The Quermian moved surprisingly quickly for someone his age, but the
Jedi kept up easily. Qui-Gon followed Lundi into a terminal and watched him
board a midsize craft. Not knowing where the transport was going, the Jedi
had no choice but to follow him aboard.
Once inside the transport it became clear that the vessel was a
private, no-frills charter. The main hold had been outfitted with close
rows of seats filled almost to capacity. Both the seats and the passengers
looked like they had seen better days.
"Are you going to Lisal?" a voice growled from a dim corner near the
entrance.
"Yes," Qui-Gon answered quickly. The ship's destination sounded
familiar.
"Tickets?" the voice demanded.
"Two please," Qui-Gon answered.
"It's too late to buy them now." The surly captain stepped out of the
shadows to reveal his bad breath and broken teeth to the Jedi. "If you
don't have any you'll have to pay double."
"We'll be happy to pay the regular fee," Qui-Gon replied, calmly
looking into the pilot's beady eyes.
"Two at the regular price, then," the captain said. He reached into
his vest pocket and pulled out two grimy stubs. "You'll have to sit in the
back."
Obi-Wan handed the captain a few credits while Qui-Gon scanned the
crowd for Murk Lundi. He was not sitting with the rest of the passengers.
But with so many eyes on them the Jedi did not dare search the rest of the
ship for him. At least not yet.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon squeezed into the back row and sat down. As he
settled into his seat, Qui-Gon's knees pressed comically against the row
ahead of him. There was not nearly enough room to accommodate the Jedi's
large frame.
Several of the motley passengers ahead had turned to glare at them.
This is not a typical tour group, Qui-Gon noted. The passengers on
the charter seemed surlier than the average pleasure travelers to
Coruscant. Jocasta Nu had warned them that members of the Sith Sects might
be anyone and that they would be difficult to pick out of a crowd. Suddenly
Qui-Gon wondered if they had stumbled into the middle of a sect. Why had
Lisal sounded so familiar?
The captain struggled to close the ship's doors. After pushing and
then pounding several buttons he ripped the control panel off and began to
tug on the sparking wires inside.
"I hope the engine is in better condition," Obi-Wan observed, gaining
the Jedi a few more hard stares.
Qui-Gon wished he had had a little more time to reflect on how this
mission was shaping up and what exactly he and his apprentice were getting
into. It was all happening too quickly. This morning they had been asked to
keep an eye on an influential professor, and now they were suddenly headed
off-planet.
In the back of his mind Qui-Gon had a strange feeling that this trip
wasn't what it appeared to be. He was suddenly filled with a feeling of
foreboding. This could easily be a trap.
Qui-Gon stood. Perhaps there was still time to get off the vessel.
But before he could decide what to do, the captain's swearing turned to
angry shouts. Someone was screaming Dr. Lundi's name and struggling to get
through the partially closed door.
It only took Qui-Gon a moment to recognize the young man trying to
board. It was Norval, the dark-haired student from the front row.
The captain did his best to push the intruder back out the half-open
door. Several passengers crowded around. It was not clear whether they were
trying to help Norval in or help the captain force him out. Then, in a
shower of sparks from the control panel, the doors suddenly opened. Norval
and several passengers fell into a heap on the floor.
"You'll pay triple!" the captain bellowed, pointing at Norval and
splattering him and several other passengers with spittle.
"He won't be staying," said a soft, familiar voice behind the
captain. It was the professor. In the chaos Qui-Gon had not seen him
appear.
"Please take me with you," Norval begged. He grabbed the edge of Dr.
Lundi's robes. "You need me," he whimpered. "Nobody knows your texts as
well as I do. I've studied every word. You must show me how to use the - "
"Guards," Lundi snapped. "Guards, remove this boy immediately."
Two enormous hangar guards appeared on the gangplank and pulled
Norval to his feet.
"You are too old to use it on your own!" Norval continued to shriek
as they pulled him out of the ship and down the ramp. "You need me!"
Murk Lundi did not move. Even after Norval's pleas had faded and the
captain had succeeded in sealing the door, he still stood staring at the
durasteel hatch.
Qui-Gon seized the opportunity to leave his seat. He squeezed past
the distracted passengers, pulling Obi-Wan along with him. They would not
be leaving the ship. The mission was more important than he'd originally
thought.
It looked as though there was a Sith Holocron and Murk Lundi was
going after it.
