Джуд Уотсон - Jedi Apprentice 3: The Hidden Past

Obi-Wan watched as Prince Beju disappeared up the exit ramp. He was surprised to see that Beju wasn't much older than he was. He was the same height as Obi-Wan as well, and had the same sturdy frame…

The idea flashed into Obi-Wan's mind like a powered-up lightsaber. Was it too risky? Should he attempt it?

He had only minutes to decide. Cautiously, he slipped onto thew ship. Prince Beju was nowhere in sight. Obi-Wan realized that the Prince was nowhere in sight. Obi-Wan realized that the Prince's transport that had been converted for his royal use. It was fitted with every luxury. Prince Beju was probably in his stateroom, behind the gilded door immediately to Obi-Wan right.

Obi-Wan quickly went into the cockpit. He sat for a moment, familiarizing himself with the controls. He had piloted cloud cars and air-speeders and once, a huge transport ship. This shouldn't be too hard.

He headed back into the stateroom again an opened a closet door. One held supplies, but he found what he was looking for in the next? a row headdresses similar to the one the Prince wore. Obi-Wan quickly slipped one on his head, then wrapped the deep purple cloak in a rich fabric around his shoulders.

He returned to the cockpit and sat in the pilot seat. He saw the pilot heading for the ship, along with three royal guards. Quickly, Obi-Wan deactivated the exit ramp and started the ion engines. The pilot looked up, startled.

Obi-Wan could see the puzzlement on his face. The Padawan had counted on the fact that the headdress and cloak would confuse the pilot and the guards. They would assume that Prince Beju was piloting the ship. Not for long, perhaps? but if Obi-Wan was lucky, he would have enough time to take off.

The comlink suddenly blared to life. "Two minutes are up!" Prince Beju barked. "Why are we not taking off?"

"Immediately, my Prince," Obi-Wan said crisply. He started preparations for takeoff. The ion engines revved. The pilot and the guards moved closer, trying to get a better look. Obi-Wan saw one guard's hand move to his blaster.

"Now," he muttered, and the ship blasted out of the atmosphere of Gala. He waited until they were in deep space. Then he tossed the headdress and cloak aside, for the moment.

A weapons cabinet was mounted on the wall of the cockpit. He selected a blaster. Then he made his way back to the Prince's stateroom.

The Prince was reclining on a sleep couch when he entered. "I said I didn't want to be disturbed!" he snapped, not looking up.

Obi-Wan walked closer. He placed the blaster under the Prince's chin. "So sorry."

The Prince twisted around to look at Obi-Wan. "Guards!" he screamed.

"They decided to stay on Gala," Obi-Wan said.

"Get off of my ship!" Prince Beju blustered. "I'll see you dead! Who are you? How dare you!"

"Don't bore me with questions," Obi-Wan said, hauling the Prince to his feet. "Just obey me."

Chapter 16

Qui-Gon, Paxxi, and Guerra found a place to hide behind a pile of repair equipment in the Syndicat hanger. They had found out from Duenna when the Prince was scheduled to arrive. Baftu and a troop of assassin droids and Syndicat guards waited on the landing platform.

The Derida brothers and Qui-Gon wore their stolen Syndicat armor coats. Even though the coats gave them some protection, it was better to keep out of sight.

Kaadi had entered enthusiastically into their plan. She, too, thought the Prince's visit would be a perfect time to strike. She had contacted her rebel operatives. All they would need was a signal from her when the warehouses were open. She had designated people to find weapons and distribute them, find good, find supplies. And when the bacta was loaded onto the Prince's ship, she would make sure that the Phindians saw it happen.

Qui-Gon couldn't imagine the fury of a people deprived so long of what they needed to live. Surely the capital would explode. That would give them plenty of diversion to break in and steal the treasury. Once the Syndicat was destroyed, peace could return to Phindar at last.

So why was he so uneasy? Qui-Gon wondered. Perhaps it was because the plan seemed so simple, yet was so dependent on their guesses. What if the Prince went to headquarters first? What if Baftu double-crossed him and withheld the bacta? What if Paxxi's anti-register device didn't work? Qui-Gon had tested it on a security lock of Kaadi's, but what if the warehouse locks were different? It would have been dangerous to test it first, but should they have tried?

