by Jude Watson
"I see something ahead," he called. "A bit of gray light."
"Let's hope it's a way out."
Anakin followed his Master on his hands and knees. The small pipe they were crawling through was shaking now as the ground trembled around them.
Ahead he could now see that the blackness was faintly tinged with gray.
"There's a ladder."
He could hear the relief in his Master's voice. Anakin looked up. A metal ladder rose vertically and disappeared into the blackness above. Obi- Wan began to climb.
Anakin followed. A sudden blast of debris roared through the pipe below and rose toward them. He tasted dirt and metal in his mouth and choked.
He couldn't speak. He coughed out the debris in his mouth and kept climbing. He knew the pipe was collapsing below. At any moment they could be buried underground.
Obi-Wan suddenly stopped. He knocked on something over his head. "It's layers of durasteel," he said, struggling to reach for his lightsaber in the tiny space. "I'll have to cut through."
Anakin knew they had barely any time left. He watched as Obi-Wan buried his lightsaber in the metal plating above. The ladder was hot under his hands. It began to peel away from the side of the pipe. The system was collapsing.
Suddenly another stream of light joined Obi-Wan's from above. Anakin saw the durasteel peel away. Then Siri's face appeared. "You'd better hurry," she said.
"That's the general idea," Obi-Wan answered, scrambling up the ladder.
Anakin followed as the ladder began to melt beneath him. He grabbed on to Siri's strong grip and threw himself toward the opening. He was half pulled, half hauled up to the surface. He lay flat on the ground, breathing heavily.
"Come on," Siri urged in his ear. "We have to get out of here. The entire factory is imploding."
Anakin could feel the ground moving beneath him. He rose and began to run with the others. Ferus was in the lead, dashing over the ground even as it pitched and heaved. It was like running across a turbulent air current.
They reached the safety of the open plain and turned back to look. It was an amazing sight. The ground simply cracked apart in chunks and opened up. It swallowed the huge factory and caved in with a shower of fire and dust. Within only minutes, there was a smoking crater where the factory had been.
All the evidence had been sucked into the ground. Not even debris remained.
"We came to find you," Siri said. "We saw the beginning of the collapse. We knew you would be inside the wing, so we raced around the perimeter, looking for a way in. The Force led me to the spot and then I sighted your lightsaber."
"Omega knew we were here," Anakin said, gazing at the crater. "He destroyed the factory to silence us and to cover his tracks."
"Teda has left the planet," Siri said.
"We fear Omega and Zan Arbor went with him," Ferus added. "They didn't file a flight plan. There's no way of knowing where in the galaxy they are headed."
Anakin saw his Master's jaw tighten. He knew Obi-Wan was at the end of his control. He could feel the frustration coiled inside him. Once again, Granta Omega had escaped.
Obi-Wan's comlink signaled. He glanced at it. "It's Master Windu," he said in a tight voice.
They all waited a moment. Anakin watched his Master curiously. He knew Obi-Wan was fighting the temptation to throw the comlink into the vast area of the plains.
"Maybe you should answer it," Siri suggested in a soft voice Anakin had never heard before. She was gazing at Obi-Wan with concern in her deep blue eyes.
Obi-Wan pressed the holomode on his comlink.
Mace Windu appeared in miniature holographic form. "Obi-Wan, Siri. The Jedi teams must return to Coruscant immediately."
"But we are on the trail of Granta Omega," Obi-Wan said. "We just — "
"Immediately," Mace interrupted. "There is trouble."
Chapter Five
Mace Windu was too busy to meet the two teams in the Council Room, or one of the smaller meeting rooms. They had to catch up to him as he strode down the Great Hall on his way to a Senate meeting.
He did not ask them how their pursuit of Granta Omega was going, or how their journey had been. Obi-Wan was relieved. The answers to both of those questions would have been negative. He felt fatigue shudder along his bones, and he knew both Ferus and Anakin, who were walking a few steps behind, needed rest. There did not seem to be much rest for any of the Jedi, these days.
"A feeling of distrust toward the Jedi Council has been growing among certain Senators," Mace said as he walked purposefully, his robe swinging with the motion. "We have felt it for some time. We were not overly concerned. We knew Senators like Sano Sauro undermined us whenever they could. Lately, things have escalated. A faction is now active; it has influence. The Jedi Council senses that there is someone behind this faction, but we don't know who it is."
Obi-Wan looked at Siri incredulously. They had been called back to the Temple because of a Senate power struggle? There were few things that interested him less.
"False stories have been spread," Mace continued. "Events have been twisted so that the Jedi are seen as disloyal to the Republic, as interfering in galactic political matters by making them worse."
"Master Windu," Obi-Wan said carefully, "you have called us off an important mission to find a great enemy — "
"I know exactly what I did, Obi-Wan," Mace said. "A powerful enemy outside and powerful enemies within. Can you decide who is more deadly?"
"But a Senate power struggle… is not unusual," Obi-Wan protested, trying to keep his composure under the glare of Mace's penetrating eyes.
Mace stopped so abruptly that his robe swung around like a whip. He looked at each of the Jedi, and seemed to pick up the fatigue and frustration there. He hesitated a moment.
"I recognize the importance of your mission," he said gravely. "But your mission is one of hundreds, which all involve peacekeeping, saving lives, helping governments, fostering alliances. The Jedi are involved in missions throughout the galaxy, which will be compromised if this faction is not dealt with."
"What do you mean? How could one faction in the Senate harm thousands of Jedi?" Siri asked.
"By organizing the withdrawal of official Senate support for the Jedi Council," Mace said. He let his words settle over them.
"You understand what this would mean," he continued, when he was sure he had their complete attention. "To operate without Senate approval would make us rogue diplomats and would completely undercut our authority. In short, without Senate support the effectiveness of the Jedi will be decimated."
"But why did you call us back to fight this?" Anakin asked.
Ferus glanced at Anakin, amazed. Obi-Wan had to admit that the question did sound more like a complaint than a query.
Mace settled his severe gaze on Anakin. Obi-Wan thought that Anakin was most likely the only Jedi apprentice who could take it without flinching. Most Padawans seemed to visibly shrink as Master Windu's eyes plumbed their depths, seeming to find every petty motivation, every secret weakness they had.
Anakin merely waited. Strong, graceful, sure of himself.
"I chose this team because of your special skills," Mace told Anakin.
"Obi-Wan may hate it, but he has a great knowledge of the Senate workings.
I contacted Yoda on Kashyyyk, and he was in agreement."
Obi-Wan tried not to groan aloud. Siri allowed herself one small smile at his discomfort.
"His contacts are invaluable," Mace went on. "I chose Master Tachi for her lack of patience."
Siri's small grin disappeared. Mace raised an eyebrow at her.
"A fault she has tried to correct, but one that often gets in her way, " he said. "I have a feeling it will be useful in this situation. Senators are used to deference. Without it, they feel lost. I wouldn't mind some of them feeling a bit unbalanced. And Ferus, of course, is a worthy addition.
He studied Senate structure and knows more about it than any apprentice.
> And you, Anakin…"
Anakin waited.
"You have two things that can help us. One, of course, is your Force connection. You are just beginning to realize how it can work on beings as well as objects."
Anakin looked startled, as if he didn't understand that anyone else knew this. Obi-Wan suddenly realized it was true, and that he had known it without acknowledging it. How had Mace Windu discovered this? He had been with the group on Romin for only a short time.
Well. That was why Mace was on the Jedi Council. That was why, except for Yoda, Obi-Wan thought him the most powerful Jedi he'd ever known.
"Yes, together with observation and intuition the Force can help you see into the hearts and minds of others," Mace said softly, his eyes not leaving Anakin's face. "That is why the Force must be respected and handled with care."
"I know that, Master Windu," Anakin said.
"Perhaps you do. Or perhaps you will learn it more with every mission, the way the rest of us do. And there is one other thing," Mace said, resuming his walk. "Chancellor Palpatine has asked to see you and Obi-Wan specifically. He has requested a meeting."
Obi-Wan felt his heart sink. Most likely it would be the first of many meetings in the Senate, where it would be explained to him why the simplest way to do things was actually the most complicated.
"When is the meeting?" Obi-Wan asked, trying not to sigh as he matched his walk to Mace's long stride.
For the first time, Mace's features softened, and Obi-Wan was almost sure he caught the slightest of smiles. "Do not fret, Obi-Wan. You are on your way to it."
Chapter Six
Anakin and Obi-Wan stood in the reception room outside Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's private offices in the Senate. They stayed by the window, looking out at the busy space lanes, while Siri and Ferus took up positions near the door and Mace, with the utmost calmness, took a chair.
"I know how disappointed you are, Master," Anakin said.
"Master Windu is right," Obi-Wan replied. "We are needed here. And besides…"
The pause continued. Anakin waited for his Master to finish the sentence, but Obi-Wan continued to stare out at the airspeeders jockeying for position. Some were coming to dock at the vast landing platform that served the Senate. Anakin watched them for a moment as well. If the Senators or their underlings could not obey traffic rules on when to yield and when to go, how could they solve the problems of the galaxy?
"On Romin, do you remember how Teda said they would be going to Coruscant?" Obi-Wan said at last. "We couldn't decide if that was a diversion or not."
"We didn't think Teda was clever enough to create a diversion," Anakin said with a grin.
"Exactly. What is happening here… it has the marks of Omega on it."
Anakin was startled. "Do you think Omega is involved in the movement to discredit the Jedi?"
"I don't know. Maybe not directly, but it's best to keep it in mind.
It certainly fits his interests, doesn't it? Maybe returning here was not an end to our journey, but a continuation."
