Obi-Wan laughed. Den and Andrawere 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 talkedto 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."
Anakin had never seen such a fascinating ship. It was crowded with beings from all over the galaxy, and there seemed to be plenty to do.
Most of the beings worked at least part of the day, either in the tech centers, scientific labs, or service industries. There were all kinds of restaurants and cafés, with food from many worlds. There were game rooms and libraries and music rooms. One whole area of the BioCruiser was devoted to theCollectionCenter, where plants, flowers, and animals from many worlds were kept. Anakin could not imagine ever being bored. He wasn't sure how he felt about Uni's philosophy, but he thought living aboard a ship would be outstanding.
The tour took several hours. Andra left them at their quarters.
"I hope you can tell the Senate that we wish no harm. All aboard are here of their free will," she said to Obi-Wan.
"I hope so as well," Obi-Wan answered politely.
Andra cocked her head. "Ah. I had forgotten how noncommittal the Jedi can be."
"We reserve our judgment until we can speak plainly," Obi-Wan said.
"We enjoyed the tour, Andra. Thank you."
"I'll tell Den you're aboard. I'm sure he'd like to see you." With a last friendly wave, Andra headed off.
As soon as she was gone, Anakin turned to Obi-Wan. "Who is Xanatos?"
The question seemed to startle Obi-Wan. But Anakin had sensed something when Andra had mentioned the name. He had felt something from Obi-Wan, something he wanted to know more about.
"Not now," Obi-Wan said.
"Shortly?"Anakin asked, discouraged. "I keep hearing that word. Why won't you tell me now? Is there some reason I can't know?" Again, he felt frustrated. It was hard to penetrate Obi-Wan's reserve.
Obi-Wan studied him for a moment. "No," he said finally. "There is no reason you can't know. Xanatos was a former apprentice of Qui-Gon's.
He turned to the dark side. He used the Force to build his own power. He was the head of the Offworld Mining Corporation and laid waste to whole worlds. Life meant nothing to him."
"Is he still alive?" Anakin asked.
"He died on Telos," Obi-Wan answered. "He preferred to take his own life rather than surrender to Qui-Gon." He studied Anakin for a moment.
"Now let's clean up and go out for the evening meal."
Anakin went into his quarters. He felt a buzzing in his head, as if his thoughts were so numerous and confused that they could not register.
He could not take in what Obi-Wan had told him. He could not imagine that such a thing could happen. How could a Jedi turn to the dark side? How could a Padawan betray his Master? If he hadn't heard the story from Obi-Wan, he would have refused to believe it.
At last Obi-Wan had shared something real with him. There were times, especially early on, when Anakin questioned Obi-Wan's motive in taking him on as Padawan. He knew Obi-Wan had done it because it was Qui-Gon's wish. Was he a burden to Obi-Wan? Just a promise made to a dying friend? More than anything, Anakin longed to have the kind of bond with Obi-Wan that his Master had had with Qui-Gon. There were times when that closeness seemed very far away.
CHAPTER 15
Alone in his cabin, Obi-Wan splashed cold water on his face. When he raised his head and gazed into the small mirror over the sink, he was almost surprised to see his mature face. He had been plunged back into his boyhood twice today. It left him feeling rocked and tentative, as though he was once again that thirteen-year-old boy.
Seeing Andra was a pleasure. It brought back a satisfying memory.
The mission on Telos had been treacherous, but Obi-Wan remembered it as a time when he and Qui-Gon had begun to rebuild the bonds between them after he had left the Jedi and his Master for a short time. They had worked together in the old rhythm, and for the first time since Obi-Wan had left, Qui-Gon had truly welcomed him back. He had made Obi-Wan feel that their bond was strong and would grow even stronger. As it did.
But Kad ... Uni, Obi-Wan corrected himself. That confrontation had been less pleasant. He still remembered the hate in Kad's eyes, the sound of the table splintering as the rod came down, the knowledge that this boy wanted to kill him. And how he had waited for the blow, defenseless, feeling that in some way if the blow fell he would at last be at peace with Bruck's death. He would have paid a debt.
