thinking about that. Why did you call me a schutta? What does it mean?"
Mazie squirmed. "I spoke harshly. A schutta is a weasel creature in my
language. You see, you were assigned gravsled duty. It's easy duty,
reserved for informants and favorites of the Nar Shaddaa guards. You must
have someone protecting you."
"But I don't," Anakin protested. "I've only just arrived." But
suddenly he knew who his protector was: Siri. But why should she protect
him? Surely she'd lost any sense of loyalty to the Jedi long ago. He would
never forget the bitterness in his Master's voice. Obi-Wan just wasn't
wrong about people.
She must be playing with him, keeping him protected so that other
slaves would despise him. Eventually, she would betray him.
Mazie shrugged. "If you have protection, I guess I shouldn't say
anything. My daughter was favored by Krayn, though she'd done nothing to
earn it. Berri is a domestic worker-slave in Krayn's kitchen. Every day I
thank my stars that it is so. At least she is not working here. The Nar
Shaddaa guards aren't bad, but the droids kill without mercy."
"Why do the people of Nar Shaddaa work as guards?" Anakin wondered.
"The planet's leader, Aga Culpa, has made an agreement with Krayn that
its people will remain free in exchange for Krayn's control of the
factories," Mazie explained. "There is not much honest work on Nar Shaddaa,
and the guards are well paid. So tell me, how do you come to be here? Is
this your first experience as a slave?"
"I was free when I was captured, but I was raised as a slave on
Tatooine," Anakin said.
"Tatooine! But that is where Berri and I lived! We were colonists. My
husband and I started a moisture farm. Berri and I were taken in a raid. It
was ironic - there were many raids on Ryloth. We left our home planet to
escape them when Berri was born. She is now sixteen."
"How long ago were you captured?" Anakin asked eagerly.
"Ten years now," Mazie said. "I used to dream of escape. No more. My
husband was killed in the raid along with countless others. He resisted."
"Did you happen to know a human woman named Hala?" Anakin asked
eagerly. Perhaps Hala was still alive!
"Yes, we arrived here together. They brought us to processing. Hala
saw Krayn and suddenly broke out of the line. She tried to kill him." Mazie
cast her clear gaze down. "He struck her down and then... he made an
example of her."
Anakin shuddered. He did not want to know the details.
"And he took her necklace as a souvenir," he muttered.
"Yes. I used to make many friends among the slaves," Mazie said. "No
more. Too many die. There is no escape, Anakin, so do not imagine that
there could be one for you. Krayn has a death grip on us. He will never let
go."
The anger that always lay in wait deep within him surged. He directed
it at Krayn. If it was the last act of his life, he would kill that fiend.
No. It is not the Jedi way. Your anger feels like revenge.
He was trembling with rage. He knew suddenly that he could not wait
for Obi-Wan to rescue him. If he didn't try to escape, something essential
in him would die.
Krayn would win. He saw the battle clearly and personally. It was him
or Krayn.
"Do not fear, Anakin," Mazie said, misunderstanding his distress. "A
slave's life is short. It will soon be over.
"No," Anakin said. "I will find a way out."
CHAPTER 16
Obi-Wan was given permission to land at Krayn's personal platform.
"You see?" Krayn had boasted back on Rorak 5. "I am showing every
consideration."
Privately, Obi-Wan thought that someone who was doing the right thing
for good motives did not call attention to it, but he did not point this
out to the Colicoids. He had a feeling that Nor Fik felt the same.
He accessed the hatch and exited his transport. He was surprised there
was no one to meet him. Technically he was allowed unlimited access, but
Obi-Wan had felt sure that Krayn would try to control his movements.
Perhaps they were keeping him under surveillance.
There was no time to waste. Obi-Wan was anxious to get to the
factories. Since it was also the objective of his alias Bakleeda, he would
attract no suspicion by heading there immediately.
It wasn't hard to spot the factories below. Black smoke belched from
the stacks and then passed through scrubbers. The air up in the city was
clean, but Obi-Wan looked down on thick toxic air below.
Obi-Wan accessed the turbolift to take him to the moon's floor. He
stepped inside and felt the turbolift drop. Soon he would find Anakin. His
entire being was focused on that.
Suddenly, the turbolift stopped. Obi-Wan felt a surge in the Force
that warned him of danger a split second before the trapdoor overhead
opened and Rashtah dropped down.
The turbolift shook with the impact of the Wookiee hitting the floor.
As he landed, he struck out with one mighty hand. The blow sent Obi-Wan
flying against the wall of the turbolift. His head hit the durasteel with a
crack.
