by Jude Watson
Den stumbled backward. "Jedi! Whoa! I mean, I knew you were weird, but I didn't know you were Jedi."
"You betrayed us for the reward," Qui-Gon said.
"Who, me?" Den asked, holding a hand over his heart. "Joke, right? Kill me now, because I'm mortally wounded, I wouldn't betray a fellow criminal. Sure, I saw that alert. But I wouldn't turn you in."
"A fellow what!" Obi-Wan asked.
Den peered out the curtain. "Those security police could be here for me. I thought they were looking for me in the Katharsis Dome, too. Not that I'm a criminal, exactly. I'm more like a . . . facilitator."
"And why should we believe you?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Um, let's review. Because you're a criminal, too?" Den stepped back from the curtain. "You can put away those saber things. I've got a way out."
Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon shrugged. What else could they do? Better to trust Den a little longer than to tangle with twenty security officers.
Den led them down the hallway to the kitchen. He hurried to a panel in the wall and pushed it open. "After you," he said to Obi-Wan.
A foul smell rose in Obi-Wan's nostrils. "The garbage chute?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Den asked. "Okay, if you insist, I'll go first."
He swung himself into the small space and then let go. They heard the sound of banging and a small ow! Then Den's voice came to them hollowly.
"Uh, not that I want to tell two Jedi what to do, but you might want to speed it up."
Obi-Wan swung into the chute and let go. He bumped down past the remnants of rotten vegetables and food. His hand slid in something slimy, and then he tumbled out onto a large bin full of garbage. A moment later, Qui-Gon slid out next to him.
"That was a treat," Qui-Gon said, picking a rotten leaf off his tunic. "Thanks."
"My pleasure. This way," Den urged.
They climbed out of the garbage bin and followed Den through a hallway that was lined with shelves crammed with food tins. "Fifty years ago Telos had a famine," Den explained. "My landlady was only ten at the time, but she never forgot it. She's crazier than I am."
At last the dark hallway ended at a slanted door. "This will bring us up into the gardens," Den explained in a whisper. "It doesn't look as though it belongs to the house, so ten to one they won't have it surrounded."
"Ten to one?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Good odds!" Den assured him. "Look, you still don't trust me? Kill me now. Go ahead. Put me out of my misery. Run me through with that glowy tube thing if I'm wrong. No? Okay, come on."
Qui-Gon shot an amused look at Obi-Wan, which Obi-Wan answered with a frown. He didn't know why Qui-Gon always seemed to give his trust to the scoundrels they met. Yet when it came to Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon was strict and unbending.
Den eased open the slanted door overhead. They climbed up a short flight of stairs and slipped outside. They were surrounded by tall rows of a green-leafed plant.
Den jerked his head to indicate which way they should go. They could hear the security police kicking in the doors of the rooming house as they quickly made their way through the rustling plants, trying not to stir the leaves any more than the wind did.
When they reached the end of the field, Den hesitated.
"What do we do now?" Obi-Wan asked.
Suddenly, blaster fire ripped into the row of plants to their right.
"Um, let me think. Run?" Den suggested.
They took off, zigzagging through the remaining fields. Qui-Gon glanced back and saw the security police giving chase.
"We have a good lead," Den shouted. "We can outrun them. At least they're not on speeder bikes."
Just then, three speeder bikes took off after them.
"Oops," Den panted.
"Activate your lightsaber!" Qui-Gon called to Obi-Wan.
They did not slow their pace, keeping up with Den. The Force told them when to turn back and deflect the fire with their lightsabers.
Den zigzagged down a maze of alleys. The speeder bikes gained on them. "Just hang on, almost there," he called back.
They came to a field with a drainage pipe rising out of the grass. Den flattened himself and crawled in. Quickly, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon followed. The speeder bike engines buzzed angrily overhead. Blaster fire peppered the pipe but did not penetrate the metal.
"This goes underground and leads into a basement nearby," Den said. "They'll never find us."
