Джуд Уотсон - Jedi Apprentice 9 - The Fight for Truth

Quickly, 0-Rina switched the topic to the lovely spaces of Kegan, pointing out native species as they passed the Garden Circle with its blooming flowers.

Qui-Gon remained silent. There was something else bothering him about Kegan — something besides the determined smiles on the faces of the Hospitality Guides. Suddenly he realized he had not heard laughter since he'd landed on the planet. He had not seen any public sculptures or fountains or works of art. He had not heard music. On such a peaceful planet it was unusual. Perhaps it was the lack of joy — despite the smiles — that was disturbing him.

"Here is our marketplace," 0-Rina said proudly, sweeping an arm to show them the circular area crowded with stalls. "No one needs currency to buy.

Everyone barters with their own surplus. No one goes hungry."

It was the oddest marketplace Qui-Gon had ever seen. Although they had just passed fruit orchards in the Garden Circle and had seen trees with boughs bent with ripe fruit, there was not a fresh fruit or vegetable to be seen. Strips of dried fruit and vegetables hung from hooks, and large bins contained grains. There were cobblers for boots and tailors who sold tunics and work gear. Shoppers went about their business with smiles and nods. They did not linger with pleasure at a display or stop to be tempted by a treat.

There was plenty to see in the market, but nothing enticing to buy.

"Very… useful," Siri said politely.

A cart headed for them, loaded with bolts of rough linen. Qui-Gon stepped quickly to his right, seeming to get out of the way. He stepped into the path of a stall keeper who was placing tools on a rack for display. The rack tilted, and the tools spilled into the path.

Quickly, Qui-Gon bent down to help the stall keeper pick up the tools.

When he stood, Obi-Wan and Siri were gone.

0-Rina turned. "You see, new goods arrive constantly. Here on Kegan, we…" Her voice trailed off. Her eyes raked over the surrounding area. "But what has happened to your young Jedi?"

V-Haad swiveled, trying to take in the crowd. "Did they stop behind us?"

"I'm not sure," Qui-Gon said, pretending to search the crowd. "Perhaps they saw something that interested them."

"They haven't seen any of your technology," Adi offered. "Perhaps they were interested in those old transmitters we saw."

"Yes, curiosity. Very commendable, but we should find them," O-Rina babbled. "So easy to get lost on Kegan."

"Not a good idea to get lost," V-Haad confirmed. "The Circles can be confusing, like a maze."

0-Rina and V-Haad looked at V-Nen and O-Melie.

"If you will wait here with the Jedi…" 0-Rina said.

"And show them the market…" V-Haad added.

"But do not go far," 0-Rina said. "Or else we would be unable to find you. That would distress us"

She is warning them, Qui-Gon thought.

"We will wait here," V-Nen said quietly. Qui-Gon saw him reach for 0-Melie's hand.

The Hospitality Guides rushed off. Qui-Gon turned to V-Nen and O-Melie.

A skyhopper engine buzzed overhead, and he spoke underneath its noise. "We are grateful for this opportunity to talk to you alone."

"We have nothing more to say." 0-Melie's voice was flat. "We made a mistake in contacting you. You should go."

Qui-Gon exchanged a puzzled glance with Adi. He had imagined that O-Melie and V-Nen were bursting with questions behind their silence.

V-Nen put a hand on his wife's arm. Qui-Gon noted that she was trembling. What was going on? He felt frustration well in him. How could he and Adi get through to the parents? They were obviously afraid.

"O-Lana could be awake now," he said. "Why don't we go to see her again? You should know if O-Lana is indeed strong in the Force, even if you do not make a decision now. You can think about it."

"Let us return and examine the child," Adi Gallia added softly. "We will tell you what we think, and then we will go."

V-Nen and O-Melie hesitated. Qui-Gon could see that they wanted to agree.

"We will take complete responsibility with the Hospitality Guides,"

Qui-Gon added.

"All right," V-Nen said reluctantly.

V-Nen led them in a snaking path through the marketplace. They came out on a different road than the one they had taken before. He led them down backstreets, this time ending up in the back of their dwelling.

They followed the parents inside. As they entered their dwelling, an elder woman emerged. She had close-cropped russet hair threaded with silver and small dark eyes that darted nervously, like a bird's.

"You've returned," she said.

"Where is Lana, 0-Yani?" O-Melie asked. "Is she sleeping?"

"She is not here," the older woman replied. "They came. They took her away."

Obi-Wan and Siri did not run, or even appear to hurry. They had been taught how to move through a crowd without being seen. By the time the person turned to look at them, Siri and Obi-Wan had already melted farther into the crowd.

They left the marketplace behind, sure that 0-Rina and V-Haad would comb it thoroughly.

"Let's head for the Garden Circle," Obi-Wan suggested. "It will be easier to hide there."

Siri nodded. They hurried toward the circle and ran down a path that wound through rows of leafy trees. Spotting a forested area ahead, they headed for it. They struggled through tall overgrown shrubs studded with brambles that choked the narrow trail. Finally, they stopped in a clearing to catch their breath.

Siri pulled a bramble out of her hair. "I don't know why we had to leave at all," she grumbled. "Just when things were getting interesting, Qui-Gon comes up with a plan to get rid of us. How am I going to learn if I never get to watch two Jedi Masters in action?"

"The mission is what drives us," Obi-Wan said.

Siri tore another bramble from her blond hair. "You don't have to repeat Jedi wisdom to me, Obi-Wan. I took the same classes you did."

Suddenly, she sighed and flopped back onto the soft grass. "I'm just disappointed. I wanted to see how Qui-Gon and Adi would handle this.

Something is very strange on this planet. Those Hospitality Guides gave me the shivers. Who knew a smile could be so eerie?"

"That's why Qui-Gon wanted to see the parents alone," Obi-Wan told her.

Siri gave him a sidelong look that seemed like pure disgust. "You don't have to explain the plan to me. I was there."

She jumped up before he could react. She was always doing that, Obi-Wan thought. She never gave him a chance to apologize or explain. Not that he wanted to.

"Come on," she said. "We shouldn't stay in one place for too long."

"I know that," Obi-Wan said, moving ahead.

Siri picked up her pace, and they hurried through the overgrown paths.

Neither would let the other lead.

This is ridiculous, Obi-Wan thought. Haven't I learned anything in all my years at the Temple? I shouldn't be competing with Siri.

But he couldn't fall back and let her lead, either.

"Maybe we should find the Tech Circle," Obi-Wan suggested. "If we're supposed to investigate how the society really works here on Kegan, it seems like a good place to start."

"That's the first place they'd look for us," Siri scoffed.

They emerged from the bushy overgrowth and found themselves alongside a field of tall grass. A dirt path ran along the edge of the field, and they turned down it.

"Do you have a better suggestion?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I think we should mingle with the people," Siri said. "It's a human population, so we'll mix in. And we wear similar clothes, too. We might be able to pick up lots of information just by talking to people."

Before Obi-Wan could reply, the noise of an engine split the air. A landspeeder was approaching. It was too late to retreat into the shrubbery.

"Let's try to bluff," he murmured to Siri.