Джуд Уотсон - Jedi Apprentice 8 - The Day of Reckoning

"Why don't the people of Telos ask more questions about what is being done?" Qui-Gon asked. "This world is known for the conservation of its natural beauties. Even from an economic standpoint, it doesn't make sense. Tourism is a large industry here."

Andra looked bleak. "Katharsis. The people are obsessed with betting on it, with hoping they'll be chosen in the lottery. And they don't worry about the tourists? more come for Katharsis now than the global parks. Greed has entered the people like a fever." She gave Qui-Gon a cool questioning look. "So why do you think you can help?"

"I don't," Qui-Gon said bluntly. "That was Den's idea."

"You seem very interested in UniFy," Den said. "This is only a guess, but I have a feeling that you don't have an appointment tomorrow."

Qui-Gon said nothing. Obi-Wan admired his reserve. He was able to convey patience and a willingness to listen without giving anything away.

"So are you an environmentalist like Andra?" Obi-Wan asked Den.

Before he could answer, Andra laughed. "You mean have a commitment to something bigger than himself? Not Den. Our arrangement is strictly for credits."

"Hey, wait a second," Den said huffily. "I have just as many ideals as the next guy."

"If the next guy happens to be a smuggler or a thief," Andra shot back. She turned back to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. "When we first went underground, we needed tech equipment. I had to forage for computer parts and comlinks on the black market. That's how I met Den. He's been smuggling the parts we need to keep going. We've managed to get out an underground paper alerting the people to what we think is happening. But Den's allegiance is only to the credits I can give him."

"Excuse me for needing money to live, Captain Integrity," Den said to Andra. "Not everyone can live on ideals. Especially when they don't pay rent. If it weren't for me, you'd be talking to these walls instead of the 'people' out there."

"How like you to claim our success as your own," Andra said coolly.

"See what you get when you try to help people?" Den grumbled to the Jedi. "Insults. No wonder I'm a thief."

Andra ignored him and turned back to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "You can stay here if you like. Any enemy of UniFy is a friend of mine."

"I didn't say I was an enemy of UniFy," Qui-Gon said with a smile.

She studied him for a moment. "But you are, aren't you? Maybe Den is right. Maybe we can help each other. But you have to tell me why you're here. Not to mention why you're wanted by the security police."

"I'm not sure what the charge is, but I'm sure it's serious," Qui-Gon admitted. "It's false, whatever it is. We have a powerful enemy on Telos. I believe he is using UniFy as a shell corporation for his own company."

"Which is?" Andra asked.

"Offworld."

Andra let out a long breath. "Offworld… They are the largest mining concern in the galaxy." Two spots of color appeared on her cheeks. "But that means that UniFy could be mapping our lands for mining development! If we could prove the two companies are linked, we'd have proof of UniFy's plans!"

"Andra hired me to break into the UniFy files," Den told them. "I worked there a few months ago, and I forgot to turn in my ID badge. I had to leave in a hurry."

"You forgot?" Qui-Gon asked.

Den grinned. "And then I mistakenly took a couple extra badges when I left. So I can get us in. The odds are totally in our favor."

Qui-Gon hesitated. He turned to Andra. "You don't seem to trust him. Why should we?"

"Because I won't let you down!" Den cried.

"I did not ask you the question," Qui-Gon said sternly.

Andra sighed. "What's in it for you, Den? Why would you take the risk of breaking in again?"

"Because I didn't finish the job you paid me for," Den told her. "I feel badly about that. I have my integrity, you know."

"You're a thief!" Andra cried in exasperation. "Exactly!" Den exclaimed. "So let me steal!' "Why don't I feel reassured?" Obi-Wan wondered aloud.

Andra sighed. "I know exactly what you mean."

Besides the identity cards, Den had managed to steal the gray unisuits that the lowest level of tech workers at UniFy wore. It was surprisingly easy to join the stream of workers entering the building at dawn the next day. The security guards swiped their cards and they simply walked through.

Sure, we're in, Obi-Wan thought. But will it be as easy to get out again? For some reason, Qui-Gon had decided to trust this Den character. And the Jedi Council thought he was too impulsive.

Den took the turbolift down to a lower level. "The main files are in a restricted area," he explained. "We'll have to walk down the utility staircase. Then there's a guard at the door. Can you wave those lightsabers of yours at him? We can lock him in a closet until we're done."

"Just leave it to me," Qui-Gon said.

They slipped down the utility staircase and entered a long white hallway lit with soothing glow lights. A security guard sat in front of a console at the end.

"Passes," he said shortly.

Qui-Gon handed him his identity card. He focused on the Telosian's mind. "This will do. Go on in."

"This will do," the guard said. "Go on in." The door hissed open, and they walked through.

"What was that?" Den asked wonderingly.

"A Jedi tool," Qui-Gon answered. "The Force can easily be used on the weak-minded."

"I am impressed," Den said, shaking his head in admiration. "Can you imagine what you could do with that, if you had a little larceny in you? Hey, do you think your Jedi Temple would take a guy like me?"

"No," Qui-Gon said shortly, accessing the door marked SECURE FILES.

The room was filled with computers and holographic files. Den crossed immediately to the main terminal.

"I'll break into the system, and the two of you can search on the other monitors," he said, his fingers flying over the keys. "They changed the password, but I wrote a program that… there we go! Call me a genius and I won't argue with you."

Qui-Gon sat at another terminal and motioned Obi-Wan to the next. It would be faster if they all searched independently.

Files names and numbers flashed onscreen. There were many marked SACRED POOLS. "There are at least three hundred files here," Qui-Gon said after a moment. "Let's break it down. Den, you take the first hundred, Obi-Wan the next. I'll do the last. Scan as quickly as you can. Look for any mention of Offworld, mining, or mapping." He looked over at Den. "Don't try anything."

Den blinked at him innocently. "Like what?"

"I don't want to speculate," Qui-Gon said dryly. "Just do what I say."

Obi-Wan accessed the first file and quickly scanned it. It was a record of correspondence between the manager of the Sacred Pools project and his superior at UniFy. As far as he could see, it was reporting fuel and food needs for the workers. Nothing. He accessed the next.

And the next. And the next.. Obi-Wan waded through file after file. He never imagined that working for a large corporation could be so dull. Information was repeated over and over and double-checked. He saw nothing suspicious.

"I wish Tahl were here," Qui-Gon muttered. "She would be able to figure out these financial records. They make everything so complicated…"

Suddenly, Qui-Gon stopped talking. Obi-Wan noticed that his viewscreen had frozen. When he looked back at his own, he saw that it was frozen as well.

"Den, what's happening?" he asked.

"I don't know," Den said worriedly. He tried to turn his viewscreen off, but the switch didn't work. "Odds are it's a temporary glitch." He sprang up from his chair and started toward the door. "Just lay low."

"Where are you going?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I'm just going to nose around, see what's going on. You can rely on me."