by Jude Watson
"Sometimes I just don't understand you."
"I know."
"We can't defy the Senate. We can't defy the Jedi Council."
"We can. We just don't choose to. There are more options in life, Obi-Wan, than you seem able to imagine."
Siri's words stung. It was almost as though she felt sorry for him.
"Do I need to tell Qui-Gon and Adi about this?" Obi-Wan hated the way he sounded. Priggish. Pompous.
Siri turned her cool gaze on him, the color of an impossibly blue sea with hidden depths for the unwary. "If you like. Don't worry. I'll deliver Taly into the hands of the Senate. I'll do my duty. I always do."
Then she retreated from him, even though she stayed still and unmoving at his side.
The comlink message was full of static.
„. . . trail of bounty hunters. . . . Stay where you are until we return . ." Qui-Gon's voice was steady, but the transmission crackled. "A bounty hunter is on Quadrant Seven. Magus. Stay hidden. If we don't return . ."
"Qui-Gon?"
"Freighter . . . landing platform . . . in five days time, midday. No other transport available —" The transmission cut out.
"Did you get all that?" Siri asked.
"Stay hidden for five days. If they don't return, take the freighter off planet. And a bounty hunter is still looking for Taly."
"Magus." Siri looked over at where Taly was sleeping. "So he knows Taly is alive."
"Or suspects."
She did not say what he knew she wanted to say. Without their Masters, it would be easy to go to Qexis. They could take Taly away from this.
But those were not their orders. And they would do their duty.
CHAPTER 9
Siri didn't speak much. There was a tension between them now that Obi-Wan didn't understand. They had argued many times during their friendship. Why did this one make him feel so strained?
He hadn't realized before how much her steady friendship meant to him. She might mock him and annoy him, but he'd always known she respected him.
Now he wasn't sure.
The days passed slowly. The cave seemed smaller with each segment of passing time. Obi-Wan felt himself grow more silent with every passing hour. He felt himself tense whenever Siri brushed past. He felt like a fool, like a rule-following, dull, stupid apprentice who didn't dare to risk. He never felt like that when Siri wasn't around.
The tension between them grew, and he didn't understand it. Obi-Wan couldn't wait to get out of the cave.
They did what Jedi do when forced to remain in one place. They kept themselves limber with exercises. They meditated. They did not think of the future, only the present moment.
One would stand guard while the other went down to the spring for water. They saw no one and heard nothing. Every hour, they expected Qui-Gon and Adi to contact them. They both felt a responsibility to keep the atmosphere light. They didn't want to worry Taly.
For his part, Taly crunched on protein pellets and slept fitfully. He stopped eating much. Obi-Wan began to worry about him. He and Siri slept in shifts so that one of them would always be awake. He didn't think it impossible that Taly would try to slip away. He saw how Siri's eyes grew dark with worry when she looked at him.
"We just have to hang on," he said to her.
She was scratching patterns in the dirt floor of the cave with a stick. She didn't look up. "One of us should do some reconnaissance," she said. "We don't know what the road is like to Settlement Five, or how many kilometers it is."
"We have the coordinates and a map on our datapad."
"A map is not the territory. You've told me that yourself."
Yes, he had. It was a saying of Qui-Gon's. Study the map, but do not trust it. A map is not the territory. Until your boots are on it, do not trust the ground.
"Yes, that's true. But the settlement isn't far, and the road is well marked. I think we risk more by scouting it out. If our Masters thought we needed to do it, they would have told us. They've traveled the road."
Siri looked up. "Orders for the Jedi are not meant to be literal. Padawans should use their own judgment. That is a Jedi rule, too."
"If situations change," Obi-Wan said. "Ours is the same." He hated this. He hated spouting Jedi rules to Siri as though he was a Master and she was a Padawan. He knew how much she hated it, too. But she pushed him to a place where he had to.
That night at the evening meal, Obi-Wan watched as Taly pushed his protein pellets away. "I want real food."
"We only have two more days to wait," Obi-Wan told him. "There will be food on the freighter. Until then you must take nourishment. You must be strong, Taly. You have a long way to go, and it would be illogical to weaken yourself now."
