by Jude Watson
The anger left Ferus's face. He had accepted it and let it go, just as
a Jedi should. Suddenly he was all business, focused on the next stage of
the mission. "Good."
"Not so good," Obi-Wan said. "The secret way leads straight through a
gorgodon nest."
CHAPTER NINE
They stood in front of Toma's ship. Obi-Wan looked around at the bleak
landscape. "Are you sure you and Raina want to stay?" he asked Toma.
"We're on the Empire's wanted list now," Raina said. "I'd say this was
the safest place in the galaxy for us. We packed the ship with supplies and
food, just in case we had to make a quick escape. So we'll be okay here...
for now."
They spoke lightly, but Obi-Wan knew how much courage it took for them
to stay. There was a chance he and Ferus wouldn't be able to find them
again.
There was a homing beacon on the ship that they would leave on the
asteroid, but there was no guarantee it would work through the atmospheric
disturbances surrounding the asteroid. They would test it after they left
the atmosphere, but anything could happen.
"We'll return for you," Ferus said. "I'll find you no matter what, I
promise you that. And we'll bring back supplies, in case you decide you
need to stay for a time."
Raina looked at Trever. "Are you sure you want to go?"
"It's hard to leave all this," Trever said, waving a careless hand.
"But yeah."
He, Obi-Wan, and Ferus boarded the ship. They shot off into space and
almost immediately were buffeted by the severe energy storm. Ferus followed
the tips he'd gotten from Raina and guided the ship through the energy
shifts and shears. The ship jolted and went into a bad roll, but he held
on. He was determined to make it through. Toma's ship was the most stable
he'd ever flown.
"Homing beacon is holding," Obi-Wan said. "I can access their
coordinates."
"Good, we'll be able to get back."
"Sure," Trever shouted as a sudden shift sent them plummeting through
space. "If we ever get out!"
They flew through the worst of the storm and at last entered calm deep
space.
Ferus entered hyperspace in a rush of stars. It would be less than a
day's journey to Ilum.
Ferus's disapproval of Obi-Wan's decision hung between them, and they
passed most of the journey in silence.
Why was it, Obi-Wan thought, that he could be sure of a decision, yet
be torn by its effects?
He was sending Ferus into the caves of Ilum alone, with only Trever to
stand watch outside. It would be the test of whether Ferus could truly be a
Jedi again. The time for rules was gone. There was no more Jedi Council.
There was no one to tell Ferus he wasn't ready.
Obi-Wan remembered his conversation with Qui-Gon back on Tatooine.
Speak of what you know about Ferus, not what you can guess, Qui-Gon
had said.
Now Obi-Wan thought, He was the most gifted apprentice, second only to
Anakin. With so many gifts, he is a formidable opponent of the Empire.
With a lightsaber, with a hold on the Force constantly renewing,
constantly strengthening, he would be even stronger.
To get through the cave alone, to find Garen, to find crystals... it
could break him. Or it could make him.
To give in, to trust in another's strength... that was something Obi-
Wan had once learned, long ago. Anakin had never learned it. In his
arrogance, he had thought that he was the only one who could accomplish the
hard things.
But Obi-Wan knew there were times he had to step back and let another
go forward. This was one of those times. Even if Ferus never understood,
never accepted him.
Even if Ferus failed.
Obi-Wan was at the controls when they reverted to realspace. Ilum lay
ahead.
"We'll have to come around on the back side of the planet," Obi-Wan
said. "It's good that there's no orbiting surveillance."
"There doesn't have to be," Ferus said. "It's obvious that they don't
consider the Jedi a threat."
"Let's get close enough to get a sensor reading," Obi-Wan said. He
dipped closer to the planet, pleased at the feel of the controls in his
hands. Toma hadn't exaggerated. This was an exceptional ship.
He skimmed low over a glacial lake dotted with icebergs. "I can land
on the edge of the lake. Trever can stay here while you hike up the
mountain."
Trever looked around dubiously. "Wow. You pick the best spots, Obi-
Wan. I can tell this will be fun."
"It'll be better than a nest of gorgodons," Ferus said.
"Is that my only choice?"
"You can always come with me, Trever," Obi-Wan said. "I can leave you
someplace safe and come back for you."
He shook his head, as Obi-Wan knew he would. "No, thanks," he said
carelessly. "I'm getting used to waiting for Ferus."
