"Reymet keeps dropping hints," Ferus said without waiting for Anakin
to speak. "He says he knows something about some secret goings-on at the
school. He even has hinted that it has something to do with Gillam's
disappearance. I know he's trying to impress me, but I still think he knows
something. Maybe about the secret squad. If we could infiltrate it, we'd
finally have something to tell Obi-Wan."
"I did infiltrate it," Anakin said.
Ferus looked startled. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't give me a chance," Anakin said. As usual, Ferus got under
his skin. "It just happened today."
"How? Who is it? This is great news," Ferus said approvingly.
Anakin wasn't sure what annoyed him more - Ferus's lack of envy at his
progress, or the way his approval sounded just a bit condescending, as
though Ferus was his Master.
"I was approached by Marit Dice," Anakin said. "She and her friends
are all scholarship students here at the school. That's the key. They feel
that they won't be treated fairly when it comes to positions after
graduation, so they decided to strike out on their own. The school doesn't
help them. They only help the sons and daughters of the important people."
"Sounds like an excuse to me," Ferus said.
"No," Anakin said, annoyed. "I'm sure it's true. Haven't you noticed
that the other students don't talk to the scholarship students?"
"Not really," Ferus said. "After all, I talk to Reymet." "Only because
you have to."
Ferus sighed. "So they picked you because you're a scholarship
student."
"They picked me because they thought they could trust me," Anakin
said. "I don't have a reputation as a snob."
If Ferus felt the sting of Anakin's remark, he didn't show it. "Did
they say anything about Gillam? Do you know if he was in the squad?"
"They didn't say a word about Gillam," Anakin said. "That's strange,"
Ferus said. "It's all everyone else at school talks about."
"They have more important things on their minds," Anakin said.
"Is Marit the leader?"
Anakin gave this some thought. "She did most of the talking. But I
didn't get the feeling that she was the leader. They say they vote on
everything."
"Do you know if they're going out on an assignment?" Ferus asked.
Anakin shook his head. "Not yet I'll find out."
Ferus frowned. "So do you think there's a connection? And if there is,
what could it be?"
"I don't know," Anakin said. "I can't imagine them kidnapping a fellow
student. They seem straightforward. They take on good causes. They're
almost like Jedi, in a way. Think about it, Ferus. Can you imagine being
able to pick and choose your own missions?"
Ferus looked at him curiously. "No. That's why we have the Council."
"But if we didn't, we could use our skills on missions that we decided
were important."
"If we didn't have the Council, we wouldn't be Jedi." Ferus gave him
the severe look that always got under his skin.
Anakin decided to change the subject. "Do you know anything about the
planet Tierell?"
"There was a coup there. It was a repressive government. The leader
was assassinated two weeks ago. The rebels are now in charge. Why?"
"The squad said they were involved," Anakin said. "In an
assassination? Do you call that a good cause?"
"I didn't say that they assassinated the leader,"
Anakin argued. "I just said they were involved." "Anakin, they are
mercenaries," Ferus said, exasperated. "What exactly do you think they do?"
"Not cold-blooded murder," Anakin said decidedly. "You've made a lot
of conclusions considering you just met them," Ferus said.
"It's an instinct," Anakin said. "That doesn't mean they can't be
hiding something. I'm not totally in their confidence yet. I need to gain
their trust."
Ferus nodded slowly. "I agree. But be careful."
Anakin said good-bye and was halfway down the hall before he wondered
what exactly Ferus wanted him to be careful of.
The secret squad had a secret signal, of course. Many of the students
had holographic displays outside their doors. When a hologram of a detailed
topographical map of Marit's homeworld of Hali was outside her door, a
meeting was scheduled. If the moons of Hali were shown, the meeting was in
the free evening hours. If the three suns were shown, the meeting would
take place before the morning meal.
They met almost every day. Anakin was surprised at the number of
proposals for help they received, from groups and individuals all over the
galaxy. The squad had only been in operation for six months, and the word
of mouth had spread. Rolai received the requests on a datapad Ze had
tweaked so that the routing system was too complicated to trace. Credits
were deposited in a secret account in an Andoran bank known for discretion.
Anakin admired the group's professionalism. They discussed the proposals
seriously, and he was impressed at Marit's knowledge of galactic politics
and history. It was obvious that they needed a mission soon, for their
treasury was low and they needed supplies.