He watched as Taly took another protein pellet and nodded as he swallowed it.
"That's better."
The moon rose, and they rolled themselves into their thermal blankets. Obi-Wan heard Taly's breathing slow and deepen.
In a few minutes he heard a noise. Siri crawled over to his side. She held out a palm full of protein pellets. "I found these behind a rock."
Obi-Wan frowned. "They must be Taly's. I don't understand. Why won't he eat?"
Siri tossed the pellets toward the rear of the cave. "Because these taste like rocks with a frosting of sand, that's why. We're used to them. He's not. He's just a kid, Obi-Wan."
"He's a very smart kid who knows how much trouble he's in," Obi-Wan said. "We're leaving in two days. Why would he starve himself?"
"Because he's scared and he misses his parents and everything's out of his control," Siri said impatiently. "Because beings don't always behave logically. This is the Living Force. It's unpredictable."
"I hate unpredictability," Obi-Wan said.
Siri smiled. "I know."
"So what should we do?"
"Are you asking me? That's a first," Siri teased.
"Yes, I'm asking you."
"I don't know. Let me think about it. I'll take the first watch."
Siri crawled to the entrance to the cave and positioned herself against the curve of the wall. He watched her curl into the wall as if it were the most comfortable of cushions. The moon was so big that night that he could see her profile illuminated, the crystal clarity of her eyes, the gleam of her hair. She managed to look both alert and perfectly comfortable.
For the first time in days, Obi-Wan slept deeply. When he awoke, Siri was gone.
CHAPTER 10
Dawn was still at least an hour away. It was cold in the cave. Obi-Wan wrapped his thermal blanket around his shoulders and sat at the cave opening. Even if he had wanted to search for Siri, he wouldn't leave Taly.
The light was shifting to purple when Siri reappeared, running soundlessly toward the cave, never making a wrong step even on the stony ground. When she caught sight of Obi-Wan she slowed. He saw her shoulders rise slightly, as if bracing herself for his attack.
She crouched down in front of him and removed a small sack from her tunic. "I got food for Taly," she said. "A muja muffin, some bread, some fruit."
"But I'm carrying all the credits," Obi-Wan said.
"I traded for them," Siri said. "My warming crystal. I sold it to a vendor who was opening up his shop early."
She looked embarrassed. She had sacrificed her most prized possession for a boy she hardly knew. It was a gesture full of sentiment. In the past, Obi-Wan would have thought it unlike her. Now, he knew better.
"Go ahead," she said. "Yell at me."
He didn't say anything. He'd always admired Siri for her fierceness. He had never known how strong her connection to the Living Force was. She always seemed to hold herself above other beings. Now he saw that her brusqueness was a kind of distance she kept, but even so, she was watching. Feeling.
"He'll like these," Obi-Wan said. "It was a good idea. You can go to sleep now. I'll keep watch."
"I can't sleep," Siri said gruffly. "Mind if I sit for awhile?"
Obi-Wan moved over to make room. S
iri sat next to him.
"It's cold," she said. "But it's going to be a nice day."
He threw the blanket over her shoulders so that it was covering them both. He felt her leg against his, her breath against his ear. Warmth spread through him. He saw the sun begin to touch the rocks outside.
"One more day," she said. "I hope Qui-Gon and Adi make it back in time."
"If they don't, we'll be okay," Obi-Wan said. "We can handle anything if we're together."
"I know." He felt the whisper against his skin. They sat together and watched the light come up.
Qui-Gon and Adi did not return, and they did not send another message. Obi-Wan and Siri began to pack up their survival kits. They would have to do this on their own.
"If the bounty hunter is still on Quadrant Seven, he'll be watching to see if we board," Siri said. "We'll have to sneak on somehow."
"Qui-Gon always says that when you're trying to sneak in someplace, go where the food is," Obi-Wan said. "They load it separately through cargo, and security is sometimes pretty loose. Let's try there first."
"Sounds like a plan," Siri said. "Ready, Taly?"
