The Evil Experiment

  THE EVIL EXPERIMENT

  CHAPTER 1

  He heard sound, but it was only a rush of white noise. His eyes were

  open, but he could only see vapor. He was wet, but he was not in water.

  Since he was not able to trust his sight or hearing, Qui-Gon Jinn decided

  to focus on the pain.

  He tracked its location and measured its quality. It was on the left

  side of his chest, above his heart, and ran up to his shoulder. It wasn't a

  white-hot pain, but a steady burning ache, as deep as muscle and bone.

  It told him he was alive.

  He tried to move his right arm. The slight contraction of muscle, the

  effort required, seemed enormous. He hit something smooth with his fingers.

  He followed it slowly, tracing it up, then down. He moved his other arm and

  reached out his hand. Again, he met a solid wall. It was all around him. He

  realized that he was trapped.

  A jolt of panic raced through him as he realized that he did not

  remember why he was here. Qui-Gon allowed it to exist and then watched it

  go. He breathed deeply. He was a Jedi Knight. His lightsaber was gone as

  well as his utility belt, but he still had the Force.

  He was not alone.

  As he breathed, Qui-Gon brought his mind to stillness. He told

  himself that his memory would return. He would not strain for it. He did

  not need it to live in the present moment.

  He concentrated on his surroundings. Slowly he realized that he was

  in a transparent chamber. The reason he felt dizzy and strange was that he

  hung suspended, upside down. A cloudy gas surrounded him. Somehow it kept

  him floating in the tank. He could not see clearly through the vapor to the

  outside. He shifted, hoping to change position, and pain shot down his

  shoulder to his side. Blaster wounds were tricky. You thought the flesh was

  knitting, and then your wound told you otherwise if you tried too much, too

  soon...

  Blaster wound.

  Memories flooded back.

  He had been on a mountainside with his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. They

  were trying to protect his friend Didi Oddo and Didi's daughter, Astri. The

  bounty hunter had shot Didi, and he had fallen

  Didi!

  - and Obi-Wan had leaped an astonishing distance to knock the bounty

  hunter down. The bounty hunter had tried one last desperate maneuver,

  throwing a knife at Astri. His Padawan had caught it in midair. Qui-Gon

  remembered the pride he felt when he saw the skill of his Padawan, how Obi-

  Wan had timed his move and called on the Force in order to catch the deadly

  spinning weapon by the hilt, not the blade.

  The bounty hunter had known she was defeated then. She had activated

  a cable line, which launched her down the mountain toward her craft. Qui-

  Gon had followed. He had just made it onto the launching ramp when she shot

  him. He remembered his surprise at the white heat in his chest, remembered

  falling forward into the ship and the ramp closing after him. He thought he

  could still hear Obi-Wan's cry.

  He had left his Padawan on a remote planet with a wounded Didi - let

  him be wounded, not dead - and a young girl.

  Qui-Gon moved again, and his wound screamed fire.

  A female voice suddenly came to him, amplified within the tank.

  "You might be experiencing some pain. It's from the chest wound. It

  has been treated. You will survive."

  "Who are you?" Qui-Gon asked.

  "You are a subject of scientific experimentation," the voice went on

  pleasantly. "You will not be hurt, only studied."

  "What do you mean, I won't be hurt? I'm confined!" Qui-Gon protested.

  "You will be treated well."

  "I am here against my will! Who are you? Where am I?"

  The voice did not answer. Instead, an apparatus shot into the

  chamber. At the end was a syringe. Qui-Gon tried to twist away, but he had

  nowhere to move. A needle pricked him in the neck. He watched his blood

  move down the transparent tube. The syringe retracted. Slowly, his body

  revolved until he was right-side up again.

  Dizziness swamped him, but he knew it would pass. He gathered his

  strength, waiting out the spell.

  As soon as he felt strong, he gritted his teeth against the pain and

  lashed out with both feet. He could not get enough leverage, and he bounced

  off the transparent material. He struck out with a balled fist, but got no

  response. The material did not bend. It did not even move a millimeter.

  "Now, is that suitable behavior?" the voice chided. "You are not a

  child."

  "I am a Jedi Knight!" Qui-Gon shouted.

  "Precisely. And your life is one of service. Isn't that so?" The

  voice did not wait for him to respond. "Now you will be of service to the

  galaxy. Much more so than when you dash from world to world, waving that

  lightsaber around. I'm doing you a favor. You get to truly prove your

  commitment - how many Jedi can say the same? So relax. Let's see some of

  that famous Jedi meditation."

