by Jude Watson
"It is the last bounty hunter's ship," Obi-Wan said. "That bounty hunter was Hunti Pereg. I am sure of it."
Anakin looked at him, puzzled. "Then who was the bounty hunter with the paralyzed legs?"
"It was not a bounty hunter. It was Granta Omega," Obi-Wan said softly.
Anakin was stunned. "How do you know?"
"Floria and Dane never met him, so they would not recognize him," Obi-Wan said. "Even so, he was in disguise. That synth-flesh I took for repair of an injury was designed to conceal his face. I realize that now. He does not want us to know what he looks like because he plans to meet us again."
"So he wasn't really paralyzed," Anakin said.
"No," Obi-Wan said. "that was also a ruse. He somehow knew that Floria and Dane had lied to him. He knew they were trying to trap him. So he came down to see for himself. He needed to be sure. When he saw us, he was."
"But how would he know> We were wearing laser cuffs."
"Young Padawan, if I can teach you only one thing, it is this: Never underestimate an enemy. Or a friend. Now tell me. What did you think of the man you saw?"
Anakin thought back to the amiable bounty hunter with the paralyzed legs. "Not much," he said. "I mean, I didn't get much of a feeling from him one way or the other. I got no sense of the dark side. Or the living Force, either, for that matter."
"Exactly," Obi-Wan said. "I have been thinking the same. There are beings that Jedi call voids. At first sight they seem to give off no real energy, rather like a hologram. But only beings with great power can project a simple blank to a Jedi. Sometime a void can be much more dangerous than a person who pulses with the dark side of the Force. They are clever and Focused enough to hide their dark side, and hide it so well they can even hide it from a Jedi for a time."
"I didn't think Jedi could be tricked that way," Anakin said.
"Jedi can be tricked, my young Padawan," Obi-Wan said. "they can be wrong. They can make mistakes. Do not forget that. We try to minimize those things by following our feelings and connecting to the Force. Yet we are not infallible. Now we must return to pick up Wren. Night is coming."
Obi-Wan beckoned to Floria and Dane, and the two started up the landing ramp. "Do you remember any details of Hunti Pereg?" Obi-Wan asked them. "What he looked like, or what he was wearing?"
"He was wearing white," Floria said. "I remember that. And he was tall."
"He wasn't very tall," Dane said. "But his face was very strange."
"Strange in what way?" Obi-Wan asked.
Dane frowned. "I can't remember."
"He had dark hair," Floria said.
"No, he had no hair at all," Dane said impatiently.
Brother and sister moved to sit down, still arguing. Anakin fired the engines, and the cruiser rose from the spot. He used the repulsorlift engines for planetary travel and cruised down the mountain.
He knew his Master was troubled. He could sense it. He was tired of comparing his Master-Padawan relationship with Obi- Wan and Qui-Gon's. He would always come up short. But was it fair for him to be angry at Obi-Wan because of that?
Ahead lay the snowy plain where they had first seen Granta Omega. No one was there.
"How could he have gone?" Dane asked, peering out the viewscreen. "The paralyzing dart couldn't have worn off so quickly."
Obi-Wan and Anakin did not answer. It was better that Dane and Floria still think the man had been Hunti Pereg. Anakin slowed his speed and cruised over the plain. Within moments he had found what he was looking for. Below they could see evidence that a small cruiser had landed. Melted snow and scorch marks showed where the craft had taken off.
"Please land here for a moment Padawan," Obi-wan said. "I would like to examine the area."
Anakin set the craft down on the snow. He activated the landing ramp and Obi-Wan hurried down it.
Anakin stayed in the pilot's seat, watching Obi-Wan explore the landing site. Once again, he had been left behind.
Chapter Sixteen
Obi-Wan was disturbed. He felt queasy, almost dizzy. He searched through the snow, but he didn't know what he was looking for.
You don't know his power. It comes from the pyramid itself.
Obi-wan had felt cold ever since hearing those words. The pyramid was a shape revered by the Sith.
The queasy feeling grew stronger. He remembered it well. He had felt it in the presence of the Sith Holocron.. On that mission, he had been described by the Holocron's power. He had worried about Anakin's reaction to it. He did not want his Padwan to know what he suspected.
As if guided by his own unease, Obi-Wan reached down through the snow and put his hand on a small object. He pulled it out of the snow. It was a small black case.
He examined it, swallowing against the nausea that rose in his throat. There was no opening he could see, no seams. It simply appeared to be a cube.
He unsheathed his lightsaber and carefully cut a small seam in the cube. The case broke open. A small black pyramid was nestled in black shimmersilk. It blazed to life and he saw it was holoprojector.
Unspeakable scenes flashed out at him, so quickly he could not absorb them. Murder. Suffering. Destruction.
Obi-Wan shut the case. He wiped the sweat on his brow. No, his Padawan must not see this.
"Master?"
Anakin had left the ship. He stood uncertainly a few meters away. "Did you find something?"
"It's nothing." Obi-Wan tucked the case inside his cloak. "We can take it back to the Temple for examination. Come, Padawan."
