The Threat Within Read online

  Time to think on your feet, he told himself wryly.

  "I think it would be better to wait until we have the results from

  the shuttle inspection," Qui-Gon said rationally. Chairman Port had ordered

  an investigation of all the shuttles in the city, and they were waiting for

  the report. "The more information we have, the better."

  "They are to blame!" Chairman Port railed. "They need to be punished!

  "

  "Do we, now?" came a voice from behind them. Qui-Gon turned and saw

  Felana standing in the doorway. Two large Vorzydiaks flanked her on either

  side.

  Chairman Port's face had lost all traces of anger. His expression was

  now a combination of confusion and fear. His large eyes were even wider

  than usual and his antennae twitched uncontrollably. It was obvious that he

  was not accustomed to unexpected political visitors - especially hostile

  ones.

  "What are you - "

  "I have come to set the record straight once and for all, Chairman,"

  Felana said, striding into the room. She was remarkably tall for a

  Vorzydiak, and her upright stance made her even more so.

  The chairman blinked in surprise. Qui-Gon sensed that he wanted to

  know how she had gotten all the way into his office without being noticed

  and stopped. He imagined that it probably wasn't too difficult in the

  chaotic aftermath of the shuttle explosions.

  There were several long moments of awkward silence. Then Chairman

  Port straightened his jumpsuit and cleared his throat loudly. His

  expression shifted to one of self-righteous indignation.

  "You have been sabotaging our production capabilities," he said

  evenly. "You resent our productivity. You wish to appear stronger to the

  rest of the Vorzyd system. Our computers and assembly lines are

  malfunctioning. It is the only explanation."

  "Explanations are not my concern," Felana replied. "Your baseless

  accusations are. And we do not resent your productivity," she added, her

  eyes glinting. "On the contrary, we find your work customs to be rather

  tedious."

  If it were not for the seriousness of the situation, Qui-Gon would

  have smiled at Felana's remark. The Vorzydiak kids obviously found the work

  customs to be tiresome as well.

  "You see?" Chairman Port said, turning to Qui-Gon. "They resent us."

  Qui-Gon was silent. Part of him wanted to tell Chairman Port

  everything. But his gut told him that this meeting was not going to bring

  about any kind of immediate or violent action. And he still hoped that the

  Freelies would come forward on their own. Besides, he had promised his

  Padawan that he would wait. If all went well, there would be a meeting of

  the minds - between those truly involved and responsible - very soon.

  "We did not resent you," Felana insisted. "Until you began to accuse

  us of crimes we did not commit." She glared at Chairman Port. "I want all

  of these baseless lies to stop at once, or we will be taking action against

  you in response."

  Chairman Port's antennae began to twitch again. "What kind of action?

  " he asked nervously.

  Felana leveled her gaze at the Vorzyd 4 leader. "A kind much worse

  than the sabotage you've wrongly accused us of."

  CHAPTER 15

  That night, Obi-Wan met up with Grath on the shuttle platform. He

  looked tired, but his eyes were clear. Obi-Wan sensed that the boy had

  found a new sense of direction.

  "Some of the adults looked content as they made their way to work

  today," Obi-Wan told him. "I think they enjoyed their time off."

  Grath nodded. "It can work without violence," he said confidently.

  "People just need a little time to see how it could be."

  Obi-Wan was glad to see Grath back to his old self. He didn't want to

  dampen his spirits by telling him about the conversation he'd overheard

  between Flip and the dark-haired girl. But he couldn't keep that kind of

  information to himself, either.

  "I overheard - "

  Obi-Wan was cut short by the shuttle pulling up to the platform.

  Nania was driving, and she greeted Obi-Wan with a smile. Obi-Wan was

  grateful as he took a comfortable seat. A ride inside Nania's shuttle could

  be a nail-biter, but it was better than clinging to the outside of the

  craft.

  When they arrived at the usual office building meeting place, Obi-Wan

  spotted Flip right away. He was standing in a corner next to the same dark-

  haired girl, scowling.

  Grath walked right up to them. "Hi, Flip," he said in a friendly

  voice.

  Flip didn't say anything, and his scowl deepened. It was clear that

  he was still angry about the reprimand he'd received earlier in the day.

  The girl next to him was silent as well. Watching them, Obi-Wan suddenly

  realized that he'd seen the girl before, away from the Freelies. She'd been

  visiting her grandmother at the retiree complex the first night he'd been

  on the planet. But she seemed totally different now - there was no trace of

  the warm, affectionate young girl he'd enjoyed watching and listening to.

