by Jude Watson
Garen whistled. "There she is."
The largest ship Obi-Wan had ever seen rose ahead of them. It seemed to be many ships welded together, made up of different metals and rivets and fasteners, so that dull green gave way to flashing silver to gleaming black. It chugged in a slow, lazy orbit around the planet.
"We're supposed to land on Hilo to pick up a transport back to the ship," Garen said. "Apparently they don't allow outsiders to dock on the ship."
"I've never seen anything like that," Anakin said. He got up from his seat to stand close to the cockpit viewport. He grinned and shot a mischievous look back at Obi-Wan. "It looks like something I might have built."
Obi-Wan had to agree. It had the chunky, cobbled-together look of some of Anakin's practice constructions.
The landing platform loomed ahead, a light freighter parked to one side. As they drew closer, Obi-Wan could see that supplies were being loaded. Garen made his usual perfect landing. He helped Anakin and Obi-Wan gather their packs and walked them down the ramp.
Obi-Wan and Garen exchanged a look of friendship and farewell, one they had exchanged many times over the years.
"May the Force be with you," Garen said. "I can transport you back if you need me. I'll be in this quadrant for a bit."
"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan told him.
Garen turned and strode up the ramp. He did not turn for a final good-bye. He never did. Only Obi-Wan knew that his old friend hated farewells.
"You are the Jedi inspection team." The tone was curt and businesslike. Obi-Wan turned to see a tall, balding human in a unigarment of pale blue.
"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is Anakin Skywalker," Obi-Wan answered.
"I am Nort Fandi," the man said. "I am the freighter pilot. We are scheduled to depart. Board the craft. We do not linger on other worlds."
There was no trace of friendliness or courtesy in Nort Fandi's curt tone. Obi-Wan and Anakin boarded the freighter and found seats. In just a few minutes, Nort Fandi and two crew members joined them. Within seconds, they blasted off toward the BioCruiser.
"Will you be taking us directly to Uni?" Obi-Wan asked Nort Fandi.
He did not turn. "No. You will be given instructions."
He did not say another word. As they approached the BioCruiser, hatch doors slid open in the main ship and Obi-Wan saw the landing area. Nort Fandi slid the freighter inside. The engines powered down.
A short woman in the same pale blue unigarment stood waiting as they walked down the ramp.
"I am Deleta," she said. "I am to show you to your cabins."
"Will we meet with Uni after that?" Obi-Wan asked.
Deleta led them to a bank of turbolifts. "He will contact you shortly."
Obi-Wan picked up no fear or anxiety in the many beings they passed on the way to their sleeping quarters. There were beings from across the galaxy, some wearing the same pale blue garments, some in tunics, some sporting a headdress or leggings from their home worlds. They appeared busy and calm, and he could discern no evidence of thought control. Their gazes were clear and focused as they regarded Obi-Wan and Anakin with lively curiosity.
The Jedi's quarters were small and spare, but with a shared small library, a cubicle for showering, and even a small cooler with fresh juices and snacks.
"Meals will be brought to you," Deleta said. "Do not wander the ship alone. If you wish a tour, one will be arranged for you shortly."
"How can I contact Uni?" Obi-Wan asked.
"He will contact you shortly," Deleta answered serenely, and left.
"So what do you think "shortly" means here on the cruiser?" Anakin grumbled. He lay back on his sleep-couch on his elbows, his expression sulky. "A year? More?"
"It's been two days," Obi-Wan said. "Each mission takes its own time." He repeated the words automatically. Like Anakin, he, too, felt frustrated. Any additional requests he had made to speak to Uni or even to get a tour of the ship had met with the same "You will be contacted shortly." When he and Anakin had ventured out on their own, they had been politely and firmly escorted back to their quarters and told they would be contacted ... "shortly."
At first Obi-Wan had been reluctant to press the issue. They were guests of the BioCruiser, and he never liked to start out a mission by being insistent. But he had his limits, and he had reached them. Obi-Wan pressed the button on the built-in message console. As always, he was addressed by a pleasant, neutral voice.
"May I be of service?"
