Jedi Apprentice 18: The Threat Within (звёздные войны)

  Jedi Apprentice 18: The Threat Within

  ( Звёздные войны )

  Джуд Уотсон

  When Obi-Wan Kenobi started off as Qui-Gon Jinn's Jedi apprentice, he was just a boy. Now, on the verge of manhood, he is starting on the path that will lead him to become a Jedi Knight…and the master of his own fate.

  As Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon investigate a strange wave of planetary sabotages, they find their relationship shifting — sometimes in a dangerous direction. As events turn deadly, their lives may never be the same again.

  The Threat Within

  Chapter 1

  Obi-Wan Kenobi stood perfectly still. He sensed no movement in the darkened room, yet his muscles were tensed, ready for attack. The only light came from the glowing blue blade of his lightsaber. The only discernible sounds were the hum of the blade and the Jedi's almost undetectable breathing. Obi-Wan had been standing in the same position, balanced on a thin rail, for nearly an hour. Still, he waited.

  Suddenly Qui-Gon's voice penetrated the silence, breaking Obi-Wan's concentration. A message from his Master over the comlink was not what Obi- Wan had expected. Momentarily distracted, he almost missed the stealth- training probe moving rapidly toward his head. That was what he had been waiting for.

  Obi-Wan turned awkwardly on the slim rail and sliced the probe out of the air. Leaping high to another unseen rail, he knocked out two more probes. A moment later the lights in the room came on and the young Jedi deactivated his lightsaber.

  Obi-Wan shook his head. The exercise was complete, but the seventeen- year-old Jedi was not pleased with his performance.

  "Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied to Qui-Gon over the comlink.

  "We've been summoned by the Council. Meet me there."

  "Of course," Obi-Wan replied. Hope sprang within him. Perhaps the Council had at last summoned them for a mission. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had spent the last two months at the Temple. It was always a relief to come home when a mission was complete, but Obi-Wan did not like to stay too long.

  Being a Jedi was constant work. And somehow the dedication, energy, and patience it required seemed to intensify when Obi-Wan was at the Temple, when he wasn't working toward a mission's specific objective.

  Jedi never stopped learning. But after endless training exercises, Obi-Wan could feel his focus begin to slip. He should not have been so clumsy with the training probes. He should have been prepared for anything.

  He was growing bored, and that was dangerous.

  Outside the Council Chambers, Obi-Wan spotted his Master's large frame. Even with his back turned, Obi-Wan could sense that Qui-Gon shared none of his eager anticipation, his anxiety. As always his Master exuded calm. Qui-Gon was almost always content with training and meditation alone.

  Why did Obi-Wan crave action?

  Qui-Gon smiled and nodded at his approaching Padawan before activating the door and entering the chamber. A half step behind, Obi-Wan followed as Qui-Gon strode to the center of the room and acknowledged the seated Masters.

  Obi-Wan's pulse quickened slightly. But it was nothing like the nervousness he used to feel when summoned to appear before the Council.

  Mace Windu leaned back in his chair, his arm draped across the back.

  "We've received a message from Vorzyd 4," he said plainly. "They report that they are being sabotaged by Vorzyd 5 and have requested mediation. The planets in the Vorzyd system have never been engaged in war of any kind.

  But tensions have been brewing between the fourth and fifth planets. All of the planets are interdependent and a dispute between two could trigger a chain reaction, disrupting the whole cluster. Clearly this is something we wish to avoid."

  "So the situation is delicate," Obi-Wan finished Master Windu's thought and immediately regretted it. It would not do to reveal his impatience to the Council.

  "Very," Mace continued, appearing to notice neither Obi-Wan's eagerness nor his interruption. "And to make matters more complicated, Vorzyd 5 denies any wrongdoing."

  "Before you can bring these planets together to talk you will need to assess the matter carefully," Master Yarael Poof added. "There may be more at stake here than meets the eye."

  Obi-Wan saw Qui-Gon nod slowly, and knew that their work would begin before they even left the Temple. He had heard of the Vorzyd cluster before, but only in passing. The next step was a visit to the Temple archives. Mediation required a good deal of research and background knowledge. The Jedi would have to be prepared for any possible conflict.

  Jocasta Nu was ready when the Jedi arrived. She spent most of her time pulling research for Jedi missions. Although she was regularly briefed by a member of the Council as to what planets or systems might soon require Jedi assistance, her ability to access just the right information at just the right time was uncanny. She could almost always sense the moment when a brewing problem was about to boil over.

  The viewscreen in the archives was playing a recorded communication from Chairman Port, the leader of Vorzyd 4, when Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon entered the room. Jocasta quickly shut it off.

  "Sending you to Vorzyd 4, are they?" she asked with a chuckle. "I'm sure that will be a productive trip." Obi-Wan did not get the joke. But as Jocasta told them more about the Vorzyd 4's, he began to understand.

  The small planet was best known for its amazing production and sale of goods. Alone, Vorzyd 4 produced almost all of the food and hard goods used by the five planets in its system.