Perhaps he was allowing his worry about Obi-Wan in interfere with his judgement. He was anxious to bring about the Syndicat collapse so that he could find his Padawan. But was he acting rashly?

"You are worrying, Jedi-Gon," Guerra whispered. "You should not. Everything will be smooth. Paxxi and I have always been lucky."

Qui-Gon had certainly not seen any evidence to support this. But Guerra was trying to be helpful, so he nodded in thanks.

"Yes so, we guarantee this," Paxxi added in a whisper. "The Syndicat will be weakened, maybe collapse, and Prince Beju will take off with no bacta and no alliance. Just so!"

"There is the ship!" Guerra hissed.

The Prince's ship came into view, sleek and white. It glided to a perfect landing. The ramp slowly lowered. Qui-Gon tensed. Now everything would begin.

The Prince slowly walked down the ramp alone. First, Qui-Gon was surprised. He had assumed the Prince would arrive with a royal guard.

Then he felt a rush of familiarity. But why? It took him several long seconds to realize that it was Obi-Wan in disguise.

Joy filled his heart. His Padawan was alive!

But quickly, joy was followed by confusion. Had Obi-Wan lost his memory and somehow become mixed up in affairs on Gala? That would be an incredible coincidence. How had he met Prince Beju?

"Look at him," Paxxi said in disgust. "You can tell the brute is evil."

"Look closer. The boy is Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon murmured.

Paxxi gasped. "Yes so, I thought he seemed handsome and brave," he added quickly. "And what royal bearing he has!"

"Obawan! I am overjoyed!" Guerra exulted, hid voice a whisper. Then his face fell. "But what can we do, wise Knight Jedi-Gon? We can't follow our plan now. If we alert the people that the Prince id taking the bacta, we will put Obi-Wan in great danger."

"Do you think Obawan had been memory-wiped?" Paxxi whispered. "What if the Syndicat is using him?"

"I don't know what to think," Qui-Gon said quietly, his eyes on Obi-Wan as the boy greeted Baftu.

There was only one thing he could do. Qui-Gon concentrated and reached out to the Force. He gathered it in, then directed it toward Obi-Wan like a cresting wave.

He waited, every muscle tense, every cell on alert. His heart cried out for his Padawan to hear him.

He felt Obi-Wan catch the Force and send it back to him. It broke over him like a glorious waterfall.

Qui-Gon closed his eyes in sweet relief. "It is all right," he told Paxxi and Guerra. "He has withstood the memory wipe."

Paxxi and Guerra exchanged stunned glances.

"No one has ever done this completely.' Paxxi said.

"I knew he could," Guerra affirmed. "Not so, I lie. I feared for my great friend Obawan. And now I feel relief and joy."

"Me as well, good brother," Paxxi said. The two brother looped their long arms around each other and hugged, their faces close together and smiling.

But Qui-Gon was worried. Guerra was right. They could endanger Obi-Wan with their plan. But did Obi-Wan have his own plan? Had the boy gotten himself into deeper trouble?

Qui-Gon sighed. He would have to wait. He must take no action until he knew what Obi-Wan had in mind.

One of the Jedi lessons Qui-Gon had impressed upon the boy again and again was the necessary activity of waiting. Activity can endanger, he had told him. To wait and to watch is the more difficult task, yet it is one we must master.

If only he had taught himself the lesson as well.

Obi-Wan felt the Force hit him like a wave. The knowledge that Qui-Gon was near gave him courage.

He had worried that Terra might change her mind and appear at the platform to greet Prince Beju. She would recognize him instantly, he was sure. And though he had locked the Prince in storage in the cargo hold, he worried that the Prince would be able to make enough noise to carry beyond the ship. He needed to get Baftu away as soon as possible.

"Welcome, Prince Beju," Baftu said as he approached. "I'm surprised to find you alone. Did you pilot yourself?"

"I thought it best to come alone," Obi-Wan said in a loud voice, hoping that Qui-Gon could hear. "I must confess that I have doubts about this alliance."

Baftu's smile faded. "But we have agreed on all terms."

"Yes, but I risk more than you," Obi-Wan said. "You make grand claims that I must trust you can fulfill. You speak of goods I have not seen." Obi-Wan waved a hand. "You talk of bacta supplies, of a great treasury you will share to help me win back Gala. But I have not seen them.

