Star Wars - [Jedi Apprentice 08] - The Day of Reckoning (by Jude Watson)

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2024-11-23 0 0 99.25KB 36 页 5.9玖币
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Star Wars
Jedi Apprentice 8
The Day of Reckoning
By Jude Watson
Chapter 1
The sleek spaceliner Leviathan was jammed with passengers. Every stateroom was full. The lounges and
seating areas swirled with color and noise as people from many worlds conversed, ate, argued, laughed,
and played games of chance to pass the time.
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat and observed it all. As a Jedi on missions to other worlds, he sometimes got a
glimpse of lavish surroundings, but this was his first trip on a luxury spaceliner. He longed to explore the
many amusements on board - the game room, the interactive hologram suite, the eating areas with their
array of foods and sweets. There was no reason he could not. His companion and former Jedi Master,
Qui-Gon Jinn, had told him to feel free to explore. But Obi-Wan did not want to leave his side.
Next to him, Qui-Gon seemed not to notice his surroundings. The Jedi Knight had picked a corner seat
in the spacious lounge. His chair faced outward toward the throng. It was a position the Jedi often chose,
for it allowed observation without interaction. But Qui-Gon Jinn only made obligatory sweeps of the
crowd in order to ascertain potential danger or disturbance before returning his attention to the data-pad
in his lap. He spent his time studying the information about the mission ahead that Jedi Knight Tahl had
managed to gather back at the Temple on Coruscant.
Their mission was unofficial. Against the wishes of the Jedi Council, they were heading to the home planet
of Xanatos, the enemy who had tried to destroy the Jedi Temple.
Qui-Gon was still brooding about the escape of Xanatos, Obi-Wan knew. Anger was not an appropriate
emotion for a Jedi, but Obi-Wan sensed Qui-Gon's taut frustration. He had faced Xanatos in battle, and
had been forced to let his opponent escape in order to save the Temple.
Obi-Wan knew that moment still haunted Qui-Gon. He had come close to stopping Xanatos. It made
him even more determined to bring him to justice now. Qui-Gon felt strongly that Xanatos was a grave
threat to the galaxy while on the loose.
Obi-Wan knew that Qui-Gon took this mission personally. Xanatos had once been Qui-Gon's Jedi
apprentice, just as Obi-Wan had.
And we both betrayed him, Obi-Wan thought.
His offense, he knew, was not even close to what Xanatos had done. The dark side preyed on Xanatos.
He lusted after power and wealth. His every decision moved him closer to the heart of evil.
Obi-Wan had betrayed Qui-Gon by abandoning him. He had decided to leave the Jedi order to stay to
help a planet regain peace. He had come to regret the decision. The Council had agreed that he could
rejoin the Jedi, but he was now on probation. Obi-Wan could regain what he had, but he could not seem
to regain Qui-Gon's trust. Something essential between them had been violated. Now they were just
feeling their way along. On this mission, Obi-Wan hoped to show Qui-Gon that they could restore the
bond they had started to form.
The Council had not forbidden him to accompany Qui-Gon-they allowed him to go. Still, his decision had
not pleased them. They already had a problem with what they saw as his impulsive decision to leave the
Jedi. This latest decision hadn't changed their opinion.
Obi-Wan had to admit that he was relieved to be temporarily out from under the Council's scrutiny as
well as the Temple itself. In the final battle, a Jedi student had fallen to his death in front of him. Obi-Wan
had not been responsible. Why did the death continue to haunt him? When he had taken off from the
Temple grounds, a heaviness had seemed to lift from his heart.
Qui-Gon had considered many ways to enter the planet without detection, but finally decided the simplest
way was best. They would arrive among a throng, as tourists.
Telos was a rich planet with many natural beauties. It had a thriving tourist trade and business interests
with other planets in the galaxy. Transports were always crowded.
The many travelers made it easy for the Jedi to disappear. They wore nondescript brown cloaks over
their tunics and kept their lightsabers hidden. Although Qui-Gon was a powerfully built man with noble
features, he was also capable of dimming his presence and folding into a crowd. Obi-Wan followed his
example. They were not recognizable as Jedi, and no one paid the slightest attention to them. Obi-Wan
settled back into the plush upholstery and watched as a group of Duros walked by, all speaking in Basic.
"This is my third trip," one of them said. "You're going to love Katharsis."
"They won't let outsiders into the final round," the other said. "That's where you can really score."
Obi-Wan wondered what Katharsis was. Some kind of game? He missed the other's reply, for Qui-Gon
had looked up from his datapad at last.
"I think the weak link is UniFy," he said.
"We'll start there."
Obi-Wan nodded. UniFy was a Telosian company that the Jedi Master Tahl suspected was a front for
Offworld, the huge mining corporation that spanned the galaxy. Xanatos headed the company. No one
knew where the headquarters were.
