by Джуд Уотсон
"There goes V-Tarz's snack," Siri murmured.
"We'd better get back to our dorm quarters," Davi said nervously. "We won't be able to escape tonight. I'm sorry. They've never put two guards on at night before."
They waited until the Guides had turned the corner. Then Davi led them out of the food hall.
"We can get back to the dorms through the admin center," Davi said.
"Hurry, it won't take them long to check out the kitchen security."
They raced through the halls and entered the admin center, a round room that was in the center of the building. All the different quads spun off from this central location.
"Almost there," Davi said as he hurried toward the door that led to the Quad 7 dorm, where they were all quartered.
But just then they heard familiar footsteps behind them. There wasn't enough time to make it to the door. Quickly, Davi sprang behind a row of desks. Siri hurried after him. Obi-Wan was bringing up the rear. He slipped behind a wall of shelves that held data files.
They could hear V-Tarz grumbling as he moved toward the security wall.
"Run the infrared check, he says," he muttered. "There's nothing wrong with the infrared. What's wrong is that I'm starving."
"V-Tarz? Are you there?" The voice came through the comlink on the console.
"I'm here."
"Run check."
"Running," V-Tarz said. "You idiot."
"What?"
"Nothing. Running check." V-Tarz's stomach rumbled. He sighed.
Obi-Wan leaned against the console to peer around it. Would they be able to slip past V-Tarz? Not if he didn't move. V-Tarz had a perfect view of the door they needed to pass through.
As Obi-Wan retreated back behind the shelves, he brushed against a container that was overstuffed with data files. One of them slipped off the top. Obi-Wan's reflexes were excellent, and he caught it soundlessly.
It was a file for someone named 0-Uni. Obi-Wan leafed through it quietly. The girl had excellent reports from her teachers. A few visits to the med circle. Then a paper stamped reclassified to re-learning circle.
Obi-Wan carefully replaced the file. The Re-Learning Circle? What was that?
"Check complete," V-Tarz said into the comlink. "No problems."
"Copy that. Making one last check of kitchen and food hall before I get back."
"I'll give you a hand."
"Don't bother. I've got it covered."
"Didn't copy that. I'll check the kitchen." V-Tarz switched off the comlink. "Maybe I can sneak some veg patties when you're not looking, killjoy."
He lumbered off. Davi immediately poked his head out.
"Let's go," he hissed.
They hurried toward the door, but Obi-Wan stopped Davi for a moment.
"What's the Re-Learning Circle?"
"I'm not sure," Davi said. "But I know I don't want to end up there.
You get sent there if you have enough punishment marks. But then some kids who are never in trouble get sent there, too. Nobody knows why." He shuddered. "But nobody ever comes back."
The morning gong shattered the silence before dawn. Instantly, students threw back their covers and stood, lining up to use the wash basins that ran along the wall.
Obi-Wan felt the shock of cold water against his skin. His mind was already clear. The next gong sounded, the signal to dress and proceed to the food hall within three minutes. Davi had explained what was required last night before they'd separated.
Obi-Wan reflected how different life at the Temple had been. There, a soft light began slowly and grew in brightness, mimicking a rising sun. The students all had their own quarters, as privacy was respected. Early morning was a time of meditation and gentle exercise before the day began. It was not harsh noise and hurry.
Here the students did not seem to mind the abrupt start of the day or the strict schedule they had to follow. They did not seem to notice the contrast between the smiles of the Guides and their sharp orders. And nobody seemed to mind the food.
Across the room, Siri sat with the other girls. She lifted a spoonful of grain mash and made a face at him. Obi-Wan laughed quietly to himself.
"Two punishments marks, V-Obi," one of the Guides said, entering it into a touch pad. "Concentration on nutrition is what we do during meal service. Interaction with others is saved for free time."
Obi-Wan chewed on the tasteless meal. Siri was right. They had to get out of here.
"Today we will play Response Time," 0-Bin announced. "You all know how this is done. A topic will flash on your screen. Whoever hits their response button first will tell the class what the significant facts about the topic are. Good luck."
Obi-Wan glanced at his data screen. corus-cant flashed across it. He did not hit his response button. The best thing he could do today was try not to attract any attention from the Teaching Guides.
Jedi responses are lightning fast. The light on top of Siri's data screen lit up first. Obi-Wan threw her a warning glance, but she ignored it.
0-Bin was clearly not pleased at having to call on Siri. "O-Siri?" she asked through pursed lips.
"Coruscant is a world made up of one city. It is the home of the Galactic Senate. Billions of beings live on Coruscant. It is known for government and culture and its excellent transit and security systems — "
"I must interrupt you, O-Siri," O-Bin said with a smile. "That is all wrong. Can anyone correct O-Siri?"
