most truthful truth in everything always. Remember that."

Siri lifted an eyebrow. "Truth in everything always? Then the  reports

are correct. You are a rare being."

Teda hesitated as he puzzled out what Siri  meant.  Then  he  laughed.

"I'm hearing you now, and you have wit! You will return and  have  a  long,

lengthy lunch with me in my private dining room."

"Spoken like a true leader," Siri said through her tight  smile.  "You

are used to being obeyed, I see. You issue invitations like orders."

Teda laughed again. He seemed delighted with everything  Siri  had  to

say. "Again, I am loving  this.  But  unfortunately  as  a  leader  I  have

meetings, too many, always, I am telling you. You don't know the burden  of

my burdens. But I have them and I must attend  to  them."  Reluctantly,  he

dropped Siri's arm. "But first, allow me to ease the difficulties  of  your

first days on Romin. There is a villa nearby, small, but perfect. You  will

stay there. It is for sale, so it is unoccupied and empty right now. If you

wish to buy it, you will buy it. If  not,  you  will  find  something  else

equally as perfect. But for now, you may stay  there  without  payment.  My

gift to you."  His  gaze  lingered  on  Siri.  "Beauty  deserves  beautiful

surroundings."

"That is quite generous," Obi-Wan enthused. "We thank you."  No  doubt

Teda wanted to keep tabs on them. It wasn't a problem. It was  better  that

Teda think that he had them under his thumb.

"Now deputy Hansel will take care of you. For your listening pleasure,

he will tell you a few things about the pleasurable  pleasures  of  Romin."

Teda gave Siri a meaningful look. "I will see  you  all  again  before  too

long. Or sooner, even."

The Great Leader turned abruptly  and  disappeared  into  the  palace.

Another Romin immediately appeared. He had obviously been waiting just  out

of sight.

"I am Hansel. Welcome to Romin. You have already seen something of the

city of Eliior. While we  enjoy  a  thriving  economy,  there  are  several

charities close to the Great Leader's heart that are  short  of  the  funds

they need to fully extend the great steps of progression. There is the Teda

Institute  for  Children,  for  example.  Also,   the   Teda   Gallery   of

Horticultural Treasures of Romin. There are many  native  plants  that  are

sadly in need of extra attention. I tell you this only so that you  realize

that Romin is not absolutely perfect in all areas. It is only correct  that

we do so. Great Leader Teda believes in truth in everything always."

"Yes, he already told us that," Siri  said.  "Naturally,  it  is  true

because he says it is, as he doesn't lie."

Hansel gave Siri a sharp look. Then he nodded politely. "Precisely."

Obi-Wan nudged her to be quiet. Insolence wasn't  going  to  get  them

anywhere. It was obvious that Hansel was the official who had been sent  to

collect the bribe. Discreetly, Obi-Wan pulled out from beneath his  layered

robes a small bag stuffed with credits. "Please allow us to  contribute  to

the needs of Romin's children," he said formally.

"Your generosity is astonishing. I will inform Great  Leader  Teda  of

it. And, in the days or weeks to come, I hope you will  allow  us  to  call

upon you if we find there is an especially pressing need...."

More bribes to come. Obi-Wan bowed his head. "Of course."

"Now,  let  me  arrange  transportation  for  you,"  Hansel  said.  "I

understand that you will be occupying a villa in the secluded section."

"Thank you for your kind offer,  but  may  we  walk?"  Obi-Wan  asked,

purposely modulating his voice. "If you give us directions,  we'd  like  to

stroll to our lodgings. It has been a long journey and before that we were.

.. not able to get much exercise in the open air."

"Of course," Hansel said, not surprised in the least. "I will  arrange

for your things to be delivered. Just walk out the main gate and turn left.

After five homes, you will see the villa. It  is  a  golden  color  with  a

fountain in front. It has a black gate."

The Jedi walked away, several kilograms of credits lighter.

"I can't believe this," Ferus said. "The children of Romin will  never

see those credits."

"Not to mention the plants," Anakin said.

"This isn't a joke," Ferus said. "We just paid a fortune to a crook."

"We knew it was the only way to remain on Romin,"

Anakin said. "It does no good to question the decision now.

"I'm not questioning it," Ferus said defensively. "But I don't have to

like it, either."

Obi-Wan listened to their bickering  but  decided  not  to  interfere.

Anakin and Ferus had to  work  out  their  mutual  dislike  on  their  own.

Besides, he sympathized with Anakin. Ferus's self-righteousness could  wear

on the nerves. Paying the bribe had been a necessary step. It  was  useless

to regret it.

"Teda doesn't seem very bright," Obi-Wan said, changing  the  subject.

"I expected something different."

"He doesn't have to be bright, he just has to be a thug," Siri pointed

out.

"It took us a day to get here, so we only have two days left," Obi-Wan

said. "We should do some reconnaissance of Zan Arbor's house. It should  be

nearby, if we have the right coordinates. We'll do a quick  survey  of  her

security. Then we'd better get settled in the villa. No doubt Great  Leader

Teda will be keeping an eye on us."

A security officer opened the gate for them. They walked down the wide

street, past the grand  walls  behind  which  palaces  crouched,  protected

against invaders.

"I've never seen so many walls and gates in one city  before,"  Anakin

observed. "I guess the criminals here have plenty of enemies."

"That's why they pay Teda so much. For refuge," Obi-Wan said. The four

of them made their way down several long avenues,  trying  to  keep  a  low

profile. "Here is Zan Arbor's villa. Slow just a bit. See without looking."

Seeing without  looking  was  a  Jedi  technique.  Although  they  all

appeared to be strolling by, each of them ticked off every security measure

the villa had.

"The usual and then some," Siri said  once  they'd  passed.  "Security

towers, armed windows, and doors." "Infrared night sensors," Anakin added.

"Rooftop surveillance droids,"  Ferus  said.  "Plus  random  invisible

energy fences on the grounds. This will be tough to break into."

"We'll take the easy way," Obi-Wan said.

"There's an easy way?" Ferus asked.

"There always is," Obi-Wan said. "We just walk in the front door."

CHAPTER FIVE

The Jedi arrived at  their  villa.  It  was  modest,  considering  the

neighborhood, but it was still several cuts above the  places  Obi-Wan  and

Anakin usually stayed on a mission. The sleep couches were deep  and  piled

with luxurious coverlets. The reception  rooms  were  large  and  sunny.  A

garden off the kitchen held flowering plants and flourishing vegetables and

herbs.

"Are you sure we have  to  leave  here  in  two  days?"  Anakin  asked

wonderingly.

Siri was completely uninterested in her surroundings. "They've created

a paradise within the city walls, but  it's  an  empty  one.  There  is  no

economy to speak of. Did you see those stores? Expensive things to buy, but

nobody except Teda and his confederates can afford them.  And  the  workers

live in misery right outside the walls."  She  shook  her  head.  "How  can

anyone enjoy all this, knowing that?"

"It doesn't surprise me," Obi-Wan said. "They are glad they are inside

the city walls, not outside. Now, we'd better get started."  He  turned  to

Anakin and Ferus. "Siri and I will make the first visit  to  Zan  Arbor  to

gather  information.  In  the  meantime,  you  two  should  do  some  basic

reconnaissance.  Walk  the  streets.  Have  conversations.  Note  security,

traffic patterns, and escape routes."

"Any specific objectives in mind?" Ferus asked.  "No,"  Obi-Wan  said.

"You never know what will turn out to be useful later."

"I've studied the maps of the city," Ferus said. "I'm sure I can  plot

possible escape routes or - "

Obi-Wan interrupted him  curtly.  "Maps  are  useful,  but  I  learned

something else from Qui-Gon. A map is not the territory. Go."

The two Padawans hurried off. Siri adjusted  her  utility  belt.  "I'm

assuming you have a plan."

"Almost," Obi-Wan said. "Just follow my lead. Unless..."

"Unless?"

"Unless you'd rather stop off  at  Teda's  for  that  lunch,"  Obi-Wan

teased. He ducked as an overstuffed  pillow,  lifted  by  the  Force,  flew

straight at his head.

It was easy to get an audience with Jenna Zan  Arbor.  Obi-Wan  merely

announced at 'the front gate that Slam  and  Valadon  wished  to  see  her.

Apparently, egomaniacal  evil  scientists  and  master  thieves  needed  no

introduction, for they were ushered inside immediately.

They were led to a room overlooking the gardens  by  a  tall,  hulking

Phlog who was obviously a bodyguard. His gigantic hands pushed open a  pair

of double doors. As he walked through, his head barely cleared the doorway.

Zan Arbor sat in a chair perfectly positioned to backlight her  bright

hair and soften her features. She wore a simple silver gown with  an  azure

belt.

Obi-Wan hadn't seen her in eighteen years. During  that  time  he  had

changed much. He was taller. Older. Less surprised at the galaxy, and  more

rueful. Maybe sadder. On his occasional glimpses in a mirror,  he  saw  the

years on his face. It did not concern him; the fact that the  years  marked

him was inevitable and right. Yet Zan Arbor looked  almost  unchanged  from

when he had known her. No doubt she consulted the best medical data in  the

galaxy to keep herself looking so well-preserved.

Obi-Wan bowed. "Thank you for seeing us."

Even while she smiled a greeting, Zan Arbor's green eyes  ticked  over

him and Siri. "We new arrivals on Romin should stick together,"  she  said.

"Great Leader Teda has told me of your accomplishments. I was eager to make

your acquaintance. Your reputation precedes you."

"As does yours," Obi-Wan complimented.

Zan Arbor waved at two ornate chairs placed in front of her.  As  Obi-

Wan and Siri sat, she began to pour tea from a silver pot.  The  cups  were

made of translucent porcelain that Obi-Wan could see was among  the  finest

the galaxy had to offer. Lovely urns and bowls were  placed  in  a  cabinet

made of gleaming wood with fittings carved  from  rare  stones.  He  looked

around the beautifully appointed room. How had Zan  Arbor  managed  to  set

herself up in such luxury so soon?

"And how are you finding Romin so far?" she asked, handing Siri a  cup

while seeming to notice every detail of her dress, down to  her  bare  legs

and her soft gold boots.      Zan Arbor's lips pressed together in some kind of

disapproval.

"We've only just arrived," Siri said. "But we are delighted to find it

so pleasant and luxurious. Not to mention safe."

"Yes, you will not have to worry here," Zan Arbor said, handing a  cup

to Obi-Wan. "Great Leader Teda protects his friends.  Romin  is  a  perfect

place to retire." She took a sip of tea, lowering her eyelids.

"Or not," Obi-Wan said.

Zan Arbor looked up.

"It is also," Obi-Wan said loudly, "a perfect place from which  to  do

business."

Zan Arbor inclined her head. "That, too. Or so I hear."

"And we are far too young to retire," Siri said,  following  Obi-Wan's

lead.

"As are you, I am sure," Obi-Wan said.

Carefully, Zan Arbor put her teacup down on a  polished  stone  table.

"Perhaps you should tell me why you've come."

"We've come to make the acquaintance of the finest scientific mind  in

the galaxy, it is true," Obi-Wan said, crossing his legs and smoothing  out

some of the feathers attached to his cloak. "We have also come to tempt you

with an offer."

"I assure you, I am retired." Zan Arbor slid an errant blond hair back

into her perfect coiffure. "But I am listening."

"We have a plan that I'm not at liberty  to  discuss  fully,"  Obi-Wan

continued. "It involves a great deal of wealth. A  planetary  treasury,  in

fact. You may have heard that we've had some success in that area. We're  a

modest bunch, but we're most confident we can build on that success."  Obi-

Wan smiled. Wouldn't Slam smile, at this moment? A con man would  toot  his

own horn, but he would do it with a wink. He would seduce his listener.

Zan Arbor seemed to respond to his smile. She waved a  hand,  allowing

him to proceed.

"We have the tech diagrams and  a  detailed  way  to  get  inside  our

target," Obi-Wan said. "We just need help with the guards. If we had an air

delivery system that would  slow  down  or  incapacitate  them  for  twenty

minutes, we could raid the entire treasury."

Zan Arbor gave a tiny smile. "And so you came to me."

"Word has reached us of your experiments on Vanqor,"  Siri  broke  in.

"An exciting development. You have the key to controlling minds. If you can

control minds, you can control fortunes." She shrugged. "It's as simple  as

that."

"Or as complicated."

"We would arrange it so that your involvement  would  remain  hidden,"

Siri continued. "We would take all the risks."

"You would be an equal partner, however," Obi-Wan said.

"We have the false ID docs ready," Siri said. "We can leave  tomorrow.

Tonight, if you wish. You could come aboard our ship,  and  we'd  have  you

back here in two days. No one would even have to know you were gone."

Obi-Wan admired how Siri had picked up on his plan. Once they were  in

space, they could take her back to the prison planet. They  would  put  her

into custody without anyone getting hurt. Obi-Wan was hoping that her greed

would be her undoing.

"A little effort for a great reward," Obi-Wan said. He flashed  her  a

smile again, but this time she did not respond as before. He felt his heart

sink.

"Why would I do this?" Zan Arbor waved a hand. "As you can see, I have

everything I want. Every luxury is here. I live in a  palace.  I  have  the

fastest ship in the galaxy at my disposal. What more do I need?"

"I have found," Obi-Wan said softly, "that there are needs, and  there

are wants. So the question is not what more do you need, but what  more  do

you want?"

She raised an eyebrow, impressed  with  this  despite  herself.  "Very

clever. But I can supply my own wants." She pushed her  tea  tray  away  in

dismissal. "Your little plan sounds intriguing. I wish you luck with it."

"I assure you, the rewards are greater than you can imagine,"  Obi-Wan

said, trying again.

This seemed to amuse Zan Arbor greatly. "I doubt  that."  She  gave  a

small laugh, as though to herself. "There is what I can imagine,  and  what

actually lies ahead. I'm sorry to say that you must have more than this  to

tempt me. But don't take it personally. We  cannot  be  collaborators,  but

we're going to be neighbors. Let us be friends as well."

Pasting a smile on his face, Obi-Wan thought for a moment. He  refused

to believe that Zan Arbor had truly retired. Why  would  she  turn  down  a

chance to raid a planetary treasury with very little risk  to  herself?  Of

course, she might be wary to commit to a plan with a gang she didn't  know.

Yet she had dismissed them quickly and then closed  the  door  against  any

further exploration of working together.

Zan Arbor stood. "This has been lovely. I'm sure we'll meet again. Hue

will see you out."

The same tall  Phlog  appeared.  Zan  Arbor  disappeared  through  the

doorway, leaving a waft of perfume behind.

"Charm him," Obi-Wan quickly whispered to  Siri  as  he  pretended  to

swipe a sweet from the tray.

She looked at Obi-Wan in disbelief. "Are you serious? He's  a  walking

slab of muscle. It would be like charming a side of bantha meat."

"Valadon could do it," Obi-Wan pointed out.

He heard her breath hiss out between her teeth.

Obi-Wan hesitated by the tea table, pretending to finish  his  cup  of

tea. Siri sauntered across the room to Hue. Obi-Wan watched  her  over  the

rim of his cup.

