by Jude Watson
Obi-Wan nodded a hello. They looked at him warily. "Jedi?" one of them said. "Never seen your kind here."
Obi-Wan eyed their empty glasses. "Anyone for a refill?"
Their empty glasses were pushed away and they looked at him hopefully.
Obi-Wan signaled for another round. "And I'll have the same," he told the bartender.
The drinks arrived. They clinked the smeared glasses.
Obi-Wan peered at the red liquid. "What is this?"
"Claing juice," one of the men said. "It's native to the system. We extract the juice from the thorns of the native bush."
Obi-Wan took a small sip. The juice seared his lips and tongue and then burned like blazing fire going down. He managed not to cough, but his eyes streamed tears.
The three men laughed uproariously.
"Claing can even bring a Jedi to his knees," one of them chortled.
"I'll say," Obi-Wan choked out.
His streaming eyes and burning throat were worth it. He had passed a test. The trio decided to befriend him. He asked about Granta Omega, and they nodded.
"He was a boy when he left," one said. "Went to study somewhere, I think. His mother Tura died two years later. He never came back to see her.
" "Not even for the funeral," someone else said. "What about his father?
" Obi-Wan asked.
"Never knew him," the first man said. "Tura Omega showed up one day, got a job at the refueling station, had this three-year-old boy. Nobody asks questions on Nierport Seven."
"Except for Jedi," another one said, and this caused them great amusement.
"I could show you his house," the first man offered. He licked his lips. "I could use another claing, though." "I'll buy you one afterward,"
Obi-Wan said.
They walked out into the numbing cold. The ground was brittle with frost. They walked through the main street and then turned down a smaller road. It wasn't far to the outskirts of the settlement. The man pointed to a small house. It looked no different from the others. It was built with rounded walls and seemed to hunch against the wind.
"That there is his house. A space pilot owns it now. Uses it on stopovers. Lots of pilots do that here. It's cheap and convenient."
Obi-Wan peered into the window. The house was empty except for a stove and a bedroll. The room was small and low-ceilinged. Even with furniture it would look bleak. There was nothing to see here. There was nothing to learn. It was typical of his search for Granta Omega.
"You said his mother worked at the refueling station?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Did she have a good job?"
The man laughed. "If you call hauling lubricant hoses around all day for no money a good job."
"So how did she manage to send her son to study off-planet?" Obi-Wan wondered.
"She had nothing to do with it," the man said. "The boy had brilliance. Everybody knew that. She found him a sponsor on Eeropha. He sent him to a scientific institute."
"Do you know who the sponsor was?" Obi-Wan asked. "Does he still live on Eeropha?"
"He lives on Coruscant now. Big fancy person now. He's the Senator from Eeropha. Name is Sano Sauro," the man said.
Obi-Wan felt a chill. He knew Sano Sauro. He was once a prosecutor.
Ten years before, Obi-Wan had to undergo an investigation into a fellow Padawan's death.
Sauro had grilled him mercilessly about Bruck Chun's fall.
Obi-Wan had since found peace about Bruck's death, but he wasn't looking forward to meeting up with Sauro again.
He pressed some credits in the man's hand. "Thank you. Buy your friends another claing."
The man grinned. "Sure you don't want to join us?"
Obi-Wan winced. "I don't think I'd survive."
The man took off. Obi-Wan looked down the street, then across the frozen wasteland. He could understand a boy wanting to leave this place. He could understand how poverty might mark him. But why Granta Omega wished harm on the Jedi, he still didn't know. He had a feeling that if he solved that mystery, he would find the man.
Chapter Eleven
Anakin had expected that after his breakthrough his next practice session with Soara would bring him to the next level. Instead, she had him do more simple drills. At least this time he did not have to leave the Temple.
He had to activate his lightsaber from different positions, again and again. He had to practice a midair thrust. He had to practice a double reversal. He had to practice moves he had done a thousand times before.
Not once did Soara mention the spaces between particles, or concentration, or the Force. She just repeated, "Again," over and over until he thought he would break his lightsaber hilt in two.
And then the session was finished. Anakin leaned over, trying to catch his breath. Disappointment swelled in him and he felt as though he were choking on it.
After getting a glimpse of the fighter he could be, he was reduced to being a student again.
He slammed his training lightsaber back in his belt. What he needed was something to eat and a fresh tunic. He took the long way back to his quarters in order to compose himself.
The illumination banks were mimicking dusk as he passed by the lake.
The green water looked inviting. The splash of the waterfall in the deep pool was tinted pink. He thought about taking a quick swim, but he was too hungry. Soara had kept him a long time, and he had missed the midday meal.
He had a feeling she had kept him deliberately. She wanted him to feel hungry and empty. She wanted to see how far he could push himself. He hoped he had passed the test.
Then he realized that his test was yet to come.
