by Джуд Уотсон
Lena told the taxi driver to let them off several blocks from the warehouse. Once they were walking again, she relaxed a little. A moment later she reached out and touched Obi-Wan's arm.
"Sorry about that," she said, looking into his eyes. Obi-Wan tried to ignore the way he felt when she gazed at him.
"I couldn't talk in the taxi because of the sky drivers' collective,"
she explained. "They are Cobral supporters. And as for Zanita's vehicle, well, let's just say that it has plenty of added surveillance equipment that even Zanita might not know about."
Obi-Wan nodded, and Lena turned and kept walking. She spoke quietly, but loud enough for both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to hear.
"That statue falling was no accident. I'm sure the base is completely secure, no matter what Juno says. There are several traps on the property — the Cobrals call it security. They say they have to protect what's theirs."
"Who do you think triggered it?" Qui-Gon asked, speaking for the first time since they'd left the Cobral property.
"I don't know," Lena replied. "The Cobrals have many allies — paid and unpaid. Although Juno is Zanita's servant, he works for Solan first.
I'm sure he would be handsomely rewarded if he succeeded in killing me."
The group's mood was contemplative as they navigated the streets and arrived back at the warehouse.
Inside, Mica was pacing the living space. A medium-size package lay on a low table.
"This arrived while you were out," Mica said. She picked up the package and thrust it into her cousin's hands. She seemed slightly agitated.
Lena took the package and turned it over. It was covered in a thin gray wrapping material. There was nothing written on the material other than her name in block letters: LENA COBRAL.
Chapter 8
"Rutin," Lena said, gazing down at the package. She ran her fingers over her name. "This is Rutin's handwriting," she explained, looking up at the Jedi. "I'd recognize it anywhere."
Qui-Gon looked down at the package, feeling quite certain that it was some sort of trap. Rutin was dead, was he not?
"I'd like to have a look at that," he said, stepping forward. "I want to make sure it is not dangerous before you open it."
Lena frowned. "Rutin would never put me in danger," she said adamantly.
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. From what he could gather, Rutin had put her in significant danger. But he saw no point in reminding Lena of that now.
"It could be a trap," Qui-Gon said plainly. Lena scowled slightly at Qui-Gon. Perhaps, Qui-Gon mused, she felt he was stealing her last gift from Rutin But she gave Qui-Gon the package.
Closing his eyes, Qui-Gon held the package for several moments. When he opened them again, he returned the package to Lena.
"I do not sense anything immediately grave," he said. But he was not convinced that the package was from Rutin, or that it would help them gain evidence against the Cobral. He was not convinced of anything.
Lena set the box on the table and opened it with a small pocket blade before removing the wrapping. Then she began to empty its contents and set them on the table: a pair of black boots, a small vial of dirt… Lena's face fell as she looked over the contents of the box. "This doesn't make sense," she murmured.
"I think I'll go make us all something to eat," Mica said, excusing herself.
"Good idea, Mica," Lena said. "I'm starved."
Qui-Gon sat down next to Lena as soon as Mica left the room. He was unclear about the motives of both women, but felt he might be able to get some answers if he addressed them individually.
"Have you had any visitors to the warehouse?" he asked, not wasting any time.
Lena turned her attention away from the package and shook her head.
"No, why?"
Instead of answering, Qui-Gon asked another question. "Have you received mysterious packages before today?"
Lena shook her head again. "No, of course not. I would have told you about them."
"I'm glad to hear that," Qui-Gon said, not entirely sure that he believed her.
The next question was perhaps the most important. "Is Mica the only one who knows about this place?" he asked quietly.
Lena looked up quickly. She was frowning.
"I think I'll go see if Mica needs any help with the food," Obi-Wan said abruptly.
Qui-Gon gave a brief nod to his Padawan, indicating that he thought it was a good idea. But he did not take his eyes off Lena's face.
Still frowning, Lena got to her feet. "Yes, Mica is the only other person besides you and Obi-Wan who knows about this apartment," she said flatly. She turned to face Qui-Gon again, her hands on her hips. "But do not question my cousin's loyalty. Mica and I grew up together. We are like sisters. And she is not in league with the Cobrals."
Lena crossed the room, then let out a sigh and came back to sit next to Qui-Gon. "I don't even like to discuss the Cobrals in front of Mica,"
she said slowly. "As a very young girl she witnessed the murder of her mother, and the memory is still excruciatingly painful."
"The Cobrals were responsible for her mother's death?" Qui-Gon asked, slightly surprised.
Lena nodded sadly. "They killed her in cold blood. Mica was only seven and she saw the whole thing. It was a huge loss, and perhaps an even bigger trauma. She has never gotten over it."
Qui-Gon was silent as this information sank in.
"Everything on Frego is so complicated," Lena said with a heavy sigh.
