uneasily. It was clear he was worried he'd said too much. "They're doing
extra security checks - and I'm late for class. One more demerit and I'm
suspended. Not that having to leave this place would break my heart. But it
just might break my old man."
"Go," Obi-Wan told him. "We'll handle it from here."
Reymet suddenly looked lost. "I really hope you find him. I like him a
lot." Reymet hurried out the door.
Obi-Wan peered into the pipe. He could see where the dust had been
disturbed, but it was impossible to tell by whom or by how many.
"After you," Siri said.
Obi-Wan climbed into the pipe. He had to stoop and move slowly because
of his size. Siri had an easier time.
"Hurry," she urged him.
"Would you like to go first?"
"If I could get around you, I would."
Obi-Wan saw light at the end of the pipe and quickened his pace. He
slid out of the pipe onto a springy floor. He realized that it was covered
in moss. The large space had a damp, moldy smell. Mildew marked the walls
in cloudy patterns. The smell was close and dank.
"This must have been some sort of holding tank," Siri said. She took
out a glow rod and held it up. "Makes sense if that was a water pipe."
Obi-Wan felt the floor suck at his boots. "There's a couple of
passageways. Any ideas?" He turned to Siri, but he already felt the Force
move in the space. She was looking keenly about her, sending out the Force,
trying to reach her Padawan. Obi-Wan joined her, calling on the Force to
help them locate Ferus.
They turned at the same moment and headed for the passageway to their
left. They could feel it now. The Force had entered the dank, dark space,
and they knew Ferus was near.
Siri held her glow rod aloft. "I think we're in the old water
treatment system. See the inflow pipes'?"
"These are holding pens for the water," Obi-Wan said, peering into the
rooms as they passed. Some of the chambers still had their durasteel panel
doors. Others had doors that were half rusted away, or had been removed.
The Force grew stronger. Ahead they saw a chamber with an intact door.
It was bolted to the wall with a new lock.
Siri withdrew her lightsaber. Within seconds, the metal peeled back,
giving them an entry to the chamber.
Ferus sat in the middle of the room. He quickly stood, facing them. "I
am sorry for needing rescue, Master," he said to Siri. "I am sorry, Master
Kenobi."
"We all need rescue sometime," Obi-Wan said.
"Some more than others," Siri said, grinning at Obi-Wan.
Ferus was so different from Anakin, Obi-Wan thought. Anakin would have
smiled at him as soon as he entered. It's about time, he would have said.
Or maybe, I hope you brought my lunch. He felt an intense need to find his
own Padawan. Added to the feeling was the fury that he was gone at all.
"What happened?" Siri asked Ferus. "Are you all right? Where is your
lightsaber?"
"It's hidden in my room." Ferus made a face. "One of several of my
mistakes. I came down here looking for Gillam without stopping there first.
I thought if I found him I could prevent Anakin taking off with the secret
squad. Instead, Gillam found me."
"Gillam?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised.
Ferus nodded. "He was never kidnapped. He staged it himself."
Obi-Wan felt a surge of impatience. He should have examined this
possibility. He hadn't been able to imagine a son doing such a thing to his
father. No matter how much he'd seen in his life, no matter what evil he'd
faced, he was still capable of surprise at a son's resentment of a powerful
father. It always surprised him, how personal a betrayal could be.
"I don't understand how he could have imprisoned you," Siri said with
a frown.
"I was exploring, and I found a hiding place," Ferus said. "It's just
down this corridor. His datapad was hidden in a drain behind a lock, in a
plastoid sleeve. I was just trying to access it when I heard someone
coming. It was Gillam and a few members of the secret squad. I was able to
conceal the datapad but they got my comlink."
"What did they do?" Obi-Wan asked. He felt dread invade him. So the
secret squad was involved.
"They thought I was just a nosy student," Ferus said. "I decided not
to resist because I didn't want to blow my cover, or especially Anakin's.
They didn't know what to do with me. They were afraid I'd report them. They
searched me, but I used the Force to redirect them, so I was able to hang
onto Gillam's datapad. Then they put me in here. Gillam brought me food,
but I haven't seen him in hours."
Ferus held up the datapad. "They left me alone, so I was able to read
this. First of all, look - it has a Senate seal."
Obi-Wan took it. He recognized the symbol of Andara on the back. "This
belongs to Berm Tarturi." He thought a moment. "Maybe Tarturi was right.
Someone did break into his office and go through his things. But it was his
own son."