He had never told Qui-Gon about that moment. It was not the way a Jedi should think, or feel. He should have felt peace with the outcome of his battle with Bruck. But, Obi-Wan thought, staring bleakly at his mature reflection, twelve years later he still had no peace.
He wrenched his mind back to the present. He had noted his Padawan's admiration of the workings of the BioCruiser. There was much to admire. But Obi-Wanwas disturbed by Uni's philosophy. To his mind, the BioCruiser held a gathering of disillusioned idealists. Uni's philosophy of withdrawal was based in anger and bitter disappointment. He did not like the change in Andra. He remembered her as a fierce defender of her plan
et. Had Uni caught her in such a low time in her life that he had tapped into her bitterness and sense of futility?
Obi-Wan had been on missions that had seemed hopeless at the start.
He had seen criminals win, of course. He had seen civil war tear worlds apart. But he had also seen beings band together to fight for their planet and succeed against impossible odds. Uni's philosophy did not impress him. Uni was a cynic hiding behind a veil of idealism.
He was also disturbed by the idea that all who joined the BioCruiser donated their wealth to the treasury. Andra had said this offhandedly, but Obi-Wan had to wonder who controlled such vast sums and who had access to them. Kad? His father? He still did not trust Vox Chun.
Despite his supposed rehabilitation, Obi-Wan did not forget his part in the plundering of Telos. He was surprised that Andra could. She seemed to have left her healthy skepticism back on her home planet.
Still deep in thought, Obi-Wan fetched Anakin and suggested the nearby café for the evening meal. He would like a chance to observe the inhabitants of the BioCruiser when they were relaxed and at ease.
Anakin was soon engrossed in his food, which was fresh and delicious. Food meant less to Obi-Wan as he grew older. He had come to realize what a good Master Qui-Gon had been, in small ways as well as large ones. Qui-Gon had treated him as a Jedi, but never forgot he was a growing boy. If he hadn't had Qui-Gon's example, Obi-Wan wondered if he'd be as sensitive to Anakin's needs as he tried to be.
Obi-Wan ate methodically. He glanced casually around the crowded room, but he was alert and attuned to every gesture. He watched carefully how the various diners interacted with one another.
Suddenly a tall man plopped down in a chair opposite him, a wide grin creasing his rugged face."So. What are the odds?"
Obi-Wan grinned back."Den!"
"It's good to see you again, my friend. If someone told me you'd end up on this rust-bucket, I never would have taken the bet." Den grinned amiably at Anakin. "Hey there, kid. I heard you like big ships."
"I like most ships," Anakin said, his mouth full.
"Not me. I prefer to have my feet on the ground."
"So what are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked, pushing his empty plate away. Den looked only a little older than he had all those years before. His sandy hair was still boyishly tousled, and the smile lines around his eyes were only a little deeper. Den's pleasant expression did not falter.
"Escaping the horrors of corruption and environmental degradation.
What about you?"
"Investigating you," Obi-Wan shot back. He had forgotten the bumpy rhythms of Den's speech, the way he seemed to treat no subject seriously.
He remembered how Qui-Gon had accepted Den immediately and had been amused by him. It had taken Obi-Wan a bit longer to get used to the fact that they were depending on a thief to help them on an important mission.
"Yes, Andra told me," Den said. "Why don't I walk you back to your quarters?"
Obi-Wan nodded. Anakin combined the three remaining bites on his plate into one and hurriedly crammed it into his mouth. Still chewing, he followed Obi-Wan and Den from the café.
"Tell me how you truly feel," Obi-Wan said quietly to Den as they strolled down the corridor.
Den sighed. "I only joined up because I didn't want to lose Andra."
"Ah," Obi-Wan said. Den had confirmed what he'd suspected. He couldn't imagine independent Den surrendering to someone else's idea of how to live.
