by Jude Watson
"Our contact is a businessman named Teluron Thacker," Obi-Wan said.
"He's done favors for the Jedi in the past, and he agreed to help us if he could. The meeting place isn't far."
Anakin felt a touch on his shoulder and turned. No one was behind him.
Perhaps it had been a leaf brushing his shoulder — but he knew, of course, that there were no trees on Korriban.
Another touch — Anakin whipped around. He looked at Ferus, wondering if he was trying to play a trick on him, but Ferus was several meters back, talking to Soara.
He began to pick up a whisper. Then another. He couldn't make out the words, only the intent. Someone was baiting him, cajoling him, laughing at him… or was it his imagination? Was it just the wind whispering through the stones?
They crossed the street and he thought he saw a flash of something — blood coursing down a stone wall. When he blinked, it was gone.
"Master… "
"It is the dark side of the Force, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "I'm picking it up, too. Ignore it."
But Anakin couldn't ignore it. There was something insistent about the voices. Something that urged him to answer. Although the feeling made him anxious, he also wanted to face it. He wanted to get to the root of this dark power… to match himself against it… to prove, once and for all, that he was as strong as it was.
Chapter Six
Obi-Wan stopped outside the small cafc. It fit the coordinates he was given, but still he hesitated. Was it even open? The cafc was small, dingy, and in serious disrepair. Half of the roof was caving in. It was a wonder anyone would go inside at all.
"What is it, Master?" Anakin asked.
"Teluron Thacker is a prosperous businessman," Obi-Wan said. "Why would he frequent this kind of place?"
"You think it's a trap?"
"I'm not getting a warning. But still…" Obi-Wan shook his head. The problem was the energy on this planet. Dark waves buffeted him from every side. It was like swimming in an evil sea. All that darkness made it hard to distinguish what was a true threat.
"It could just be a case of not wanting to be seen with us," Siri pointed out. "One of us should go in first to check it out."
"I'll go." Anakin and Ferus spoke the words together.
"I will." The words came from Ry-Gaul. He strode forward, pushed open the rusty metal door, and disappeared inside. No doubt Ry-Gaul's height and size would serve to deter anyone who wanted to challenge him.
The rest of them waited, every second wearing on their nerves. Finally Ry-Gaul emerged and said, "He's there. All clear."
They followed Ry-Gaul into the cafc. Apparently the sagging roof scared off customers, for only one man sat inside, at a table near the door. He hugged a mug with one hand and kept his eyes darting from the door to the roof, as if expecting it to crash down at any moment.
Teluron Thacker was a tall humanoid with pale skin and the soft look of a being used to spending time indoors, sitting down. He greeted the Jedi with a nervous nod and drew his red cape around his body.
"Thank you for seeing us," Obi-Wan said.
"The Jedi helped my home world of Eeyyon," Thacker said. "I pledged to help whenever I could."
"How do you find yourself on Korriban?" Siri asked.
"Just lucky I guess," Thacker groaned. "I angered my boss. Such a little thing, but she was so touchy. So I didn't check references and the deal went bad. What's a few million credits? The next thing I know, I get handed an assignment to open an office on Korriban." Thacker shuddered. "I haven't slept through the night since."
Obi-Wan signaled to the bartender to bring a round of drinks. In such a place, it was better to place an order, even though he wouldn't touch anything they were pouring. He waited until the bartender slammed down a pot of grog that slopped over the rim, then dropped a pile of not-too clean mugs onto the table.
Thacker leaned over and whispered. "I wouldn't drink that if I were you."
"Thanks for the tip," Siri said. "What can you tell us about the two beings we're pursuing?"
"Only that they are here," Thacker said. "A human man and woman have been seen. They match the descriptions perfectly. I checked the one hotel and several guest houses, and they aren't registered."
"They wouldn't use their real names," Obi-Wan said. "Did you give descriptions?"
"Well, I said a man and a woman, traveling together," Thacker said.
"Did you try anything else? Is there a database for arrivals and departures?"
Thacker shook his head. "Nobody really keeps track."
"Have you looked into whether any businesses here are a cover for Omega's enterprises?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Well, no," Thacker said. "Naturally I want to help the Jedi. But it is not wise to ask too many questions on Korriban."
"Why?" This question came from Ry-Gaul, and it stopped Thacker in his tracks.
"Uh, because." Thacker shrugged. "Because that's what everyone says."
Obi-Wan exchanged an exasperated glance with Siri. It was clear that Thacker wasn't going to be much help. He was too intimidated by even the rumor of possible problems.
"I should warn you about something. You know that the Commerce Guild has its own army? Well, there's a division here," Thacker said. "They say it's out of necessity, to protect the business workers from petty crime.
