Jedi Quest 0: Path to Truth (star wars) Page 10

  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 risks," Siri said firmly. "And I'm sure he advised you to recognize the danger of your impulsiveness and then move on without blame, only wisdom."

  Anakin smiled. "You sound just like him."

  "I know him well. He has this habit of telling you the truth just when you don't want to hear it." Anakin laughed and discovered that he liked Siri.

  He sat down opposite her.

  "I've been keeping an eye on you, Anakin," she said. "I'm impressed with your kindness and bravery. I saw how you tried to help the weak ones when you could."

  Anakin's grin faded. "I know what it's like to be a slave."

  "Yes. And it is unfortunate that events placed you here. You have shown remarkable patience and strong will. I believe you'll make a fine Jedi."

  "If I'm not executed first."

  "It's not over yet," Siri said. "Obi-Wan is somewhere on Nar Shaddaa, I'm sure. The Council sent him here."

  Anakin brightened. "He is? But how can he get to us?"

  "He'll find a way."

  "So Krayn is in league with the Colicoids," Anakin said. "That's why Captain Dec was here."

  "The Colicoids are taking over the spice trade, and they need to make a deal with Krayn to process the spice here on Nar Shaddaa. The leader of Nar Shaddaa will look the other way, as he always does."

  Anakin nodded thoughtfully. What Siri had just told him reinforced his own suspicions as well as the forming of his plan.

  "We can't afford to wait here for rescue," Anakin told Siri. "If the Colicoids are here on Nar Shaddaa, we have to act now."

  "And do what?"

  "If we can convince the Colicoids that it is in their best interests to take over the Nar Shaddaa operation, then Nar Shaddaa will come under the laws of the Republic, since the Colicoids are members."

  "True," Siri admitted.

  "So slavery will be outlawed."

  "That's exactly why they wouldn't do it," Siri said. "They need slaves. Or rather, they convince themselves they do out of their own greed.

  " "Exactly. So we have to use their greed against them. We have to convince the Colicoids that they can still make enormous profits without slaves. They can do this by eliminating Krayn as the middleman. They won't have to give him a cut of the profits, or rely on his abilities to run the factories, or worry about him cheating them."

  "What makes you think the Colicoids would listen to that argument?"

  Siri asked. "They're very cautious."

  "Their caution and their greed will force them to listen," Anakin said. "But we have to make them think that if they don't do it, they will lose everything. I'll bet they already distrust Krayn."

  "Everybody does," Siri said. "That is, if they're smart."

  "If we can convince the Colicoids that Krayn has a shaky hold on Nar Shaddaa and is in danger of losing the factories, they'll be more willing to take the chance to overthrow him."

  "Why would they think that?" Siri asked.

  "Because there will be a slave rebellion while the Colicoids are here, " Anakin responded quickly. "The slaves will blow up part of the factory.

  If the Colicoids see this, they might seize that moment of weakness to take over."

  Siri stared at him. "But why would the slaves rebel?"

  "Because they want to be free," Anakin said.

  Siri shook her head. "It's not that simple, Anakin. The guards hold those slaves in the grip of fear. Their brutality over the years has been great. The slaves risk too much."

  "If they felt that they had a chance.." Anakin said thoughtfully.

  "Yes, some sort of guarantee that made it worth the risk," Siri said slowly. "I have an idea. You're leaving out the third party in all this — the leader of Nar Shaddaa. He is in control of the civilian guards. If we can convince him that it's in his best interests to back the Colicoids over Krayn, he can instruct the guards to look the other way when the slaves rebel. Nar Shaddaa will become part of the Republic, and the natives will enjoy the benefits of alliances and trade."

  "Of course!" Anakin enthused. "That's the missing key."

  "I've been involved in some high-level meetings," Siri told him. "The Colicoid representatives know me. If I can get to them, I can lay the whole thing out. I can make them suspicious of Krayn's abilities. They'll trust me, since I'm his advisor. I know Aga Culpa, the leader of Nar Shaddaa, too."

  "And I'll talk to the slaves," Anakin said.

  Siri sighed. "There's only one problem. We're in a high-security cell.

  And both our lightsabers are in my quarters. We can't break out."

  Anakin smiled.

  She raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't tell me you have a plan for that, too."

  "Of course," Anakin said.

  Siri shook her head. "You remind me of someone I knew well years ago.

  He never let up, either. Made me think fast to keep up with him." She grinned. "Just don't ever tell Obi-Wan I said so."

  "It's funny," Anakin said. "I thought you hated him."

  Siri stretched her muscles. "Of course I don't hate him. He just gets on my nerves." Her vivid blue eyes glinted. "But then again, most beings do."

