by Jude Watson
"Okay, some stress," Ferus said with a worried smile.
They could see outside the windows of the communication center that the population of the Clear Sector was beginning to report to the evacuation points. So far things were going smoothly. But as time ran out, that could change.
"Our first step is to follow through and make sure the evacuation takes place peacefully," Ferus said. "We have to monitor the two checkpoints. Galen gave us the locations.
Let's go."
Anakin trailed after the others. Once again the Padawans split into teams to cover the two evacuation points. He headed for his designated spot with Tru. So far the lines were proceeding with little incident. Names were being checked off on datapads. The skiffs from the ferry ship had not yet arrived. There was little he and Tru could do.
Anakin still wasn't happy with their decision.
"We have to find out what's really going on," Anakin said restlessly to Tru. "Our Masters could be in danger."
"It doesn't seem in character for them to just give up,"
Tru said.
"Our Masters?"
"The raiders," Tru mused. "Think of all the goods in that warehouse. They went to a lot of trouble to steal it.
Remember the Manikons? No thief likes to leave their plunder behind."
"Why are you worrying about the raiders?" Anakin asked.
"They're the least of our problems."
"Maybe they're part of our problem, only we don't know it," Tru said. "They have access to the evacuation files.
They've been able to breach security and steal some major Battle Droids. We know they're connected to the evacuation effort somehow. What if — "
"They're connected to the Avoni?" Anakin asked.
Tru shrugged. "Maybe. It's worth checking out. Considering the greed of the raiders and their willingness to take advantage of their devastated fellow citizens, they'd hardly leave the planet without all the things they stole."
"You're right," Anakin said excitedly. "They might return to that warehouse." He eyed Tru. "Ferus won't like it."
"As you keep pointing out, Ferus is not our leader," Tru said. "So let's go."
Anakin felt a surge of excitement as he and Tru hurried through the streets to the warehouse. This was more like it.
Jedi didn't sit passively by and wait for events to unfold.
They made things happen. Tru understood that.
The population of Tacto was beginning to spill out, carrying bundles of belongings. Most citizens had blasters strapped to their waists. Tensions ran high. Everyone was intent on sticking up for themselves and their own family.
No one seemed to be helping anyone else. Each Radnoran was focused on his or her place on the evacuation ship and getting there as quickly as possible.
Anakin wasn't sure how long he and Tru would be willing to wait at the warehouse. They really shouldn't have left their posts at all. The Force was dark on this planet. Violence could erupt at any time.
But they were lucky. When they slipped inside the warehouse, they found one of the raiders already there He was loading a gravsled with stolen goods as quickly as he could. Because of his haste, he stacked the goods clumsily. Some durasteel bins fell off the back of the gravsled, scattering their contents.
"Need some help?" Anakin asked impulsively.
He and Tru activated their lightsabers and stood before the raider. They knew they would not have to use them.
The Radnoran was small and slight. He looked from Anakin to Tru and back again. Then he tried to smile.
"Greetings. The name is Ruuin. My buddy told me that he left some of his things in this warehouse. Gave me a key, so I — "
"Save it." Anakin deactivated his lightsaber. "Time's up.
The evacuation is beginning. You can get aboard a ship — "
"Or we can stick you in a detention cell," Tru said.
"And things are so confusing around here, we just might forget to get you out before the winds shift," Anakin said.
Ruuin's eyes darted nervously. "C'mon. You wouldn't do that. You're Jedi."
"Technically, we're not," Anakin said. "We're training to be Jedi."
"There's quite a difference, actually," Tru said. He shrugged. "We're just learning the rules."
"So let me think. Is it against Jedi rules to leave a suspect imprisoned when we know a deadly toxin is in the air?" Anakin frowned, pretending to ponder. "You have any idea, Tru?"
"I think I skipped that class," Tru said.
"Wise guys. I always meet up with wise guys," Ruuin said under his breath. "All right, all right. What do you want to know?"
"Who are you working for?" Anakin asked.
"How do I know? Some guy," the Radnoran said. He quickly put his hands up in protest as both Anakin and Tru took a step toward him. "I'm telling the truth. I was paid a wage and a share of the spoils. The guy's name is Nonce, if that helps you. If you were security police, you'd know him. He's been in detention most of his life. But somebody hired him.
I don't know who. Now can I go?"
"How did you get access to the evacuation plans?" Anakin asked.
"I didn't. Nonce did. And I don't know how he got them.
Now can I go?"
"If you stayed around long enough to raid all those homes and businesses, how could you be sure to get a place for the evacuation?" Tru asked.
There was a subtle shift in Ruuin's gaze. He did look away. But something changed. Anakin knew he was about to lie.
"We would have been done in time."
