Джуд Уотсон - Jedi Apprentice 11 - The Deadly Hunter

"We come on behalf of Didi Oddo," Qui-Gon said politely. "You are trying to capture him, yet he has done no wrong. He requests that you check your information or contact the government or party that has sent you. He is sure that you have located the wrong person. Will you do this?"

The bounty hunter said nothing. Her eyes stayed on Qui-Gon, but they were expressionless.

"Didi Oddo runs a cafй," Qui-Gon said. "He is not a criminal. He rarely leaves Coruscant." Silence.

"If you would allow me to check the warrant, I could clear this up immediately," Qui-Gon said. "Then we could be on our way."

More silence. Obi-Wan forced himself to remain still. He knew better than to fidget. This was a contest of wills. Qui-Gon stood easily, the same polite expression on his face. He would not show the bounty hunter that she had intimidated him with her silence. No one intimidated Qui-Gon.

"I'm afraid I must insist," Qui-Gon said, his voice hardening a fraction. "If a wrong has occurred, we should check it immediately. You would want the same."

Again, the bounty hunter did not reply. She appeared bored by her visitors. Or maybe she slept with her eyes open…

The movement came out of nowhere, taking him by surprise. He had been watching her face in order to determine what she would do. She barely moved a muscle, but with a casual flick of her fingers a whip arched into the air, its spiked tip heading straight for his face.

Obi-Wan backed up, but the whip curled around his neck several times. It tightened as he clawed at it.

Qui-Gon's extraordinarily fast reflexes were sharper than Padawan's. His lightsaber activated in a blur of light. He sprang forward to slash at the whip in order to sever it.

But the bounty hunter's agile fingers flicked again, and the whip reversed its twist and uncoiled off Obi-Wan's neck. It was just out of the lightsaber's reach, taunting Qui-Gon's blade.

The bounty hunter sprang to her feet. The whip flashed again, this time wrapping around Obi-Wan's ankles as he stepped forward to attack.

Obi-Wan stumbled and had to break his fall with one hand. Heat blazed in his face. He hated being clumsy. This was the second time the bounty hunter had surprised him. Fury clouded his vision for a moment, and he had trouble focusing on the calmness he would need for the battle.

The whip retracted. Suddenly, it glowed red in the dim room. It had been turned to laser mode.

Qui-Gon's lightsaber tangled with the whip. Smoke rose as the two lasers buzzed. Even while entangled with the lightsaber, the bounty hunter manipulated the end of the whip so that it slashed at Qui-Gon's forearm. Qui-Gon was forced to retreat and come at his opponent from another direction.

Obi-Wan leaped forward to help him, already flexing so that he could come at her with a reverse backhand sweep. She flipped backward three times to avoid him, then dropped unexpectedly to the floor and rolled in a ball back to the window. Her movements were liquid, as though she were boneless. Obi-Wan had never seen such acrobatic skill.

The window was open a few centimeters at the bottom. To Obi-Wan's astonishment, the bounty hunter shed her armor and flattened herself enough to slip through the small opening like water, pulling the armor behind her. In another moment, she was gone.

Qui-Gon deactivated his lightsaber. He stood staring after the bounty hunter. "A formidable opponent."

"How did she do that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"At least now we know where she is from," Qui-Gon said, shutting down his lightsaber. "The planet Sorrus. Sorrusians have a skeletal system that can compress, allowing them to squeeze through tight places. She is remarkably flexible. Not to mention very good with a whip."

Obi-Wan touched his neck. "She certainly knows how to use it."

"I've never seen that weapon before," Qui-Gon mused. "It has two modes, one a laser. She was remarkably fast, Padawan. Don't question yourself. Your reflexes will get faster as you gain more control of the Force."

"You were already moving when I was strangling," Obi-Wan said ruefully.

"I was expecting the whip," Qui-Gon said. "Didi told us about it. I was watching her wrist. Next time, you will be as well."

Qui-Gon twisted around to look at his shoulder. Obi-Wan saw that his tunic was tattered. Blood soaked the edges. "You're hurt!"

"The spikes caught me. A little bacta and I'll be fine. Come, Padawan. We'd better get back to Didi with the bad news." Qui-Gon grimaced as he peeled back the cloth from the wound. "I don't think this bounty hunter is going away."

"She injured your person!" Didi cried as soon as he saw Qui-Gon. "I cannot believe such a thing!" His hands flew to his mouth. "That means she is truly dangerous. Oh, I am in more trouble than I thought!"

"Never mind your troubles for the moment. We need water so we can clean the wound," Obi-Wan said sharply to Didi.

"Of course, of course, let me help. I have a med kit here somewhere…" Didi began to fuss around the desk, pushing aside datasheets, receipts, tins, and boxes.

"Never mind. Obi-Wan, it is okay to leave me. Go get your medpac," Qui-Gon said.

Quickly, Obi-Wan found his medpac. Didi brought a basin of water. Obi-Wan moved forward but Didi waved him away.

Obi-Wan watched as Didi cut away the tunic and carefully cleaned the wound, making sure no dirt or fabric remained in the torn flesh. His plump fingers were surprisingly delicate. He worked quickly and expertly, with no trace of hesitation. Obi-Wan couldn't help but admire his skill. He would have expected the excitable Didi to feel faint, or moan with sickness at the sight of blood.

Didi dripped bacta into the wound and then with great gentleness wrapped a clean bandage around it.

"Thank you," Qui-Gon said. "I could not ask for better care."

"You'll need a fresh tunic," Obi-Wan said. "I can fetch one —" Didi began.

"In a moment." Qui-Gon frowned at Didi. "This bounty hunter is not giving up. Either she is very stubborn, or there truly is a warrant out for your arrest."

"Impossible," Didi said, shaking his head.

"Or there could be no warrant at all, just someone who wants to do Didi harm," Obi-Wan pointed out. "Bounty hunters often take private commissions."

Didi swiveled and stared at Obi-Wan, his mouth open. "Oh, do not say that, Obi-Wan. That is even worse. It would mean that someone has placed a death mark on my head."

Obi-Wan was taken aback at the sight of Didi's pale face. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I appreciate that very much, dear boy," Didi said. "Very kind of you. But you did. Why would someone do such a thing? I have no enemies. Only friends."

"Obi-Wan, you make a good point," Qui-Gon said thoughtfully. "We should have considered this before. It is logical, considering the bounty hunter's attitude and how Didi makes his living."

"Serving food and drink?" Didi asked, baffled. "I admit some have gotten sick after supper, but I've never actually poisoned anyone. At least, not on purpose."

"I am not talking about your dubious cooking skills," Qui-Gon said to Didi. "I'm talking about your sideline. You traffic in information. Information that could benefit or harm criminals as well as security forces and members of the Senate. What if you know something that someone doesn't want to get out?"

"But what could it be?" Didi asked. "I don't know anything."

"You must," Qui-Gon insisted. "You just don't know what it is."

"How can I know something without knowing it?" Didi cried in frustration. "Is this worth a death sentence, I ask you? I hear something and pass it along for a tiny profit, and suddenly I am dead? Is that fair?"

Didi would have gone on, but Qui-Gon silenced him with an impatient gesture. "Let me see if we can narrow this down. If we knew who hired the bounty hunter, we could begin to investigate. Let me contact Tahl."