"At least we know one thing," Obi-Wan said. "He doesn't know where they are."
"I'm not so sure about that," Qui-Gon murmured.
He strode back to the hallway outside the blasted door.
He stood where the clerk had stood. A flash of surprise had lit his eyes, a revelation, and then smugness and purpose. All of this Qui-Gon had seen.
The bounty hunter, once disguised as the clerk, knew where they had gone.
There was so little time. The bounty hunter was already on his way. But Qui-Gon didn't let himself think of that. He slowly considered each object he could see from this vantage point.
Floor. Corner of a window. Corner of vidscreen. A pillow on the sleep couch. The edge of a pack.
Nothing.
Qui-Gon looked at the door itself. Then the keypad that they'd used to enter.
"The keycode," he said. "I know hotels like this. The occupant chooses a code that is easy to remember. The code is entered into security and on the individual cards. The occupant can either use the card or key in the number to get inside the room."
Adi nodded.
Qui-Gon lifted a hand, and the door card flew from where he'd left it on the sill and into his hand. He swiped the card and noted the number sequence that flashed.
"The code here is 2N533," Qui-Gon said. "The city of Ciran is shaped like a five-pointed star. There are five districts, and coordinates and addresses reflect that. Every address starts with the district number. 'N' could mean north."
"You think the key code is the address where they are staying?" Adi asked.
"That's taking a chance," Siri said. "Wouldn't they be afraid the bounty hunter would figure it out?"
"They didn't know he was here. They just knew he was close. But they had to leave us a hint."
"Besides," Obi-Wan said, "he wasn't sure they were gone for good. He was waiting for them to return."
As he spoke, he was already accessing the map of Ciran on his datapad. "2N533," he said. "Without a street name, I'll have to cross-check . . . wait . . ." He looked up. "District 2, 533 North Ascin Street. That's the only 533 address that's in the second district and has a north designation. It's got to be it."
"The bounty hunter has a head start," Adi said. "We can't afford to make a mistake."
"He is on foot," Qui-Gon said. "So are we. So we must be faster."
CHAPTER 4
They ran through the streets, never hesitating, never stopping. Their Jedi training helped them. Obi-Wan was able to memorize the map in seconds. Siri was able to point out shortcuts. Qui-Gon and Adi used the Force to find the easiest way through the crowd.
They saw no sign of the bounty hunter. When they got to the address, Qui-Gon and Adi stopped to study the facade. It was a building of gray stone, appearing identical to the other residences surrounding it.
Qui-Gon crossed the street and stood in front of the door. He raised his hand to push the indicator bell on the intercom.
He felt it before it came. A window flipped open overhead and a large vibroblade swung down. He felt the whistle of the wind against his back as he jumped. Another second and it would have gone through his head.
Obi-Wan sprang forward to help his Master, and Adi and Siri began to move around him, trying to see in the windows by the door.
"There appear to be" — Adi started as darts flew out of a concealed panel — "booby traps."
"Enough of this," Qui-Gon muttered. "There isn't time." He unsheathed his lightsaber and cut a hole in the door.
An oily, slick substance rolled out and covered the floor, splashing on Qui-Gon. He looked down at his soiled boots.
Blaster fire suddenly pinged from the lift tube. Qui-Gon swung his lightsaber to deflect it, not moving an inch. "We're Jedi!" he thundered. "Stop this! There's no time!" The blaster fire stopped.
The door of the lift tube was cracked slightly, the seam open just enough to give someone hiding a narrow view into the room. It opened a few more centimeters.
A boy poked his head out. His hair was red and stuck up in tufts all over his head. His eyes were a vivid green. His narrow, pointed nose twitched. Next to him were a man and woman. They each held blasters, but slowly lowered them as they saw Qui-Gon's lightsaber.
"We didn't know," the woman said.
Qui-Gon sheathed his lightsaber. "We understand."
"I am Nelia Fry. This is my husband, Grove. And this is Taly."
The boy pointed to the floor. "If you move, you'll slip. That's synthetic oil mixed with soap. My own recipe."
