Jedi Apprentice 13: The Dangerous Rescue (звёздные войны) Read online

  "Obi-Wan, look."

  Obi-Wan stood at Siri's shoulder. He saw that the cave walls were braced with slender metal poles.

  "Do you think the cave would collapse if we cut a few of these down?"

  Siri asked.

  Another moan from Tup. This time, Weez joined him.

  Astri came closer. She gazed around the cave, noting the number of supports. "I'm no engineer, but I bet you can take some of these out."

  "You'd bet?" Tup asked. "Aren't you sure?"

  "I can't be sure," Astri said. "But if it's our only chance, it's worth the risk, isn't it?"

  "No," Tup said in a small voice.

  Astri turned to Siri. "What are you thinking of doing with them?"

  "They're shiny," Siri said. "And they look pretty flexible. I'm thinking if we can get them through the rocks and sand, we can signal the outside."

  Cholly looked dumbfounded. "What outside? It's just desert out there!

  " "There's a tribe nearby," Astri said. "They scavenge for food.

  Someone might see it."

  "Or someone could come looking for us," Obi-Wan said.

  "Or the whole cave could collapse on our heads," Tup suggested. His hands fluttered down as he mimicked the cave ceiling falling on them.

  "Woosh."

  "I guess we should take a vote," Obi-Wan said. He looked at Siri and Astri, who nodded immediately. Cholly followed with a nervous nod. Weez agreed with a shrug. Then he elbowed Tup.

  "I guess it's better than starving to death," Tup said shakily.

  Siri gritted her teeth. She activated her lightsaber and carefully began to slice through the slender metal pole. It peeled back from the wall and Obi-Wan stepped forward to grab it. A stream of dirt rained down on his head, and Tup fell to his knees and covered his head with his hands.

  "Gibbertz and ham, we're done for!"

  The stream of dirt stopped. Obi-Wan scrutinized the ceiling above.

  "It's all right," he said. "I think it will hold."

  "He thinks," Tup repeated.

  "Shut up, Tup!" Weez and Cholly yelled. Another stream of sand poured down.

  "Come on, Obi-Wan," Siri said. "Let's see if we can push this through."

  They wiggled through the opening and crawled forward. It took trial and error, but first Obi-Wan, then Siri threaded the slender pole through crevices in the rocks. Siri hit a rock and wiggled the rod, trying to force it through. The rod snapped.

  "We'll have to try another," Siri said.

  This time, Tup rolled into a ball and kept his eyes closed as Obi-Wan sliced through the second pole. He eased it away from the wall and had to jump back as a chunk of loose dirt and rocks cascaded down. They heard a rumble overhead.

  "Don't say a word, Tup," Astri snapped.

  Siri and Obi-Wan went back to the cave entrance and tried again. He tried to guide the rod through the tiniest of cracks. He pushed, pulled, prodded, and maneuvered but he got no further. Sweat streaked through the dust on his face. His gaze locked with Siri's. An unspoken agreement passed between them. This time he closed his eyes as he gently moved the rod.

  Together they called on the Force. He felt it gather power around him. The sand and rocks were part of him. They were connected to everything around him. He could feel the tiny rivers of space through the packed debris.

  Obi-Wan maneuvered the rod carefully. He felt it poke through. He wiggled it.

  "I think it's out in the air now."

  "Good. Push it out as far as you can," Siri breathed.

  Slowly, Obi-Wan pushed the rod through until he only held the very end. He wiggled it.

  "Maybe if the wind dies down, the sun will glint on it," Siri said.

  Obi-Wan wasn't sure if the wind ever died down in that canyon, but he didn't tell Siri that.

  For the next few hours they all took turns crawling through the narrow cave and holding the rod. They turned and twisted it carefully, in case it could catch a ray of sun.

  The group split Obi-Wan and Siri's survival rations, but it did little to assuage their hunger and thirst. The air grew close and hot. They barely spoke or moved in order to conserve what little oxygen they had left.

  When Obi-Wan's turn came again, he took the rod from a weary Tup. He lay flat and wiggled the metal. He was tired from the rescue of Qui-Gon and the battle with Ona Nobis. He could not remember the last time he had slept. But he would lie here and stay alert as long as he had to. As long as there was hope "Hello in there! Is anyone there?"

  "Yes! We're trapped!" Obi-Wan shouted. "I am Goq Cranna. Who is there?"

  "Goq Cranna, it is Obi-Wan Kenobi! I am the Jedi who visited your tribe and asked for your help!"

  "Ah, then it is good I stopped. Stay back, young Kenobi. We will dig you out."

  Obi-Wan crawled back into the cave. Siri, Astri, Cholly, Weez, and Tup sat propped against the cave wall, exhausted.

  "Goq Cranna has found us!" Obi-Wan said. "He's digging us out."

  "Thank the stars and planets," Tup said fervently.

  It seemed to take a long time for Goq to dig out the opening. At last light streamed in and they saw the smiling face of Goq's son, Bhu.

  They crawled out of the cave into the orange blaze of sunset.

