Jedi Apprentice 8: The Day of Reckoning (звёздные войны)

by Джуд Уотсон

  Anger surged in Qui-Gon. Xanatos had done this. He had inflamed the crowd. He had filled their minds with hatred and lies. If Qui-Gon died, Xanatos would win. He would corrupt Telos even more. He would destroy it.

  Qui-Gon couldn't let that happen.

  Yet he must not fight with anger. He must fight with justice.

  "We must not give up," Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan urgently over the noise of the crowd. "They will need to retract the energy bars for the executioners to get us on those slabs. That's when we will fight. All is not lost. Stay calm and alert."

  Obi-Wan nodded.

  Qui-Gon noted the steady resolution in Obi-Wan's eyes. They had little chance of escaping this fate, but Obi-Wan accepted this. The boy was never cowed by odds against him.

  The energy cage slowly lowered toward the scaffold. Security police on swoops hovered near in case the prisoners tried to escape.

  The cries of the crowd came to Qui-Gon faintly. All his attention was now focused on the guards on the scaffold. He was confident that he and Obi-Wan could take them. But what then? They would have to leap to the ground, even as blaster fire pounded them from above and below. Perhaps the surprise of their move would increase the likelihood of escape. Perhaps the crowd was not as bloodthirsty as it appeared. But he did not like these odds. Even Den would not take this bet, Qui-Gon thought ruefully.

  The guards on the scaffold walked forward. Qui-Gon waited for the energy bars to lower. As soon as they did, he would spring forward.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he noted an erratic movement from one of the swoops. He looked to the side without turning his head. The rider was hooded. In only the split second he allowed himself to glance, Qui-Gon recognized who it was. The surprise hit him broadside. Andra.

  "Behind you, Obi-Wan," he said in a low voice. "Be prepared."

  The energy bars retracted. The guards rushed forward. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan activated their lightsabers simultaneously and leaped toward them. Blaster fire pinged around them, and they deflected it, swinging in a blur of motion faster than the eye could follow.

  Another swoop joined Andra. The two crafts dived toward them, engines screaming.

  "Jump!" he called to Obi-Wan. He leaped off the scaffold as the swoop dived to scoop him up. The other vehicle did the same for Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon caught a quick flash of a determined

  Den.

  Qui-Gon landed on his feet. He held on to the driver's shoulders and lowered himself into the seat as the swoop dived, turned, climbed, hovered, and turned again, trying to evade the guards giving chase.

  Qui-Gon still had his lightsaber in his hand. He deflected blaster fire as the craft darted around the guards. He saw Obi-Wan doing the same. It was hard to keep his balance on the agile swoop, but he managed.

  In a daring move, the swoops headed straight for the prison towers. Qui-Gon saw the towers grow closer and closer, so close he could see the cracks and pits in the surface. At the very last moment, Andra turned sharply. They came so close that Qui-Gon's hand was scraped. Two of the swoops pursuing them crashed into the towers. Andra and Den zoomed away.

  Qui-Gon allowed himself one glance back. The last thing he saw was Xanatos, standing straight and tall and unmoving, watching him go. He could feel the coiled hatred spring at him from across the distance. They would meet again, he knew. Xanatos would make sure of it.

  Chapter 10

  When she was sure they were away from their pursuers, Andra loosened her hood.

  "Thanks for not falling off," she called back to Qui-Gon.

  "Thanks for rescuing us," Qui-Gon responded. "I was almost starting to worry."

  She grinned and gunned the motor. In another few minutes, they landed in the alley near her house. Den and Andra concealed the swoops behind a pile of rusty abandoned floaters.

  "Whoa!" Den called as he swept off his hood. "Did we beat those odds, or what? The next time I'm outrunning some security police, I want a Jedi at my back!"

  Obi-Wan didn't respond to Den's friendly grin. "You wouldn't have had to rescue us if you'd warned us back at UniFy," he pointed out.

  "I was about to," Den protested. "I didn't get the chance. At least I came through in the end."

  "Only because I insisted," Andra said. "I'm the one who proposed the rescue."

  "Kill me now if I wasn't going to! You didn't give me a chance!" Den protested.

  "I suggest we continue this inside," Qui-Gon said, his eyes sweeping the sky overhead with a glance. "In my experience, security on Telos doesn't give up easily."

  They climbed up the drain and entered Andra's snug home. Andra began to heat some drinks and set out a plate of bread and fruit. Obi-Wan reached for it hungrily.

  "I don't know what to do now," Andra said worriedly. "We can't break into UniFy again. I'm sure they plugged the holes in their security. We'll never be able to get the proof we need that UniFy is tied to Offworld."

  "If only we'd had more time to look," Den said.

  Qui-Gon gave him a hard look. "But you weren't looking very hard for an Offworld connection, were you?"

  Den shifted in his seat. "Of course I was. There were too many files. You said so yourself."

  "I saw your screen, Den," Qui-Gon said. "You weren't looking at the Sacred Pool files. You were looking up Katharsis."

  "Katharsis?" Andra turned. "Why?"

