CHAPTER EIGHT
"You want us to bring you to Striker's hideout?" Swanny asked. "But no
one knows where that is."
"You said you knew where everyone was, and everything that went on,"
Obi-Wan said.
"A slight exaggeration can often seal a deal," Swanny said. "Note the
word 'hideout,' however. That implies that something is hidden, doesn't it?
"
"Then we're just going to have to find it," Obi-Wan said.
"We?" Rorq asked. "What do we have to do with it?"
"Anakin came close to that thermal detonator because of the two of
you," Obi-Wan said. "He saved your lives."
"And we're sure he wouldn't want us to lose them, after all the
trouble he went to," Rorq said earnestly.
"Look, Master Obi," Swanny said. "The reason Striker is so effective
is because nobody knows anything about him. They don't know where he came
from. They don't know his name. They don't know where he lives. They don't
know when he'll strike again. There are kilometers and kilometers of
tunnels, some of them half finished, and empty substations on the
perimeters. He could be anywhere. And it's not like we ever wanted to look
very hard."
"Then we'll smoke him out," Obi-Wan said.
"I think I've had enough smoke for one night," Swanny said, rubbing
his fingers along his smoke-blackened face.
"Not real smoke," Obi-Wan said. "I mean provoke him so that he'll come
out into the open."
"Provoke him?" Rorq moaned. "That doesn't sound good."
Obi-Wan was feeling on the edge of his patience. He should have stayed
with Anakin when they were under attack. Now he did not know if Anakin was
badly wounded or worse.
He remembered feeling so angry on Andara. thought you'd be proud of
me, Anakin had said. And he had wanted to reply that he was proud, that
Anakin's progress astonished him, that there was so much about Anakin that
he admired. Instead he had held his tongue, thinking there would be a
better time. He did not want to praise Anakin when his apprentice had made
such an error.
But maybe he should have. That better time had not arrived.
"Where is Striker most vulnerable?" he asked Swanny.
"I have no idea," Swanny said. "Nowhere, if I had to guess. He's got
personal guards that surround him at all times. Plus surveillance, weapons,
assassins, a huge army... can I stop now?"
Obi-Wan's comlink signaled. He snatched it up eagerly.
"Speak with you, I must," Yaddle said. "At the airlift, meet we will."
"Of course," Obi-Wan said. "But I was just about to contact you.
Anakin is missing. I think Striker has taken him."
Yaddle hesitated for only a beat. He could feel her concern. Then she
said slowly, "Your problem, my problem - fix each other, they might."
Swanny and Rorq seemed relieved at the diversion. They were happy to
lead him to the airlift.
Yaddle stepped off the airlift with the graceful, gliding step that
never seemed to abandon her, even when she was tired or impatient.
"In addition to the mainframe substation of the power grid, taken over
another crucial station, Striker has," she said. "Substation 32, a central
relay station. Crucial it is as a network point for restarting the grid."
Swanny nodded. "That's right. He can override the power surge you need
for start up from that substation."
"Retake it, we must," Yaddle confirmed.
"I was looking for a way to provoke Striker," Obi-Wan said.
"That will do it," Swanny muttered. "He just got that substation back
from Decca tonight. I imagine he feels pretty good about it."
"If we attack the substation, he'll have to send reinforcements," Obi-
Wan said to Yaddle. "We can tail them back to the hideout."
"Can I say something here?" Swanny asked. "Taking the substation is
impossible. Just wanted to mention that."
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked.
"He has his best men protecting the power grid," Swanny said. "His
most explosive weapons. I've seen the Jedi in action and it's a sweet
sight, don't get me wrong. But can two Jedi go up against grenade launchers
and missile tubes?"
Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Yaddle.
"There's only one entrance to substation 32," Swanny went on. "It's
the only way in. And you won't go more than two meters before you're
blasted to pieces."
"I guess that's that, then," Rorq said. "There's no other way."
Yaddle smiled. Obi-Wan turned to Swanny and Rorq. "For the Jedi, there
is always another way," he said.
CHAPTER NINE
Don't let him see your surprise. Don't give him even a flicker of
satisfaction.
"Oh, come on, Anakin," Granta Omega said. "You're surprised. Admit it.
And maybe just a little bit pleased?" Omega smiled at him. Anakin was
always mystified by his charm. He had liked him, once. Before he'd tried to
kill Obi-Wan. Before it was clear that the dark side dominated his acts.