"The ironic thing is, I was the one to make her go to Uni's lecture," Den went on. "She was in a bad state, Obi-Wan. You have to understand that many felt the same. Telos was dying, and no one could save it. Uni offered hope. Andra was one of the first organizers of the BioCruiser." Den made a wry face. "She had a cause again."
"You tried to talk her out of going?"
"Sure. I told her we should stay and fight for Telos. Oremigrate to another world, not reject the galaxy and become crazy nomads. Naturally she agreed to everything I said. Joke! Since when does Andra ever agree with me?" Den asked morosely. "I had no choice. I pretended to swallow this wacky idea, and I came aboard. Something didn't smell right to me, and it still doesn't. Listen, I may have gone straight for Andra's sake, but the criminal antennae never die. There's something wrong with this operation."
"Tell me," Obi-Wan urged.
Den waved cheerfully at a group across the corridor. "Things just don't feel right. I'm not sure about Uni, but Vox definitely has my antennae quivering. He managed to convince everyone on Telos that he had nothing to do with handing our sacred spaces over to Offworld, even though he was in Xanatos's pocket. He keeps to himself on the BioCruiser, stays up in those fancy quarters of his. But twice I've spotted him having a pretty intense conversation with a tech worker named Kern."
"Why is that suspicious?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Vox thinks he's too good for the rest of us," Den said, his eyes narrowing. "Why would he waste his time talking to some low-level tech worker?" Den tapped his nose. "I'm telling you. Doesn't smell right."
"Anything else?"Obi-Wan asked.
"Whenever we dock for fuel and supplies, it's always at some industrial planet," Den said. "Why is that? And why is Vox always among the landing party?"
"He wasn't back atHilo," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"Yeah. I noticed that. I figure he didn't want to ride back with the Jedi team. Maybe he thought it would be suspicious if he went down.
Who knows?" Den tapped his nose again and wrinkled his face as if he'd smelled something foul.
They stopped in front of their quarters. Anakin's eyes were on Den.
Obi-Wan could see the boy was listening intently.
"I don't know, Den," Obi-Wan said. "You don't have much for us to go on."
"Did you know that one of the reasons we stopped atHilowas to do a repair that didn't need to be done?" Den asked. "It turned out to be a readout malfunction. The actual part was fine."
"That happens--"
"--sometimes, I know. But guess who's in charge of readout systems?
Kern."
Obi-Wan nodded, but he still wasn't convinced. He sensed that Den was searching for anything that would prove that the BioCruiser operation was corrupt. His desire to have his wife back could be coloring his perceptions.
"Now that you're here, my odds of getting to the bottom of this just improved a thousand percent," Den said, slapping Obi-Wan on the back. "Get a good night's sleep. You'll need it."
Den gave them a cheerful wave and hurried off. Obi-Wan sighed.
"You don't trust him?" Anakin asked.
"It's not that," Obi-Wan said. "I'm just not sure I trust his perceptions."
"But he's thinking like a Jedi," Anakin pointed out. "He's trustinghis feelings. Shouldn't we honor that? Besides, we don't have any other paths to follow at the moment."
Sometimes, Anakin reminded Obi-Wan of Qui-Gon. He had the same mix of logic and emotion that Obi-Wan struggled so hard to balance.
"I trust my own feelings," Obi-Wan finally muttered. "Not Den's."
CHAPTER 16
Obi-Wan and Anakin had barely finished their morning meal when Den came to Obi-Wan's quarters.
"I have a way to break into the text-doc files on the BioCruiser,"
Den announced.
"I thought you had given up being a criminal," Obi-Wan said.
Den shrugged. "I was bored. It's been a long time since I got a chance to flex my muscles." His eyes twinkled. "Don't you want to see Kern's background?"
"If the Senate finds out that the Jedi illegally broke into the BioCruiser's confidential records, it could compromise the investigation," Obi-Wan said with a frown. "I don't think--was Den flourished a sheaf of durasheets. "Too late! I printed out the information for you."
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