PART 3: ASTRAY ACOLYTES
CHAPTER 8: MATTERS OF THE MIND
Obi-Wan logged into the directory of housing and looked up Jango Fett, the bounty hunter. He lived in 12601 Republic, the area was modest but nice and had good housing.
Arriving at the apartment door Obi-Wan knocked, he hoped that things would go smoothly. The last time he'd encountered the bounty hunter the man had almost succeeded in killing him. Obi-Wan had never been able to prove that the assassin he'd encountered had been Jango Fett but nevertheless Obi-Wan was sure that it was. He would have to be careful.
The apartment door was opened by a tall alien woman with chalk white skin, she was a known bounty hunter called Aurra Sing. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"This is the residence of Jango Fett?".
"Who's asking?" Aurra said.
"An employer," Obi-Wan responded, this answer seemed to satisfy her as she said "Jango's not here, you'll have to come back later."
"And where might he be?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Not here," Aurra said emphasizing her words, "I don't know when he'll be back."
"What I have to discuss with Mr. Fett cannot wait" Obi-Wan persisted.
After a moment's hesitation she said "Jangos at Coruscant general, but I doubt he's going to be interested in talking business with the Jedi".
"Thank you" Obi-Wan said as he left the apartment and headed to the hospital.
When he arrived at Coruscant General, he found the bounty hunter waiting in the hall outside the scanning rooms. Jango Fett was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and his dark eyes cast onto the ground in thought.
"Jango Fett?" Obi-Wan asked as he approached the bounty hunter. Jango looked up and his keen eyes sharpened as he saw Obi-Wan. His physical posture remained relaxed as he turned to face Obi-Wan fully.
"Yes?" Jango said.
"I am Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, I'd like to speak with you if I might about the clone army?". He was feeling in the dark now, all of the information he knew about the issue was from Senator Glush's investigation that had taken place before the Separates blockade.
"What do you want to know?" Jango said.
"Mostly who paid for the clone army to be created in the first place. The Jedi council is very interested in who would order an army for a group of peacekeepers?"
"Are they now?" Jango said.
Obi-Wan was getting a sense of anxiety from the bounty hunter that didn't match the man's exterior. It also didn't match the cool collected attitude that Jango Fett had exhibited the last time they'd met. Obi-Wan noted mentally, something was wrong.
"We were hoping that you could tell us who it was that paid you?" Obi-Wan persisted.
"I doubt it will help you much, as I told the senate before, I was approached by a man named Tyranus. I am paid by the Keminoan government. If you want to know where they got their funding you'll have to ask them".
Obi-Wan observed the bounty hunter a moment, he was sure that Jagno Fett knew more than he was letting on.
"And who was Tyranus working for?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I assume your senate, the army is supposed to be for them?" Jango said.
"Yes" Obi-Wan agreed, "Do you know where I might be able to get in contact with this Tyranus?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Haven't a clue," Jango said. Before any further questioning could take place a hospital staffer came into the hall.
"Mr. Fett we've completed the scan."
Suddenly Obi-Wan's presents no longer excited to the bounty hunter as he focused all his attention on the hospital staffer.
"What's wrong?" Jango's voice was slightly tight, and suddenly Jango's anxiety seemed almost palpable.
"It appeases your son's headaches are caused by an object of organic matter that should not exist in a human brain."
"What does that mean?" Jango asked.
"There is some kind of bio-chip, I've never seen anything like it before. It might be a new piece of technology?" the staffer said.
"How'd it get there?" Jango asked.
"It appears to have grown; the bio-chip seemed to have its own growth cycle and appears to be growing faster than your son's physical capabilities can handle. It would appear that with the onset of puberty the bio-chip has been triggered to go through a period of rapid growth. We would normally recommend removal of the bio-chip to alleviate the headaches'' the staffer said. "However, without knowing for what purpose the bio-chip was implanted into the brain, it could be dangerous to remove in a child without data on the boi-chip in general."
"Can I see him now?" Jango asked.
"Yes" the staffer led Jango into a room across the hall.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan said to himself as the force warned him of something yet unseen.
Jango Fett came back out of the hospital room a few minutes later and headed for the exit with a purpose in his stride.
"Wait a moment," Obi-Wan said following the bounty hunter. Jango paused momentarily before the door and turned back Obi-Wan's way.
"What?" he said flatly.
"You're going to Kemino to find out more about that bio-chip and I'm coming with you," Obi-Wan said. Jango Fett didn't deny anything or fain ignorance instead he gave Obi-Wan a searching look and then said,
"I'm leaving now," and exited the hospital Obi-Wan in his wake.