"I would like to leave a message for Uni," Obi-Wan said.
"He will contact you shortly—“
"Fine. Please inform him that if he does not meet with us in ten minutes I will call back my transport and the full power of the Senate will be unleashed against the BioCruiser."
Obi-Wan did not wait for a reply but cut off the connection.
Anakin was now sitting erect. "Will you really do that?"
"Jedi do not threaten," Obi-Wan said. "We inform." He sat calmly, but his eyes were on the chrono. Anything could happen. They could be locked inside their quarters. Or Uni could decide to boot them off the ship to the nearest planet.
In exactly eight minutes, the door hissed open. Deleta stood with the same neutral expression on her face.
"Uni will see you now."
Obi-Wan and Anakin followed her through a maze of corridors to a single turbolift. It brought them to a higher level of the ship. They emerged into a deserted hallway.
Deleta accessed a door at the far end of the corridor. They walked into a round room lined with low seating and recessed glow lights. The walls, floors, and furniture were pale blue. Deleta left, the doors hissing shut behind her.
"Do you think this is Uni's private quarters?" Anakin asked in a hushed tone.
"Most likely," Obi-Wan answered.
The doors opened behind him. Obi-Wan saw a tall, slender human walk in. His hair was close-cropped and as white as a moon. His eyes were clear and very blue.
"I am Uni," he said.
But Obi-Wan knew immediately that it was Kad Chun.
CHAPTER 13
Obi-Wan felt as if his throat had been squeezed. His feet were planted on the floor, or else he could have sworn that he staggered.
"Kad Chun." Obi-Wan spoke his name numbly.
Kad looked just as surprised. He gathered himself with a visible effort. "Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am Uni now."
Kad approached until he was standing close to Obi-Wan, closer than Obi-Wan liked. His pale eyes flickered as he registered the signs of maturity in Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan remembered the face of the boy, burning with hatred in a Senate hearing room.
"So they sent you."
"Yes."
"I suppose they do not know who I am."
"No."
"Kad Chun is no more."
Obi-Wan's curiosity overcame his caution. "How did you come to be here?"
Kad turned and began to stroll about the room. He did not give Anakin a glance, but the boy watched him steadily.
"After the hearing, my father and I returned to Telos. We led a quiet life, recovering from our double tragedy--the loss of our son and brother, and the inability of the Senate to bring his killer to justice."
Obi-Wan stiffened, but Uni did not look at him, just strolled about, picking up an object here or there, studying it and putting it down.
"Many good things happened on Telos. I understand you were there at the beginning. A new government was formed, and the reclamation of our natural resources began. But as the years passed it became clear that the corruption that had destroyed our institutions and government had taken a deeper hold than the good people of Telos imagined. Special interests again took over. Telos began a steep decline. Corporations owned our natural resources and plundered them."
"I am sorry to hear this," Obi-Wan said.
"I found myself in a position of some leadership," Kad went on. "I gathered followers. I knew it was too late to save Telos. We were wasting our time. We could never fight that kind of p
ower. In order to save the remaining examples of responsibility and honor on Telos, we had to bring the last of the best with us. Which we did. We boarded a ship, taking our plants and minerals with us. We traveled through the galaxy. We did not look for another world. We did not need one. As we traveled I saw that Telos was not unique. So many worlds in the galaxy are corrupt. The noblest beings protest and are drowned out. We welcomed them aboard. Our core ship began to grow. We have the most brilliant scientists, the greatest innovators, teachers, poets, musicians, doctors. We all believe that given the state of the galaxy the only choice for the best of us is to disengage from it completely. After the galaxy destroys itself we will be the seed for a new community."
Kad turned at last. His pale blue eyes burned with fervor. "So you see no one here is held against their will. They can leave at any time at our next docking port. We are working on a renewable fuel that we can produce on the ship, but we haven't been able to perfect it. So we must still stop occasionally. We hope one day to be completely self-sufficient. We will not ever need to have contact with another world. Until then we must deal with the tiresome demands of the Senate. I consider it demeaning to the intelligence of all who live aboard this ship. Nevertheless, I will cooperate."
