A/N: The majority of the plotline and most of the dialogue between Obi-Wan's podracer comment to Sabé's injury belongs to Jude Watson, as do any characters you don't recognise. Ta!
Chapter Forty-One – Guilt
The three Jedi, Sabé and Padmé all made their way out to board the Republic cruiser they would be using for the journey to Genian. Anakin offered to take the helm of course, being easily the best pilot in the group.
"Look," said Padmé to Sabé as they walked. "Senator Cherek's watching us."
Sabé looked and could just make out the Senator in a parked speeder nearby. "You must have better eyesight than me," she muttered.
Obi-Wan quickened his pace to walk with them and also glanced in the direction of the Senator. "What's he up to?" he wondered out loud.
"Probably keeping an eye on Sabé," Padmé said with a laugh. "Do you know, Master Kenobi, that he offered her his hand in marriage a few weeks ago."
Sabé shot her friend a glare that could have turned blue milk sour. Obi-Wan's head turned sharply to regard his wife. "Did he?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral.
"Yes, unfortunately he did. I refused of course. Saché joked that I had much higher standards than that!"
"Cherek's a good man," Anakin put in from his position in front of them. "Chancellor Palpatine trusts him eminently."
"That's exactly why I don't trust him," Sabé hissed under her breath. Next to Anakin, Siri turned her head to nod slightly at Sabé, indicating that she had heard and agreed with her statement.
"I'm sure he just wanted the chance to see you in a nice figure-flattering catsuit rather than formal robes that hide everything except your face and hands," Padmé teased.
"Yes, clearly," Sabé said sarcastically.
The group entered the ship and made their way to the cockpit. The journey to Genian took several hours, but presently they found themselves flying over desert. "Lovely," Siri muttered. "Tatooine II."
"III," Sabé corrected. "You didn't sample the delights of Geonosis, did you?"
Siri smiled briefly. Anakin piloted the ship along the desert floor, skimming lightly over boulders and dunes.
"This isn't a Podracer, Anakin," Obi-Wan scolded, setting his apprentice thinking back to the time when Podracing was one of the only good things in his life. "He does this to me on purpose."
Sabé sent him a small smile and Padmé glanced out of the viewport. "I don't see the landing platform. I don't even see the compound."
The others all looked and Sabé noticed at once that the Jedi were seeing something that she and Padmé were clearly missing. "It's behind a holographic portal," Anakin told them. "The hologram mimics the landscape. It's hard to see."
"Can you see it?" Padmé asked, leaning over his shoulder to get a closer look.
"When I use the Force, I can," the Padawan explained. "See the shimmer over there, by that big rock?"
'Big', it seemed was an understatement seeing as the rock was over a hundred metres tall. "No," Padmé replied. "I just see a big rock."
It was towards this big rock that Anakin was taking them now, with no foreseeable break in speed. They passed through it like fabric and landed with ease on the landing platform beyond. As they stepped out, they could see the extensive complex that seemed to blend efficiently with the desert. A purple-skinned Genian greeted them.
Obi-Wan bowed. "I am Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is Senator Padmé Amidala and her assistant, Representative Sabé Naberrie." He gestured. "Jedi Master Siri Tachi and my apprentice Anakin Skywalker."
"You are expected," the Genian told them. "I am Dellard Tranc, head of security for the complex. Please follow me."
He led them through the hangers to the main building, eventually leaving them at the business office. Two more Genians, a male and a female, were waiting to take over from Tranc.
"Welcome. My name is Helina Dow," the woman said with a smile. "I'm Talesan Fry's executive in charge of production and distribution. In other words, his second-in-command."
"And I'm Moro Y'Arano," the male announced. "Executive in charge of business outreach. Talesan asked me to be present at the meeting."
Following Obi-Wan's introduction of them all, Helina said, "It's an honour to meet such distinguished Jedi and officers in the Republic army." Apparently the Kenobi/Skywalker heroism had been observed here too. "Senator Amidala, your reputation precedes you. Thank you all for coming. Please follow us."
The group made their way into Taly's office. Sabé noted the young man sitting behind the desk and wondered if he looked any different from the last time Obi-Wan had seen him. He rose when they came in and walked forward to greet his two Jedi friends. "Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi. You look older."
"That seems inevitable," Siri said dryly.
"Please sit down," Helina put in. "I'll ring for refreshments."
