Chapter 13
Kastor, Anakin, and Rhys boarded the Ebon Hawk after Rhys finished giving his statements, Anakin did a look around the ship, and Kastor had placated the authorities by telling them they were leaving the planet and hopefully taking their trouble with them.
Once on board, Obi-Wan informed them that Lundi had admitted to the Holocron still being in its undersea vault so he had Rhys set course for Kodai.
"He could be lying," Anakin pointed out.
Obi-Wan sighed. "I know," he admitted. "He might be trying to put us in danger. Or he might be toying with us. Unfortunately, it's the only information we have to go on, and my instinct is telling me to trust it. Besides, we only have a short time during low tide to check."
"Well, then let's get there fast," Rhys said, taking the ship into orbit and then after Scrappy had entered the coordinates into the navcomputer they made the jump to hyperspace.
Obi-Wan and Anakin both let out sighs of relief knowing that they would have some time to rest before reaching Kodai, and now that they were in hyperspace, they wouldn't have to worry about possible Sith Cultists attacking them.
"Master," Anakin said hesitantly, his voice quiet, drawing Obi-Wan's attention. "I have something to tell you."
Obi-Wan and Kastor both stopped and turned toward him, while Rhys started going through the normal checks on the ship.
"What is it?" he asked, wondering about the unusual tone for the boy.
"I found a holoprojector when we were at Omals apartment. It . . . it had a message on it, one of the messages Master Ki-Adi Mundi told us about."
Obi-Wan and Kastor's eyes both widened. "A message showing a Jedi being killed?" he asked.
Anakin nodded.
For a moment, Obi-Wan did not know how to responds. This was important information – not something an apprentice should keep from his Master.
"Why didn't you tell me before? Or Master Shan?" he asked in a raised voice.
"I . . . I didn't think it was important," Anakin mumbled. "We already knew the messages existed and not long after we heard about the ship being attacked."
"That explains Omal's worsening condition," Kastor muttered. "Someone must have paid him a visit."
Obi-Wan stared at his Padawan. He never would have considered keeping this kind of information from Qui-Gon. As a Jedi team, it was essential that they share every piece of knowledge they gathered. They had to trust each other completely.
With a jolt, Obi-Wan realized that Anakin might not totally trust him. Why else would he keep something like this from him?
As Obi-Wan stared down at his Padawan learner, an awful thought crept into his mind: He wasn't sure he completely trusted Anakin either.
"You should have told me immediately," Obi-Wan said sternly. "Be sure that you do next time."
Anakin looked down at his feet. "Yes, Master," he said.
Without another word, ObiWan turned away and walked further into the Ebon Hawk, making his way to the portside dormitory. Obi-Wan sat down to meditate, feeling his frustrations towards his Padawan and his frustrations towards himself.
The whole mission, Obi-Wan had been worrying about Anakin. Anakin had never seen the power of the dark side the way that Obi-Wan had. He had not seen his Master cut down before his eyes by a Sith Lord. He had not nearly been killed himself.
After such a close experience, Obi-Wan was well aware of the threat the Sith could be if they regained all of their ancient power. Recovering the Holocron would be the first step in that direction, and it would have a devastating impact on the galaxy.
The boy needed guidance, guidance he'd swore to his Master that he would give, yet guidance he was struggling to offer.
He remembered Anakin's angry outburst at Lundi when they first met. Anger was dangerous. He should be letting his Padawan know about the dangers of the Dark Side, how it was a path to easy power but a path to self-destruction. The problem was that Obi-Wan didn't really know how to put that into words, not in a way that Anakin would take. It often seemed that Anakin took his words but then brushed them aside as if they didn't apply to him.
Now he was not only worried about Anakin's curiosity and anger, but also about his possible lack of trust in Obi-Wan as his Master, and Obi-Wan's own lack of trust in Anakin.
Obi-Wan sighed. He wished Qui-Gon were here. He would know what to say and what to do. He would know how to get through to Anakin.
"That could have been handled better," Kastor's voice broke Obi-Wan's concentration. "You're letting your unease cloud your thoughts."
"I'm not wrong in that he should have told you or I immediately," Obi-Wan responded back, though now doubting how he handled it.
"No, I completely agree," Kastor said firmly. "I could almost feel your thoughts though. You worry that Anakin doesn't trust you, but you disregarded the concept that what he saw might have shocked him and even scared him a bit. Plus, with as advanced as he is, and his desire to help along with his upbringing means that he worries about being a burden, and desperately wants to help and show that he can be of use."
"Scared?" Obi-Wan muttered, thinking it through and realizing that Kastor was probably right. The video was probably fairly graphic, and Anakin hadn't been forced to take a life yet, though he had suffered loss. He was still a boy after all, even if he had suffered greatly as a slave.
"I'm a fool," Obi-Wan muttered. "I wish Qui-Gon were here."
"You need to stop that as well," Kastor said, this time a sharpness in his tone that Obi-Wan was unused to, and Obi-Wan turned to him in surprise. "You made a mistake, something that all Master's do with their first apprentice. Learn from it and move on. However, it's about high time you stop thinking that Qui-Gon should be here and that he would be doing better. Maybe he would, and maybe he wouldn't. He's not here. You are. It's time for you to stop trying to be Qui-Gon Jinn, and start being Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Obi-Wan stared at him in shock. It had been a long time since Kastor had scolded him.