Obi-Wan landed the craft. "It's not far, but it's straight up," he
said to Ferus. "Remember, you have to progress past the visions. Don't let
them stop you. Keep going. The crystals lie in the middle of the cave. If
Garen is there, that's where he'll be."
Ferus nodded.
"May the Force be with you."
"And with you."
Ferus and Trever exited the craft. Obi-Wan took off again. He didn't
look back. He knew the sight of Ferus and Trever dwindling in the distance
would cause him pain. He felt fear clutch his heart, a sudden panic that he
wouldn't see them again.
He pushed the speed of the craft toward Polis Massa. Something ticked
inside him. Something that told him that he'd better do what he had to do
and get back, fast.
Polis Massa was a small mining settlement in the middle of an asteroid
field. They had a small but excellent med center, and it was here that the
Jedi had found sanctuary for Padm¨, at the end of the terrible time when
the clone army had turned against the Jedi.
As Obi-Wan descended over the fissured landscape, his heart tightened.
He landed Toma's starship in the docking area and took the horizontal lift
tube to the surface, walking through the atmospherically adjusted
passageways of the planet's inhabitants until he arrived at the med center.
With every step, he remembered the terrible day when he'd brought Padme
here. He didn't know she was dying then. He didn't know how badly Anakin
had hurt her. Fear had clutched his heart, but he had believed that Padme,
the strong woman he'd known, would survive.
He waved his hand in front of a sensor and entered a small reception
area. The med center was primarily run by droids. A screen blinked, and a
druid floated into view.
"Please state the nature of your condition." The nature of my
condition is heartbreak.
"I am here to see Maneeli Tuun. Please inform him that it is an old
friend."
"Please wait."
The screen blinked off. Obi-Wan paced the confined space. Memories
crowded the room, making it seem even smaller. He remembered his
helplessness as he carried Padme inside. He remembered his grief as he
watc
hed the Living Force slip from her.
At the end, the med druids did not understand why they couldn't save
her, but he had. He believed that Padme knew her strength was finite. She
only had so much left, and no more. And that strength she would give to her
children.
She made sure they were born and were healthy. Then - and only then -
did she succumb.
He could not do enough for her now. He would fight to his last breath
to protect her children. They would someday know of the great courage of
their mother.
Obi-Wan and Yoda had barely absorbed the shock of Padme's death before
it was clear to both of them that the best way to ensure the safety of her
children was to obliterate any record of their birth. The med droids
underwent memory wipes and computer data was expunged. But there was one
Polis Massan who Obi-Wan felt he could trust. Maneeli Tuun had been a
staunch supporter of the Republic cause and was of unimpeachable character.
He had done favors for Yoda over the years and had been one of the reasons
Polis Massa had been chosen for the twins' birth. Surely he would help now.
Obi-Wan had no plan yet. He hoped he would find a way to access the
med files and make sure that Padme's records had been erased, just as
they'd arranged. That would be the first step.
Maneeli Tuun looked thin and worried when he stepped through the
doorway. When he saw Obi-Wan, a look of startled pleasure came over his
face but then was replaced by the same frown. "I think I know why you're
here. Come."
Before Obi-Wan could say a word, Tuun led him past the inner door and
into the hallway of the complex. "We must be careful," he said in a low
tone. "He's in the record office."
"Who?"
"Sancor. Isn't that why you are here?"
"Who is Sancor?"
"An Inquisitor."
"I was afraid of that. I didn't realize he was here."
Tuun led him into his small office. "First, an investigator came. He
never gave his name, but he copied all our records and took them back to
Malorum. That was about a month ago. Now this one arrived. He's an expert
on record security. He's already done an exhaustive search on the memory
banks of the med droids, even the ones who weren't here during that time."
"Does Malorum know something - does it seem to you that he suspects
the truth?"
Tuun shook his head. "I don't think they know anything, but what they
suspect is another thing. I know they are determined. Now he's asked me for
the supply records."
"Why would he want those?" Obi-Wan asked. "He's going to check the
supply usage as well as waste during the period of time Senator Amidala was
here. To see if usage was consistent with the cases."
Obi-Wan was startled. "Would he be able to tell if births took place?"
