Jedi Apprentice Special Edition 2: The Followers (звёздные войны)

by Джуд Уотсон

  Obi-Wan recognized it as Dr. Lundi's.

  Peering out from behind a vehicle, Obi-Wan saw that Lundi was talking to a machinery dealer. The dealer was holding a large wrench and his forearms were covered in grease.

  "Don't have one," the dealer said flatly. "There's a shortage. And the way the mining safety committee has been watching us, there will be for a good while."

  "I need a 6000. Today," Lundi repeated.

  The dealer sighed, as if he got requests for enormous subaquatic drill rigs all the time. "Are you listening?" he asked, annoyed. "I said I don't have one. And I don't know when I will."

  Lundi stared at the man, clenching and unclenching his many hands into fists. His face contorted into a twisted scowl.

  Behind the machinery, Obi-Wan suddenly felt a little hazy. His vision blurred and the voices around him echoed in his ears. From somewhere in his daze he realized that Dr. Lundi's anger was affecting him. Yoda had told Obi-Wan that anger and hatred clouded one's mind but he'd never felt this muddled by someone else's anger before. Jedi Master Yarael Poof had amazing powers of Force suggestion. Perhaps all Quermians were telepathic.

  By concentrating hard, Obi-Wan was able to clear his vision and his head. He focused on what was transpiring in front of him. Lundi was now shouting at the machinery dealer.

  "Pathetic weakling," he raged. "Only a fool would let such technicalities interrupt his business."

  The dealer stood staring at Lundi, frozen.

  Lundi turned and stormed toward the storehouse door. "I have the power to find it without your stupid machinery," he told himself. His several arms waved forcefully through the air. "It is simply a matter of timing. Yes. I just have to time it right."

  What does that mean? Obi-Wan wondered as he followed Lundi out of the storehouse. His Master was not far behind, and the two Jedi stepped out into the street as if they had been together the whole time.

  Lundi, however, had vanished.

  Chapter 6

  Qui-Gon noted Obi-Wan's injury as well as the scowl on his face as the young Jedi peered down the street. There was no sign of anyone. Like Obi-Wan, he was wondering where Lundi could have gone so quickly. But he had witnessed stranger disappearing acts.

  Obi-Wan turned back toward his Master. His mouth was slightly open, as if he were about to say something. But at that moment a third figure fled in the opposite direction. Without so much as a nod to each other, the Jedi gave chase.

  The figure retreated down an alley and disappeared into a narrow walkway between two buildings. The Jedi followed close behind, nearly colliding into a duracrete wall. A dead end.

  Qui-Gon ran his fingers along the wall's surface to see if it was some kind of temporary barrier. The wall seemed permanent and solid, but the elusive figure was nowhere to be found.

  "This mission is making me crazy!" Obi-Wan said, exasperated. "We're not getting anywhere!"

  Qui-Gon gazed steadily at his Padawan. Then he bent to take a closer look at the boy's wounded shoulder.

  "I was surrounded by a street gang," Obi-Wan said more quietly, but he couldn't keep his frustration in check. "They were looking for trouble and when they found I was a Jedi they wanted to stop me even more." Obi- Wan's voice grew louder and he pulled away from his Master. "I don't understand how there can be so many people after us when we hardly know what we are after ourselves!"

  The young Jedi's response was not appropriate, of course. A Jedi Knight did not throw temper tantrums. But this mission was frustrating. In addition to the humiliation of being injured by a band of ruffians, Obi- Wan, he realized suddenly, was feeling anger fed by close contact with the dark side. It was essential that he be patient and guide him in the right direction. If he didn't, the boy could take a fateful turn and be lost to him forever.

  "You must not let the nature of this mission disturb you so, Padawan, " Qui-Gon said calmly.

  "I know it is difficult. We are dealing with a powerful evil. But becoming angry only takes you a treacherous step closer to the dark side."

  Obi-Wan looked down at his feet, as if ashamed of his anger.

  "Anger and fear of the dark side are easy paths," Qui-Gon went on, as if Obi-Wan had spoken of his shame. "It is not difficult to let negative emotions overtake you. It is difficult to let them move through you and leave without reacting to them. Yet that is exactly what you must do."

  Obi-Wan nodded, and Qui-Gon sensed that the boy understood in his head what, he was telling him. But he also knew that it was much harder to feel it in one's heart.

  Without speaking, Qui-Gon turned and left the dead-end alleyway, heading back toward the street. "Let us review what we do know," he said as he strode forward. In truth he did not feel as confident about how to proceed as he appeared. But he wanted to give his Padawan a sense of positive direction.

  "We know that Dr. Lundi has a large and zealous following of students — and many others as well. There are Sith Sects throughout the galaxy and they are very likely in touch with one another. That could explain why so many people are anxious to stop us. We know Lundi is after a Sith Holocron, and that he needs difficult-to-obtain mining equipment to get it. Or at least he would have liked to have had the equipment to go after it. We also know that there is some question of timing, and whether Lundi can manage the powerful Holocron on his own."