"Qui-Gon was a great man, but we both know there were areas that he fell short in, just as there are areas you fall short in. Nobody is perfect, but since his death, you tend to only think of how much better he'd be, and Anakin already wonders what could have been since they had a close bond in their short time together and Qui-Gon freed him from slavery and never disciplined him, like he would a Padawan. Anakin and Qui-Gon have many similarities, but also many key differences that would have caused them to argue just like you did with Qui-Gon, and you do with Anakin. If you keep putting Qui-Gon on a pedestal, it will just reinforce Anakin's own possible wishes for Qui-Gon. He hears your stories, but you never tell the stories where you and Qui-Gon disagreed. We both know that Anakin's open heart and reckless tendencies would have clashed with Qui-Gon's Living Force mentality, just as he clashes with your more analytical approach."
Obi-Wan nodded slowly, hearing Kastor's words, though he felt like he needed to meditate to truly process them all, and to try and find some peace. Kastor turned and walked out, back towards the main hold, leaving Obi-Wan to his thoughts.
Soon they landed safely on Kodai. They left Rhys to guard the ship, especially since the ship had already been attacked once before. Kastor, Anakin, and Obi-Wan departed the ship, heading downtown led by Obi-Wan.
"We need to get to the water soon," Obi-Wan explained as they made their way up the main street. The tide was already going out, but they weren't going to wait for it to hit its lowest. If they did, they might be too later; they had to beat Norval, or whoever was after the Holocron. This time they had to get there first.
Anakin looked around. "There's not much here, is there?" he asked.
"No," Obi-Wan replied. "There was a huge tidal wave several hundred years ago that covered most of the planet in water, killing most of the Kodaians. Most of the survivors fled the planet. Those who remained await another giant wave, and in their minds, certain death."
Anakin grimaced. "That's pretty bad," he said.
Obi-Wan laughed. "I agree, Padawan." Then his expression grew serious. "I would not choose to my life in such a way. But the Kodaians did not choose, either. It would be difficult to have a history of loss."
"You can feel the sorrow and fear on this planet," Kastor said softly. "A Sith Holocron on this planet implies that the Sith once ruled here. I wonder if this planet has ever had a peaceful existence."
As they continued downtown, Anakin had a thoughtful expression.
"You'd think there'd be diving shops everywhere," he said finally. "Practically the whole planet is sea."
"True, but the Kodaians fear the ocean," Obi-Wan reminded him.
"They seem afraid of us, too," Anakin said. "Whenever we pass someone, they move more quickly and look away."
"You are observant, Anakin," Obi-Wan said proudly. "Kodaians do not feel comfortable around strangers."
"I wonder if that too has to do with their history of Sith occupation," Kastor pondered, "or perhaps it's just the knowledge that this planet has no defense to outsiders taking what they want."
After checking the tide and finding it was not yet the right time to dive, the Jedi made their way back to the ship. Many Kodaians went out of their way to avoid them on the streets. Others stopped to stare and even a few shouted warnings about the deadly sea and its hidden evils.
When they returned to the ship, they found Lundi sleeping, but their arrival awoke him.
"Can't a prisoner get some sleep around here?" he grumbled, one hand wiping a line of drool off his chin and another rubbing his eye.
"Not when he has agreed to provide important information," Obi-Wan replied flatly. "I need you to answer some questions about your last journey to the bottom of the Kodaian sea. It's time for you to tell us what you know."
The professor glared at Obi-Wan for several long seconds. It was true that he had agreed to answer questions in exchange for the chance to look upon the holocron once more. "Go on," he finally said.
"Ten years ago, you came to Kodai to go after the holocron," Obi-Wan said. "And one of your star pupils came after you."
"Norval," Lundi said, nodding. "He was my star pupil. Had such a hunger for knowledge."
"Dark knowledge best forgotten," Kastor muttered flatly.
Lundi shrugged. "It is not my responsibility how the boy used what he learned. I was only the teacher. I simply passed the information along.
Lundi's casual response made Obi-Wan angry. He obviously took his powerful position as a teacher very lightly.
"You're a fool who had no business being a teacher then," Kastor remarked, "If you are passing on information that can be used to hurt others, then you are not blameless if your student commits unspeakable acts."
Lundi sneered, but then shrugged. "Norval was strong – stronger than even I knew," Lundi went on. "He got to the holocron first. He brought it up still inside its vault. We fought over it and it fell into the geyser crater."
Kastor and Obi-Wan exchanged disappointed looks. While it had occurred to them that the holocron could have fallen deeper into the pocketed seafloor, they'd both hoped it wasn't true. This information meant that the holocron was very far down and located inside a gushing geyser that was incredibly treacherous, even at the lowest tide.
While there was a possibility that the holocron was so far down that nobody could retrieve it, they both knew that they had to try in order to confirm, before someone else did.
**The Will of the Force**
The group was mostly silent as they zoomed through the darkness on the loaded gravsled over the partially exposed seafloor. The tide was already partially out and soon they'd be traveling over water.
"That way," Obi-Wan said, pointing off to the left.
Anakin turned the vehicle. Beside him, Dr. Lundi was staring through the bars of the portable cage, while Rhys stood guard over him while observing their surroundings. Lundi's eyes were wide, and he couldn't sit still. He seemed like an excited child.
Kastor knew the man was desperate to see the holocron. He observed Anakin also noticing the insane man's excitement, though it only seemed to increase Anakin's excitement as well. Kastor knew Obi-Wan's worries, and he could admit he felt them a bit himself. Anakin was so strong in the Force, and had been brought up so differently that Kastor did worry that Anakin was too sure of his abilities and too overconfident in himself that he might overestimate the lure of the holocron's power.