"You said that before," Obi-Wan grunted.
"I said ten-to-one," Den corrected. "I'll give you better odds this time."
On their hands and knees, they crawled through rusty water with a skin of muck on top.
"Den, what used to drain through this pipe?"
Qui-Gon asked. The smell was worse than the garbage chute.
"Don't ask," Den said cheerfully.
At last they saw a faint beam of light. They spilled out onto a basement floor, their tunics stained with rust, garbage, and a substance Obi-Wan did not want to identify.
Den led them upstairs and out a side door into an alley. He looked both ways, then overhead. "You see? Saved."
"Will you be safe from here?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Joke, right? You can't leave me now!" Den protested. "I'm not finished saving your necks yet. Come on, I led you into trouble. Let me lead you out again. I have a safe place for you to stay."
"Safe like the last place?" Obi-Wan asked.
"This place is different," Den assured them. "It's a hideout of a friend of mine. Look, the security police will be everywhere. You need to lay low, even for a few hours."
"And why should we trust you?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Because you have no choice?" Den said.
"One always has a choice," Qui-Gon said. "But we'll follow."
Chapter 6
Obi-Wan couldn't believe it. Den was obviously a criminal. Why was Qui-Gon trusting him with their lives?
When Den walked ahead, he posed the same question to Qui-Gon. The Jedi only sighed.
"Think about it, Obi-Wan. We are criminals, too, at least in the eyes of the security police. Who can hide us better than those who are already in hiding?"
Qui-Gon put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Don't worry. The core of him is pure."
"Kill me now, because I can't feel it," Obi-Wan grumbled. Still he liked the comforting hand on his shoulder. It almost felt as though Qui-Gon and he were Master and apprentice again.
Den led them to another part of the city, well off the wide boulevards of the city's center. Here the buildings huddled together as if a cold wind had driven them closer for warmth and protection.
Den led them to a building in the middle of the block. Instead of entering, he slipped down an alley. A broken pipe hung down the side of the building, swinging free. Den pulled himself up and straddled it.
"It's easier than it looks," he said. He grinned at the exasperated expression on Obi-Wan's face. "Hey, kid. You've gone down a garbage chute and climbed through a drainpipe. I think you can do this."
With an irritated glance at Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan grabbed the pipe. From the street it had looked ready to fall on the first unsuspecting head, but he found that it was actually anchored firmly to the wall. There were small metal bolts screwed in the sides, undetectable from below but big enough to serve as handholds and footholds. Den was right - it was easier to climb than it looked.
Obi-Wan hoisted himself up and over the edge of the flat roof. A water tank rose in a corner, a rusting spiral staircase circling it up to a platform at the top.
"Don't tell me," Obi-Wan said. "We're going to jump in that water tank next."
"Joke!" Den said, chuckling. He crossed to the tank and knocked a rhythmic series of taps against it. A short rap answered him.
"She's in," he said. "Let's go."
Obi-Wan followed Den up the spiral staircase to the top of the tank. When he reached the platform, he saw that the ceiling was recessed. It was painted to look like dark water. Anyone from above would not be ab
le to tell that this water tower was any different from the others that dotted the roofs nearby.
Den slid open a trap door and disappeared inside. Obi-Wan followed.
To his relief, he found himself on a staircase leading down into a cozy apartment. The walls were round and made of durasteel. A thick rug was on the floor, and there were comfortable places to sit. In the center of the space was a long table piled with tech equipment.
A slender young woman rose from her seat at the table. Her hair was dark chestnut, wound in several braids around her head. Her eyes were a warm honey-brown. Right now they were trained suspiciously on Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
"Who have you brought me this time, Den?" she asked.
"Friends," Den responded.
"They're always friends," she said warily. Her eyes flicked over their stained tunics. "And they're dressed so nicely, too."
"We had a little trouble getting here. But they might be able to help us." He turned to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "This is Andra. She's the head of the POWER party - Preserve Our Wild Endangered Resources. Andra, this is Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, two Jedi visitors who seem to be wanted by the security police."
