The False Peace

They ran back to the vent and crawled through, then ran down the air

  tunnel. As she ran, Siri flipped open her comlink and contacted Ferus.

  Quickly, she filled him in.

  "We're just entering the main Senate chamber," Ferus said. "There's no

  sign of any trouble."

  "Stay with Palpatine. Contact Master Windu and request reinforcements.

  Can you get us through the tunnels to the chamber?"

  "Yes. I loaded the Senate utility tunnels onto my datapad."

  "Bring us in on a middle tier."

  There was a pause of only seconds. "Travel back to the ZM7789 section.

  Look for vent ZM22899. Go through that one. It will ascend two hundred

  meters and make a sharp turn to vent UB339. Go through that. Follow that

  tunnel straight to vent NW993. That comes out into the Senate chamber."

  "Got it."

  They moved fast, running now. Siri kicked in the first vent. This

  tunnel was large enough for them to walk in, but as Ferus had told them, it

  turned sharply upward for two hundred meters. They used their cable

  launchers to swiftly vault up.

  "A sharp turn here." Siri kicked in the next vent. She ran ahead, and

  Obi-Wan had a chance to talk to Anakin.

  "You left the Supreme Chancellor."

  "Ferus was there."

  "You could have contacted me."

  "There wasn't time."

  "And now there are hundreds of seeker droids heading to the Senate and

  only one Jedi available to protect Chancellor Palpatine and the Senators."

  Obi-Wan saw Anakin's mouth tighten. He grew less and less open to

  correction from his Master. It had been the opposite for Obi-Wan. The

  longer they were together, the more he welcomed Qui-Gon's remarks, even

  when they were critical.

  "I'm at the next vent!" Siri cried. "I can hear something. Hurry!"

  They scurried through the next vent, then ran down the tunnel to the

  last one, Siri in the lead. Now they could hear it - blaster fire. Shouts.

  The random, terrible noise of violent chaos.

  They burst out on a mid-level tier of the chamber. The seeker droids

  were everywhere, looking for their targets. Senators marooned in pods dove

  to the floor. Bodyguards tried to protect their charges and seeker droids

  went after them as well.

  "I don't see Palpatine!" Siri yelled. "He's not in his pod."

  "He could be stuck on one of the tiers," Obi-Wan said.

  Siri called Ferus on the comlink but there was no answer. He was

  either too busy to answer or his comlink wasn't functioning.

  They didn't know where to start, so they started where they were.

  Anakin was a flash in the air as he moved, targeting droids as they dipped

  and revolved, spraying blaster fire toward their targets. Obi-Wan saw a

  seeker droid homing in on a Senator cowering in his pod, at least fifty

  meters below. He jumped off the tier into the pod, taking the droid down in

  mid-leap.

  Siri leaped from pod to pod, slashing at seeker droids in the air as

  she went and ricocheting blaster bolts back into the droids. Many exploded

  as their fire was returned to them. With a quick glance Obi-Wan saw them

  flame out and fall far below to the ground floor. They were hundreds of

  meters in the air, and the droids had the advantage. They could fly. The

  Jedi needed an edge.

  Obi-Wan leaped down to the next tier and found a terrified assistant

  hiding among the opulent drapery of the pod from the planet Belazura. It

  was still tethered to its docking point.

  "Show me the main controls for the pods," Obi-Wan said.

  "I-I-" the aide stammered, too terrified to speak. "Do it now!" Obi-

  Wan barked.

  The durasteel in Obi-Wan's voice caused the aide to snap to attention.

  "There's a control on level 125...." "Let's go."

  Obi-Wan leaped into the pod. He pressed the indicator to bring them

  down ten levels. The pod dropped like a stone.

  The pod docked at Tier 125. "Come on," Obi-Wan said.

  The aide darted forward, running low to make himself less of a target.

  Still, every spray of blaster fire caused him to yelp in fear.

  Obi-Wan protected him as they ran. The aide quickly leaped behind a

  large column. He grimaced when he saw a security officer on the ground, but

  he moved to a panel in the wall. "Here," he said, accessing the panel.

  "These controls can override the individual pod controls."

  Obi-Wan quickly scanned the controls. He pushed several indicators,

  watching the pods move on a diagram. By moving large blocs of pods, he

  created a stepping-stone effect throughout the Senate chamber.

  "Stay here, you'll be safer," he told the aide.

  With a glance down at the dead guard at his feet, the young aide

  nodded shakily. "Whatever you say."

  Obi-Wan raced back to the tier. He could see that he had been

  successful. Siri was already jumping from pod to pod, able now to cover

  more airspace. Anakin was doing the same. When Obi-Wan looked down, he

  could see, far below, Jedi charging out onto the Senate floor. He saw Shaak

  Ti leaping onto the pods like steps, moving upward. A team led by Coleman

  Trebor used the pod controls to move closer to their goal, then leaped into

  the air to take out two, four, seven, ten seeker droids at once during

  their descent.