The gravsled zoomed over the water, heading straight toward a crater. Kastor grimly saw that sticking up above the shallow sea was a diving platform.
"Just ahead," Obi-Wan said.
Kastor could hear the disappointment in Obi-Wan's voice, Anakin pulled the sled up beside the platform which was piled with equipment and cut the engine.
"Someone has already been here," Obi-Wan said, staring down at the water suit and air tank. "I only hope they haven't found the holocron."
Kastor could feel the powerful dark taint in the area, but its potency hid whether the item still remained below.
"The holocron is gone," Lundi cackled. He waved his arms, smacking several against the top and sides of his travel cage. "He came back. Norval's got it."
Obi-Wan, Kastor, and Anakin pulled on their breathers, while Rhys stood guard over Lundi. Despite Lundi's words, the Jedi knew that they had to check and verify that the holocron was not still under the sea.
The three Jedi dove into the water, Obi-Wan guiding them lower and lower. Once they were on the shelf, it was easy to locate the geyser – a huge mass of hot water gushed out every few minutes, not giving them much time to investigate.
Kastor, Obi-Wan, and Anakin dove down into the crater, kicking hard. They continued to swim through an inky blackness until finally Obi-Wan and Kastor each lit a glow rod.
Down, down, down, they continued to swim, ears popping several times from the pressure, and the water continued to get warmer. After a few minutes, all three Jedi caught a glimpse of a sinister red glow, several meters in front of them, rising from the seafloor. Kastor felt the water pulsating with energy and he had to concentrate in order to hold his position.
Obi-Wan gestured for Kastor and Anakin to stay while he cautiously swam forward towards the glowing vault. Kastor reached out with his senses, battling the dark energy in the area, trying to feel for any potential dangers.
Finally, after a few strong kicks, Obi-Wan reached the tomblike vault and thrust his glowrod inside, revealing that which they suspected but hoped wasn't true. The vault was empty. A second later, Obi-Wan gave a signal for them to start rising, and they all started heading back to the surface.
They'd already been in the crater for five or six minutes, so Kastor knew there wasn't much time before the geyser would blow again, so they all started bolting towards the surface, but it wasn't easy. Something seemed to be holding them down, making every small effort upwards much greater than it should be.
Kastor felt irritation rise up, not willing to lose to the dark energy of a forgotten holocron and he used the Force to start pushing back the dark energy, making it easier to swim. Seeing what he was doing, Obi-Wan and Anakin both hastened to copy and soon the three Jedi were speeding towards the surface, clearing the geyser walls and moving away just as a giant burst of scalding water shot out.
They quickly rose to the surface and climbed back onto the gravsled which Rhys started moving as the last of them was still climbing on.
"It was gone," Lundi declared, looking at the Jedi's empty hands. "Clever. The boy is clever – more clever than I thought. I should have suspected. Yes, suspected. He almost had it the last time, he did. Until Omal got in his way. Lucky for me. Unlucky for him. Omal gave me a chance to attack – to get the holocron for myself, but Norval was a formidable opponent. I have to hand it to him . . ."
Lundi's voice trailed off as he lost himself in the ten-year-old memory.
"Where would Norval take the holocron?" Obi-Wan asked.
Professor Lundi crossed several arms across his chest. "A deal, a deal," he said defiantly. "We had our deal. I told you secrets for a chance to see the holocron, but I didn't see it, did I? The game is up, up , up, and you lost. The boy has the holocron. The boy. Ha!"
Kastor felt Anakin's anger rise as Obi-Wan stared at Lundi glumly, not saying anything.
"You still have a chance to see the holocron, if you tell us where Norval might take the holocron," Kastor said, trying to appeal to Lundi's greed and addiction.
"Ha, you weren't able to make good on the first deal. Why should I honor a second? The boy has the holocron, though I doubt he actually knows what to do with it," he added under his breath, his sinister smirk fading. "But at least he's not cowardly like you all and the rest of your robed friends."
Kastor felt Anakin's anger rise greater and before they knew it Anakin had thrown himself at the professor and leaned in close to his face.
"This isn't funny, wormhead," he said furiously. "Your boy may not know what to do with the holocron, but the Sith will."
The smile disappeared from Lundi's face as he stared back at Anakin, his arms dropping to his sides.
"I suspect you know your history, professor," Anakin shouted, forcing the Quermian's long neck farther and farther back, "and that you're well aware that if the Sith gain power it's not just the Jedi who will die."
Kastor glanced at Obi-Wan and then again at Anakin, wondering what Obi-Wan would do, knowing that Anakin's anger at this time was not appropriate, not since it was actual anger and not a controlled outburst. However, Kastor couldn't argue that Lundi finally appeared cowed for the first time, something which he suspected Obi-Wan was a bit grateful for.
Silence fell among their group as the gravsled continued back toward the shore, Obi-Wan wondering if he should reprimand Anakin when the results spoke for themselves, while Kastor wondered how Obi-Wan would decide to act.
It was only a few minutes before Rhys had the gravlsed back to the hangar where the Ebon Hawk was still parked, its anti-personnel cannon lowered and prepared to fire on anyone who approached if they weren't Kastor, Anakin, Rhys, or Obi-Wan.