"But I will try to explain. As I've said before, the Cobrals have many allies on Frego. For centuries Frego's government treated the citizens poorly — taxes were high and public services virtually nonexistent. Fregans worked hard only to have their money taken from them.
"The Cobral family changed all of that. While it is true that they made their fortune selling drugs and weapons and had a rough reputation, they used their power to force the government to provide the basic services people needed. They even lowered taxes and raised wages."
"Which made life for the people better," Qui-Gon said. He had visited planets with similar stories. A corrupt power ousted an unjust government, making positive changes. But the means through which those positive changes were made had its own kind of evil.
"Today the government acknowledges that the ways of the past were wrong, that they treated the people unfairly," Lena continued. "And many politicians resent having to operate under the Cobral thumb. They want to do right by their people. Or at least some of them do. Others appear to be noble, but are corrupt to the core."
"I see that the Cobral makes things quite complicated," Qui-Gon commented. "For everyone, it seems."
"There is no honesty, no safety," Lena stated. "We live by whims and not laws. That is why the violence has to stop. I know there is a better way, and I want Frego to have a chance for a new beginning-the beginning that Rutin and I did not have."
Tears welled in Lena's eyes, and for the first time Qui-Gon softened toward her. He understood just how she felt. He and Tahl had never had a new beginning, either.
Lena wiped her cheek. "There are some politicians who would also like to forge a new path for the future. And some people would like to support a new government. But many others feel a strong debt to the Cobrals for making life better."
Lena gazed solemnly at the package and the boots on the table. "It seems that no one can break free."
"But you trust your cousin completely?" Qui-Gon asked, getting back to his original line of questioning.
Lena looked Qui-Gon in the eye. "Without hesitation. As I told you, she is like my sister. Mica longs to avenge her mother and shed the corruption. Perhaps more than anyone."
Qui-Gon did not point out that Rutin and Solan were brothers. Instead he took a breath and let it out slowly.
"I'm afraid that Mica may have revealed your whereabouts," he stated.
"Or else another party has discovered them on their own."
Chapter 9
Obi-Wan entered the fo
od galley and was only half surprised to see that the room was empty. Turning back down the hall, he spotted an old turbolift in one of the makeshift bedrooms. A second later he felt the building shudder. Mica was running away.
Obi-Wan leaped into the turbolift shaft, landing gracefully on top of the lift just as it came to a halt. Activating his lightsaber, he sliced a hole in the metal and jumped down a second time. But the lift was already empty. He heard the echo of Mica's receding footsteps as she raced toward the door.
Obi-Wan knew he should continue to follow her… doing so could provide information vital to the mission, and to Lena. What if Mica was out to hurt her cousin — what if her actions put Lena in even greater danger?
He couldn't risk that. He had to talk to Mica. Now.
It did not take Obi-Wan long to catch up to the girl. Grabbing her arm, he was struck by the anger he felt well up inside him. He was furious, he realized, because Mica was jeopardizing Lena's safety.
Obi-Wan calmed himself, intending to let the anger leave him before speaking. But as soon as he saw Mica's face the anger disappeared. The girl was clearly distraught.
"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked, trying not to sound too stern.
Mica looked alarmed. "I… I was…" She blinked, her eyes glistening with tears. "I need to go somewhere," she finished in a whisper.
"Not before you tell me what's going on," Obi-Wan said. He spotted several large crates in a corner and led her over to them. Sitting her down on one, he found another for himself.
"It's time for you to tell the truth. If you truly care about Lena, you'll do so," he said.
Mica looked down at her feet. She didn't say anything for several minutes. Then she started to talk. "The Cobral is terrible," she began.
"They do hideous, evil things. But I do not think that Lena — or anyone else — is capable of bringing them down. Rutin tried, and he is dead.
Killed by his own family. My mother was killed by the Cobral as well."
A sob escaped Mica's throat and she wiped her eyes. "Of course I want to avenge her death. And I know that she is not the only one. Mine is not the only loss. I long to see those killers pay for their crimes. But if I go after them I would probably be killed, too. And so would Lena. They think nothing of taking life. It means nothing to them. Not even in their own family."
Obi-Wan nodded. "I cannot tell you that you are wrong," he said. "But the Cobral has Frego caught in an evil trap of violence and crime. Lena has a chance to destroy that trap — and those who made it — for good. She is willing to take that chance."
Mica nodded. "I know. Lena is a hero. She thinks nothing of her own life, only of Frego and its people. And I am nothing but a coward, guilty of thwarting her plan."
Obi-Wan nodded again, surprised that he was not filled with anger for a second time. He knew that Mica had been deceiving Lena but he was somehow relieved that Mica felt guilty about her actions. "How?" he asked simply.
"I wanted to stop the trial," Mica explained. "It was too dangerous.
