The Rising Force (5 page)

―Did you come to look for me?‖ Obi-Wan asked hopefully. He would not have asked such a blunt question, but he was too weak to puzzle out why the Jedi was here.

Qui-Gon shook his head. ―I‘m on my way to Bandomeer as well. I‘m on a mission for the Galactic Senate. Our missions have nothing to do with each other.―

―Still, we‘re together,‖ Obi-Wan said. ―You could show me –―

But Qui-Gon shook his head once again. ―No, Obi-Wan, that‘s not why

I‘m here.

Our destinies lie along different paths. Now is the time for you to get to know the people that you will serve. You must forget about me. You must serve the Jedi in ways other than as a Knight. There is honor in

that, too.‖

He did not say it cruelly. But Qui-Gon‘s 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-Wan‘s age, would only be a

painful reminder of the Padawan that Qui-Gon had lost. Obi-Wan could not fight Qui-Gon‘s 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. ―You‘re right. My mission should be my first concern. I‘ll –― 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 –―

―It‘s all right,‖ Obi-Wan said kindly.

―—but we were told to meet Clat‘Ha 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 Arconan‘s shoulder before he remembered

that Arconan‘s 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 I‘d better set you straight,‖ Obi-Wan said. ―First of all, it wasn‘t a great battle. The Hutt just picked me up and strangled me until I passed out.

I‘m 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 couldn‘t 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. Clat‘Ha strode in with an impatient

expression.

―Good, you‘re here,‖ she said to Si Treemba.

Si Treemba scrambled to his feet. ―We –― he began, but Clat‘Ha 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,‖ Clat‘Ha 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. Jemba‘s 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 don‘t 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 people‘s 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 don‘t 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,‖ Clat‘Ha 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. Clat‘Ha 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 don‘t care whether you are removed lawfully or not,‖ Clat‘Ha

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,‖ Clat‘Ha said in a mock politeness. ―But it‘s not unreasonable to hate a lying, scheming, cowardly murderer.‖

The Hutt‘s 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,‖ Clat‘Ha spat back, ―But I certainly didn‘t frame you. Your lies are as pathetic as your denials.‖

Jemba gave a roar of anger and launched himself at Clat‘Ha. 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!

Clat‘Ha 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 quietly.

Jemba stopped pushing to get inside the room. The Hutt knew he

could not get to Clat‘Ha. Qui-Gon glanced at Clat‘Ha. Slowly, she lowered

the blaster and returned it to the holding device on her leg. Obi-Wan had to admire Qui-Gon‘s 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, I‘m 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 Hutt‘s 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. Clat‘Ha

let out a long breath.

―Well, that went well,‖ she muttered. She hurried to the door. ―I have to warn my people. If this isn‘t war, it‘s something close to it.‖ Clat‘Ha raced out.

Qui-Gon shook his head sadly. ―There is a strong hatred between

those two.

Neither of them will listen.‖

―I don‘t 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 I‘m sure he‘s guilty of others.‖

―Yes, he‘s guilty,‖ Qui-Gon agreed. ―But Clat‘Ha can defend herself. As Jedi, we are bound only to defend those who have no other means of defense.‖

―Still, one of Jemba‘s crew has to have sabotaged those tunnelers.

Why doesn‘t he try to find out who did it?‖ Obi-Wan asked.

Qui-Gon answered, ―Because if one of Jemba‘s 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 won‘t point any fingers at

his own.‖

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

―But it shouldn‘t 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. You‘re 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 you‘re 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 we‘ll know who did it,‖ Obi-Wan asseted.

―That‘s 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-Gon‘s apprentice. He was not honor-bound to obey him.

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

―Si Treemba, Clat‘Ha 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. It‘s as simple – and as difficult – as that. I understand if you don‘t wish to help.

Truly. We will still be friends.‖

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

Obi-Wan‘s 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.