"I won't slip," Qui-Gon said, just as he took a step and slipped sideways. He regained his balance, slipped again, and slid into the lift tube door. His hands slapped against it and his aggrieved face was now centimeters from Talesan's.
"Sorry?" Taly offered.
Adi Force-leaped over the slippery mess and landed next to Qui-Gon. "We have to leave immediately. A bounty hunter is on your trail. He has this address."
The family exchanged worried glances. "No matter where we go, he finds us," Grove Fry said.
"We have an exit plan," Nelia said. "We have swoop bikes on the roof."
The Jedi hurried the family aboard the lift tube and it took them swiftly up to the roof.
There were three swoops, fully fueled. "We'll have to double up," Qui-Gon said. "Talesan, ride with me."
"Call me Taly," the boy said. "I have a feeling we're going to hang around together for awhile."
"If you two can fit on this swoop, my Padawan can take the pilot seat," Qui-Gon told Nelia and Grove. "We left our ship near the landing platform, in a secure location."
Just then a transmitter on Grove's belt blinked rapidly. "Someone else has entered the building," he said worriedly. "Taly rigged up a silent alarm."
"He's here," Siri said quietly.
"It's going to take him a few minutes to search," Qui-Gon said. "Let's go."
Grove and Nelia exchanged a glance. "We're not coming with you."
"What do you mean?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Dad? Mom?" Taly's voice suddenly sounded very young.
Nelia crouched to look into her son's eyes. "Dad and I think you'll be safer without us. He is too close. If we wait and leave a few seconds after you, he might follow us instead. We can lead him away from you. Give you time to get far from here."
"This isn't necessary," Adi said crisply. "We can protect you."
"We mean no disrespect," Grove said. "We trust the Jedi. But we also want every chance for our son."
"You must come with us," Qui-Gon argued. "To stay is too great a risk."
Grove's eyes filled with steely determination.
"That is for us to decide, not you," he said. "We have talked about this at length; we know what we have to do. Nothing you can say will convince us. And you cannot force us. If we can do any small thing to save our son, we will. You have a better chance without us, especially if we create a distraction. That is our decision."
"We'll find our way to Coruscant," Nelia told Taly. "We'll find you."
Taly had gone very still.
Nelia straightened quickly. Her eyes were wet with tears. "Take care of our son," she whispered. She put her arms around Taly and held him against her. Grove came behind her and the three of them rocked together. Then the parents broke away.
"No," Taly said. "Mom! Dad! Don't do this! I can protect us!"
The sight of their young son made the parents' faces crumple with love and pain.
"You can do so much," Grove said. "You can't do this."
Over Taly's head, Nelia turned her stricken eyes on Qui-Gon. "There's no time. Go. Please. Take him." Her voice ended in a sob.
Siri put her hand on Taly's shoulder. "Come on, Taly." She led him to Qui-Gon's swoop.
"Are you sure I cannot convince you to join us? Or two of us can stay with you."
"Go," Grove said. "Now."
Qui-Gon rested his strong gaze on Nelia. "I will protect him."
She nodded but did not speak. Tears stre
aked her face. The Jedi felt the surge in the dark side of the Force. A warning. He was close.
"Hold on to me, Taly," Qui-Gon said kindly. "We will be traveling very fast."
They took off, keeping their acceleration low so as not to make noise. Then Qui-Gon quickly dipped down into a lower space lane so that they would not be visible from the building. Taly's parents disappeared from sight.
He felt the boy behind him, holding onto his tunic. He felt the cloth dampen with the boy's tears.
CHAPTER 5
They made a clean getaway in the Republic cruiser. The city of Ciran retreated to a small yellow spot in a wide landscape. Then Cirrus became a yellowish round shape surrounded by clouds. In another few minutes, they were zooming through stars.
Adi piloted the ship. Qui-Gon set a course for Coruscant. Obi-Wan sat, watching Siri and Taly.
Siri did not speak. She moved about the cabin, close to Taly. She placed a small thermal blanket on his knees. Moments later she gave him something to eat and drink. Taly did not touch them. He held the blanket around his small body and stared at the ground.
