The Deadly Hunter

"Here we are," Qui-Gon said.

  "Here?" Obi-Wan studied the building with a dubious eye. "It

  certainly doesn't live up to its name."

  "Don't worry. It's worse than it looks."

  Qui-Gon pushed open the door. Immediately they were met with a blast

  of noise. Music played from a recorder in the corner while a variety of

  customers drank, ate, and played games of chance at each table. A jubilee

  wheel whirled on the bar, and gamblers gathered around with fistfuls of

  credits, betting on the outcome. It stopped, and one crowed triumphantly

  while two others began to fight. A fourth turned away, desperation on his

  face.

  Qui-Gon made his way to the lmbat bartender, whose head nearly bumped

  the ceiling, and whose long ears drooped to his shoulders. As the Jedi

  watched, his massive hand reached out and casually smacked a bar customer

  who was trying to get his attention by waving his arms. The customer fell

  back off his seat and crashed to the floor, a stunned look on his face.

  Someone stepped over him and took his place.

  With a jolt, Obi-Wan realized that Didi's caf© hadn't been filled

  with the worst of the galaxy, as he'd thought. He did not know who owned

  the Splendor. But whoever it was obviously did not care one bit about his

  customers.

  Qui-Gon took up a position at the end of the bar. He did not signal

  the bartender in any way, but the lmbat moved toward him. He bent his

  massive head and listened to Qui-Gon dolefully.

  Then, moving only his eyes, he indicated a shadowy corner.

  Qui-Gon signaled to Obi-Wan, and they moved toward it.

  Helb was a Neimoidian. Instead of the large glasses of ale the other

  customers were swilling, a small cup of tea was almost hidden in his large,

  sharp-nailed hands. Though Neimoidians usually favored the richest robes

  they could afford, Helb wore a plain gray unisuit with two blasters

  strapped to his hips. His back was to the wall, and he watched the crowd

  with shrewd orange eyes.

  Qui-Gon took a seat at the table across from him. Obi-Wan did the

  same.

  Helb gave them a considering look. "I am surprised to see Jedi in a

  place such as this."

  "We come for information only," Qui-Gon said.

  "That is probably the one thing I do not have to sell," Helb said.

  "That is all right, for I do not wish to buy it," Qui-Gon said. He

  sat in silence, waiting. Again, Obi-Wan marveled at how much Qui-Gon was

  able to convey through stillness.

  Helb gave the hissing sound that passed for Neimoidian laughter. "You

  are lucky. I'm in a good mood. I just won a game of sabacc. Otherwise you

  would be talking to a wall."

  Qui-Gon didn't rise to the bait. "There is a death mark on the head

  of Didi Oddo. He wonders if the Tech Raiders are displeased with him."

  Helb laughed again. "I am the one who is displeased with Didi. He

  beat me at a game of sabacc the other day. That is why I am so happy to win

  today."

  Qui-Gon nodded. Helb took a sip of tea.

  "Which doesn't mean I want to kill him," Helb continued. "If I were

  going to put a death mark on someone's head, it would be his friend

  "Why?" Qui-Gon asked.

  "Because he owes the Tech Raiders an interesting sum of money," Helb

  responded. "Not just gambling winnings on one game of sabacc, but favor

  after favor we have done him for which he has not paid. Why would I put a

  contract out on Didi?"

  "Because if you put a death mark on Fligh, you'd never get your

  money," Qui-Gon said.

  Helb laughed. "I'll never get it anyway!"

  "Fligh knows that your group has moved to Vandor-3," Qui-Gon said.

  "If you kill him, the information won't get out."

  Helb shook his head, bemused. "I told Fligh because I wanted the

  information to get out. I knew he wouldn't sell it to the security force.

  Only to those who need tech equipment or stolen speeders for cheap.

  How else would we get customers? Speaking of which, if the Temple needs

  equipment..."

  "No, thank you," Qui-Gon said. He stood.

  "Don't worry about Didi," Helb said. "He always seems to land on his

  feet. And if you see Fligh, tell him I'm looking for him. That should scare

  him!" Hissing with amusement, Helb turned his attention back to his tea.

  Qui-Gon started for the door. As Obi-Wan began to follow, something

  caught his eye. A wizened old man wrapped in layers of soiled cloaks and

  robes sat at a table, pushing pieces around a gameboard with a dirty

  finger. His eyes slowly slid back to the board as Obi-Wan glanced at him. A

  jolt of familiarity hit Obi-Wan, but he could not place it.

  He caught up with Qui-Gon at the door. But something made him turn

  back. The old man was now heading toward the back of the place. He shuffled

  through the crowd at first, but his step quickened as he passed through the

  throng at the bar. It was difficult to keep him in sight through the press

  of bodies, but Obi-Wan focused his attention, watching for movement.

