by Jude Watson
Tyro handed it to him. "What is it?"
Obi-Wan took out his own comlink and contacted Aiam Syk at the Temple.
"Can you run a trace on this?" he asked, reading off the data from Tyro's
comlink.
Within seconds, Alam answered, "It's got a trace on it. Coming from...
the Senate. Hang on.." Obi-Wan heard data keys clicking. Alam could trace
any signal. " Hmmm. Do you know a Senator Sano Sauro? It looks like he's
interested in what Tyro Caladian is up to."
Obi-Wan tossed the comlink back to Tyro. "There's your answer. I
suggest that you do a routine sweep of your comlink transmission security
in the future."
"I was never important enough before to need to do so," Tyro said. "I
guess that's a good sign."
"Except that we lost our chance to trap Sauro," Obi-Wan said.
Across the quad, a disgusted Rana Halion strode off and hailed an air
taxi.
"What next?" Tyro asked. "I doubt Sauro will use any of the usual
places again."
"Which is why it's time to confront him directly," Obi-Wan said. "Time
is running out for Gillam."
Sano Sauro was at a Senate function attended by many dignitaries. Obi-
Wan and Tyro slipped easily into the crowd. Obi-Wan spotted Sano Sauro and
made his way over to listen. Tyro joined a group surrounding Berm Tarturi.
"So glad you could join us after all," a Senator was saying to Sauro.
"The commemoration of the dedication of the plaque on the south-facing wall
of the main north-south corridor of the northeast wing of Complex Bis an
important step forward in promoting the harmony of the galaxy."
"I agree," Sauro said smoothly. "Another plaque with a quotation
concerning the necessity for peace will certainly heal the many bloody,
savage conflicts."
The other Senator proudly puffed out his scaly green cheeks. "The
artisans of my home system were responsible for the plaque."
"Then I am doubly sure it will do its job," Sauro answered. There was
no trace of irony in his tone, Obi-Wan noted, but Sauro managed to convey
it. Yet the apparent sincerity of his tone would make it difficult to
challenge him. So did his impassive expression. The skin was stretched so
tightly over the bones of his face that he rarely registered an emotion.
He caught sight of Obi-Wan. "Will you excuse me?"
Sauro suddenly headed for the exit, slithering through the crowd with
the expertise of one used to escaping dull gatherings. Obi-Wan started
after him, but suddenly Berm Tarturi's voice boomed out. Sauro stopped
abruptly but did not turn.
"How kind of you to say that," Berm said to the group of Senators
surrounding him. "No, I'm trying to keep it very quiet. It is a private
matter. Yet others seek to exploit my sorrow. Oh, it's not that I expect
special treatment, but those who would take advantage of a father's
despair..." Tyro raised his eyebrows at Obi-Wan. Obviously, Tarturi
abandoned discretion when he could gain sympathy.
Obi-Wan saw Sauro's sneer. He was contemptuous of Tarturi's tactics.
Sauro turned. His voice, hard as ice, cut through Berm's blustering
like a laser. "Yes, anyone who exploits private pain is despicable." He
gave Tarturi a withering look. "No matter who does it."
The Senators looked back and forth between the two enemies, some with
apprehension, others avidly looking forward to a war of words. Tyro's eyes
gleamed, no doubt hoping Sauro would let something slip in anger. But Sauro
simply turned his back on Tarturi and slipped off through the crowd, a slim
figure in black.
A group of Senators suddenly converged on Berm Tarturi while others
faded back, and it took Obi-Wan several precious seconds to extricate
himself from the crowd. When he pushed his way out the door, Sauro had
already disappeared. Obi-Wan headed toward Sauro's suite of offices.
As soon as he entered, Sauro's personal assistant stood up. "He isn't
here."
"Did he tell you to say that?" Obi-Wan brushed past him, heading for
the door.
"I am calling security."
"Your choice." Obi-Wan had no more patience for protocol. He waved a
hand and used the Force to slide open the door to Sauro's inner office.
Sauro turned, startled, as Obi-Wan strode in. "This is outrageous!" he
sputtered, losing his usual cool.
"You are meeting with Rana Halion secretly," Obi-Wan said.
"You don't have any evidence of that," Sauro said, regaining his
composure.
"I have evidence that you put Tyro Caladian under surveillance," Obi-
Wan continued.