He reached for his lightsaber as Rashtah bellowed and came at him,
casually smashing him again with a fist like a cannon. Obi-Wan felt the
blow through his body armor. His arm went numb. He knew that when it came
to brute strength, he was no match for a Wookiee. The last thing he could
wish was to be trapped in a turbolift with one.
He reached with his other hand for his lightsaber. At the same time he
whirled to evade Rashtah in a spinning motion. There was not much room to
maneuver. The Wookiee definitely held the advantage. As Obi-Wan spun by
him, Rashtah reached out and hit him again, this time with an elbow
slamming into his stomach.
The air left Obi-Wan's lungs in a whoosh. Rashtah followed the blow
with one to his chin, and he fell to his knees. He had not yet been able to
get his lightsaber out of his belt. The blows were coming too fast, and now
he only had the use of one hand. He had tucked his lightsaber securely
inside the belt in order to conceal it. That had been a mistake.
Things didn't look good.
The smell of the creature's wet fur made it even harder to breathe.
Obi-Wan scrambled between Rashtah's legs to come up on his other side. He
struck out with a series of fast combinations, using his legs as weapons.
Rashtah grunted and tried to capture one leg, but Obi-Wan was too fast. At
last he was able to activate his lightsaber.
Rashtah let out a surprised bellow that shook the walls of the
turbolift. Obi-Wan attacked, whirling and diving, as Rashtah tried to
defend himself. He gave up on his fists and withdrew an electrojabber and a
vibro‑ax. Obi-Wan guessed his objective. With the electro-jabber he would
paralyze Obi-Wan and then administer the death blow with the vibro-ax.
It was imperative to avoid the electrojabber. If he was hit, he could
be paralyzed for an hour, at least. Already feeling was coming back to his
numb arm. Obi-Wan focused on healing it. It could mean the difference in
the battle, for the Wookiee th
ought his right arm was useless.
Obi-Wan struck at Rashtah, but the creature deflected the blow with
the vibro-ax. The two weapons tangled and smoke filled the air.
Turning, Obi-Wan suddenly tossed the lightsaber from his left hand to
his right. He leaped forward and came at the Wookiee with a sky-to-ground
sweep. He slashed at the creature's chest.
Rashtah's eyes glazed, and his howl was terrible. He dropped the
electrojabber and clutched at his wound. At the same time he swung the
vibro-ax. Obi-Wan brought the lightsaber down on the Wookiee's arm. The
creature fell over, his mournful death cry fading as his spirit left his
body.
Obi-Wan collapsed against the wall. Sweat stung his eyes. Rashtah had
tried to kill him, but he did not glory in this outcome. Death at such
close quarters was a devastating thing.
He hit the turbolift button and the lift dropped. By the time it
reached the planet floor, Obi-Wan had risen, adjusted his body armor and
helmet, and tucked his lightsaber back in his belt.
The doors opened. He was in a small enclosed anteroom. Through a
window he could see a deserted yard outside. It held factory equipment that
rusted in the rain.
He had a problem. If Rashtah's body was found, suspicion would be on
him. Krayn wanted it that way. The pirate was clever. If Rashtah had
succeeded in killing him, fine. But if the slave trader Bakleeda somehow
managed to kill the Wookiee, then Krayn could demand his removal from the
planet, or kill Bakleeda himself. Either way, he would be rid of
interference.
Obi-Wan dragged the heavy body of the Wookiee out into the drizzle. He
rolled it underneath a pile of outdated machines.
Soon Krayn would look for Rashtah. The Wookiee would be found. Obi-Wan
had less time than he'd thought. He had to find Anakin.
CHAPTER 17
As Anakin steered the gravsled to the drop-off pile, Mazie stepped
closer. She had changed places with the worker closest to the pile, and she
and Anakin exchanged smiles and glances throughout the day. It made the
work almost bearable, Anakin thought.
He made note of the fact that although Mazie had claimed not to make
friends anymore, she had certainly befriended him. He noticed that she
watched out for others, too. If a worker's output was slackening, she
quickly organized other slaves to help. If they spread the work among
themselves, the droids didn't notice. As she passed down the line, she
often put a hand on a shoulder here, or bestowed a quick smile there.
She had the loyalty of the slaves. Anakin both admired that and filed
the information away.
Mazie drifted closer as he unloaded the battered durasteel bins full
of cut spice.
"I have a little bread. Berri brought it to me," she whispered. "Here.
"
She pressed a bit of bread in his hand.
"No," Anakin said, trying to give it back.