He almost choked. The Siri he knew was gone. This Siri  didn't  stride

across the room. She... wafted. Something happened with her  hips  and  her

legs and her hair. He wasn't sure  what.  He  just  knew  that  they  moved

differently. He just knew that whatever it was, it was female.

Siri locked her blue eyes on the  Phlog's  face.  "You  are  one  tall

specimen, even for a Phlog," she said in a silky voice that was just as new

to Obi-Wan. "You know, I always had a special thing for Phlogs. I feel so..

. protected when I'm around them."

Hue didn't blink, just kept dull dark eyes on Siri's face. "As long as

we're on your side," he said sharply.

She smiled. "Is that  a  threat?  Oooh.  I'd  better  be  on  my  best

behavior."

Oooh? Did I just hear correctly? Obi-Wan couldn't believe it.

"You seem to be doing all right," the Phlog said. "I've always  wanted

my very own bodyguard," Siri purred. "If you  ever  get  tired  of  working

here..."

"I'm tired of working here every day," Hue said. "But I work where the

pay is. Know what I mean?"

"Very wise. I so admire a practical male," Siri cooed.

The slab of meat and muscle that was  the  Phlog  looked  suddenly  as

though his bones were made of  crankcase  oil.  His  hungry  eyes  followed

Siri's every move as she enticed him farther out of the room and  down  the

hallway.

"Could you take just the teeniest moment and  let  me  peek  into  the

gallery?" she asked him. "I'd love to see more of the house."

The Phlog followed Siri in her drifting shimmersilk as though he  were

attached by a string.  Obi-Wan  put  down  his  teacup.  The  Phlog  seemed

smitten, but Obi-Wan doubted he had more than a minute.

He had been busy while chatting  with  Zan  Arbor.  He  had  practiced

seeing without looking. He knew that the intricate and beautiful  cabinetry

concealed something. The joinery at the hinges and openings told him that.

He ran his fingers over the cabinet, calling on the Force to help  his

instinct, his vision, the very cells on his fingertips.  He  wished  Anakin

were here. Anakin's Force connection never failed to astonish him, even  in

his ease with inanimate objects.  Once  Anakin  had  told  him  that  Soara

Antana, the great Jedi fighter, had taught him how to let  walls  speak  to

him. Since then, Anakin had seemed to be able to judge  the  space  between

molecules as well as the objects the molecules made up.

Obi-Wan knew that somewhere in this house was evidence that Zan  Arbor

was planning something. It was an instinct,  based  on  knowledge  of  her.

Greed drove her, of course, but also her ego.  She  was  not  the  type  to

retire.

And when she had said, There is what I can imagine, and what  actually

lies ahead, what had  she  meant?  At  first  he'd  thought  that  she  was

referring to the fact that he could have been overstating  the  rewards  of

his plan. But now he didn't think so. She was making a private reference to

her own plans. Plans that would make his seem puny. That was the reason she

had dismissed them.

Ah... there. Obi-Wan found the invisible  seam.  Another  half  second

later, he found  the  catch.  The  cabinet  opened  silently,  revealing  a

datapad, holofiles, corn-links - a concealed office.

He quickly pressed keys on the datapad. To his  relief,  not  all  the

files were coded. He had so little time. He would have to  start  with  the

last file Zan Arbor had consulted. He keyed in the necessary steps. He,  as

well as Anakin, regularly kept up with the latest techniques from the  tech

expert at the Temple, Jedi Master Toma Hi'llani.

The holofile appeared in front of him. Communications from someone  or

some organization, merely identified with a random series of  numbers  that

changed with every communication. A standard device for concealment.

He scanned it quickly. He could hear Siri's voice  now,  heading  back

toward the reception room, pitched just a bit louder to warn him.  He  read

quickly.

Safe houses arranged...

Officials to bribe have been contacted...

A start date must be decided on with care... Everything depends upon..

.

Obi-Wan whipped out his datapad and slipped in a  miniature  disk.  It

would take only a few seconds to copy the file.

"Oh, can't I just peek into the kitchen? You can't imagine how much  I

love to cook... no?" He could hear the playful petulance in  Siri's  voice,

almost see her mouth pursing in a pout.

Ten seconds to go...

"Now, where did Slam go? I  thought  he  was  right  behind  us.  He's

probably still eating those sweets...." Five seconds...

"Oops, I dropped my scarf..."

Done.

Obi-Wan closed the holofile, slid  the  office  shelf  back  into  the

cabinet, closed the false front, adjusted an urn, closed the cabinet, threw

himself into a chair, and swept the sweets off the tray.  He  stuffed  some

down his tunic and two in his mouth just as they walked in the doors.

"Mmmfffphhh," he said to Siri.

She sighed. "I knew it! You ate them all! So rude, I have to apologize

for him. We'll be going now."

Giving Hue  a  last  flirtatious  smile,  Siri  beckoned  to  Obi-Wan.

Followed by the heavy tread of the Phlog, they accessed the front door  and

escaped into the sunlight.

"That had better be worth it," Siri said.

"It was," Obi-Wan said. "Zan Arbor is planning  something.  I  made  a

copy of a work disk. Some of the files are coded. I can try to  crack  them

back at the villa.

Siri shuddered. "I think that Phlog left fingerprints on my arm."

"Oooh," Obi-Wan teased.

Siri raised an eyebrow at him as they walked. "If  you  want  to  stay

alive," she warned, "don't ever make that sound again."

CHAPTER SIX

They had seen the rich part of the city, so Anakin and Ferus  searched

out the scruffier streets, the places where commerce took place. Here there

were small shops and businesses and warehouses, the engine  that  made  the

city run. It didn't take them long to realize how great the poverty of  the

workers was in contrast to the grand palaces in Teda's section of the city,

and they weren't even outside the city walls yet.

Anakin's heart swelled with disgust. He had to concentrate to keep his

breathing even. He had grown up with injustice. He had  tasted  it  in  his

mouth like the sand that filled the air of Tatooine. The hatred he felt was

bred in his bones.

"I hope one day Teda will pay for his crimes," Ferus said quietly. "He

is robbing his citizens."

"He is killing them," Anakin said fiercely. "You don't know what  it's

like to be them. I do."

He had spoken angrily, dismissively. But Ferus didn't take offense. He

merely nodded.

"Yes, you do," he agreed. "That is your great strength, Anakin."

His strength? Anakin had always thought of it as his weakness.

They were close to the wall now. They didn't want to  get  too  close,

for fear of alerting the security droids to  their  presence.  Still,  they

wanted to observe the checkpoints. If access to their ship was suddenly cut

off, would they be able to slip out of the city and disappear?

A shadow seemed  to  pass  over  him,  although  the  bright  sun  was

overhead. Anakin felt a Force surge, a warning. "Someone is tailing us," he

told Ferus.

Ferus didn't turn. "I didn't see anyone."

"I feel it."

After a moment, Ferus spoke. "I feel it, too."

"Let's lead whoever it is on and then double back and see who it  is,"

Anakin suggested.

They picked up their pace slightly, weaving in and out of  alleys  and

staying in the shadows of the buildings. This close to the  security  wall,

the section was run-down. Water ran down the  gutters  and  pooled  in  the

cracking pavement. Warehouses looked old  and  badly  in  need  of  repair.

Occasionally they heard the scuttling of rodent creatures.

They turned a corner to  a  short  block.  Ahead,  three  dark  alleys

radiated out and were swallowed up in darkness. Perfect.

They didn't have to talk. They both began to run. They darted into the

middle alley. Using cable  launchers,  they  climbed  to  the  top  of  the

warehouse. From this vantage point they would see whoever was tailing them.

Below they saw a Romin cautiously move  forward,  gazing  around  with

every step. He looked familiar. "It's Hansel," Anakin said. "Come on."

He jumped to an overhang below, then down to the  street  directly  in

front of Hansel. Ferus followed a split second later.

Hansel gave a small yelp and jumped backward in fright.

"Looking for us?" Anakin asked.

Hansel tried to disguise his involuntary start of fear. He coughed and

straightened his robes. "Ah, as a matter of fact, yes." He looked at  them,

his golden eyes speculative. "I did not expect to have to follow you here."

"Just doing a little sight-seeing," Ferus said.

"Let me assure both of you," Hansel said, "there are better sights  to

be seen. A curious choice, on your part."

"We got lost. What can we do for you?" Anakin asked.

"I am to deliver an invitation," Hansel said. "To  Slam  and  Valadon.

And the two of you, of course. Great Leader  Teda  is  having  a  reception

tomorrow evening and wishes you all to attend. Everyone will be there.  You

will meet many like yourselves."

"We accept, with pleasure," Ferus said.

"Be  sure  to  give  the  message  to  Valadon,"  Hansel  said.  "Teda

especially wishes her to be there." "She wouldn't miss it," Anakin said.

"I will inform Great Leader Teda," Hansel said.  "Now,  no  doubt  you

would like to continue your... sight-seeing."

He bowed and walked off, moving quickly.

"An invitation could've been sent to our  villa.  He  suspects  us  of

something," Ferus said.

"He just doesn't know what," Anakin said. "But we'll be gone before he

figures it out. Well, I guess we should head back."

"I guess," Ferus said. "It's hard to know when we're done,  isn't  it?

We had no clear objective. I like a clear objective. Otherwise I feel  like

I'm getting it wrong."

Anakin looked at him curiously as they began to walk. "I didn't  think

you ever thought you were wrong."

"I know that's what other Padawans think. It's because I  try  not  to

let it show. Don't you?"

Anakin snapped his mouth shut. Just when he thought he'd have a normal

conversation with Ferus, he got caught up short again. Ferus was trying  to

trap him. He wanted him to admit weakness so he'd have something on him.

"This whole mission is unclear," Ferus went  on,  not  realizing  that

Anakin had stiffened beside him. "I'll be happy when - "

The Force surged again. But this time it was too late.  Caught  up  in

their conversation and the relief of finding that it was  only  Hansel  who

had tailed them, they had let down their guard.

Their attackers came from behind on airspeeders. They used  cables  to

knock Anakin and Ferus off their feet. Black hoods were thrown  over  their

heads and tied shut.

Anakin rolled away from their attackers and rose to his  feet  in  one

fluid motion, ready to fight but not revealing his lightsaber. The hood was

fastened in a way he couldn't figure out. That wasn't  a  problem.  He  had

learned to fight in darkness; it was part of  his  Jedi  training.  But  on

Romin they were under strict orders not to  use  their  lightsabers  unless

they absolutely had to. They had to retain their cover as part of the  Slam

gang.

Which meant they might learn more if they  allowed  themselves  to  be

kidnapped. He could resist later. Anakin hoped that Ferus had come  to  the

same conclusion.

He felt himself being shoved into a vehicle. Ferus hit the  seat  next

to him.

"Any ideas?" Ferus grunted in a whisper.

"We might as well see who kidnapped us,  and  why,"  Anakin  whispered

back. "I think you just got your clear objective, Ferus."

A snort came from under  Ferus's  hood.  "I  would  have  preferred  a

different method. But thanks."

CHAPTER SEVEN

The hood was suddenly wrenched off  Anakin's  head.  He  took  a  deep

breath of fresh air.

Only the air wasn't fresh. It was dank and murky, not much better than

the hot, close air under the hood.

"That's right," a masculine voice said in a tone edged  with  sarcasm.

"Take a deep breath of the wholesome country air of Teda Estates."

Anakin couldn't see who spoke. A bright light was in his eyes, and the

rest of the room was in deep shadow. Ferus was next to him, his chin up  as

he tried to blink against the light. Anakin tensed, as if for  a  blow.  He

was ready to fight at any moment.

"Relax. We don't want to hurt you. We want to hire  you.  For  stang's

sake, B, turn off that light."

The light went out. Now the only light came from small windows cut  in

some sort of wooden structure. Water pooled on the hard-packed dirt  floor.

Anakin could hear the steady drip, drip of bad plumbing.

A Romin male emerged from the shadows. He was tall and slender. Energy

seemed to be collected in his muscles and radiated out  from  his  gestures

and his pale eyes of light gold. The  rest  of  the  group  stayed  in  the

shadows.

"Sorry for the method," the tall Romin said. He  pointed  to  Anakin's

mask. "At least you are used to masks."

"Not really," Anakin said.

"We can't exactly issue nice personal invitations the  way  our  Great

Leader can. We needed to talk to you, and we needed to do  it  without  any

prying eyes or ears. We have a proposition."

"Who are you?" Ferus asked.

"My name is Joylin," the Romin answered. He brought a  chair  over  by

hooking his foot over the rail and dragging  it.  He  sat  astride,  facing

them. "I am the leader of the resistance on this planet. My face  and  name

are well known to Teda. There's no need for  concealment.  My  compatriots,

however, are less well known and will remain  hidden  from  you.  The  only

thing you need to know is that there are many of us,  and  we  do  not  all

reside beyond the wall."

Which, Anakin reasoned, meant there were resistance members, or spies,

in the city itself.

"What do you want with us?" Anakin asked. "We  only  just  arrived  on

Romin."

"Exactly," Joylin said. "You do not yet have ties here.  You  have  no

friends, no loyalties. So you don't need  to  betray  anyone  to  help  us.

Instead, you will do a straight trade. We will pay you, and you  will  help

us. We are in need of your special skills."

"Why should we help you?" Ferus asked.

"Because  you  are  thieves,  and  we  will  pay  you,"  Joylin   said

impatiently. "And if you wish to remain on Romin, it would be a  good  idea

to be on the winning side."

"The winning side? Are you going up against Teda and expecting to win?

" Ferus looked around at the decaying structure. He was  playing  the  game

well, Anakin saw. A member of the Slams would naturally be incredulous  and

disdainful.

He decided to give Ferus the  lead.  In  contrast,  he  would  be  the

sympathetic one. They needed to find out as much as they could  about  this

group.

"We will win because we have to  win."  Joylin  spoke  without  anger,

without bravado. "What never fails to amuse me is when beings underestimate

the power of desperation."

Ferus said nothing. Anakin waited.

Joylin spread his arms. "This is how we live on the other side of  the

wall. This is a typical dwelling. The only  difference  is,  two  or  three

families are usually crowded within its walls. Disease is rampant. Many  of

our children die before their second birthday. The ones who survive have no

hope of getting better than a menial position, of  traveling  to  the  city

once a day to rake a lawn, clean a sewer, fix a dataport."

"We have nothing to do with your troubles," Ferus said.

"Ah, of course not. You just take advantage of them.  You  accept  the

offer of a tyrant for a hideout."

Anakin broke in. "Are you going to insult us or offer us a job?"

A strained smile creased Joylin's face.  "Right.  Okay,  here  is  the

offer. We'll pay double your going rate for stealing  a  certain  piece  of

information at Teda's villa. We've been waiting for  the  right  events  to

coincide, and at last they have.  Teda  is  giving  a  big  reception,  and

thieves with special skills have arrived on Romin."

"You want us to steal from Teda?" Ferus blustered. "Forget it!"

"What do you want us to steal?" Anakin asked quickly.