Sly Moore slipped out from the interior room with silent grace. She nodded at the waiting Jedi to indicate that Chancellor Palpatine was ready to receive them, then lifted one slender arm draped in silvery fabric to indicate the door they should take.
Siri, Ferus, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Mace entered the inner office.
Palpatine stood by a grouping of chairs. Anakin thought he looked imposing in his simple robes of muted colors. His face looked pale and drawn, almost bloodless. Anakin imagined that the Chancellor's job robbed him of rest and outdoor activity. He was sacrificing his life in order to save the Senate from being overrun by those who would use it for their own ends.
"I am indebted to you for coming so promptly," Palpatine greeted them in the deep voice whose softness served to convey his power. "Please sit.
There is no time to lose."
He waited until the Jedi were all seated before sitting himself.
Palpatine shook his head, as if in deep thought. "I feel such sorrow for having to bring you here," he said. "I am ashamed of the Senate. There is a growing tide of anti-Jedi feeling and the best of us cannot seem to stop it. It is full of lies and half-truths, all twisted to fit an agenda."
Palpatine opened his palms in a gesture of helplessness. "I am at a loss to explain it, except to say that in a galaxy so mired in conflict some might turn to a scapegoat to further their own plans."
"Or deflect attention from those plans," Mace said.
"That is true, Master Windu," Palpatine said. "And wise. But what these plans are, I do not know."
"Is Sano Sauro behind this?" Obi-Wan asked. Senator Sauro was an enemy of the Jedi, and Omega had been his protcgc as a boy.
Palpatine shook his head. "Not this time. The leader of the anti-Jedi faction is a formerly obscure Senator from Nuralee. His name is Bog Divinian."
Obi-Wan started. Bog Divinian! He was married to Obi-Wan's good friend Astri Oddo, the daughter of Didi Oddo. Obi-Wan had met Bog on a mission during the Galactic Games. Bog was not yet a Senator at that time, but he had lied in his testimony to an official investigation in order to protect the Commerce Guild. Obi-Wan had no doubt then that Bog had the makings of a politician. He was not surprised to hear he had succeeded in his career. No doubt the gratitude of the powerful Commerce Guild had helped.
Obi-Wan glanced at Mace. Now he knew there was another reason he had been called to help.
"I know Bog Divinian," he said. "His wife is an old friend."
Palpatine looked relieved. "That is good news. I urge you to speak directly to him. Perhaps a personal appeal can help."
Obi-Wan doubted this was the case, but he inclined his head in agreement.
"I must inform you of a recent development," Palpatine said. "Roy Teda has arrived on Coruscant. I know that the Jedi were recently involved in the coup on his planet of Romin."
Obi-Wan felt this news pass like electricity between him and the other Jedi. Perhaps his idea about Omega being involved here wasn't so far- fetched.
"Teda has lost no time in joining the anti-Jedi faction, I'm afraid,"
Palpatine continued. "He's already given testimony that the Jedi were responsible for aiding the unlawful coup on his planet."
"Unfortunately this is technically true, though a misreading of events," Mace said, arching an eyebrow at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan knew that Mace was still annoyed at him and Siri for aiding a coup without first consulting the Jedi Council.
But Teda's arrival on the planet could be good news, Obi-Wan thought.
It would give them a chance to observe him closely. Perhaps they could learn more about Omega. Teda was not a bright creature, and no doubt it would be possible to discover how he fit into Omega's larger plans.
"He has also claimed that the Jedi were responsible for a factory implosion on Falleen. He's managed to get the Falleen Senator quite upset about it." Chancellor Palpatine steepled his fingers and looked over them at the Jedi. "I'm afraid there is nothing I can do about this. There is just enough evidence in the charges to make them credible. Teda has the right to petition for asylum on Coruscant. It is up to the Jedi Council to refute the charges."
"Are the charges formal?" Mace asked, somewhat surprised.
"Yes. That is the reason for this meeting. There will be a hearing this afternoon. I suggest that a Jedi presence is needed."
Mace stood. "Master Kenobi will attend the hearing."
"He must," Palpatine said. "He has been called as a witness."
Once again, Obi-Wan inclined his head, but he seethed inwardly at the distraction. Just my luck, he thought. A meeting and a Senate hearing, all in the same day.
Omega could be in his grasp, but if he wasn't careful, he would spend all his time in meetings and hearings and never accomplish a thing.
Just like a Senator, Obi-Wan thought with an inward groan.
Chapter Seven
The hearing was held in a smaller meeting room at the Senat
e. It wasn't as big as the main chamber, but it held twenty tiers with seating for onlookers and pods for several hundred Senators. The room was packed with an overflow crowd. Senators, aides, HoloNet news correspondents, and curious Coruscant natives crowded the seats and the aisles in the tiers, and every pod was full.
Obi-Wan sat in a pod with Mace Windu, docked in a mid-level tier. "I'm surprised there is such a crowd for this hearing," he murmured to Mace.