  "Those are just the rantings of a delusional student," Obi-Wan pointed out. "One who was desperate to be included on the trip."

  Qui-Gon paused in his step, but only slightly. "True," he agreed.

  "But we have received accurate information from far stranger sources."

  Obi-Wan did not respond, and Qui-Gon did not pressure him any further. The boy needed time to process his emotions.

  The Jedi decided to head back to the hangar. If they moved quickly they might be able to steal aboard Dr. Lundi's newly hired ship before it departed.

  Making their way back toward the marketplace, Qui-Gon pulled his comlink from his utility belt. It was time to contact the Jedi Council.

  This mission was anything but ordinary, and he wanted to keep Yoda informed about how it was developing.

  He was surprised by the information that Yoda had for him.

  "Information about another, larger collection of Sith items we have,"

  Yoda said gravely. His voice was steady, but Qui-Gon sensed that the wise Jedi Master was alarmed nonetheless. "An anonymous informant it was."

  Qui-Gon listened intently to everything Yoda said, pausing in the street several times. Obi-Wan slowed alongside him, his eyes registering curiosity and concern. When the transmission was finished, Qui-Gon sighed heavily. He was beginning to get a bad feeling about all of this.

  "They've discovered other Sith artifacts," Qui-Gon began.

  "I thought it was something like that," Obi-Wan said with a serious nod. "What did they find?"

  "A whole storehouse full of partially constructed weapons and devices, and copies of Dr. Lundi's texts and teachings," Qui-Gon replied.

  "The trademark drawing of a Sith Holocron was on the wall."

  Obi-Wan was quiet for a moment as they continued to head back to the hangar. "Where was the storehouse?" he finally asked.

  "Umgul, in the Mid Rim," Qui-Gon replied. He quickened his stride slightly. The sooner they got back to the hangar, the better.

  Obi-Wan kept up with his Master. "Nowhere near the first stash," he said thoughtfully.

  "Exactly," Qui-Gon agreed with a nod. Though he and his apprentice had only recently become aware of them, Sith Sect followers were becoming a hard, cold fact of life.

  Qui-Gon moved past an alien selling electronic gadgets and a humanoid female pushing a loaded fruit cart.

  Do they study the Sith? he wondered.

  A small crowd of people suddenly appeared in front of Qui-Gon, and he momentarily lost track of his apprentice. Normally this would not have bothered him. It was impossible to keep his eyes on his Padawan at all times. But for some reason this time it was disturbi
ng.

  Before he could weave through the cluster, blaster fire rang out.

  Chapter 7

  Obi-Wan had his lightsaber activated in less than a second. But with the screaming hoards of people on all sides of him, it was difficult to tell where the bolts were coming from. Focusing his energy, he stood completely still for a nanosecond, then slashed out, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He successfully deflected three bolts before the firing stopped.

  Screams of panic echoed around him long after the firing was over. In the aftermath it was nearly impossible to be certain of the origin of the shots. Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber amid more screams and stares.

  Luckily, nobody appeared to be hurt.

  Suddenly Qui-Gon was by his side again. His Master did not need to speak for Obi-Wan to know that there was no use trying to pursue their assailant. The issue at hand was finding the most direct escape route.

  Qui-Gon led the way through the crowd to a secluded area outside the market. They were just getting their bearings when more blaster fire rang out — and whizzed past Obi-Wan's head, nearly grazing an ear. Obi-Wan dropped, then quickly got back on his feet. It was definitely time to return to the hangar.

  As they raced through the streets, Obi-Wan wondered if life on Nolar was always this hazardous or if the Jedi had been targeted specifically. If so, by whom? The thugs in the alley? How large a network of Sith Sects could there be? And who was informing them?

  Another blaster bolt whizzed past them, but it missed the Jedi by nearly a meter. They were getting away.

  Obi-Wan ran after his Master. He appeared to be taking a roundabout path, probably in an attempt to lose their pursuer altogether. As they turned corners and wove through the streets, they gradually left their assailant behind.

  Finally the Jedi arrived back at the hangar. Obi-Wan rushed inside and skidded to a stop, but the ship Lundi had hired was gone. Its pilot was lying in a heap on the floor.

  The Jedi rushed to the pilot. His large rust-colored head lay on the ground at an odd angle. There was an ugly lump at the base of his neck, and one of his long arms was draped over his closed eyes.

  Squatting down beside him, Qui-Gon took his pulse. "It's weak and slow, but it's there," he reported, sitting back on his heels.

  "Do you think he's been drugged?" Obi-Wan asked, looking over the body. The pilot's two-toed feet were pointing at awkward angles.

  "It looks that way," Qui-Gon replied. "As well as being struck on the head." He stood up with a sigh. "It may be several hours before we are even able to talk to him."

  Obi-Wan held back his exasperation. Another roadblock. They were on an important mission, yet had no idea where they were going or what they were supposed to do. And to top it off, they were stranded on a planet with someone who wanted to stop them, possibly for good.

  Trying not to let frustration overtake him completely, Obi-Wan turned his back on the pilot and sat down to wait.