Her eyes narrowed. "Wanted? For what?"
Den took a piece of fruit from a bowl and tossed it to Obi-Wan. "Here, kid, you look hungry. What does it matter what they're wanted for, Andra? We need them. They want to know about UniFy."
Andra's suspicion changed to interest. She looked at them curiously.
"Maybe you could explain what it is you do," Qui-Gon suggested. "What is the POWER party?"
"We are a political party in opposition to those in control of the government," she answered. "Unfortunately, we're illegal right now. The government outlawed us. We were the first to raise the cry when the government gave the stewardship of our sacred places to UniFy. We asked why our land was turned over to private interests, why we were forced to trust the word of a corporation that they would preserve and protect the land. Most didn't listen. They were happy to have the tax burden taken away. But some did listen, and joined us. We're made up of former government officials, scientists, environmental workers, ordinary citizens who listened back when we were allowed to speak. Now we've gone into hiding and meet here when we can."
"Do you have proof that UniFy is mishandling your sacred spaces?" Qui-Gon asked.
She hesitated. "We had evidence that something is going on at the Sacred Pools. Three people went to the global park to gather images and evidence. They were killed in a speeder accident on the way back to Thani. They told me that they had hard evidence of something, but they didn't say what it was. I think their death was no accident. The evidence they were bringing back was destroyed. We are mobilizing to make another trip." She pushed impatiently at a stray hair that had escaped a braid. "It's difficult. Security is very tight at the global parks. They say they need to keep people away until the land is reclaimed. We think they are exploiting it, mapping it for further development."
"Why don't the people of Telos ask more questions about what is being done?" Qui-Gon asked. "This world is known for the conservation of its natural beauties. Even from an economic standpoint, it doesn't make sense. Tourism is a large industry here."
Andra looked bleak. "Katharsis. The people are obsessed with betting on it, with hoping they'll be chosen in the lottery. And they don't worry about the tourists - more come for Katharsis now than the global parks. Greed has entered the people like a fever." She gave Qui-Gon a cool questioning look. "So why do you think you can help?"
"I don't," Qui-Gon said bluntly. "That was Den's idea."
"You seem very interested in UniFy," Den said. "This is only a guess, but I have a feeling that you don't have an appointment tomorrow."
Qui-Gon said nothing. Obi-Wan admired his reserve. He was able to convey patience and a willingness to listen without giving anything away.
"So are you an environmentalist like Andra?" Obi-Wan asked Den.
Before he could answer, Andra laughed. "You mean have a commitment to something bigger than himself? Not Den. Our arrangement is strictly for credits."
"Hey, wait a second," Den said huffily. "I have just as many ideals as the next guy."
"If the next guy happens to be a smuggler or a thief," Andra shot back. She turned back to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. "When we first went underground, we needed tech equipment. I had to forage for computer parts and comlinks on the black market. That's how I met Den. He's been smuggling the parts we need to keep going. We've managed to get out an underground paper alerting the people to what we think is happening. But Den's allegiance is only to the credits I can give him."
"Excuse me for needing money to live, Captain Integrity," Den said to Andra. "Not everyone can live on ideals. Especially when they don't pay rent. If it weren't for me, you'd be talking to these walls instead of the 'people' out there."
"How like you to claim our success as your own," Andra said coolly.
"See what you get when you try to help people?" Den grumbled to the Jedi. "Insults. No wonder I'm a thief."
Andra ignored him and turned back to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "You can stay here if you like. Any enemy of UniFy is a friend of mine."
"I didn't say I was an enemy of UniFy," Qui-Gon said with a smile.
She studied him for a moment. "But you are, aren't you? Maybe Den i s right. Maybe we can help each other. But you have to tell me why you're here. Not to mention why you're wanted by the security police."
"I'm not sure what the charge is, but I'm sure it's serious," Qui-Gon admitted. "It's false, whatever it is. We have a powerful enemy on Telos. I believe he is using UniFy as a shell corporation for his own company."
