Star Wars - Jedi Apprentice #1 - The Rising Force Read online

  He did not say it cruelly. But Qui-Gons words struck Obi-Wan like a blow. It seemed that every time his hopes were raised, they were dashed again.

  It was clear to Obi-Wan that even though chance had placed them on the same ship, Qui-Gon wanted nothing to do with him. If the rumors were true, then Obi-Wan, or any initiate Obi-Wans age, would only be a painful reminder of the Padawan that Qui-Gon had lost. Obi-Wan could not fight Qui-Gons past.

  He hid his disappointment and tried to look strong, despite his physical weakness. I see, Obi-Wan said.

  The door to the sickbay opened a crack. A triangular head appeared in the crack, and glowing green eyes peered at Obi-Wan. As soon as the intruder saw that Obi-Wan noticed him, the door swished shut.

  Obi-Wan turned back to Qui-Gon. Youre right. My mission should be my first concern. Ill - He stopped when the door opened a crack again. Obi-Wan struggled to raise himself on his elbows. Well, come in! he called to the intruder.

  An Arconan edged into the room. He was slightly shorter than most, with skin that was more green than grey. We did not mean to disturb -

  Its all right, Obi-Wan said kindly.

  -but we were told to meet ClatHa here. She has a situation she needs to discuss. We heard that a young boy faced a Hutt in a great battle, and survived, the Arconan said softly. We wanted to see the great hero. We are sorry to disturb. We will wait outside. He began to retreat.

  Obi-Wan looked over the Arconans shoulder before he remembered that Arconans always referred to themselves as we. They did not have a sense of an individual self and lived all their lives in colonies.

  I think Id better set you straight, Obi-Wan said. First of all, it wasnt a great battle. The Hutt just picked me up and strangled me until I passed out. Im no hero.

  That you survived at all is a credit, Qui-Gon observed.

  Exactly. The Arconan took several steps forward. The Hutts inspire great terror in us. You showed strength and courage. We admire that. You are a hero.

  Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon helplessly. He realized that he couldnt talk the Arconan out of his overblown opinion. Qui-Gon turned away to hide a smile.

  Well, sit down and introduce yourself, Obi-Wan said. In this place, I need all the friend I can get.

  Our name is Si Treemba, the Arconan said, perching on a chair. We know yours is Obi-Wan Kenobi. We would be honored to be your friend.

  The door to sickbay slid open. ClatHa strode in with an impatient expression.

  Good, youre here, she said to Si Treemba.

  Si Treemba scrambled to his feet. We - he began, but ClatHa cut him off by turning to Qui-Gon.

  We have a problem, she said crisply. Someone has been tampering with our equipment. Young Si Treemba here discovered it on a routine inspection. We have three Arconan tunneling machines in stock, and all three have been sabotaged.

  How so? Qui-Gon asked.

  Si Treemba stepped forward. The thermocoms that monitor the tunnelers hull temperature have been removed, sir. And the coring couplers have been rigged so that they will not disengage.

  What does that mean? Obi-Wan asked.

  Qui-Gon thought for a minute. The Arconan tunnelers are vehicles that drill through rock and soil. As they do, the friction of the hull moving past all that stone makes the vehicle very hot. Without the thermocoms, the cooling system would not work. And with the coring computers sabotaged, the driver of the tunneler would not be able to shut if off. The machine would simply keep digging until it melted from the heat. Everyone in it would die.

  Exactly, ClatHa said grimly. I think that we know who is responsible.

  A booming voice from the doorway, speaking in Huttese. Sie batha ne beechee ta Jemba? Are you talking about me, the Great Jemba?

  The Hutt outside the door was much larger than the one that had beaten Obi-Wan. Hutts can live for hundreds of years and they never really stop growing - either in size or cunning. This one, Jemba, had a mouth so vast that he could have swallowed three men whole. Jembas huge face and eyes filled the doorway.

  Yes, Qui-Gon said evenly, we were talking about you, O Great Jemba. Come in - if you can.

