The School of Fear Page 3

  their words. "Must be hard, with all the security around here," Anakin

  remarked. He was pushing gently, trying to get Reymet to open up.

  Reymet snorted. "Security isn't as secure as the experts say it is.

  There are ways to get around any system."

  "It seems pretty tight to me," Anakin remarked casually.

  Several students glanced at Anakin curiously as they passed by. Reymet

  shoved his datapad into his pocket with a rough gesture. "You'd better not

  be seen talking to me. Nobody talks to me."

  "What about your friends?" Anakin asked.

  Reymet scowled. "I don't have friends." He quickened his pace and

  disappeared into the crowd. Ferus appeared next to Anakin. "Interesting."

  "You heard?"

  "Every word. I pick up something from him..." "Me too. Not a darkness.

  Maybe just... confusion."

  "He has something to hide," Ferus declared. "It could be anything,

  though. It isn't much of a clue." "It's a place to start," Anakin said.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The dining hall was a paneled room with soft, recessed lighting and

  thick red veda cloth hangings at the windows that muffled sound and cast a

  rosy glow on the diners. It was just like the exclusive restaurants Anakin

  had glimpsed on Coruscant - just like the spots the students were used to

  eating in, he was sure. And, like an exclusive restaurant, seating in the

  dining hall was subject to an unspoken code.

  It hadn't taken Anakin long to realize that the best tables were by

  the windows and he was not welcome there. He didn't know why he felt a

  coolness from most of the students, but he definitely felt it. When he was

  looking for a seat at a table, an empty chair would be pushed aside to

  another table, or a datapad or a pile of durasheet notes would be quickly

  placed on the seat. It was clear that no one wanted to sit with him. There

  was a power elite in the school, and everyone else fell in around it.

  Yet Ferus had been accepted almost immediately, and had his pick of

  places to sit. Was it because word had gotten out that he belonged to a

  powerful family on his homeworld?

  You can travel to the ends of the galaxy and it will be the same -

  those with power do not like to share.

  His Master had told him that once, in a voice of weary resignation.

  But sometimes Obi-Wan seemed to forget that Anakin had been a slave. If

  anyone knew about power, it was a slave. He knew about the hunger for it,

  and he knew about the humiliation of getting your nose rubbed in the fact

  that you didn't have it.

  He took his bowl of aromatic stew to an empty table and sat. It wasn't

  that he needed company. Jedi were comfortable being alone. But inside,

  something burned, something deep and hot that he had hoped had been long

  forgotten. He took a bite of stew and tasted shame and anger. It was hard

  to swallow, like a mouthful of sand.

  He reached inside the pocket of his tunic and withdrew a small, smooth

  stone. It was a river rock, a present from Obi-Wan. It had belonged to Qui-

  Gon.

  The rock was Force-sensitive, but that was not why Anakin reached for

  it during times of stress. When he rubbed his fingers along the smooth

  surface, it was as though he was able to draw on Qui-Gon's core of

  serenity. He thought of cool river water falling over his body, of turning

  his body like a fish and gliding in the deep green river, and his mind

  would go still. He and Ferus had to hide their lightsabers in their rooms,

  and the rock was the only physical connection to his real life.

  A plate suddenly plunked down next to him. The same girl who had

  smiled at him in the General Information Contest pulled a stray chair over

  with her foot with the ease of an athlete. She sat down and sniffed

  appreciatively at her stew, then picked up her spoon. Anakin quickly slid

  the stone underneath the lip of his bowl, where it could not be seen.

  "So, is this the enriching experience they promised you in the

  brochure?" the girl asked. "Students who are completely spooked snub you?"

  Her brown eyes twinkled at him. They were deep and warm and reminded him of

  another girl, more beautiful than this one - a queen, in fact. He saw the

  same intelligence, the same confidence. That memory more than the girl's

  friendliness, more than the river stone, dissolved the knot of anger in his

  belly.

  The girl dug into her food with her spoon and swallowed an enormous

  bite. "Don't worry. It gets better."

  "It does?"

  She grinned. "You graduate." She stuck out her hand. "Merit Dice."

  He shook it. "Anakin Skywalker."

  "You're in my Political Philosophies class. You don't say much."

  "You do."

  She took another bite. "I have opinions," she said, shrugging. "The

  teachers think I'm too smart for my own good. Which doesn't matter much,

  because they don't matter. They won't give any scholarship student a good

  reference, anyway."

  "Why not?" Anakin asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Reymet

  leaning against a wall. Anakin noticed that Reymet was watching as

  Professor Aeradin forked up a large bite of lunch. Aeradin was supposed to

  be patrolling the dining hall, but he had filled up his plate from the

  buffet. Anakin had noticed that most teachers did this. He guessed that the

  students' food was much better than what was given to the teachers.