But Anakin did not move. "I need to know what you found. Don't you think I can feel it, too?"
He saw the sweat on Anakin's forehead, saw the slight tremor in his knees.
He could dismiss him. He could say, You do not need to know.
Would Qui-Gon have told him? Perhaps not. His Master reveled things in his own time.
Anakin met his gaze boldly. He would not back down. Obi- Wan saw that clearly. He would not allow the moment to pass. He would grab on to it, extend it, bend it to his will. He would do anything to obtain what he wanted.
He is so different from me, Obi-Wan thought again, bemused.
If he is so different from you, why do you treat him as though he is a younger version of you? Why do you act as you think Qui-Gon would have acted with you as his Padawan?
The question startled him. What was especially surprising was that he did not hear Qui-Gon's voice asking the question. He heard his own.
Maybe it was time he stopped trying to be the Master Qui-Gon was. It was time to claim the role for himself.
"It is a Sith artifact.," he told Anakin.
His Padawan swallowed. "I thought so."
"The bounty hunter mentioned a pyramid before he died. He said the Granta Omega drew his power from it. If the Sith are involved, or a Sith cult, that would explain much. The ruthlessness and cunning of the attack. The use of bounty hunters. The specific target of Jedi."
"Do you think Granta Omega is a Sith?'
"No," Obi-Wan said, "If he were, we would have known it. I think he is an ordinary being with a gift for concealment on a very deep level. He could have dealings with a Sith, or a Sith cult. But he himself is not a Dark Lord. I think he wanted us to find this case. He wants us to know exactly how dangerous he is, and how far he is willing to go."
Obi-Wan gazed down the mountain and took in the lowering sky. Clouds rumbled, and snow suddenly began to fall, thick and fast.
"We have a new enemy, Padawan."
Chapter Seventeen
Anakin put his hand on his lightsaber hilt. "I am ready, Master."
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at him. "ready for what?"
"To go after Granta Omega." Anakin swallowed against the acid in his throat. The power of the Sith case was fading. He could face whatever Granta Omega would throw at them.
"We're not going after Omega," Obi-wan said. "He's long gone. We'd never be able to track him through the galaxy."
"Never? One should not use absolute sta
tements," Anakin said. One corner of his mouth twitched, a sure sign he was trying not to grin.
"It would be extremely difficult, then," Obi-Wan amended with a small smile. "And we have a wounded Jedi to see to. Have you forgotten that, Padawan?"
"We could drop Wren off at the Temple and retrace our steps," Anakin said. "We can't just let Omega go!"
"That's exactly what we can do," Obi-Wan said firmly. "Do not chase trouble, Padawan. There are not many guarantees in the galaxy, but I guarantee you this: Trouble will find you."
Anakin pressed his lips together. He did not agree with his Master's decision. They had stumbled on a powerful evil. Was it right to let it slip through their fingers? It wasn't like Obi-Wan to turn away from danger.
Unless he fears I cannot handle it.
Another doubt. They were crowding his mind on this planet. Was this the true purpose of the training exercise?
Obi-Wan knew how unnerved Anakin had been during their encounter with the Holocron. Perhaps he was afraid that Anakin would not be able to handle another mission dealing with the Sith or Sith followers so soon. He had almost not told Anakin what he had found. Anakin has seen that. Even though they had not encountered a Sith since the mission to Naboo, Anakin had been rocked by the dark evil of the Sith just being near the order's artifacts.
He is always trying to protect me. He does not trust me. What is the good of this exercise if Obi-Wan still doesn't have faith in me?
The thoughts crashed against his skull. Anakin tried to quiet them, to find the clarity and peace that Obi-Wan seemed to carry with him so easily, like a tool on his utility belt.
Obi-Wan slid the case into his cloak. "We will bring this back to the Temple and deposit it with the Sith Holocron. That will keep it safe. Now, let us return to Coruscant."
Wren was weakened but already beginning to recover when they returned to him. He was able to walk to the cruiser. They settled him inside and Obi-Wan administered more bacta.
"We'll be in Coruscant by morning," he told him.
Wren gave him a wan smile. "I will be glad to see the Temple. This exercise did not go as I expected."
"Yes, you must be surprised," Anakin agreed with a straight face. "After all, I found you on the first day, just as I promised."
"I hardly think it counts," Wren said, drawing the blanket around his shoulder huffily.
"I don't see why not," Anakin said, flashing Obi-Wan a quick grin.
Obi-Wan grinned back. "I think we should let Wren rest. Maybe you should concentrate on piloting the ship."
They picked up the body of the Tursha and shot out of the sparkling green-blue atmosphere of Ragoon. The trip to Coruscant went quickly. Anakin admired the bounty hunter's sleek, fast ship.
"These sublight engines are tweaked," he said as he eased into a shipping lane on Coruscant t dawn. "Any chance we can confiscate this ship for the Temple?" He gave a quick glance at Obi-Wan. "okay, okay. I know. We have to turn it over to the Senate."
"We have to turn in Floria and Dane, too," Obi-Wan said softly.