  Jemba hunkered down I has been many years since I could squeeze through such a small whole, Jedi, Jemba boomed. Why dont you come out here? He licked his lips.

  Qui-Gon walked to the doorway and faced the Hutt. You have been accused of sabotaging the Arconans tunnelers.

  Aaaagh! Jemba said, drawing back a pace. He placed a hand over his uppermost heart, a Huttese gesture meant to indicate his innocence. Never! I swear, Jedi, I did not do it. Do I look like the kind of creature who would sneak around, sabotaging other peoples equipment?

  Obi-Wan did not believe the Hutt for a moment, but he almost had the laugh at the idea that the enormous Hutt could sneak anywhere.

  Of course I dont believe that you did it, personally, Great One, Qui-Gon said. But one of your crew could have, under your direction.

  Aaaagh! Aaaagh! Jemba squirmed backward like a giant worm and pounded his hand on his uppermost heart again. I am hurt by such accusations! I know nothing of this matter. Look into my hearts, Jedi, and you will see that I do not lie! Why does everyone think that I am evil, just because I am a Hutt? Jemba demanded. I am an honest businessman.

  Enough of this, ClatHa said in disgust. She strode forward to face Jemba, her hands on her hips, just above the blaster strapped to her left leg. Of course it was one of your crew!

  I swear, I know nothing of this matter! Jemba roared.

  ClatHa reached for her blaster.

  Qui-Gon raised a hand, warning her back.

  Perhaps, Jemba said, his eyes narrowing craftily, your people did it to hurt me. Your unreasonable hatred for me is well-known. You have already asked the mining guild to have Offworld banned from Bandomeer. Now, by casting suspicion on me and my crew, you hope to have me lawfully removed.

  I dont care whether you are removed lawfully or not, ClatHa said furiously. I just want you gone!

  Exactly! Jemba roared. The huge Hutt looked imploringly at Qui-Gon. You see what I am faced with? How can a Hutt fight such unreasonable hatred?

  Excuse me, Jemba, ClatHa said in a mock politeness. But its not unreasonable to hate a lying, scheming, cowardly murderer.

  The Hutts enormous body suddenly puffed in indignation. We have not even reached Bandomeer, Jemba said, and this woman tries to discredit me before the mining guild. Now she tries to frame me! Listen to how she talks to me. There is no respect in her voice!

  I may not respect you, Jemba, ClatHa spat back, But I certainly didnt frame you. Your lies are as pathetic as your denials.

  Jemba gave a roar of anger and launched himself at ClatHa. He hit the door frame, which began to crack and splinter under the pressure. Si Treemba, terrified, hissed and pressed himself against the wall. Obi-Wan watched in fascination. The Hutt could bring down the entire sickbay!

  ClatHa drew her blaster, but Qui-Gon stepped in front of her and raised his hand. He locked eyes with the Hutt. Obi-Wan felt the power of the Force fill the room.

  Enough, Qui-Gon said qui etly.

  Jemba stopped pushing to get inside the room. The Hutt knew he could not get to ClatHa. Qui-Gon glanced at ClatHa. Slowly, she lowered the blaster and returned it to the holding device on her leg. Obi-Wan had to admire Qui-Gons skill. He felt a pang of regret. There was so much he wished he could learn from the Jedi.

  Now, Qui-Gon said in a reasonable tone, let us review the situation. The machines were sabotaged. Yet both of you insist you did not do it. There is nowhere to take this except open warfare. Qui-Gon looked at each of them in turn. And that is something that neither of you wish for, Im sure.

  Jedi, Jemba said, you think yourself to be a fair man. But when Hutts and Humans argue, even the fairest of men join sides against my kind. The Hutts voice boomed in a tone of pure venom. If it is war that she wants, then war will come. And if you take her side, I swear, I will squash you like a pta fruit! Your Jedi status does not protect you!

/>   Menace hung thick in the air. It was clear that the Hutt meant everything he said. He was willing to kill anyone who stood against him. Obi-Wan had never encountered a creature of such malice.

  It would be so easy to solve the situation, Obi-Wan thought. The Hutt was vulnerable, trapped in the small hallway outside the sickbay. Qui-Gon could draw his lightsaber, lunge forward, and slice the Hutt in half.