Tuun frowned. "He might. There are certain tests we do on newborns. Of
course we erased all the records and the memory of the droids, but we
didn't erase all supply records. When our stocks are low, we do refill
orders. The babies were checked over and cared for here, so supplies were
used... and if he checks various med supplies against patients, he might
come up with something. I was just on my way to summon Osh Scal. He's our
Polis Massan supply officer - the Inquisitor wants to question him since
he's one of the few Polis Massans able to speak. I have no choice. I can
only hope that, he can't trace anything."
Obi-Wan thought quickly. "Has he seen Osh Scal yet?"
"No, he's been in the record office."
"Can you access the supply records here?"
"Of course. I have access to all records." Tuun quickly called up
supply records on the screen. "You see? There are hundreds of items to go
through. But he seems determined. And don't think I can erase them here. He
will be able to trace it."
"I don't want you to erase anything. But what if you add something?
Would he be able to trace that?"
"No."
"All right." Obi-Wan quickly sat down at the console. "Say you had a
patient here at the same time as Padme. Someone who was suffering a great
wound from a battle. Can you enter supplies that you would need if they
developed complications? Medicines? Special healing devices?"
"Of course. But I don't understand."
"Maybe if we give him a bigger fish to catch, he'll become distracted.
"
Tuun's troubled expression cleared. "So if he thinks he's on the trail
of someone the Empire is looking for..."
"Exactly."
"But who?"
"It doesn't matter. We don't need a name. We just need a profile.
There are plenty of enemies of the Empire who have gone underground since
the end of the Clone Wars, and one of them could have easily fled here.
Malorum will try to figure out who it is. The trail will lead nowhere. We
just have to plant the seed."
Tuun turned back to the console. "This is sort of brilliant. I think."
He keyed in a number of supplies, scrolling through an enormous list.
"There. It's buried enough so that he'll have to work to find it. But
should we let Osh Seal in on this? He might notice that the supply list is
different. He's meticulous."
"No. Sancor hasn't seen him yet. So I'll go." Tuun copied the files
he'd altered onto a disk and handed it to Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan, my friend, you must be careful. The Inquisitor is clever."
Tuun ran his hands along his cheeks and blew out a tired breath. "I thought
we had thought of everything. I checked and triple-checked. The memory
wipes are solid. There is no record of the births. There are no records of
yourself or Yoda being here. I didn't imagine they would come digging like
this."
"They're doing this because they don't have information, not because
they do," Obi-Wan said. "Let's go. Maybe I can do something."
Tuun gave a small smile. "If you can send him back where he came from,
that would be great. But if he finds out we altered these files, we could
both end up executed."
CHAPTER TEN
"You're really leaving me here?" Trever asked, incredulous.
Ferus checked his equipment. "I have to. Only someone who knows how to
use the Force can make it through the cave."
"Who said?"
Ferus sighed. "It will make my job harder if you're there, Trever. The
visions will confuse and frighten you."
Trever stuck out his chin. "I'm not scared of things that aren't
there."
"They are there. Trust me. I don't know if I can make it through. And
I'm not throwing you into a nest of gorgodons, either. If all goes well, I
won't be long. If it doesn't go well... wait here for Obi-Wan. And stay out
of sight!"
"Stop giving me orders! I'm not a kid!"
"You are a kid," Ferus said. "You've seen alot and done more, but
you're still a kid, and I'm going to protect you when I have to. End of
story. Now wait here. If I'm lucky, I'll come out with Garen Muln and a
lightsaber."
"And if you aren't lucky, a gorgodon will chew you up and spit you
out, and I'll sweep up the pieces," Trever shot back.<
br />
"Charming," Ferus said. "Good luck to you, too." He turned away. He'd
only gone a few steps when Trever called after him.
"You'd better make it back!"
Smiling slightly, Ferus moved on. Obi-Wan had showed him the route to
the gorgodon nest and the back of the cave. He had even given him tips on
how to fight a gorgodon, in case he provoked one.
"Watch out for their tails," Ferus muttered. "And their teeth. And
their saliva. And their arms, when they crush you to death."
Ilum was an ice planet, and the snow was as smooth as glass, with an
outer layer of permafrost. The air was so cold that he felt as though he'd
freeze his lungs with every breath. Ferus had to take small steps and use
his liquid cable to haul himself up and over the cliffs.
It was an exhausting climb, and he tried to pace himself despite his
eagerness to reach the top. He knew he would need all his strength to meet
the gorgodons. He also knew they slept during the day, so he also might
make it through the nest without waking them.
As he climbed, he had to shake off a feeling of disbelief that he was