Ferus nodded. "That's not all. There are ransom notes on this pad. Two
of them have been sent. I think Gillam plans to pin his own kidnapping on
his father."
"Why would he do such a thing?" Siri asked. "Does he hate him so much?
"
"He must," Ferus said. "But that's not the only thing. Are you in
contact with Anakin?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "He hasn't reported in. He must be traveling
or even on leria by now, but his comlink has been turned off."
Ferus looked grave. "The last letter in the file takes responsibility
for Gillam's death. It hasn't been sent yet, but it's timed to go out in
five hours.".
"He's going to frame his father for his own murder?" Obi-Wan said.
"But how?" Siri asked. "He'll need a body. There will be some kind of
investigation."
"That's what I've been thinking about," Ferus said quietly. He ran his
hands through his hair in a rare gesture of agitation. "What if Gillam
planned to produce a body? Someone similar in age and build, someone who
looks a little like him. They could plant text docs on the body, or near
it."
"They'd have to count on a great deal of chaos and confusion," Siri
said. "There are many tests that can be done to determine identity."
"The secret squad is going to help start a war between Andara and the
rest of the planets in the system," Obi-Wan said. "They may not realize it,
but they will. That will certainly create chaos." He suddenly realized what
Ferus, brooding in this damp cell, had already put together. "They just
need a body." He thought back to the information he had on Gillam, to the
boy's height and weight and coloring. "And they've chosen - "
"Anakin," Ferus said.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"If this doesn't work, I don't know you," Rana Halion said. Her spiky
white hair seemed to bristle like fur as she surveyed the secret squad.
Marit nodded. "Understood."
"But it had better work," Rana Halion added. "It will," Rolai said.
Rana Halion's transparent blue eyes swept the group. She sighed. "If
you didn'
t come so highly recommended, I wouldn't believe it," she
murmured. "You look like a bunch of kids."
Anakin had to agree. Rolai was skinny and pale beneath his Bothan
mane. Ze was plump. Tulah always looked as though he had just woken from a
nap, and Hurana appeared slight and shy.
But he had seen that Rolai was tough, almost ruthless, Ze could
dissect and solve any technical problem in five minutes or less, Tulah had
a brilliant mind for strategy, and Hurana had convictions and no fear.
Marit was smart and resourceful. He would put his own trust in this squad.
Rana pushed a contact button on her gold cuff and watched as a digital
coded message flashed at her. "I don't have much time. Who is your lead
pilot?" Anakin stepped forward. "I am."
Rana looked at him intently. Anakin thought it could have been the
most intimidating glance he'd ever experienced - if he hadn't grown up at
the Temple. Once you've faced Jedi like Mace Windu, no one else could
intimidate you. He did not drop his own gaze and met hers without
flinching.
She gave a short nod. "You seem competent. Can you pilot a
starfighter?"
"I can fly anything."
"I almost believe it," she murmured, giving him another glance. "Do
you know how to fire laser cannons at a target?"
Anakin glanced at Marit. "I thought there was to be no active firing."
Rana looked exasperated. "Who's in charge here?" "We all are," Rolai
broke in crisply. "And we all know how to fire laser cannons. We've been
over this."
"Have you thoroughly briefed the squad?" Rana asked, raising an
eyebrow skeptically.
"Not with the final details," Rolai said smoothly. "We were waiting
for the exact time of departure and target details."
Rana glanced at her cuff again. "Do it then. You can inspect the
starfighters. You leave in thirty minutes."
Marit exploded as soon as Rana was out of the room. "What was that all
about? What do you mean, you haven't briefed the squad? What do you know
that we don't know? We're supposed to vote on everything!"
"Calm down," Rolai said with a glance at the door to make sure Rana
was out of earshot.
"Don't tell me to calm down," Marit answered hotly. "Tell me the
truth!"
"The mission just changed a bit," Rolai said. "We're supposed to fire
on the fleet."
"Fire on the fleet?" Anakin asked. "But that's a declaration of war!"
"That's not our problem," Rolai said. "We're hired to do the job.
That's all."
"Wait," Marit said. "Why didn't you tell us this?" She looked at Ze,
Hurana, and Tulah. Their gazes slid away. "You all knew, and I didn't?"
"I didn't know, either," Anakin pointed out.
But no one was paying attention to Anakin. "We all voted to wait to
tell you until we got here," Hurana said. She didn't meet Marit's hot gaze.