CHAPTER 4
Obi-Wan tried the door even though he did not expect it to open -
none of the other doors in the corridor had. So he was surprised when this
one slid easily into the wall. The stale odor that billowed from the room
confirmed that although the door was unlocked, it hadn't been opened in
some time. The musty room would be perfect.
After motioning to his Master, Obi-Wan stepped inside to look around.
It appeared he had found an abandoned laundry room. Piles of uniforms
littered the floor and stagnant water filled two large basins.
Qui-Gon wrinkled his nose when he walked in. "Good work, Obi-Wan," he
said quietly as he closed the door. "No one will look for us here." Pulling
his comlink from his belt, the Jedi Master contacted the Temple.
"Right to follow him, you are," Yoda said after hearing Qui-Gon's
report. "Find the Holocron first, we must."
And Lundi is our only clue to finding it, Obi-Wan thought.
Bant and Kit Fisto hadn't been able to give them any ideas about
where the Holocron might be located. Their best option was to follow Lundi
- so they could take the Holocron from him if he found it.
Qui-Gon ended his transmission. Obi-Wan could tell that he felt the
same way. Unless they knew where they were going, it would be nearly
impossible to get to the Holocron first.
"We need more information," Qui-Gon muttered, reactivating his
comlink. A moment later Jocasta Nu's voice echoed in the small room.
"There have been rumors of Sith Holocrons in existence in several
places across the galaxy. Lisal, Korriban, Kodai, Doli. Most of the claims
have been investigated by Jedi teams, but nothing has ever been found."
"Thank you, Jocasta," Qui-Gon said. "As usual you have been helpful."
"I'm always here to assist with information. Feel free to contact me
should you need anything else," Jocasta replied.
"Of course." Qui-Gon signed off and turned to his Padawan. "Lundi
must be looking for the Lisal Holocron," he said.
That's too easy, Obi-Wan thought. "We need to know mor
e. I'm going to
find Lundi," the Padawan said. He stripped off the tunic he'd worn to blend
in with the students.
"Patience, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon reprimanded quietly. "It will take time
for things to unfold."
Obi-Wan knew his Master was right. But frustration was welling up
inside of him. He kicked at the pile of uniforms at his feet until he saw
one that looked about his size. After holding it against his shoulders, he
pulled it on. It fit well enough.
"We will not discover anything tonight," Qui-Gon said. "We must give
Lundi time to relax, to let down his guard. Lisal is a two-day journey. We
have time." Qui-Gon arranged himself on one of the cleaner laundry piles
and prepared to sleep.
Obi-Wan sighed and did the same. Qui-Gon was right, he supposed. But
for him, waiting was often the hardest part of a mission. It made him
anxious. And when he was anxious he could not easily sleep.
Obi-Wan awoke suddenly. Something was not right. Sitting up quickly,
he reached out to the Force to try and find the source of the danger he
felt. When he was sure that there was no one in the laundry facility
besides himself and his Master, he removed his hand from his saber hilt.
Beside him, Qui-Gon breathed steadily, either asleep or deep in
meditation. Whatever had disturbed Obi-Wan did not seem to be upsetting his
Master.
Obi-Wan lay back and closed his eyes to try and recapture an image of
what had frightened him. Had it been a dream? A presence? Just a feeling?
Pyramid-shaped Holocrons floated in his mind. Certainly it was
disturbing to think that such potent capsules were at large in the galaxy.
But he did not think that was what had awakened him.
The Holocrons faded and another image grew. A figure. Obi-Wan allowed
his fear to grow with the image. Then he relaxed and let the fear go,
focusing on the figure. But no matter how he tried, he could not see a
face. The visage remained in shadow and a feeling became clear - the
feeling that someone had discovered them.
When Obi-Wan surfaced from his meditation, he saw that Qui-Gon was
awake and had been aware of his agitation. "It is a warning," Qui-Gon said
after Obi-Wan told him about it. "We must proceed with extra caution and
find out where we are headed. Quickly."
Obi-Wan laughed when Qui-Gon emerged in the corridor wearing a
mechanic's uniform. The pants stopped close to the top of his boots, and
the sleeves were rolled up in an effort to disguise the fact that they were
at least ten centimeters too short. But Obi-Wan had to admit that nobody
would recognize Qui-Gon as a Jedi Master.
"You don't look any better," Qui-Gon chided his apprentice.