Granta Omega was out to lure a Sith into the open. He was not Force-
sensitive, but he wanted to be close to the Force. He wanted to understand
the source of such power. He would do anything to attract the one Sith he
knew was at large in the galaxy. He was enormously wealthy, and would use
anyone or anything to get what he wanted. Even the Jedi.
"I wouldn't say pleased," Anakin replied. "And I wouldn't say
surprised. I'd say very unhappy."
Omega cocked his head and regarded Anakin. "I'm sorry to hear that.
But I know that soon you'll understand why we keep running into each other.
You are strong in the Force. Stronger than any Jedi. Stronger than your
Master - and he knows it. I'm still interested in the Sith, but I'm
becoming even more interested in you."
"The feeling isn't mutual."
Omega strolled around the empty room. He was what was known as a
"void," a being who could neutralize his appearance and aura so completely
that those who met him could not recall what he looked like. To Anakin,
he'd seemed different each time they'd met. The first time he'd seen him,
he'd appeared to be a weary bounty hunter. Anakin had also spent time with
him when Omega was posing as a scientist named Tic Verdun. He'd had a
haphazard, nervous manner then, and friendly brown eyes.
Now Anakin had the feeling he was seeing the real Granta Omega. His
hair was dark and flowed to his shoulders. His eyes were a dark, deep blue,
not brown as they'd appeared before. His body was slim but strong. And he
looked younger, too, perhaps even younger than Obi-Wan.
"At least be impressed at how I've forgiven you," Omega said. "You
notice I don't hold a grudge. You and your Master killed a good deal for me
last time we met. I was close to cornering the market on bacta. I would
have made a fortune. Instead I almost drowned in a tidal wave. Then I was
forced to erase all my secret financial records. No hard feelings, though."
"On your side, maybe," Anakin said.
"As I was saying, that little adventure cost me. I had to make it up
somehow. Planets like Mawan are made for beings like me. We can set up
operations witho
ut too much interference. There's no one to bribe, no one
to fight. We just grab our piece. I already had some business interests
here, so it was just a matter of coming myself and devoting all my effort
to it. I've made up what I lost in just a few months."
"Am I supposed to say congratulations now?" Anakin asked.
Omega sighed. "Still a Jedi," he said. "Moons and stars, you can be
boring. Your Master's influence, no doubt." He leaned against the table.
"Can't you relax? Not all Jedi are as rigid as your Master."
"How would you know?"
"Some are interested in investigating deep in the archives and finding
that the Jedi know more about the dark side than they care to reveal. They
don't waste their time meditating on favorite rocks in the Room of the
Thousand Fountains or sneaking into the Council Receiving Room to watch the
Senatorial starships dock in the restricted space lane."
"How do you know those things?" Anakin asked, startled. Only Jedi knew
those things. They weren't important, but they were things that Padawans
did.
"Maybe I know more about the Jedi than you," Omega said in a teasing
tone. "Jealous?"
He laughed at the expression on Anakin's face. "You look worried. And
angry. Didn't I suggest that you relax? You'd think you'd just gotten a
reprimand from Rei Soffran."
Rei Soffran was a revered Jedi Master and a teacher of the
intermediate students. He was legendary at the Temple for his tough
lectures. When you were called to Rei Soffran's chamber, you knew your
faults would be dissected and you'd be carved up like a roasted doisey
bird.
But how did Omega know that?
Omega swung himself up on the table. He sat on the edge and faced
Anakin, swinging his legs like a young boy. "Oh, come on, Anakin. You don't
need Obi-Wan. You don't need the Council. Haven't you figured that out yet?
"
Anakin thought of his last mission on Andara. He had infiltrated a
group of students who acted as a secret squad, hiring themselves out on
missions throughout the galaxy. They chose what they wanted to do. They
answered to no one but themselves. Before it all fell apart, he had admired
them and maybe envied them. It had felt like freedom. It had made him think
what he would be like without having a Master or the Council to tell him
what to do. He had shoved those thoughts deep into his mind, like a dirty
tunic in his utility bag.
Something must have changed in his face, for Omega's eyes gleamed,
becoming a sharp, clear blue. "You have figured that out." He continued to
study him. "But you can't face it."
Anakin shook his head. "That's not true."
Omega laughed. "I thought Jedi weren't supposed to lie. You've got one
foot on the dark path, Anakin. Are you sure you are meant to be a Jedi?"
"It's all I've ever wanted," Anakin said. The words came out without
him wanting them to. They were in his head, as they always were.
"Yes, you were a special case," Omega said. "I've heard the story.
