Jedi Apprentice Special Edition 2: The Followers

Chapter 5

The ship landed on Nolar within an hour. Obi-Wan barely had time to find his Master and brief him on what he'd heard on the bridge.

After Lundi quickly disembarked on Nolar, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon pushed their way past the puzzled captain. The Jedi followed as the professor made his way into a tiny, adjoining hangar. There was one small ship inside, and Lundi spoke briefly with its pilot before leaving the hangar.

"It looks like he just booked continuing passage," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully as the Jedi followed Lundi into the city. "But I was under the impression that Nolar was his final destination. Where do you think he's going?"

Qui-Gon let out a slow breath. "We shall soon see."

The capital city of Nolari was bustling. There was a great deal of both air and foot traffic. The city was populated by beings from many parts of the galaxy.

Obi-Wan tried to stay close to his Master, who strode purposefully ahead.

It wasn't difficult to keep track of Murk Lundi. His long neck, multiple arms, and tiny head made him an easy visual target, even in a densely populated metropolis like Nolari. But it was not long before an uneasy feeling came over Obi-Wan. He sensed that someone or something was following them. But what, or who?

Without slowing down, Qui-Gon turned back to his apprentice. "Stay close to me," he said quietly. "I think we are being followed."

"I feel a presence too, Master," Obi-Wan replied. "But I am not getting any sense of who it might be."

Qui-Gon began to move more quickly through the crowds. Obi-Wan was accustomed to his Master's long, powerful strides, but he found it difficult to move inconspicuously. In spite of the varied populace, their smelly mechanics' uniforms seemed to stick out.

Looking fleetingly over his shoulder, Obi-Wan suddenly spotted their pursuer — a humanoid figure wearing a long cape and a helmet.

"I see him, Master," Obi-Wan spoke quietly. "About forty paces behind us, to the right."

Qui-Gon nodded curtly. "We're going to have to split up," he said. "I will follow Murk. You should lead our new friend away from me, and then double back to see who he or she is."

Obi-Wan nodded. He looked over his shoulder a second time. By the time he cast his eyes forward again, Qui-Gon had disappeared into the throng.

Obi-Wan made a sharp left turn. Using his peripheral vision he saw his pursuer stop for an instant, as if unsure of which way to go. A moment later, he continued to follow Obi-Wan.

Relieved, Obi-Wan moved ahead. He zigzagged through a crowded marketplace, barely pausing to look at the delectable fruits and vegetables sold at various stands. Several vendors called out to him, aggressively trying to sell their foods. Obi-Wan's stomach growled. Unfortunately there was no time for a snack.

On the far side of the open market, Obi-Wan ducked behind a stack of crates. His tracker passed by quickly, but by the time Obi-Wan emerged from his hiding place he had disappeared again. Quickly scanning the crowd, Obi- Wan pressed on. But he was not able to find a lone figure in a helmet wandering the streets.

Obi-Wan was beginning to worry that he had failed his assignment when he suddenly spotted a flutter of gray fabric ahead. Hurrying forward, he saw the figure vanish around a corner.

He definitely looks humanoid, Obi-Wan thought. But male or female?

Obi-Wan rounded the corner quickly and nearly collided with a group of seedy-looking characters. Annoyed by the intrusion, two of the group glared openly at the Jedi. A third pulled out a blaster and leveled it at Obi-Wan's chest.

"Wrong turn," he growled. His arm was heavily bandaged above the wrist, but the heavy blaster did not waver in his hand.

Obi-Wan kept his eyes on the man's face as he pulled his lightsaber from his belt. Had he been at Dr. Lundi's lecture on Coruscant? Or on the ship? The young Jedi had been fairly sure that he and Qui-Gon were the only passengers to disembark besides the professor.

"I'm afraid this is your unlucky day," another thug spat.

Obi-Wan stepped forward slightly and ignited his lightsaber. That action alone was usually enough to intimidate an adversary. But the thugs didn't back down. In fact, now there were two blasters aimed at him.

"Ah, a lightsaber," one of the armed lowlifes mocked. "But does he use it wisely for power and vengeance, or foolishly for peace?"

The rest of the thugs smirked, and Obi-Wan's mind jolted. He'd heard those words before, and recently — at Dr. Lundi's lecture. These lowlifes were obviously familiar with Lundi and his work. Was this an ambush? Obi- Wan wanted to ask, but one of the hoodlums fired before he could get a word out.

Obi-Wan swung. Too late. The bolt grazed his shoulder, and he felt a hot pain tear through his flesh. He ignored the fierce throbbing as he leaped forward and swung again. This time he hit his target and severed a thug's finger from its hand.

The lowlife howled in pain. "You can't win, Jedi," he growled.

Clutching his wounded hand, he fled deeper into the alley. His wide-eyed companions were quick to follow.

After clipping his lightsaber to his belt, Obi-Wan checked his shoulder. The throbbing had subsided. The wound was minor and would heal quickly.

By the time Obi-Wan stepped into the open street, he had lost track of his pursuer. He stood completely still for a few moments, refocusing his energy to determine which way he should go. The answer was not entirely clear.

Obi-Wan started off in a new direction, heading away from the crowded marketplace. The city center soon gave way to large, storehouse?type buildings. Obi-Wan was satisfied that his pursuer was long gone when he sensed Qui-Gon's presence. Obi-Wan stopped before one of the storehouses.

Then, doubling back to the door, he ducked inside.

Obi-Wan knew immediately that his Master was not alone in the storehouse. Murk Lundi was here as well. Moving carefully behind large crates and machinery, Obi-Wan made his way toward the center of the large room. Soon he could hear two men carrying on a conversation.

"I need a Nolarian 6000 drill immediately," one of the voices said.

Obi-Wan recognized it as Dr. Lundi's.

Peering out from behind a vehicle, Obi-Wan saw that Lundi was talking to a machinery dealer. The dealer was holding a large wrench and his forearms were covered in grease.

"Don't have one," the dealer said flatly. "There's a shortage. And the way the mining safety committee has been watching us, there will be for a good while."

"I need a 6000. Today," Lundi repeated.

The dealer sighed, as if he got requests for enormous subaquatic drill rigs all the time. "Are you listening?" he asked, annoyed. "I said I don't have one. And I don't know when I will."

Lundi stared at the man, clenching and unclenching his many hands into fists. His face contorted into a twisted scowl.

Behind the machinery, Obi-Wan suddenly felt a little hazy. His vision blurred and the voices around him echoed in his ears. From somewhere in his daze he realized that Dr. Lundi's anger was affecting him. Yoda had told Obi-Wan that anger and hatred clouded one's mind but he'd never felt this muddled by someone else's anger before. Jedi Master Yarael Poof had amazing powers of Force suggestion. Perhaps all Quermians were telepathic.

By concentrating hard, Obi-Wan was able to clear his vision and his head. He focused on what was transpiring in front of him. Lundi was now shouting at the machinery dealer.

"Pathetic weakling," he raged. "Only a fool would let such technicalities interrupt his business."

The dealer stood staring at Lundi, frozen.

Lundi turned and stormed toward the storehouse door. "I have the power to find it without your stupid machinery," he told himself. His several arms waved forcefully through the air. "It is simply a matter of timing. Yes. I just have to time it right."

What does that mean? Obi-Wan wondered as he followed Lundi out of the storehouse. His Master was not far behind, and the two Jedi stepped out into the street as if they had been together the whole time.

Lundi, however, had vanished.