"You will allow us access throughout the ship?"
Kad nodded. "I will arrange a tour so you can get an overview. After that, you are free to wander on your own."
"We can speak to any of your followers?"
Kad frowned. "I do not use the word followers."
"These beings are here because of your philosophy?"
"A philosophy they have adopted as their own." Kad raised an eyebrow. "And what about the Jedi? How different are we from you? Yet the Senate does not send envoys to investigate you, I notice."
"We are very different. We lead lives of contemplation but also engagement," Obi-Wan said in the even tone he adopted when he was irritated. "We do not isolate ourselves and abandon the galaxy."
"Yes, you still believe you can do good," Kad said carelessly. "Everyone on this ship felt that way once."
Obi-Wan sensed that disengaging was a good philosophy to adopt at that moment. He knew it was fruitless to argue with Kad and knew that Kad's carelessness was studied. He was goading Obi-Wan. No doubt he knew that Obi-Wan's calm was also a mask.
"I am sorry you consider this process demeaning," Obi-Wan said carefully. "But I'm sure you must realize that there are family members throughout the galaxy who have to deal with the sudden disappearance of their loved ones. Communication has been infrequent."
"That is because no one understands our vision," Kad said impatiently. "Everyone here is an adult, capable of making their own decisions. Now, I suggest that you and your follower proceed to the bridge, where I have arranged for one of us to give you a tour of the ship. Take the turbolift to Level four and you will be met there."
The doors opened again. A frail old man walked slowly into the room. His scalp gleamed in the light, and his hooded eyes were dull. It took Obi-Wan several seconds to remember Vox Chun. He was startled at how much he had aged.
Vox Chun's dull gaze suddenly blazed into rage. It was obvious that his hatred of Obi-Wan had not diminished with the years.
"Father, the Jedi team is proceeding to the bridge for a tour," Kad said quickly. Obi-Wan saw that he wanted to forestall any outburst.
Obi-Wan nodded at Vox Chun, who did not return the greeting. He kept his burning gaze on Obi-Wan as he and Anakin crossed the room and walked out the doors.
The doors shut behind them. Anakin looked up at him.
"Why do they hate you?"
"Old history," Obi-Wan said. "Missions can leave grievances behind. I do not think it will affect the present."
Anakin nodded, but Obi-Wan could tell he was not satisfied; he believed that old grievances would affect this mission.
The trouble was, so did Obi-Wan. It was not the first time that Obi-Wan found it inconvenient to have such an astute Padawan.
CHAPTER 14
Anakin trudged alongside Obi-Wan, wondering about the title of Padawan Learner. That implied that he was supposed to learn, didn't it? How could he learn when he never had the full story?
Yoda was full of riddles. Mace Windu spoke in hints and allusions. Even his Master deflected most talk of the past, except for affectionate or respectful references to his old Master. Sometimes it seemed to Anakin that everyone at the Temple spoke a different language from the one he knew. It was at such times that he missed his mother's warm clarity. But remembering Shmi brought back an ache so deep it never went away.
"At least we'll get a tour of the ship," Obi-Wan remarked as they waited for the turbolift. "You've been wanting to explore it."
"But we'll have a guide," Anakin said. "They probably won't show us the whole thing. Wouldn't you rather explore on your own?"
"Sometimes it is helpful to see what your opponent wishes you to see," Obi-Wan said, stepping into the turbolift. "It can indicate what he is trying to hide."
Anakin stood quietly as the levels ticked off. He was still out of sorts from first being ignored in the meeting between Obi-Wan and Uni, and then not being told the truth by Obi-Wan. He had felt the dark anger from both Vox and Uni, the man Obi-Wan called Kad. Those two held more than a simple grievance against his Master. Why didn't Obi-Wan trust him enough to tell him the truth? The turbolift doors opened and Anakin got another surprise. Obi-Wan broke into a broad smile at the sight of a slender woman standing waiting for them.
"Is it Andra?" he asked.
The woman looked just as surprised and pleased. "Obi-Wan Kenobi!"