  "The wind dies down at dusk, or else we would not have seen the silver rod," Goq said. "Even though we were searching. We saw the dead pilot and knew Ona Nobis had been here. We went into hiding. But then when we emerged we met a pilot who was supposed to pick up two passengers at the landing platform. They didn't show up. Bhu said, what if the wonderful lady who saved our tribe is in danger? So I agreed to look. Bhu saved you."

  Bhu smiled shyly at Astri, who hugged him. "Thank you, Bhu."

  On their last trip, Astri had made a trade with Bhu for information about Ona Nobis. She had taught the desert tribe how to find food in the harsh environment. It was obvious that Bhu now worshiped her.

  Siri combed her hair behind her ears with her fingers, shaking out the sand. "Did you actually see Ona Nobis?"

  "Close enough to touch," Goq told her. "I was nearby when she called someone on her corn-link. Someone was trying to persuade her to do something and offered her a cut of a potential fortune if she did so."

  "Did you hear if she accepted, or where she is headed?" Obi-Wan asked urgently.

  "I merely heard stray words," Goq said. A look of blankness had come over his face. Obi-Wan recognized it. It was the look of a Sorrusian who did not want to get mixed up in a stranger's business. Obi-Wan shot a glance at Astri.

  "Surely you picked up some indication of what she was up to," Astri said gently, her hand still on Bhu's shoulder.

  Goq's eyes warmed as he looked at Astri and his son. Astri had saved his tribe. For that, he would overcome his Sorrusian instinct for self- preservation at all costs.

  "I do know where she is headed, wonderful lady. Belasco."

  Obi-Wan stood on the landing platform of Arra. The sunsets were long on Sorrus, and the sky was still ablaze with orange and yellow. He had just concluded a difficult conversation with Qui-Gon. It had not been easy to tell his Master that contrary to orders he had stopped in the desert before heading to Coruscant.

  Now he waited out Qui-Gon's silence.

  At last the Jedi spoke. "You were told to come straight to Coruscant.

  " "The stop, we felt, would have been quick. And I had a strong feeling that Astri was in danger."

  "The stop was not quick, and you put yourself and Siri in danger as well."

  "And now we know that Ona Nobis is headed to Belasco. It is the home planet of Senator Uta S'orn! She was Jenna Zan Arbor's only friend. This can't be a coincidence. Uta S'orn could be in great danger. We should go there immediately!"

  Another long silence. "Adi and I are disappointed in both of you. We will discuss this later. For now, we will meet you on Belasco."

  Chapter 12

  Qui-Gon gazed through the cockpit of the consular ship that was ferrying the Jedi to Belasco. From high
above, the capital city of Senta glowed. It had been built centuries before out of native rose-colored stone. It was a spectacular sight, crowning the golden hills that surrounded a sea of sparkling blue.

  Casually, he stretched his arms and legs, testing his strength. His continuing weakness dismayed him. He knew he had not given his body a chance to recover. But he was driven on by his fierce desire to bring Jenna Zan Arbor to justice. He was the one who knew firsthand how her mind worked. He could not leave this mission to others.

  "Do you feel you are regaining your strength?" Adi asked politely. He knew she would not ask such a personal question if she were not concerned.

  "Yes," he said shortly. He liked and respected Adi, but he did not wish to tell her his concerns. He hoped that would be the end of the subject.

  He should have known better. Adi was not one to pry. But when she wanted a true answer, she did not give up.

  "I noticed that your connection to the Force was a bit weak back at the lab," Adi said. "I would not wish you to return to the Temple, or ask you to do so. But…" Adi turned her face to look at him directly. Qui-Gon was forced to meet her dark, commanding gaze. She was almost as intimidating as Mace Windu when she wanted to be.

  "I just want things clear between us," she continued. "Here is what I see. You are pretending to have made a full recovery, but you have not. You compensate for your weakness by demonstrating your strength in strategy and decision-making. You should have consulted me before ordering Siri and Obi- Wan to Sorrus, Qui-Gon. I am your comrade. Not your enemy. If you have weakness, I should be aware of it."

  Adi didn't let anything slide. Qui-Gon knew he had overstepped. He should have consulted his fellow Jedi Master before issuing the order.

  "I'm sorry," he said. He did not find it hard to apologize when he knew he was wrong. That didn't mean he enjoyed it. "You are right on all counts. My connection to the Force has weakened along with my body."

  "All right. Now I know." Adi turned to look out the cockpit windshield. "The landing platform is crowded. I don't see our Padawans."

  "They had better be there," Qui-Gon said. He was still irritated that Obi-Wan had made the stop in the desert of Arra without consulting him.

  "Unless they decided to go off on their own mission again."

  Adi gave one of her rare smiles. "They did well, and you know it."

  Qui-Gon frowned. "They disobeyed."

  "They had reason."

  "They did not contact us."

  "They are learning independence."

  "At a cost of disobedience?"

  Adi leaned back. "You know the Jedi look at things differently, Qui- Gon. We are not an army. Our discipline comes from within. Each Jedi has his or her own connection to the Force. We all are taught to trust our feelings and hone our instincts. Obi-Wan had a strong feeling and followed it. Siri backed him up. You did the same on Kegan, and I backed up your instinct — even though you did not ask my opinion. I am pleased that Siri is learning cooperation. Perhaps Obi-Wan has taught her more about it than I can."