Data screen lights glowed throughout the classroom. O-Bin consulted her screen to see who had been first. "V-Mina?"
"Coruscant is a world of corruption," V-Mina said. "Slavery is legal there."
"Precisely," O-Bin said.
Siri's face was burning. Obi-Wan fixed her with a steady gaze. They both had to keep quiet. They should not attract any more attention.
jedi order.
This time, O-Bin deliberately ignored Siri's glowing light. "V-Taun?"
"The Jedi Order is surrounded by darkness. They — "
Siri sprang to her feet. "The Jedi path is one of service to the galaxy!"
"Sit down, O-Siri! Five punishment marks! And you know what that means.. "
Obi-Wan groaned loudly.
"Food service cleanup after the evening meal," 0-Bin hissed through her teeth. "And V-Obi, from your groan I'm sure you'll be happy to join O-Siri.
So much better for the General Good."
"I am capable of keeping my mouth shut," Siri told Obi-Wan later. "I just don't want to. What difference does it make if we're washing dishes? At least we're not sitting in a class listening to 0-Bin tell us that the Core Worlds are corrupted."
Obi-Wan regarded the stack of dishes crusted with the remains of the evening meal. It was the second time they had been given cleanup duty that day. "I think I'd rather be sitting in class."
"I have a suggestion." Siri threw the dishrag into the sink. "Let's forget the dishes and escape. Tonight. If we can't outsmart that greedy V-Tarz, we don't deserve to be Jedi."
"All right," he agreed.
"Obi-Wan, you've got to listen to me sometime. You're not the only one who can — " Siri did a double take. "Did you just agree with me?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "You're right. We saw how the security system operates.
Let's do it. Qui-Gon and Adi must be really worried now."
"There will be two guards," Siri said. "And V-Tarz might not be able to go for his snack. What do you have in mind?"
"The other Security Guide thinks the system malfunctioned last night, but they don't know where the problem is, right?"
Siri nodded.
"So let's create a real problem," Obi-Wan said. "They'll have to shut down the system to check and repair it. Meanwhile we'll sneak out the cleansing room window."
"How can we sabotage the system?" Siri asked. "We can't sneak into the admin center now. It's full of Guides."
"We have to sabotage it here," Obi-Wan said, glancing around the kitchen. "Any ideas?"
They examined the security d
evices set into the ceiling corners.
"Didn't V-Tarz say something about the infrared sensor?" Siri asked.
"He claimed that it could be malfunctioning," Obi-Wan said.
"Can we rig something to set it off again?" Siri asked. She ran her hand along the big warming unit. "What if we turned the stoves on low? They'd heat the room and eventually the infrareds would go off.
They'd have to turn off the system to figure it out."
"Simple, but genius," Obi-Wan said. "Let's do it. But we'd better wash the dishes first. If a Guide comes in to check our work, he or she might notice the stoves are on."
"I knew there was a drawback," Siri groaned.
Working quickly, the two finished their task. The warning lights flashed for lockdown, and they ran for their dorm quarters. They paused outside the admin center.
"We don't have time to say good-bye to Davi," Siri said in concern.
"He'll know what happened when he finds out we're gone. We can come back for him with Qui-Gon and Adi. Meet me here as soon as the security light goes out," Obi-Wan said. "Then we'll head for the Quad 7 exit."
Siri nodded. Obi-Wan headed to his dorm quarters. He managed to slip into bed just before the lights went out. He waited, listening to the breathing slow around him. The students worked so hard and long during the day that everyone fell deeply asleep within minutes of lying down.
At last the security light blinked off. Obi-Wan slipped into his boots and tiptoed out. He hesitated near Davi's sleep couch. It was better not to awaken him. Anything could go wrong, and he didn't want to get Davi in trouble.
When he reached the hall outside the admin center, Siri was waiting.
"I just saw V-Tarz and the other Security Guide take off to check that sensor," she said. "It's an all clear."
They hurried down the long hallway, past the other dorm rooms. The cleansing room was at the very end of the long, circular building. They had almost reached it when they heard the scrape of a door opening slightly.
Without hesitating a fraction, Obi-Wan and Siri leaped together toward the curve of the hallway, where they would be out of sight. They hit the floor and began to run. If someone had caught a glimpse of them, or even merely heard them, Security Guides might be called. Each student was encouraged to inform on the others.
But would they?
An alarm pierced the silence. The door to the cleansing room was in sight. They raced toward it. But before they could reach it, Security Guides spilled out into the hallway and surrounded them.
They could have fought them. But that meant they would have to draw their lightsabers. Obi-Wan was still reluctant to do that, since Yoda had cautioned them against it. There had to be a better way. He saw Siri's hand drift to her lightsaber hilt, and he shook his head. But would Siri listen to him?
Students spilled out into the hall to see what had caused the disturbance. 0-Bin and several other Teaching Guides hurried out, dressed in their sleepwear.
"I know these two well," O-Bin said. "What are you doing out in the hallways after curfew?"
A shaky voice came from behind them. "It was me."
They turned. Davi stood nervously, his eyes on the floor, afraid to look at 0-Bin.
"I was heading for the food prep area," Davi said. "I… forgot something."
"I'll say he did!" V-Tarz hurried forward. "He left all the stoves on!
Tripped the sensors!"
0-Bin plastered her chiding smile on her face. "This is very careless of you, V-Davi. We will have to consult to figure out how many punishment marks you will receive."
"I know," Davi mumbled. "I realize that I endangered the General Good.
I am repentant."
"Well. We shall discuss this tomorrow." O-Bin clapped her hands.
"Everyone return to your quarters."
Amid the crush of students, Obi-Wan and Siri made their way to Davi.
"Why did you do that?" Siri whispered.
"I don't have as many punishment marks as you," Davi whispered back.
"Davi, why are you wearing your boots and outer tunic?" Obi-Wan asked shrewdly.
"I saw you leave," Davi said. "I knew you were going to escape. I wanted to come with you!"
"V-Davi!" O-Bin's voice was shrill. "If you want. to repent for your disobedience, you should not be talking to two troublemakers!"
With a last glance at them, Davi backed up. But suddenly something shot out of his pocket. Obi-Wan knew immediately what it was: Davi's pet ferbil, Scurry. Davi would not leave the Learning Circle without his pet.
"What is that?" 0-Bin snapped. "Catch it!"
Davi went down on his hands and knees. He made a chirping noise with his mouth and cupped his hands. The ferbil ran into his palm.
"That," 0-Bin said, "is a pet."
Davi said nothing. His face flamed.
"It's just a little ferbil," Siri said.
"Two punishment marks, 0-Siri. I was not talking to you. V-Tarz!"
V-Tarz rumbled forward. "Please search V-Davi's dorm area," 0-Bin ordered.
Obi-Wan and Siri followed. While the students stood around, it did not take V-Tarz long to find two iridescent lizards, another baby fer-bil, and a bag of seeds.
O-Bin pressed her lips together. "What do we say, students?"
All the students faced Davi.
"SHAME. SHAME. SHAME," they repeated over and over.
"Take… those… things," O-Bin told V-Tarz, her teeth clenched in a smile. "And get rid of them."
V-Tarz scooped up the lizards and put both ferbils in his pocket.
"No! "Davi cried. "Please…"
"SHAME. SHAME. SHAME."
Inside V-Tarz's pocket, the ferbils chirped anxiously.
Davi's eyes filled. Tears slowly dripped down his cheeks. "Please," he whispered.
As soon as the lights powered up the next morning, Obi-Wan hurried to Davi's sleep couch to give him words of encouragement. They would find a way out. They would take him with them.
But Davi was gone.
Qui-Gon and Adi hid behind a low wall, their eyes on the high security building that housed the CIP. Nen had brought them through several checkpoints, but he was not authorized to enter the building. It was up to them to get past the guards.
"We cannot attack any Keganite," Adi murmured. "We must use the Force to bypass security."
"There is only one guard," Qui-Gon said. "It should be easy. Kegan is not used to unlawful activity."
They rose from their hiding place and strolled toward the guard.
"Greetings," Qui-Gon said. "V-Tan and 0-Vieve have sent us here to observe. You will be happy to let us pass through."
"I am happy to let you pass through," the guard said, succumbing to the mind trick and waving them through the doorway.
Once they were inside, Qui-Gon and Adi quickly found the Central Instruction Processor. Adi's fingers flew at the keyboard as she entered a series of contradictory instructions.
"This should send them all to landing sites," she said. "I don't want them to crash in a populated area. This program should confuse the tech personnel and give us time."
"How long?" Qui-Gon asked.
Adi's eyes never left the data screen. "Hard to say. It should give us at least two hours. Maybe three. They aren't technologically advanced, so it could take them a while."
"I don't want another night to fall without finding our Padawans,"
Qui-Gon said grimly.
Adi agreed quietly. "We will find them. And Lana, too."
When Adi was finished, they turned toward the exit hallway, but Qui-Gon stopped by a door marked central instruction file records.
"Let's just look in here a minute," he said. "We could find a clue."
The room was lined with holographic file units. They were dated and lined up alphabetically. Qui-Gon accessed a drawer of files, Adi another.
"There's a file on every citizen of Kegan here," Adi Gallia said in disbelief. "Recorded conversations…"
"Whom
they meet, whom they dine with…" Qui-Gon said, accessing another file.
"What they use, what they eat…"