Jedi Quest 2: The Trail of the Jedi

Chapter Seven

"Who is he?" Floria asked in a hushed voice. She tiptoed closer, keeping behind Anakin.

Obi-Wan bent over the inert form. He examined the Tursha's utility belt and searched the hidden pockets in his cloak.

"I'd guess he's a bounty hunter," he said to Anakin. "He has a variety of weapons and what looks to be some false ID docs." He took a restraining device from the bounty hunter's belt and secured him to the tree.

"You'll recover from the stun in about five hours," he told the Tursha, who could do nothing but stare straight ahead. "But I guess you know that. We'll return for you."

"Can't you ask him what happened to my friends?" Floria asked.

"He can't speak. Not yet. If he did attack your friends, we'll escort him to your home planet for trial," Obi-Wan said.

Suddenly tears spilled down Floria's cheeks. "He killed them," she said. "I know it. Did you hear what he said? 'They were mine.' He did it."

"You don't know that," Anakin told her soothingly. He could have meant any number of things. We don't know anything about him. You can't jump to conclusions that way. You can't imagine the worst."

Anakin patted Floria's back as she used the hem of her cloak to dry her tears. Despite his reassurances, he was worried. He had felt the growing darkness on the planet. Floria could be right. Her friend could have been attacked.

Obi-Wan stared out at the meadow, thinking. He did not acknowledge Floria's tears, or try to sooth her on any way. Anakin couldn't believe it. How could Obi-Wan be so cold?

Obi-Wan signaled to Anakin and drew him aside. "What is a bounty hunter doing on an underpopulated planet?" he asked. "Why would he attack us? Is he her for another purpose? Why would he attack a grroup of young students on a camping trip? It doesn't make sense."

"But they've disappeared," Anakin said. "Something happened."

Obi-Wan eyed the Tursha. "I wish I could ask him some questions. I'd like to know if he's operating alone."

"We're running out of time," Anakin said. "Floria's group is supposed to rendezvous with the space cruiser in less than an hour."

"You are too focused on Floria's problem," Obi-Wan rebuked him. "There is a larger issue here, and possibly more important things at stake. What is happening on this planet? We won't find out if we leave."

"We have to leave," Anakin said. "We promised Floria."

"We promised to help her," Obi-Wan said. "I'm not sure what that will entail. Not yet. Have you given no thought to your fellow Jedi? What if something happened to Wren?"

"We don't know that," Anakin argued. "And we do know that something happened to Floria's friends. So I say we go with what we know. Aren't I supposed to be true to my feelings?"

An odd look passed over his Master's face. "Your feelings are important, Padawan," he said kindly. "And they are important to me. But you are being swayed by emotion. That is different than following your feelings. You should know the difference by now. Gather the Force around you. See what it tells you."

Annoyed at Obi-Wan's rebuke, Anakin turned away. He gazed at the trees, letting the tones of green invade him, letting the noise of the rustling leaves calm him. He gathered in the Force.

Once again, he felt the darkness rise. Once again, it seemed to be coming from several sources. Yet there was one powerful darkness here as well.

Surprised, he turned to Obi-Wan. "It is confusing. There seem to be several sources of darkness, and at the same time, only one."

Obi-Wan nodded. "That is what I sense, too."

"But I don't get any feeling about Wren. Perhaps he is in danger," Anakin said reluctantly. He didn't want Obi-Wan to be right.

"Let's go to the ship," Obi-Wan suggested. "We'll try to raise Wren on his comlink. Then we will make the decision about Floria. "He put his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Together."

Anakin nodded. He realized that Obi-Wan had just given him a kind of apology. It was just like Obi-Wan to veil it in lessons.

They returned to the girl, who had slumped on the ground a good distance away from the bounty hunter.

"Good." She rose with a shiver. "I can't wait to get off this planet."

"One moment. We can't leave the Tursha like this," Obi-Wan said. "When dusk comes, the malia will be roaming." He withdrew a flexible tarp from his survival pack. He unfurled it and created a free-form tent around the seated bounty hunter. The color of the tarp took on the color of its surroundings, camouflaging the Tursha. "This should protect you somewhat," Obi-Wan told him. "We will return for you before the paralyzer wears off."

They left the trees and struck out across the meadow. Anakin hoped they would be able to raise Wren on the comlink. He was anxious to bring Floria to safety. Suddenly their training exercise had turned into a mission. He didn't mind the shift. He would rather face danger and save lives than track an elder Jedi up the mountain any day.

They were relieved to see the ship was just as they'd left it. They hurried toward it.

Suddenly, the ground in front of them exploded, sending a shower of dirt and rocks into the air. Another explosion came to the right of them.

They were being fired on — from all directions at once. The blaster bolts pinged and whistled, sending up a shower of dirt around them.

Anakin and Obi-Wan both activated their lightsabers in one fluid motion.

"Get Floria to the ship!" Obi-Wan yelled deflecting fire.

Anakin tucked Floria against his side, away from the worst of the fire. He ran quickly, deflecting fire as he moved.

Obi-Wan stayed in front of him, taking the brunt of the fire and clearing a path to the ship. Anakin activated the landing ramp and quickly ran up with Floria. After a moment, Obi-Wan followed.

Anakin slid into the pilots seat. "We don't have time to contact Wren. We'd better get out of here."

"Yes, hurry!" Floria's face was white with fear. "What if they come after this ship, too?

Obi-wan peered outside at the blaster fire that was still erupting. Bolts peppered the ship. Smoke filled the air outside.

Anakin reached for the engine controls.

"Wait." Obi-Wan's voice was a command.

"Wait?" Floria's voice rose. "For what? To get killed?"

"I feel a surge in the Force," Obi-wan said.

"You feel a what in the what?" Floria's head whipped from Obi-Wan to Anakin.

An explosion outside almost threw Obi-Wan to the floor. Floria screamed and gripped her chair. "Please, let's take off!"

Obi-Wan gripped the console, concentrating, as though there were no blasters, no explosions outside. And now Anakin could feel it. Too. The dark side surged. He had been too intent on leaving, on Floria's panic, on the blaster fire. This was something he had to learn. His connection to the Force was strong, but sometimes it got crowded out by mor immediate things. Obi-Wan was able to hold everything in his mind at once.

Obi-Wan dropped to his knees. Floria looked down at him as though he were crazy.

"Is he afraid?" she whispered to Anakin. "I don't blame him! Let's take off!"

"Wait." Anakin watched Obi-Wan. He knew now that the darkness was inside the ship, not outside it.

"I found it." Obi-Wan's voice was muffled, and Anakin has to strain to hear over the sound of the blaster fire.

Obi-Wan raise his head, then stood. He held a black box in his hand, "A sleeper bomb. If we had taken off, we would have been blown out of the sky."