"A small item from his private  office,"  Joylin  said.  "It  contains

information that will guarantee our success. Within a short time we will be

able to take over the government. Which means you will be the only group of

criminals allowed to stay on Romin. Each member of your gang will be  given

lifetime citizenship. As long as you don't break Romin's  laws,  you'll  be

welcome here."

"Keep talking," Anakin said. "We need more to take back to our boss."

"We happen to know that in Teda's study there is a list of codes  that

control  the  security  gates  to  all  official  government  offices   and

residences, as well as the sheltered criminals."

"Wait a minute." Anakin pretended not to understand. "Are you  telling

us that Teda has access to everyone's personal security?"

Joylin nodded. "It's not a secret. Most of them accept it as the price

for staying on Romin. He says he needs to be able to lock down  the  palace

neighborhood in case of unrest."

"How do you know he has the codes in his residence?" Ferus asked.

"You will have to trust that  our  information  is  accurate,"  Joylin

said. "We have someone on the inside."

"Can that someone help us get into the palace?" Anakin asked.

"No," Joylin said. "We can't compromise our agents. Besides, you don't

need help. You have an invitation to a reception, don't you?  That  is  the

night we want you to steal the codes."

"How do you know we've been invited?" Ferus challenged.

"We know," Joylin said. "I told you, there are many of us.  Enough  to

ensure success, if we strike quickly and decisively."

Anakin looked at Ferus. It was strange. He didn't even like Ferus, but

now that they were together in this situation, he could  read  him  without

speaking. They were in tune. They needed to get  more  information.  To  do

that, they had to draw Joylin out. They would do it in tandem.

Ferus shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we have to refuse."

Joylin's face tightened. "Can you tell me your objections?"

"Delighted," Ferus said. "You're asking us to stake our  future  on  a

bet. That normally wouldn't be a problem. We risk our future all the  time.

But the reason we're successful is that we're careful. You're asking us  to

make a powerful man our enemy, just when he's offered us safe refuge."

"This is not a safe  refuge,"  Joylin  argued.  "I  assure  you,  your

protection will disappear. Unless you throw your support  to  the  ultimate

winners."

"But if we don't steal the codes, you have no  chance,"  Ferus  argued

back.

"There will still be  a  revolt,"  Joylin  said.  "It  just  won't  be

bloodless. You will be in more  danger  the  other  way,  because  I  won't

protect you."

Ferus started to say something, but Anakin broke in. It  was  time  to

draw Joylin in. Sometimes Anakin wasn't sure if it was  the  Force  or  his

instincts, but he was getting better at seeing inside beings, sensing their

fears and motivations. Joylin might be sitting casually, but  Anakin  could

feel his urgency. And underneath the urgency, fear. The Slams could be  his

last chance.

"We still need more information," Anakin said carefully.  "Surely  you

can see that we can't simply take your word for what you say."

"I'm hardly about to compromise the safety of those in the  resistance

just to reassure you," Joylin said.

"We're not asking you to reveal identities or  secrets,"  Anakin  told

him. "But what makes you think you can overthrow Teda so easily?  When  are

you going to do it? What will happen when you do?  You  are  asking  us  to

trust you. You must trust us. We are taking a risk for you. You must do the

same."

Joylin hesitated. He looked at both of them. He did not glance  behind

at the watching, shadowy group.

It's his decision, Anakin thought. He's the boss.

"The revolt is to be the night of the reception," Joylin said.

Someone behind him gasped. Someone else said, "No!"

Joylin only half turned. "We must tell them! Once they know, they will

help us." He turned back to Anakin and Ferus. "We'll  start  by  disrupting

communication systems - just some low-level interference at first. We  have

already infiltrated Teda's Security Management Control. We have one  chance

to sabotage the CIP controls for the droid army that Teda uses  to  control

the city and guard the wall. If we strike that blow simultaneously with the

capture of all government officials and Teda himself, we  can  win  without

bloodshed. We'll simply lock the officials and their personal troops inside

their houses. Without the officials, without the droid army,  we  can  take

over."

Ferus and Anakin didn't say anything for a moment. "You can assure  us

that the droid army will be in your control?" Ferus asked.

"Yes."

"You will pay us double the rate?" Anakin asked. He named the figure.

"We have it. It has taken years," Joylin said.  "Every  family,  every

individual, has gone without in order to feed our treasury."

"We're not interested in how you got it," Ferus said with  a  wave  of

his hand. "But we need to assure for ourselves that you do  have  it.  Half

before, half after the revolt."

"Agreed," Joylin said.

"We need more detailed information on where we can  find  the  codes,"

Anakin said, all business now.

"All you have to do is get beyond the guards. I  understand  that  you

are somewhat expert at that."

Anakin and Ferus nodded. "We must take this back to Slam and Valadon,"

Anakin said. "We will need a way to contact you."

"We will be contacting you tomorrow morning," Joylin said. "Don't look

for us. We'll be there. Now, I'll escort you as far as the wall.  I'm  sure

you were told it is planted with cloudflower vines. It may not surprise you

to find that isn't the case. Like peace and justice on Romin, the  name  of

the wall is just an illusion."

Anakin and Ferus stood. "Just one more thing," Anakin said.

Joylin looked at him. With a deal so close to being made, his  anxiety

had increased. Anakin could feel it humming like a charge in the air.

"We are interested in one of the  residents  here,"  Anakin  continued

casually. "A scientist named Jenna  Zan  Arbor.  You  must  guarantee  safe

passage for her off-planet. We will arrange transportation."

Ferus's eyes flickered with surprise at  Anakin's  proposal.  What  if

Joylin backed out? Anakin knew he wouldn't. Joylin was good at concealment.

It was most likely a way of life for him. But Anakin could feel his hunger.

If the coup went through as planned, Zan Arbor would be  desperate  to

get away. The Slams could offer her a way out. With the collapse  of  Teda,

her security would crumble. She would need help.

"That is not a problem," Joylin said. "As long as you are in."

CHAPTER EIGHT

"He tells us there is no risk, but of course  there  is  risk,"  Ferus

said later that evening. Obi-Wan, Siri, Anakin, and Ferus had eaten a  meal

around a tiled table in a small, lovely room overlooking the  garden.  They

were careful to speak of nothing of consequence during the meal.  They  had

to assume that the villa had listening devices. But afterward they had gone

into the garden. Then they had continued the discussion that had begun when

Anakin and Ferus had first returned to the villa and  beckoned  to  Obi-Wan

and Siri to come outside.

"It's a risk worth taking," Anakin said. Obi-Wan was glad to hear that

there was not the usual edge in his  voice.  Anakin  was  disagreeing  with

Ferus. That was usual. But he was doing it  without  resentment.  That  was

good.

Their adventure together had brought Anakin and Ferus closer.  Obi-Wan

didn't delude himself that they were friends. But he  did  think  something

had changed.

He kept only half his attention on the argument, letting the words  of

the others wash over him. With the other half of his mind, he was  flipping

through the holofile he'd copied at Zan Arbor's. He had read every word  of

the uncoded files, enough to tell that she was planning  a  new  operation,

this time with partners. Everything depends upon secrecy and speed.

The rest of the files were coded, and he had tried the most  difficult

formulas he knew to break the code. He had called for help from the  Temple

and had worked with one of their codebreakers. No luck.

Siri was  hanging  back,  letting  the  two  apprentices  discuss  the

situation. It was good for them to do so, and they were doing it well.

"If we help them, we will be actively supporting an overthrow of power

on a planet," Ferus said. "We have no Senate authorization to do so."

"We are not the ones overthrowing Teda,"  Anakin  objected.  "And  the

citizens of Romin are suffering. If  we  can  help  them  and  achieve  our

mission, why shouldn't we?"

"Because it can get out of control," Ferus argued.

"Joylin can surprise us. We don't know anything about this  resistance

movement. We don't know  who  they  are  or  what  they  want,  apart  from

overthrowing Teda."

"They  are  an  established  resistance  group,"  Siri  broke  in.  "I

contacted Jocasta Nu to ask about them. They have been put down  in  brutal

reprisals, but the movement has been growing steadily in response to Teda's

crackdowns.  Madame  Nu  believes  there  may  be  support  within   Teda's

government as well. They, too, are tired of living in fear. Teda's  prisons

are notorious and overcrowded,  and  you  earn  a  harsh  sentence  if  you

displease him. She would not be surprised if many in the army desert.  Many

of them have families who live outside the wall. They  know  firsthand  the

misery and poverty there."

"You see?" Anakin  said.  "Joylin  and  his  group  are  fighting  for

justice. As we are. We can help them and bring Zan Arbor back to the prison

world. You're making this complicated, Ferus. It isn't."

I'm making this too complicated, Obi-Wan thought. It isn't.

He thought for a moment, remembering Zan Arbor's primary obsession. He

keyed it in as a password: The Force.

The files opened like the motion-sensor doors at the Warm Welcome  Inn

on Coruscant. One after the  other  they  flashed  code  accepted.  Obi-Wan

accessed the first file. The voices of the others  faded  as  he  began  to

scroll through the information.

A chill ran over him, even though the  night  was  warm.  The  letters

pulsed before his eyes. A name he hadn't expected to see. Yet shouldn't  he

have been prepared for it? Wouldn't Zan Arbor  naturally  gravitate  toward

the most  powerful  criminal  in  the  galaxy,  one  with  the  wealth  and

organization to help her with any  scheme  she  might  devise?  Or  had  he

contacted her, the one scientist brilliant and amoral enough to  join  with

him? Didn't they share the obsession with the Force and how it worked?

Granta Omega.

A copy of a message, a profuse thank you from Zan  Arbor  for  Omega's

hosting of their first meeting.

A quick message saying she had to evacuate the Vanqor system and would

be in touch.

A confirmation of their next meeting, in which she  alluded  to  their

shared interest in the Force.

Another letter, promising to destroy  all  written  records  of  their

correspondence, a promise that of course she  had  not  kept,  possibly  as

security.

Obi-Wan flipped through the next file. The two of them  were  careful.

They never said exactly what they were  planning.  Yet  it  was  clear  the

operation would take place on a large planet in the Core. It would net them

not only wealth, but influence.

Siri's voice broke through his thoughts.

"I've listened to you both very carefully, as has Obi-Wan," she  said,

shooting him a chastising look, for it was clear to her that he hadn't been

paying attention in the least. "You both make valid points. We must make  a

decision, however. I think we should go ahead and help Joylin's group. Obi-

Wan?"

"There is another factor we must consider," Obi-Wan said. "These files

indicate that Zan Arbor is in league with Granta Omega."

"Omega!" Anakin exclaimed in surprise.

Siri and Ferus suddenly became grave. They all  knew  that  these  two

powerful criminal minds could do more than double the damage if they became

partners.

Obi-Wan met Siri's eyes. She nodded.

"We are going to help the resistance," Obi-Wan said. "We will take the

risk. We need to get Zan Arbor off  this  planet.  We  only  have  tomorrow

before our cover could be blown. The best chance we have is if  she  thinks

her safety here is compromised. We will offer her a way out. She will  have

to take it. There is only one thing."

Siri cocked an eyebrow at him. He noted that she looked her old  self,

in her tunic and leggings. It was as if the sight of her  in  her  drifting

shimmersilk had been an apparition.

"We might not want to take her to the prison  planet,"  he  continued.

"If we do it right, she could lead us to Omega himself."

"We would have to contact Mace," Siri said.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I think he would agree. I'll contact him tonight.  It

will help us if he can start working on Senate approval for us to help  the

revolt. But it won't come in time."

Suddenly, their mission had grown in importance. Granta Omega could be

within their grasp again. This time, Obi-Wan would not lose him.

"We can decide where to take Zan Arbor another  time,"  Obi-Wan  said.

"But we should all agree that if we can track Omega through her, we will."

"I agree," Siri said quietly.

"I do, too," Anakin said.

Ferus nodded.

"Now let's all get some sleep," Obi-Wan said. Nevertheless, he knew he

would not.

Romin had only one moon, but it was a large, luminous satellite.  That

night its light seemed enormous to Obi-Wan. It kept him from the  sleep  he

tried vainly to reach.

At last he gave up. He rose from his sleep couch,  opened  the  double

doors to the stone patio outside, and walked into the fragrant garden.  The

air felt heavy. The heat from the day had lingered. Obi-Wan moved among the

flowering shrubs. He found the play of moonlight on the glossy leaves  more

calming than lying on his sleep couch, waiting to feel drowsy. He would let

the sights and sounds around him lull him into a kind of relaxation that he

hoped would be as restorative as sleep.

He followed a path crowded with bushes that  suddenly  opened  into  a

small grassy  clearing.  Ferus  sat  cross-legged  in  the  middle  of  the

clearing, his eyes closed. Obi-Wan stopped, not wishing to disturb him.

He was turning to go back to the house when Ferus spoke.

"You couldn't sleep either, Master Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan moved forward. He sat on the  grass  next  to  Ferus.  It  was

slightly damp and smelled sweet.

"There are many questions on my  mind,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "Sleep  won't

come."

"We face a great enemy," Ferus said. "And now we find that  she's  met

with a greater one."

"Exactly."

"And that is why you and my Master made your decision  this  evening,"

Ferus said.

"You don't agree." Obi-Wan spoke carefully.

"I don't disagree," Ferus said. "I recognize that  I  don't  have  the

experience to refute what you say."

Obi-Wan stifled a sigh. He could see why Anakin had a hard  time  with

Ferus.  Ferus  always  said  the  correct  thing.  Obi-Wan  preferred   the

spontaneity of his own apprentice.

"I sense your impatience," Ferus went on. "You think I  only  say  the

correct thing just to impress you or my Master."

"I don't think that," Obi-Wan said. "Well, not exactly."

"Can I help it if the Jedi wisdom I have learned by rote speaks to  my

heart?" Ferus asked. "I don't say things because they will  please  you.  I

say them because I feel they are true. It's always been that way,  from  my

earliest memory of the Temple. When I  was  taught,  it  was  as  though  I

already knew. Every Jedi lesson seemed to fit a groove inside my mind  that

had already been worn. It was why learning was so easy for me."

"You have a great connection to the Force," Obi-Wan  said.  "No  doubt

that is why."

"So does Anakin," Ferus pointed out. "Far greater than mine. I can see

that. Yet he did not have the problems I did at the  Temple.  He  has  made

great friends there."

Obi-Wan was surprised. "But you were popular in your  class.  Everyone

looked up to you."

"Yes, I was the one whom everybody liked, but whom  nobody  wanted  to

talk to. I was welcome at every table in the eating areas, but not  invited

to any particular one. Everyone was my friend, but nobody was my particular

friend." Ferus picked some grass and let it fall idly through his  fingers.

"I've heard the names they call me. A tunic stuffed with feathers  and  the

Force. The ruler of Planet Dull."

Obi-Wan frowned. He had not known these things.

Ferus waved a hand. "It's all right. It's all  true,  isn't  it?  I've

never been able to joke like the others. I  know  I  can  be  pompous,  too

correct. I never learned how to tease the other students. They came  to  me

for help with their studies, they looked to me  for  answers,  but  no  one

wanted to be my friend. Not my true friend, the way Anakin has Tru Veld and

Darra."

