Jedi Apprentice_ The Hidden Past Part 6

Suddenly, the comlink in Guerra's coat began to signal him.

"Guard K23M9, report in," a voice said. "Explain whereabouts."

"It's probably a routine check," Obi-Wan murmured.

Guerra activated the comlink. "Warehouse delivery," he said.

After a pause, the comlink crackled. "Unscheduled. Explain."

Guerra looked at Obi-Wan in a panic. "Tell him he's mistaken," Obi-Wan whispered.

"Not so!" Guerra said rapidly into the comlink. "Orders received."

He shut off the comlink.

"We'd better do this fast," Obi-Wan muttered.

They turned down the next row. As Guerra scanned the shelves, Obi-Wan kept watch.

"Found it, Obawan!" Guerra cried softly. "There, to shelf! I recognize my carton of energy cells. It must be here." He climbed up on the bottom shelf, then reached up with his long arms. He grabbed a carton and hauled it down. Peering inside, he smiled broadly. "In here, at the bottom."

Obi-Wan shoved the carton marked "Bacta" in its place. "all right, let's go."

They strode down the aisle, trying to look as though they weren't hurrying. An announcement suddenly boomed out of a speaker near them.

"Guard K23M9, report to security. Guard K23M9, report to security."

"That's me! What should we do, Obawan?" Guerra asked panicked.

Obi-Wan thought carefully. They had to get the anti- register device out of the building. "Give me your coat," he ordered Guerra.

Guerra hesitated. "But that will put you in danger, Obawan. This I did once on Bandomeer. Bu this I will not do again."

"The Force will protect me," Obi-Wan told him, even though he doubted it. "You must find Qui-Gon and get that device out of here."

"You can use the Force to escape?" Guerra asked.

"Yes. Hurry." Obi-Wan slipped out of his own coat. Reluctantly, Guerra did the same. They exchanged the armor coats. Guerra put on Obi-Wan's and tucked the carton containing the anti-register device under his arm.

"Now go," Obi-Wan told him as Syndicat guards suddenly appeared around the corner on floaters Guerra swiveled and walked away, past the guards who headed for Obi-Wan. They did not give him a glance. Obi-Wan turned and saw four more guards heading for him in the opposite direction. He knew he could not resist. Even if her were to get past the guard here, security would lock down the building, and Guerra would never make it out. There was only one thing he could do. He had to surrender.

Guerra disappeared around a corner. The guards sped up to him and hovered, their blaster pointed at his neck, the only unprotected part of him.

"Guard K23M9, you are out of your quadrant," one of them said. "You know the penalty. We will escort you to headquarters. Resist, and you're dead."

Obi-Wan nodded. He climbed aboard the largest floater. The guard behind him kept the blaster against his neck. They took off for Syndicat headquarters.

Chapter 12.

Obi-Wan watched and waited for the chance to escape, but it was impossible. Part of his Temple training had been in patience, but it had been his worst subject.

The headquarters was swarming with guards. First, he was stripped of his armor coat and visor.

"He's not a Phindian," one of the guards said, surprised. Obi-Wan said nothing.

The other guard grabbed his lightsaber. He tried to activate it, but could not. "What is this? Some primitive weapon?"

Again, Obi-wan said nothing.

The two guards looked at each other nervously. "We'd better take him to Weutta."

Weutta turned out to be the head of security. The irises of Obi-Wan's eyes were scanned to compare to the real Guard K23M9. Obi-Wan saw the words NO MATCH on the screen. Nothing else came up.

"So, we have no record of you, rebel" the security head said, pus.h.i.+ng his face up to Obi-Wan's. Who are your contacts? Why did you come to Phindar? What happened the guard K23M9?"

Again, Obi-Wan said nothing. Weutta gave him a light jab with a force pike. Even that touch was enough to send him to his knees. His head spun, and his side was on fire from the electrifying jolt.

"I'll take this one to Baftu," Weutta said. "We're on high security. He wants to see all the rebels."

Weutta roughly pushed a weakened Obi-Wan down what felt like miles of hallway. At last they reached a heavily carved, ma.s.sive door. A guard nodded them through. They were in a large, completely empty room with heavy tapestries hung over the windows. Another pair of ma.s.sive double doors were at the opposite end.

Weutta walked toward them and stopped. He pushed Obi-Wan down on his knees, then pressed his face down. "Wait here, slug," he growled.

"And don't look up."

Keeping his face down, Obi-wan moved only his eyes to watch Weutta as the pudgy Phindian straightened his visor and smoothed his armor coat.

He cleared his throat. Obviously, even the head of security was nervous about seeing Baftu. Then he pressed a b.u.t.ton on the side of the door.

A second later, the door swung open. An annoyed Baftu stood in the doorway of his office.

"Why have you disturbed me?" he barked, scowling.

"I have brought you a rebel -" Weutta babbled quickly.

"Why do you pester me with such things?" Baftu roared.

"B-because you ordered me to," Weutta answered, his voice almost a whine.

"You disgust me. Leave the rebel and get out."

"But -"

"Excuse me, Head Slug," Baftu said in a purring, murderous tone.

"Are you still here in my line of sight? Or do I need to impale you on an electro-jabber until you shake yourself to death?"

"No," Weutta whispered, and ran past a kneeling Obi-Wan to the far doors. He slipped through them and disappeared.