  He saw a cape drop to the floor. Then another. No one noticed.

  The windows along the back were shuttered as well. One was slightly

  more ajar than the others, the window itself cracked to let in a tiny

  stream of air.

  The shuffling old man had disappeared. A tall female dressed in a

  dark tunic suddenly disengaged from the crowd and moved toward the rear.

  "It's her," Obi-Wan breathed. He quickly turned to Qui-Gon. "She's

  here."

  Qui-Gon turned. As they watched, the female dressed in black hauled

  herself up and then slipped through the narrow opening of the window, her

  body seeming to compress as she did so.

  With a leap, Qui-Gon burst out the front door. Obi-Wan followed on

  his heels. They raced down a narrow alleyway crowded with so many durasteel

  garbage bins that they had to leap up and run on top of them.

  Garbage squished under their boots, impeding their progress. They

  landed as lightly as they could, racing over the tops of the bins toward

  the rear. At the end of the alleyway, they leaped down onto solid ground.

  She was already disappearing around a corner far down the back alley.

  Qui-Gon increased his pace, and Obi-Wan spurted forward to catch up

  to him. His Master was a faster runner, and he dashed around the corner

  before Obi-Wan could get there.

  Obi-Wan pushed himself to his limit, racing after Qui-Gon. The

  question was, if they caught the bounty hunter, what would they do?

  Questioning her had not exactly been productive before.

  As he rounded the corner, he saw that Qui-Gon had given up. The alley

  widened into a small square with six different roads radiating out from the

  center.

  "She's gone," Qui-Gon said.

  "If that was really her," Obi-Wan said. "Now I can't quite believe

  it. I saw an old man, and suddenly he became a younger female."

  "Your eyes did not deceive you, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "Only a

  Sorussian would have been able to slip through that opening. The question

  is, why was she there at all? Was it a coincidence, or is she now on our

  trail?"

  CHAPTER 7

  "What are you doin
g here?" Astri demanded as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan

  walked through the door of Didi's Caf©. She wiped her flour-dusted hands on

  a dish towel. "Oh, forgive me, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. You

  are always welcome, Qui-Gon. Except not just now."

  "Don't worry, Astri, we haven't come for a meal," Qui-Gon told her.

  "Jenna Zan Arbor is due with her party any moment," Astri said

  distractedly. "One of the servers hasn't shown up. I haven't finished the

  banja cakes yet. The water won't boil for the pashi noodles, and my sauce

  is too spicy!"

  "It smells delicious," Obi-Wan said helpfully.

  "Thank you. If only I could feed them with smells! How does the place

  look? Fligh was supposed to come by and sweep, and he never showed up, that

  rascal. After all Didi has done for him!"

  "I have never seen the caf© look better," Qui-Gon assured her.

  Astri had tried to brighten the place with ornate candles on the two

  long tables she had pushed together. A long pink cloth was on each table,

  and the plates and glasses looked clean and sparkling. But she could not

  hide the general air of disrepair of the place. The walls were dingy with

  the years of smoke and dirt, and the floor was pitted from the marks of

  thousands of boots and scuffles.

  "There was no time to paint the inside," Astri said, noticing Obi-

  Wan's glance around. "And no time to tear the place down and rebuild,

  either." She gave a comical grimace.

  "I'm sure everything will go fine," Qui-Gon said. "We've just come to

  talk to Didi for a moment. Is he here?"

  "He's in the back. I told him to stay out of my way." Astri's dark

  eyes twinkled. "I think I scared him. He actually listened to me."

  Suddenly, she craned her neck and stared out the window. "Stars and

  planets, it's them!" Astri gave a surprisingly loud bellow. "Renzii! Our

  customers are here! Renzii - "

  She was still bellowing as the door opened.

  A tall woman dressed in a gray shimmersilk gown underneath a rich

  purple cloak stood uncertainly in the doorway. Her gleaming blond hair was

  intertwined with silky fabric. "This is Didi's Caf©?"

  Hurriedly, Astri wiped her hands on her stained apron, then held one

  out for the woman to shake. She had rubbed a berry stain on her apron, and

  the hand she offered was blue. The woman stared at it and did not take it.

  Astri quickly tucked her hand behind her back.

  "Yes, yes, come in. You are so welcome. I'm the owner and chef, Astri

  Oddo."

  Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan faded back. The woman's party crowded behind her.