"You're young. You need your energy." Mazie quickly drifted back. If
he followed her, he might attract the attention of the patrolling droids,
and she knew it.
Anakin pocketed the piece of bread and finished unloading the bins. He
would distribute it to a worker below who he noticed had been weakening
daily.
He climbed up on the gravsled and hit the forward controls, ready to
take the long tunnel down to the caverns below.
Suddenly Siri stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. He jerked
the gravsled to a stop.
"What is in your pocket?" she asked.
He did not answer.
Her lips thinned. "Come with me, slave."
Anakin climbed off the gravsled. Siri led him to a corner away from
the patrolling droids, the hooded gazes of the slaves, and noise of the
machines.
She turned on him immediately, her blue eyes snapping. "It is foolish
to break the rules here. You are not supposed to fraternize with other
slaves during work hours. No speaking is allowed unless a few words are
needed for work."
Anger sputtered through a weary Anakin. "You do not have to repeat the
rules to me."
"So you choose to break them? That is stupid. You will call attention
to yourself, and attention is never good here. Your duty is to keep your
eyes down and survive."
"I am a slave, Siri," Anakin said, not bothering to hide the contempt
in his voice. "I am your prisoner. Isn't that enough for you? Don't pull me
aside to rub my face in it. How dare you?"
Siri looked at him, shocked.
"Who are you to tell me my duty?" Anakin spat out. "You betrayed us
are Krayn's spy. The ally of a slave trader, the most contemptible,
despicable being in the galaxy - "
A low chuckle reached his ears. Anakin sputtered to a stop as Krayn
stepped around the corner.
"Such praise," he said mockingly. "How lucky I am to be such an icon
of evil to my property. It means I am doing something right."
"I was just reprimanding this slave," Siri said. "He is new and did
not know the rules."
Krayn turned to her and his expression was no longer amused. "So you
are a Jedi. What did he call you? Siri?"
"No longer," Siri said. "I left them long ago, but they have this
ridiculous code of loyalty. They think they own me. No one owns me!"
"Ah, you forget something," Krayn said. "I do." Siri's eyes blazed.
"No one owns me, Krayn." Suddenly guard droids appeared around the corner
and surrounded them.
"I left the Jedi for good," Siri said. There was no trace of begging
in her voice. "I have been your loyal associate, Krayn."
"Yes, the best I ever had," Krayn said sadly. "Yet I cannot take the
chance that you are a spy. Whether you are loyal or not doesn't matter -
you are a risk. You were the one to advise me about taking unnecessary
risks, Zora. Isn't it ironic that you will be put to death because of that?
"
He turned to the droids. "These two are Jedi. Take them into the
security prison to await execution." He smiled at Siri. "I think a little
show for the Colicoids might be a good start for our partnership."
The guards surrounded Anakin and Siri in a tight circle. They marched
the two prisoners down the row toward the exit. Mazie looked at him
furtively and tried to give him a smile of support. He gave her a
meaningful glance.
The guards marched Anakin and Siri to Krayn's complex high above the
factory floor. Anakin was surprised that Siri did not try to resist. He
wondered if she still had her lightsaber somewhere. If she had, surely she
would use it.
They were locked together in the lowest level of Krayn's complex in a
high-security cell. Anakin put his palms on the door as if he could force
it open.
"The Colicoids are already here for the meeting," Siri said. "It might
not be too long."
Anakin didn't speak to her.
The guards had stripped Siri of her weapons, but she reached into a
slit in her utility belt and came up with a small device. She activate
d it.
"No listening devices," she murmured. "Good."
Anakin said nothing. If she thought he was going to speak to a
traitor, she was crazy as well as evil.
"Anakin," Siri said quietly, "I am still a Jedi. I am working
undercover."
He turned, surprised. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"You don't. You have to trust me. Even Obi-Wan didn't know. No one at
the Temple does, except for the Jedi Council. This was our final attempt to
clean up Nar Shaddaa and end Krayn's reign of terror."
Anakin waited as Siri's words sunk in. His brain did not weigh her
words. He allowed himself to feel them, to tap into Siri's essence.
"I believe you," he said at last.
"Good." She sat cross-legged on the floor. "Not that my being a Jedi
helps us at the moment. But it makes things a little more pleasant in here.
"
Anakin was suddenly stabbed with guilt. "I blew your cover!"
She waved a hand. "It's all right."
"It's not! I compromised the mission. Obi-Wan has always instructed me
to be careful with what I say in anger."
"I am sure that he also told you that I am responsible for my own