Qui-Gon's brows came together in a frown as he gazed at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had no idea what he was
thinking. Was he worrying about the mission ahead, or was he regretting Obi-Wan's presence?
They had lost the connection they had once had. There had been fitful starts and shaky periods in their
Master-Padawan relationship from the beginning. Still, there had been many times when Obi-Wan knew
what Qui-Gon would ask before he asked it. And Qui-Gon often knew exactly what Obi-Wan was
feeling without his having to say a word.
Now Obi-Wan felt a void.
He would be able to feel connected to Qui-
Gon again, he told himself. It would just take time. Back at the Temple, the last expression of good-bye
from his friend Bant had been one simple word patience.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon hadn't had time to resolve anything. They hadn't had time to argue, or replay their
decisions. The flurry of departure had consumed them. There had been information to gather, supplies to
pack, and good-byes to be said.
The spaceliner drew closer to the towers of Thani, the capital city of Telos. It flew into a landing bay and
docked with the gentlest of bumps. The public-address system announced that arrival procedures were
now underway.
They stood and gathered their packs, then joined the stream of passengers heading for the exit.
Qui-Gon leaned in to speak to Obi-Wan softly. "No doubt he will be hard to find," he said. "He knows
that I will pursue him. We will have to flush him out."
The announcement system informed them in a pleasant tone that there would be a slight delay in
disembarking. Identification would be checked by security police on Telos. Everyone would have to be
cleared before leaving the ship.
Passengers began to grumble. Why were security procedures suddenly so stringent? This would take
time. They were anxious to reach their destinations.
"I hear they're checking for some escaped criminals," someone said near Obi-Wan's elbow. "Bad luck
for all of us."
Through the crowd, Obi-Wan glimpsed the security police herding the passengers into orderly lines.
Qui-Gon frowned.
"I wanted to slip in unobserved," he said. "If they discover we are Jedi, it could tip off Xanatos. Tahl said
he has bribed many officials here."
With a slight movement of his head, Qui-Gon signaled to Obi-Wan. It was time for them to find their own
exit.
Chapter 2
"Where are we going?" Obi-Wan asked as they moved fluidly through the pressing throng.
"When a big spaceliner docks, the kitchens have to receive new shipments of food," Qui-Gon remarked.
"When you want to leave someplace unobserved, pick the busiest spot."
Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon down several levels to the service area. Qui-Gon always explored any large
transport soon after boarding. He knew where the tech and service levels were as well as all exits from
the spaceliner. "Remember, Obi-Wan," he had said, "if you are heading to a dangerous mission, the
danger can begin before you are ready for it. Be prepared."
The scent of roasting meat and baking bread filled Obi-Wan's nostrils as they passed the kitchens. His
stomach rumbled. Why was it that even during a hasty escape, he could still feel hungry? He was glad
when the smells dissipated as they slipped into the storage areas.
Qui-Gon hurried past shelves and bins full of food until he came to the door that led to the loading bay.
He glanced through the window to make sure there were no security personnel before accessing the
door. It hissed open, and they stepped out onto the loading bay.
Workers were busily unloading supplies onto small gravsleds. A large hauler stood outside the ship, its
port bay door yawning open.
"Grab a container," Qui-Gon instructed as he bent down to hoist a box marked dried fruit.
Obi-Wan picked up a bin at his feet marked soli grains. He let out an oof as he hoisted it to his shoulder.
Why couldn't he have picked something light, as Qui-Gon had?
Quickly Qui-Gon strode toward the hauler. No one seemed to notice that they were carrying items out of
the ship, not in. One of Qui-Gon's many lessons to Obi-Wan had been that if you looked busy in an
unfamiliar environment, you were often ignored.
They made it to the hauler without anyone giving them a glance. Obi-Wan put down his heavy bin with
relief near the stacks of cartons and boxes. From here they could see the busy port station. Passengers
who had been cleared were milling around, bargaining for local transportation. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan
strolled toward them.
"You there! Stop!" The harsh command came from behind them.
"Don't turn," Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan in a soft voice. "Act as though you don't know who they're talking
to."
"Stop!" The sound of running feet came from behind them.
Obi-Wan saw a split second of indecision on Qui-Gon's part. They had done nothing wrong. There was
no reason to run. Yet they would have to give explanati ons Qui-Gon was not willing to give.
Qui-Gon made the decision in his usual swift fashion. "Run," he said crisply.
Obi-Wan had been expecting the command. He shot forward with Qui-Gon. The two Jedi moved as
lightly as a breeze, slipping in and out of the crowd without jostling an elbow or bumping a shoulder. Only
a whisper of air might disturb a cloak or a tendril of hair as they shot by.
They reached the entrance to the terminal and joined the stream of strollers on the city streets.
Immediately Qui-Gon slowed his pace in order to melt into the crowd. Obi-Wan followed suit, carefully
controlling his breathing. He admired Qui-Gon's ability to switch from a full-tilt run to a casual pace
without missing a beat. To any observer, Qui-Gon appeared to be a casual walker on the city streets.