  Chapter 18

  Obi-Wan had tried everything he knew. He had reached out with the Force, trying to locate Siri or Anakin. His Padawan's connection was so strong that he'd felt sure that once he was inside the factory he would be able to locate him. But all he felt was a void.

  He had walked over much of the factory, and the day was waning. He had looked into the faces of hundreds of slaves. He had seen misery and sickness and exhaustion. He had not seen his Padawan.

  He found a private place to contact the Temple. Adi Gallia answered his call.

  "We have lost contact with Siri," she said. "We cannot help you, Obi- Wan. You're on your own."

  He acknowledged the transmission and quickly tucked the comlink in his tunic. Something indeed was very wrong. It was time to locate Krayn.

  Obi-Wan took the lift tube to Krayn's sprawling complex. As he walked toward Krayn's private quarters, he felt a disturbance in the Force. He paused, but he couldn't trace it. Still, it worried him.

  Krayn's receiving room surprised Obi-Wan. He had expected richness, a display of Krayn's enormous wealth to show how important he was. But the room was almost bare. The floor was of plain rough stone. The only sign of Krayn's ego was an enormous chair carved out of rare greel wood.

  Krayn was standing as Obi-Wan arrived. "So," he said in a jovial tone, "have you seen all that you have come to see?"

  "No," Obi-Wan reported shortly. "I have toured some of the factory on my own, but I request a guide. Someone who knows your operation well."

  "Hmmm," Krayn said. "That would be Rashtah. Strange, however. No one has been able to find him today. You didn't happen to run into him in your travels, did you? A large Wookiee with a bad temper?"

  It was a test, of course. Krayn was playing with him. He knew very well that if Obi-Wan was now standing in front of him, the Wookiee had failed.

  "No. Perhaps someone else can substitute."

  "I will find someone, of course. I'll send them to you."

  "I'll be on the factory floor — "

  Krayn's eyes glittered. "Don't worry. I always know where to find you.

  " Obi-Wan's sense of unease was growing. Krayn felt too secure. Why? Did he know that Obi-Wan was a Jedi? Or was he con
fident because his deal with the Colicoids was close to being completed?

  Obi-Wan paused at the same spot he had felt a disturbance in the Force earlier. He reached out, gathering the Force around him, pushing himself to reach deeper, farther, wider. He did not feel an answering call from Anakin. Yet he knew one thing: His greatest fear had not been realized. His Padawan was still alive.

  But if he was alive, that meant he was thinking. Planning. Obi-Wan fervently hoped his impulsive Padawan would remember patience and caution.

  At least he could be with Siri…

  Apprehension suddenly snaked through Obi-Wan. If Anakin and Siri were together, anything could happen.

  Hours later, a tiny slit in the door opened and a tray was pushed through. On it was a protein wafer as hard as a rock, some water, and a moldy piece of bread.

  "No, thank you," Siri said.

  Anakin approached the tray eagerly. He tore open the piece of bread.

  Inside was a message written on a scrap of durasheet.

  WHAT CAN I DO? BERRI Siri looked over his shoulder. "Who is that?"

  "She's my friend Mazie's daughter. She works in the kitchens here."

  Anakin was glad Mazie had thought of asking for Berri's help. He had counted on it. "Where did you hide your lightsaber? And, while you're at it, mine?"

  "In my quarters," Siri answered. "Underneath my sleep-couch."

  "That's original."

  Siri looked annoyed. "It's handy. And no one ever cleans. I didn't have to worry about being discovered. There are weapons checks throughout Krayn's complex. I couldn't take a chance that my lightsaber would be found."

  Anakin wrote carefully with the implement wrapped in the durasheet.

  ZORA'S BED. WEAPONS.

  He placed the tray back on the shelf. Minutes later, the slit opened.

  The tray was grabbed from outside.

  "This could be a trick," Siri said worriedly.

  "If it is, we're no worse off," Anakin pointed out. "And it's not a trick. Mazie is loyal."

  After a moment, Siri nodded. "I trust who you trust." They sat down to wait. The minutes ticked by, then an hour.

  "I was never good at the patience exercises at the Temple," Siri groaned.

  "Me, neither," Anakin admitted.

  Siri blew out a breath. "Obi-Wan always was."

  At last the panel slid open, and two lightsabers tumbled to the floor, followed by two comlinks.

  "Thank you, Berri," Anakin whispered through the opening. He could not see Mazie's daughter. "Now get back to your post."

  They waited until they were sure that Berri was clear. Then they activated their lightsabers. Anakin felt a surge of confidence as he saw the blue glow. He didn't feel like a slave anymore. He was a Jedi again.

  Together they cut through the thick door. The durasteel peeled back, and Siri stepped through the opening, followed by Anakin.

  There were no guards in the corridor.

  "Krayn always trusts high-tech security too much," Siri muttered.