  "Obi-Wan is usually cautious," Qui-Gon said as the ship began landing procedures. "Yet sometimes he is swept away by feeling. I worry about those times."

  "As the Council worries about you," Adi said in an amused tone. "You and Obi-Wan seem so different. But at the core you are very alike."

  "Perhaps that is not good," Qui-Gon mused. As the craft descended, he could just make out Obi-Wan standing, waiting for him.

  Adi looked down at Siri, who was standing next to Obi-Wan. "It is the same for me. I see Siri's defiance and independence and see myself. In guiding her I guide myself. It is good that this is so."

  Qui-Gon felt her words strike his heart. Obi-Wan's face was upturned now, his expression anxious. Being a Master was difficult for Qui-Gon.

  Pride in his Padawan battled with the need to be stern. He saw so much potential in Obi-Wan. He wanted to mold this being into a better Jedi than he was himself. He was impatient with himself as often as he was impatient with Obi-Wan. He saw that Adi was right: When he was stern with Obi-Wan, it was sometimes because he saw his own mistakes in the boy.

  The consular ship slid into a narrow space among larger vessels. Adi turned to the pilot. "We do not know how long we will be on Belasco, but we might need to leave quickly."

  "I will be on alert, waiting for your signal."

  The landing ramp was activated, and Qui-Gon and Adi walked down to their Padawans.

  Siri and Obi-Wan faced them, their gazes expectant. They awaited whatever their Masters might say.

  Qui-Gon strode forward "Next time, contact me first," he told Obi- Wan.

  Adi spoke to Siri quietly so that the other Jedi could not hear. She preferred to give her Padawan instructions privately when she could. Then she turned back to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

  "I would say that our first step is to warn Uta S'orn that she could be in danger," she said. "I think we all agree that if Ona Nobis is here, Jenna Zan Arbor must have been the one who summoned her. And the fact that Zan Arbor picked her old friend's home planet can't be a coincidence. She must be planning to contact Uta S'orn."

  "We have no proof to bring to Senator S'orn, only suspicion," Qui-Gon said. "But we owe her that, at least."

  "We've learned that because of her years of service, she has been granted a home in the palace on the old royal grounds," Obi-Wan told them.

  Qui-Gon nodded. "Then let us head there. But first, where is Astri?"

  "She was nervous about seeing you," Obi-Wan said. "She feels badly that she put Siri and me in danger."

  Qui-Gon glanced around. Amid the throngs of people standing on the landing platform, he glimpsed Astri standing next to the departure checkpoint area. A long line of Belascans snaked around her.

  He walked closer. Astri looked thinner and more muscular, and her shaved head gave her a fierce appearance. She did not look like the soft, pretty girl he had known. But her eyes were the same, clear and honest.

  Right now they were filled with uneasiness.

  "I'm so sorry," she said. "I did not think Obi-Wan would follow me. I would not ask for more help from the Jedi. You have done so much for me already — "

  "All of which we were happy to do," Qui-Gon said. "And Obi-Wan's decision was his decision. But I am concerned, Astri. Didi is recovering quickly. He will find new investors for a new business. You must know this.

  Why are you still chasing Ona Nobis? I do not think it is because of the reward."

  Her warm gaze grew hard. "She shot him as though he were nothing, just something in her way."

  "Yes. She feels nothing for living beings. But revenge makes one careless," Qui-Gon said. "Leave Ona Nobis to us."

  She shook her head stubbornly. "I can't."

  Annoyed, Qui-Gon fell silent. He could not control Astri's behavior.

  She was a distraction to the mission, but he could not allow her to go off alone. He was too close to her father and cared too much for her to watch her walk off into danger.

  Qui-Gon sighed. "I have no right to tell you what to do."

  "Now we agree," Astri said cheerfully.

  "But I have a right to make a request," Qui-Gon added.

  She looked at him warily.

  "Remain with our party for the time being. Ona Nobis is here on Belasco. Either we will find her, or she will find us. You will learn more with us than without us."

  Hesitantly, Astri nodded. "All right. I thank you."

  "If you persist, I cannot protect you," Qui-Gon warned. "But at least I'd like you near."

  Obi-Wan walked up. "Adi is feeling a disturbance in the Force."

  Qui-Gon hid his dismay. He had not felt anything.

  "All right," he said shortly. "Come, Astri." "What about my friends?"

  Astri asked.

  Obi-Wan glanced over. He saw Cholly, Weez, and Tup trying to make themselves inconspicuous nearby.

  Qui-Gon frowned. "After years of disapproval of your father's friends, now you consort with
criminals?"

  One corner of Astri's mouth lifted. "They are not competent enough to be criminals. And I'm almost growing fond of them."

  With a sigh, Qui-Gon beckoned to Cholly, Weez, and Tup. The trio came forward uneasily. "It appears that we are stuck with you," Obi-Wan told them.

  "It is usually our policy to run away from trouble," Cholly said. "So don't worry."