Obi-Wan and the woman stepped forward. Andra grasped Obi-Wan's hand. "I have never forgotten you."
"What a surprise to see you here," Obi-Wan said. "I imagined you would be ruler of Telos by now."
Andra's face darkened. "The Telos I fought for is gone. My life is here now."
"Yes, Kad told me how it deteriorated."
"We call him Uni now. Yes, we defeated Offworld, but other equally powerful concerns took over. I watched my beautiful planet deteriorate for the second time. I could do nothing. My rage and frustration turned to deep sorrow. It was as though I was in a dark place with no way out. Then I met Uni." Andra shook her head as if to dislodge dark memories. "Uni gave me a reason to live." She looked over at Anakin and smiled. "And who is this?"
"This is my Padawan, Anakin Skywalker."
Andra gave him a warm nod of greeting. Anakin liked her immediately. He felt a kind of warmth and acceptance from her that reminded him of Shmi.
"So you have your own Padawan now," she said, the smile still on her face as she glanced at Obi-Wan. "Qui-Gon must miss you."
Obi-Wan's bright gaze dimmed. "Andra, Qui-Gon is dead. Three years now."
Her smile vanished, and sorrow filled her eyes. "I did not know. I am so sorry. The galaxy is diminished without him."
"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "That is exactly how I feel. But what about Den? Still getting on your nerves?"
"I'm afraid so," Andra said ruefully. "I married him."
Obi-Wan laughed. Den and Andra were an odd match, but Qui-Gon had seen how much deep love there was between them. "Is he aboard the BioCruiser as well?"
"Of course. He was resistant at first. But he came to see the truth of Uni's teachings." Andra paused. "You must be the Jedi come to inspect us. I am to give you the tour."
"I can ask for no better guide," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin hurried forward as Andra turned to walk down the corridor with them. "How do you two know each other?" he asked her. Better to ask Andra than Obi-Wan. He'd get a more complete story.
"Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon helped our world when it was dying," Andra explained. "A mining corporation called Offworld had secretly bought up our national park spaces and had begun to mine them. I was part of the underground then—“
"A one-woman underground," Obi-Wan said admiringly.
"True, I didn't have many followers at the time," Andra
said ruefully. "Just a thief and gambler short on ethics and long on charm. He became my husband, Den. Despite the fact that we were outlaws, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon trusted us. They exposed Offworld, and the people got control of our sacred spaces again. Or so we thought. In the end, we lost the battle."
Andra stopped in the middle of the circular bridge. "But I'll never forget what they did for us."
"And what you did for us," Obi-Wan pointed out. "You saved us from execution."
"Execution?" Anakin asked, staring at Obi-Wan, wide-eyed.
"Xanatos was a terrible enemy," Andra said softly.
"Xanatos?" Anakin asked.
"A story for another time," Obi-Wan said firmly.
Andra nodded, understanding that Obi-Wan wished to change the subject. She gestured at the busy workers surrounding them and the banks of controls. "As you can see, our bridge is more complicated than most starships'. The BioCruiser is made of different components, some of them originally designed to run differently from others'. Here is where everything is coordinated. Already our scientists have discovered a number of technological breakthroughs. The size and complexity of the ship is unprecedented."
"Do you have a defense system?" Obi-Wan asked.
Andra nodded. "State of the art. We have a valuable treasury aboard. Each of us brought all our assets aboard when we joined. We use that money for research and development. Eventually, we want to be a fully self-sustaining ship, as though we were a floating planet."
"Most planets are not fully self-sustaining," Obi-Wan pointed out. "They depend on trade and the free exchange of information."
"When you open your doors to the galaxy, you invite corruption to overtake you," Andra said, shaking her head. "I have seen it happen on Telos. I have talked to many aboard who have seen it happen on their own worlds. Criminal gangs grow more powerful every day in the galaxy. More and more, giant corporations gobble up natural resources. They just move on to the next planet ripe for exploitation. I believe that Uni is right. This," Andra concluded, spreading her arms to take in the ship, "is our greatest hope. Now, let us proceed. We have much to see."