  "Don't look at me like that, all of you," Den protested. "I'm an honest man!"

  Qui-Gon cocked an eyebrow. Obi-Wan looked disgusted. Andra blew out an exasperated breath.

  "Okay, so I'm not one hundred percent honest," Den admitted. "But I'm loyal! I was looking up Katharsis. When I worked there I found out by chance? well, not so much by chance, but because I broke into some files? that UniFy controls Katharsis."

  Andra swiveled, the pot in her hand. "You mean the government doesn't control it?"

  Den nodded. "They just want you to think they do. If everyone knew that a corporation controlled Katharsis, they'd realize that.."

  "UniFy decides how the profits from Katharsis are spent," Andra said rapidly. "Which means they totally control our public lands."

  Den nodded. "UniFy came up with the idea for Katharsis in the first place. They paid off some key government people in order to push it through. Basically, the government is in UniFy's pocket."

  Andra sank into a chair, stunned. "Do you think that UniFy deliberately devised Katharsis just to distract the population from their intentions? They're going to open all our global parks for development. And we're going to pay for it!"

  "It's pretty diabolical," Den said. "You almost have to admire it. Some kind of evil genius had to come up with this plan."

  Qui-Gon exchanged a glance with Obi-Wan. "Xanatos," he said quietly. The plan had a simple elegance to its evil that was pure Xanatos.

  But Qui-Gon wasn't finished with Den. "Why were you looking up Katharsis again, Den?" he asked. "If you knew this already, there wasn't much more to discover."

  They all turned to Den. He met their gaze with steady innocence. That meant he was no doubt about to lie, Qui-Gon guessed.

  "I was just hoping to help Andra and the POWER party?" he started.

  Andra interrupted him. "Don't con me. Den. Not now. This is too important."

  He looked at her a long moment. Qui-Gon noticed the vulnerability in the look. He cares for her, he realized.

  "Okay," he said. "I was hoping to help you. But I was also looking for a way to rig the lottery."

  "Always looking out for yourself, aren't you?" Andra said bitterly.

  "No," Den said quietly. "I look out for you, too. But you won't see that."

  "So did you find out how to rig it?" Qui-Gon asked.

  "Not exactly," Den hedged.

  "Did you find out anything?" Obi-Wan asked impatiently.

  "Yes, I found out something," Den admitted. "The lottery already is rigged."

  Chapter 11

  "Things are happening too fast here," Andra said weakly. "Let me pour the tea."


  They sat around the table, warm mugs of tea in their hands. The enormity of the plan stunned Andra. She had expected conspiracies and corruption, but not on such a vast scale. It was obvious that they had stumbled on a scheme to take over the resources of an entire planet. The question was how the pieces fit together, and what they could do about it.

  Qui-Gon drained his mug. "I suggest a two-part plan," he said. "First, Den will infiltrate the lottery system."

  "Whoa, hold on," Den said. "What do you mean, I'll infiltrate the lottery system? What makes you think I can do that?"

  "I have a feeling you already know how," Qui-Gon said coolly. "Why else would you risk so much to get back inside UniFy? Why else did the security get triggered? You were able to invade the system."

  Den took a gulp of tea, then coughed. No one moved to help him.

  "Okay, okay," he croaked. "I think I can rig it. I mean, I think I can rig the part that's already rigged."

  "And you know how to ensure that you'll win the prize," Qui-Gon said.

  Den nodded reluctantly. "I can rig it so that I win the lottery. One winner is always someone selected by UniFy in advance. As the games go on, some contestants are given faulty equipment? not anything they would notice, but something slightly off that decreases their chances of winning. One of the contestants has been selected in advance and bribed. He or she agrees to pass half the fortune back under the table to the company. I can just put my name in the next winner's place."

  Andra shook her head. "I knew you had an ulterior motive to helping me. You were going to take that fortune and run."

  "Joke, right?" Den said. "Because I can't believe you would really think such a thing. After I won my fortune, I would have shared it. Some of it."

  "I don't want any part of a fortune built on destroying our sacred spaces," Andra said fiercely. "And you shouldn't either!"

  "It's not my fault they're being exploited!" Den protested. "And a fortune is a fortune."

  "That's your trouble," Andra said. "You really believe that."

  "Does anyone want to hear the second part of my plan?" Qui-Gon interrupted mildly. "Second, we should follow through on Andra's original plan to visit the Sacred Pools. We'll need to gather the evidence all over again."

  "It won't be easy," Andra said. "The security is extremely tight."

  "Just use some of that Jedi mind-altering-voice-bending stuff," Den suggested.

  "I'm afraid we'll need more than that," Qui-Gon said. "Andra, can you call in your supporters? I think the best plan is to infiltrate at several points so that we don't rely on only one team."

  Andra looked down at her mug. She smoothed the wood of the table with her hand.

  "Andra?" Qui-Gon prodded.

  She looked up. "I can't do that," she said. "I haven't been completely honest with you all. I have no supporters. I am the POWER party."

  "There's no party?" Obi-Wan asked in disbelief.