They all sat down in the small area of seating that Taly had at one end of the office. "I don't pay attention to politics," he began. "I had my fill of Coruscant and the Senate a long time ago. But when I made this discovery, it was obvious how valuable it was. Politics has found me again, for the second time in my life. I am as unhappy now as I was the first time it did."
"Politics is another name for greed and corruption these days," Padmé said gently. "But we must not forget that it is also about compassion and justice."
"I had to choose between the two of you," Taly said, frowning. "The Republic and the Separatists. So I examined the two sides. The Separatists have much in their favour. They have the guilds and the trade associations. They have vast amounts of wealth and much power in the Senate. Most importantly, they have ruthlessness. There is nothing they won't do for power. But you – the Jedi – you tip the balance. Thousands of you are ready to fight for the Republic. I have seen what a handful of Jedi can do. I decided to bet on you. Because believe me, I want to be on the winning side."
"Thanks. But we see this struggle as a noble cause, not a gamble to wager on," Obi-Wan told him. Sabé shot him a sideward glance, somehow thinking that this was not something that Taly would agree with.
"Noble cause, sure, ok. The point is, I want you to know that if we can't come to an agreement, I'm ready to turn the codebreaker over to the Separatists. I'm giving you the first shot because I owe you, first of all, but also because I think you can win – if you have my device."
"We are authorised to make a deal," Sabé spoke up, exchanging a look with Padmé. "What are your terms?"
Taly named his price and all eyes turned to Padmé. "That can be done," she replied calmly. "You would have to accept two instalments, however. The first immediately, the second after the codebreaker is in our hands and has proven to work. Do we have a deal?"
Taly held up his hands. "Whoa, not so fast, Senator. I haven't finished. I also want an exclusive contract with the Republic. You only use Fry Industries surveillance and communication devices in the Republic army for the duration of the war."
"But that would mean abandoning systems that we already deploy and putting millions of credits into a system we don't need."
Taly merely shrugged and Obi-Wan frowned severely. Padmé looked to her friend and Sabé raised her eyebrows. "Alright," the Senator said finally. "We will agree to this if you give us six months to make the transition. And, of course, if your system works. We have to do it gradually."
"We will not endanger our troops for your profit," Sabé said, surprisingly fiercely.
"Fine. I don't want anyone to get killed for me. I just want the business. We have a deal. Helina, can you get the contracts?"
Helina stood up and left the room, and Taly turned to his second advisor. "And Moro, can you bring me the model scenarios we developed for deployment of the codebreaker? We can surely share them with our new friends."
"Of course." The Genian rose and disappeared.
Taly glanced up to see that the door was closed behind him before activating a small palm-held device that he had been keeping hidden.
"What – ?" Siri began, but she was silenced by Taly's raised finger.
When a small green light shone out on the device he said, "We have been under surveillance. Recently, I have discovered that there is a spy in my organisation. Someone who wants to launch a takeover of the business. I have been able to intercept the surveillance device, but only for very short periods. I don't want him or her to know I'm onto them."
"Do you have a suspect?" Obi-Wan asked. "Is that why you sent Helina and Moro out of the room?"
"I don't suspect them any more than I do the rest of my top executives. Anyone who has access to my inner office. That's a handful of workers."
"Do you think the Separatists know about the codebreaker?" Padmé queried.
"All communication leaving the compound is monitored," Taly said. "That's what happens when you work for a surveillance company – I make it impossible for you to spy on me. I control all access to communication. I monitor all outgoing messages."
"Just like Quadrant Seven," Siri put in. Quadrant Seven was a planet that she, Obi-Wan and Taly had been forced to spend time on twenty years ago.
"I learn from experience," Taly explained. "So no, Senator, I don't think the information has been passed. Yet. But this brings me to my third condition for making a deal."
"We've already made a deal," Sabé said.
"Not quite. You must find out who the spy is. And you must do it in the next twenty-four hours. Only then will I hand over the codebreaker."
"The Jedi are not detectives," Anakin snapped suddenly.
"They are now," Taly countered. "It is non-negotiable."
The Jedi, the Senator and her assistant exchanged glances, communicating their answer without words. Finally Padmé turned to Taly. "We accept."
They were led to quarters, where Siri and Anakin expressed their dislike of the situation. Padmé offered to accompany Anakin on a quick look around and Sabé decided to wander around on her own, sensing that Obi-Wan and Siri needed to talk among themselves. 'Trust is a wonderful thing,' she thought to herself as she meandered through the corridors. The thought of Obi-Wan being unfaithful simply seemed a ridiculous notion and it suddenly struck her that she had never trusted anyone that much before.