Was it a trick of the moonlight, or did Ferus  suddenly  look  younger

than his years? Usually, he looked much older. His noble features  and  the

streak of gold in his dark hair had given him a look of maturity early on.

But now he looked uncertain, questioning. Young.

"You will find friendships later  in  life,"  Obi-Wan  said,  after  a

pause. "Friendships are hard to  maintain  for  the  Jedi.  It  is  why  we

treasure them. Let go of your longing, and what you want will come."

"Or else I am meant to stay the way I am," Ferus said. "I wish  I  had

what Anakin has. His connection  to  the  Force  is  strong,  yet  he  also

connects to beings very strongly."

"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed. "I've seen this. It's  something  Qui-Gon  Jinn

had, too."

"I know that Anakin will never be my friend. He knows I fear for  him.

I give him warnings when I know I shouldn't, when I know it's  none  of  my

business. So he resents me. I thought in the beginning...  since  I  was  a

little older... that I could tell him things that other students  couldn't.

It's just I see things a fellow student would see."

Here it was. Ferus had been leading to this. He  wanted  to  tell  him

something. Obi-Wan felt impatient with him, but he calmed the  impulse.  He

felt protective of Anakin. Ferus didn't understand him. He had always  been

the correct student, the one who did everything right. He could  not  begin

to know the fears and regrets Anakin had to deal with.

"And what do you see, Ferus?"

"I fear for him," Ferus said quietly. "To admire him and feel fear for

him at the same time didn't make sense to me. It took me  a  long  time  to

understand why I feared for him. I wanted to be sure there was no  envy  in

it."

"Do you envy him?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I suppose all the students do, in a way,"  Ferus  said.  "He  is  the

Chosen One. But what worries me is his will." Ferus hesitated.  "His  power

is so great that he thinks his judgment is as well. You saw  his  arguments

tonight. He sees something is right, so therefore he must do it. He  argues

against you without hearing  you.  He  thinks  he  can  change  situations,

beings. Maybe he can't do it alone, not yet. But someday he will. Should we

trust someone who always believes he speaks  with  the  voice  of  absolute

right?"

That is it, Obi-Wan thought. That is what I see.  What  surprised  him

was that it was coming out of the mouth of one of  Anakin's  peers,  a  boy

only a year or two older than Anakin, someone who had only been on a couple

of missions with him.

Ferus is always watching me, Anakin had told Obi-Wan resentfully.

And so Ferus was.  But  Ferus's  mature  judgment  surprised  Obi-Wan.

Surprised him and irritated him, he had to admit. Ferus did not  allow  for

the goodness of Anakin's heart. He did not see how hard  Anakin  tried.  He

did not know that Anakin questioned himself all the time.

"You are very observant, Ferus, but you must accept that  I  know  him

better than you," Obi-Wan said carefully. "Anakin can be arrogant.  I  know

that. But he is also learning and growing. He is respectful  of  his  great

power. He does not abuse it. He is younger than you, but he has  seen  much

injustice, many terrible things. I do not think it so wrong that  he  wants

to change things. You must understand that it isn't  ambition  that  drives

him. It is compassion."

Ferus nodded slowly. "I will think about what  you  said."  He  stood.

"Please know that I say these things only because he is the Chosen One, and

the stakes are so high. Good night, Master Kenobi."

"Good night," Obi-Wan said.

He could have said more, but it wasn't appropriate to debate  Anakin's

character with another apprentice. He would have to  sift  through  Ferus's

words and ponder them. He would have to let go of his  impulse  to  protect

Anakin and search for the truth in what Ferus had said. Ferus  had  touched

on his own fears, and he needed to think about that.

He breathed in the night air. Not tonight, he decided. He  valued  his

new confidence in Anakin. He needed to guard it. He needed to  forget  what

he feared, just for a little while longer. He wanted to  treasure  what  he

had.

CHAPTER NINE

They could see the lights and hear the noise before they  even  passed

through  the  security  check.  Teda's  villa  was  ablaze   with   colored

laserlights. Tableaus of different worlds renowned for their natural beauty

were arranged on the grounds. Each scene was a small-scale replica of  that

world's greatest landmarks.

"Dremulae, Off-Canau,  Xagobah,  Belazura,"  Ferus  said,  naming  the

worlds as they walked by. Native flowers from each  of  the  worlds  wafted

delicate scents into the air. Servers walked about with repulsorlift  trays

carrying an array of native foods.

The biggest tableau was for Romin itself.  A  small-scale  replica  of

Eliior had been built out of massed flowers.  There  were  models  of  Teda

Park, the Teda Institute for Advanced  Study,  and  the  Roy  Teda  Colored

Fountain of Lights.  At  the  party,  the  Cloudflower  Wall  was  actually

fashioned out of cloudflowers. To  reach  the  Romin  display,  the  guests

walked under a large arch upon which laserlights spelled  out  the  message

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORLD OF ALL WORLDS.

The party was crowded with Romins and others who lived in  the  palace

district, all dressed in their finest. The Jedi had likewise worn the  rich

robes of the Slams, wanting to blend in.  Siri  had  chosen  a  shimmersilk

sleeveless tunic in colors that shifted from blue to green to silver as she

moved, the colors of the sea as the day moved from dawn  to  twilight.  She

had refused to wear the matching green slippers, however,  pulling  on  her

travel boots instead.

"Just in case I have to run from Teda," she said.

Obi-Wan felt awkward wearing a heavy septsilk  tunic  in  one  of  the

purple shades that Slam was so fond of. It was heavy and stiff, embroidered

with gold thread and tiny jewels. Anakin and  Ferus  had  dressed  in  less

elaborate fashion, pulling on simple tunics in navy and gold.

"The security is tight," Obi-Wan said  as  his  eyes  noted  the  many

agents, some overt and some secret, in the throng.

"Just what we'd expect," Siri said. "Joylin told us that the  door  to

his study won't be armed."

"Let's hope he's right. But first, we'd better say hello to our host."

"Do we have to?" Siri groaned.

It wasn't easy to find Teda in the crush of  the  crowd.  They  bumped

into Becka, the officer who had  checked  them  in  at  the  spaceport.  He

greeted them happily, with a flushed face and outstretched arms.

"My new arrivals! How glad I am that you are here! Have you tried  the

delicacies from the different worlds? Can I get you a plate of food?"

"We're looking for Great Leader Teda," Obi-Wan  said.  "We'd  like  to

thank him for his hospitality."

"I saw him in the house," Becka said. "He  checks  every  detail.  How

lucky we are to have such a leader! Let me take you to him."

Becka led them quickly  through  the  throng.  The  grand  palace  was

decorated as lavishly as the grounds. Banks of flowers were massed  in  the

hallways. Tables with punch and food were set up in every corner. Different

bands of musicians played in different rooms, so that the hallways  were  a

mass of noise in which one couldn't pick out  a  single  tune.  It  was  as

though one party wasn't enough for Teda. He had to pile ten parties on  top

of one another to make one big extravaganza. There was  so  much  food  and

drink and music and so many flowers that guests lurched about in a daze, as

though they were droids with overloaded sensors.

They saw Teda's broad back ahead. Obi-Wan heard his  voice  above  the

crowd. He was berating a server in a white tunic.

"You were instructed not to serve the dame apple turnovers until after

the skewered runis!" he said. He wasn't shouting, but the words were hissed

in such white-hot anger that they seemed charged with turbo power.

The server's face now matched his tunic. "I was told in the kitchen  -

"

With a casualness that shocked Obi-Wan to  the  core,  Teda  lifted  a

small electrojabber and struck a hard blow against the server's knees.  The

server crumpled, eyes wide. He knew better than to cry out against the pain

Becka, too, went pale.

"Our leader, so forceful, so strong," he murmured. "How lucky  we  are

to have him." Becka backed away and disappeared into the crowd.

Obi-Wan didn't blame him. In a world ruled by an unpredictable tyrant,

citizens had to rely on an instinct for flight to stay healthy.

Teda turned. Obi-Wan was surprised again. There was no sign  of  anger

on his face, just a slight tautness around his mouth. It was as if the rage

had never existed.

He held out his arms to the Jedi. "Welcome, Slams! Now the  party  can

begin! Have you eaten? Have you met new friends?" He came forward  and  put

his arms through Obi-Wan's and Siri's. It took an  effort  for  Obi-Wan  to

allow it. He knew Siri felt the same.

Other servers had rushed to  help  their  fallen  comrade.  They  half

carried, half dragged him toward the kitchens.

"The theme of the party is paradise," Teda continued.  "I've  gathered

all the best of the galaxy for the citizens of Romin. Even though the  best

of the best is already here, ha-ha!"

Not all the citizens. Only the ones that you favor, Obi-Wan thought as

he said, smiling politely, "Thank you for inviting us."

Teda withdrew his arms from theirs. "Now, don't get stuck  talking  to

an old man like me. Go enjoy yourselves!" He smiled at  Siri  meaningfully.

"I will check on you later."

Teda hurried over to greet some new arrivals.

"I can't believe what I just saw," Ferus said.  "He  hit  that  server

with an electrojabber with no more emotion  than  if  he  were  swatting  a

squeeterfly."

"And you doubt that we are  doing  the  right  thing  in  helping  the

revolt?" Anakin asked.

Siri changed the subject. "Ferus and I will check out the security  on

the target," she said.

"I'll check out the perimeter of the palace," Anakin said. "We  should

map out an escape route just in case. Let's remember: We  don't  have  much

time."

That left Obi-Wan without much to do. Joylin  had  told  him  that  he

could not attempt a theft of the codes until after midnight. He had time to

kill.

He moved through the crowd, hoping for a glimpse of Jenna  Zan  Arbor.

He didn't know if he would approach her, but he wanted to keep tabs on her,

just the same. He wondered what her relations with  Teda  were.  It  seemed

from the files he'd read that Teda had invited her to come to  Romin  after

she was forced to flee Vanqor. Was there a connection to Omega?  Had  Omega

pressured Teda to invite Zan Arbor?

Obi-Wan drifted toward a table with assorted drinks. He chose a  glass

of juice made from the native quint-berry fruit of Romin. He took a sip and

made a face. It was very sweet.

Joylin had given him explicit instructions on where to find the  codes

and where the security triggers would be. Joylin  was  counting  on  Slam's

conning expertise to get past the guards.  Obi-Wan  would  simply  use  the

Force. If he was lucky, he could be back in the villa very soon  after  the

theft. But if the revolt really did take place  that  night,  he  would  go

another night without sleep.

Suddenly, his senses went on alert. A young man with a tired, handsome

face was heading toward the drinks table.

Obi-Wan knew that face from text docs he had studied. He did not  need

the Force to warn him.

He looked around. There was nowhere to go.

"Hey, a fellow thirsty traveler," the man said to Obi-Wan,  pouring  a

glass of juice. "Some party, huh? I'm Slam."

CHAPTER TEN

Obi-Wan thought quickly. By the open, unguarded look on  Slam's  face,

he doubted that Slam knew someone was impersonating him.

"I've only just arrived," Slam said in an amiable  way,  leaning  back

against the bar and sipping his juice. He made a face. "Whoa,  sweet.  Just

like my landing spot."

"So you like Romin already?" Obi-Wan asked.

Slam gave a half smile. "Let's say it likes me. The rest of the galaxy

isn't too... welcoming. Hey, nice tunic."

If Slam had noticed that Obi-Wan hadn't given  his  name,  it  clearly

didn't concern him. Obi-Wan imagined that in Slam's universe,  many  beings

did not use names or discuss their occupations.

"I just got here yesterday myself," Obi-Wan said. Slam waved  a  glass

of juice at the throng. "Interesting party."

"Paradise, I hear," Obi-Wan said. "At least, that's the theme."

Slam laughed. "Well, it looks like paradise to me. It was a rough trip

for me and my friends."

So his gang is here, too. They must have escaped again. Tyro  told  us

that escapes are common now. / have to warn the others.

"I'm supposed to meet Teda tonight. And pay the usual bribes, I'm sure

things seemed a bit disorganized at the landing platform. They were  having

trouble with comm transmissions."

Joylin, Obi-Wan realized. They had started to disrupt communications.

"We never  got  a  chance  to  get  our  official  entry  docs,"  Slam

continued. "So, what's the Great Leader like?"

Obi-Wan spoke lightly. "Oh, he's just your average everyday dictator."

"So I hear. But for beings like me,  your  average  everyday  dictator

comes in handy."

"A word to the wise, though," Obi-Wan said casually. "I  wouldn't  try

to meet  him  tonight.  He's  in  a  bad  mood.  I  just  saw  him  use  an

electrojabber on a waiter."

Slam winced. "Ouch. Thanks for the tip. Well, I  think  I'll  try  the

food tables instead, then."

The real Slam moved off.

Obi-Wan glanced at his chrono. He had barely ten minutes before he had

to lift the codes. He had to find the others. The party was  over  for  the

Jedi.

Ferus spoke quietly, incredulously, to Anakin. "Are  you  seeing  what

I'm seeing?"

Anakin gulped. "I think so."

"She's... flirting."

"It looks like it."

"She's... flattering people."

"Yes."

"And she's... smiling."

"It's not just that she's smiling," Anakin added, in the  interest  of

accuracy. "She's gushing."

Siri stood in the middle of a group of admirers. Someone had tucked  a

bright red flower behind one of her ears,  and,  as  Ferus  had  hissed  to

Anakin in a fierce undertone, Siri left it there!  Anakin  watched  as  she

placed a hand on a security  officer's  coat  sleeve  and  leaned  over  to

whisper in his ear. He leaned back and roared with laughter.

Whoever would have believed, Anakin thought in  amazement,  that  Siri

Tachi could be charming?

It was a night of wonders. His own Master was  wearing  a  cloak  with

jeweled embroidery and pretending to love parties.

He had to laugh at the look on Ferus's face.  After  a  moment,  Ferus

broke down and grinned, too. "I think Siri is just pretending to hate this,

" he said. "I think she's enjoying herself."

"I think you're right," Anakin said. He glanced  at  his  chrono.  "We

have about seven minutes. We should get into position."

Just as he said it, Siri said one last remark that caused the group of

males around her to laugh uproariously. Then she  turned  away  graciously.

She joined Anakin and Ferus a moment later.

"I've discovered something,"  she  said.  "Charm  is  exhausting.  And

something  else.  Flattery  works.  I've  learned  some  things.  Half  the

surveillance droids are fakes. Every day more officers  are  deserting  the

army. They haven't been paid in months. Teda's running out  of  wealth.  He

can't afford to prop up his government much longer,  so  he's  looking  for

income wherever he can find it. In the meantime, he's cutting back."

"I've found a way out if we have to escape," Anakin said. "It would be

difficult, but not impossible. There's a  part  of  the  wall  that's  less

heavily guarded. It's behind a dense thicket of bushes with bright  flowers

and thorns a meter long. We could use the Force to jump over  the  thicket,

then activate cable launchers in midair,  scale  the  wall,  and  take  out

droids with our lightsabers as we climb. I'm not sure what  we'll  find  on

the other side. Guards are no doubt patrolling outside the palace as well."