  She shrugged and gave a small smile. "Just me. I had a few supporters, but they all fell away when the investigative team was killed. No one will listen to me anymore. They all think I'm crazy because I see a bleak future no one wants to face, let alone prevent."

  Suddenly, Den burst out laughing. "So Captain Integrity has been lying all along!" he chortled. "This is the best news I've heard in a millennium!"

  "Knock it off, Den," Andra growled. "I had to pretend to have support. I needed you to help me."

  "Right," Den said, nodding. "Of course. You're allowed to trick someone because you're saving the planet. I get it. As long as you have pure motive, you can do whatever you want."

  "That's not what I'm saying," Andra shot back angrily. "If you cared about anything other than yourself, you'd understand."

  "I understand that you'd do anything to get what you want," Den said. "We're more alike than you want to admit, Andra."

  Andra glared at him. "I'd rather be compared to a dinko."

  "Sure, I can do that," Den said promptly. "A dinko is a creature with fangs and a nasty disposition. The problem is, how are you different? Let me see your teeth."

  "Just keep it up. Den," Andra warned.

  "Okay, enough," Qui-Gon snapped. "We have a problem. Who's going to invade the Sacred Pools?"

  "I will," Andra said, with a furious glance at Den.

  "I'll go with you," Obi-Wan said.

  Qui-Gon shook his head. "No."

  "But it makes sense," Obi-Wan argued. "A boy traveling with a woman won't attract as much attention. We'd look like a brother and sister on an excursion. If we get caught, Andra and I can claim we got lost."

  "And you should stay here and watch Den," Andra said to Qui-Gon. "If he rigs the lottery, he could take the fortune and leave the planet."

  "Thanks for your support," Den said sarcastically.

  "Have you given me any reason to trust you lately?" Andra asked coolly.

  "Dinko," Den shot at her.

  "Thief," she shot back.

  Qui-Gon ignored their bickering for the moment. He felt exasperated and worried. He didn't want Obi-Wan to travel without him. Xanatos was on the loose, on his home planet, and he was enraged at their escape. But the boy's logic was sound. They had to take a risk in order to bring Xanatos down. But was this risk more than he was willing to take?

  He saw Obi-Wan watching him. The boy was wondering why he didn't want him to go. For Obi-Wan, it would be a question of trust. Qui-Gon had to allow it.

  "All right," he said. "Obi-Wan and Andra will gather the evidence. Den and I will remain here. Now let's make our preparations."

  Chapter 12

  Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stood by the swoops that would carry Obi-Wan and Andra to the Sacred Pools. Andra stood nearby with Den, checking her survival pack.

  Obi-Wan had only slept for a few hours, but he felt alert and clear. A scattering of stars twinkled in the dark sky. Dawn was still an hour away. Andra felt their best chance was to invade the park in the early morning, gather pictures and evidence, and leave. They would have to be back in Thani by midday, before the end of the last round of Katharsis.

  "If there is a sign of trouble, just go," Qui-Gon instructed him quietly. "If you think you cannot evade security, don't even attempt to enter the area. Survey it first."

  "I've studied the maps," Obi-Wan said. "Andra knows of a way to enter without being noticed. She used it when she was a girl. She thinks it will still be there."

  "Studying the map is not the same as knowing the area," Qui-Gon said. "Do not trust it completely. Make sure your entrance can be your exit."

  "I know all these things," Obi-Wan said. He felt frustrated and disappointed. Qui-Gon was treating him like a fourth-year student at the Temple. He knew if Qui-Gon took him back that they would have to start over as a Master-Padawan team, but did Obi-Wan have to turn back into a child?

  Qui-Gon nodded. "I know you do. It is my own unease that makes me repeat these things. I trust you, Obi-Wan."

  The words trickled through Obi-Wan and filled him with warmth.

  "I will not fail," he said.

  "Just be safe," Qui-Gon responded.

  Andra lifted her hood over her dark braids as she strode forward. "Ready, Obi-Wan?"

  He swung his leg over the swoop. Qui-Gon had given him a quick lesson earlier. He wasn't used to such maneuverable transport. A slight touch could cause it to lean and dive. Obi-Wan was a fast learner, but it had taken him time before Qui-Gon was satisfied with his skill.

  Andra gunned her motor and took off. Obi-Wan followed.

  "Don't take any chances!" Den called after them.

  "He sounds worried," Obi-Wan called over to Andra.

  She gritted her teeth. "He's just trying to pretend to be a good person. It's a strain."

  The black sky turned to gray as they traveled through the quiet outskirts of the city. Buildings grew farther apart. Land began to be cultivated. Then after the sun rose there were barely any dwellings at all, just occasional villages tucked into deep valleys.

 
Obi-Wan marveled at the beauty of the countryside. Fields of lavender and blue flowers swayed in a gentle breeze. Every few kilometers they came upon another deep blue lake glittering in the folds of the golden hills.

  "This is beautiful country," he called over to Andra as they flew.

  "I was born here," she said. "There's a proposal to turn much of this into another global park. But now I wonder why. Will they develop this, too?"