  The note of dry amusement was suddenly familiar to Qui-Gon. Of

  course! As his memory returned, so did his suspicions.

  His captor was Jenna Zan Arbor.

  The brilliant scientist who appeared so perfect on the surface. The

  researcher who had saved whole populations from famine and plague. Yet

  somehow he had suspected that she was behind the plot to kill Didi. He was

  glad to see that his instincts had been correct.

  Unfortunately, he was now her prisoner.

  And he had not confided his suspicions to Obi-Wan. The boy would not

  know where to look, whom to suspect.

  "Jenna Zan Arbor, you will not be able to hide from the Jedi," he

  said, matching her coolness with his own.

  "Ah, so you know who I am. I'm impressed. What a specimen! It merely

  proves my choice is correct. I have researched you, Qui-Gon Jinn. I have

  found that you are an esteemed Jedi Knight, strong in the Force. You are

  perfect for my needs."

  "And what are your needs?" Qui-Gon asked.

  He heard her dry, humorless laugh. "All in good time, Qui-Gon. Just

  say good-bye to the life you knew. You are mine now."

  CHAPTER 2

  Obi-Wan Kenobi stared at the floor. It was a change. For hours, he

  had been staring at the wall.

  He was in the Jedi Temple med center. With one look, Obi-Wan knew

  Didi needed the best care in the galaxy. He and Astri had brought Didi in,

  talking to him constantly during the journey, even though he had long ago

  lapsed into unconsciousness.

  The Jedi medics and healers had rushed Didi into an interior room.

  They had only come out to tell Obi-Wan and Astri that Didi was still alive,

  and that they were hopeful.

  Over the long night, Bant had sat by his side, then Garen, his best

  friends at the Temple. Bant did not speak, but occasionally would slip her

  slender hand into his. All night they had sat, waiting for news. At last he

  had sent his friends away to eat break
fast. He could not eat. He could not

  sleep.

  Didi struggled for life in the next room. What about Qui-Gon? Was his

  Master alive or dead?

  He is alive, Obi-Wan told himself fiercely. He is alive because he

  must be alive.

  He had seen the blaster fire hit Qui-Gon in the chest near the heart.

  He had seen him stagger and fall back. But Qui-Gon had reserves of strength

  that were astonishing. Even if he were the bounty hunter's captive, he

  would manage to stay alive until Obi-Wan could find him. The bounty hunter

  would not leave him to die.

  He told himself this, over and over. But when he remembered her

  impassive face, her ruthlessness in battle, Obi-Wan felt despair.

  And still I sit here. Waiting.

  He had briefed Yoda and Tahl, the Jedi Knight who was coordinating

  the search for Qui-Gon. He had told them everything he knew. But he could

  not tell them where the bounty hunter was headed. They did not know who had

  hired her to track down Didi. They did not know why. They did not even know

  her name. There were too many questions. And Qui-Gon's life hung in the

  balance.

  Yoda had assigned several Jedi teams to investigate Qui-Gon's

  disappearance. Tahl was trying to crack the code of Jenna Zan Arbor's

  datapad, as well as look for clues that might lead to the identity and

  whereabouts of the mysterious bounty hunter. Everything that could possibly

  be done was being done. All the resources of the Jedi were turned toward

  finding Qui-Gon. Except for Obi-Wan. He could only sit.

  "Have you memorized the floor yet?"

  Astri's voice broke into his thoughts. She gave him a half smile. "I

  have. There are twenty-seven squares of stone between here and the wall."

  "It can't be much longer," Obi-Wan said.

  She sighed and leaned forward on her knees, clasping her hands

  together. Astri was tall and slender, with midnight-black hair that hung in

  curls to the middle of her back. She was older than Obi-Wan and had run

  Didi's Caf© with her father. He did not know Astri well, but he had come to

  know that she did not like to show weakness or affection. Having her father

  shot before her eyes had devastated her. Trying to conceal her shock and

  despair was defeating her.

  "I never knew my birth parents," Astri said as she stared down at the

  floor. "Someone left me in Didi's Caf©. He took me in."

  "I didn't know that," Obi-Wan said.

  "I think whoever left me there must have cared about me somewhat,"

  Astri went on softly. "They chose Didi to be my father. They knew he

  wouldn't give me away to be placed by the government. They knew his heart

  would melt at the sight of a baby. And it did. I was lucky."

  "Yes, I can see that," Obi-Wan said. "Sometimes the home you find is

  the one you are meant to have." It was how he felt about the Temple. And

  Qui-Gon.