"All in all, we just have to hope Obi-Wan doesn't  get  caught,"  Siri

said.

"I'll do my best," Obi-Wan said as he came up behind her. "But in  the

meantime, we have another problem. The Slam gang is here. The real one."

"That's not good news," Siri said. "Does Teda know?"

"Not yet. There's interference in the comm systems. Joylin's work,  no

doubt. I tried to give Slam a warning about approaching him tonight. But  I

doubt it will keep them apart for long. Teda is making the rounds."

Siri frowned. "Time just ran out."

"This is all the more reason to help with the  revolt,"  Anakin  said.

"If it's successful, we won't have to worry about Teda or the Slams."

"Still, we can't take a risk for all of us," Obi-Wan said. "This party

suddenly got very small. The three of you should head back to the villa and

prepare for a quick departure with Zan Arbor. I'll steal the codes, meet up

with Joylin, and join you at the villa."

Anakin shook his head. "I'm not leaving you here, Master."

"Yes, you are, because I'm ordering you to," Obi-Wan said.  "Remember,

my young apprentice. The mission is first."

Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin's  shoulder  briefly.  The  gesture  told

Anakin that he appreciated his support, but his decision was firm.

But Anakin still didn't want to go.

"Obi-Wan is right," Siri said. "But nevertheless, we are not leaving."

Obi-Wan looked annoyed. "Siri, I don't have time to argue."

"Precisely. You need us to remain. We'll watch out for the  Slams.  As

soon as you get the codes, we'll all go."  "I  don't  like  this,"  Obi-Wan

said.

Siri was adamant. "Too bad."

Only a slight pressing of his lips showed  Obi-Wan's  displeasure.  He

turned abruptly and disappeared into the crowd.

Ferus let out a breath. "Whatever happened to flattery to get what you

want?"

"Flattery doesn't work on Obi-Wan," Siri  said.  "Speaking  of  which,

I'll track down Teda. I'll keep him away from the Slams. You two stay close

to his office in case Obi-Wan needs you."

Anakin and Ferus moved off. The crowd was denser now; more beings  had

arrived. They were louder and giddier. The  music  was  wailing,  and  some

guests were dancing. Anakin could see only bright colors and faces red with

a forced gaiety  he  found  distracting.  He  began  to  feel  an  edge  of

uneasiness. They were risking exposure with  every  step.  His  Master  was

breaking into the secret files of a head of state. And Siri was  trying  to

divert a madman with charm.

Slow down. Breathe. The Force will help you.

"I always hated parties," Ferus said. "I never knew how to have fun at

them."

Anakin felt his nerves tighten. He saw Obi-Wan approach the two guards

at the corridor's entrance. He waved his hand, and even  across  the  room,

Anakin felt the power of the Force.

The guards nodded. Obi-Wan slipped around them and was gone.

"Only a few minutes to go," Anakin said.

Ferus and Anakin waited. When Obi-Wan appeared in the  corridor,  they

were to approach the guards and use the Force to divert them. Then  Obi-Wan

could simply walk out with the security codes, and  they  would  leave  the

party. Simple.

Except it wasn't. Two minutes later, the security alarm went off.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Obi-Wan couldn't believe it. Of course, he was no criminal mastermind,

but he felt he was capable, with the help of the Force, of lifting  a  file

of secure codes in a  guarded  office.  He  had  missed  a  silent  trigger

somewhere, one that Joylin's spy hadn't known about.

Any moment the guards  would  come  pounding  in.  Obi-Wan  drove  his

impatience with himself out of his mind. It was a distraction. He was  only

halfway through his task. Alarm or no alarm, he had to complete it.

He entered the security code Joylin  had  given  him.  He  opened  the

paneled drawer at the side of the ornate desk Teda used. To  his  surprise,

it was a mess. Durasheets, holobooks, disks, wrappers  from  some  sort  of

sweet. Some of the sweet had melted and pooled in a sticky mess, gluing the

durasheets together.

"Nothing worse than a messy dictator," Obi-Wan murmured. He  lifted  a

red slipcase with a disk inside. Joylin  had  told  him  that  it  was  the

security codes.

The alarm ringing in his ears, he felt the Force surge  as  the  first

sentry droids flew through the door. He vaulted over the  desk,  lightsaber

already activated, and cut them down.  Four  more  flew  in,  firing  in  a

spinning arc that lit up the room with blaster fire. Obi-Wan deflected  the

fire and charged toward the door. But before he could  reach  it,  a  panel

rattled down, blocking his exit. Another slid down over  the  only  window.

Obviously the plan was to trap the intruder inside with the lethal droids.

Meanwhile, blaster fire continued to ping in  transecting  lines  that

were designed to pinpoint his location and blast him to  smithereens.  Obi-

Wan launched himself  at  the  droids,  simultaneously  taking  out  Siri's

lightsaber and Force-jumping high overhead to cut them down.  By  the  time

the droids lay smoking at his feet, he heard the sound  of  guards  outside

the door and shuttered window.

Question. Should he cut a hole in the  window  or  door  sheeting  and

charge out, meeting the blasters head on? Or should he  wait  for  them  to

enter?

Obi-Wan decided to wait. He would have a few seconds  of  surprise  on

his side. They would enter expecting to find him dead or badly wounded.

He backed up against a cabinet, out  of  immediate  sightline  of  the

window and doorway. He pressed back against the cabinet. To  his  surprise,

it moved.

He jumped away as the cabinet wall slid back. Becka stood there.  Obi-

Wan quickly tucked the lightsabers out of sight.

Becka took in the sight of  the  smoking  droids.  "Stars  and  novas,

you're good." He beckoned. "This way."

Obi-Wan hesitated.

"If you go out that window, you'll  be  met  with  half  the  security

force. The other half is on the other side of that  door.  They're  waiting

for the droids to kill you before they open the panels.  You've  got  about

twelve seconds. Do you have the codes?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan leaped into the secret passageway. "I assume you're  my

spy."

"I work with Joylin. We're going to come out in the hallway  near  the

kitchens. Just stay with me." "I have to find my gang."

"I'd say you have to get out of here, but all right. They  might  lock

down the compound once they find the room is empty."

Becka led him through several turnings. They reached a panel  outlined

in yellow. He pressed a button and the panel slid open.

Obi-Wan found himself in  a  small  closet,  crowded  with  wraps  and

cloaks.

Becka opened the door slightly. "Go."

Obi-Wan eased out. Becka followed.

The crowd was nervous. Obi-Wan could smell the panic. No doubt a crowd

of criminals did not feel secure when a security alarm was going off.  Then

it stopped abruptly, and the silence was worse.

"False alarm,  folks!"  Becka  called.  "Just  enjoy  yourselves!"  He

motioned to the musicians. "Great Leader Teda orders you to keep playing!"

The sight of someone in an  official  uniform  had  some  effect.  The

musicians began to play, and the guests began to murmur.

"This way." Becka led Obi-Wan down a hallway and then into  the  great

room from another door. He saw  Anakin  and  Ferus,  still  monitoring  the

corridor where Obi-Wan had disappeared. Obi-Wan  knew  his  apprentice  was

close to charging down the corridor after him.

He hurried over. "It's all right. Becka is going to help us. Where  is

Valadon?"

"She's outside, ready to cover you in case you come out the window."

Becka, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ferus hurried outside. Lights  illuminated

the wall. Droids buzzed overhead. They saw Siri on the side of the  palace,

standing just outside the  ring  of  guards  surrounding  the  window.  The

durasteel panel had risen, and some of the guards  had  leaped  inside  the

room.

Obi-Wan sent out a call to Siri, using the Force. She turned  and  saw

him. He saw the relief on her face. She started toward him.

Becka was watching the placement of the guards carefully. Suddenly,  a

group of them turned and started toward the gates. Lights  began  to  blink

rhythmically on the top of the wall.

"Not good," Becka said. "They're going into lock-down."

Obi-Wan looked around. "Any ideas?"

"I scouted out the back wall," Anakin said. "I think we can make it."

"I don't think you should try it," Becka said. "If they  see  you,  it

will just make things harder. Security will be looking for you  until  they

catch you. Leave this to me. All we need is a little panic for cover."

The crowd was on the edge of panic already. They didn't know what  was

going on. Security guards were now storming through the place, checking  ID

docs. Flocks of sentry droids buzzed  overhead.  The  sumptuous  party  had

turned into a replica of a prison  -  a  place  nobody  at  the  party  was

particularly interested in revisiting.

"Just wait here for a moment," Becka said.

He went from group to group, speaking quietly.  As  soon  as  he  left

them, the groups talked among themselves, and then to others. Soon,  voices

began to rise. "This is outrageous!"

"I will not be detained!"

"I came to this planet for security and peace...." Becka reappeared at

Obi-Wan's side. "Just walk out with the others."

"No one is leaving."

"You lead the way. The guests will follow. I've told them that Teda is

keeping them indefinitely for interrogation. They are furious  and  afraid.

Teda will have to let you leave. He depends on their bribes to survive.  He

won't stop them. You'll see. Go."

Siri looked at Obi-Wan and shrugged. "Worth a try." Obi-Wan  drew  his

cloak around him. "I for one won't stand for this," he  said  loudly.  "I'm

leaving!"

"Yes, let's leave immediately," Siri agreed.

Heads turned. As Obi-Wan and Siri stalked off, followed by Anakin  and

Ferus, some of the braver guests followed. At first it was a trickle,  then

a wave.

Everything happened as Becka said it would. The crowd  approached  the

nervous security guards at the gate. They drew their blasters but  did  not

fire them as Obi-Wan and Siri continued to stride ahead. One officer  spoke

quickly into a comlink. Obviously, he was contacting Teda.

In just seconds, the security gates opened. Teda could not  compromise

his treasury by angering those who propped up his regime.

So Obi-Wan and the Jedi left the palace compound  in  a  fashion  they

hadn't suspected when they'd arrived -  leading  a  large  group  of  angry

criminals straight out the front gates.

Joylin was waiting for the Jedi in the prearranged spot, in  a  narrow

alley behind the exclusive shops on the boulevard.

"Heard you had a rough time," Joylin said.

Obi-Wan handed him the codes.

Joylin quickly accessed the small disk and scanned its contents. "It's

all worth it." He looked up. "Our operatives are in place. We're  going  to

hit the security center first and knock out the CIP Then  we'll  take  over

the rest."

"Remember," Obi-Wan said, "we want Zan Arbor."

Joylin nodded. "Part of the deal.  We  won't  go  back  on  it.  We'll

contact you at dawn and you'll tell us how you want to proceed.  Your  ship

will be fueled and you'll have permission to  leave,  if  that's  what  you

want. We have plans to confiscate all other transports, so  you'll  be  the

only ones allowed to get off-planet."

Obi-Wan nodded. Good. That way, the Slams would be  Zan  Arbor's  only

choice.

"Until then, my suggestion is for you to go back to your villa and lie

low. Things are going to get worse before they get better."

"I thought you said this would be a bloodless revolution," Ferus said.

"I said I intended it to be," Joylin said. "I  still  do."  He  looked

overhead. Sentry droids were beginning to patrol the streets, sweeping dark

areas with panels of light. "Now I'd better knock out that CIP"

He turned and disappeared  down  the  dark  alley.  Obi-Wan  and  Siri

exchanged a worried look. They had rarely seen a government  takeover  that

was easy or bloodless.

Yet all they could do was wait.

CHAPTER TWELVE

The Jedi did not take Joylin's advice and return to  the  villa.  They

remained on the streets to monitor the  progress  of  the  revolt,  keeping

concealed.

Sentry droids were so thick in the air that a constant  humming  noise

filled the streets. Teda's government was on full alert after the theft  in

his office.

They knew the instant the CIP had been hit. The sentry droids  crashed

to the ground, lifeless.

Within minutes, however,  the  army  flooded  the  streets.  The  Jedi

retreated before them as they headed for Cloudflower Wall, trying to  quell

the resistance.

They arrived just in time to see the Romin workers burst  through  the

security gates. The mass of beings was like a  huge  moving  mountain.  The

Jedi were now swept along as the determined  group  marched  toward  Teda's

palace, pushing the army back in a hard battle.

Obi-Wan had hoped to see  joy  and  liberation  on  this  dark  night.

Instead, he saw only rage. Sick at heart, the Jedi watched as  the  looting

and violence began. The Romins had been deprived of too much for too  long.

They had lived with fear as a constant companion. They  had  watched  their

children suffer.

The anger fed on itself and grew. They  wanted  to  destroy  what  had

destroyed them.

Transparisteel shattered. Monuments fell. Even trees were hacked down.

Fires were lit in the exclusive shops, the businesses that catered  to  the

wealthy, the banks, the assembly halls, even the  hospitals.  Citizens  who

had profited from the  Teda  regime  were  dragged  into  the  streets  and

slaughtered.

The Jedi could not be everywhere. It all got out of control too fast.

Siri and Obi-Wan were shaken. They had taken the risk. They had  hoped

for the best and seen the worst.

Obi-Wan saw the horror through Ferus's eyes.  Siri's  apprentice  grew

silent. Obi-Wan saw him shudder as he saw the things he  had  feared  would

happen.

"We did this," Ferus said.

"No," Anakin said. "They are doing this."

"We have to help," Ferus insisted.

"We'll help where we can," Siri told him. "We can't stop it, Ferus."

They found cowering workers and brought them to shelter.  They  tended

to the wounded and prevented violence where they could.

The night stretched on. The sounds of destruction  grew  soft  as  the

Romins raged in other parts of the city. They heard the  muffled  thuds  of

explosions. The crash of transparisteel. The far-off noise of an  alarm.  A

cry that could have been a bird. But they knew it was not.

By dawn the Jedi had established their villa as an outpost  that  they

guarded from the mob and used to monitor Zan Arbor's  villa,  which  seemed

untouched so far. As long as she remained there, Obi-Wan was content to  do

likewise. Scores of Romin citizens sat in their garden, refugees from homes

that had been looted and burned. The Jedi could not begin to sort  out  who

had been involved in Teda's government and who had merely lived and  worked

in the city. They allowed anyone fleeing to come in and take shelter.

The rising sun brought a kind of calm to the streets.  The  resistance

workers patrolled now, trying to restore  order.  Obi-Wan  and  Anakin  sat

outside, ready for trouble, though they had received no  threat  for  hours

now.

"A long night," Anakin said.

"Yes."

"Even after this night, I still think we weren't wrong."

Obi-Wan sighed. He tried to smooth the trampled grass  underneath  his

hand. "Wrong or right - I'm not ready  to  make  that  call.  We  made  the

decision using the facts we had."

"But we were right," Anakin insisted.

Obi-Wan saw the will Ferus had been talking about, the  need  to  bend

the situation to Anakin's own vision of it. The need to be right.

"Anakin, sometimes sureness is not  what  you  should  strive  for.  A

little confusion in your mind can be a good thing. Will we be proved  right

ultimately? I hope so. Did we do the best we  could?  Yes.  That  I  firmly

believe. That's enough for now."