A short while later, however, they all began investigating together and gathered in Taly's records room. Having assumed that the spy would not be easy to find, they began speculating. They established that the plot at hand probably wasn't a takeover plot, as all the workers were paid well and would receive no benefit from removing Taly. On top of that, Padmé pointed out that it simply wouldn't make sense, as the company was only successful due to Taly's inventions.
"There is no takeover plot," Obi-Wan said. "But there is a spy. Someone is out to steal the codebreaker. And I think the Separatists are behind it."
Siri nodded. "Taly said there's been no unobserved communication since the codebreaker was developed. We've gone over the comm monitoring system and it's solid."
"That's because we're thinking like Jedi," Obi-Wan concluded. "How do Separatists think? Someone very wise once said to me that they plant seeds. They're willing to wait years for results. All the employee records look perfect because they are meant to."
"One of them is a mole," Siri said. "Someone planted here, years ago, because someone in the Separatists knew that Taly was a brilliant innovator and that someday there would be something to steal."
"So they don't want the company," Sabé theorised. "They want the codebreaker. Only they don't know it's a codebreaker. Not yet."
Anakin spoke up, "It has to be someone in the inner circle. Someone he trusts. Helina Dow? Moro Y'Arano? Dellard Tranc, the head of security?"
"I don't know," Obi-Wan muttered. "We don't have to know. All we have to do is set the trap."
Their plan was explained to Taly, who said at once that the codebreaker should be taken out of the complex as soon as possible. He handed the valuable piece of technology over to Obi-Wan and the group settled down to wait for nightfall. When darkness finally did creep in to cover the complex, the Jedi and the women from Naboo began to make their way to the hanger. Much to their surprise, Helina Dow emerged out of the shadows with a smile. "Taly told me to make sure you were escorted to your ship," she said. "He wanted you to know that security has been cleared for you."
Sabé raised her eyebrows sceptically, feeling that the mole may have just revealed themselves.
"Here we are," Helina said, stopping outside the hanger. "Have a safe journey."
Amid strange looks, they walked through the door, then sharply halted. They were not in the hanger, but in a tiny bare room. The door immediately shut behind them, and they were trapped.
"She tricked us," Siri stated. "We just walked through a holographic portal."
The three Jedi cut through the door and the group were faced with the sight of a completely different corridor than the one they had just come through. At the end of it stood Taly. Padmé called to him. "What's going on?"
"It's a hologram," Anakin told her.
"Helina Dow did this," Siri said, stating the obvious again. "There must be holograms all over this place. They use them for security."
"She wants to confuse us," Obi-Wan theorised. "But how does she expect to get the codebreaker?"
"Maybe she just wants to prevent us from leaving with it," Sabé offered.
"Well, it doesn't matter," Obi-Wan said. "We know who the spy is. Lets tell Taly." An attempt to contact him, however, drew a frown to the Jedi's face. "She must have blocked communication. This doesn't make sense. What is she hoping to accomplish?"
"Obi-Wan, maybe you should check the codebreaker," Padmé said in a worried tone. The case proved to be, as she had suspected, empty.
"She switched it somehow," Siri snapped.
Anakin frowned. "Or Taly did." The look on the faces of both Siri and Obi-Wan disregarded this theory. "We've got to get to the hanger," Anakin said eventually.
That proved easier said than done, as many of the doors were holograms and no-one in the party could discern which was the true route to the hanger. Eventually, through use of the Force, they found it and were met with the sight of Helina sprinting frantically towards a ship. Clutched in her hand was the codebreaker. Padmé and Sabé were running a little behind the three Jedi and arrived just in time to see Siri Force push Helina to the floor, sending the codebreaker flying. Sabé cringed at the clattering sound it made, fervently hoping that it was drop-proof.
"It's just business," Helina was moaning. "Don't kill me."
"We're not going to kill you," Anakin told her. "Who hired you?"
"Passel Argente hired me to get a job here five years ago," she said, sitting up. "I was supposed to pass information along when I could to the Separatists. If something big came up, I was to steal it."
Anakin nodded. "Do they know about the codebreaker?"
"They know I'm bringing them something big. That's all. I can't send a communication, so I send out a code through one of Taly's business communications. It's to a supplier we've used for years, but Argente arranged to have someone there pass along the message to him."