  "Because they only give good references to the elite students," Marit

  said. She tore off a chunk of bread and dipped it in her bowl, then took a

  bite. "You should see what happens before graduation. The fathers and

  mothers and benefactors come, and they give the teachers presents. I mean,

  real presents. Like a landspeeder. Or tickets on a resort starship. Things

  like that. And suddenly their little darling winds up as a Senatorial aide.

  "

  She waved the bread in the air.

  Reymet suddenly reached for a custard tart and darted out of the room.

  Ferus signaled Anakin, then slipped out after Reymet.

  Anakin would have liked to keep talking to this interesting girl, but

  he and Ferus had agreed to keep Reymet under surveillance. "That's too bad,

  " Anakin said. "I think I need more tea. Will you excuse me for a minute?"

  Marit shrugged again. "Sure."

  Anakin hoped he hadn't been rude. He gave a quick glance to Professor

  Aeradin, still smacking his lips over his food, then slipped out the door.

  He saw Ferus at the end of the hallway and hurried up to him.

  "Did you lose him?"

  "He went into a restricted area," Ferus said. He pointed to a door

  that seemed closed until Anakin noticed that a tiny wedge had been placed

  between the edge of the door and the wall.

  He leaned over to examine it. It was a small, flexible piece of

  transparisteel that was almost invisible. When he pushed on the edge, the

  door opened just enough for him to slip a hand inside. He reached around

  and felt for the controls. He pressed the button and the door slid open.

  "Pretty clever," he said.

  "It's the teacher's quad, so it's not alarmed," Ferus said. "I wonder

  what he's doing in there."

  "Let's find out." A
nakin hurried through the doorway. As soon as Ferus

  was through, he positioned the wedge and pressed the button to close the

  door. It slid almost shut.

  "What if we get caught?" Ferus said. "We could get confined to our

  rooms between classes. How will we investigate?"

  "Pretty simple. We'll have to avoid getting caught," Anakin said.

  The hallway was empty. They proceeded, making no sound. Teachers'

  offices lined the walls, all of them unoccupied. The teachers were in class

  or monitoring the students. At the end of the hall was a door marked

  TEACHERS' LOUNGE. It was slightly ajar. Anakin put his eye against the

  crack.

  Reymet had the custard tart between his teeth as he slipped a flat

  disk into a datapad and then placed it in a cabinet marked AERADIN. He

  closed the cabinet door and then punched several numbers into a pad at the

  side. Anakin heard a lock click.

  Chewing, Reymet began to absently leaf through some durasheets left on

  the cabinet. Anakin eased back and motioned to Ferus.

  "So that's how he infiltrated Professor Aeradin's hologram test,"

  Anakin whispered. "He's pretty clever. He must have stolen Aeradin's disk

  when Aeradin was at lunch."

  Ferus nodded. "He sure knows how to get around security measures. I

  think one of us should keep an eye on him. He's in two of my classes. I'll

  do it."

  It was a logical conclusion, but Anakin still felt annoyed. Ferus

  hadn't really consulted him. It was more like he was thinking out loud. It

  was typical of Ferus's high-handed behavior, and yet he expected Anakin to

  cooperate with him without complaint. He knew if he told Obi-Wan this, his

  Master would brush aside his feelings and say that the mission was more

  important and that inner balance could not be attained without serenity.

  This was all true, but Anakin would bet on one thing - when Obi-Wan

  was a Padawan, he didn't have to deal with anyone like Ferus Olin.

  Anakin and Ferus hurried back to the dining hall. They knew that

  Reymet would be returning as well. Soon the midday meal would be over.

  Students were beginning to gather their things and start for their

  classes as Anakin entered the dining hall and returned to his table. Marit

  was gone. He slid his fingers underneath his still-full bowl. So was his

  river stone.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Obi-Wan was ushered immediately into Berm Tarturi's private office.

  The Senator from Andara had a grand suite hung with delicate curtains of

  silver and gold shimmersilk. The different flowers of Andara were stitched

  with bright crimson thread into the fabric. Instead of a desk or table,

  Berm Tarturi sat on a platform with plush cushions. The platform had a work

  surface that swiveled up from underneath so that one could recline and work

  at the same time.

  Tarturi was a large man with a bald head and a flowing black beard. He

  looked up at Obi-Wan, and the misery on his face was a contrast to the

  luxurious surroundings.

  "I have heard from them at last." He pushed a datascreen toward Obi-

  Wan.

  Obi-Wan walked forward to read it. WE HAVE YOUR SON. WAIT FOR FURTHER

  INSTRUCTIONS.

