Jedi Apprentice Special Edition 1: Deceptions

Chapter 19

Obi-Wan signaled them to retreat toward the closet. He would rather avoid confrontation. It was imperative that they get the holoprojector out so that Den could break the code of that file. They squeezed inside Vox's huge closet, pressed up against his many fine tunics and robes. Obi-Wan left the door open a tiny crack.

Vox entered the room. He immediately crossed to his sleep-couch. He accessed the hidden drawer with the crystalline vertex. Obi-Wan heard Den let out a muffled groan as Vox scooped it out into a drawstring pouch. Vox tucked the pouch inside his tunic. He looked around the room for a moment, his eyes taking in the comfortable quarters. Then he hurried out, the door closing behind him.

They eased out of the closet.

"If he's takingall his vertex, something's up," Den said.

"Can you get us to the docking bay to meet Garen without being seen?" Obi-Wan asked. "Another Jedi might come in handy."

"Does a nightcrawler crawl?" Den grinned.

Den knew the unused corridors of the ship, where food and supplies were moved from one area to another. He was able to get them to the docking bay without being seen. They lingered near the outflow pipes. Garen's sleek starship had landed, and he was checking in with the BioCruiser's technicians.

"If they don't know we're missing, they will soon," Obi-Wan said. "We have to get Garen's attention."

Anakin focused inward. He drew in the Force from all the elements around him. He motioned to Garen and saw the tall young man look up. His gaze roamed around the docking bay and then focused on where they were hiding.

"He knows we're here," Anakin said.

Den gazed at him, baffled. "How did you do that?" He shook his head. "Is it really too late for me to become a Jedi? I could use some of those skills. Not to mention those lightsabers."

"Yes, it's too late," Obi-Wansaid, his eyes on Garen.

Garen was now talking in a friendly way with the BioCruiser tech worker, gesturing around the giant hangar. Obi-Wan knew that his old friend was complimenting the ship and the design. The tech worker nodded, gesturing at the space, and walked off. Garen began to casually stroll around the hangar, seeming to admire its design.

He came closer and lingered near them. "What's up?"

Obi-Wan spoke in a low voice. "Things have changed. We need you to sneak away and come with us."

"Be happy to." Garen glanced around at the tech workers. They were busy at the console, so he quickly melted back in the shadow of the outflow pipes.

Obi-Wan quickly explained the situation. "We need to investigate what Vox Chun is doing before we leave the ship," he concluded. "I have a feeling the people aboard the BioCruiser could be in danger."

Gravely, Garen nodded.

"I've got a place where we can hole up until I break this code," Den told them. "It's not far."

They sneaked back the way they had come. As they reached the utility corridor they had used to enter, suddenly Den sprang back and motioned to them to do the same. "It's Kern," he whispered. "Why is he heading to the docking bay?"

They pressed back into the shadows of the columns supporting the bay. Kern passed them, looking harried.

Garen frowned. "Who is that?"

"We think he might be in league with Vox," Obi-Wan told him. "We don't have proof yet."

Garen nodded, but his expression still seemed absentminded."He looks… familiar."

"Come on," Den urged.

Den led them through a maze of utility corridors to the greenhouse where he raised the native flowers and vegetables of Telos. At the sight of blooming purple flowers, Obi-Wan suddenly remembered a ride on a speeder over the fields and mountains of the Telosian wilderness, so many years ago. They had fought so hard to save Telos. Yet its natural beauties had ended up destroyed. Offworld had started the process, under the name of the company UniFy. Other powerful interests had taken up where Offworld had left off…

Remembrance flooded Obi-Wan. "Broken Circle," he said to Den. "What happened to Offworld after it was kicked off Telos?"

"I suppose they went on to ravage the rest of the galaxy," Den said. "They reorganized under a different name, I heard. They were never allowed to operate on Telos again."

"Xanatos had a scar on his cheek," Obi-Wan said. "He made it himself by pressing his father's molten ring against his skin. The ring had been broken by Qui-Gon's lightsaber. It was a broken circle."

"Do you thinkBroken Circleis Offworld?" Garen asked.

"It makes sense," Obi-Wan said. "Vox was secretly in league with Xanatos and Offworld. What if he never broke those ties? And Offworld was used to setting up other companies to conceal their involvement."