Finally Siri came and sat beside him. She leaned forward and spoke to him gently. Obi-Wan could not hear her words but he saw by her posture how careful she was trying to be. He saw, gradually, how Taly's neck muscles relaxed, how his fingers no longer clutched the blanket with the same desperate grip.
Siri slipped something out of her utility belt. Obi-Wan recognized the warming crystal Siri always carried, deep blue with a star in the center. She handed it to Taly and he closed his fist around it, smiling at how it warmed his hand.
Siri drew her legs up underneath her and sat next to Taly, not too close, but not too far away.
Was this the Siri he knew? Hardly. Obi-Wan hadn't known she possessed such delicacy. Siri was never delicate. She said what she meant and she felt a great impatience for those who did not. She didn't like emotional reactions, she hated delays, she never waited on anyone or expected to be waited on. She liked to do everything herself.
These were the things he knew about her. But he did not know this. He hadn't realized she knew exactly what to do for a wounded child.
Suddenly Qui-Gon leaned over the nav console. "Unidentified cruiser coming up fast."
"I'll increase speed." Adi pushed the controls. "He's speeding up," Qui-Gon said.
"You think it's our bounty hunter?"
"I have no doubt. And by the looks of that cruiser, he might be able to outmaneuver us. It's a SoroSuub light freighter."
Adi's mouth set grimly. "Nobody outmaneuvers me."
Qui-Gon gave a wry smile. "I didn't mean to suggest it. Deflector shields down."
The Republic cruiser was an agile craft, but it was built to ferry diplomats and serve as a base for high-level meetings. Adi was an excellent pilot, but she would not be able to hold out against a heavily armed SoroSuub for very long.
By the posture of her shoulders, he knew exactly when she admitted this to herself. "Find us a safe port nearby, just in case."
Qui-Gon began to search the star chart on the nav computer. "We're close to Quadrant Seven," he said.
"I know," Adi said. "But what about a planet?"
"The planet's name is Quadrant Seven," Qui-Gon explained. "It's not in the Republic — it doesn't have a Senator and it's not particularly friendly to outlanders, but it doesn't forbid them, either." Qui-Gon entered the coordinates into the nav computer.
Adi pushed the ship to a faster speed. Obi-Wan and Siri got up and moved into the cockpit.
Taly followed. He leaned in close to the nav screen, sending a bluish light onto his features. "He's going to catch us," he said.
Qui-Gon met Adi's gaze. They both knew the boy was right.
Laser cannonfire thundered around the ship, rocking it. Taly gripped the console.
Adi kept the ship moving. She could not maneuver the way she would like, but she was able to swerve to avoid the next barrage. It boomed harmlessly in space.
"This is how he works," Taly said. "He uses everything. He never stops. He has blasters and grenades and missiles and . . . everything. I beat him, and that made him mad, because I'm just a kid. He won't let me go this time."
Qui-Gon looked at Taly. He had put the battle in terms of a young boy, but it made sense. Qui-Gon felt it, too, through his connection to the Living Force. This bounty hunter went beyond determination. This was a grudge.
"What should we do?" Adi asked. Her voice was perfectly calm despite the cannonfire that shook the ship. But Qui-Gon knew the situation must be dire, because Adi never asked him what to do.
Suddenly, a large blow rocked the ship.
"We've lost the horizontal stabilizer," Adi said. "It's affected the hyperdrive."
"We must send off the salon pod," Qui-Gon said. "He might think we escaped on it."
"But why would he fall for it?" Taly asked.
"Because then we're going to crash this ship," Qui-Gon said.
CHAPTER 6
"Maybe you'd better fill me in on this one," Adi said drily. "After all, I'm the pilot."
"This ship has a double-reinforced cargo hold," Qui-Gon said. "The work was done in order to protect a shipment of vertex on its last mission. So if we were hit there, it would cause minimal damage. We could make it look worse. We could trick him into thinking the ship was failing. Then we eject the salon pod. He knows that salon pods on these cruisers are capable of long space flights." Qui-Gon leveled his gaze at Adi. "Can you do it?"
She would know what he was asking. Adi could be high-handed at times. She could be dismissive of other ideas than her own. But they had worked together often enough to be able to put their minds in sync when they needed to.