  But Qui-Gon merely nodded his head graciously. Thank you for the warning, he said simply.

  Of course, Obi-Wan realized. The warning is a gift.

  Jemba nodded as if satisfied, then slithered down the hall. ClatHa let out a long breath.

  Well, that went well, she muttered. She hurried to the door. I have to warn my people. If this isnt war, its something close to it. ClatHa raced out.

  Qui-Gon shook his head sadly. There is a strong hatred between those two. Neither of them will listen.

  I dont understand, Obi-Wan said. Why did you let the Hutt go? He may be innocent of the crime of which he has been accused. But Im sure hes guilty of others.

  Yes, hes guilty, Qui-Gon agreed. But ClatHa can defend herself. As Jedi, we are bound only to defend those who have no other means of defense.

  Still, one of Jembas crew has to have sabotaged those tunnelers. Why doesnt he try to find out who did it? Obi-Wan asked.

  Qui-Gon answered, Because if one of Jembas men did do it, it will make him look bad before the miners guild. He might be ordered off Bandomeer permanently. He knows that, so he wont point any fingers at his own.

  Ah, Si Treemba said. And ClatHa must feel the same. If anyone learned that one of her workers tried to frame Jemba, the miners guild would be furious.

  But it shouldnt be to hard to find out who really sabotaged the tunnelers, Obi-Wan pointed out excitedly.

  Qui-Gon cocked an eyebrow. This is not your affair, he warned. If you went looking for those thermocoms, all you would find is trouble. You must stay out of it. And stay away from the Offworld side of the ship. Youre not fully recovered yet, Obi-Wan.

  With that, Qui-Gon turned and strode from the room. Obi-Wan waited for a few seconds. Then he carefully got up from bed.

  But the Jedi said youre not recovered! Si Treemba cried in concern.

  Si Treemba, Obi-Wan said slowly, how big are those thermocoms?

  Not big. Si Treemba held his hands up eight centimeters apart. Not hard to conceal.

  If we find those thermocoms, then well know who did it, Obi-Wan asseted.

  Thats true Obi-Wan, Si Treemba agreed. Then he stopped and made the same odd hissing sound again. We are sorry. But when you say we -

  I mean you and me, Obi-Wan said.

  Ah, Si Treemba said. His greenish skin seemed to pale. We would have to go to the Offworld side of the ship.

  I know, Obi-Wan said quietly. He knew the risk. And qui-Gon had ordered him not to. But he was not Qui-Gons apprentice. He was not honor-bound to obey him.

  No doubt Qui-Gon thought him unworthy of the task ahead. But Qui-Gons hesitation paled next to the Jedi principles. Justice must be sought out.

  Si Treemba, ClatHa has great courage, Obi-Wan explained. But Jemba has power on his side. He is ruthless as well as cunning, and he will stop at nothing. Therefore, he has to be stopped. Its as simple - and as difficult - as that. I understand if you dont wish to help. Truly. We will still be friends.

  Si Treemba swallowed. We will follow you, Obi-Wan, he said.

  Chapter 9

  Obi-Wans sense of purpose made him feel strong again. He and Si Treemba decided search the Arconan half of the Monument. It made sense to eliminate the easiest task first.

  Obi-Wan and Si Treemba were able to search the kitchens, storage rooms, exercise rooms, and lounges without looking suspicious. Obi-Wan even had Si Treemba lower him down the garbage chutes. They found no dign of the missing thermocoms.

  We have to search the cabins, Si Treemba, Obi-Wan said, picking a stray piece of garbage from his hair. He sighed. Over four hundred Arconan miners were in those cabins. He couldnt imagine that they would let him just search their rooms.

  That will be no problem, Obi-Wan, Si Treemba replied.

  Obi-Wan had forgotten how Arconans think. They had no word for me or mine. So Si Treemba wandered from cabin to cabin, searching each bunk and storage compartment. A dozen times, Arconans asked, What are we doing?

  Each time, Si Treemba answered, We are looking for something that was lost.

  To which the Arconan would ask, May we help find it?

  And Si Treemba would merely answer, We need no assistance. The Si Treemba and Obi-Wan would search the room and leave.

  But not all the workers for Arcona Mineral Harvest were Arconan. Some were short, silver-haired Meerians returning to Bandomeer, some Human. Obi-Wan had to treat these carefully. More than once he found himself using the Force to convince some burly miner to let him search.

  It was exhausting work for someone who was still recovering, but Obi-Wan ignored his own pain and weariness. A Jedi did not give into such feelings.

  After a long day, Obi-Wan and Si Treemba went to the kitchens for a late meal. Obi-Wan ate a full dinner of roast gorak bird cooked in mall petals from Alderaan. Si ate Arconan fungi covered with dactyl, a type of yellow ammonia crystal. The Arconans food smelled . . . well, the fungus wasnt bad, but the dactyl smelled like poison.

  Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose. How could anyone eat that stuff?

  Si Treemba smiled. His faceted eyes glittered. Some creatures wonder how Humans can drink water, yet you take delight in it. Dactyl is as necessary to us as water is to you. Having said that, he took a couple of crunchy yellow stones and popped them into his mouth like candy.

  When Obi-Wan reached for salt, Si Treemba pulled his plate away in fear.

  Salt increases our need for dactyl a hundredfold, Si Treemba explained. It is a very dangerous substance to Arconans.

  Obi-Wan sprinkled the salt on his gorak bird. We all have our own poisons, I guess, he said cheerfully, taking a bite.

  Si Treemba grinned at him and crunched on his dactyl. It was almost like being back at the Temple eating with Bant or Reeft, Obi-Wan thought. He missed his friends, but he liked Si Treemba more and more as he spent time with him. The Arconan had courage and determination that impressed him. And Obi-Wan was aware that it took nerve for an Arconan to break off from the group and help a stranger.

  You know, Obi-Wan remarked, theres one think I dont understand. Jemba puts on a good show. But I sense hes afraid of ClatHa and the Arconans.

  Si Treemba swallowed a mouthful of dactyl and fungi. We think youre right, Obi-Wan. He fears us. Even though it is not or intent, he knows we will destroy him.

  How is that? Obi-Wan asked.

  In Offworld mining, the chiefs and overseers make fortunes, while the common workers make nothing. Many of them are slaves. But at Arcona Mineral Harvest, we have no chieftains, no overseers. Each worker shares in the profits. This did not bother Offworld until ClatHa began to expand our operations. So she contacts the better workers at Offworld. If they are slaves, she offers to buy them and set them free if they will work for us. If they have signed work contracts, she offers to buy the contracts.

  That sounds fair, Obi-Wan said.

  It is fair, Si Treemba agreed. That is exactly why Jemba fears us. Many good workers wish to join us, only the bad will stay at Offworld.

  I see, Obi-Wan said. So in a few years, Jemba will have only chiefs with no one to boss around. Hed hate that.

  Si Treemba grinned, then turned serious. But Jemba has stalled us. He has raised the price on labor contracts and slaves. We can no longer afford to hire Offworld workers.

  Obi-Wan was beginning to see that the galaxy was a far more complicated place than hed realized. The Temple had prepared him for so many things. But they had not prepared him for this. He had known that most worlds in the galaxy had outlawed slavery, and he had assumed that it was rare. But here were hundreds of workers locked in an illegal practice.
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  Obi-Wan was horrified at the idea of slavery. Since Offworld had paid good money to buy and train slaves, the company wasnt likely to sell them cheap - or to let them go without a fight. ClatHa had been right when she told Obi-Wan he had stepped into a war. This battle would probably wage through mining camps on hundreds of worlds.

  He wanted to race to the other side of the ship, lightsaber in hand, and right every wrong. But that wasnt the way, he knew. He had to find those thermocoms. Exposure was the only way to fight Jemba.

  He pushed his plate away. Weve sear ched everywhere on this side of the ship, Si he said. The thermocoms must be in Offworld territory.