  Grath stood in front of Flip for a moment, trying to get the boy to

  soften. When it was clear that he wouldn't, the leader's focus shifted to

  the meeting at hand. He stood up on one of the desks and called everyone's

  attention.

  "If we can show the laborers that there is more to life than

  productivity without hurting them, they will help us," he said calmly.

  "The laborers are too far gone," the dark-haired girl replied hotly.

  "Fear is the only thing that will keep them from stopping us."

  Grath frowned. "That's not true, Tray," he said. "And you know it."

  It didn't take long for the disagreement and anger from the earlier

  meeting to overtake the group. Everyone shouted to be heard. Antennae

  twitched and stabbed the air, punctuating shouts. Hands were balled into

  fists. The two groups began to separate - Grath and his followers on one

  side of the office and Flip and his on the other.

  "We need to make ourselves known," someone yelled. "The laborers have

  no idea that we're pulling the pranks. They don't even think we're capable.

  "

  "We're not getting any credit," a different voice called out.

  "Or blame," someone on the other side shouted.

  The shouts were getting louder and louder. It was almost impossible

  to hear what was being said. Obi-Wan looked from one side of the room to

  the other, not sure what to do. He felt that some action was necessary, but

  he didn't want to blow his cover.

  Suddenly the lights outside the office blinked on. Voices echoed

  outside, and footsteps thundered up the stairs.

  Grath looked up, alarmed. The kids were suddenly silent.

  The Freelies had been discovered.

  CHAPTER 16

  The footsteps and voices got louder as they came closer. The Freelies

  began to look worriedly at one another, their antennae twitching in fear.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan saw Flip toss a small capsule

  to the ground. A thick, green smoke immediately began to billow into the

  room. Interestingly, the smoke did not seem to irritate the Freelies'

 
lungs. There was no coughing or sputtering among the group.

  "This way," Flip said calmly. He led the kids out of the office

  through a secret exit, down a tunnel, and up several flights of stairs.

  When they emerged through a heavy durasteel doorway, they were standing on

  the roof of a neighboring workspace building. It was dark, but the stars in

  the sky gave off a dim light.

  All was quiet below. The kids were safe.

  No sooner were the Freelies on the roof than Flip turned toward Obi-

  Wan. "There's something you don't know!" he shouted to the group. "Grath

  has been keeping it from you. This boy has been sent here to stop us. He is

  a Jedi - and a traitor!"

  There was an audible gasp as the Freelies gaped at Obi-Wan. For a

  moment Obi-Wan sensed that the group wasn't sure this was the truth - and

  thought he might be safe.

  The moment passed quickly.

  "it's true!" the dark-haired girl shouted. "I've seen him at the

  retirement complex. My grandmother is there, and he was spying on us!"

  "Yes, Tray, he is a Jedi." Grath lowered his head in defeat.

  Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment. He'd had no idea that Grath

  knew he was a Jedi. Taking a deep breath, he tried to gather strength. He

  was not looking forward to what was coming. Someone pulled at his hood,

  exposing his antennae-less head.

  "Traitor!" someone shouted.

  "Grath is a liar, not a leader!" Flip yelled.

  "What kind of leader doesn't trust his team enough to tell them the

  simple truth?" came a quieter voice.

  Kids on both sides of the violence issue were coming out against

  Grath and Obi-Wan. Only a few stood by Grath.

  "Grath has to make difficult decisions for all of us," Nania said

  reasonably. "We may not like each and every one, but he makes them for the

  good of the group. He has never led us astray."

  "The Jedi should still leave us," Tray spoke out. "Immediately."

  There was silence as the group nodded - almost unanimously. Only

  Grath's head remained still.

  Obi-Wan looked to Grath for support, hoping he would say something to

  the group. Grath looked distraught, but he kept quiet.

  Obi-Wan felt defeated, but knew he could not just walk away.

  "Peace is the only way to true victory," he told the Freelies. "If

  you continue down this path you'll build a permanent wall between

  yourselves and the workers. There will be no chance for dialogue, or a new

  way of life." Obi-Wan looked beseechingly at the group, his eyes moving

  from one face to another. None of their expressions had changed. There was

  no way for him to convince them.

  Obi-Wan dropped his head and turned toward the stairs. The last thing

  he saw before the door slid closed behind him was the smiles on Tray's and

  Flip's faces.