Anakin was heading to his last class when he saw the signal for an
evening meeting. As soon as the free period began, he headed for a
storeroom located near the students' rooms. The storeroom wasn't used at
such hours and they did not have to pass through security checkpoints to
get to it from their rooms. It was a private place to meet.
He slipped inside the room to find the others waiting. He got the
sense that they had been talking before he entered. "Do we have a proposal?
" he asked, sitting down on the floor next to Hurana.
"No," Rolai said. "It's just a general meeting. Anybody have anything?
"
"Just stuff we can't afford," Ze said. "I haven't wanted to bring this
up, but we've got to upgrade our comlinks. We've got to get some
holographic capabilities pretty soon. And if we don't up-tech the drivers,
we'll be blasting static when we go past the Core. I have an idea how I can
do a basic upgrade without dipping into the treasury, but it's going to be
complicated." Ze launched into a highly technical discussion that obviously
left the rest of the squad behind.
"So if I patch into the C-board here and steal some juice from the
circuit, I can maybe extend the range from meta to mega if the systems
don't chatter and I don't pulverize the school mainframe," Ze concluded
cheerfully.
"Affirmatively good work, Ze-tech." Tulah nodded his head in approval,
but it was obvious he hadn't a clue as to what Ze was talking about. By the
looks on the faces of the rest, they felt the same.
"Don't forget to bypass the transit sensor when you patch," Anakin
said. "Otherwise you'll end up with a cinder instead of a comlink."
"An excellent point," Ze said, impressed.
"I was going to say that transit thing," Tulah said. "I mean, I would
have if I'd known what Ze was talking about.
Marit gave Anakin a sidelong look. "You know comm systems?"
"Some," Anakin said. As a slave at Watto's shop
, he had learned how to
fix anything. He had kept up the hobby as a Jedi student. "I know droid
circuits better."
"That's good, because we might be in the market for an astromech,"
Tulah said. "Love those little guys. Hurana has been shopping for a couple
of used A-6 interceptors, and a couple of astromechs are key. By the way,
we really need to get some starfighters soon. This hitching rides on
freighters has got to stop."
"I agree," Rolai said. "They're slow."
"Right. But what I really meant was, the food is terrible," Tulah
said. "Bleh."
"What's the weapon capability of the interceptors?" Rolai asked
Hurana.
"Turbolaser cannons, very sweet," Hurana said. "Both ships are in good
shape. The only problem is that one of them has a tendency to cut out
during dives."
"That could be a minor inconvenience," Tulah said. "Remind me to fly
in the other one."
Everyone laughed, but Anakin noted how their intent looks never
changed. He was impressed with their focus.
"I've gone on a couple of test flights and it's a pretty consistent
problem," Hurana admitted. "Last time I came within twenty meters of
complete annihilation on the planet surface before I was able to pull out."
"That sounds dangerous," Anakin said. The flow of conversation was
fast and decisive. It told him better than words what a tightly knit team
this was.
She flashed him a grin. "That's what made it fun." "What about a
hyperdrive?" Marit asked.
Hurana shook her head. "We might be able to add it. But that means
major investment capital."
"Don't worry about that," Rolai said.
"Why not?" Marit said. "The treasury is completely zilched."
"I'm working on it," Rolai said. "Just draw up your wish lists, and
I'll let you know what we can handle."
"Sounds like my speed," Tulah said. "Numbers are not my thing."
"I've got a wish list, too," Rolai said. "Speaking of upgrades, our
weapons are sad. A couple of blasters aren't going to get us very far. We
need some secondary weaponry. Some thermal detonators, a flechette
launcher, maybe some missile tubes - "
"Hang on," Marit said. "We're not an army."
"Sure we are," Rolai said. "If we act like it, we'd better have the
stuff to back it up. Things would have gone a lot better on Tierell if we'd
had the firepower - "
"Or a lot worse," Marit shot back.
"Not this again," Rolai said, rolling his eyes. "Six blasters for six
members is the bare minimum. If we'd had a flechette launcher - "
"You're right, Rolai," Marit said. "We've gone over this too many
times. Let's just be glad the mission was a success. Now we'd better get
back to our rooms."
Anakin hung back as the others slipped out the door. He closed it
behind them and turned to face Marit.
"We'd better get going," she said. "Lights out will be soon - "
"What was that about?" Anakin asked.