"Let's find out who has left the planet in the last few hours and see if we can track them," Obi-Wan said.
"Rhys, secure Lundi and prepare the ship for takeoff. Anakin, Obi, question pilots to see if any of them recognize Norval. I'll check the hangar's records," Kastor said, and nodding at their assignments, the group broke up with Obi-Wan providing a general description of Norval to Anakin so that he could help question other pilots.
Kastor went to the hangar authority and felt some minor satisfaction when he saw that only one ship had left the hangar in the last hour and it was heading for the Ploo Sector. Unfortunately, a Sector was a very large area to search for one ship in, so the minor satisfaction was short lived.
Returning to the Ebon Hawk, he found Obi-Wan and Anakin having just arrived, neither having found any luck with any of the pilots, so Kastor relayed what he had found.
"Why would he go to the Ploo Sector?" Anakin asked.
Several meters away, Lundi stuck his narrow head through the bars of the portable cage they hadn't removed him from. "Norval was a good student. A great one. In fact, the only thing that surpassed his desire for knowledge and power was his greed." Lundi stood up as straight as he could inside his cage. "I was offered vast riches by several anonymous parties to turn over the Sith holocron should I ever capture it. One of the parties wanted to rendezvous beside my home planet of Ploo II."
The Jedi and Rhys all exchanged glances. Should they believe him? Lundi had several reasons to thwart their progress. He probably enjoyed the idea of Norval having the holocron, of his using it for his own evil uses. He would take pride in that. Norval was, after all, Lundi's prize student.
Kastor glanced at Obi-Wan, since it was his mission, and for the first time in a bit, Obi-Wan seemed sure of himself.
"Rhys, Anakin, set course for Ploo II," Obi-Wan said, and Anakin and Rhys both rushed to the cockpit to get the ship moving.
**The Will of the Force**
It was only minutes before they had the ship airborne and cutting through the atmosphere. Anakin had looked through the navigation charts, trying to find the quickest route, but finding only one direct route.
Thankfully, from the hangar records, they knew that Norval's ship was quite large and not very fast, and Master Kastor's ship was one of the fastest ships in the galaxy.
As soon as he and Rhys got the ship into hyperspace, Anakin relaxed, knowing he had some time to rest. Moving into the hold, he saw that the professor was sound asleep. Anakin noticed that he'd been sleeping a lot lately, and looking at him, he did appear frailer. His body shuddered with every breath. It seemed as if his life forces were ebbing away.
Honestly, looking at him, Anakin thought he seemed more pitiful than threatening. If he hadn't spent so much of this mission making things difficult for them, Anakin might have even felt sorry for him, but the way he'd treated his Master had infuriated Anakin.
Anakin shook his head of those thoughts and then decided to try and meditate, though all that did was leave him many more questions about Dr. Lundi and the holocron.
Later, after resting a bit, Anakin moved back to the cockpit, knowing it was time to bring the ship out of lightspeed, and he was unsurprised to find Rhys there.
"Hey, kid," Rhys said with an easy grin. "I was just about to bring us out, but this one's all you if you want it."
Anakin smiled at the Antarian Ranger, even if he wasn't super fond of being called 'kid'. Anakin sat in the co-pilot's chair, and then pulled the switch bringing the ship out of lightspeed.
"We'll catch this guy yet," Rhys said as Anakin stood up to go and receive guidance from either Kastor or Obi-Wan.
Just as Anakin was about to walk down the corridor, he felt a warning from the Force, and the Ebon Hawk's sensors started beeping. Rhys quickly moved the Ebon Hawk out of the way when a sleek grey ship came out of lightspeed and started flying by them.
Obi-Wan and Kastor came running down the corridor almost immediately, obviously having sensed the disturbance.
"I felt a wave in the Force," Obi-Wan said, looking at Anakin and Rhys.
"That ship just passed us," Anakin said, pointing at the sleek grey craft in the view screen. "Who's ship is it?"
"I don't know," Obi-Wan said with a sigh, "but I have a feeling we'd better get to Norval's ship before it does."
"I'm going to tail that ship," Rhys said determinedly. "The Ebon Hawk is faster, so as soon as we come upon Norval's ship, we should be able to reach the end destination faster."
They tailed the larger craft for longer than any of them would have thought, but the Hawk easily kept pace, especially when the larger vessel started slowing down.
"I feel something powerful," Obi-Wan said with his eyes closed, "but it could be coming from that ship and not the holocron. We need to find Norval quickly. I sense that whoever is aboard that other vessel is after the holocron too."
"I'll keep him in our viewscreen," Rhys assured him. "One of you can borrow my starfighter to board Norval's craft while the rest of us use the Ebon Hawk to harass or hold off that other ship."
Obi-Wan nodded at Rhys gratefully as Kastor ran off to man one of the two rotating cannons.
"Monitor all ship-to-ship communications and let me or Kastor know if you sense anything unusual," Obi-Wan said to Anakin.
Rhys carefully came around the ship they followed when another, larger ship came into view in the spacelane. Anakin was sure that it was Norval's, since he felt a strange nauseating feeling.
"I see another ship," Anakin said over his comlink. "I'll bet the holocron's on board."
"Good, I'm ready for liftoff. Open the bay doors," Obi-Wan ordered, and Rhys quickly hit a switch, opening the bay doors for Obi-Wan to fly out.