  Obi-Wan saw Palpatine at last. He stood on a tier far below, facing

  out toward the melee. Ferus stood in front of him, angling his lightsaber

  to fend off blaster bolts fired by the droids. Palpatine hardly noticed the

  Jedi protecting him. His bleak gaze swept the chamber.

  Then Obi-Wan saw Roy Teda on the same tier, making his way forward. A

  droid was tracking him, Obi-Wan saw, and Teda knew it. He was running for

  his life.

  Omega had betrayed Teda, as he eventually betrayed all who joined

  forces with him. He had programmed a seeker droid to assassinate Teda, too.

  Obi-Wan leaped onto a pod twenty meters down. He knew he was too far

  to reach the tier in time, but he had to try. As he made his way down, his

  lightsaber never stopped moving, swiping at the droids who were zeroing in

  on terrified Senators.

  He was close enough now to see the snarl of fury and terror on Teda's

  face, and suddenly, Obi-Wan guessed his intent. If he was going to go down,

  he wanted the seeker droid to take down Palpatine, too.

  Obi-Wan leaped, then leaped again. Just below, Teda ran. Ferus had

  turned to deal with a storm of blaster fire from five droids heading his

  way. Far below Ferus, Siri had seen nothing. Anakin had made his way down

  to the Senate floor and was on his way back up again. He had landed in a

  large pod and was in the middle of protecting an entire delegation.

  Obi-Wan continued to make his way down, slicing through droids as he

  went. The Senate chamber was filled with shouts and screams, the smoke of

  blasters, and the unmistakable smell of fear.

  Teda was only a few steps from Palpatine when Ferus moved. Obi-Wan had

  never seen him turn, had never seen him notice Teda, yet suddenly, Ferus's

  arm moved backward. Without even looking, he took out the lead seeker droid

  that had been targeting Teda.

  Then Ferus turned his full attention to the droids. He F
orce-leaped

  upward, the bronze glow of his lightsaber a constantly moving presence,

  arcing and circling, slashing, flipping backward, moving forward.

  Even as he leaped down the final meters toward Ferus, Obi-Wan saw the

  droids fall. Only one remained. Teda drew a blaster to fire at Ferus, but

  the droid suddenly dipped and fired, and Teda fell, smoke rising from the

  exit wound in his back. Ferus slashed the droid in half and bent over Teda.

  Obi-Wan could see by the posture of Ferus's body that it was too late.

  Obi-Wan landed at last. "Good work, Ferus." Ferus's mouth was tight.

  "I was too late."

  Even though Teda was an enemy of the Jedi, Ferus felt he had failed.

  Obi-Wan repeated the words he had spoken, this time in a gentle tone.

  "Good work, Ferus."

  Ferus turned to look out over the chamber. "The tide has turned."

  The Jedi and security forces were gaining the upper hand. Senators had

  been herded out of the chamber to safety. Others were being protected. The

  Jedi teams were now destroying the last of the droids. Obi-Wan glanced

  quickly over the chamber, searching for a Jedi who might need his help.

  Suddenly he heard his name being called.

  "Obi-Wan!"

  It was Tyro. Obi-Wan half-turned, searching for his friend.

  Tyro stood in the back of the tier, half-shrouded in darkness. He

  darted forward toward Obi-Wan, straight into the path of a seeker droid

  homing in on Palpatine.

  "Tyro, drop!" Obi-Wan shouted, already moving.

  Ferus leaped as the droid fired. He deflected the fire from Palpatine,

  but it was too late for Tyro.

  Tyro fell on his knees, riddled with blaster fire.

  "NO!" The cry was torn from Obi-Wan's chest. No, no, not Tyro, not

  him, not this, I cannot bear this....

  He ran toward him, his legs propelling him forward while a part of him

  deep inside was still with dread, knowing what the next seconds would

  bring.

  Tyro met his eyes. There was infinite sadness in his gaze, infinite

  regret. He opened his mouth but could not speak.

  Tyro lifted his hand. It trembled as he opened his palm toward Obi-

  Wan. He closed his hand into a fist and placed it against his heart.

  Then he looked beyond Obi-Wan's shoulder, behind him. Fear flickered

  in his eyes. And then he was gone.

  Obi-Wan bent over him. He opened his own hand. He closed it. He placed

  it against Tyro's chest and bowed his head over his beloved friend. He

  murmured the words every Svivreni told a loved one before a journey.

  "The journey begins," Obi-Wan whispered. "So go."

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  The next day, the vote was finally held. There was no debate. Senator

  Bog Divinian's proposal to bar the Jedi from any action taken on behalf of

  the Senate was soundly defeated. Even Sano Sauro voted against it. It was

  noted that the two of them had arrived well after the previous day's

  events.