But spider and surveillance droids are everywhere. If Omega and Zan Arbor have any contacts in the Commerce Guild, they could have access to all the surveillance information. Which means they could see everything."
At last, a piece of information they could use. But what else could Thacker tell them? Obi-Wan didn't want to leave the cafc without a solid lead. Then a thought occurred to him.
"Zan Arbor has expensive tastes," he said. "She is most likely not too thrilled to be here. There doesn't seem to be much luxury in Dreshdae."
"It's a stinking rot," Thacker agreed.
"Yet there are business executives here, creatures used to having the best of everything," Obi-Wan said. "There must be something for them. If you're looking to buy special items, where would you go?"
"There's a loose kind of black market," Thacker told them. "Run by thieves, of course. Supplies are low, there are no stores, and it's hard to even find essentials, like blankets or thermal capes, even though this dump of a rotting death-hole freezes your bones. They rob when they can — from the better buildings, the offices. No hotel room in the spaceport is safe.
They've made some hits on ships coming in with supplies for the Commerce Guild executives."
"So how do you get in touch with this black market?" Obi-Wan asked.
"It's on the outskirts, in a plaza that's in ruins — that is, if you can tell ruins from the rest of these crumbling, cracked-up excuses for buildings." Thacker's darting gaze flicked to the ceiling. "I can give you the coordinates. If you want something, go at dusk. Ask for Auben. She's the best of a bad lot — she won't cheat you and she knows everything that's going on. I've bought a few things from her myself. But watch out for the army — the executives in the Commerce Guild are tired of buying back their own items. They want to smash the black market."
The Jedi stood.
"One more thing," Thacker said. "The army isn't your only concern.
Auben might be less than cooperative. She won't trust you. And she's heavily armed."
"That won't be a problem," Obi-Wan assured him.
Chapter Seven
Dusk on Korriban lasted for hours, beginning in midafternoon as the weak sun slowly made its descent. The shadows cast by the buildings on Dreshdae seemed thick and full of menace. There had been an attempt to install glow lights on the streets, but they were staggered in odd patterns. As the Jedi walked toward the plaza, they moved from light to shadow. They knew it was dusk only because the light was failing. There was so much cloud cover that they could not see the sun. The clouds just deepened to a dark red.
"I have a suggestion, Master," Anakin said. "This Auben might feel less threa
tened if she's approached by one person. Especially someone young."
Obi-Wan nodded. "That's not a bad idea."
"We can't surround her, we'll spook her for sure," Siri said. "Why don't Anakin and Ferus go?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "You can say that you're brothers, and you've been stranded here. Sounds plausible."
Brothers! Anakin swallowed his groan. Being teamed with Ferus was bad enough.
They approached the plaza. It was surrounded by pillars that had once held up some sort of roof over the plaza. Part of the roof still hung over the space. Behind the pillars were the ruins of a building. There were plenty of places to hide, which was no doubt why it was chosen as the spot to conduct illegal business.
"We'll stay here," Obi-Wan said, stopping a good distance away from the plaza. "Whatever you do, don't reveal that you are Jedi. That's information that can be sold. We know Omega is expecting us, but he doesn't know when we'll arrive."
Anakin and Ferus took off for the marketplace in silence. The tension hadn't lessened between them. Anakin had hoped to gain information about Omega before Ferus did. He wished he were meeting Auben alone. It wasn't that he would jeopardize the mission in any way, but he wouldn't mind being one half-step ahead.
They didn't say a word as they walked. They didn't make a plan. Anakin wanted to complete the assignment as quickly as possible and return to the others.
They cruised once around the plaza. They could see a few beings in the shadows. It wasn't until they'd made one circuit of the area that they were approached.
A young woman dressed in a tight-fitting gray tunic and leggings came to them. She wore a leather headpiece that fitted snugly over her ears, and she carried an enormous satchel on her back without strain.
"Looking for something, friends?"
"Are you Auben?" Anakin asked.
Her eyes flicked over them. "Who wants to know?"
"Thacker sent us. He said you had things for sale."
"I've got it or I can get it. What's your need, friend?"
"Blankets and handwarmers," Anakin said.
She dumped the satchel on the ground and held up two handwarmers. As she crouched, Anakin saw two blasters in her belt. "Let me see the credits first," she said.
Anakin held out his hand. She took the credits from it, then tossed the handwarmers to Ferus. "No blankets today, but I've got a tip on some plush thermal capes. You can meet me here same time tomorrow and I'll have them."
"How much?" Ferus asked.
Auben named the price. Ferus raised his eyebrows. "I said they were plush. Top quality. I'll have some other luxury stuff, too." She shrugged.
"If you don't want them, someone else will."