"Baftu!" It was Terra. Obi-wan couldn't see her. "I'm not finished!"

Baftu turned away, not even glancing in Obi-Wan direction. He left the door partially ajar. Slowly, Obi-Wan crept forward, his ears straining. He called upon the Force to sharpen his senses so he could hear the two. They spoke in furious murmurs.

"I was against the alliance with Prince Beju from the beginning,"

Terra said. "What do we know of him? We have yet to meet him or see him.

Everything is done through his intermediaries. I do not trust someone I cannot see."

"He is coming tomorrow," Baftu said. "You will be able to look at him. Enough of this."

"And why are you thinking of expansion now?" Terra went on, ignoring him. "We should consolidate our power here on Phindar. Rebel action is growing. The people are starving. Med centers are crying out for supplies. You have created too many shortages, Baftu! The people are bound to revolt."

Baftu laughed "And what if they do? They are sick and hungry. If they can find any weapons, they are too weak to hold them for long."

"This is not a joke, Baftu! Terra cried furiously, her voice rising.

"Ah, you're getting soft, pretty Terra," Baftu said. "But if the state of things on Phindar worries you, then why don't you handle it? You can appease the people with some extra food this week. Not a bad idea since Beju is coming. It will distract them. Just don't give them any bacta - I've promised most of it to Beju."

"I do not trust that Prince -"

"As you have said," Baftu interrupted, "over and over again. I will handle the meeting. You handle Phindar. Now I have work to do."

"What about the rebel?" Terra asked.

"You handle it. Phindar is your responsibility, remember?"

Obi-Wan heard clicking footsteps, then the opening and shutting of a door in the other room. Quickly, he scuttled backward on his hands and knees, then pressed his face down into his hands.

A moment later, a boot nudged his shoulder. He had not even heard Terra approach on the soft carpet.

"Head up, rebel."

He raised his head. How strange to see the friendly eyes of Guerra and Paxxi in such a cruel face.

"So, you are not a Phindian. Who are you?" Terra asked impatiently.

"A friend," Obi-Wan answered.

Terra snorted. "Not to me. You impersonated a guard. You know the penalty. Well, perhaps you do not. Perhaps your Phindian friends did not tell you. You will be renewed and transported off-planet."

Obi-Wan did not move a muscle, but inside he cried out. Renewed! He did not imagine this. He was prepared to withstand torture. But to have his memory gone! That was too painful to imagine.

Terra sighed. She looked weary, and Obi-Wan suddenly saw a glimpse of the girl she had been. She looked away into the distance. "Don't worry, rebel. It's not as bad as people say."

Perhaps seeing traces of Guerra and Paxxi in her features made Obi-Wan feel he could risk a question. "Do you miss your family?"

She stiffened for a moment. He expected a blow, waited for it. But instead, Terra turned to him. Her bleak gaze held a sadness that was full of empty s.p.a.ces.

"How can you miss what you do not remember?" she asked.

Chapter 13.

Qui-Gon's voice was a sharp as the edge of a vibro-s.h.i.+v. "You abandoned him!"

"Not so, Jedi-Gon! He insisted!" Guerra cried. "And it happened so fast. I did not know what to do!"

"You could have stayed with him!" Qui-Gon snapped.

"But Obawan told me to take the anti-register. It was most important, he said," Guerra cried desperately.

Qui-Gon let out an exasperated sigh, Obi-Wan was right. They had set out to find the device. That had to be all important.

He turned back to Guerra and tried to compose himself. They stood hidden in the shadows outside the huge warehouse. He wanted to rush at Guerra, rush at the first Syndicat guard he saw, rush into the headquarters. His anger filled him, raw and pulsing, irrational. He was surprised at the power of it. Guerra had betrayed Obi-Wan on the mining platform. Had he done it again.

"I did not know what to do, Jedi-Gon," Guerra said helplessly behind him. "Obawan insisted it so. He said, give me your coat. He said the Force would help him Now I see he only wanted me to obey. If I knew he would be taken away, I would have so very gladly gone in his place."

Qui-Gon turned and looked into Guerra's sorrowful eyes. His instinct told him to trust the Phindian. And everything he said about Obi-Wan rang true. His Padawan had sacrificed himself in order to get the anti-register device out of the building. Qui-Gon would have done the same.

Paxxi spoke up softly. "We have a signal for Duenna in case of emergency. We could activate it. She will meet us tomorrow morning in the marketplace and tell us how Obawan is and what plans there are for him.

We can arrange rescue then."

"Tomorrow id too late," Qui-Gon said. "It has to be tonight. Now. I won't leave Obi-Wan there for so long."

Paxxi and Guerra exchanged glances. "So sorry to say not so, Jedi-Gon," Guerra said. "But headquarters locks down for the night. No one can get in or out. Not even Terra and Baftu."

"What about the anti-register device?" Qui-Gon asked. "You said it could get you in anywhere."

"Yes, so," Guerra said. "Anywhere. Except headquarters after lockdown."

"Duenna will watch out for Obawan," Guerra said softly. "She will protect him as best she can."

Qui-Gon turned away again. Helpless rage filled him again. But this time it was not directed at Guerra. It was directed at himself. He should have gone with Obi-Wan and let the Derida brothers fend for themselves.

But he was afraid they would not be able to get the anti-register device out of the building.