He was tired. So tired that he almost missed the blur at the corner of his vision. A lightsaber had been activated and someone hurled at him from a tree branch above. It was another one of Soara's sudden attacks. She had enlisted another Padawan to surprise him Anakin forgot his fatigue and jumped back just in time. To his dismay, he saw that his attacker was Ferus Olin.
If only it had been anyone else! Anakin didn't like to see Ferus under the best of circumstances. He certainly didn't want to fight him when he was tired and hungry.
Soara appeared on top of the waterfall where she could watch. He knew he had no choice. As Ferus came at him with a somersaulting reversal, Anakin kicked into fight mode. She had sent the best Padawan fighter in the Temple against him. She wanted to see what he would do.
He would win.
What Soara could not know was that this time, friendship would not gentle him. Not with Ferus.
Ferus was starting out slowly. He would fight smart. He would save his energy and pace himself. Anakin decided to surprise him.
He launched an assault so fierce that he saw Ferus's eyes flare with astonishment. Ferus retreated fast, needing to collect himself. Anakin came after him, swinging his training lightsaber without pause. He almost touched him, but Ferus twisted away just in time, turning the movement into a twisting leap. He surprised Anakin by immediately swinging back a backward blow. Anakin ducked, feeling the whistle of air created by the power of Ferus's swipe.
Ferus was tall and solid, but he was also agile. He was expert at using the ground.
Unlike Tru, he used both hands equally well. The rocky terrain was perfect for his style.
He jumped, spun, and leaped, keeping Anakin off guard. Now he was driving the battle. Anakin did not know how Ferus had regained the upper hand, but he wasn't happy about it. He was reacting to Ferus's moves instead of the other way around. What was Soara thinking?
Anakin feinted to his left and then leaped straight ahead. To his dismay, Ferus dropped to the floor and rolled underneath Anakin, then sprang up in one smooth movement. He was behind him now. Anakin had only a split second before he felt the touch of the lightsaber on his shoulder. It only just missed his neck. When he twisted away, he saw the gleam of triumph in Ferus's eyes.
Fury roared through him. Ferus wanted to humiliate him in front of Soara!
He did something Ferus would never expect him to do. He copied Ferus's move, dropping to his knees and rolling underneath him as he made his next leap. He flipped up onto his feet and then charged at the rock wall.
The Force entered him. He felt it. He saw the rock wall as a shifting shape, ready to receive him. He sprang off the wall and straight over Ferus's head. It seemed the easiest thing in the galaxy to simply lean down and touch the side of Ferus's neck with his lightsaber.
He landed and looked up. Soara had seen everything. He had never fought so well.
She called down from the cliff, "Thank you, Ferus. Stay there, Anakin.
" "Good fight," Ferus said, sticking the training lightsaber in his belt. "Except for one thing."
"What one thing?" Anakin asked, irritated. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve.
Ferus only smiled. Then he walked off.
Anakin jammed the lightsaber hilt into his belt. No one could get to him like Ferus could.
Soara walked toward him. "That was your last lesson," she said.
Anakin was surprised and pleased. She must have seen how seamlessly he had connected with the Force.
"Before this, I had been impressed with your gifts," Soara said. "I had thought you had the potential to be one of the great Jedi fighters of all time. I thought I could teach you. Now I have grave doubts about you, Anakin."
Anakin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What did I do wrong?"
"That question is the problem," Soara said, shaking her head. "That is what is wrong. You don't know what you did. Didn't you feel your anger, Anakin? Didn't you realize it was fueling the battle?"
"Obi-Wan told you that Ferus and I do not get along," Anakin said sullenly.
"Obi-Wan didn't need to tell me," Soara snapped. "I saw it. Not from Ferus. From you."
"He wanted to win," Anakin said. "I saw triumph in his eyes when he surprised me."
"And it made you angry." Soara sighed. "Ferus did not fight from his emotion, Anakin. If you saw triumph in his eyes, he absorbed it and went on. That is the lesson you must learn. You will feel the emotion. You must let it go."
To his surprise, she suddenly strode forward and grabbed him by the shoulders. "You must do this, Anakin. You must learn this lesson. It is the most important one of all."
He didn't know what to say. He could promise her that he would learn it, but his promise would mean nothing. He knew that as a Jedi only his actions would convince her.
"Thank you for the time you devoted to teaching me," he said.
She dropped her hands. Now sadness was in her eyes. That was the worst thing of all. "Go get something to eat."
Soara left, heading for the turbolift. Anakin walked over to the lake.
He knelt by the deep pool created by the waterfall. He ducked his head into the cold water and came up spraying droplets that shined like bright gems in the light created by the illumination banks overhead.
He would not let this bother him, he told himself fiercely. He had made a mistake. Soara should have understood that. He was a Padawan, not a Jedi. Of course he would make mistakes. It wasn't fair.
She said she had her doubts that he would make a great Jedi. Yet she had seen the potential for it. He would surprise her. He would surprise them all.
He rose and headed away from the lake. He would start by surprising Obi-Wan. Thanks to Tic Verdun, he would locate Granta Omega.
Chapter Twelve
Upon his return to Coruscant, Obi-Wan didn't stop at the Temple, but went right to the Senate. He paused inside the massive grand hall and accessed the directional system. He entered Sano Sauro's name and a map instantly appeared, highlighting the quickest route to his office. He would have to snake through several wings of the Senate complex. The system would print out a map on a durasheet, but Obi-Wan didn't need it. He memorized the route and took off.
Ever since he'd come here as a Jedi student, he had seen a Senate bustling with beings from all over the galaxy, but lately the halls had seemed even more crowded. The Senators' staffs were bloated with consorts, advisors, clerks, secretaries, assistants, and droids. Committees and subcommittees were tied up in hearings that stretched on for months, and sometimes years. Obi-Wan had always found Senators to admire for their dedication, but it was getting harder. The Senate continued to legislate, but it took more and more effort and time to get the smallest things done.
Coalitions were formed, favors traded, credits amassed. Betrayals caused grudges that resulted in deep rifts that lasted for years. It was a different place than he had known.
Yet he continued to serve it. He did not think it was possible to have peace in the galaxy without it.
What kind of Senator was Sano Sauro? He did not want to make judgments before meeting him again. He had not seen him in ten years. Beings changed with time. He had known an ambitious lawyer who had attacked the Jedi and mocked the Force. Perhaps Sauro had found peace in a life of service. Obi- Wan would not expect trouble. He would hope for the best.
Still, he was uncomfortably aware of how deeply Sano Sauro had unnerved him as a young Padawan. The man's reserve had been icy. He did not seem to be able to speak without a sneer. Obi-Wan had felt that whatever he said to the prosecutor was wrong or foolish. He was a Jedi Knight now, and not easily intimidated. It would be interesting to see what the encounter would be like if Sano Sauro had not changed.
Obi-Wan reached the offices of Sano Sauro and strode inside. A team of assistants worked busily at their desks. An ornate carved door led to an inner office. Obi-Wan told the receptionist his name and requested a few minutes of the Senator's time. He wondered if Sano Sauro would remember him.
He did not have to wonder long. The door hissed open and Sauro stood in the doorway. He looked oddly the same. He still had the same unlined face, the skin smooth and stretched tightly over the bones. His hair was still jet black. He could even have been dressed in the same clothes, a long black tunic and trousers. Obi-Wan could see small evidence of vanity in his brightly shined expensive boots.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said through tight lips. "Don't tell me you've killed another Padawan."
He had not changed at all.
Obi-Wan was glad to note that Sano Sauro's words had not made even the slightest impression on him. He did not feel stung. He did not care what such a man thought of him. The opinion of a cruel man was worth less than nothing.
"I come on another matter and would welcome your help," Obi-Wan said.
Sano Sauro stepped aside. Obi-Wan took this as an invitation to enter the office. The door hissed shut behind him.
Sano Sauro sat behind a long, low desk built of stone. Two massive red thorns marked the corners. Obi-Wan recognized them from the claing bush.
Sauro said nothing but waited for him to begin. Obi-Wan remembered that, too. The prosecutor had never wasted time on pleasantries.
"I am trying to locate a protcgc of yours called Granta Omega," Obi- Wan said. He waited to see if Sano Sauro would react to the name, but he did not. "Do you still know him?"
"He is a personal friend," Sano Sauro said. "Can you tell me how I could contact him?" "Why?"
"In connection with a Jedi matter," Obi-Wan said. "Why would I give you any information?" Sano Sauro asked.
Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to say nothing. The rudeness was not unexpected.
"Because you ask?" Sauro said, folding his hands in front of him.
"Because you are a Jedi?"
"Because there is no reason not to," Obi-Wan said. "And if there is, I would be interested in uncovering it. I would expect that an investigation into the reason would not please you."
"How interesting it must be to be a Jedi," Sano Sauro said. "You can bully and threaten and yet hide behind your robes and your talk of justice and the Force. Very convenient."
"I am not threatening you," Obi-Wan said evenly. "I asked you a legitimate question, which you refused to answer. I am interested in why."
"In that case, let me save
you time. I am refusing to answer because I do not help the Jedi. It is as simple as that. The Senate in its collective delusion thinks we need you. I do not."
The door hissed open behind Obi-Wan. Sauro rose. "I think I have come to the end of my patience," he said. "Good-bye."
The hatred in his gaze was no longer surprising to Obi-Wan. Sano Sauro had hated the Jedi ten years before and still hated them.
He could go over Sano Sauro's head. He could get the Jedi Council involved. They could go to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. It was something to consider. If Granta Omega was planning to corner the market on bacta, the Chancellor would want to know.