"You have a lot of customers?" Ferus's gaze roamed the empty plaza, pretending skepticism.
"I've got the whole spaceport as customers, friend." Auben shrugged the pack back onto her shoulders.
It was clear she was about to take off. Anakin spoke quickly. "Our parents marooned us here on Dreshdae. They said they'd be back, but it's been a few weeks now, and we don't know where — "
Auben's face was expressionless. "I don't need your story, just your credits."
"We heard that a couple landed at the spaceport recently," Anakin continued. "A human man and woman. Maybe you've seen them — "
Auben's eyes grew hard. "I don't discuss my customers."
"But I just — "
"Ever."
Anakin knew they were at a dead end.
"So you only find things, not beings?" Ferus asked. "Seems to me that there's not much difference. You need the same skills. Contacts and discretion."
She stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean?"
"It seems to me that for the right price, you could help us with more than handwarmers."
Auben hesitated. She gave them an appraising look, as if wondering how much they could pay.
But before she could speak, a blast of artillery fire shattered a column behind her. The explosion of rocks sent her flying toward Anakin and Ferus. All three landed on the ground.
"Commerce Guild droids," she panted. "Run!"
Chapter Eight
Auben took off. Anakin dashed after her. She had placed herself in an exposed position, her back to the blaster fire, thinking she could outrun it. She was wrong. Anakin had no choice. The Force slowed down time, and he could see the blaster bolts streaking toward her emanating from a phalanx of spider droids. He withdrew his lightsaber and leaped to deflect them.
He twisted in midair and landed on the top of a pillar, where he leaped again, this time next to Auben as he swept his lightsaber to deflect more fire.
"Who are you?" she yelled, but there was no time for Anakin to answer.
Ferus dashed forward, covering their retreat. Anakin hustled Auben into the shelter of the dark ruins. They paused a moment to catch their breath.
Auben looked at the lightsaber. "Where can I get one of those?"
Ferus ran in, already sheathing his lightsaber. "They have tracking droids. We've got to get out of here."
"We don't know which way," Anakin said to Auben.
She blew out a quick, exasperated breath, then nodded her head. "Okay, okay, seeing that you saved my life, I'll save yours. Come on."
She led the way through the ruins, twisting through narrow passageways and climbing through blasted-out holes. Anakin knew that the other Jedi were following them. He could feel them close.
The noise of the blaster fire faded, but Anakin knew the army hadn't given up. He could feel their presence, too. They were heading toward the outskirts of the spaceport now.
Auben led Anakin and Ferus out of the ruins and into a series of narrow, twisting streets. The street dwindled into a lane. The small hovels and buildings were spaced farther and farther apart until they were alone in a rocky landscape. The lane turned into a narrow dirt path that twisted and turned sharply upward. Anakin guessed that they were climbing the lip of the plateau that cradled the spaceport. Sure enough, they soon scrambled over a last obstacle of huge boulders and reached it.
Anakin looked down. Below them an ancient structure rose out of the steep mountainside and spilled out into a narrow valley. The mountain made two-thirds of the structure impenetrable. The entrance was in ruins, blocked by huge toppled columns and blocks of crumbling stone.
Anakin felt the peculiar stomach-turning wrench he experienced when faced with the tremors of the dark side of the Force. He knew what this wreck of a building was.
The ancient Sith monastery spread out below him, deserted for centuries, and still a presence of evil. Here was where thousands of Sith had once trained — and thousands of hopefuls had once disappeared forever.
"Is that where we're going?" Ferus asked.
"Creepy, huh? Don't let it bother you," Auben said. "Nobody lives there. Everyone's afraid to go inside, except for me. We won't be followed, that's for sure."
"What was it?" Ferus asked, even though Anakin knew he was perfectly aware of its history. Ferus was too good a student. He had read the same briefing material that Anakin had.
"Just an old monastery. They blasted out the side of the mountain to build it. Will you two hurry up?" Auben started down the steep path toward the monastery. It wound through the boulders and crags.
Something in Anakin suddenly revolted. He rarely felt fear, but he felt it now. A deep voice within him was warning him not to enter.
And yet another voice, deeper than fear, told him to go inside.
Chapter Nine
Obi-Wan lowered his electrobinoculars. "The Sith monastery," he said.
"Why is she going there?"
"She doesn't want to be found," Soara answered. "I'd guess very few go in there if they don't have to."
They stood on the lip of the plateau, looking down. Thousands of standard years ago, the original inhabitants of Korriban had all been killed after toiling for years to build the monastery. Nothing living thrived there now. Not a bush, not a blade of grass. If th
e ancient stones could speak, they would talk of blood and terror.
"It could be a trap," Siri said.
"Every step we take on this planet could be leading us to a trap,"