Anakin watched on the scanners as the small N-1 starfighter flew towards the massive cruiser that Norval was on. Anakin, from the main hold, watched Obi-Wan pilot the small starfighter up to Norval's ship when Anakin's concentration was broken by Lundi.
"Too late, too late," Lundi mumbled.
Anakin turned back to ignore whatever he said, but at that moment the Ebon Hawk was rocked by a heavy blast.
**The Will of the Force**
From the cockpit of Rhys's starfighter, Obi-Wan could see the Ebon Hawk get hit by a blast from the larger sleek grey ship, which had finally detected the Ebon Hawk's presence and was obviously not pleased.
Obi-Wan watched Rhys or Anakin take the Ebon Hawk into evasive maneuvers while Kastor started unloading bolts from the top quad cannon. Only a few moments later, the bottom cannon started shooting as well, and with the front cannons which fired every now and then, the sleek grey craft seemed to realize it was in for an actual fight.
Knowing that going back to help them would spell the end of attempting to seize the holocron, Obi-Wan sent a mental message to his Padawan, letting him know he believed in his abilities, and then he guided the starfighter into the docking bay of Norval's ship. He then powered down the starfighter and slipped into the bigger ship.
As he moved down a glistening white corridor, the sound of more laser fire echoed in Obi-Wan's ears. He could tell that the Kastor's ship and the unknown ship were trading blows, with Kastor's smaller and more maneuverable craft, with advanced weapons, dealing out punishment to the sleek grey ship. Even so, Obi-Wan wished that he and his Padawan had resolved their discussion on Kodai.
Obi-Wan hurried down several sterile corridors. As he reached the end of one, he suddenly felt something evil washing over him. He knew exactly how his Padawan had felt a few minutes earlier. The holocron was very close.
Obi-Wan rounded a corner and spotted a large room at the end of the passageway. A humanoid figure stood with its back to the door, waiting, and there, on a transparisteel table, sat the glowing red holocron.
Obi-Wan approached the room carefully, but before he was through the door, the figure turned towards him.
"I have been waiting for you," Norval said.
Obi-Wan focused hard on the dark-haired man in front of him as queasiness threatened to overtake him. He sensed that, in fact, he wasn't the person Norval had been waiting for. He'd been expecting someone else – Lundi, perhaps, or whoever was piloting the sleek grey ship.
"Powerful, isn't it?" Norval cackled. "The nauseous feeling takes some getting use to. When you are comfortable with the power, it disappears."
Obi-Wan moved towards the holocron, but Norval quickly stepped in front of it.
"This information would be wasted in the hands of the Jedi," he spat. "You have no idea what to do with power."
Seeing that Norval would not back down without a fight, Obi-Wan unhooked his lightsaber from his utility belt and ignited his lightsaber.
'I must end this quickly,' Obi-Wan thought. He hoped the sight of his lightsaber would make Norval back down and hand over the holocron. 'I must get back to help the others if they need me before it's too late.'
However, Norval did not back down. He simply reached for his own belt and ignited a lightsaber of his own.
**The Will of the Force**
The Ebon Hawk continued to unleash a barrage of laser fire against the sleek grey ship from its forward cannons and its two quad cannons. Anakin had to admire how much of a punch Kastor's ship could deal. They hadn't broken through the enemy's shields yet, but the other ship had clearly diverted power from its engines and possibly other systems to boost the shields after one of Anakin's shots had left a scorch mark on the hull.
Meanwhile, Rhys was doing an excellent job of avoiding the enemy's blasts, taking very little hits, and nothing that the shields couldn't handle. Honestly, as much as Anakin would have enjoyed flying the Ebon Hawk, he had to admit that this was the perfect setup. Rhys was an excellent pilot and more than capable of evading fire while occasionally using the forward cannons to engage, but while he was trying to fly fancy, Kastor and Anakin could methodically use the Force to assist them in accurately putting shots into the enemy ship.
Anakin was beginning to think that they had this in the bag when the enemy ship stopped firing on them and then immediately started unloading laser bolts on Norval's ship.
'Master!' Anakin thought worriedly as he re-engaged with Kastor and Rhys hoping they could bring down the other ship or force its retreat before it finished off Norval's ship with Obi-Wan in it.
**The Will of the Force**
Obi-Wan gaped at the lightsaber in Norval's hand for half a second. Such a weapon was extremely difficult to construct and doing so took great patience and skill. Attributes that Obi-Wan did not believe Norval had.
Norval stepped forward, his blade raised, clearly enjoying the look of surprise on Obi-Wan's face.
"You Jedi think you are the only ones who can wield lightsabers?" he laughed menacingly. "Dr. Lundi's lessons only took me so far, but the Quermian did help me gather the tools I needed. It's actually quite simple, once you have the knowledge – and the power . . ."
Obi-Wan was barely listening. He circled Norval, carefully studying the lightsaber. Its construction was crude, and he guessed that the crystals inside were weak and badly tuned. At least he hoped that was the case.
Norval brought the weapon high over his head, then thrust it back down. Obi-Wan barely had to move for it miss and crash into the table where the holocron rested. The glowing artifact tumbled to the floor, causing both Obi-Wan and Norval to watch it fall, though neither made a move for it.
'His lightsaber might be crude, but it is still deadly,' Obi-Wan noted. He knew from experience that a powerful weapon could be even more dangerous in the hands of an unskilled user. He would have to tread carefully.
Norval's eyes glinted. "Did the Jedi like my messages?" he asked, moving slowly forward. "I thought they were appropriate. Imagine being able to bring down the pathetic Jedi and get rich doing it!"