"What?" Floria had come up behind them. Her mouth was open and her cheeks were pink.
"You broke any number of galactic laws," Obi-Wan said. "You tried to kidnap two Jedi. You sabotaged a cruiser. You-"
"But we helped you!" Floria protested.
"You didn't have much choice," Obi-Wan pointed out. "Don't worry, I'm sure the security authorities won't detain you for long. They will try to place you with a family for rehabilitation."
Dane jackknifed to his feet. "Rehabilitation? Into what?"
"You will have normal life," Obi-Wan said. "A roof over your head, schooling, a chance for a profession — "
"We are past wanting any of that," Dane said. "We have been on our on too long."
"What about your sister?" Obi-Wan asked. "Are you so sure it would not be better for her?"
Dane hesitated.
"Hey, I'm standing right here," Floria said. "And I want what Dane wants. He knows what's best. Not you."
"I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter," Obi-Wan said firmly.
They paused long enough to leave Wren at the Temple. They had called ahead so that a med team was waiting to remove him from the craft. Another Jedi came and carefully took the Sith case from Obi-Wan.
"Please inform Yoda that I will report to him shortly," Obi- Wan told him.
Obi-Wan directed Anakin to pilot the ship directly to security headquarters. There, they left Floria and Dane in the hands of a young security officer and left the body of the Tursha along with the scant information they had about him.
Floria leaned closer to the officer. "I'm glad to leave this life behind" she confided, her blue eyes very wide. "My brother and I regret the life we've led. We want to start over. Our dead parents would want it that way." Her eyes filled with tears.
Anakin rolled his eyes as the security officer led them off.
"This time I can tell when Floria is lying," he said. "I think I've learned my lesson about pretty young girls with wounded eyes."
Obi-Wan smiled. "Floria and Dan will talk themselves out of detention, I am sure."
"So they will be on the loose again." Anakin shook his head. "They are too young for that life. Isn't there anything we can do?"
"No, Padawan. It is not our mission to save them. Beings take their own paths, and sadly there is little one can do to change that." Obi-Wan stood. "Come, let's leave the cruiser here for a moment. I want to see a friend nearby."
As they walked, Anakin marveled at Obi-Wan's detachment. He felt vaguely unsatisfied from the mission-that-wasn't-a- mission. They hadn't found the mastermind behind the attack on them. A Jedi had bee wounded and had almost been killed.
And as for the training exercise, in Anakin's mind it had been a complete failure. It had not strengthened the bonds of trust between them. It had done just the opposite. It had brought up questions Anakin did not want to ponder. It had made him question the bond itself.
Obi-Wan indicated a caf© ahead. "This used to be Didi's Caf©."
"I remember Didi and Astri," Anakin said. "Did something happen to them?"
"Astri married a homesteader on the Outer Rim," Obi-Wan said. "She and Didi sold the caf© to Dexter Jettster and moved out there. I'll miss them. Didi introduced me to Dexter before he left. The first time I met him I didn't trust him, and now that I've met him a few more times I still don't trust him." Obi-Wan flashed a rare grin. "All I can say is that Dex is a character. Come and meet him."
Obi-Wan threaded through tables crowded with being from all over the galaxy. He waves at Dexter, a large four-armed and formidable presence behind the bar.
"Well, id it isn't Obi-Wan Kenobi. Glad to see you make an appearance," Dexter boomed. "I was hoping you'd still come even though Didi is gone. Naturally I will give you the same treatment." Dexter grinned hugely. "Except for the discount, of course!"
Obi-Wan laughed and pushed over a few credits. "This is my Padawan Learner, Anakin Skywalker. Some juma juice for the two of us. And some information."
Dexter deftly poured the bight yellow juice into two glasses. "Sure. If I have it."
"Have you heard of someone called Granta Omega?" Obi-Wan asked, pushing the juice toward Anakin.
Dexter frowned. "No. The name isn't familiar. I'll ask around, if you like."
"Thanks." Obi-Wan took a sip of the juice as he turned to Anakin. "It was worth a shot. Dexter might have information for us one day. Then we will track Omega."
"And until then?" Anakin asked. He felt a little better. At least Obi-Wan was thinking of going after Omega at some point.
Obi-Wan pointed at Anakin's glass. "Until then, drink your juice." Obi-Wan waited until Anakin had taken a sip. "I owe you an apology, Padawan."
Anakin tore his gaze away from two odd species playing sabaac in a corner. "From what, Master?"
"You said I never share my thoughts. Instead of answering, I corrected you." Obi-Wan stared down into his juice. "It is not easy for m
e to share my thoughts, or my feelings. And sometimes it is necessary that I do not. When I was your age, I felt the same as you do. I thought Master and Padawan had to share everything."
"Don't they?'
"No," Obi-Wan said. "There are times when you do not need to know what I am thinking. You must trust that I know best."
Anakin shook his head. "That's hard for me. I want to know everything."
"That is a quality I treasure in you," Obi-Wan said. "But it is also a quality that you must learn to control." He gave Anakin a significant look. "There are things you keep from me, too"