Siri called them from the villa. "The vidscreen is  broadcasting.  The

resistance now has control of the communication system. Joylin is going  to

speak."

Obi-Wan and Anakin hurried  inside.  Siri,  Ferus,  and  some  of  the

refugees were crowded around the vidscreen. Others began  to  pour  through

the doors, and still others stood outside the windows so  that  they  could

hear.

Joylin appeared on the screen. Even on vidscreen,  his  magnetism  was

clear. His clothes were stained  and  rumpled.  His  face  was  drawn.  Yet

strength radiated out from his body, and his eyes were resolute.

"Romin is now in the hands of its people," he said.

A sound rose from the crowd, half gasp, half cry.  No  one  had  liked

living under Teda. Yet the liberators had  come  close  to  destroying  the

city. How safe were they?

"The Citizens' Resistance is now occupying the palace  of  the  tyrant

Teda as well as the government buildings. We have control of communications

and  transportation.  Order  has  been  returned  to  the   streets.   Some

regrettable looting and burning has occurred, but it has been  stopped.  No

one will be granted exit from Romin without the permission of the Citizens'

Resistance. The army of the Great Leader has deserted or joined us. Let  us

rejoice, citizens, in our victory. Our tyrant is finished."

A woman standing next to Obi-Wan began to weep. A man turned away, his

hand at his mouth.

"Although we begin today as the first day of a government  of  justice

and peace, the tyrant who abused our trust, our  people,  our  wealth,  our

cities, our lands, is still at large. He has fled, like the coward he is."

Obi-Wan and Siri exchanged a glance. So it was not over, then. As long

as Teda remained at large, the resistance's  hold  on  the  government  was

shaky at best.

"Teda has fled along with the few who continue to support  him.  Among

them are his chief of staff, General Yubicon,  and  the  galactic  criminal

Jenna Zan Arbor."

Anakin punched the wall with his fist. It was a rare display of anger.

Zan Arbor had slipped through their fingers again.

"Teda is now a wanted criminal.  We  hereby  charge  him  with  crimes

against Romin. And so we announce this. We hold  the  rest  of  his  senior

staff and government officials in custody. If Teda does  not  surrender  to

us, we will execute them. One by one."

Joylin stared into the  camera.  His  eyes  were  burning.  "Watching,

caring, protecting. Roy Teda loves his people. Prove to us you  are  not  a

monster. Save those who were loyal to you. And  meet  the  justice  of  the

people you claim to love. We await your surrender. The first execution will

take place in one hour. Your first aide, Hansel, will be the first to die."

The screen went to static.

Ferus looked at Obi-Wan. His face was white. He  shook  his  head  and

turned away.

All night Obi-Wan had consoled himself with the  thought  that  things

had to get better with the dawn. Instead, things  had  gotten  worse,  more

horribly than he could have imagined.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Obi-Wan was happy to shed the fine robes of Slam. Siri bundled up  her

shimmersilk dress, now stained and torn, and threw it away.

"I'm glad to be a Jedi again," she said.

Leaving Anakin and Ferus in charge, they  hurried  down  the  deserted

streets toward Teda's palace.

"It's not that I'm surprised at what has happened," Obi-Wan told Siri.

"It's just that I had hoped for better."

"It is always better to prepare for the worst," Siri said.  "I'm  glad

we contacted Master Windu before the revolt."

"It will still take some time for the Jedi  re-enforcements  to  reach

us," Obi-Wan said. "Mace said he would come  personally.  I  don't  imagine

he'll be in the best of moods. He wasn't happy about  this  plan  from  the

beginning."

"Neither was Ferus," Siri said. "He was right about the revolt. It got

out of control too easily. He thinks if we hadn't helped, maybe they  would

have postponed the revolt. Maybe  Teda  would  have  fallen  without  being

pushed. I tell myself that he doesn't have the experience to  realize  that

sometimes you have to make a hard decision and accept the consequences. And

then I think... what if he was right?"

"If he was right, then we were wrong," Obi-Wan said. "That's  all.  Do

you think the Jedi are always right?"

Siri sighed. "Sometimes you sound so much like Qui-Gon."

"After all these years, finally a compliment," Obi-Wan said.

He was glad to see that the remark lightened Siri's expression. "Don't

let it go to your head," she growled.

"Ferus is wise beyond his years," Obi-Wan went on. "He thinks  deeply.

But even though an outcome may seem likely, sometimes one has to  risk  for

the right result."

"Yes, Ferus is reluctant to risk too  much.  Not  like  Anakin,"  Siri

said. "He's willing to risk everything."

She meant it as a compliment,  Obi-Wan  knew.  Siri  admired  Anakin's

daring, his sureness, how fluidly he used the Force.  It  was  unusual  for

Siri to second-guess a decision, just like Anakin. In  some  ways,  Obi-Wan

was more like Ferus. How odd that he and Anakin had become  a  team.  Their

temperaments were so different.

Choose the Master, the Padawan does.

Yoda had said that to him many times, from  when  he  himself  was  an

apprentice. The old Jedi Master believed in most cases that the Force  drew

the Master and his  apprentice  together  for  reasons  they  couldn't  see

themselves. Obi-Wan felt strongly that this was true.

Joylin must have been waiting for them, because  his  security  guards

let them through without a problem. A tall guard led them to  Teda's  inner

office, where Obi-Wan had stolen the codes. On the way, they saw resistance

members wandering about the palace, staring at the fine  things.  Many  had

pulled colorful  cloaks  and  tunics  over  their  own  threadbare  attire.

Obviously, they had raided the palace closets. The remnants  of  the  grand

party still lay about,  food  half-eaten  on  plates,  musical  instruments

abandoned, drinks spilled. There was a  strange  energy  here.  The  people

seemed dazed rather than energized.

Obi-Wan and Siri walked into the inner office. Joylin had cleared  out

most of the fine furniture and rolled up the rug. Along with an  assistant,

he was methodically going through Teda's datafiles.

"I have enough here to convict him on state crimes ten times over, and

I've only just begun an hour ago," Joylin said. In  person,  Obi-Wan  could

see both fatigue and triumph on his face. Joylin didn't look at  them,  but

spoke as he flipped through files. "I suppose you heard  about  Zan  Arbor.

She escaped with Teda. Believe me, we tried to trail them. I don't know yet

how they got away. Or where they are.  Her  ship  was  destroyed  when  the

rioters hit the landing platform. Don't worry - I was  able  to  stop  them

before they destroyed your ship. I even had it refueled for you."

Joylin looked up at last. "I did what I could. I assume you  came  for

the last half of your payment."

"We don't care about the payment," Obi-Wan said. "We'll give you  back

what you paid us already. Put it toward restoring the hospital."

For the first time, Joylin seemed to notice the  difference  in  their

appearance.

"Who are you?" he asked. His eyes narrowed.

"We are Jedi," Obi-Wan said. "We have the authority of the Senate."

"We've come about the executions you plan," Siri said. "You cannot  do

this."

Joylin's skin seemed to tighten over his bones. "I am  the  leader  of

Romin. I can do anything I want."

"That tone is familiar," Obi-Wan said. "Recognize it, Joylin?"

"I am not Teda," Joylin said. He shook his head  at  them.  "How  dare

you," he continued softly. "You arrived on my world two  days  ago.  You've

seen nothing. You know nothing. You have not seen the  prisons,  filled  to

overflowing with those who Teda felt threatened by, filled with  those  who

displeased him. You have not seen even one corner  of  the  misery  he  has

caused."

"This does not justify murder," Siri said. "You are judge,  jury,  and

executioner for these people. That goes against galactic law."

"They are all murderers!" Joylin exclaimed. "Don't you understand?  If

Teda is allowed to go free, we  will  never  be  safe.  Our  movement  will

collapse. We don't know how many of the army deserted or how many went with

him. If I don't do this, we could lose control of the government!"

"Delay," Obi-Wan said. "The Jedi can help you. More are arriving."

"I did not call for the Jedi."

"I did," Obi-Wan said. "The Senate has approved."

Joylin stood. "This is my world," he said, his voice steely.  "I  have

worked and sacrificed for twenty years to stand here. I will not  risk  the

collapse of a government by the people."

"Excuse me," Obi-Wan replied. "From where we are standing, it  appears

that you are the government."

Joylin planted his fists on the desk and leaned forward. His face  was

composed, but his eyes shone bright and hostile.

"Your interference is unwelcome. I have nothing more to  say.  Go,  or

I'll have you thrown out."

Obi-Wan was perfectly aware that no one in the palace had the power to

throw them out. Yet a battle now would do no good. He and Siri  turned  and

walked out.

On the way back to the villa, they talked over what to do next. It was

clear that they had antagonized Joylin. They didn't know how much longer he

would allow them to remain on Romin. That didn't mean they had to leave. It

would just make things more difficult.

"I think our best bet is to find Teda," Obi-Wan said. "If Zan Arbor is

with him, it will solve two of our problems."

"Agreed," Siri said. "But where can  we  look  where  Joylin's  people

haven't already?"

They walked past the gates of the villa. Ferus hurried toward them.

"We just received a message," he said. "It's from Teda and Zan  Arbor.

They request a meeting with the Slams. And  since  the  revolt  took  place

before the real Slams met Teda, that's us."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Teda and Zan Arbor were at a safe house well  outside  the  city.  The

Jedi borrowed a Gian airspeeder from one of the refugees they'd  taken  in.

The house was in a forest so densely wooded that they had  to  abandon  the

speeder and hike in to  the  prearranged  coordinates.  They  were  met  by

General Yubicon, Teda's chief of staff.

"It's just a quarter kilometer this way," he said.

Anakin could tell that the general led  them  in  a  way  designed  to

confuse them. He did not realize he was dealing with Jedi. Anakin  knew  he

could find his way back easily.

They came to a small clearing. The house in front of them was made  of

prefabricated plasteel materials  so  it  could  be  dismantled  and  moved

quickly. That must have been Teda's secret. His safe house never stayed  in

the same place.

Guards encircled the house. Anakin knew more were  positioned  in  the

woods. He couldn't see them, but he knew they were there.  Obviously,  Teda

had retained at least part of his army.

A guard at the door ushered them in. They were expected.

The house was tiny compared to the palace, but it was not  rustic.  It

was furnished sparely but lavishly, with plush seating and thick rugs.  The

rooms flowed into each other, forming a square around a  central  courtyard

that was open to the sky. They were led to the courtyard, where they  found

Teda and Jenna Zan Arbor waiting for them.

Teda seemed a bit shaken, but Zan Arbor was composed. Not  a  hair  of

her perfect coiffure was out of place. Wearing his mask once  more,  Anakin

kept to the rear with Ferus as Obi-Wan and Siri moved forward.  As  one  of

the lesser members of the Slam gang, he hoped to escape Zan Arbor's  notice

completely. He still remembered the intense focus she had given him as  she

questioned him about the Force. He wasn't afraid of her,  but  he  wouldn't

mind staying out of her way.

As Anakin expected, Teda and Zan Arbor were totally  focused  on  Siri

and Obi-Wan, the leaders of the gang. The Jedi had changed back into  their

Slam wardrobes. Siri was wearing another revealing robe,  this  time  in  a

pale pink. She had complained about having to don  her  attire  again,  but

you'd never know it now by the way she drifted forward  and  let  her  hand

rest in Teda's in greeting. You'd never suspect that she held the leader in

contempt as she smiled, turned so that her skirt flared  out,  and  settled

herself in a chair, coyly crossing  her  legs.  Obi-Wan,  too,  managed  to

continue his part of the farce, smiling graciously as he sat to  the  sound

of his jingling robes.

"Thank you for coming," Teda said. "Of course you  realize  that  this

so-called revolt of the people is a temporary situation only. It  will  all

go away, I assure you."

"But that is not why you are here," Zan Arbor said, obviously bored by

the subject of the revolt. "You came to  me  yesterday  and  offered  me  a

chance to join you in an enterprise. Unfortunately, I had  to  refuse  you.

Now I ask for the chance to tempt you instead."

Obi-Wan tilted his head. "I'll try to forgive  you  for  refusing  me.

Please continue."

Siri gave Teda a glance through her eyelashes. "I love to be tempted."

Zan Arbor looked annoyed at Siri's flirtatiousness. "Teda and  I  have

been working together on a certain enterprise - "

"Excuse me," Teda said. "But I haven't lost my title, you know."

Out of Teda's sight line, Zan Arbor rolled  her  eyes.  "Great  Leader

Teda and I are partners together in an enterprise. Because of  the  sudden,

surprising nature of the revolt, even though there was  enough  warning  if

you were clever enough to catch it, and the complete inability  of  Romin's

supposedly great army to retaliate - "

Interesting, Anakin thought. Zan Arbor isn't afraid  of  Teda  in  the

least. She's taunting him, right to his face. And he's taking it.

" - we find ourselves in a situation in which we are in need  of  your

help. Thus we are able to offer you a chance to join with us. In short,  we

need false text docs, very complete, which I understand is your specialty."

"That would not be a problem," Obi-Wan said. "We just need  access  to

our ship and our files. Our ship has survived the revolt, I'm happy to say.

"

"Mine did not," Zan Arbor said, flicking an angry gaze  at  Teda.  "It

was a Luxe Flightwing. Completely destroyed."

"Ah. So you are stranded on Romin." Obi-Wan clucked his  tongue.  "How

unfortunate."

"Naturally, we will pay you your normal fee," Teda said. "Or a  little

more," Obi-Wan said with a grin. "Considering the circumstances."

Zan Arbor nodded, an acceptance of Obi-Wan's point that  they  had  no

one else to turn to. "We also need your heist skills for a particular  job.

Or rather, this is not just a job.  It's  an  opportunity  to  change  your

lives. The scope of it means that if we are successful, you can retire  and

live very well for the rest of your lives."

"We already live well," Siri pointed out.

"You will live better," Zan Arbor snapped.

"And you will not be a fugitive," Teda said in  a  voice  like  honey.

"You will have plenty of systems to choose from to live in." He  winked  at

Siri. "Just tell me where you choose, so I can visit."

"In other words, you are in the right place at  the  right  time,  for

once," Zan Arbor said. "You have a chance to change your destiny as  small-

time crooks."

"Jenna, Jenna," Teda chided. "You are talking about  the  Slams.  They

are brilliant masterminds."

Zan Arbor waved a hand. "I mean no disrespect. I speak the truth. I am

offering them  something  they  would  never  be  able  to  contemplate  by

themselves. Slam, even though you lie for a living, you should respect that

I won't lie to you. Now, where is your ship?"

"It's at the main landing platform. Fueled and ready." "Good. So,  are

you in?"

"Whoa, let's pull back on the throttle a bit. I haven't  heard  enough

yet," Obi-Wan said. Anakin knew what his Master was thinking. He had to get

more information, information that Zan Arbor and Teda wouldn't want to part

with. This must be the scheme that Zan Arbor was  working  on  with  Granta

Omega.

"We're intrigued," Siri chimed in. "We need a few more  details.  What

is the nature of the job?"