  She turned to look at him, sorrow in her dark eyes. "I'm sure Qui-Gon

  will be all right. He's so strong. I've known him all my life, Obi-Wan. I

  have seen how strong he is."

  Obi-Wan nodded. If Qui-Gon were dead, he would know it. He would feel

  it.

  "I know you want to find him. Thank you for staying here with me."

  "I wouldn't know where to start," Obi-Wan confessed. "We don't know

  why the bounty hunter was hired."

  "We know she tried to steal that datapad," Astri said. "So we know

  there is information on it that is valuable to someone. And we know that

  datapad belonged to Jenna Zan Arbor. Fligh stole it from her."

  "But he also stole Senator S'orn's datapad," Obi-Wan pointed out. "So

  the connection to the bounty hunter could lie there. Your friend Fligh is

  dead and cannot give us answers. And even if we did find out who hired the

  bounty hunter, we still don't know where she would take Qui-Gon."

  Astri nodded. "But you will find him," she said. "The Jedi can do

  anything."

  She stood, wincing as she did so. Astri had a wrenched shoulder, as

  well as bumps and bruises from being dragged down the mountainside, a

  prisoner of the bounty hunter's whip.

  "Are you all right?" Obi-Wan asked. "The medic could give you

  something for the pain."

  "No, I want to stay alert. What about you?" Astri asked Obi-Wan. "How

  is your leg?"

  Obi-Wan felt the bandage on his thigh. His leg had been sliced by the

  spiking of the bounty hunter's whip. The wound had been bathed in a bacta

  tank. It would heal. Already the pain was ebbing.

  And Qui-Gon? Have his wounds been attended to?

  Astri prowled around the small waiting room. It was designed for

  comfort and calm, in colors of pale blue and white. The seating areas were

  grouped for both privacy and intimacy.

  Astri looked out at the view of Coruscant. "I am so grateful to the

  Jedi. The healers and medics have been so good. I just wish they were

  faster."

  The door to the inner treatment rooms opened. The Jedi healer, Winna

  Di Yuni, came toward them, dressed in the light blue tunic of a medic. Obi-

  Wan had been glad when Winna had taken over Didi's care. She was an elder

  Jedi, tall and strong, with a gentle manner. She was renowned for her great

  skill as a diagnostician. She had a vast knowledge of all the diseases in

  the galaxy.

  Now Obi-Wan's heart beat faster when he saw the look on Winna's face.

  He knew in a sudden flash that she was not bringing good news. He stood,

  and Astri quickly crossed to his side.

  Winna looked at Astri kindly and gestured for them to take a seat.

  She sat opposite them. "We have done all we can for your father," she said.

  "It is up to Didi now. His life energy is very low. He himself must find

  the strength to fight."

  Obi-Wan saw Astri swallow. "His wounds are bad?" he asked.

  Winna nodded. "Very bad, I'm afraid. But that is not the only

  problem. Infection has set in, an infection that we cannot identify. We are

  searching all our data banks. I did not want to come out here until we

  found out what infection this is, but you need to know what is happening."

  "I don't understand," Astri said. "You are the best healers in the

  galaxy. If you don't know what is wrong with Didi, who will know?"

  "We do not know everything," Winna said gently. "The galaxy is a very

  large place. Infections and diseases pop up everywhere, new ones all the

  time. I have no doubt that we will locate the source of this one. But it

  may take time."

  "Didi doesn't have time," Astri said, gripping her hands together.

  "That is what you mean."

  "Do not look for the worst thing," Winna said. "Think of the best

  thing. We will identify this infection and treat it."

  Astri bit her lip. "Can I see him?"

  "Yes, of course. He is not conscious. But he might feel your

  presence. Come with me."

  Astri followed Winna. She looked as though she were sleepwalking.

  Obi-Wan felt stunned as well. Didi was larger than life. He had expected

  the healers to come out with good news any second.

  Instead, there was only more waiting...

  The door to the main hallway opened. Tahl walked in with Yoda at her
br />   side.

  "How is Didi?" Yoda asked. "Heard we did that news there is."

  "He has an infection that they cannot identify," Obi-Wan said. "Winna

  tried to reassure Astri, but I can see that she is worried."

  "Do her best, she will. A great amount, that is." Yoda pressed a

  button and one of the seating cushions lowered. They were adjustable for

  the many species in the Jedi Temple. He lowered himself onto the cushion,

  then leaned on his staff. "And you, Obi-Wan? No sleep you've had, I fear."