  They glanced around the cafe, surprise on their faces. Obviously they had

  expected a grander restaurant for their meal. They were from various

  worlds, but all had a prosperous look. The men were dressed in fine tunics

  and jackets, the women in shimmersilk gowns or jackets. One aristocratic-

  looking female wore a jeweled turban. Her light blue eyes widened in dismay

  as she surveyed the cafe, and she quickly gathered her tunic closer around

  her.

  "There must be some mistake," Jenna Zan Arbor said.

  Just then Renzii the waiter raced out of the kitchen and skidded to a

  stop in front of the party, still buttoning his tunic. "Welcome, come in,

  enter, this way," he babbled.

  "I think we'd better leave Astri to her guests,"

  Qui-Gon murmured to Obi-Wan. "It seems her hands are full."

  They walked back toward Didi's private office. They pushed open the

  door. Didi sat in a chair, his back to them. He didn't turn.

  "Didi? Is everything all right?" Qui-Gon asked.

  Slowly, the chair swiveled around to face them. Didi's dark eyes were

  full of tears. "I fear it is my fault," he said.

  "What is your fault, Didi?" Qui-Gon asked gently.

  "It's Fligh," he said. "He's been murdered."

  CHAPTER 8

  Obi-Wan had faced death before. He never got used to it. The way a

  spirit could fill a space, the life energy behind the eyes, and then...

  nothing.

  "What happened?" Qui-Gon demanded.

  "I don't know," Didi said, mopping his face with a napkin. "The

  Coruscant security force contacted me. They know Fligh is a friend. He was

  found in one of the alleyways around the Senate. The Lane of All Worlds is

  where he is lying like an animal." Perspiration shone on Didi's face. "Do

  you think this has anything to do with me?" he asked. His face betrayed how

  fearful he was to hear the answer.

  "I'm afraid I do," Qui-Gon said grimly. "We'd better talk to the

  security forces. Come on, Didi."

  "Me?" Didi squeaked. "Why do I have to go?" "Because I think you

  should remain with us at all times now," Qui-Gon said. "You aren't safe

  here."

  "But I am!" Didi protested. "Astri will lock the front door so no

  other customers come. And this fancy party will go on for hours. No one

  will try to attack me while such distinguished guests are here. And

  besides," he added in a low tone, "I'm too afraid and sad to move right

  now. I could not look upon my dead friend's body. I am sorry."

  Qui-Gon exchanged a glance with Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan hoped he was not

  going to suggest that he stay here with Didi while Qui-Gon investigated

  Fligh's death. He did not want to stay behind to baby-sit Didi when there

  was work to do.

  "All right," Qui-Gon said reluctantly. "This shouldn't take very

  long. Make sure every door and window is fastened tight, Didi. This bounty

  hunter can get through very small spaces."

  Didi nodded vigorously. "I have done so already, but I will double-

  check."

  "We'll return soon," Qui-Gon said. "We'll knock at the back door. I

  don't want to spoil Astri's big evening."

  "So considerate of you, Qui-Gon," Didi said fervently. "None of us

  want to spoil things for Astri. I will wait here. Can you... can you make

  sure that Fligh is... taken care of?" Didi's eyes filled with tears. "Tell

  the security forces that I will pay for the funeral. I will pay for

  everything."

  Qui-Gon put a hand on Didi's shoulder. "This is not your fault, my

  friend."

  "I hear your words," Didi whispered. "Yet I do not feel them."

  Qui-Gon checked the doors and windows from the outside before they

  headed off. He did not trust the scattered Astri to remember to bolt the

  door. But everything was locked up tight.

  It was fully dark when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan arrived at the Lane of All

  Worlds. There was no moon, and the glare of the glow lamps threw harsh

  shadows.

  The Coruscant security forces in their navy uniforms milled around

  Fligh's fallen body, which was covered by a tarp.

  "May I look?" Qui-Gon asked the officer in charge. His nameplate read

  CAPTAIN YUR T'AUG. He was a stocky Bothan with a flowing beard and glossy

  dark hair that hung to his shoulders.

  The captain frowned, but all officers in the security force knew that

  Jedi requests must be honored.

  "All right," Captain Yur T'aug said. "Not a pleasant sight, though."

  "Stay here, Padawan," Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan. This order Obi-Wan was

  glad to obey. He did not want to see Fligh's body. He wanted to re
member

  Fligh alive.

  He watched as Qui-Gon, his back to him, crouched to lift a corner of

  the tarp. Although Qui-Gon did not flinch or shudder, Obi-Wan knew the

  sight had distressed him. There was something about how his Master did not

  move for several seconds, how his hand dropped the tarp with great

  gentleness.

  Obi-Wan turned away with a shudder. Around the body, officers went

  about the business of death, tagging various items, searching the ground