Obi-Wan knew it was true. Wearing the soiled uniform he had pulled
from the pile the night before, he even smelled like a grubby mechanic.
"I think Lundi must have arranged for a private room. Let's separate
and search the ship. We need to find him or his quarters," Qui-Gon said,
getting down to business. "Do not let the captain see you."
Obi-Wan nodded and moved quietly down the corridor, away from Qui-
Gon. He tried doors and reached out with his senses. Lundi had such a
strong presence that Obi-Wan did not think he would be hard to find.
After a few minutes Obi-Wan saw the open doors to the ship's bridge.
Pressing himself against the corridor wall, he paused and listened. The
captain was at the helm, of course. But someone else was there as well.
It only took Obi-Wan a moment to realize it was Lundi. But what was
he doing at the ship's controls?
Looking around, Obi-Wan quickly spotted a maintenance ladder. It led
to a catwalk that trailed over the bridge and toward several hyperdrive
access panels. If he pulled himself along on his stomach, and the captain
and Lundi did not look up, he could get close enough to hear what they were
saying. Obi-Wan climbed up.
"You don't seem to be understanding me, captain," Lundi said in a
low, menacing voice. "I am not asking you to stop on Nolar. I am telling
you."
"And you don't seem to understand that this ship is not going to
Nolar. It's going to Lisal!" the captain bellowed. He slammed a meaty fist
down on the controls, sending a small piece flying.
"But I don't need to go to Lisal," Lundi said, holding his ground.
Obi-Wan inched farther out on the catwalk until he was almost
directly over Lundi and the captain.
Lundi's head moved slowly back and forth as he fiddled with something
under his robe. The captain followed the Quermian's small head with his
eyes.
"I will only say this once more," Lundi said, his head still swaying.
"The equipment I need is on Nolar. You will stop on Nolar. I will make it
very worth your trip."
With a great effort the captain looked away from the Quermian's face
and down at the folds of the professor's robe.
Obi-Wan could barely see something sparkle in Lundi's hands - he
could have had something very valuable. Whatever it was, it seemed to
change the captain's mind.
"I'll stop, but I'm not waiting," the captain finally spat.
"You will not regret it," Lundi growled back.
CHAPTER 5
The ship landed on Nolar within an hour. Obi-Wan barely had time to
find his Master and brief him on what he'd heard on the bridge.
After Lundi quickly disembarked on Nolar, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon pushed
their way past the puzzled captain. The Jedi followed as the professor made
his way into a tiny, adjoining hangar. There was one small ship inside, and
Lundi spoke briefly with its pilot before leaving the hangar.
"It looks like he just booked continuing passage," Obi-Wan said
thoughtfully as the Jedi followed Lundi into the city. "But I was under the
impression that Nolar was his final destination. Where do you think he's
going?"
Qui-Gon let out a slow breath. "We shall soon see."
The capital city of Nolari was bustling. There was a great deal of
both air and foot traffic. The city was populated by beings from many parts
of the galaxy.
Obi-Wan tried to stay close to his Master, who strode purposefully
ahead.
It wasn't difficult to keep track of Murk Lundi. His long neck,
multiple arms, and tiny head made him an easy visual target, even in a
densely populated metropolis like Nolari. But it was not long before an
uneasy feeling came over Obi-Wan. He sensed that someone or something was
following them. But what, or who?
Without slowing down, Qui-Gon turned back to his apprentice. "Stay
close to me," he said quietly. "I think we are being followed."
"I feel a presence too, Master," Obi-Wan replied. "But I am not
getting any sense of who it might be."
Qui-Gon began to move more quickly through the crowds. Obi-Wan was
accustomed to his Master's long, powerful strides, but he found it
difficult to move inconspicuously. In spite of the varied populace, their
smelly mechanics' uniforms seemed to stick out.
Looking fleetingly over his shoulder, Obi-Wan suddenly spotted their
pursuer - a humanoid fig
ure wearing a long cape and a helmet.
"I see him, Master," Obi-Wan spoke quietly. "About forty paces behind
us, to the right."
Qui-Gon nodded curtly. "We're going to have to split up," he said. "I
will follow Murk. You should lead our new friend away from me, and then
double back to see who he or she is."
Obi-Wan nodded. He looked over his shoulder a second time. By the
time he cast his eyes forward again, Qui-Gon had disappeared into the