"What?" Marit said evasively.
"He said six blasters," Anakin said.
"What?"
"He said you had six blasters for six members. But there are only
five."
"Six, counting you."
"But I wasn't on the mission to Tierell."
Marit shrugged. "Rolai meant now, not then. Six blasters for six
members."
Anakin let it pass. "Tell me about Tierell."
Marit turned away. "I don't want to tell you about Tierell."
"Something's bothering you about it," Anakin said. "Maybe if you tell
me, I can help."
"I don't need help," Marit snapped.
"Okay," Anakin said. "Then let's say I deserve to know. I'm putting my
life on the line, too, you know."
Marit's brown eyes studied him. He knew the moment she decided to
trust him. It only took a few seconds. He was beginning to see that Marit
didn't like to waste time. "We had trouble. We'd been hired to slip into
the Leader's Advisors' Chambers and dismantle security. The room was
supposed to be empty, but the advisors were having a meeting. We had a
battle with some security droids. The blaster fire was incredible.
We could barely handle it. And... in the confusion, the leader of
Tierell was killed."
Marit hesitated. Then she took a deep breath. "I did."
Slowly, she sank back down to a crouching position on the floor. Her
hands dangled between her knees. "I've gone over it and over it, and I
still don't know why or how it happened. The success of the mission
depended on it. The freedom of the beings of Tierell depended on it. Maybe
my friends' lives depended on it. Maybe mine. In other words..." Marit
shrugged. "Everything depended on it. But I can't stop thinking..."
"That it could have gone another way." Anakin knew that feeling. He,
too, had taken a life. More than one. He didn't like to think about it.
Those experiences were locked in a place in his mind where he did not go.
He crouched down in front of her. "If everything depended on it, you
did the right thing. If you can't make yourself believe that, you'll drive
yourself crazy."
She looked into his face searchingly. "You seem to know how I feel."
"I do," Anakin said. He stood and held out his hand. She took it and
he helped bring her to her feet.
"You see?" he said. "Everybody needs help sometime."
* * *
"I think she lied about the blasters, but I don't know why," Anakin
told Obi-Wan in their next communication.
"Do you think Gillam was once part of the squad?"
"That doesn't make sense. He's not a scholarship student. But
something is up, I can feel it. Something with Rolai isn't right. Maybe he
knows something. He's in charge of security, and also the treasury. None of
the others seem to care about how he handles it. Maybe... I don't know,
maybe he decided to raise money by kidnapping Gillam and holding him for
ransom, but he didn't tell the others."
"Maybe," Obi-Wan said doubtfully. He sounded distracted, as though he
weren't really listening to Anakin. "But Tarturi hasn't received a ransom
demand."
"Yet. I'm not sure what to think," Anakin confessed. "I can't imagine
the group kidnapping Gillam. They're all pretty dedicated. Marit has an
incredible grasp of galactic politics. She knows what's being debated in
the Senate right down to the subcommittee hearings. And she always comes in
on the right side."
"And how do you know it's the right side?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice
dry. "Because you agree with it?"
"Because they are against violence and oppression," Anakin said.
"They're like the Jedi."
"Yet they are operating against school rules," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"If you are willing to violate trust, you cannot claim virtue."
"The school doesn't deserve their trust. It let them down."
"Nonetheless, they are attending the school and agreed to abide by its
rules," Obi-Wan said. "I can understand the attraction they have for you,
Anakin, but I fear you are getting too involved. You must be a Jedi at all
times. You must
constantly strive for inner balance. This includes being
swayed by the ideas of others. They often mask a different purpose."
"What purpose could they mask?"
"That is your job to find out. Do not forget that you are trying to
find a missing boy. Anakin, the fact that you are a Jedi is what will keep
you steady always. That is something to hold on to. If you know your first
loyalty, the rest falls into place. Do you understand?"
"I do, Master. Have you made progress in the Senate?"
Obi-Wan sighed. "Yes and no. Nothing to report yet. I'm sure there is
a connection between Rana Halion and Sano Sauro, but I can't find it."
"Rana Halion?"
"Ruler of leria. The leader of the countermovement in that system. I
think she might have something to do with Gillam's disappearance. Keep me
informed if you learn anything more, Padawan."
"Yes, Master." Anakin frowned as Obi-Wan cut the communication. His
Master had not been very forthcoming with information. And he did not seem