Taly shouldered his pack. Once again, Obi-Wan was struck by how resolute he could look. He had accepted Siri's gift of food gratefully and had tried to share. Obi-Wan and Siri had both taken a small piece of fruit but insisted he eat most of the fresh food. He had been more cheerful after that. It wasn't so much the food, Obi-Wan thought, as the caring that had improved his mood and given him hope. Siri had been so right. He had things to learn from her that went beyond a new fighting stance. He had things to learn about the heart. About giving.
"I'm ready," Taly said.
Siri put her hands on his shoulders and squatted so that she was eye-level with him. "Here's the most important thing, Taly. You have to do what we say. Your safety depends on it."
He nodded. "I will."
Obi-Wan could see that he meant it. Siri had won his trust.
They set off. Because it was market day, the road was crowded with beings heading into Settlement 5. That was lucky. The crowds gave them plenty of cover.
The marketplace was set up around the landing platform, which was another lucky break. Stalls and vendors crowded the square where ramps and lift tubes led to the landing platform several stories above. Siri, Obi-Wan, and Taly blended in with the others in their plain robes and hoods. Siri and Obi-Wan kept their gazes constantly moving but they did not catch a glimpse of the bounty hunter. Nor did the Force give them a warning.
The freighter was docked and ready for loading. One passenger ramp was already down. It would be easy to board and search for seats, but Obi-Wan thought it best to wait until the last possible moment.
They saw metal bins being carried to the back ramp, fresh fruit and vegetables spilling over the top. Obi-Wan watched for several minutes as they milled through the crowd, pretending to study the wares set up in booths and spread out on tables. The bins were carried by workers who plodded back and forth up the ramp. When they disappeared inside the freighter, they were usually gone for a minute or so. That would easily give Obi-Wan, Siri, and Taly a chance to pick up a bin and bring it aboard. If they timed it right, they could pull it off.
Obi-Wan nudged Siri. "There. They're loading the fresh food. If we pick up a bin we could get aboard. Nobody is really watching."
Siri nodded. Then suddenly she paled. "He's here."
"Where?"
"I feel him." Siri's gaze raked the crowd. "There." Obi-Wan looked where Siri's gaze was resting. Magus was across the square. He stood in a clever spot, right where the sun was in shadow, behind a bin of vegetables that were a popular item for shoppers. It would have been hard to pick him out if Siri hadn't felt his presence.
"It's all right," Obi-Wan said. "He's searching the crowd. Now's our chance."
Siri swallowed. She kept her head down. "He's standing with the vendor I bought the food from. He knows we're here, Obi-Wan!"
Obi-Wan looked again. He realized that vendor standing next to Magus was also watching the crowd. Magus was smart. While the vendor concentrated on the passenger ramp, his own flinty gaze roamed. Now Obi-Wan saw how the bounty hunter kept his eye on the cargo ramp as well as the food ramp. There were now less than a dozen bins to carry. Time was running out.
"What are we going to do?" Taly asked.
Obi-Wan knew it was hopeless. There was no way they could board without Magus spotting them. No matter how cleverly they tried. Yet staying on the planet wasn't a good idea. Sooner or later, Magus would find them. And it would probably be sooner.
The panic in Taly's eyes made Obi-Wan angry. They had to protect him. They had to get him to a place that was safe.
"If he's here, that means his ship is unguarded," Obi-Wan said.
A flash illuminated Siri's blue gaze. "You want to steal his ship?"
"The freighter is due to leave in five minutes. We've got to find it first."
"It will be close," Siri guessed.
"Come on."
They threaded through the crowd with a purpose now, but were careful to move with the flowing surge. Obi-Wan checked out the possibilities. It would make sense for Magus to keep the cruiser near. Usually there was a holding pen for star cruisers near landing platforms. He hadn't noticed one here, but there should be one somewhat close.
"There," Siri breathed.
Around a corner, down an alley, a clearly marked space. It was empty but for one cruiser, the light freighter they knew belonged to Magus. They hurried toward the durasteel gate.