"No, you wouldn't," Anakin said. "And you wouldn't endanger yourself and your new riches by taking a chance. So what was the plan? How were you going to get off-planet?"
"The same way everyone else is," Ruuin said. "Those ferry ships. Can I go now?"
Anakin didn't know what to do. It was obvious that Ruuin wasn't going to tell them the truth. He was more afraid of someone else than he was of the Padawans.
Suddenly, Tru reached over and snatched Ruuin's datapad from his belt. "Maybe this will tell us something."
"Hey! Hey! That's my property!"
Anakin glanced at the stolen plunder around them. "Do you really think you're in a position to complain?"
Tru was busily clicking keys. "Look," he said to Anakin, tilting the datapad toward him. "See these coordinates? This must be a landing site. And it doesn't match the ones we know for the ferry ships."
"You have an escape plan," Anakin told Ruuin. "Let me tell you something. You're not going to make it. You're not going to make it onto a ship at all. Let me tell you something else." He took a step closer to Ruuin. "You have much more to fear from the Jedi than you do from anyone else. Even the Avoni."
"The Avoni?" Ruuin's tongue darted out nervously. "I never mentioned the Avoni. Look, you've got to let me go, all right? You don't understand the penalty I'm facing. I could be imprisoned for treason." He stopped suddenly.
"Treason," Anakin said slowly. "That means there is another planetary government involved."
"Like the Avoni," Tru said.
Ruuin wiped his perspiring forehead. "All right. Yes, it was the Avoni. The coordinates are for another Avoni ship.
They're airlifting the raiders off-planet. They don't want us to get caught here. We need to leave before the Senate ships arrive. They promised us that no matter what happens, we'll get off. They backed our raids. They wanted as much disruption and panic to spread as possible. We're all supposed to get houses and money once we get to Avon."
"Didn't you ask yourself why the Avoni were doing all this?" Tru asked, disgusted. "Were you just going to allow them to invade your planet?"
"I don't ask questions," Ruuin said. "I'm a thief, not a philosopher."
"The panic would distract the population even further,"
Tru murmured to Anakin. "They wouldn't have time to figure out what the Avoni were planning."
Anakin nodded. He turned to Ruuin. "Who was Nonce's contact? How did you get those prototype droid
s? Who is the contact with the Avoni?" he rapped out.
"I don't know anything," Ruuin said desperately. "I'm just a thief. I'm nobody. There's no one left to talk to. Now can I go?"
Chapter Sixteen
Curi's courageous test to remove her bio-iso suit soon confirmed that there was no longer any danger from the toxin. Additional testing proved it.
All the Jedi removed their suits. It was a relief to Obi- Wan to breathe the air again. Without the constricting suit, the Jedi would be able to fight more effectively, should they need to.
"We need to head back to Clear Sector immediately," Obi- Wan said. "If we can stop the evacuation, we can stop any planned takeover by the Avoni. They're expecting an unpopulated planet."
"You know what this means about the comm systems, don't you?" Soara said. "The Avoni must be jamming the planet.
It's the only explanation."
The other Jedi nodded. They had all come to the same conclusion.
They could do no more in Isolation Sector. Curi had found two functioning speeders for them. They split into teams and took off through the empty city, heading for the outskirts and the fastest route to the Clear Sector Despite the danger of the coming invasion, Obi-Wan felt relief that he would get to see Anakin again at last. He was anxious to see how his Padawan had fared.
"You look relieved," Siri said, giving him a quick glance as she piloted the speeder. "I am, too."
"You didn't seem very worried."
"When do I ever seem worried?" Siri said with a short laugh. "I just hide things better than you do, that's all.
Sometimes I wonder if you expect me to have any feelings at all, Obi-Wan."
It was true. Obi-Wan did not often look beneath Siri's cool confidence. He should have known better.
As they reached the vast plain outside the city, Siri increased her speed. "Things always came easily to Ferus at the Temple," she remarked. "His gifts helped him sail through his classes. His good nature won him many friends.
But you and I know that the galaxy teaches us harder lessons."
"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "We know this to be true."
"So I worry about the day Ferus discovers this, too." Siri said. "Failure is part of being a Jedi, too. The one who does not have to work hard for his gifts will one day fail, as we all do. He will try his hardest, he will sacrifice everything he has to give, and still he will not win. I suspect his failure will be rougher than it needs to be. I wait for that day, and I worry."
Obi-Wan feared the same for Anakin. Siri had put into words a certain dread he carried in his heart.
And he had congratulated himself for overcoming his old rivalry with Siri! Obi-Wan shook his head, smiling.
Obviously traces of that rivalry remained. Otherwise he would have confided in her.
"What is it?" Siri asked, catching his smile.
"Remind me to stop underestimating you," he said.
She grinned. "Gladly."
