Moment of Truth (9781484719794)

by Watson, Jude

  Obi-Wan thrust his lightsaber into a gundark’s vulnerable neck. The blow made the gundark scream in agony and retreat. Obi-Wan whirled and retreated in turn as another bounded forward, its red eyes blazing with the scent of the kill.

  Suddenly he felt the Force fill the cavernous space. A flash of light appeared overhead, and Obi-Wan heard a whistling noise. It was Anakin, leaping straight into the circle of gundarks, his lightsaber held in attack position.

  When Obi-Wan had wondered if Anakin had abandoned him, he hadn’t blamed him. He knew their mission demanded that Anakin get to Typha-Dor. But it had hurt him to think his Padawan could leave him.

  How could he have held such a thought? Anakin would never have abandoned him. Anakin would never betray him.

  Anakin landed on a gundark’s back. He plunged his lightsaber into the soft tissue at its neck. As the gundark thrashed, Anakin leaped down and, twisting to avoid a descending claw, slashed at the next gundark, cutting off two of its arms.

  Anakin had given Obi-Wan time to take a breath. He was hampered by his leg and shoulder, but he was able to join Anakin, forcing the gundarks back toward the deep cave that had formed under the curve of the crater wall. Anakin took the lead, fighting brilliantly, his lightsaber moving to deflect as well as attack, his footwork always pressing the gundarks back while protecting Obi-Wan from another assault.

  From another cave, three gundarks tried to outflank the Jedi. Anakin sensed them moments before Obi-Wan. The Padawan somersaulted into them, taking them off guard. While Obi-Wan dodged to draw the attention of the first group, he watched Anakin spring up amid the second group. One gundark lost a leg, another its sight. A third recoiled as Anakin slashed at its chest.

  The gundarks piled back into the cave, howling and screaming from their wounds.

  “Thanks for coming!” Obi-Wan shouted over the noise.

  “Any time.”

  There was a flash to Anakin’s gaze that he knew well. His eyes were bright.

  Something has changed, Obi-Wan thought. Anakin is back.

  “They haven’t given up,” Obi-Wan said. “They’re waiting.” He indicated his leg. “I can’t climb very well.”

  Anakin activated his cable launcher. “Then let’s go the easy way.”

  “There are gundarks nesting in the cave walls.”

  “I saw them on my way down.” Anakin wasn’t troubled by the knowledge, that was clear. He grabbed Obi-Wan as if he weighed nothing and activated the cable.

  They landed on a ledge that was free of a nest. Anakin activated the cable again.

  “You planned the journey back as you came down,” Obi-Wan said.

  They landed again, and Anakin activated the other cable line. “Yes.”

  Obi-Wan marveled at that. It was what made Anakin a great Jedi. His battle mind was total and went everywhere. He saw every possibility, planned every move, and had even planned his escape.

  They reached the surface and climbed over the lip of the crater. Obi-Wan took a deep breath, relieved to have left the horrifying nest.

  He prepared to take cover when they emerged, but the sky was empty. He could see twisted metal and decimated droids scattered about.

  “Did you get them all?”

  “No, there were three STAPs left, plus two guards on swoops,” Anakin said, tucking his cable launcher back into his belt. “I thought it was time to get you. I made it look as though a blast sent me into the crater. I imagine that when they saw me fall into the gundark nest, they thought I was done for.”

  “Most likely. No one survives a gundark nest.” Obi-Wan looked around. “Now what? The only place to steal a transport is the camp. And I don’t think breaking in will be as easy the next time.” He looked over at the scattered remains of the exploded STAPs. “Can you make something out of those that will fly?”

  Anakin surveyed the scraps of metal on the ground. “Are you serious? I couldn’t even make a helmet out of it.”

  “How about fuel?”

  “Possibly, but as you know, STAPs don’t carry much.”

  “I left the swoop about twenty-five kilometers from here. We could refuel it.”

  “We won’t get far,” Anakin said. “I say we head back to the camp. Maybe I can figure out the departure code so we don’t get blown up. How did you get into the camp, anyway?”

  “You don’t want to know.” Obi-Wan groaned. He certainly wasn’t eager to hook himself onto a flying transport again.

  Obi-Wan’s comlink signaled and, surprised, he answered it.

  A familiar voice rang dryly in his ear. “Well, I’m here to rescue your sorry self once again. Honestly, I don’t know what you’d do without me.”

  Obi-Wan grinned. “I think we found a ride,” he told Anakin.

  Chapter Fifteen

  They had only minutes to wait until two red-and-white Jedi cruisers landed a few meters away. Siri was the first to appear, striding down the landing ramp, her short blond hair glinting in the sun. “Need a lift?”

  “If you insist,” Obi-Wan responded.

  Obi-Wan and Siri had won their friendship through trials. They had always bantered and bickered. A deep respect lay underneath their light words, but it had taken some time for Anakin to see it.

  Anakin was glad to see Siri, but seeing her meant he would have to see her Padawan, Ferus Olin. He wished that someone else—anyone else—had turned up to rescue them. The two of them had never gotten along, and things were worse between them since their mission on Andara, when Ferus had been abducted and Anakin had withheld the knowledge from Obi-Wan. Anakin felt he’d had good reasons, but neither Obi-Wan or Ferus had understood them.

  Ferus emerged from the starship. Tall and erect, he greeted Obi-Wan and Anakin with a proper nod. “Master Kenobi. Anakin.”

  “We’re on another mission to the Xanlanner system,” Siri said. “We got your distress signal. A couple of old friends of yours are ferrying me, Ferus, Ry-Gaul, and Tru Veld.”

  Anakin brightened. “Tru is here?” Tru Veld was his best friend. That would lighten the burden of seeing Ferus again.

  He wondered if he would have felt this much pleasure if he had still been in the Zone of Self-Containment. He realized that the zone also blocked out feelings of intense happiness as well. He had paid a price for his serenity.

  Obi-Wan suddenly moved toward the starship that Siri had emerged from. “I should have known!” he called. “That was such a wobbly landing!”

  Anakin smiled. The landing had been perfect. But Obi-Wan was allowed to tease his oldest friend, Garen Muln. They had gone through Temple training together, just as Anakin and Tru had.

  “You’re one to talk about wobbling,” Garen said, noting Obi-Wan’s slight limp. There was concern underneath his words. “You look like you could use a medic.”

  “Maybe a touch of bacta,” Obi-Wan admitted. “I tangled with a gundark or two.”

  “Ouch,” Garen said. He laid a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “Let’s find the medpac.”

  Tru Veld bounded down the ramp of the other starship. His Master, Ry-Gaul, followed more slowly, his keen gray eyes surveying the landscape. Tru hurried up to Anakin, his silver eyes glinting. He was a Teevan, and had long, many-jointed arms and legs that caused him to walk like a rolling wave of water.

  “Our paths cross, and it makes me glad,” he said to Anakin.

  “We’re certainly glad to see you,” Anakin said. “We have to get to Typha-Dor immediately.”

  Tru nodded. “That’s why we’re here.”

  “Who is that?” Anakin asked. He indicated a Jedi, a human woman with bright orange hair. She was compact and fit, and stood talking to Obi-Wan, Ry-Gaul, and Siri as Garen administered bacta to Obi-Wan’s wound.

  “That’s Clee Rhara. She’s an amazing pilot. She—”

  “Once ran the pilot program for Jedi students,” Anakin said. “She’s a legend.”

  Clee Rhara walked over. “Anakin Skywalker. We meet at last.” Her shrewd eyes studied him. “
I was a good friend of Qui-Gon’s. We were students together.”

  “I’m honored to meet you, Master Rhara,” Anakin said.

  “No time for pleasantries. Better get aboard. I hear we have to get to Typha-Dor.” Clee Rhara grinned. “It’s going to take some fancy flying. The Vanqor ships are everywhere. Something must be up.”

  “Something is definitely up,” Anakin said. “An invasion.”

  “Then there’s no time to waste, is there?”

  Clee Rhara turned and strode back to her cruiser. The other Jedi also hurried on board. Obi-Wan beckoned to Anakin to board with him on Garen Muln’s ship. Anakin was disappointed to have to say good-bye to Tru. Not to mention ride with Ferus instead.