  On the screen was an image of a tall, muscular boy clutching a blanket

  around his shoulders. His mouth was twisted in a way that told Obi-Wan he

  was trying to be brave.

  Obi-Wan felt his fury rise at the sight, but he kept his voice

  neutral. "Not much to go on," he said.

  Berm dropped his head in his hands. "They are trying to torture me.

  There is a personal vendetta here. I can feel it."

  "Do you suspect who it is?" Obi-Wan asked.

  "It is Rana Halion," Berm said. "I'm sure of it. She's the driving

  force behind those who wish to overthrow the Andaran trade system. She's

  the ruler of leria, the next largest planet to Andara. I've known her for

  years. She's a ruthless politician. She has assembled a secret army and has

  persuaded several other worlds to join the effort. She is now at the

  Senate, lobbying for help for her cause. She claims the Andaran system

  needs two representatives in the Senate. She's trying to grab power,

  nothing more. She says she speaks for the majority of those in the Andaran

  system. It is a lie! I am the Senator of Andara. She will stop at nothing

  to get what she wants."

  "She would kidnap a young boy?" Obi-Wan asked. "That is a serious

  charge, Senator."

  He looked up at Obi-Wan bleakly. "She is a serious person. What are

  rules and laws to her? I'm positive that she or her supporters have broken

  into my office and looked through my files."

  "Was security breached?" Obi-Wan asked.

  "No, but I know she was here! Someone was!" Berm insisted. "I'm

  telling you, she has my son. What are you going to do about it?" Berm's

  voice had risen shrilly.

  "I am here to find your son," Obi-Wan said calmly. "I will investigate

  what you have told me. Accusing her without proof would get us nowhere. And

  you don't want to endanger Gillam."

  Berm slumped back against the cushions. "No, of course not. I haven't

  brought in Coruscant security because they are so heavy-handed. I knew the

  Jedi could handle this discreetly. It's just that I fear for Gillam. He

  thinks he is an adult. He is only sixteen." He glanced at the datascreen

  and his gaze softened.

  "I know what that is like," Obi-Wan said, thinking of Anakin.

  "We must find him soon," Berm said.

  "Do you have enemies in the Senate?" Obi-Wan inquired.

  Berm shook his head.

  "I find that hard to believe, Senator," Obi-Wan said. "All politicians

  have enemies."

  "Not me," Berm shot back. "Oh, I suppose I have political

  disagreements with my colleagues. But enemies? I do not cultivate them."

  "We do not need to cultivate enemies," Obi-Wan said. "They flourish

  without us." He sensed that Berm Tarturi did not want to answer the

  question, so he tried a different tack. "Tell me about security at the

  Leadership School."

  "I demanded a report from them that includes the data recorders from

  that night," Berm said. He reached over for a holofile. "Here is the

  report." He thrust it at Obi-Wan eagerly. "Perhaps you can find something

  in it. I couldn't. I had the best security experts go over it. I chose the

  Leadership School not only because of its reputation, but because of its

  security. It rivals the best in the galaxy. How could Gillam just

  disappear? That's what makes me think that Rana is responsible. She has a

  planetary treasury to draw on. She could hire the most sophisticated tech

  team in the galaxy to override the system. Didn't she break in here without

  tripping the alarm?"

  Obi-Wan took a quick look at the holofile in his hands. "Everything

  seems in order, but I'll have the analysts at the Temple go over this. How

  often do you communicate with your son normally?"

  "Almost every night. The school has a contact hour in the evenings.

  Otherwise he is on comm silence."

  Obi-Wan knew this. Students were restricted in use of communication

  devices except for a one-hour period. It was t
he time he had set up to

  speak with Anakin and Ferus.

  "We're very close," Berm went on. "His mother died three years ago."

  Obi-Wan looked down at the security report. "It says here that you

  last checked in with Gillam over a month ago.

  Berm flushed. "There are many details at the Senate that require my

  attention. That doesn't mean I'm not close to my son."

  "Did Gillam have special friends at the school?" "Of course. He's very

  popular."

  "What are their names?"

  Berm looked at him blankly. "Ah... let me see. Hmm. I don't recall.

  The stress of this whole affair has been so great, it's hard to remember

  every detail...."

  "How about vacations? Where did Gillam spend his?"

  "With me, of course. Unless my duties here prevented him from joining

  me. Then he would spend vacations at our mountain home on Andara."

  "By himself?"

  "Of course not. There were servants in attendance." Obi-Wan nodded. He

  was beginning to get the picture of a lonely boy.

  Berm seemed to sense this, for he said quickly, "But he loved coming

  here to visit me. He was just here a month ago. He wants to be a Senator,

  like me. We are very close."

  "Of course," Obi-Wan said. "Let me take this message with me, and I'll