So I convinced Lena to wait until you arrived before proceeding with her plan. Then I broke into her apartment and erased the files. I figured that if the evidence was gone, Lena would have to give up. And if she gave up, the Cobral would leave her alone. She would be safe. Of course, I did not expect to find the hired thugs at her apartment."
"Thugs?" Obi-Wan repeated.
Mica nodded. "They were heavily armed and ransacking the place. At the time I thought they were just street people, thieves after the jewelry and precious metals. Lena and Rutin had a lot of beautiful possessions."
She paused for a moment before going on. "But then I realized that they must have been searching for something."
"Did you see what they looked like?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No," Mica said. "They fled as soon as they heard me coming. They left the bedroom alone. I only caught a glimpse of their backs as they climbed over the balcony. I did not try to get a better look because I didn't want them to see me. I only know that there were two of them — both men. One was quite tall and lanky. The other short and bald."
"Not much to go on," Obi-Wan mused.
"I'm sure they were hired by the Cobral," Mica said.
Obi-Wan felt better about Mica now that she had confided in him. But there was still one question that was bothering him. "I understand why you wanted to erase the computer files, but why did you leave that threatening message on the screen?"
Mica looked up, surprised. "What message?" she asked. "I didn't send any message." She paused for a moment. Then, as if reading Obi-Wan's mind, she said, "And I didn't tell anyone where Lena was hiding, either."
Chapter 10
Lena looked at Qui-Gon in disbelief. Qui-Gon could tell she did not think Mica would reveal her whereabouts, but the package on the table meant it was likely that someone had. The strange contents were not dangerous, but the knowledge of Lena's whereabouts was — especially in the wrong hands.
"I must speak to Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon excused himself.
Walking slowly toward the kitchen, Qui-Gon felt exhausted. This routine mission was turning out to be more difficult than he'd imagined. He felt a strong sense of deception, but something about it continued to elude him. He could not tell who was being deceived, or by whom. And he did not understand why Lena so fiercely protected her cousin. She had obviously learned — the hard way — that family lines do not protect you from being double-crossed. Or killed.
The food galley was empty. Following his instincts, Qui-Gon started down the stairs. Halfway to the ground level, Qui-Gon met Obi-Wan and a sullen Mica coming up the stairwell.
"The evidence is gone," Obi-Wan blurted. "Mica erased it."
"Erased or stole?" Qui-Gon asked, looking directly at Mica.
"Erased!" Mica spat back defiantly. "I do not profit by the misfortune of others, especially Lena." Her voice softened when she spoke of her cousin. "I only wanted to protect her. To make all of this go away."
Mica hung her head and shuffled her feet before the Jedi led her back up the stairs. She obviously knew it was time to tell Lena what she had done.
Although she was clearly ashamed of her actions, Qui-Gon felt that her conscience was clear. She was not deceiving them. He felt relief in knowing that somebody wasn't.
"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon stopped his Padawan on the landing, allowing Mica to go farther ahead. "We must proceed with caution. All is not as it seems with our witness. On this planet, lies come easier than the truth, and at a lower cost."
As Obi-Wan raised his eyes to meet his Master's, Qui-Gon saw tiny flames of anger burn inside them, then flicker out.
"Lena is a noble woman," Obi-Wan said evenly. "She is struggling to do what is right. Your doubts will not help her."
Qui-Gon could not help but smile faintly. Obi-Wan thought Qui-Gon was insulting Lena, and he was upset — ready to defend her. It confirmed what Qui-Gon had suspected, that Obi-Wan was infatuated with Lena. He should have pointed it out sooner, to try and warn the boy. Most likely he would end up getting badly hurt.
"You are infatuated, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "Be careful not to let yourself be guided by your attraction."
"I am — " Obi-Wan shook his head and struggled to keep his voice under control. "It is not infatuation. Lena's motives are good."
"The motives she has told us are good, but there may be others. Think of what she is giving up. She will probably never live again in the manner to which she was accustomed. She lost her footing with the Cobral when Rutin was killed and is in danger of being an outcast. Not just from the family, but from all of Frego. Don't you think it is possible that she is trying to get evidence in order to have something to bargain with?"
Obi-Wan made no gesture to show that he understood. "There is another day," he said softly. "Then we shall see." He turned to walk up the stairs.
Qui-Gon entered Lena's quarters behind his apprentice. Mica stood over the table staring at an empty box. The contents of the package were gone.<
br />
"I told her I erased the evidence," Mica said tearfully. "But I don't think she even heard me."
"Where is Lena now?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan was already headed for the stairs.
"I don't know," Mica sobbed, sinking into a low couch. "She didn't say anything to me. She just took what was in the box and left."
Chapter 11
"Obi-Wan, wait," his Master commanded. Obi-Wan did not want to listen. Not now. Not while Lena was alone and in danger. But he slid to a stop at the top of the stairs.