"You don't need to know that yet,"  Zan  Arbor  said.  "Are  you  well

financed?" Obi-Wan asked.

"That is not a problem," Zan Arbor assured him.  "Do  you  have  other

partners?" Obi-Wan asked. "One other," Zan Arbor said reluctantly.

Siri fixed her blue gaze on Teda. "I hope that this partner's  stature

is as great as yours. Though I can't imagine it."

"It is," Teda boasted, before Zan Arbor could stop  him.  "He  is  the

most powerful business power in the galaxy. He - "

"That is enough," Zan Arbor interrupted. She turned to Obi-Wan.  "Now,

our first step is to get off-planet. We must get to your vehicle."

"Have you heard  Joylin's  ultimatum?"  Obi-Wan  asked  Teda.  "He  is

threatening to execute your loyal officers. Hansel is the first."

"I heard. Oh, poor Hansel. I feel so very badly for  him,"  Teda  said

with a sigh. He rubbed his hands together. "Now,  are  you  sure  you  have

enough fuel? We are traveling to the Core, to Coruscant."

"Coruscant?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Teda, be quiet," Zan Arbor snapped, her voice hard. "Who is your text

doc expert?" she asked Obi-Wan. "Waldo," Obi-Wan said, indicating Anakin.

Zan Arbor turned. The sun came out from behind  a  cloud,  and  Anakin

felt suddenly exposed in the bright light, even with his headgear disguise.

A long moment ticked by. Anakin felt  uncomfortably  warm.  The  Force

suddenly surged. A warning.

"I know you," she said.

"I don't believe so."

"We have crossed paths."

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan said. "We've traveled widely."

"Joylin has closed down the spaceport, but we have received permission

to leave," Siri interrupted. "However, we must do it within the  hour.  Can

you be ready?"

"I am ready now," Zan Arbor said. Her attention slid away from Anakin.

There were more pressing matters to deal with.

"Then let us go," Obi-Wan said.

There was a commotion outside. Teda leaped to his feet, a  blaster  in

his hand. The Jedi turned.

The real Slam and the rest of his gang burst into the courtyard.  Slam

pointed a finger at Obi-Wan. "Impostors!" he cried.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Teda looked alarmed, but Zan Arbor suddenly smiled, as if she had just

figured something out. She turned back to Anakin.

"Jedi," she said. "Now I remember."

Now Teda looked panicky. "Jedi?"

She rose and drew closer to Anakin, ignoring the Slams and  the  other

Jedi. "Good disguise. But it isn't your face  that  beings  remember.  It's

your manner. Your power. The way you move. I remembered you after our visit

together on Vanqor. I asked about  you.  Teda,  don't  you  admire  me  for

recognizing that this scruffy prisoner, one among so many,  was  different?

You're Anakin Skywalker."

She gazed at him with a hungry expression. Anakin felt unnerved.

"I have studied the Force for so long," she  murmured.  "Never  did  I

expect such a prize."

"I'm not your prize," he spat out.

"Well, you're my prisoner, and that's the same thing. Do you know  how

many guards are surrounding you right now?"

Obi-Wan shot Anakin a look. The Jedi could fight. They  could  escape.

But Obi-Wan was telling him to wait. They had more to discover. The  stakes

were too high.

"We can take them to the prison and have them executed on  the  spot,"

Teda said.

"Don't be so hasty," Zan Arbor said.

"Look, you don't have to kill them," Slam said,  looking  uneasy  now.

"Just tell them to stop impersonating us."

Valadon, as tall as Siri and as blond, shot her an icy look. "And give

us our clothes back."

Zan Arbor had not taken her eyes off Anakin. "Do you know what we have

here, Teda?"

"Yes," he moaned. "A big headache."

"Leverage. Remember our discussion before? If we bring a  great  prize

to our partner, he  will  look  at  us  differently.  We  can  negotiate  a

different split."

"What are you talking about, Jenna?" Teda asked impatiently.  "Prizes?

Leverage? Please remember I am a ruling ruler who was just  kicked  out  of

his palace. I'm not in the best of moods!"

"The Chosen One," Zan Arbor said softly to Anakin, so that no one else

could hear. "I was told about you. My interest in the Force is deep. Enough

to know how your destiny is your burden. Do you remember the Zone of  Self-

Containment? I can bring that back to you."

He remembered feeling content,  a  contentment  without  a  tether  to

sadness or guilt. There was just the sun and serenity, a  serenity  he  had

never achieved as a Jedi. The Jedi had promised him that, and  it  had  not

happened. Perhaps it never would.

"Ah," she said softly, "speaking of temptation..."

He pulled off the mask. There was no need for it now. "I'm not tempted

by you," he responded.

"I saw how you enjoyed it," she said. "I can  make  all  your  burdens

disappear."

"My only burden at the moment is having to talk to you,"  Anakin  shot

back.

She smiled. Anakin could see that once, before evil had  twisted  her,

she had been seductive. Her smile was lush, appreciative, inviting.

"You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago," she said.

Obi-Wan overheard that. "Qui-Gon Jinn," he  said.  Zan  Arbor  whirled

around. She walked closer to Obi-Wan. "Do I know you?" "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

She laughed in delight. "Obi-Wan! But you  were  just  a  boy!  You've

grown up well," she said, appraising him. "I heard Qui-Gon died  on  Naboo.

And Yaddle has recently 'joined the Force,' hasn't she  -  a  Jedi  Council

member? It makes you think, doesn't it?"  She  shook  her  head.  "What  is

happening to the Jedi?  Their  strength  diminishing,  their  best  leaders

struck down. And yet they don't see that they are declining. Such a pity to

watch. So intriguing to study."

Anakin saw Siri's  eyes  flash.  She  did  not  speak.  He  knew  from

experience that she did not spar with villains. She just waited  her  turn.

She was absolutely certain at all times that she would prevail in the  end.

He liked that certainty. He held an image in his mind of Zan Arbor back  on

a prison world while he, Obi-Wan, Siri, and Ferus  watched  her  being  led

away. He needed to hold on to that vision.

"Jenna, we need to plan a plan," Teda said irritably.

"Oh, Roy, relax,"  Zan  Arbor  said.  She  waved  at  the  tea  table,

indicating the Slams. "Slam, Valadon, have some  refreshment.  We  need  to

talk. You are going to transport us off the planet - don't worry,  we  know

where your transport is - and we have a proposition for you that  the  Jedi

have already accepted on your behalf."

Easygoing as always, Slam pulled a chair up to the  table  and  poured

himself some tea. "This is sounding more promising. How  happy  I  am  that

your messengers found me."

"Meanwhile," Zan Arbor said, "Teda, call the rest of your guards - and

I mean all of them. I want General Yubicon in charge."

"But he's my personal bodyguard now!"

"Oh, don't be such a baby. I am tired of your whining." She turned  to

the Jedi. "They have superior weaponry, I assure you. And if you don't want

anyone else harmed, you'll do best to comply." She gave a pointed  look  at

the Slams. It was clear she would  sacrifice  them  if  the  Jedi  did  not

cooperate.

The guards moved closer. Teda spoke into a comlink and they heard  the

humming of swoops as more guards took to the air. They  hovered  above  the

courtyard. Anakin saw blaster rifles pointed at them - and  Slam,  Valadon,

and the other members of the gang.

"Your lightsabers," Zan Arbor said. "Give them to General Yubicon."

Obi-Wan slipped his and Siri's lightsabers out of his belt and  handed

them over. Ferus and Anakin followed. Anakin knew his  Master  would  never

hand over his lightsaber unless he was  fully  intending  to  get  it  back

shortly.

"Put the lightsabers in the  prison  vault,"  Zan  Arbor  ordered  the

general. "I'll want to study them. Put the prisoners in  the  holding  cell

for now and have them guarded severely. We'll pick them up as  soon  as  we

finish here." She leveled her icy gaze on General Yubicon. "Don't let  them

out of your sight, don't listen to them, and don't make any mistakes. Go."

General Yubicon's eyes flickered as he stuffed the lightsabers into  a

satchel that he slung on his back. Anakin could see that he  did  not  like

taking orders from Zan Arbor. Teda didn't say a word. Anakin  realized  who

was truly in charge. Zan Arbor had Teda under her thumb.

Slam cocked his head at them. "Sorry. I didn't mean for it to go quite

this far. But all's fair."

"That's very true," Obi-Wan said. "If you  join  up  with  these  two,

you'll get what you deserve."

The Jedi were roughly herded out of  the  house  and  pushed  along  a

rutted road that ran through woods with branches so thick with  dark  green

leaves that they blotted out the sun completely.

They were marched farther down the  path  -  playing  along  for  now,

waiting for the right moment to turn the tables. The area felt desolate and

dank. Over the thump of footsteps and the buzzing of the  swoops  overhead,

Anakin saw General Yubicon speaking to his assistant  as  they  walked.  He

called on the Force to help him tune out the noises around him and focus on

what the officer was saying.

"... thought we had a strong leader, but he is just as much a sham  as

they say he is. Am I supposed to pledge my loyalty now to Great Leader  Zan

Arbor?"

"What can you do?" the other officer asked in disgust. "One day  we're

living in a palace in Romin, the next in the middle of a swamp. It's enough

to make me join the resistance."

"And what would the resistance do to you if they found you?" the first

officer said. "Look what they're doing to poor Hansel. Listen, we're  safer

with Teda. Or at least I thought so.  Now  I  suspect  that  Zan  Arbor  is

planning to take off with him and without us. Teda said he would  take  his

first officers, but will she let him? They're planning something big.  Teda

said they will have the Senate to do their bidding."

The Senate? Anakin gave a quick glance at Obi-Wan. He could  tell  his

Master was listening, as well.

"Here we are," the other officer said. "Mind yourself.  The  prisoners

know something is up, somehow. They're restless. Not to mention starving."

"Just be glad you're not in their place," General Yubicon said.

The prison rose ahead, long and low, built of dark green duracrete  so

that it would not be visible from above or from the  road.  The  resistance

had not gotten here yet. The Jedi passed through energy gates and into  the

compound. A door rose into the ceiling to admit them.

The inside of the prison stank of dirt and rot. There were no windows.

A security console ran along  a  blank  wall.  Droids  that  had  not  been

affected by the revolt in the city  sat  monitoring  the  equipment.  Their

sensors flashed green as General Yubicon entered.

Energy cages hung suspended from the ceiling.  The  walls  and  floors

were stained with dark matter. Desperation and pain seemed to be as much  a

part of this structure as durasteel and duracrete.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin.

Not yet, but soon.

The guards flooded in behind them. Now they would  not  have  to  deal

with the swoops overhead.

The guards opened a second door, which also rose vertically. Behind an

energy fence was an enormous cell. It was stuffed full of beings and aliens

from many worlds. Most of them wore rags and were barefoot. They  eyed  the

guards with hatred. Some of them looked cheered at the prospect of breaking

in new prisoners.

"When, Master?" Anakin asked urgently.

"It seems to me," Ferus said politely, "that now would be an extremely

good time."

"Okay," Obi-Wan said. "Now."

The four Jedi moved as one. There were twenty-two army officers in the

prison and five prison droids within their sight. No doubt more droids were

in the inner rooms of the prison. But now was as good  a  time  as  any  to

attack.

Obi-Wan, Ferus, and Anakin went for the officers, using the  Force  to

push the first line with such power that  they  bowled  over  their  fellow

officers. Blaster shots went wild and pinged  on  the  prison  walls.  Siri

whirled and kicked General Yubicon in the chest, knocking him backward. His

head hit the duracrete floor, knocking him out with the stunned  expression

still on his face. She leaned over, deftly plucked the lightsabers from the

satchel, and tossed them to the Jedi.

Anakin leaped above the guards. He grabbed the  bottom  of  an  energy

cage and flipped himself in a midair somersault, then landed  behind  them.

From there it was easy to simply disarm two  officers  before  they  had  a

chance to turn around. Without their weapons, the guards turned, looked  at

General Yubicon on the floor, and simply ran out.

Lightsabers blazing,  the  Jedi  advanced  through  the  rest  of  the

officers and droids, deflecting fire. Behind  them,  the  prisoners  roared

approval.

Then Anakin heard a voice above the  rest,  coming  from  the  holding

cell. The prisoners were shouting, and it took him a moment to make out the

words. "The stun nets!"

More guards flooded the main room, stun net launchers  in  hand.  They

didn't care that they would snare other guards. They  let  loose  the  nets

with their electrical charges. The nets hung in the air for a split second.

In a blink of an eye they would blanket the room.

In that split second Anakin made his calculations.  He  knew  if  they

were hit with the nets, the paralyzing charges could hamper them. The  nets

would ensnare them, and  every  time  they  moved,  sensors  would  deliver

another paralyzing charge. Better to avoid them completely then slash  away

with their lightsabers. The nets wouldn't stop them, but  they  would  slow

them down.

He stepped forward before the others could move. He held up a hand. He

felt the Force in the room. Could he do it? He reached out with  his  mind,

gathering in the Force. He  thought  of  his  lessons  with  Soara  Antana.

Everything in the prison became fluid to him. It was easy to move, easy  to

manipulate.

Using the Force, he flipped each of the nets  backward  and  onto  the

guards.

The guards fell, shouting  and  kicking.  Within  moments,  they  were

still, unwilling to cause another charge to jolt them.

The prisoners sent up a roar.

Suddenly, the prison wall began to glow. A red line  appeared  on  the

wall, moving upward quickly.

"The army  must  be  outside,"  Obi-Wan  said.  "They're  using  laser

artillery. Watch out... the wall is going to come down!"

They leaped backward as the entire entry wall  suddenly  fell  with  a

crash, exposing the prison to the woods beyond.

Then they got the  bad  news.  Outside  was  an  entire  battalion  of

soldiers.

"Surrender!" an amplified voice cried.

"Let us out!" one of the prisoners cried. "Let us fight!"

Obi-Wan leaped over and deactivated the energy  fence.  The  prisoners

rushed out, grabbing blaster rifles and stun batons from the fallen guards.

"We can do it. Just give us a chance." A short  Romin  in  a  tattered

tunic stood next to Obi-Wan, a blaster in his fist.

"We didn't free you to see you slaughtered," Obi-Wan said. "That's  an

army out there. With grenade mortars and missile tubes."

"Surrender or die!" the voice repeated.

Anakin looked at the prisoners. Their faces were grim. They were ready

to face whatever came.

"Do what you want," the prisoner said. "We've been inside too long. We

won't surrender."

"We can win, Master," Anakin urged.

"There has to be a weapons room," Obi-Wan said rapidly to Anakin.  "Go

with Ferus. Bring back what you find."

Anakin motioned to Ferus, and they leaped over the guards in the  stun

nets and ran down the hall. It wasn't hard to find the weapons  room.  They

found blaster rifles and more stun net launchers. The prisoners crowded  in

with them, quickly grabbing blaster rifles and stun batons.  Anakin  picked

up a flamethrower. Then he and Ferus hurried back to Obi-Wan and Siri  with

the stun nets.