Sauro stood behind his long desk. He was not a tall man, but the desk
was low to the ground in order to give that impression. The tall red thorns
of the claing bush rose from the corners, stabbing the air. His thin lips
twisted as he leaned forward, resting on his knuckles. "And why shouldn't
I? I don't take kindly to being investigated by young upstart attorneys. I
have a legitimate concern as to who exactly this Caladian is and what he
wants. The risk of assassination and sabotage are part of this job, and I
must take any steps I can to protect myself. If you wish to take it up with
the Senate security committee, do so."
"You rely on those committees," Obi-Wan said. "No doubt because you
have bribed your way onto most of them."
"What is this personal vendetta you have against me, Kenobi?" Sauro's
voice purred now. "I must confess, I don't understand it. I've done nothing
to antagonize you. Perhaps I should bring you up on charges."
"What charges?"
"Breaking and entering, for one," Sauro said, his gaunt face
expressionless. "The Force is a weapon like any other."
"The Force is not a weapon," Obi-Wan snapped. "Let me warn you, Sauro.
I am investigating Gillam Tarturi's kidnapping. If I find you had anything
to do with it - "
Sauro laughed. "A child's kidnapping! Hardly something I would dabble
in. You are grasping at straws, Kenobi. And once again you are wasting my
time." He picked up his comlink and stabbed at a button with his index
finger. "I think I will report you for harassment. Perhaps a few hours of
being detained by Senate security will help you calm down."
"Your threats reveal your fear," Obi-Wan said. "I'll be back."
CHAPTER EIGHT
Marit's friends sat together on the athletic field outside. They
seemed to be expecting Anakin. He noted one friend looking him over
carefully, from the top of his head to his boots. The student, a Bothan,
stood as soon as they came up.
"So this is the one," he said. He was short, shorter than Marit, and
the curling hair down to his shoulders gave him a soft look that was
undercut by his shrewd gaze. This was clearly not someone to underestimate.
"This is Anakin," Marit said. "Anakin, meet Rolai Frac. And this is
Tulah, and Hurana, and Ze."
"Have you ever ridden a swoop?" Ze asked. He was a humanoid, short and
plump, with close-set green eyes and two pigtails that hung down his back.
He seemed eager for action.
"A couple of times," Anakin said.
"We were going to have a swo
op race," Tulah said. Anakin recognized
the elongated head and pale skin of a native of Muunilinst. Tulah was tall
and skinny, with a shock of bright yellow hair that stuck straight up from
his head. His voice was all business. "Do you want to join us?"
"Just once around the school grounds," Marit said. "Sounds like fun,"
Anakin said.
"The only thing is, it's technically against the rules," Hurana said.
She gave him a shy smile, but he could tell he was being tested. "You're
going to have to avoid the roving surveillance droids."
"Sounds even better," Anakin said.
Marit pointed to a nearby swoop with her chin. "That's yours, then.
Watch out for professors and security cameras. Let's go."
Marit and her friends slung their legs over their swoops. Anakin
followed. He took a moment to get used to the swoop controls and was a few
seconds behind them. He wasn't worried. He knew how to fly a swoop faster
than anyone.
He took off after them, streaking across the gray sky. Ahead was a
security checkpoint. Anakin could see the camera lenses revolving. Marit
gunned her motor and flipped her swoop sideways to avoid being tracked.
A second later, Hurana dipped below it, missing it by only a fraction.
Anakin saw her grin and knew she had timed it that way. The others followed
expertly.
Anakin was impressed. He increased his speed, timing his approach with
the revolving camera lenses. He pulled the swoop up and then down quickly,
missing the lens by a comfortable half second.
He pushed the engine to maximum and quickly caught up to the others.
He didn't slow down but zoomed by them. He saw Rolai's surprised face, but
Marit looked worried.
He saw why. Below him a group of professors had paused on the stairs
outside one of the academic buildings, talking. Any moment they would see
him.
He turned the swoop to the left and headed for the dense branches of
an enormous tree. Behind him, he saw Marit pull her swoop up and circle out
of range of the professors.
Anakin could hover in the branches, but he was too impatient. He
dipped below one branch and zoomed up to skim above another. He snaked in
and out of the thick branches, leaning his body first one way, then the
other. He did not make even one leaf tremble. The professors continued to
talk, completely unaware of the swoop above them.
The others skirted the trees, looping around to avoid the professors
and adding crucial minutes to their times.
He cleared the grove of trees out of sight of the professors, as well
as Marit and her friends. A surveillance droid revolved ahead, surprising
him for only an instant. Anakin pulled the swoop to a hard right, avoiding
the rotating sensors. Then he dove beneath the droid and zoomed on.
Grinning, Anakin leaned over the handlebars and gunned the motor. He
skirted a security camera and dove beneath a tractor beam. This was child's
play for him.