There was no time to lose. Obi-Wan cut a hole in the gate with his lightsaber and they squeezed through.
He prowled around the outside of the ship. Siri did the same.
"There should be an exterior control panel for the ramp," he said.
"Here it is." Taly's voice came from underneath the ship. "Sometimes these SoroSuubs are refitted with foiling devices. I can cross the wires and tinker with the controls here. . . ."
"Taly, let me," Obi-Wan urged.
The ramp slid down. "No need." Taly slid out and jumped up, dusting off his hands, a huge grin on his face. "We're done."
They ran up the ramp. Obi-Wan slid into the pilot seat.
"Wait." Taly ducked underneath the control panel. "Let's make sure there's no locking device. I can bypass the access code."
"Are you sure?" Siri asked.
"Easy as cutting through air." Taly took a small servo-driver from his utility belt. "Standard security devices .. . Code deactivated . . . Remote tracking device cut . . . Okay. Let's go."
Obi-Wan fired up the engines. He kept the engine speed down until they were safely away from the city. Then he blasted into the upper atmosphere.
He grinned at Siri. They made it.
"Set the course for Coruscant."
"Course set."
Minutes passed. Siri watched the computer screen avidly. There was still a chance they could be followed.
"Setting hyperdrive," Obi-Wan said. He flicked the controls. Space rushed toward them in a shower of stars. They were free.
With a sigh of satisfaction, Taly leaned back in his seat. "I bet I'm really starting to get on that guy's nerves," he said.
CHAPTER 11
The problem with eavesdropping, Qui-Gon thought, was that it required beings who liked one another enough to exchange information. He and Adi had hoped to overhear more of the bounty hunters' plans, but as soon as their argument was over and the ship blasted off, they all retreated to separate areas of the ship and did not speak. They passed one another in the corridors, they met in the galley scrounging for food, they bumped into one another at close quarters, but all Qui-Gon and Adi heard was an occasional grunt or grumble of, "Blast your stinking carcass, stay out of my way."
They had been on the ship for three days and had learned nothing. They didn't know their destination, and they didn't know the bounty hunters' targets. They had moved from hiding place to hiding place, from storage compartment to
empty stateroom and back again, and at last found what they felt was safe refuge in the small escape pod compartment.
When night fell, the sound of snoring penetrated even the thick door on the compartment. Pilot slept across the hall.
"We've got to do something," Adi said. "We could be landing soon. Not to mention that I'm going to go out of my mind."
"Meditation not working?"
Adi cocked an eyebrow at him. "Very amusing, Qui-Gon. You forget that I am the Jedi without a sense of humor. We need a plan. Something logical."
Qui-Gon smiled. "Why don't we just sneak around some more and see what we can turn up?"
Adi regarded him gravely. "Sounds good."
"I have an idea," Qui-Gon continued. "Pilot said he's in touch with their employer. And that he's keeping records on Magus. Maybe he's kept things he shouldn't."
They listened to the snoring that thundered down the corridor.
"He does sound like a heavy sleeper," Adi said. "Let's go."
Together they crept into Pilot's cabin. He stirred but didn't wake, instead sighing and turning over on his sleep couch. One long arm flopped over the side, his knuckles grazing the floor.
Adi nudged Qui-Gon. Pilot had dislodged his pillow. Now his head was half-on, half-off, and they saw a small datapad underneath the pillow.
Slowly, Adi leaned over. She slid her hand toward the pillow.
Pilot grunted. Adi froze.
Slowly, bit by tiny bit, she moved her hand underneath to grab the edge of the datapad. As if she had all the time in the world, she slid it out from underneath.
Pilot snuggled more deeply into the blankets.
Adi and Qui-Gon bent over the datapad. Quickly, they accessed its files. They were all in code. They accessed the last file used. It was correspondence between Pilot and someone whose name was also in code. But Pilot had made an additional notation and had not coded it.
20 targets. mtg day one set.
Pilot began to stir. He was waking this time. They saw him lift his arm. He began to pat underneath the pillow, eyes still closed, to reassure himself that the datapad was still there.