Norval slashed at the air, his fury building. It was clear to Obi-Wan that the young man was strong, but not very technically advanced with the lightsaber. Obi-Wan sprang ahead, slashing with his own blue blade and pushing Norval backward, making no effort to deal a killing blow since he only wanted to disarm him and take the holocron.
Obi-Wan closed in, but before he could knock Norval's lightsaber out of his hands, the ship they were on started getting rocketed by bolts, causing the ship to bank sharply. Obi-Wan fell back, slipping and falling to the floor, dropping his lightsaber during the fall.
He glanced back to see that Norval had recovered quicker and was stocking towards him.
"You didn't think I could actually get the holocron, did you?" he gloated. "Nobody did. If only Omal hadn't interfered the first time. I would be even stronger now – and you and Dr. Lundi would be long dead."
Deciding he'd had enough, Obi-Wan gathered the Force and launched Norval back into a wall of the ship, and then used the Force to summon his lightsaber and the holocron to him, grabbing one in each arm.
Norval had landed hard, his lightsaber slipping out of his hand and the crude handle shattered, the interior crystals spilled across the floor.
Stunned, Norval climbed to his feet. "Your young Padawan would have made a wonderful Sith," he growled, his face contorting into an expression of rage. "Too bad he and that ship he's on are about to be destroyed by some friends of mine." He grinned. "They'll stop firing on me once they know you've been taken care of."
Obi-Wan wondered for a split second how Norval knew about Anakin, but he supposed the evil young man made many things his business, however, before he could consider the thought further, Norval lunged for the ship's communicator.
"The Jedi has the holocron" he shouted. "You've got to get me out of here!"
Obi-Wan turned and ran out of the room while Norval begged for help. The Jedi Maser would not strike down an unarmed being. Besides, he had to get back to his Padawan and the Temple, and this time with the holocron in hand.
Obi-Wan rushed back through the corridors he'd previously traversed as security doors closed behind him and the ship continued to take blaster bolts. Within minutes, he'd managed to get inside Rhys's N-1 Starfighter and was shooting out of the bay doors. He saw the mysterious gray ship still being pummeled by the Ebon Hawk's front cannons and top quad cannon, but he didn't get to think much more as an explosion buffeted Obi-Wan's starfighter.
The shields held and his ship was merely propelled forward, but from his cockpit, he could see that Norval's ship had been destroyed. The people on the grey ship had not been his friends.
Hoping to get answers, Obi-Wan started piloting the starfighter towards the mysterious grey ship, intending to destroy its engines when it suddenly made a jump to hyperspace, escaping from them.
Obi-Wan sighed, and then piloted the starfighter back to the Ebon Hawk, pulling into the garage, ready to see his Padawan. After landing the ship, he moved into the cargo hold and placed the holocron in a hidden secure vault that Kastor used for smuggling. He felt instant relief when it left his hands, but he'd only truly feel at ease after it had been secured in the Jedi archives on Coruscant . . . maybe not even then.
Obi-Wan moved into the main hold, eager to see his Padawan and stopped in shock seeing that Lundi was out of his cage, his head being cradled by Anakin on the floor.
"I understand now," Lundi said in a hoarse whisper. "Some things are better left at the bottom of the sea."
Lundi gasped for air, and Obi-Wan suddenly realized that the Quermian was dying. He stepped forward and looked briefly into his eye, finally seeing what he'd always hoped he'd see – remorse and fear.
"I just . . . just hope it's not too late," Lundi finished. His fragile body shuddered and went limp, and Anakin laid him gently on the floor. Dr. Murk Lundi was dead.
Several emotions clashed inside Obi-Wan: confusion, frustration, relief . . .
Anakin turned to face him. "I knew he was going to die," he explained, "and I didn't think he should end his life in a cage. So, I let him out. I thought it was the right thing to do." His face was full of worry, and Obi-Wan realized that Kastor was right and that he'd upset the boy with his outburst on Kodai.
"It is alright, Padawan," Obi-Wan said, placing a hand on Anakin's shoulder. He still had much to learn about being a Jedi Master, and despite his frustrations, he knew it had taken him years of working with Qui-Gon to get to the level of trust they had had. Kastor was right, he needed to be more patient, and he needed to stop comparing his relationship with Anakin to his relationship with Qui-Gon.
Obi-Wan saw relief wash over Anakin's young face. "I'm sorry about the hologram message," he said. "I didn't mean to keep it from you, I just –"
Obi-Wan nodded. "I know," he said. "I should not have reacted so strongly. Next time we will both do better."
**The Will of the Force**
It didn't take them long to get back to Coruscant. Obi-Wan offloaded the holocron to Kastor who said he would make sure it got to the Jedi Archives. Obi-Wan had no desire to touch the thing, so he appreciated Kastor's willingness to do so.
Rhys offered to take care of Lundi's remains, so while Kastor was delivering the holocron to Madam Jocasta and Rhys took care of Lundi, Obi-Wan and Anakin reported to the Council, which was very pleased with the outcome of the mission.
'In some ways, this mission ended up just as unsatisfying as his last attempt to get the holocron,' Obi-Wan thought after they had delivered their report to the Council. Overall, it was much better. They had retrieved the holocron and delivered it to the Jedi Archives, and Lundi and his evilness were gone for good. However, there were still so many unanswered questions. Who did the men that attacked the ship work for? Who was in charge of that mysterious grey craft? Where had Norval found the knowledge needed to make a lightsaber?