The streets were even more crowded than the terminal. "No doubt they'll give up," Qui-Gon said to
Obi-Wan, nodding and smiling as though he were remarking on the weather. "It's a tedious job tracking a
couple of stray travelers through the city streets."
With his heartbeat and nerves returning to normal, Obi-Wan was now able to observe his surroundings.
The city of Thani was bustling. Landspeeders clogged the wide boulevard. Buildings hundreds of meters
high rose on either side. Their different facades flashed silver and bronze in the bright sunlight. Crowded
between the tall, impressive buildings were smaller structures. Blinking readout signs advertised loans at
low rates, or credits advanced against goods. Disorderly lines snaked out from these buildings, the
people jostling to get inside. Obi-Wan passed a large billboard that read wealth beyond imagining is just
one bet away katharsis
"Katharsis," he repeated. "I heard that name on the spaceliner."
"I've never heard of it. Thani has changed since I was here last," Qui-Gon mused. "Of course it was
almost ten years ago. It seems bigger, noisier. And something else is different about it now...."
Obi-Wan suddenly caught a flicker of movement behind him. He glanced at the shiny facade of the next
building. Two navy-suited security police officers were swiftly making their way forward, attracting little
attention on the busy street. There was no doubt in Obi-Wan's mind that they were heading for them.
"Qui-Gon -" he started, but Qui-Gon had already seen them.
"They are more determined than I thought," he said, picking up his pace. "Go left."
Obi-Wan wheeled to his left down a narrow alley. They moved quickly now, running down the alley,
using the Force to leap over a pile of abandoned crates, and turning sharply right into another alley.
Blaster fire pinged behind them. They heard the sound of exploding crates peppering the wall.
"They mean business," Qui-Gon said. "We'd better go up."
The security police were still out of sight, but they'd round the corner in a few seconds. Qui-Gon reached
for the liquid-cable launcher on his belt. He activated the device, and the dual-strand cord shot upward
and hooked around the lip of a rooftop overhead. Obi-Wan activated his own liquid-cable. They held on
and let the device carry them up to the rooftop, leaping up and landing on their feet. Quickly, they
retracted the cords.
Qui-Gon watched as the security police ran down the alley. They ran past the rooftop, turned a corner,
and disappeared.
"That's a relief," Obi-Wan said.
But Qui-Gon did not move. A few seconds later, the security police returned. One of them took out a
pair of electrobinoculars and began sweeping the rooftops.
"They're not giving up, I'm afraid," Qui-Gon remarked mildly.
The two Jedi moved backward quickly on their hands and knees until they were out of range. Then they
jumped from the opposite side of the roof down to the pavement. They ran down a short stretch of the
alley and spilled out into the crowded street again.
"We'll never lose them this way," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan craned his neck and looked over the heads of the surging crowd. "Everyone is heading toward
that dome," he said to Qui-Gon. "Maybe we can lose them inside."
They joined the crowd, weaving through it in order to make it to the entrance quickly. A giant sign
flashed in letters a hundred meters high KATHARSIS.
"I guess we're about to find out what it is," Obi-Wan said curiously.
There were several entrances, and Qui-Gon joined the line at the most crowded. The stream of people
pushed through an opening that was big enough to fly a starfighter through.
need credits? stop here! The signs flashed around a row of booths near the entrance. Farther on
Obi-Wan saw food stalls. Tempting aromas floated toward them. His stomach rumbled again. He almost
groaned. With Qui-Gon, he never knew when his next meal would come. His former Jedi Master
seemed to exist on a diet of fresh air and determination.
"This must be some sort of gambling event," Qui-Gon said. "Curious."
"And popular," Obi-Wan added, jostled by the surging crowd.
As they entered the interior of the dome, they found themselves high above the central area, which was
one giant ring with a smaller concentric ring inside. Large screens were hung at various heights and
distances around the dome so that they were visible throughout the giant space. Scenes of natural beauty
flashed across them while booming music played out of hidden speakers.
Floating boxes surrounded the central wings. Stationary seating ringed the area, the topmost rows lost in
the vastness of the dome.
They climbed up, searching for two empty seats near exits. Qui-Gon's keen gaze swept the crowd below
them, looking for the security police who had been following them.
At last he found places a few seats in from the end. They sat, and Obi-Wan turned his attention to the
giant screens, which began to flash a stream of names and numbers he could not decipher. There was
also a screen with a keypad built into his armrest.
While Qui-Gon kept his eyes on the crowd, Obi-Wan leaned over to a tall Telosian seated next to him.
"This is my first time here," he said. "Can you explain what's going on?"
"The screens are flashing the current odds for the games," his seatmate replied, pointing. "You can bet at
your seat on each event. There are twenty contestants competing in a variety of contests."
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