  Garen settled into the pilot seat. With a glance at Obi-Wan, he tilted his head toward Anakin, and Obi-Wan nodded. Pleased, Anakin took his place in the copilot’s seat. He felt honored. Garen was possibly the best Jedi pilot in the Order, as good as Clee Rhara.

  Garen flipped on the comm unit to speak to Clee. “So, do we have a strategy? Those Vanqors aren’t too keen on ships violating their airspace.”

  “Sure,” Clee Rhara answered. “Go really, really fast.”

  The two cruisers rose and streaked into the upper atmosphere at top speed.

  “Set course for Typha-Dor,” Garen said.

  Siri sat at the nav console. She entered the destination coordinates. Anakin kept his eye on the radar.

  “Ships approaching,” he said, giving the coordinates. “They look like patrols.”

  Four fast starfighters streaked across the sky.

  “Piece of quinberry cake,” Garen said.

  Garen’s hands were light on the controls. He climbed abruptly, the ship’s nose straight up. Clee Rhara followed.

  Garen headed straight for the two small red moons orbiting Vanqor. They orbited in tandem, and he dove for the space between them. He and Clee Rhara played hide-and-seek with the starfighters, who were unable to get a fix on their position.

  “They’re going to call for backup,” Clee Rhara said. “I say it’s time to outrun them.”

  “I’m right behind you. Let’s go.”

  The two Jedi cruisers suddenly zoomed out from the protection of the moons’ orbits. They streaked into the upper atmosphere. The Vanqor starfighters gave chase. Cannonfire boomed behind them, but they were able to outrun it. Garen and Clee Rhara maintained a zigzagging course, avoiding the occasional proton torpedo.

  “We’ve got some kind of military ship ahead,” Siri called. “Ten escort starfighters.”

  “Just a piece of juja-cake,” Garen said.

  “Three minutes until we can make the jump to hyperspace,” Siri said.

  Ahead of them, Clee Rhara dived as the enemy ship’s huge weapons began to pound. Garen peeled off to the left. For the next three minutes, Anakin watched in awe as Garen slid the cruiser through, in, and around cannonfire without disturbing the gleaming red paint of his ship or even firing his own weapons.

  Garen noted Anakin’s interest. “I always prefer evasion to confrontation,” he said with a grin.

  The ship shot into hyperspace in a shower of stars. Everyone settled back.

  “Typha-Dor in two hours,” Siri said.

  “Piece of sweet cake,” Garen said, satisfied.

  They came out of hyperspace beyond Typha-Dor’s atmosphere. Anakin immediately checked the radar.

  “No pursuit ships.”

  “I don’t think Vanqor would risk violating Typha-Dor airspace,” Obi-Wan said. “Not until the invasion, anyway.”

  “We’ll be landing in a few minutes,” Garen said.

  Garen guided the ship to a graceful slot in a large landing pad that lay at the space center midway between the two capital cities, Sarus-Dor and Ith-Dor. The Jedi were greeted by a security officer.

  “May I ask your business—”

  “We need to see the rulers of Typha-Dor immediately,” Obi-Wan said. “We have vital information.”

  “The rulers of Typha-Dor are not easily seen—”

  “We are Jedi envoys on a diplomatic mission from the Galactic Senate. We have information about an invasion,” Obi-Wan rapped out impatiently.

  “But…the invasion has already begun,” the security officer said.

  At first the officer refused to yield, but the combined insistence of eight Jedi was too much for him and his staff. The Jedi were ushered into the strategic planning meeting of the High Council at the space center.

  The generals and the two rulers of Typha-Dor and their aides stood around a circular holomap. Blinking colored lights showed possible ship movements and attack points. Obi-Wan knew the two rulers as Talus, a young man, and Binalu, an older woman who had ruled Typha-Dor for many years. They had called for the Jedi originally and nodded politely at them.

  “Sorry you were delayed,” Binalu said graciously.

  Binalu had stepped aside. Now Obi-Wan could see Mezdec in the middle of the group. When he saw Obi-Wan and Anakin, he paled.

  “This is a high-security meeting,” he said. “You have no clearance.”

  “Mezdec, these are Jedi,” Binalu said. “We asked the Senate for help.”