  Obi-Wan's mind was spinning as he left the rooftop. He felt like a

  fool. Why didn't he suspect that Grath knew he was a Jedi all along? The

  infiltration had been too easy, he now realized. Obi-Wan felt ashamed for

  not figuring it out earlier. He had wanted his plan to work so badly that

  he assumed everything was going just fine. Only it wasn't.

  Obi-Wan made his way through the streets to the homespace. In the

  back of his mind was a voice that reminded him that he hadn't been entirely

  honest with the Freelies, either. He hadn't told them he was a Jedi.

  But I was acting for the good of the planet, he told himself. I was

  trying to bring everyone to a peaceful solution.

  This all felt much like the situation on Melida/ Daan, Obi-Wan

  realized. When Obi-Wan had joined the Young, he was certain that he was

  doing the right thing. But in the end he was not sure that the Young were

  on the right path. And it had not taken him long to know that leaving the

  Jedi order was not the right path for him.

  At first glance, the situation here on Vorzyd 4 seemed totally

  different from the one on Melida/Daan. Harmless, really. But now Obi-Wan

  could not see many differences. And the similarities were screaming in his

  ears.

  The arguing Freelies. The explosions. The inability of the

  generations to talk openly together.

  Worst of all, Obi-Wan knew, he was no longer in a position to help.

  The kids didn't trust him. And why should the adults believe someone who

  had been keeping secrets from them all along?

  Not sure what else to do, Obi-Wan headed back to his room at the

  retirement complex. He had not been there long when Qui-Gon arrived.

  Obi-Wan knew his Master was concerned about him - and probably the

  situation as well. With a sigh, he began to tell him all that had happened.

  "Someone must have tipped off the adults," Obi-Wan began.

  Qui-Gon nodded. "I did not say anything, as I promised I would not,"

  he said. "But I did overhear the building maintenance team reporting a

  disturbance to Chairman Port. They were acting on a tip."

  Obi-Wan had not suspected that Qui-Gon was responsible for the

  intrusion, but was glad to hear his Master confirm that he was not.

  "A group of adults stormed the secret meeting," Obi-Wan said. "But

  ore of the kids, Flip, dropped a smoke capsule and led everyone to safety."

  "He was well prepared for just such an invasion," Qui-Gon said

  pointedly.

  Obi-Wan nodded. "I thought that at the time," he said. "Perhaps he

  was the informer. It seemed too simple. But much more has happened since

  then...."

  Obi-Wan trailed off. It was getting difficult to look his Master in

  the eye. He felt responsible for the state of the situation between the

  kids and adults. Once again he had the feeling that his instincts had been

  all wrong.

  "Go on," Qui-Gon said gently. His eyes were full of empathy. But

  somehow that didn't make Obi-Wan feel any better. In fact, it made him feel

  worse. He didn't deserve understanding right now. Things on Vorzyd 4 were

  worse than when they'd arrived.

  And it was all his fault.

  CHAPTER 17

  Qui-Gon could see that his Padawan was struggling. He was tempted to

  push him further to see if he would open up, but knew that was not the

  right choice. What Obi-Wan needed was a bit of time, just as Qui-Gon

  himself did on occasion.

  The room in the retirement complex was quiet for several minutes.

  Then Qui-Gon spoke.

  "I think we should go outside and spar," he said. "It has been too

  long since we did lightsaber training together."

  Qui-Gon was hoping that the physical activity would help his Padawan

  release some tension - and piece things together in his mind. Regardless,

  focusing on something entirely different would be a good change of pace.

  Obi-Wan seemed reluctant as they exited the building. But once he was

  outside and facing his Master, his eyes flashed with an intensity that

  surprised Qui-Gon. The young Jedi ignited his lightsaber, and Qui-Gon did

  the same.

  The two Jedi circled each other slowly with their lightsabers raised,

  as if in a dance. Obi-Wan moved gracefully, his eyes locked on Qui-Gon's.

  It was as if he were challenging him to do something, to make the first

  move.
r />   Qui-Gon did. He brought his lightsaber down in a powerful strike -

  once, twice, three times. Obi-Wan was there to block each blow. The

  graceful arcs he made with his blade were confident and accurate. His eyes

  never left his Master's face.

  Qui-Gon suddenly realized that his Padawan's lightsaber skills had

  improved significantly in the past months. His physical energy was

  exceptional - young and true. Obi-Wan was fighting like a Jedi Knight.