The Trail of the Jedi Read online

  Obi-Wan gazed down the mountain and took in the lowering sky. Clouds rumbled, and snow suddenly began to fall, thick and fast.

  “We have a new enemy, Padawan.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Anakin put his hand on his lightsaber hilt. “I am ready, Master.”

  Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at him. “Ready for what?”

  “To go after Granta Omega.” Anakin swallowed against the acid in his throat. The power of the Sith case was fading. He could face whatever Granta Omega would throw at them.

  “We’re not going after Omega,” Obi-Wan said. “He’s long gone. We’d never be able to track him through the galaxy.”

  “Never? One should not use absolute statements,” Anakin said. One corner of his mouth twitched, a sure sign he was trying not to grin.

  “It would be extremely difficult, then,” Obi-Wan amended with a small smile. “And we have a wounded Jedi to see to. Have you forgotten that, Padawan?”

  “We could drop Wren at the Temple and retrace our steps,” Anakin said. “We can’t just let Omega go!”

  “That’s exactly what we can do,” Obi-Wan said firmly. “Do not chase trouble, Padawan. There are not many guarantees in the galaxy, but I guarantee you this: Trouble will find you.”

  Anakin pressed his lips together. He did not agree with his Master’s decision. They had stumbled on a powerful evil. Was it right to let it slip through their fingers? It wasn’t like Obi-Wan to turn away from danger.

  Unless he fears I cannot handle it.

  Another doubt. They were crowding his mind on this planet. Was this the true purpose of the training exercise?

  Obi-Wan knew how unnerved Anakin had been during their encounter with the Holocron. Perhaps he was afraid that Anakin would not be able to fulfill another mission dealing with the Sith or Sith followers so soon. He had almost not told Anakin what he had found. Anakin had seen that. Even though they had not encountered a Sith since the mission to Naboo, Anakin had been rocked by the dark evil of the Sith just being near the order’s artifacts.

  He is always trying to protect me. He does not trust me. What is the good of this exercise if Obi-Wan still doesn’t have faith in me?

  The thoughts crashed against his skull. Anakin tried to quiet them, to find the clarity of peace that Obi-Wan seemed to carry with him so easily, like a tool on his utility belt.

  Obi-Wan slid the case into his cloak. “We will bring this back to the Temple and deposit it with the Sith Holocron. That will keep it safe. Now, let us return to Coruscant.”

  Wren was weakened but already beginning to recover when they returned to him. He was able to walk to the cruiser. They settled him inside, and Obi-Wan administered more bacta.

  “We’ll be in Coruscant by morning,” he told him.

  Wren gave him a wan smile. “I will be glad to see the Temple. This exercise did not go as I expected.”

  “Yes, you must be surprised,” Anakin agreed with a straight face. “After all, I found you on the first day, just as I promised.”

  “I hardly think it counts,” Wren said, drawing the blanket around his shoulders huffily.

  “I don’t see why not,” Anakin said, flashing Obi-Wan a quick grin.

  Obi-Wan grinned back. “I think we should let Wren rest. Maybe you should concentrate on piloting the ship.”

  They picked up the body of the Tursha and shot out of the sparkling green-blue atmosphere of Ragoon. The trip to Coruscant went quickly. Anakin admired the bounty hunter’s sleek, fast ship.

  “These sublight engines are tweaked,” he said as he eased into a shipping lane on Coruscant at dawn. “Any chance we can confiscate this ship for the Temple?” He gave a quick glance at Obi-Wan. “Okay, okay. I know. We have to turn it in to the Senate.”

  “We have to turn in Floria and Dane, too,” Obi-Wan said softly.

  “What?” Floria had come up behind them. Her mouth was open, and her cheeks flushed pink.

  “You broke any number of galactic laws,” Obi-Wan said. “You tried to kidnap two Jedi. You sabotaged a cruiser. You—”

  “But we helped you!” Floria protested.

  “You didn’t have much choice,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Don’t worry, I’m sure the security authorities won’t detain you for very long. They will try to place you with a family for rehabilitation.”

  Dane jackknifed to his feet. “Rehabilitation? Into what?”

  “You will have a normal life,” Obi-Wan said. “A roof over your head, schooling, a chance for a profession—”

  “We are past wanting any of that,” Dane said. “We have been on our own too long.”

  “What about your sister?” Obi-Wan asked. “Are you so sure it would not be better for her?”

  Dane hesitated.

  “Hey, I’m standing right here,” Floria said. “And I want what Dane wants. He knows what’s best. Not you.”

  “I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter,” Obi-Wan said firmly.

  They paused long enough to leave Wren at the Temple. They had called ahead so that a med team was waiting to remove him from the craft. Another Jedi came and carefully took the Sith case from Obi-Wan.

  “Please inform Yoda that I will report to him shortly,” Obi-Wan told him.

  Obi-Wan directed Anakin to pilot the ship straight to security headquarters. There, they left Floria and Dane in the hands of a young security officer and left the body of the Tursha along with the scant information they had about him.

  Floria leaned closer to the officer. “I’m glad to leave this life behind,” she confided, her blue eyes very wide. “My brother and I regret the life we’ve led. We want to start over. Our dead parents would want it that way.” Her eyes filled with tears.

  Anakin rolled his eyes as the security officer led them off.

  “This time, I can tell when Floria is lying,” he said. “I think I’ve learned my lesson about pretty young girls with wounded eyes.”

  Obi-Wan smiled. “Floria and Dane will talk themselves out of detention, I am sure.”

  “So they will be on the loose again.” Anakin shook his head. “They are too young for that life. Isn’t there anything we can do?”