  Two hours later, the pilot groaned and sat up groggily. Looking around, he appeared to take in the two Jedi and the empty space where his ship had been a few hours ago. There was a moment of heavy silence before he began to shout in anger. He tried to leap to his feet, but quickly sat back down. Gingerly feeling the back of his neck, he found the lump and shouted some more.

  "Try to remain calm," Qui-Gon said in a soothing tone. The pilot cursed but didn't attempt to stand up again.

  "Your ship was stolen, then?" Qui-Gon asked. He got up and crossed the hangar in a few quick strides.

  "Well, I don't think I misplaced it," the pilot replied hotly. The sound of his voice was strange, since it came out of his two mouths at once. He eyed Qui-Gon with distrust. "Who are you?"

  "I am Qui-Gon Jinn and this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi," he replied. "We believe the being we are following may have stolen your ship.

  Can you tell us what happened?"

  The captain gently rubbed the lump on the back of his neck. "I was working on my ship — making minor adjustments to the hyperdrive. Someone came up behind me and whacked me on the back of my neck." The pilot winced as he continued rubbing his wound.

  "Did you see your attacker?" Obi-Wan asked.

  The pilot shook his head. "I didn't see anyone. Or hear anything, actually. It could have been any thief or scoundrel. There are plenty around here."

  "Do you think it was the being who hired passage on your ship a few hours ago? The Quermian?"

  "How do you know about the Quermian?" the captain asked. But before the Jedi could reply he waved his hand through the air dismissively. "It doesn't matter. But I don't know why he'd attack the pilot who was about to take him to a place he asked to go."

  "Perhaps he was interested in piloting the ship himself," Qui-Gon mused.

  "Or saving the fare," Obi-Wan added.

  The pilot sighed. "There are many thieves on Nolar. This kind of thing happens all the time." He looked around the empty hangar and a spark of fury came into his eyes. "Just not to me."

  Obi-Wan knew how the pilot felt. He'd been frustrated with this mission pretty much since it started.

  But at the moment he and Qui-Gon needed information more than anything else. He had to stay calm and focused.

  "Can you tell us where you were going to take the Quermian?" he asked.

  "Of course," the pilot said. Obi-Wan noticed that he seemed more willing to help the Jedi. Perhaps he thought it might get his ship back. "I had just finished keying the information into my navcomputer. I remember because it's not a planet I'm asked to fly to very often. In fact, I can't say I've ever been there."

  "And the name of the planet?" Qui-Gon asked.

  "Kodai," the pilot said. "We were going to Kodai."

  Chapter 8

  Qui-Gon thanked the pilot and got to his feet. He had no way of knowing if the ship was really going to Kodai or not; Dr. Lundi was certainly smart enough to throw them off the trail or even deftly set a trap. But they had nothing else to go on. The sooner they could get to Kodai to investigate, the better.

  "Do you need help getting somewhere?" Qui-Gon asked the pilot.

  The pilot got to his feet. Though it had been only minutes since he'd woken up, he was already quite steady. "No, I'll be fine," he replied. "But if you find my ship, you know where I am."

  "Of course," Qui-Gon said. "We'll do what we can."

  Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon quickly left the small hangar and made their way down the street and into a larger one. It was full of ships of all sizes, and pilots from all over the galaxy talking shop or tinkering with their vessels. It seemed like it would be easy enough to hire one of them.

  Qui-Gon strode up to a pilot and asked if he would take them to Kodai. "Kodai?" the pilot repeated. "You've got the wrong guy."

  "I'll take you there, but I won't land — at least not until next week," said another.

  Qui-Gon asked half a dozen pilots before he finally found one who was willing to make the journey, a humanoid who wouldn't give them a last name.

  "Call me Elda," she said before agreeing to drop them off and leave immediately. She could not be convinced to wait around for the return trip.

  The Jedi could not afford to be choosy. They boarded right away.

  While the pilot readied the ship, they settled in for the journey.

  "Not many people want to go to Kodai right now," Elda said as she keyed the destination points into her navcomputer.

  Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. "I gathered as much," he said. "Why is that?"

  The pilot turned to look over her shoulder at Qui-Gon, giving him an "If you don't know I'm not going to tell you," look.

  Qui-Gon didn't prod. It's just as well, he thought. I can get the information from the Temple.

  Stepping out of the cockpit and into the hold, Qui-Gon switched on his comlink. He had heard of Kodai, and thought it was located somewhere in the Outer Rim Territories. If he was not mistaken, its surface was mostly covered by a vast sea.

  His comlink crackled to life and a mo
ment later Temple Archivist Jocasta Nu's voice echoed quietly in the hold of the ship.

  "It is good to hear from you, Qui-Gon," she said. "How is the mission going?"

  "It's hard to tell at the moment," Qui-Gon responded honestly. "I was hoping you could provide me with information on the planet Kodai."

  "Kodai, in the Outer Rim," she said. There was a brief silence as Jocasta plugged the data for the request into her Temple computer. "I seem to remember something about a massive, swelling sea."

  Qui-Gon could hear Jocasta pressing buttons and keys on a computer.