The others were in sight again but still well behind him as he cleared
a rooftop and did a quick triple loop dive to avoid being seen by a class
of students playing laserball below. Then he dropped from the sky and
landed in the same precise spot he had left from. He sat down and crossed
his legs in a leisurely fashion.
A short two minutes later, Marit and the others pulled up. Anakin was
surprised at their speed. They were almost as fast as a Jedi on a swoop.
Marit swung off her swoop and strode toward him, tossing her braid behind
her shoulder.
"Okay, hotshot," she said. "You win."
"What do I win?" Anakin asked. "If it's the chance to break out of
here," he joked, "count me in." He spoke lightly, but he could feel how
close he was to being accepted. He didn't need the Force to pick up on the
humming energy among the group of friends. Something was definitely up. Had
he found the secret squad the Jedi High Council spoke of?
"You see?" Marit said to Rolai. "I told you he could fly.
"He can fly," Rolai agreed.
"He's almost as good as me," Hurana said. Her pale gold eyes held a
new respect.
"We have a sort of club," Marit said. "Not a school club. A serious
club. Are you interested?"
"I'm not sure yet," Anakin said. "Why don't you tell me about it?"
"We take on assignments from outsiders. Beings who need a little help.
We use our skills to aid them. If my friends and I have one thing in
common, we don't like to see others get kicked around. I think you're that
way, too."
"I am," Anakin said. "What exactly do you do? Rescue fluffkits from
trees?"
Rolai looked annoyed. "This isn't a joke. Two weeks ago on Tierell, we
changed the course of a planet's history."
"And made a bundle of credits," Tulah said. "Don't forget that."
"We do whatever is needed," Marit said quickly. She gave Rolai a
warning glance, as if he'd said too much. "You'll learn more if you join
us. Look, I told you how it works here. They only run the scholarship
program so that they'll look good. They don't care about us. They won't
help us. No one will. We have to help ourselves. Why should we wait around
to get passed over for good jobs when we can start our lives now?"
"I agree," Anakin said. "But how do you get off campus? You'd have to
violate security."
Marit shook her head. "We're able to conduct the missions on our free
days. We have permission to leave. We just have to be sure to be back in
time. And there are ways to trick security." She grinned at Rolai. "Rolai
is our security expert and financial officer. Ze handles communications."
Ze nodded. "Comlinks, datapads, holo transmissions. Traces and
countertraces. There are plenty of frequencies to hide in, if you know how.
"
Anakin was impressed. Even he didn't know how to navigate the
complicated process of concealing a transmission origin.
"I'm transportation," Hurana said. "I get us in and out, and fast."
Tulah lifted a finger. "I'm battle strategy. But mostly I'm comic
relief."
Tulah spoke lightly, but something in his face told Anakin that his
joking was a pose to hide a serious purpose.
"And I research the proposals," Marit said. "I'm the galactic politics
expert."
"So what am I?" Anakin asked.
"We need someone who knows something about sophisticated air transport
like starfighters," Hurana said. "I know some, but Marit has been watching
you, and she says you know more."
"I don't know about that," Anakin said. "But I did grow up fixing
engines. So how do you decide what you're going to do?"
"We consider proposals and vote on them," Hurana said. "Everyone's
vote is equal."
"And every decision is unanimous," Tulah said. "If one of us doesn't
want to take an assignment, we pass on it. You'd get an equal vote, too,
fly-guy. Just try to vote with me."
Unlike the others, Rolai's look was cool. Anakin had the feeling that
he would have to prove himself to the Bothan before he welcomed him. It
didn't bother him. He might feel that way himsel
f with an outsider.
"The kind of assignments we take on are important," Marit said. "We're
just starting, but already what we can do has spread to the right beings.
We're on the side of justice in the galaxy. The powerful exploit the weak.
We try to tip the balance. In one of our last missions we broke into the
records of a company that was dumping its toxic garbage on a neighboring
planet's moon. We exposed them and got paid for it. We can get away with a
lot because adults tend not to notice kids. They underestimate us."
Rolai grinned. "Big mistake."
To his surprise, Anakin found himself liking what he was hearing. It
was almost like being a Jedi, but without Masters. No one told the squad
what to do. They picked their own missions and were responsible only to
themselves.
"Count me in," he said.
CHAPTER-NINE
Anakin met Ferus at their prearranged spot in the computer lab during
their free time before lights out. Most of the students were in their own
rooms, studying or talking. No one liked to venture out into the halls at
night, no matter how good security was now. The computer lab was open but
empty. They spoke in low voices in a corner.