  "All of the inhabitants of Vorzyd 4 work," Jocasta explained.

  "Children begin working at the age of ten, when their school cycle wanes.

  Instead of attending school seven days they attend six and work one. Each year thereafter they gain another day of work until the age of seventeen, when they begin to work full-time. From then they work seven days a week."

  Jocasta narrowed her eyes. Obi-Wan thought he sensed disapproval. Even Jedi rested sometimes.

  "At age seventy, laborers are required to retire," Jocasta continued.

  "Vorzydiaks fear that the elderly will not be able to keep up with the work pace. Sadly, most of the retirees die within a few weeks of being forced out of their jobs. The cause of these deaths is unknown. Most retirees are in good health until they are forced to stop working."

  Obi-Wan glanced at his Master to see what he thought of this practice. Qui-Gon was in his fifties, and Obi-Wan could not imagine that anyone would think of him as anything other than productive. And Master Yoda was over eight hundred years old. It was unthinkable that he be asked to retire. His wisdom was one of the Council's most valuable assets.

  The thought of someone asking these Jedi to step down made Obi-Wan smile, but Qui-Gon shot him a stern look and he quickly checked himself.

  Of course, Vorzydiaks on Vorzyd 4 were unique beings with unique life cycles and cultural practices. Although they looked mostly human — their bodies were humanoid but they had a pair of long antennae and slightly larger eyes — Obi-Wan knew better than to judge them by any other beings'

  standards.

  "What of Vorzyd 5?" Qui-Gon asked. "And the tensions between the two planets?"

  "Vorzyd 5 produces less than half of its planetary needs and depends largely on trade with Vorzyd 4 for its subsistence. In the past they struggled and were often in debt to Vorzyd 4, though relations between the two have remained peaceful and friendly. Debt did not matter to the 4's because they had a constant surplus. Neither were the 5's troubled that they owed so many credits to their neighbor. But now things have changed."

  "How so?" asked Obi-Wan.

  "Vorzyd 5
has begun building casinos. The profit they've made has allowed them to pay off many of their interplanetary debts."

  "And they are no longer beholden to Vorzyd 4," Qui-Gon said softly.

  "Exactly. Vorzyd 4 claims that Vorzyd 5 now wants to be the planet in power. That they are sabotaging Vorzyd 4's production in order to appear stronger to the rest of the system, and the galaxy. Vorzyd 5, of course, claims this is nonsense. And the continued accusations are making them very angry."

  Handing Qui-Gon a stack of disks, Jocasta replayed Chairman Port's message. The large man on the screen looked uncomfortable, but his plea was direct.

  "I am contacting you to request mediation. We are being attacked.

  Vorzyd 5 is to blame. All diplomats and suspected spies have been expelled.

  The sabotage continues. Please contact us at once." As he talked, the ends of Chairman Port's antennae moved about like birds looking for a place to land.

  "It is unusual that the chairman has contacted us," Jocasta said once the image had disappeared from the screen. "In the past Vorzydiaks have had little contact with the galaxy outside their cluster. They were even reluctant to have representation in the Senate. The fact that they have requested outside help can only mean that they feel their situation is desperate."

  Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan thanked the archivist and left with stacks of additional information to review on their own. Obi-Wan did not relish the task. This mission, he realized, would not provide the action he craved.

  The Vorzyd system sounded dull, and diplomacy was often a long and tedious process. Obi-Wan sighed and inwardly scolded himself. He knew he should be grateful for any mission. At least it was a change.

  Chapter 2

  Qui-Gon started down the shuttle ramp before it touched the floor of the hangar on Vorzyd 4. He had spent the entire journey reviewing information about the planets and their history, and was anxious to move around and get some fresh air. All of the disks held data about the planets' corporate history, and while Vorzyd 4's success as a peaceful corporation was admirable, it had been dry research. Qui-Gon had been totally unable to get any sense of what Vorzydiaks were like as individuals.

  The hangar they'd landed in was uncluttered. Aside from the workers loading cargo on what appeared to be export ships, there were not many beings about.

  "Are we being met?" Obi-Wan asked. He stifled a yawn as he joined Qui-Gon outside the shuttle. Qui-Gon guessed his Padawan's research had not been any more entertaining than his own.

  Before Qui-Gon could reply in the affirmative, a young Vorzydiak appeared before them. He stood for a moment, then bowed slightly to the Jedi. His demeanor was calm, but his antennae twitched nervously. Qui-Gon knew that it was unlikely the Vorzydiak had encountered beings from outside his planetary system before.

  "Welcome. Follow me," their guide said without expression. He turned and walked quickly out of the hangar. The Jedi had to follow at a rapid pace to keep up.

  Qui-Gon had been looking forward to talking with the young Vorzydiak.

  He'd hoped it would help him to understand the species better. But after the brief greeting, the Vorzydiak offered nothing more. He simply led them briskly through the streets.

  When Qui-Gon tried to ask one or two questions it was obvious by the confused looks and twitching antennae that they made the guide uncomfortable. Perhaps Chairman Port had asked their guide not to say anything. Qui-Gon decided to give himself over to the observation of his surroundings. He would come to know the Vorzydiaks soon enough.