The mission was over, but Obi-Wan suspected that he wasn't completely done with all the beings involved.
"So, I see you and Anakin finally made up," Kastor said, coming up beside Obi-Wan.
Anakin had run off with Rhys to help with maintenance on his N-1 after the explosion from Norval's ship.
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said, "and you were right. I sometimes wonder if a more experienced Master wouldn't be a better fit for Anakin."
"You underestimate yourself," Kastor said with a smile. "Trust me, Anakin's right where he needs to be. Hopefully you learned something else on this mission, well several things if we really delved into it."
"Oh?" Obi-Wan asked, knowing Kastor had a specific lesson in mind.
"You hopefully learned that you don't need me," Kastor said softly, and Obi-Wan frowned before opening his mouth to protest, but was swiftly cut off. "Obes, there is really nothing that I contributed to this mission that wouldn't have likely turned out just as fine without me. You and Anakin were well up for the task. I just provided a reliable mode of transportation."
"And valuable guidance, Master," Obi-Wan said. "You helped me with my nerves, and helped me with Anakin, seeing things from his perspective."
"Perhaps, but if I didn't help you with your nerves, you would have still been fine on the mission, and I certainly didn't need to be there. You could have simply commed me. The same thing can be said for your issue with Anakin. Eventually you both would have talked," Kastor responded, and Obi-Wan frowned.
Kastor chuckled.
"Make no mistakes, I love working with you and your rapscallion of a Padawan and will do my best to always come if you ask, but I want you to realize that from now on, needing me will be equivalent to just needing another Jedi along. If you want me along, well, I'm happy to oblige, but trust in yourself and your Padawan, Obi-Wan," Kastor said, putting a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I know I do."
Obi-Wan felt pride rise up, knowing that he had someone who believed in him, even if he didn't believe in himself, and at the same time, he felt a determination rise up. Kastor had always come through when he needed him, but no matter what Kastor said, there was one way in which Obi-Wan felt he'd failed him. That was something he needed Kastor for, something that he wanted to fix.
"There actually is something I need you for," Obi-Wan said, and Kastor paused, one eyebrow raised curiously. "I need you to track down Siri. I want to bring her home."
Kastor smiled and nodded. "Glad to see you haven't given up on her. I know many others have."
"I've heard some of the rumors of what she's become," Obi-Wan admitted. "I struggle to believe them, but I also don't know what she's gone through since leaving. It doesn't matter though. It's time for her to come back. I need you to help me find her, and then I'm going to bring her home."
Kastor gave him a piercing look and then nodded again. "It will probably take some time, but I'll see what I can do."
"Even if it takes you years, I'll wait, and when you give me the go ahead, I won't fail," Obi-Wan said determinedly.
Kastor grinned and then nodded in approval, before he turned away and started heading towards the lift to the Shadow's hangar. Now, Obi-Wan just needed to be patient. He was going to become the Master Anakin deserved, and he was going to be the friend Siri needed in order to come home, if it was the last thing he did.
**The Will of the Force**
Kastor almost wanted to laugh as he left Obi-Wan. His young friend had no idea how easy it would be to get Siri back home once her mission was complete. Granted, Kastor knew they weren't quite there yet, but they were close, very close.
Siri or 'Zora' was one of Krayn's top lieutenants with nearly all the knowledge of his enterprise. She knew where he operated, how he operated, and who he predominantly worked with.
Obi-Wan didn't know it, but that was Kastor's next stop. He was going to see Siri to start working on the exit strategy which would burn Krayn's empire to the ground. It truly was something to be excited for, save for two things.
One, he'd have to let Rhys in on most if not all his major secrets and see if the young pilot was willing to stick around after hearing them. Two was Krayn's fortune. That was the last part of Krayn's empire that Siri was still trying to locate so that it could be seized. Kastor definitely wanted it seized, but he wanted to be the one that seized it, so that he could decide how much Siri turned over to the Jedi Order and to the Republic, and how much he kept.
Worst of all was that he wasn't sure he'd be able to convince her to just let him take a large sum of Krayn's funds without a reason why, and that was not a conversation he felt he was ready to have with her or Obi-Wan. If needed, he was prepared, but he hoped it wouldn't come to that.
As much as Kastor disliked having to care about money, the fact remained that in order to try and prepare for a possible galactic war and eventual Jedi purge, he required it. Kastor wasn't very worried about the war itself. He doubted he could prevent it though he wished he could, and his contributions in funds would be paltry compared to what the Republic and the Order as institutions would contribute. No, preparing for the war wasn't his main goal. He was preparing for the Jedi purge, should it come.
There was still hope that the purge could be prevented, but there were far, far more futures where the purge happened than ones where it didn't. If Kastor couldn't prevent it, he'd at least do his best to make it less functional and less effective. After that, the trick would be tracking down survivors and other victims or people that were sympathetic to the Order and create safe places for them which meant finding off the beaten places that were still large enough to create a base or to build a space station, neither of which were cheap, especially since he needed to outfit them now, since he didn't know if he'd survive the purge himself.
That was only part of it though. He also had to worry about ships, fuel, supplies, medical equipment, arms and ammunition, and pretty much anything else these future Jedi and soldiers would need to fight back against whoever or whatever was hunting and killing them, whenever they were finally ready. He also needed underworld contacts that he could utilize to create fake documents, acquire supplies and information, and even possibly find work for both himself and others, though that was something he was already working on while doing his undercover work for the Order.
His visions suggested it was many years into the purge before Obi-Wan would possibly give his life for the galaxy's hope, which meant that he had to factor in that whatever he chose to do was long-term. They needed bases and strongholds that they could hide in, but he was sure eventually, Jedi would want to strike back, which meant that he also needed bases that they could afford to have exposed should something go wrong. Most importantly, he needed to build these bases without others knowing or revealing them. That led him with only a few choices. He could do it himself, something he didn't have the time to do; he could hire people he trusted, but unfortunately outside of the Jedi, he knew very few, and those he knew didn't need to go into hiding, at least not yet. His last option was to buy construction droids to do it. Droids would certainly take the risk of exposure down to zero, and they could be used to maintain it all in the years to come, but they were expensive, which brought him back to needing more funds.
His smuggling cover was already helping him to make a steady fortune. As a Jedi, he had the Force to help him get out of the tight spots that other smugglers often found themselves in, thus giving him a sterling reputation as a skilled smuggler who hadn't yet had to dump cargo. Combined with his reputation as a fierce mercenary, he'd started getting signed on by large criminal enterprises like Krayn's empire, the Hutts, and the Pykes, and they all tended to pay very well to those that faithfully served them. As a small crew with only a small ship, he wasn't afforded some of the more valuable jobs, so he was limited to an extent, but still he was able to find out plenty of information on various criminal organizations and those that supported them that he could give to the Order or various law enforcement agencies, while making the credits needed to help fund a future resistance or hidden network. Still, the more he could generate now, the more he could put into banks or stocks designed to make him money legally without any extra effort on his part.
An operation the size of Krayn's empire would provide enough funds for him to easily take a small cut that could still be in the tens of millions or possibly even hundreds of millions while the rest went to the Republic and the Order with them not even realizing he'd taken a cut. Kriff, depending on how much Krayn had squirreled away in his greed, since he was a surprisingly frugal man despite his countenance and wealth, Kastor might be able to take a fairly large cut without the Republic or Order knowing anything. He didn't necessarily care if the Council knew, since they were all aware of his visions, and he'd even confided his plans and some of his actions to Adi, Yoda, Plo, and Mace, deeming them worthy or necessary of knowing, and they'd even helped point him in several directions, knowing things that had changed in the last three and a half thousand years compared to Kastor's knowledge, or having contacts of their own that could help. Of those four, Mace and Yoda had been the most hesitant about his plans but had agreed that as long as his funds came from his own undercover work, and not funded by the Republic or the Order, they wouldn't interfere. Adi and Plo had been surprisingly receptive, both being rather pragmatic and not seeing the harm in creating fail safes to help safeguard the Order should a purge occur, whether it be in a year or a thousand.
Kastor stopped the buzz of thoughts and plans as he reached the Shadow's Hangar and saw Rhys waiting for him at the ramp to the Ebon Hawk.
"Where to next, boss?" Rhys asked with a grin, using their old friend Reti's favorite term of endearment, and Kastor returned a smile.
"We're off to see an undercover colleague of mine," Kastor responded. "She's deep undercover in a pirate empire led by a man named Krayn. Have you ever heard of him?"
Rhys nodded. "I remember Nym talking about him, calling him a narcissistic bastard, but a clever one. I don't know much about him, but if Nym complimented him, then I assume he's pretty dangerous."
"Very," Kastor nodded gravely. "A close friend of mine and Obi-Wan's, a Jedi by the name of Siri Tachi, is one of his top lieutenants currently. I'll give you all the details about it along the way, but we're going to go pay her a visit. Part of her cover is that she's my cover's alleged daughter."
Rhys's eyes widened. "She must be fairly young to pass for your daughter, and I would suspect that means you have to be pretty close to her to let her use that cover."
Kastor nodded, appreciating the young ranger's perception. "Indeed, she is a dear friend, one that I would not see harm come to. She's been undercover a long time, and I think we're close to bringing down Krayn. I just want to get an update and then hopefully start making plans for an exit strategy. What I will warn you about is that in order to leave, we'll probably have to take a job smuggling some spice, weapons, or other illicit items."
Rhys nodded, his face growing grim. "I knew we'd have to cross lines to do undercover work. It's something the instructors with the Antarian Rangers taught us, and something that certainly caused some of my fellow Explorers to decide to remain Explorers rather than become Rangers in full. Part of the reason I came to you was to try and do good, even if that meant doing things like this. If it will bring down a pirate empire, then I'll do whatever you need."
Kastor felt relief at Rhys's words. "We've got a long journey ahead of us, but it's time I start revealing some of my secrets in order to help prepare you to best help me, and hopefully help achieve your own desires. First, it's time for us to get you a new look and then I'll read you in on the job," Kastor said, guiding Rhys onto the Ebon Hawk.
AN: Hope you're enjoying the story so far and that you enjoyed the chapter. For those familiar with the Jedi Apprentice novels, you'll see me adapting or involving them a lot with this story, at least up till their end just before Attack of the Clones. In legends, they fill most of the space between Episode 1 and 2, so up to that point, many, but not all, of those stories will be used to help develop the characters, though I've got big plans for some major changes in the Star Wars galaxy to appear in the years before the Clone Wars. The joys of having several important characters in a large galaxy is I can have several major plots being worked on at the same time. Let me know what you think because I really do appreciate constructive criticism.