  Obi-Wan gave Mezdec a cool glance, then ignored him. He glanced at the strategy map. He saw that the Typha-Dor had massed all their weaponry and their fleet to the south.

  He and Anakin had studied the invasion plans during the flight. Shalini had been right. Mezdec had given the generals false plans. They were massing troops and ships to meet an invasion that would not arrive. Meanwhile, the Vanqors would take over the capital cities in one thrust, unopposed.

  “I have met Mezdec before. We were the team that was sent to rescue the crew at the outpost,” Obi-Wan said. “Have you moved your ships to attack?” he asked the generals.

  “We are moving them now,” one of the generals said grudgingly, as though she saw no reason to tell the Jedi. “The Vanqors will attack our factories in the south.”

  “Is it too late to recall them?”

  “Why should we?” the general answered. “With all due respect to the Jedi, we did ask for your help, and we are grateful for your response. But we can handle this. We are going to surprise the Vanqors when they invade our airspace.”

  “You, generals, will be the ones who will be surprised,” Obi-Wan said.

  “That is not the true invasion plan,” Anakin said. He set Shalini’s holofile spinning. It unfolded in pulses of light, showing detail after detail of the Vanqor invasion. “This is the real invasion plan. If you mass your forces there, the Vanqors will simply sail in and take over without a fight.”

  “But the Vanqors have already sent their ships,” Binalu said, indicating the map.

  “I see evidence of only two destroyers in the south,” Obi-Wan said.

  “Mezdec explained that more are coming. The crew intercepted the Vanqor invasion plans,” a general said. She was tall and imposing, with multicolored medals on her shoulders. “He came to me personally. I am the high general of Typha-Dor, General Bycha.”

  “That’s right,” Mezdec said. “We have the plans. I was the only one to make it out alive.”

  “On the contrary,” Obi-Wan said. “The others made it out, too. You’ll be sorry to hear that, Mezdec.”

  “Mezdec is a spy, General Bycha,” Anakin said. “I suggest you give an order for his immediate arrest.”

  The generals exchanged glances. Talus and Binalu looked at the Jedi.

  “This is a grave charge,” Talus said.

  “They are lying!” Mezdec cried.

  “You must trust us,” Obi-Wan said. “The fate of your world lies in your hands. The Vanqors are not going to attack your factories. They are moving to attack the twin capital cities. Can you move the fleet to these positions?” He took a laser pointer from a general and indicated the map. “Look. The Vanqors are invading through this corridor. I’ve studied the star charts. Your moons will align to give them cover, but it will also create a window for you to
attack. You can trap the majority of the fleet between the two moons. Even with a smaller force, you could defeat them. They will be vulnerable right here.”

  The generals looked at the map. They looked at each other.

  “Don’t listen to them!” Mezdec cried again. “They are lying!”

  Slowly, General Bycha turned to him. “And what reason would the Jedi have for lying?” She held Mezdec’s gaze. “I hereby issue an order for Mezdec’s immediate arrest.”

  Then General Bycha turned back to the Jedi. “We don’t have much time,” she said.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mezdec was taken away. The room exploded into activity. Obi-Wan was impressed with how quickly the generals grasped the situation and formulated a response. The fleet sped to the other side of Typha-Dor and lurked behind the string of moons, effectively concealing themselves and ready to attack.

  General Bycha spoke to the Jedi. “We were unprepared for war. Our planet has no planetary defensive shield, and only one planetary turbolaser. It’s all up to our fleet.”

  “You have the strategic advantage,” Siri said.

  “Which means there is another option,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Within seconds of the Vanqors invading your airspace, you will be able to surprise and surround them. They know their entire fleet can easily be destroyed. It is a perfect opportunity for you to force a surrender without losing lives.”

  General Bycha looked interested. “Most generals are primed to fight. I will do so if necessary. But on Typha-Dor we always seek to avoid conflict if we can.”

  “A truce would make sense for Vanqor as well as Typha-Dor,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Typha-Dor has vast resources. Vanqor has factories and technical innovations. The other planets in your system each have something unique to contribute. If there was a strong alliance between your planets, you would all be interdependent. You would learn and profit from one another.”

  “You could become one of the strongest systems in the galaxy and a boon to the Republic,” Siri said.