“What does this have to do with Jedi?” someone asked.
“Maybe nothing. Yet both might point to Roan’s desperation. First, he backs new leadership within the Absolutes to keep a lid on any opposition. Then, in a show of good faith to the galaxy, he asks for Jedi help. His best interest is to keep things as they are while he consolidates his power.”
Even lrini listened to Lenz with respect. “So what should we do?”
“First we should change our meeting place. Every week a new site. Winati, you are in charge of finding a place. Mohn, you are in charge of notifying the others.”
Lenz stopped abruptly and picked up his comlink. It must have vibrated, signaling an incoming communication. He listened for a moment, then clicked off.
“The Absolutes. It’s a raid.”
Lenz’s voice held no urgency, but the group rose immediately and moved like a shadow. No one reacted, no one gasped or showed confusion. Obviously, they had trained for this.
Winati quickly accessed a recessed door in the wall. A staircase led upward. She waited while the others hurried across the floor and disappeared inside, then slipped inside herself. The door slid shut.
“Probably goes to the roof,” Qui-Gon murmured. “Let’s wait and see who is raiding them.”
Moments later, the door burst open. A squad of black-clothed men stood in the doorway, blasters held at their hips. The leader strode forward.
“Too late.” He accessed a device on his utility belt.
“Trouble,” Qui-Gon murmured, backing up.
The device was a heat sensor. It beamed on the wall they were hiding behind. The wall began to glow.
Obi-Wan scrambled backward, but the close quarters made it difficult for them to move quickly. A moment later a cutting tool swiftly sawed an opening in the wall and a boot followed. The wall splintered, and the leader stepped through.
Obi-Wan had his hand on his lightsaber hilt, but he looked quickly at his Master.
“Submit,” Qui-Gon said quietly, and in moments, they were surrounded.
CHAPTER 9
Qui-Gon allowed himself to be hustled down the stairs. Their captors said nothing, and he saw no need to volunteer any questions or comments. He was not sure if they knew that he and Obi-Wan were Jedi. He assumed that they were thought to be Workers.
In the cramped vestibule, thick strips of fabric were wound around their eyes to blindfold them. They were bound in energy manacles. Then they were pushed out the door. Qui-Gon felt himself being guided into a landspeeder. Obi-Wan was shoved next to him.
He concentrated, trying to gauge distance by calculating speed and time. He knew Obi-Wan was doing the same. The journey was short, and at the end they were roughly hauled out of the speeder and marched down a corridor. The speeder had been parked in an interior landing area. Listening for echoes, Qui-Gon estimated its size. For a landing area of this proportion, the building would have to be fairly large.
He heard a door accessed, and he was pushed inside a smaller area. He heard Obi-Wan stumble as he followed.
“This is where you belong, Jedi,” a voice hissed.
So they knew their prisoners were Jedi. “Where are we and why are we being held? Who are you?” Qui-Gon asked.
“‘None of your business’ is the answer to your first question, and ‘because you are enemies of the state’ should answer your second. As for who we are, we are the saviors of Apsolon.”
“You don’t say,” Qui-Gon remarked dryly. “Tell me, why are we your enemy?”
“We remember what the Jedi did six years before. Because of your interference, our true government was lost. It is up to us to recapture the glory we surrendered.”
“New Apsolon did hold elections open to all - “
“We do not recognize New Apsolon, only Apsolon. And not every citizen deserves to vote.”
“You are entitled to your opinion,” Qui-Gon said. “Yet a government was legally elected by the laws of your world, so therefore - “
“Do you think I have time to argue with you?” The voice rose angrily.
The door slid shut.
“Well, that was an interesting conversation,” Qui-Gon said. “We can see that the Absolutes are just as they appear. They are fanatics.”
“Not good news for us,” Obi-Wan said.
“I’m sure we’ll have an interesting dialogue.”
“Do you think they’ll torture us?” Obi-Wan asked the question in a firm voice. He did not want Qui-Gon to think he was afraid. But when he remembered back to the different methods they had seen earlier that day, he couldn’t say he felt comfortable with the notion.
“I have no idea what they are planning,” Qui-Gon said.
They did not say any more. There was a good chance they were under surveillance. Qui-Gon moved closer to Obi-Wan and gently indicated his lightsaber with his fingers. It was to let his Padawan know that if torture lay ahead, they would not submit. Obi-Wan nodded.