Blaster fire ripped through the air and a grenade exploded, filling the hanger with thick smoke. Padmé and Sabé hit the floor, coughing, while the bolts continued to flow. Someone managed to open the doors and the smoke quickly cleared, allowing them to see a hand reaching down from a small starfighter to grab the codebreaker. Obi-Wan was running towards it. At the same time Taly entered the room and the pilot turned to regard him. Firing the blaster once more, the pilot swung the ship around and flew off. Obi-Wan headed towards Helina, who lay crumpled on the ground, a victim of the pilot's final shot.
"I can't believe it was Helina," Taly said mournfully.
"Magus got the codebreaker," Siri announced.
Sabé started, turning to Obi-Wan. "Magus? Didn't you say that was the bounty hunter from the last time you met?"
He nodded and Taly added, "Helina only thought she had it. We made two prototypes. She took one, but I put a bug in it. I'm the only one who knows where the real one is."
"Magus is no doubt taking it to the Separatists," Siri put in.
Obi-Wan nodded. "We have to get the codebreaker to the Republic before the Separatists know the one they have is a fake. We have to monitor their broadcasts."
"Bring it to us," Padmé said.
"I have it," Taly replied, revealing the real codebreaker strapped to his chest. "And I'm coming with you. If Magus is after me again, I want your personal guarantee for my safety for the duration of the Clone Wars. That's a condition of your purchase of the codebreaker."
"You never stop negotiating, do you?" Sabé said coolly.
"I just want what I want."
Padmé gave him a stern look. "This is your last condition. And you had better guarantee that this box is the real codebreaker."
Taly smiled wryly. "It is."
The group all piled back into their ship and set course for the Azure Spaceport, a planet that housed one of the Republic's secret bases. The trip took several hours, during which Obi-Wan, Sabé and Siri tested the codebreaker, deciphering a message concerning battle planning from the Separatists. As soon as Padmé had heard this news she had voiced her hopes of stopping or winning the battle. They landed successfully on Azure and handed the codebreaker over to the technical experts.
After this, the Jedi insisted that Padmé and Sabé were to return to Coruscant. Obi-Wan and Sabé had managed to snatch a hurried goodbye in private, but Anakin and Padmé were not so lucky. The formal partings on the landing platform held many a secret look of affection. Taly was also leaving with the two and bid a friendly farewell to Obi-Wan and Siri.
The journey went smoothly at first, but the tone changed dramatically when Padmé spotted a fleet of ships heading towards them. They began firing and Sabé, who was piloting, began evasive manoeuvres. But it was no good. Padmé dived for the comm. "Come in, General. They're firing on us. We can't hold the ship." A blast sent Sabé reeling and Padmé whipped round.
Obi-Wan's voice filtered through the comm speakers. "Evacuate!"
Padmé and Taly dragged the wounded Sabé to the escape pod and they shot away just as the ship exploded. Padmé guided the pod to land in an industrial area on the planet's surface. Presently Obi-Wan and Siri, in small starfighters, came in to land nearby. Sabé smiled at the sight of her husband, then everything went black.
The next thing she knew she was on board another ship, lying on a medical bunk. She could hear the familiar droning of hyperdrive engines and she identified the harsh smell of bacta. Obi-Wan sat not far away and she caught his attention. He looked relieved that she had awoken, but there was something else in his eyes. Something sad.
"What is it?" she asked.
He smiled briefly. "You're the one that has been unconscious for the past hour and you're asking me if I'm alright?"
"That's what friends are for."
"How are you?"
"Weary. And I have the most awful headache."
He nodded. "Padmé said that when one of the bolts hit the ship you were caught by the console exploding."
"Yes. I think that's what happened. All I remember is a bright light. But I'm fine and I would get up if you would let me. So tell me what's wrong with you."
"Siri's dead," he said quietly. "And what's more she died still loving me and thinking that I still loved her. I don't like having deceived her. It's wrong."
Sabé remained silent for a long pause, searching for the right words. "Did she…seem comforted by those thoughts?"
Obi-Wan's brow furrowed. "I think so. Why?"
"Then it was the right thing to do. You gave her comfort in her final moments. Don't feel guilty about that."
He considered this, then stood up and approached the bunk. Bending down, he kissed Sabé's forehead. "Thank you. You always manage to make things seem right. They always seem to make more sense."
"I have no idea how," she said with a yawn and a small smile. "But I'm glad. If it stops you from feeling guilty for no reason, I'm glad."
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A/N: Next chapter leads us up to episode 3 : ) No time for reviewer replies this time, sorry.