"Which is?" Andra asked.
"Offworld."
Andra let out a long breath. "Offworld . . . They are the largest mining concern in the galaxy." Two spots of color appeared on her cheeks. "But that means that UniFy could be mapping our lands for mining development! If we could prove the two companies are linked, we'd have proof of UniFy's plans!"
"Andra hired me to break into the UniFy files," Den told them. "I worked there a few months ago, and I forgot to turn in my ID badge. I had to leave in a hurry."
"You forgot?" Qui-Gon asked.
Den grinned. "And then I mistakenly took a couple extra badges when I left. So I can get us in. The odds are totally in our favor."
Qui-Gon hesitated. He turned to Andra. "You don't seem to trust him. Why should we?"
"Because I won't let you down!" Den cried.
"I did not ask you the question," Qui-Gon said sternly.
Andra sighed. "What's in it for you, Den? Why would you take the risk of breaking in again?"
"Because I didn't finish the job you paid me for," Den told her. "I feel badly about that. I have my integrity, you know."
"You're a thief!" Andra cried in exasperation. "Exactly!" Den exclaimed. "So let me steal!' "Why don't I feel reassured?" Obi-Wan wondered aloud.
Andra sighed. "I know exactly what you mean."
Chapter 7
Besides the identity cards, Den had managed to steal the gray unisuits that the lowest level of tech workers at UniFy wore. It was surprisingly easy to join the stream of workers entering the building at dawn the next day. The security guards swiped their cards and they simply walked through.
Sure, we're in, Obi-Wan thought. But will it be as easy to get out again? For some reason, Qui-Gon had decided to trust this Den character. And the Jedi Council thought he was too impulsive.
Den took the turbolift down to a lower level. "The main files are in a restricted area," he explained. "We'll have to walk down the utility staircase. Then there's a guard at the door. Can you wave those lightsabers of yours at him? We can lock him in a closet until we're done."
"Just leave it to me," Qui-Gon said.
They slipped down the utility staircase and entered a long white hallway lit with soothing glow lights. A security guard sat in front of a console at the end.
"Passes," he
said shortly.
Qui-Gon handed him his identity card. He focused on the Telosian's mind. "This will do. Go on in."
"This will do," the guard said. "Go on in." The door hissed open, and they walked through.
"What was that?" Den asked wonderingly.
"A Jedi tool," Qui-Gon answered. "The Force can easily be used on the weak-minded."
"I am impressed," Den said, shaking his head in admiration. "Can you imagine what you could do with that, if you had a little larceny in you? Hey, do you think your Jedi Temple would take a guy like me?"
"No," Qui-Gon said shortly, accessing the door marked secure files.
The room was filled with computers and holographic files. Den crossed immediately to the main terminal.
"I'll break into the system, and the two of you can search on the other monitors," he said, his fingers flying over the keys. "They changed the password, but I wrote a program that . . . there we go! Call me a genius and I won't argue with you."
Qui-Gon sat at another terminal and motioned Obi-Wan to the next. It would be faster if they all searched independently.
Files names and numbers flashed onscreen. There were many marked sacred pools. "There are at least three hundred files here," Qui-Gon said after a moment. "Let's break it down. Den, you take the first hundred, Obi-Wan the next. I'll do the last. Scan as quickly as you can. Look for any mention of Offworld, mining, or mapping." He looked over at Den. "Don't try anything."
Den blinked at him innocently. "Like what?"
"I don't want to speculate," Qui-Gon said dryly. "Just do what I say."
Obi-Wan accessed the first file and quickly scanned it. It was a record of correspondence between the manager of the Sacred Pools project and his superior at UniFy. As far as he could see, it was reporting fuel and food needs for the workers. Nothing. He accessed the next.
And the next. And the next. .. Obi-Wan waded through file after file. He never imagined that working for a large corporation could be so dull. Information was repeated over and over and double-checked. He saw nothing suspicious.