"So Vox could have never stopped working for them!" Den said excitedly. "Let me tackle that coded file."

Quickly, Den set up the holoprojector. He used the code "Offworld," and nothing happened.

"Try UniFy," Obi-Wan suggested.

Den typed out the word. "We're in," he said in satisfaction. The others pressed forward to read the file.

"We're right," Obi-Wan said. "These are the records of a mining corporation."

Anakin's face fell. "But this is just a list of planetary operations. That doesn't help us much."

Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Den. "Unless…"

Den nodded grimly. He called up the file that listed the BioCruiser's scheduled stops.

"Each of the stops the BioCruiser has made has been to a planet targeted by Offworld for development," Obi-Wan noted. "Vox Chun is always in the landing party."

"And up to no good, I'm sure. Bribes or intimidation, who knows," Den said. "And look how successful he's been. BioCruiser shows up at aplanet, and a few weeks later they allow Offworld development. It's a beautiful system. Kern is in the readout room. He triggers the need for fuel or repairs. It's not done often enough to cause suspicion. We orbit the planet, and Vox goes down to do Offworld's dirty work. No wonder his secret drawer was filled with crystalline vertex. He probably uses it for bribes."

"Do you think Uni knows?" Anakin asked.

"No way to tell," Den said. "I don't think so, though. I may not agree with Uni, but I don't think he's a crook like his father."

"I don't either," Obi-Wan agreed.

"But why was Kern heading to the docking bay now?" Den wondered. "Is he planning to leave the ship?"

Obi-Wan leaned forward again and studied the list of planets where Offworld had mining operations. "What system are we near now, Garen?" he asked.

"Tentrix," Garen answered. "It'sa few hours away."

"That must be TRX. It's the only system that's coded." Obi-Wan accessed the name, and a new file appeared. Once again, they all leaned forward to study it.

After a moment, Den let out a long breath. "Kill me now," he breathed. "I can't believe this. Let me look at those evacuation plans again."

Den activated the evacuation file. He carefully studied the blueprints for long minutes.

"This is different from the official plan," he said finally. "The official plan calls for an escalating series of emergency codes so that we don't panic anyone. We would need organization and control to offload so many beings. This plan calls for an immediate Code Five. That means the vessel is breaking up, and evacuation has to proceed immediately. And the code is instituted in the tech readout room-not the bridge."

"Kern," Anakin said.

"It's clever," Obi-Wan said. "A false Code Five will be instituted. A fake distress signal will be sent. And who will answer it?"

"Offworld ships," Garen said grimly.

"According to theBroken Circleplan, all the beings will be evacuated," Obi-Wan continued. "Offworld droids will board the vessel and remain — only they won't be helping with the rescue effort, they'll be stealing the treasury. Then Offworld will blow up the BioCruiser. None of Uni's followers will realize that the ship was blown up intentionally. Offworld will look heroic, and no one will know it stole the entire treasury."

"How will Offworld blow up the ship?" Anakin asked.

"It must be already set to blow," Densaid, his face white. "It's already been sabotaged."

"We did find out that Kern knows his way around a starship engine," Anakin said.

"Kern!" Garen burst out. "I know where I've seen him before. His name was Tarrence Chenati. He sabotaged the Jedi starfighters twelve years ago. He disappeared without a trace."

"And was given a new identity," Obi-Wan said. "Strange that both times Vox has been around, isn't it?"

"Do you think he was behind the sabotage of the starfighters?" Garenasked, his face grim.

"It's a big coincidence if he wasn't," Obi-Wan pointed out. "Vox wanted to discredit the Jedi and distract us-" Hefrowned. "That reminds me of something Qui-Gon told me when Xanatos was sabotaging theTemple. The keys to destroying something are disruption, demoralization, and distraction." He exchanged a glance with Garen. "Vox wanted to win in that hearing. He certainly managed to distract and disrupt us. I think we solved the mystery of who was behind the sabotage of your starfighters."

"Can we get back to the present?" Den asked. "Uh, I hate to remind you, but the ship might blow up."

"We must go to see Kad now," Obi-Wan said. "He needs to hear this information. Den, you try to find Kern."

"Do you think Kad will listen?" Anakin asked doubtfully. "You're his worst enemy."

"It doesn't matter," Obi-Wan said. "We have to try."