  The streets of Vorzyd 4 were nearly empty. Though it was midday there were no beings about. Nor did Qui-Gon see any refreshment vendors or public spaces.

  The buildings were tall and six-sided. There were no arched doorways or awnings. No large windows or ornamentation. Not one scrap of material was wasted on style or aesthetics. Everything appeared to be designed for maximum efficiency, including the hexagonal system the buildings were laid out in and their drab color-coding.

  Glancing at the Vorzydiak in front of them, Qui-Gon realized that the same was true of clothing on Vorzyd 4. So far everyone he had seen wore a plain, closely fitted one-color jumpsuit. They did not even have collars.

  The three had not been walking long when the Vorzydiak stopped in front of a nondescript, pale brown building. The plate next to the entrance read MULTYCORP. The guide activated the door and motioned the Jedi inside.

  Expecting to enter some sort of portico or hallway, Qui-Gon was surprised to find that they were inside a turbolift that was rising to the twenty- fourth floor. A droid like voice called the names of each floor as they whizzed past. "Assembly seven, Assembly eight, Manufacture nine, Manufacture ten…" until they reached "Accounting twenty-four."

  The door slid open and a tall Vorzydiak rushed into the lift without waiting for the others to get off. He nearly ran into Obi-Wan.

  "Unproductive entrance," the Vorzydiak guide murmured.

  The tall Vorzydiak glared at the group but said nothing. Qui-Gon wondered who he was.

  "Do you know him?" he asked the guide.

  The guide shook his head and led the Jedi out of the turbolift and through a maze of beige workspaces. Hundreds of jumpsuit-clad Vorzydiaks sat close together, speaking into headsets and inputting information onto data-screens.

  Though many of the beings spoke at once, the overall effect was a low drone. No single voice could be heard above another. There was no idle chatter among the laborers. And aside from the Vorzyd numeric symbol posted above each station, there was no way of telling the workspaces apart.

  Could this be where Chairman Port rules his planet? Qui-Gon wondered.

  From a Vorzyd plant? Qui-Gon glanced at his Padawan and Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows slightly. Obviously he was as surprised and perplexed as his Master.

  "Wait here," the guide instructed. He motioned the Jedi into a small room dominated by a large table surrounded by benches. Then he scurried away, disappearing into the maze.

  A moment later Chairman Port appeared in the doorway. Had he not seen the chairman's image in the Temple archives, Qui-Gon would not have been able to guess that this man was a planetary leader. He wore the same pale jumpsuit as the rest of the planet's inhabitants, and his manner was no more self-assured. Though his expression did not change, his antennae twitched when he spoke.

  "We are glad you have come," he said. He crossed the room quickly and sat down at one of the benches surrounding the large table. "All known Vorzydiaks from Vorzyd 5 have been cast off our planet. Still there are attacks. They want to lower our productivity. The attacks must stop."

  Qui-Gon drew a deep breath. "I understand that so far no one has been hurt in the attacks."

  "That is true." Port's antennae twitched faster.

  "The saboteurs have concentrated on things that slow productivity?"

  Obi-Wan prompted, hoping the chairman would fill in the details.

  "Yes. Productivity is hurt. We are unable to work." Chairman Port's head bobbed up and down in a nod.

  "Why do you suspect Vorzyd 5?" Qui-Gon asked. "Have they taken credit for any of the attacks? Have they outlined terms or made any demands?"

  Qui-Gon understood that after having been at the mercy of Vorzyd 4 for some time, Vorzyd 5 might harbor resentment. But taking action against a neighboring planet seemed rash, especially if Vorzyd 5 was prospering in its own right.

  "We must stop Vorzyd 5," Chairman Port said, not acknowledging Qui- Gon's inquiries. "You will contact them?"

  Qui-Gon was about to reply when the chairman stood. He was obviously anxious for the meeting to be over. "To work then?" he said.

  Qui-Gon remained seated. He had many more questions and a strong feeling that all was not as it seemed. "Before we contact Vorzyd 5, I would like to inspect the sabotage sites. One should never be hasty in making accusations."

  Chairman Port seemed to hover over Qui-Gon, but he didn't say anything.

  Qui-Gon continued. "I would also like to spend at least one nigh
t here on Vorzyd 4, to get an idea of how you live… when you're not working."

  Chairman Port's antennae moved so furiously they looked as if they would tie themselves in knots. "Not working?" he asked, puzzled. "We eat.

  We sleep. Nothing more."

  The chairman was clearly frustrated with the Jedi's thought process.

  He wanted immediate action. "I will take you to the homespace when the workday is — "

  Chairman Port was cut off when a laborer rushed into the room.

  "Vorzyd 5!" she said. "Another attack!" Her high-pitched voice revealed her distress. "Productivity status monitors are registering erroneous data."

  Port rushed from the room and glanced at the nearest datascreen. "Six days behind schedule on hard goods distribution," he mumbled. "It cannot be."