Jude Watson - Jedi Quest 10 - The Final Showdown

"I have a suggestion, Master," Anakin said. "This Auben might feel less threatened if she's approached by one person. Especially someone young."

Obi-Wan nodded. "That's not a bad idea."

"We can't surround her, we'll spook her for sure," Siri said. "Why don't Anakin and Ferus go?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "You can say that you're brothers, and you've been stranded here. Sounds plausible."

Brothers! Anakin swallowed his groan. Being teamed with Ferus was bad enough.

They approached the plaza. It was surrounded by pillars that had once held up some sort of roof over the plaza. Part of the roof still hung over the space. Behind the pillars were the ruins of a building. There were plenty of places to hide, which was no doubt why it was chosen as the spot to conduct illegal business.

"We'll stay here," Obi-Wan said, stopping a good distance away from the plaza. "Whatever you do, don't reveal that you are Jedi. That's information that can be sold. We know Omega is expecting us, but he doesn't know when we'll arrive."

Anakin and Ferus took off for the marketplace in silence. The tension hadn't lessened between them. Anakin had hoped to gain information about Omega before Ferus did. He wished he were meeting Auben alone. It wasn't that he would jeopardize the mission in any way, but he wouldn't mind being one half-step ahead.

They didn't say a word as they walked. They didn't make a plan. Anakin wanted to complete the assignment as quickly as possible and return to the others.

They cruised once around the plaza. They could see a few beings in the shadows. It wasn't until they'd made one circuit of the area that they were approached.

A young woman dressed in a tight-fitting gray tunic and leggings came to them. She wore a leather headpiece that fitted snugly over her ears, and she carried an enormous satchel on her back without strain.

"Looking for something, friends?"

"Are you Auben?" Anakin asked.

Her eyes flicked over them. "Who wants to know?"

"Thacker sent us. He said you had things for sale."

"I've got it or I can get it. What's your need, friend?"

"Blankets and handwarmers," Anakin said.

She dumped the satchel on the ground and held up two handwarmers. As she crouched, Anakin saw two blasters in her belt. "Let me see the credits first," she said.

Anakin held out his hand. She took the credits from it, then tossed the handwarmers to Ferus. "No blankets today, but I've got a tip on some plush thermal capes. You can meet me here same time tomorrow and I'll have them."

"How much?" Ferus asked.

Auben named the price. Ferus raised his eyebrows. "I said they were plush. Top quality. I'll have some other luxury stuff, too." She shrugged.

"If you don't want them, someone else will."

"You have a lot of customers?" Ferus's gaze roamed the empty plaza, pretending skepticism.

"I've got the whole spaceport as customers, friend." Auben shrugged the pack back onto her shoulders.

It was clear she was about to take off. Anakin spoke quickly. "Our parents marooned us here on Dreshdae. They said they'd be back, but it's been a few weeks now, and we don't know where — "

Auben's face was expressionless. "I don't need your story, just your credits."

"We heard that a couple landed at the spaceport recently," Anakin continued. "A human man and woman. Maybe you've seen them — "

Auben's eyes grew hard. "I don't discuss my customers."

"But I just — "

"Ever."

Anakin knew they were at a dead end.

"So you only find things, not beings?" Ferus asked. "Seems to me that there's not much difference. You need the same skills. Contacts and discretion."

She stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean?"

"It seems to me that for the right price, you could help us with more than handwarmers."

Auben hesitated. She gave them an appraising look, as if wondering how much they could pay.

But before she could speak, a blast of artillery fire shattered a column behind her. The explosion of rocks sent her flying toward Anakin and Ferus. All three landed on the ground.

"Commerce Guild droids," she panted. "Run!"

Auben took off. Anakin dashed after her. She had placed herself in an exposed position, her back to the blaster fire, thinking she could outrun it. She was wrong. Anakin had no choice. The Force slowed down time, and he could see the blaster bolts streaking toward her emanating from a phalanx of spider droids. He withdrew his lightsaber and leaped to deflect them.

He twisted in midair and landed on the top of a pillar, where he leaped again, this time next to Auben as he swept his lightsaber to deflect more fire.

"Who are you?" she yelled, but there was no time for Anakin to answer.

Ferus dashed forward, covering their retreat. Anakin hustled Auben into the shelter of the dark ruins. They paused a moment to catch their breath.

Auben looked at the lightsaber. "Where can I get one of those?"

Ferus ran in, already sheathing his lightsaber. "They have tracking droids. We've got to get out of here."

"We don't know which way," Anakin said to Auben.

She blew out a quick, exasperated breath, then nodded her head. "Okay, okay, seeing that you saved my life, I'll save yours. Come on."

She led the way through the ruins, twisting through narrow passageways and climbing through blasted-out holes. Anakin knew that the other Jedi were following them. He could feel them close.

The noise of the blaster fire faded, but Anakin knew the army hadn't given up. He could feel their presence, too. They were heading toward the outskirts of the spaceport now.

Auben led Anakin and Ferus out of the ruins and into a series of narrow, twisting streets. The street dwindled into a lane. The small hovels and buildings were spaced farther and farther apart until they were alone in a rocky landscape. The lane turned into a narrow dirt path that twisted and turned sharply upward. Anakin guessed that they were climbing the lip of the plateau that cradled the spaceport. Sure enough, they soon scrambled over a last obstacle of huge boulders and reached it.

Anakin looked down. Below them an ancient structure rose out of the steep mountainside and spilled out into a narrow valley. The mountain made two-thirds of the structure impenetrable. The entrance was in ruins, blocked by huge toppled columns and blocks of crumbling stone.

Anakin felt the peculiar stomach-turning wrench he experienced when faced with the tremors of the dark side of the Force. He knew what this wreck of a building was.

The ancient Sith monastery spread out below him, deserted for centuries, and still a presence of evil. Here was where thousands of Sith had once trained — and thousands of hopefuls had once disappeared forever.

"Is that where we're going?" Ferus asked.

"Creepy, huh? Don't let it bother you," Auben said. "Nobody lives there. Everyone's afraid to go inside, except for me. We won't be followed, that's for sure."

"What was it?" Ferus asked, even though Anakin knew he was perfectly aware of its history. Ferus was too good a student. He had read the same briefing material that Anakin had.

"Just an old monastery. They blasted out the side of the mountain to build it. Will you two hurry up?" Auben started down the steep path toward the monastery. It wound through the boulders and crags.

Something in Anakin suddenly revolted. He rarely felt fear, but he felt it now. A deep voice within him was warning him not to enter.

And yet another voice, deeper than fear, told him to go inside.

Obi-Wan lowered his electrobinoculars. "The Sith monastery," he said.

"Why is she going there?"

"She doesn't want to be found," Soara answered. "I'd guess very few go in there if they don't have to."