  "Let's head for Aga Culpa." There were only three droid guards stationed in the entrance to the basement prison. Siri and Anakin paused after peeking around the corner to glimpse them.

  "We don't have time for complicated strategy," Siri said. "Let's just charge them."

  They activated their lightsabers again and were on the droids before they could respond to the attack. They both leaped high in the air and then came down, slicing their lightsabers through the droids and splitting them in half. As the third droid kept up blaster fire, it retreated to the console desk, no doubt to raise an alarm. Anakin cut down the droid while Siri whirled and buried her shaft in the console communication panel. It sizzled and smoked.

  "We'd better hurry now," Siri said.

  She led the way to an exit following a little-used passageway. "This is Krayn's private escape route," she told Anakin. "It leads to his landing platform, and it's only a short distance from there to Aga Culpa. Krayn insisted that Culpa enjoy the comfort of the complex, but actually he just wanted to keep an eye on him."

  Anakin followed Siri to Krayn's landing platform and then to another walkway that led to another quadrant of the complex. Siri accessed the door and walked in.

  They found Aga Culpa sitting in front of a holographic game.

  "Busy as usual, I see," Siri said, striding in and shutting off the game.

  Aga Culpa looked up. The expression on his face was such an odd mixture of outrage, embarrassment, and apprehension that Anakin was almost tempted to laugh. Culpa was a thin humanoid male with a slack-muscled body that he clothed in skintight tech fabric. He wore a tiny matching cap on his bald head.

  "How dare you burst into my private quarters!" he blustered. Then he looked nervous. "Does Krayn want to see me?"

  "No. I do." Siri sat astride a chair. "This is my slave, Anakin. We may speak freely in front of him."

  Anakin bristled inside at being called a slave, but he understood the necessity for it.

  "I've come to give you a message from the Colicoids," Siri said. "They are going to take over the factories of Nar Shaddaa. Naturally Krayn is not aware of this."

  The apprehension on Aga Culpa's face changed to fear. "Take over?" he whispered.

  "They have the power," Siri said. "And a close associate of Krayn's has agreed to help them. That's me. I always liked you, Culpa, so I'm giving you the opportunity to join us."

  "Against Krayn?" Aga Culpa gripped the arms of his chair.

  "It would be a smart move. And easy. All you have to do is nothing.

  Tell the guards of the Nar Shaddaa factories not to interfere with the slaves."

  "I can't do that," Aga Culpa said. "Krayn would kill me."

  "Are you so sure that you're safe from the Colicoids if you do not?"

  Siri asked pleasantly.

  Aga Culpa's look of fearful unease intensified. He shook his head. "N- no. I can't go against Krayn."

  Siri gave a quick look of exasperation at Anakin. Obviously Aga Culpa was too weak and paralyzed with terror to take a risk. She shrugged. Anakin knew what was in her mind.

  He felt the Force gather in the room. It was powerful, and he admired Siri's grasp of it. She turned her attention back to Aga Culpa and passed a hand in front of his face.

  "Contact the Nar Shaddaa slave guards. if there is a revolt, order them to do nothing."

  "I will order them to do nothing. I will contact the guards." Aga Culpa's voice was toneless, but the mind suggestion had worked. On such a weak will as Culpa's, it had been easy.

  "Do it now."

  They watched as Aga Culpa activated his comlink and spoke to the commanding officer. He overrode the officer's expression of disbelief with a firm repeat of the order.

  "Do it or suffer the consequences," Siri whispered. "Do it or suffer the consequences," Aga Culpa repeated. He shut off the communication.

  "Thanks, Culpa. I appreciate your support." Siri sprang off the chair athletically and strode toward the door.

  As soon as she and Anakin were outside, she frowned. "The Colicoids won't be so easy. Jedi mind tricks won't work. I'll have to go alone, Anakin."

  "I need to talk to the slaves, anyway."

  "I don't need to wish you luck," Siri said. "I know you can do it."

  "Luck always helps. I'll wait for your signal." Anakin ran toward the turbolift. He had gained great confidence in Siri.

  It took Anakin a few minutes of careful strategy to get around the patrolling guard droids in the factory. He stealthfully slipped next to Mazie on the assemblyline, hoping the guards would not do a sudden head count Quickly, he explained the situation and what he needed.

  She gazed at him, amazed. "You really do mean to break out, don't you.

  " "Not alone," Anakin said. "With all of us, together."

  "I can't do it, Anakin," Mazie said in a low tone as her fingers continued to work. "I can't ask them to risk so much."

  "All we have to worry about is the droids. The Nar Sha
ddaa guards will look the other way."

  "The droids are enough."

  "What if I created a diversion? An explosion? I know where the explosives are kept in the caverns."

  Mazie bit her lip. "I don't know.." she murmured.