Baftu's smile was strained. "But of course you shall. To headquarters, then. We can take refreshment, and?"

"No. The bacta first," Obi-Wan interrupted sharply.

"But I have prepared a feast," Baftu said. "We can go over details. Wasn't it you who said you would need refreshment after the journey?"

"Do not bore me with question!" Obi-Wan snapped. "Just obey me. The bacta first. Then the treasury. Or I will bet back on my ship and return home."

Baftu's annoyance was visible. "Did we not agree that it would be better to load the bacta under cover of darkness? If my people see the amount of bacta we have, it could be dangerous for both of us."

Obi-Wan flung the cape over his shoulder. "Can you not control your people, Baftu? Are you afraid of them? This makes me uneasy."

For a moment, Obi-Wan thought that Baftu would strike him down. But the alliance was all important to him. Baftu's small, cunning eyes narrowed, and he forced a smile. "As the Prince whishes, of course. Let us load the bacta."

"Excellent," Qui-Gon said to Guerra and Paxxi in a low voice. "Obi-Wan is stalling for time. We'll have to change our plan. First the treasure, then the warehouses. Alert Kaadi that the Prince will be loading the bacta. And the, follow me."

Chapter 17

Paxxi and Guerra tried their emergency signal to get Duenna's help, but after waiting a few minutes, Qui-Gon determined that they would have to get inside Syndicat headquarters without her.

"But how, Jedi-Gon?" Guerra asked. "Blast our way in? Create a diversion?"

"Let's hope there's some confusion since the Prince is here. Things won't be routine. So we'll just walk in," Qui-Gon said, lowering his dark visor.

They strode past the guard with a nod. The second one was harder. He asked for their order number.

"Prince Beju has changed plans. He wants to load the bacta first," Qui-Gon answered. "Baftu has sent us here."

"Without an order number?" the guard asked skeptically.

"Yes, we'll go in," Qui-Gon said, bringing the Force to bear on the Phindian.

"Yes, go on in," the guard said, waving them through.

The security beams were turned off on the rear entrance, most likely because so many guards were going in and out. They were not challenged as they made their way down the halls toward the staircase to the lower level.

Qui-Gon led them to the secret room and activated the wall shift. Quickly, they headed for the security door.

"Now, it's your turn," Qui-Gon said to Paxxi. He fervently hoped that Paxxi's device would work.

Paxxi jacked into the security panel. Qui-Gon heard a series of electronic beeps. Then he pressed his thumbprint against the transfer register. A beep followed. Then the light turned green, and the door opened.

"It worked, good brother!" Guerra cried. Qui-Gon wished he didn't sound quite so surprised.

The room was filled with treasures. Gems, spice, currencies, rare metals.

"We'll need transport," Qui-Gon said. "We can't get all of this out of the building, so we'll have to hide it."

Paxxi and Guerra hurried back to the holding pen at the staircase to get the floaters they'd hidden there. Qui-Gon stacked the materials. Then they loaded them onto the floaters and took them to the supply closet. The closet could barely hold everything, but they were able to shut the door.

"Now we have to get to the warehouses," Qui-Gon said.

Paxxi closed the security door and reset the transfer register. They quickly left the secret room and closed the wall again. They hurried up the stairs and took the back entrance.

As they rounded the corner of the grand mansion toward the front gates, Qui-Gon held up a hand. "Wait," he murmured.

Baftu's gold speeder pulled up. Baftu and Obi-Wan emerged, Followed by the assassin droids.

"It is better to let my guards load your ship," Baftu was saying to the boy he thought was the Prince. "They will do it quickly and efficiently, I assure you. Now you will view the treasury."

"I am pleased," Obi-Wan replied.

"You see, Jedi Gon?" Paxxi whispered. "Our plan is working."

"We are lucky brothers," Guerra agreed.

Just then, Terra emerged from Syndicat headquarters. She started down the stairs. Obi-Wan reached behind him to draw his cloak up around his face, but it was too late.

Terra pointed. "You are not Prince Beju!" she cried.

Chapter 18

Obi-Wan's mind worked quickly. Terra had recognized him. But it was still her word against his. He would have to bluff his way through.