"Yes."
Qui-Gon turned. "Obi-Wan, Siri, Taly, get all the soft material you can and bring them to the cockpit. Flotation devices, roll-up sleep couches, bedding, pillows, cushions. Fast."
Obi-Wan, Siri, and Taly dashed out of the cockpit. The Republic cruiser was built as a diplomatic ship. There were plenty of cabins to raid. Within minutes, the cockpit had filled up with soft bedding. Qui-Gon directed the three to place it around the walls and hard surfaces as carefully as they could.
"We're going to have take a missile blow," he told the others. "Brace yourself."
Adi maneuvered the ship so that the blow would fall on the cargo hold. It would take perfect timing and a lot of guesswork. She had to make the bounty hunter think that he had outmaneuvered them and struck the death blow.
The ship screamed through space, twisting like a corkscrew. The Force filled the cabin as Adi concentrated, beads of perspiration on her high forehead. They saw the flash as the laser cannon boomed. They had less than a split-second to prepare.
The blast shook the ship and blew them like durasheets through the cabin. They bounced off the cushions and mattresses. Qui-Gon felt helpless as his wrist slammed against the edge of the console. He pulled in the Force to give him stability and balance. Adi crawled to the pilot chair.
"I didn't expect to do quite this good a job," she muttered, gripping the controls.
"Jettison some smoke," Qui-Gon said.
Adi put the ship into a death spiral. She released the salon pod. They were close to a planet now, twisting down toward it.
Qui-Gon had his eyes on the radar. "He's not chasing the pod. Not yet."
Adi looked at him worriedly. "He's waiting for us to flame out or crash."
Qui-Gon nodded. "So let's crash."
Adi gripped the controls. Siri strapped Taly down and belted down cushions around him. She and Obi-Wan covered themselves as best they could.
The ship was screaming now, belching smoke. But Adi still had control. She mimicked a dying ship, narrowing the circles until Qui-Gon had to close his eyes against the dizziness he felt. He opened them once to see the surface of the planet looming. He closed them again quickly.
"Here we go!" Adi shouted.
He never knew how she did it. The grace and precision of
it were amazing. She was able to pull up slightly at the last minute, enough for the ship to shudder into a modified crash landing instead of slamming into the planet's surface. But from the upper atmosphere, it would look like a crash. She jettisoned the fuel early so that it sent up a fireball. The smoke would cover their escape.
Qui-Gon took out his lightsaber and cut a hole through the wall. Obi-Wan joined him, then Siri and Adi. Taly stood back, his eyes huge with shock.
Qui-Gon picked up Taly and jumped out the hole after the others. They took shelter behind some rocks as the ship exploded.
"Now what?" Siri asked.
"Let's start with the basics," Qui-Gon said. "I'd say we need to locate new transportation."
Taly still wore an expression of shock. "Don't you Jedi take a minute to recover?"
"He took off after the pod, but we should still take precautions," Adi said. "I think Taly should remain in hiding with Siri and Obi-Wan. We don't want to leave a trail. We know there is more than one bounty hunter involved."
"Good point," Qui-Gon said.
They walked toward town. The road was dusty and deserted, winding through a rocky canyon. Halfway there, Adi suddenly stopped. She leaned over and pressed her hand against the ground.
"There's water close to here," she said. "Follow me."
She took off through the rocks. They followed, Taly sometimes slipping and helped by Siri. Adi led them up a stony ridge and then down again. The air smelled fresher. Around a large boulder was a small, bubbling spring.
"A water source if you need it," she said. She glanced around. "There are caves around us. I can feel them."
She walked to a cleft in the rocks. Qui-Gon never would have noticed it. He would have thought it was a shadow. Adi melted inside and they saw only her hand beckon them.
It was a cave, small and snug. Although the sand was cool and damp, farther into the cave it was dry.
"A perfect hiding place," Adi said. "Invisible from the air. Easy to exit and close to town." She slipped off her survival pack. "We'll be back for you as soon as we locate transport. You'll be comfortable here."
Siri looked around the cave dubiously. "If you say so." Qui-Gon couldn't help smiling at Siri. "We'll return soon," he promised.