Chosen as a young boy. You were a slave, so of course you dreamed of a
better life, a life you thought of as free. Welcome to reality, Anakin. Are
you free?" Omega snorted. "If I held on to my dreams as a young boy, I'd be
repairing starships for a living. I used to think that was exciting. How
can you be so sure that your dream was the right one?"
"The dream is real because I am living it," Anakin said.
"The dream," Omega said softly, "was for opportunity and freedom and
adventure. That is not the same thing. You began as a slave. Of course you
dreamed of freedom. But you are not a boy now. You must know that the only
thing that buys freedom in this life is wealth. I have it. I can give you
more freedom than the Jedi can."
Anakin shook his head. "I don't want your brand of freedom."
"Why not? I can do anything I want. Let me tell you, power is a good
thing to have. It's even fun. You could do anything you want. With my help,
you could raise an army. You could return to the miserable planet of your
birth and free your mother. Isn't that your deepest wish? Why are the Jedi
holding you back from it?"
Startled, Anakin remembered his vision. He had touched the cuffs on
Shmi's hands and they had fallen to the floor. It hadn't been a vision of
what would happen, he realized suddenly. It had been a vision of what could
be.
What could be...
The thought flared up, searing him with promise. He thought of how
he'd felt in the dream. So powerful, so sure. Closing his hands over the
remembered texture of Shmi's skin, seeing the light in her eyes when she
saw him.
"Yes, Anakin Skywalker," Omega said softly. "I can give you the means
to do it. We could leave here tomorrow if that's what you wished."
"No," Anakin said. I am not listening to this. I am not hearing this.
Omega pushed himself off the table. Anakin heard the slap of his boots
on the floor, but he didn't look at his face. "Well, think about it. You
don't have to leave the Jedi forever. You could give me a trial run. See
how you like real freedom. You can always return to the Jedi. They're
pretty desperate these days. They'll take you back."
"I will never give you anything," Anakin said.
"How about a deal? Something I want for something you want? I know the
Jedi want me off-planet. I'm not sure if I'm ready to go, but if the Senate
is going to get tangled up in Mawan politics, I'd be a fool to stay.
Nevertheless, I have some demands. If you'll contact Yaddle and get her to
come to a meeting here, I'll guarantee her safety."
"Who will guarantee yours?" Anakin shot back.
Omega chuckled. "You will. The fact that I'm holding a Jedi means that
whoever is in charge up there won't send an army after me to `negotiate.' I
may be somewhat greedy, but I'm practical. I'm willing to move my
operation. But Yaddle is the only one who can authorize my conditions. Set
up the meeting. Then, while I make preparations to depart, you can decide
whether you want to come with me."
"I don't have to make a decision. I know what I am. I know what I
want."
Omega sighed. "You Jedi. Always so resolute." He shuddered. "All that
self-righteousness gives me the spooks. Let me know if you'll set up the
meeting. I'll arrange to bring your comlink to you."
He accessed the door and strode out into the busy substation. Anakin
turned and watched him move across the room. He noticed how Omega quickly
checked and conferred with his assistants as he walked. He made decisions
quickly and moved on. The room hummed with activity. For the first time he
saw how this man had amassed such a fortune.
How did Omega know such things about the Temple? Had he corrupted a
Jedi? Had he infiltrated the Temple? Such things were unthinkable, but
there had to be an explanation.
Omega's invitation for him to join his operation was laughable. Yet it
had brought the vision freshly into his mind, and Anakin still felt the
ache of it.
We could leave here tomorrow....
He could
see her again. He could free her, and make sure she was well
and safe. And then he could return to the Jedi. Omega said he could do
that.
But the Jedi would not take him back if he did such a thing. Anakin
knew that. Most likely Omega did, too.
His offer was hollow at the core.
But was there truth there, too? Were the Jedi holding him back from
his deepest wish?
And was he strong enough to face the answer?
CHAPTER TEN
Yaddle looked around the tunnel with distaste. "Too much time
underground, I have spent," she murmured lightly. "Glad I will be to see
the sky again."
Obi-Wan smiled at her humorous tone, but he knew there was truth
behind Yaddle's words. He remembered the words from Anakin's vision: The
One Below remains below. Yoda had interpreted it as a warning, and Obi-Wan
agreed. Now Yaddle was belowground. What if the attack on the substation
failed and something happened to Yaddle?
"I can handle this," he told her. "You should go back."
Yaddle shook her head at him. "Know what you are thinking, I do, Obi-
Wan. Worried about your Padawan's vision, I am not. Think you that I should