"And thank you."
Siri turned her attention to the controls. She never acknowledged thanks or compliments. But Obi-Wan knew the moment had added to their friendship.
He saw a speck on the horizon, and his attention sharpened. The surge in the Force told Obi-Wan that the speck was not one of the native uizani birds of Radnor.
"To our right," he said to Siri over the noise of the airspeeder.
She nodded. Obi-Wan contacted Ry-Gaul on his comlink and alerted him to the speck, which was now growing into a black shape.
"Definitely some kind of transport," Siri said.
The dark presence in the Force was growing. Wan felt it like a wave against his skin.
"Strange," he said. "It looks like a smaller version of an MTT." He was familiar with the Multi Troop Transport ships from his dealings with the Trade Federation. Battle Droids could be compressed and loaded into the ship with no wasted space.
"An MTT? I think you might be right. Well, now we have the answer to my question," Siri said grimly. "We know how they are transporting Battle Droids. The MTT must have been in the cargo hold of one of the ferry ships."
"That's why the Avoni officer ordered a lockdown of the cargo holds," Obi-Wan guessed.
"We'd better get off these coordinates." Siri deftly turned the airspeeder to the right. Behind her, Ry-Gaul made the same turn. "I think I remember some ground canyons due south of us. Can you find them?"
Obi-Wan entered their coordinates on the onboard computer.
"You're right. We're only a few kilometers away. We can hide there and see what's going on. Before we stop the evacuation we should find out exactly what we're up against. It shouldn't take long." He entered the new coordinates, then quickly contacted Gaul and Soara to tell them the new plan.
Siri pushed the engines faster. They were close to the ground and small enough that they should avoid detection.
They assumed the transport was headed for the city of Aubendo.
"The ship is turning," Obi-Wan said suddenly.
"That's odd," Siri muttered. She glanced over her shoulder, then pushed the engines harder. "Can you get a fix on it?"
Obi-Wan aimed a macrolaser tracker at the ship. Within seconds, the airspeeder computer had mapped out the probable destination of the ship. The coordinates matched where they were heading.
"Either it's following us, or it's heading to the same canyon area," Obi-Wan told Siri. "Let's try an experiment."
Quickly, he entered new coordinates into the shipboard computer. Siri changed direction. After a few moments, the ship changed as well.
"It is following us," Siri said. "Why? What would an MTT want with two tiny airspeeders?"
"Unless they know the Jedi are aboard," Obi-Wan said.
Siri gave him a quick glance, the wind whipping her hair against her cheek. "Curi?"
"Maybe. Or we could have been under surveillance. Our only hope is to lose it in those canyons. Those ships are too big to maneuver the way we can."
"We'll have to get to the canyons first," Siri murmured.
The engines were on full, and the MTT was gaining.
Obi-Wan answered his comlink and heard Soara's clipped tone. "They must know we're Jedi."
"Yes. We can lose it in the canyons."
"Let's hope so. Those MTTs can carry a full platoon of droids."
Obi-Wan cut the communication. The ship was gaining on them. He wasn't concerned. The canyons were only a few kilometers away. They should make it. He had complete confidence in Siri's ability as a pilot. The bulky transport would not be able to follow them.
He wasn't concerned… so why am I concerned? Obi-Wan wondered, shaking his head at his lapse in logic.
"Something's wrong," he said.
"There you go again," Siri said. "Stating the obvious."
"So you feel it, too?"
"I do."
"They could be herding us toward the canyons because they know they could trap us there."
"They could. But we have no choice. We don't have another strategy," Siri said. "There's nothing between here and Tacto. No place for us to hide."
The canyons were ahead. They could see the odd zigzag tracing of them in the ground. It wasn't until they were on top of them that they could see that the lines on the ground were actually deep fissures. Siri aimed the airspeeder down into their depths. The sky went gray as the sun disappeared.
The fissure widened as they dropped, and they found themselves in a large underground canyon. There were offshoots to the sides, but they were too narrow even for an airspeeder.
Ry-Gaul hugged their rear. The MTT zoomed downward, still chasing them.
"They have a plan, all right," Siri said between her teeth as she dove down.
Obi-Wan wished they had a more nimble transport. The airspeeder was meant to travel on repulsorlift engines along the surface of a planet. It had a limited ability to dive and maneuver.
The MTT was almost on them now. Obi-Wan was uncomfortably aware that MTTs were often equipped with proton torpedos.
Suddenly the canyon wall next to them exploded Rocks and debris slammed into the airspeeder. Siri had trouble hanging on to the controls.
Behind them, Ry-Gaul and Soara were also in trouble. A blast from the MTT had hit their rear. They were falling through the air, trailing black smoke. Ry-Gaul fought to regain power.