  Bog was disgraced. Back on his planet, those who had once been his

  supporters demanded his resignation. Everyone but Bog knew his political

  career was over.

  Because of his coolness on the day of the attempted massacre, Supreme

  Chancellor Palpatine's stature increased, and he was more powerful than

  ever. Twenty-one Senators died that day, fourteen aides, and ten Senatorial

  guards. It was considered a miracle that the numbers weren't higher.

  For a day or two, the Senators seemed bound in a common grief. But

  after the memorials and the speeches were over, the blame began. Who had

  allowed it to happen? What committee had not forseen it? What faction had

  secretly approved of it? Who had not condemned it loudly enough?

  Charges and countercharges. Speeches. Lectures. Tirades.

  Obi-Wan was sick of it. Sick at heart.

  He sat in Tyro's cluttered office. He had attended Tyro's memorial

  service, which was packed with friends, with more spilling out into the

  hallways, unable to participate or hear, but still wanting, needing to be

  present. Obi-Wan had no idea that so many had loved him.

  But here, among his beloved files and documents, here was where Obi-

  Wan felt closest to him.

  He had thought he couldn't bear this death. But of course he had.

  There would be more to bear, he knew. The growing darkness that Master

  Windu had spoken of was now in his heart. He could feel that darkness with

  every breath he took.

  He had searched through Tyro's files, through his datapad, through

  everything he could think of. There was no record of what Tyro had been

  trying to tell him. Obi-Wan could not make sense of it.

  I stumbled on something. Something... terrible.... the highest level..

  . great evil...

  ... only you can truly understand...

  What was it? Obi-Wan silently asked Tyro. What were you going to tell

  me?

  He had assumed that the seeker droid that killed Tyro was heading for

  Palpatine. Yet the Senate investigator had told him that morning that it

  was programmed to hit Tyro.

  Why would Omega want to kill a lowly Senate aide? It didn't make

  sense.

  He might never know the answer.

  Obi-Wan looked around at the tiny office. He had arranged for Tyro's

  files to be moved to the Temple, where a team under the supervision of

  Madame Jocasta Nu would go over everything. There could have been something

  Obi-Wan missed.

  By tonight, the office would be cleared. Knowing the demand for Senate

  space, by tomorrow, the office would already be occupied. Any memory of

  Tyro would be swept out with the dust.

  Reluctant to leave, Obi-Wan lingered. He heard soft footsteps outside

  in the hallway, and Astri appeared in the doorway.

  "They said I could find you here," she said. "I'm sorry about your

  friend."

  Obi-Wan nodded his thanks. "And how are you?"

  "I am good," she said softly. "So are Lune and Didi. Thanks to you.

  Bog has been stripped of power, and he is now useless to the Commerce Guild

  and Sano Sauro. That means he is powerless to hurt us, too."

  "So what will you do?"

  She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Didi wants to return to Coruscant, but I

  don't know." She hugged herself and shivered. "It has changed. I don't like

  it here anymore. I'm fearful here, but I don't know of what."

  "I know what you mean," Obi-Wan murmured. He rose and came toward her.

  He raised a hand and switched off the lights in Tyro's office, feeling

  something break inside him as he did so. Tyro was gone forever.

  They walked down the hallway together.

  "My advice," Obi-Wan said, "is to pick a pleasant world with a

  genuinely democratic government. Raise your son." He smiled. "Keep Didi out

  of trouble. And always remember I am here for you," Obi-Wan said.

  "As you have proven time and time again," Astri said.

  She stopped and put two hands on his shoulders. Her dark eyes searched

  his.

  "I see the sorrow in you," she said. "I can't take it away. But you

  have saved me and those that I love. Know that, at least."

  The small moments, Obi-Wan thought, as he laid a hand over Astri's.

  They did not measure up again
st the times of sorrow. But they had to be

  enough.

  Anakin sat with Palpatine inside the Chancellor's office. They looked

  out together at the temporary garden planted in an exterior courtyard of

  the Senate complex. Below, Anakin saw the tops of trees, delicate green

  leaves against silver bark. Running in a square outside the trees was the

  colorful splash of exotic flowers. Towering above the flowers were twin

  horns of the bloodred claing bush, native to Sano Sauro's world.

  "I don't understand," he said to Palpatine. "You gave Senator Sauro

  the position of Deputy Chancellor. We are certain that he was in on the

  plot to assassinate you."

  "I offered it before the vote on the Jedi petition, knowing he could

  not refuse," Palpatine said. "I knew he would betray Bog. The assurance of

  a powerful office would be enough to abandon a risky scheme."

  "But you rewarded Sauro for betraying you."

  "I have made my enemy my friend," Palpatine said. "His fate is now

  linked with mine. And I will always know what he's up to."

  Anakin nodded. He would miss these talks with Palpatine. He felt that