"We thought you might object," Rolai said. "After the last mission,
you had some misgivings about organic damage."
"Organic damage?" Marit said in disbelief. "Is that what you're
calling it now? They were living beings!"
"Marit, what do you think we're doing?" Rolai asked. "This isn't
school. It isn't a game. We all agreed we would start this as a business
and run it as a business. We all agreed that we would make our own
destinies."
"That's the point," Marit said angrily. "We all agreed. We didn't
leave someone out."
"I get your point, Marit," Rolai said. "Now let's move on. Here we
are. Are you going to join us, or not?"
Anakin watched Marit's face. He could see that she was torn. No one
cared what he thought, but he would throw his support behind Marit if she
voted to back out.
"I'm in," she said in a low tone.
The group looked relieved. Even Rolai did, although he tried to hide
it.
"Hold on," Anakin said. "What about me? I'm part of the squad. Don't I
get a vote, too?"
Rolai gave him a glance that was so neutral Anakin felt a chill. It
was as though Anakin wasn't even there.
"We don't have time for this," Rolai said. "Let's inspect the
starfighters."
Rana Halion suddenly appeared again. "We have a slight change in the
systems now. You'll have to come to the briefing room."
Rolai gestured to the group. "Let's go."
"While you're doing that, I'll check out the starfighters," Anakin
said. "I need to look at the controls and see if I can handle them."
Rolai gave him a glance. "I thought you said you could fly anything,"
he hissed so that Rana could not hear.
Anakin shrugged. "I sure hope I can," he murmured. "I don't tell you
everything. But then again, you don't tell me everything, either. Do you?"
Rolai shot him a murderous look. "We're coming," he called to Halion.
"You," he whispered angrily to Anakin, "check out those starfighters.
You're going to have to give the rest of us some quick lessons."
Anakin waited until the group had left with Rana. Then he hurried to
the hangar. There wasn't much time. He didn't have a choice now. He
couldn't let the mission go through. He had to disable those starfighters.
He knew that now. He was nowhere near discovering what happened to Ferus or
Gillam, and he was about to start a war. He was probably breaking every
Jedi rule in the archives.
The lerian starfighters were modifications of the Delta-6 Aethersprite
that he was used to. Anakin knew every bolt on the engine. He thought for a
minute. He needed to disable something that would show up as a warning
light midflight but wouldn't put the ship in danger. He wanted to give the
pilots plenty of time to turn around and land. It would have to be
something that would immediately lead them to abort the mission.
The laser cannon capacitors. Anakin swung open the maintenance panel.
Small tools were snapped onto the panel within easy reach. He selected a
small servo-driver and within minutes had disabled the capacitators.
He started toward the next ship, wondering if he should alter the
engine cooling system just enough to cause the engines to overheat
slightly. That might add a little urgency to the decision to abort the
mission...
"What are you doing?"
Marit's voice echoed across the hangar. Anakin paused and peered
around the control panel.
"Just a little tweaking."
She walked forward and peered into the system controls. "Do you think
I'm stupid, Anakin? You've neutralized the laser cannon capacitators. I've
studied the blueprints of this engine. I came back to see if you needed
help. I guess you don't, do you?" She turned and looked at him. Their faces
were very close. He could see the speculation and the disappointment in her
eyes. "Why?"
"You don't think we should go on this mission, either," Anakin said.
"I voted to go." Marit's voice was firm. "The group rules."
"But I'm part of the group! The rule is that all decisions must be
unanimous. Why isn't Rolai letting me vote?"
Marit shifted fro
m one foot to the other. "He says new members
shouldn't have full voting privileges until they've completed a mission - "
"And did you vote on that, or did Rolai just tell you?" Marit's
silence told him what he needed to know. "So I'm supposed to risk my life
without having a say in what we do? Do you think that's fair?"
"Do you think it's fair to sabotage our engines to get what you want?"
Marit's voice rose challengingly. "How could you do this? I trusted you! I
brought you into the group!"
Marit's brown eyes held anger and reproach. Anakin felt it was time
for the truth. He owed her that.
"I'm a Jedi," he said. "I'm not really a student at the Leadership
School. I was sent there to investigate Gillam Tarturi's disappearance."
"Gillam?" Marit was surprised.
"Don't you want to know what happened to him?" Anakin asked. "And
before we left, Ferus Olin disappeared. What if Rolai had something to do
with it? What if he's funding the squad with ransom money? He's the one in
charge of your treasury, and he's the security expert. He's the one with