  “No, Padawan. It is not our mission to save them. Beings take their own paths, and sadly there is little one can do to change that.” Obi-Wan stood. “Come, let’s leave the cruiser here for a moment. I want to see a friend nearby.”

  As they walked, Anakin marveled at Obi-Wan’s detachment. He felt vaguely unsatisfied from the mission-that-wasn’t-a-mission. They hadn’t found the mastermind behind the attack on them. A Jedi was wounded and had almost been killed.

  And as for the training exercise, in Anakin’s mind it had been a complete failure. It had not strengthened the bonds of trust between them. It had done just the opposite. It had brought up questions Anakin did not want to ponder. It had made him question the bond itself.

  Obi-Wan indicated a café ahead. “This used to be Didi’s Café.”

  “I remember Didi and Astri,” Anakin said. “Did something happen to them?”

  “Astri married a homesteader in the Outer Rim,” Obi-Wan said. “She and Didi sold the café to Dexter Jettster and moved out there. I’ll miss them. Didi introduced me to Dexter before he left. The first time I met him I didn’t trust him, and now that I’ve met him a few more times I still don’t trust him.” Obi-Wan flashed a rare grin. “All I can say is that Dex is a character. Come and meet him.”

  Obi-Wan threaded through tables crowded with beings from all over the galaxy. He waved at Dexter, a large, four-armed and formidable presence behind the bar.

  “Well, if it isn’t Obi-Wan Kenobi. Glad to see you make an appearance,” Dexter boomed. “I was hoping you’d still come around, even though Didi is gone. Naturally I will give you the same treatment.” Dexter grinned hugely. “Except for the discount, of course!”

  Obi-Wan laughed and pushed over a few credits. “This is my Padawan Learner, Anakin Skywalker. Some juma juice for the
two of us. And some information.”

  Dexter deftly poured the bright yellow juice into two glasses. “Sure. If I have it.”

  “Have you heard of someone called Granta Omega?” Obi-Wan asked, pushing the juice toward Anakin.

  Dexter frowned. “No. The name isn’t familiar. I’ll ask around, if you like.”

  “Thanks.” Obi-Wan took a sip of juice as he turned to Anakin. “It was worth a shot. Dexter might have information for us one day. Then we will track Omega.”

  “And until then?” Anakin asked. He felt a little better. At least Obi-Wan was thinking of going after Omega at some point.

  Obi-Wan pointed to Anakin’s glass. “Until then, drink your juice.” Obi-Wan waited until Anakin had taken a sip. “I owe you an apology, Padawan.”

  Anakin tore his gaze away from two odd species playing sabaac in a corner. “For what, Master?”

  “You said I never share my thoughts. Instead of answering, I corrected you.” Obi-Wan stared down into his juice. “It is not easy for me to share my thoughts, or my feelings. And sometimes it is necessary that I do not. When I was your age, I felt the same as you do. I thought Master and Padawan had to share everything.”

  “Don’t they?”

  “No,” Obi-Wan said. “There are times when you do not need to know what I am thinking. You must trust that I know best.”

  Anakin shook his head. “That’s hard for me. I want to know everything.”

  “That is a quality I treasure in you,” Obi-Wan said. “But it is also a quality you must learn to control.” He gave Anakin a significant look. “There are things you keep from me, too.”

  “Not so!” Anakin protested.

  “Midnight raids on junk heaps below the surface of Coruscant…a plan to build your own power converter…”

  Anakin grinned. “Caught.” He was starting to feel better.

  He had worried that Obi-Wan did not have room for him in his heart. But Shmi’s smile rose in Anakin’s mind. Hearts have infinite room, my son.

  It was one of her favorite sayings. Anakin sighed. He wished he could combine Obi-Wan’s cool judgment with his mother’s goodness. Someday. Maybe then his Master would trust him enough to let him tangle again with the Sith.

  Perhaps he would never have a Master–Padawan relationship as deep and trusting as Obi-Wan had with Qui-Gon. Perhaps Obi-Wan kept him as a Padawan in order to fulfill a dying wish. But maybe it didn’t matter how it happened.

  He should not focus on what he didn’t have. He had this. This was his. And that was something. He would work hard. He would be a great Padawan. And Obi-Wan would come to love him. He would make him do so.

  “I think I know what you’re thinking,” Obi-Wan said, noting Anakin’s sigh. “It was not the training mission I thought it would be, either. I thought I had things to teach you. Instead, you taught me.”

  “I taught you?” Anakin was surprised. “What?”

  “That I am not Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan said. “And you are not me. Simple as that.”

  “Simple is sometimes best,” Anakin said, repeating Obi-Wan’s words.

  “We are on a journey together, Padawan.” Obi-Wan clicked his glass lightly against Anakin’s. “We will forge our own path. Let us drink to that.”

  Across Dexter’s café, someone watched the two Jedi. Someone with cool eyes behind dark-lensed goggles. Someone who had recently removed the synth-flesh that had knitted into his skin, leaving his skin raw. But no one looked twice at anyone else in Dexter’s café. It was too dangerous and could provoke violence.

  Go ahead, enjoy your drinks and your smiles, Jedi. You escaped for now. Yet I am not angry. I am only amused. It only gives me more time to play with you. You met me once, but you won’t recognize me the next time. You’ll look, but you won’t see. You think I left the case behind by accident? I don’t make mistakes. I just enjoy opportunities. And I make my own.

  In other words, Jedi—we’ll meet again soon.

  About the Author

  JUDE WATSON is the New York Times best-selling author of the Jedi Quest and Jedi Apprentice series, as well as the Star Wars Journals Darth Maul, Queen Amidala, and Princess Leia: Captive to Evil. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest.