If Omega was behind this Senatorial effort, he had already succeeded
in disrupting the Senate, demoralizing the Jedi, and distracting everyone.
But if that was truly the case, what was the coming devastation he was
planning?
Obi-Wan didn't know. But suddenly he knew in his bones that his
earlier instinct was dead-on. Omega was behind this.
".. and I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this," Tyro was saying,
"but it was inevitable given the circumstances, I suppose."
Obi-Wan wrenched his attention back to his friend. "What is it?"
"Bog Divinian's committee has taken an unusual step. Instead of a
recommendation, it has just entered an official petition to ban the Jedi
Order from any Senate action. This was clever... but not clever enough.
Senator Organa found a clause that allowed him to appeal directly to the
Chancellor in a separate closed-door session. Palpatine is scheduled to
decide on the matter later this afternoon in a meeting with both Senators."
"This has all just happened since the hearing? I thought the Senate
was supposed to be slow."
"Only when real things are getting done," Tyro said drily. "When it
comes to political maneuvering, you have to move fast." Tyro gave him a
keen look. "What is it, my friend? The Jedi Order is in trouble, but we
will find a way to fight, I promise you. You have more friends than
enemies. You just have to remind your friends that they are your friends.
It's the Senate way."
"The Senate way," Obi-Wan pronounced in disgust. "And what is that?
Talk. Deals. Bribes. Corruption."
"Obi-Wan." Tyro silenced him gently. "I agree with you. All this is
true. But I still believe in the Senate. It is the living symbol of the
Republic. Until it was formed, the galaxy boiled with chaos. It is our only
chance to bring peace to the thousands of worlds that cannot manage alone.
There are good beings in the Senate, like Senator Organa. Many of them.
They will win in the end."
Obi-Wan had never heard Tyro defend the Senate so passionately before.
Usually, he railed against it. But of course that was why he continued to
toil down in his little office, searching for ways to make it better. "What
amazes me is that you keep your faith in the Senate, no matter how many
times your heart is broken."
"Oh, my heart may break from time to time, but never my will," Tyro
said lightly. "In that way we are alike. Now, tell me what worries you."
"It's not so much the petition, but what the petition might conceal,"
Obi-Wan explained.
Tyro shook his head. "I don't understand."
"What if this action to discredit the Jedi is just a diversion so that
something worse could occur?" Obi-Wan said.
What he liked about Tyro was that his friend did not waste time. His
small, furred face grew intent. "Ah. Of course. Continue."
"I have been tracking Granta Omega and Jenna Zan Arbor, both of whom
are familiar to you," Obi-Wan said to Tyro's nod. "What if they were behind
this latest scheme? What if it is merely a smokescreen for their real plan?
"
The possibilities clicked through Tyro's brain. "Of course if it is
true that they're involved, this would be more than possible - it would be
likely," he said rapidly. "It fits with the way Omega operates. And it
makes sense, since Sano Sauro is involved." Tyro's face contracted into an
expression of distaste. Sauro was his enemy, too. "That would explain why
he has remained in the background. He doesn't want us to connect him to
this campaign, because he knows we will immediately make the connection to
Omega."
"There is something we're not seeing here," Obi-Wan said.
"The Chancellor is, of course, a big supporter of the Jedi," Tyro
said, thinking. "It's unlikely that he will approve the petition. Bog and
Sauro could then manipulate this defeat into a call for a no-confidence
vote. That would allow them to propose Sauro as Chancellor. I know that is
his ultimate ambition."
"Then Omega would control the Senate," Obi-Wan said slowly.
Tyro tapped his tapered fingers on the manuals. "But Palpatine is too
powerful and too skilled to be outmaneuvered. And I doubt even Sauro could
muster enough support for a vote of no confidence. Let's see, he controls
the Viga alliance, and the planets in the Commerce Guild, and... yes, he
could get several systems in the Mid-Rim. But in the Core? No. He's
powerful, but he's actively disliked, and there is a strong opposition
faction headed by Bail Organa that can't be discounted."
Tyro ended his speculation, realizing that Obi-Wan had grown impatient
with the details of Senate politics.
"In conclusion," he said, sighing, "I have no conclusion. I can't see
them trying such a thing. You don't try something like that unless you're
sure you can succeed. Palpatine is tremendously popular, especially at the
moment. Tomorrow there will be a ceremony for the opening of the All
Planets Relief Fund. A huge group of supporters will be attending-including
many Jedi. This is Palpatine's pet project, and it's a good one. He's
worked his way through the tangled bureaucracy to get it off the ground.
Now any world in peril can petition the Senate directly for funds through
one central account. Palpatine claims this will stop the bureaucratic
slowdown for relief to troubled worlds. You see, before this, a world would
have to petition the committee for Relief, which would then turn the matter
over to a specially appointed investigatory committee, which would then - "
Obi-Wan's comlink signaled, and he held up a hand to interrupt Tyro.
He had to admit he was relieved not to get a crash course in the now
outdated procedural details of Senate relief efforts.
Siri's crisp voice came through the comlink. "We found something.
Possibly Omega and Zan Arbor's hideout. We need backup. They could be
inside."
She gave him the coordinates. Obi-Wan stood as he flipped his comlink
closed and put it back in his belt - at last, action and not meetings. "I
have to go."
"And you will take care, I hope. I think you are right. Our enemies
are hidden, and that makes them more dangerous." Tyro held his hand out,
fingers spread. Obi-Wan pressed his own spread-fingered palm against it. It
was the gesture of good-bye that the Svivreni made to only those closest to
them.
The Svivreni did not say good-bye. They considered it bad luck.
"So go," Tyro said in the Svivreni farewell.
CHAPTER TEN
Obi-Wan was well acquainted with the many exit doors of the Senate
complex, and he hit the streets of Coruscant in minutes. He took a vertical
monorail down a hundred stories to the business district where Siri and
Ferus were located, near the bank of Aargau. On the way, he contacted
Anakin.
As he rounded the last corner he saw his apprentice streaking down
through the air. Looking up, Obi-Wan could see that Anakin had made the
jump from a platform twenty stories up.
"I'm sure there was a lift tube," Obi-Wan said as Anakin ran up. "Or
even
stairs."
Anakin grinned. "Too slow."
Together, they ran up to Siri and Ferus, who had taken up a position
behind a jumble of airspeeders parked in front of an interior mall of
popular shops and restaurants.
"We got a tip from an informer," Siri said. She pointed to a small
white building across the way. A blinking sign said VIRTUAL HAPPINESS.
Another sign, smaller and clumsily handwritten said: OUT OF BUSINESS.
"It was one of those sim-voyage places," Siri said. "You know, where
you can go and have a simulated vacation experience to the luxury worlds of
the Core. But our source says a couple moved in a few days ago. They said
they were starting a business, but nothing has been done, and they only
exit the building at night."
"It could be anyone," Obi-Wan said.
"Ferus did a quick check of the airspeeders parked here," Siri said,
with a look that told Obi-Wan he should wait for her to finish. "Nothing
unusual came up. Then he did a check with Coruscant security and went
through the tickets for illegally parked airspeeders, cross-checking with
known IDs used by the Slams. A standard Ralion B-14 that was recently
bought at a speeder lot twenty levels down matched one of the false ID docs
the Slams had on their master ship."
"Good work," Obi-Wan said to Ferus. "I say we go in. We don't have
time to waste."
They strode to the door. As soon as they did, a buzzer sounded, and a
light flashed. An automated female voice said in a pleasant tone, "Welcome.
We're not home. If you wish to leave a text message, use the keypad."
"I have a message, all right," Obi-Wan said, drawing his lightsaber.
"We're coming in."
He plunged his lightsaber through the door. It disintegrated from the
center out.
The house was dark inside. Obi-Wan stepped in.
Immediately, lights blazed. Sound blared. He heard the sound of
rockets, and he fell to the ground and rolled, lightsaber ready to deflect.
Behind him, the Jedi moved in to flank him.
The walls flickered and pulsed with sound and light. It took a few
seconds for Obi-Wan to make sense of it, then he realized every wall held a
moving image, a holoprojection of a separate scene. One was a field with
exploding novas in the sky - the famous shooting stars of Nantama. Another
was of the mountains of Belazura. Another showed fireworks exploding over
the translucent seas of Dremulae. All were popular vacationing spots.
The noise was at full volume - surf, fireworks, wind. So loud that at
first he didn't hear the whirr of the seeker droids.
He was leaping before the others, cutting down two in a perfect swoop
of the lightsaber. The droids peppered the walls with blaster fire. Smoke
rose and the noise was deafening. The images flickered in beautiful colors
of blue and rose and green while the shadows of the droids moved in
menacing circles. The electric ping of the blaster fire crisscrossed the
space, and each Jedi had to jump, whirl, and slash at the droids as they
dived and circled.
Within minutes, the dozen or so droids were reduced to smoking scrap
on the floor. Obi-Wan strode over to a panel behind the door and shut down
the holoprojection system.
"Careful, that might be - " Siri started, as a secret blast door
opened and three combat droids, the deadly droidekas, wheeled out and
clattered to life. Blazing blasterfire raked the area where Obi-Wan had
stood. Anyone but a Jedi would have been instantly annihilated.
"Booby-trapped!" Siri yelled, as she dodged the blaster bolts.
With deflector shields in place, droidekas were difficult to stop.
While the rest of the Jedi took a step backward, Anakin moved forward. He
had studied the droids ever since learning about them, and knew the precise
spot where their generators lay. He rolled onto the floor, for only an
upward stroke could disable them.
The Force hummed in the room as Anakin deftly inserted his lightsaber
once, twice, three times. The roar of blasters ended.
Now the floor was littered with droids. Other than that, the house was
empty.
"Let's search," Obi-Wan said. "They might have left a clue."
Siri moved past a table. "The only thing they left was dirty dishes,"
she said, disdainfully pointing to several greasy plates on the table.
Other than the signs of a hastily abandoned meal, there wasn't a trace
of the occupants to be found.
"We've come up empty again," Siri said in disgust after a few minutes
of searching.
"It's Omega's style," Anakin said. "He knows how to leave without a
trace."
Ferus nudged a half-open closet door with his foot. "Nothing."
Obi-Wan drifted to the table. He bent over the dishes. There was a
scrap of roll on one plate, and a puddle of sauce on the other. He bent
closer and sniffed.
"Gotcha," he murmured.
"What is it, Master?" Anakin asked, turning. Obi-Wan pointed to the
plate. "That's Dexter Jettster's slider garnish. I'd know it anywhere."
Siri strode over and looked at the plate. "Congratulations. Our best
clue is a garnish."
"It's a place to start," Obi-Wan said.
Siri nodded. "Why don't you and Anakin head over to Dexter's Diner and
ask some questions. I think Ferus and I should study the water delivery
system here on Coruscant. We know they're here. We'd better have a good
idea of what damage they could do."
"Good idea. We'll be in touch."
Obi-Wan signaled to Anakin, and they left the house. Dexter's Diner
wasn't far, lying in nearby Coco Town. They hurried through the crowded
pedestrian ramps. The monorails were packed, and it was faster to walk.
They crossed through the plaza on the way to the diner. The buildings
ringing the plaza were a mix of low-rent business and dilapidated
industrial warehouses. Dexter's Diner crouched between the bigger
buildings, its bright sign casting a red glow through the gray day.
Anakin started toward the door, but Obi-Wan stopped him. "Wait. Look
who's inside."
Anakin peered into the window. Sitting alone in a booth, both hands
cupping a mug, was Astri.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Astri looked up, surprised, when Obi-Wan and Anakin slid into her
booth. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't seen them enter the
diner.
"It's funny to see you here," she said to Obi-Wan. "Like a dream. I
was just thinking of the old days. Everything is so different now. Even
here." She looked around. "Dexter actually made it into a profitable
enterprise."
"Well, he doesn't give away meals and drinks the way Didi did," Obi-
Wan said.
She smiled. "That's true." She held up her empty cup. "He doesn't even
give refills. But I like it here."
"Yes, those were good days," Obi-Wan said. "Things are more
complicated now. Like the fact that your husband is trying to destroy the
Jedi Order."
Astri's hands tightened on her cup. "I long ago made it a policy not
to discuss Bog's politics."
"So what do you think about, then?" Anakin as
ked. His question wasn't
confrontational. It was easy, interested. Obi-Wan was relieved that his
Padawan had interfered so gracefully. He realized that he was deeply angry
with Astri. He had expected better of her.
No expectations. Acceptance.
It was the Jedi way. And sometimes, so very hard to follow.
"My relief work," Astri responded promptly. "The economy of my adopted
world, Nuralee, is failing."
"I didn't know that," Obi-Wan said. "The last time I was on Nuralee it
was prospering."
She looked down into her empty cup. "That was probably some time ago."
Before Bog took office, Obi-Wan guessed.
"There are many too poor to buy food. I'm here on Coruscant briefly,
just to attend a meeting to ask for help from the new All Planets Relief
Fund and attend the inaugural ceremony. A Jedi team is acting as couriers
and protectors for a shipment of food and medical supplies to Nuralee, and
I must return to ensure it gets in the right hands."
"Do you know who they are?" Anakin asked.
"Soara Antana and Darra Thel-Tanis," Astri said. "I am grateful for
their help."
You are grateful for the help we give you, but you will not help us.
Obi-Wan had the thought but would not say it aloud.