"They're re-forming their battle line," Obi-Wan said.  "They  want  to

risk as few soldiers as possible. These stun nets can come  in  handy.  But

they don't have much range."

"You wouldn't have to worry about range from  a  swoop,"  Ferus  said.

"There are some outside the front door."

"You'll get blasted into the sky if you stick a toe out  there,"  Obi-

Wan said.

"Cover me," Ferus said.

Anakin would have just run. But Ferus waited to  get  Siri's  nod.  He

dashed toward the front of the building.

"Anakin, use that flamethrower launcher," Obi-Wan said. "Don't hit the

front line. Just keep it moving along so they back up. Try  to  drive  them

between those trees so that Ferus can drop the nets. Siri, come on."

Anakin powered up the flamethrower while Siri and Obi-Wan ran out. The

army began to fire. Using wrist rockets and small missiles, the army  tried

to advance, as Anakin concentrated the flamethrower on the  center  of  the

line.

Siri  and  Obi-Wan  Force-jumped  past  the   flames,   aiming   their

lightsabers at the weapons the troops had left behind as  they  hurried  to

escape.

Ferus flew overhead, piloting the swoop with one  hand  on  the  bars,

using his knees to steer. With astonishing  speed,  he  activated  the  net

launchers, one after the other, and tossed them over the front lines.

The soldiers fell, and the others behind were confused. They looked to

their captain, but he had been diverted and was ordering the others to  put

out the fire that had started in the brush. Smoke began to  roll  over  the

soldiers, making them cough.

Obi-Wan looked back at the prisoners. He held up  a  hand.  "Now!"  he

shouted.

With a cry, the prisoners surged forward. The Jedi  had  succeeded  in

confusing and disorienting the army. But it had not vanquished them. Mortar

fire pounded and blaster  fire  shuddered.  The  Jedi  moved,  leading  the

charge, deflecting fire when they could and Force-pushing the troops away.

Anakin felt his blood pumping with the challenge of facing an army. He

felt certain of victory, yet he also saw that it would be  difficult.  Obi-

Wan had been right. What kind of a victory would they have if the prisoners

were slaughtered? They were falling around him, no matter  how  quickly  he

moved, no matter how many missile launchers he took out. There were too few

Jedi and too many weapons.

Just then, a sleek cruiser glowed red in the sky. It dropped down like

a stone to a perfect landing, like a feather on a blade  of  grass.  Anakin

felt a surge of relief. There were only two or three Jedi he knew who could

land a plane like that. He was one of them. Another was  Garen  MuIn,  Obi-

Wan's old friend.

The ramp slid down. Mace Windu, Bant Aerin,  and  Garen  Muln  charged

down the ramp. Their lightsabers were a blur  as  they  moved  through  the

troops.

The Force was strong now, compounded by them all fighting at the  peak

of concentration. They joined together, strategically targeting the army so

that they separated divisions from each other and knocked out  the  leaders

who tried to organize.

Within a short time, the tide of the battle turned. When  the  captain

of the troops found himself facing the Jedi personally, he  laid  down  his

weapon and surrendered.

When the rest of the army  threw  down  their  weapons,  Anakin  could

almost hear the sighs of relief. Everyone was tired of  fighting.  Everyone

just wanted to go home.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

"Rescuing you is becoming a habit," Garen said to Obi-Wan.

Bant smiled her shy smile. "This time I came along for the ride."

Obi-Wan put his hands on her shoulders. He did not say  a  word.  They

smiled at each other. He hadn't seen Bant in three years. They  had  worked

out a system of communication, however. Whenever one of  them  was  at  the

Temple, they would leave the other a message  or  a  small  gift.  A  river

stone, a sweet, a dried flower, an odd turn of phrase they had learned in a

new language, written on a folded durasheet and tied with a bit of  fabric.

So Obi-Wan had continued to feel her  gentle  presence  in  his  life.  But

seeing her was better.

"If you two wouldn't mind curtailing the reunion, I'd  like  a  status

report." Mace's voice was dry. It was clear that he wasn't very happy about

having to disrupt his schedule to fly to Romin.

"First of all, the real Slam gang is on Romin," Obi-Wan said.

"I know," Mace replied. "Apparently they bribed the  director  of  the

prison."

"Teda and Zan Arbor  are  scheming  to  get  off-planet,"  Siri  said.

"They're going to try to use the Slams' ship. Joylin is still in power. The

first execution is scheduled to take place in. about fifteen minutes."

"Then I think our first task is to demonstrate to  Great  Leader  Teda

the necessity of his surrender," Mace said.

They caught Zan Arbor and Teda as Teda  was  attempting  to  start  an

airspeeder piled high with cases and  boxes.  Garen  landed  the  transport

directly in front of them.

"Do it!" Zan Arbor was shouting.

"I'm usually  driven,"  Teda  said.  "I  don't  usually  drive."  "For

galaxy's sake, let me drive!" Zan Arbor yelled. Mace  Windu  swept  up  and

buried his lightsaber in the airspeeder's engine, effectively  cutting  off

power in one stroke. "Don't worry. You can ride with us."

Zan Arbor's lips were white. Fury was evident in the strained  muscles

of her neck. Her veins protruded like ropes. "Jedi," she spat out.

"What did you do to my army?" Teda asked.  "No  one  is  answering  my

communications. You can't interfere with a sovereign power!"

"What's left of your army has been destroyed and  your  commander  has

surrendered," Mace said. "And  I'm  afraid  I  do  have  the  authority  to

interfere. I am here on behalf of the Senate to negotiate the terms of your

surrender."

"I will never surrender!" Teda cried.

Zan Arbor began to climb out of the airspeeder. "I'm not part of this,

so I think I'll - "

Mace Windu held his blazing lightsaber centimeters from her  face.  "I

think," he said softly, "you'll do as you're told."

Zan Arbor backed up and sat on the edge of the air-speeder.

"Now," Mace Windu said, "where are the Slams?" "How should  we  know?"

Zan Arbor said sulkily.

"My guess is that they've gone to get  their  ship,"  Siri  said.  "No

doubt they have plans to meet and transport Zan Arbor and Teda off-planet."

"Here's what's going to happen," Mace Windu said.

"We're going to escort you to the headquarters of the  new  government

of Romin."

"You mean bring me to my own palace?" Teda asked with a sneer.  "So  I

can negotiate with thieves and murderers? Is that what the Senate sanctions

these days?"

"The Senate is supporting this revolt on the basis of your many crimes

against your own citizens," Mace thundered. "You are  lucky  the  Jedi  are

here to ensure you won't be torn limb from limb. Now let's go."

Joylin was sitting with his closest allies eating a large meal in  the

dining area when the Jedi arrived with Teda and Zan Arbor in tow. He pushed

away his food and stood.

"So, you came," he said, looking at Teda with hatred. "Not by  choice,

I see. Typical of your cowardice." Teda looked  at  the  meal.  "That's  my

food!" "It is the food of the citizens of Romin."

Zan Arbor rolled her eyes. "Ah, democracy," she sneered.

"Here is what the Senate requires," Mace said. "No executions may take

place. Trials must be held, evidence  gathered.  You  cannot  begin  a  new

government using the tactics of the one you overthrew. Surely you  can  see

that."

Joylin said nothing. He stared with hatred at Teda. "Give the order to

stop the execution," Mace said. Joylin did not move.

"The Jedi have destroyed Teda's army," Mace said. "Would you  like  us

to do the same to yours?"

Ferus spoke. "Senate support will be  crucial  in  building  your  new

world," he said to Joylin. "You have done so much. Your vision deserves the

best chance to flourish."

Joylin turned. He blinked at Ferus, as though he  had  been  disturbed

out of a deep sleep. "Yes," he said. He picked up his  comlink.  "Stop  the

execution. Teda has surrendered."

"I hope you won't be putting  me  with  the  others,"  Teda  said.  "I

wouldn't think they'd be very... pleased to see me."

"I think it's the perfect place for you," Joylin said. "Guards!"

The guards led Teda and Zan Arbor away. Joylin leaned over to speak to

an aide on the other side of the room.

"I feel sorrow that lives were lost, but the outcome  is  good,"  Mace

said to the Jedi. "This change on Romin will make a better world."

He turned to Ferus. "You spoke well just now. You  allowed  Joylin  to

make his decision and save face in front of his supporters."

"There is a bit of pride mixed in with his politics," Ferus said.

"Ferus showed a greater grasp of this situation  than  we  did,"  Siri

said lightly. "He predicted a chaotic takeover. He said that  Joylin  would

surprise us, and he was right."

"Good, Ferus. We need to anticipate problems," Mace said.

Obi-Wan noted that Anakin looked unhappy. Mace had singled  Ferus  out

for praise. He moved closer to his Padawan.

"I am proud of you," he said. "You fought well,  with  compassion  and

precision."

But Anakin was not listening.

Something was wrong.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Anakin hung back, watching Joylin carefully. He  knew  the  Force  was

helping him, he knew that this sudden power was a new  side  of  the  Force

that he hadn't yet tapped, and  he  was  filled  with  a  sudden  sense  of

exultation. He had even more power than he knew. Suddenly, he saw into  the

heart of Joylin. He did not see just what Joylin wanted  them  to  see,  or

didn't care if they saw, but the most secret part of him.  Joylin  suddenly

looked so small. He was such easy prey.

I didn't know  this,  Anakin  thought.  The  Force  isn't  just  about

manipulating objects. I can manipulate beings, too. I can use  their  fears

and secrets.

"You did it," he said to Joylin. "You let him go." The Jedi turned  to

look at him, surprised.

"Those guards aren't taking Teda to prison. You never  wanted  him  to

surrender," Anakin said. "You knew he was too much of a coward  to  do  so.

You just gave him the ultimatum so you would have an excuse to execute  all

his loyal followers. You were afraid if they survived they  would  build  a

power base and ultimately destroy you.  You  knew  that  Teda  was  nothing

without them, that he wasn't capable of running a government. He's  just  a

figurehead. You don't fear him, so you don't need him dead. You  just  need

him gone. So if someone like Zan Arbor pays you enough, you'll allow him to

escape. She made the deal with you at the beginning of the  revolt,  didn't

she?"

The  Jedi  turned  back  to  Joylin.  His  angry  silence  told   them

everything.

"Where are they?" Mace asked.

"I'd guess Teda and Zan Arbor are heading for the Slams' ship," Anakin

said. "And I would also guess that  the  Slams  have  permission  to  leave

Romin, no matter what Joylin has told us. He has kept the permission  order

for the Slams to leave in place despite the lock-down."

"Withdraw that permission," Mace ordered. "It  is  too  late,"  Joylin

replied.

With a withering look of contempt at Joylin, Mace led the Jedi out  of

the room.

They rushed to  the  landing  platform,  zooming  up  in  one  of  the

turbolifts. When they reached the  top,  the  Jedi  quickly  hid  behind  a

gravsled stacked with equipment. They could see the Slams readying the ship

for departure. Through a windscreen, Anakin saw a blond head.

"They are still here," Mace said. "Excellent work, Anakin. Let's go."

"Wait." Obi-Wan's tone was sharp, and Mace turned, surprised.  He  was

rarely told to wait.

"We should let them go," Obi-Wan said. "This is our chance.  They  are

on their way to Granta Omega. It's the only way we can find him. If we  can

get a tracking device aboard, we'll have him."

"Obi-Wan, we have Zan Arbor here, now," Mace said. "She is capable  of

doing great harm to many. Are you willing to risk letting her  go  for  the

sake of Granta Omega?"

"I feel strongly that we must," Obi-Wan said.  "Omega  is  the  bigger

threat."

Ferus bit his lip, looking from Obi-Wan to Mace.  Anakin  waited,  his

hand on his lightsaber.

Siri's eyes blazed in agreement. "Obi-Wan is right. Ferus  and  I  are

ready to join them on this mission," she told Mace.

"I do not know that you're correct," Mace said.  "A  position  I  find

myself in all too often these  days.  If  you  feel  strongly,  Obi-Wan,  I

support your decision. But everything  depends  on  getting  that  tracking

device on the ship without being seen."

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin with such confidence,  such  assurance,  that

Anakin felt he would never forget this  moment.  Trust  lay  between  them,

unbreakable.

"Anakin?"

"I will do it, Master."

He took a tracking device out of his utility belt and  stood.  Keeping

behind the supplies, the gravsleds, and fueling trucks, he slid in as close

as he dared. He would have to choose his  moment.  A  moment  when  no  one

aboard would be looking.

The Force. He could use it. He wasn't sure how. But he reached out for

it and gathered it, formed it to his pleasure, to what he needed.

The engines fired. He was close enough to feel their heat. Now.

The ship rose, just a meter above the ground,  hovering  for  the  few

crucial seconds needed to input coordinates and information. With the  help

of the Force, those seconds spun out into more time, enough time for him.

Anakin used the Force to jump straight toward the  exhaust,  where  no

viewscreens could see him. The temperature was blazing hot, too hot  for  a

living being to stand, yet he stood it and it did  not  burn  him.  He  was

close to the edge of the landing platform here. He timed the  move  as  the

ship rose. With a grunt and a call to the Force for  help,  he  tossed  the

tracking device as the ship lifted. He saw it catch on the underside.  When

the ship rotated, Anakin was already back behind  the  fuel  pump,  jumping

down perfectly with not a millimeter to spare.

The Slams' ship shot out of sight.

Anakin rose. His legs felt slightly shaky at the  dangerous  maneuver.

His skin felt hot, but he knew he wasn't burned. Mace and the others walked

toward him.

Mace looked at him, his dark eyes raking him. "Impressive."

"Are you hurt?" Obi-Wan asked him. "I didn't mean for you to jump into

the ship's exhaust funnels." "I'm not hurt."

Mace looked up at the vapor trail the ship had left. "I hope  we  made

the right decision," he said. "Are you ready to track them?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "Granta has always been one step ahead of us.  He

has always planned our meetings. Now I will decide how we next meet."

"May the Force be with you." Mace started away.

"Uh, Master  Windu?"  Obi-Wan  said.  Mace  turned  and  gave  him  an

impatient look.

"Just one more thing," Obi-Wan continued. "We need your ship."

Siri sat at the controls.  They  had  been  traveling  for  days  now,

following the pulse of the tracking device. The  Slams'  ship  was  heading

into the vast empty space of the Outer Rim.

Ferus had stretched out on his sleep couch. He  would  take  the  next

piloting shift. Obi-Wan sat at the table in the eating area. He had  spread

out a number of holofiles,  information  about  Granta  Omega  gathered  by

Archivist Jocasta Nu at the Temple. Obi-Wan knew the information by  heart,

but he still didn't believe it was possible to study it too deeply.

Anakin sat, staring out the viewscreen at the stars. He was in a place

of deep quiet, not meditation, exactly, but open  to  the  galaxy,  to  the

energy that boiled from stars and worlds, satellites, matter and nonmatter,

gravity, inertia, living beings.

Suddenly, he sat erect. Every muscle tensed. Obi-Wan looked up.  "What

is it?"

Anakin turned to him.

"Omega. He knows we are coming.