CHAPTER 3
Lenz and Irini led them deep into the Worker sector, near the outskirts of the city. The area had been abandoned by the Workers when better housing became available after the election of Ewane. Block after block of abandoned housing showed the effects of neglect and disorder. Half-demolished buildings stood next to intact ones whose windows were shattered or blown out completely. Rubble lay in the street, and stacks of durasteel sheeting were piled up in vacant lots.
“The government is planning to tear these down,” Lenz said, gesturing at the devastated buildings. “The lawmakers can’t agree on what to build instead, so the project is left half finished. But it has become a good place to hide for those who don’t want to be found. Security sweeps are made frequently, so we must all be alert.”
“How will we program the droid to find Balog?” Qui-Gon asked. “We don’t have complete information on him. We know that vitals on Workers are stored somewhere. Who has access to them?”
“Everything you need you will be able to buy here,” Lenz said.
He stopped in front of a partially demolished building and took a laser signal from his tunic. He activated the laser point and blinked it several times in a pattern against the stone front of the building. A concealed sensor in the wall caught the signal and, after a moment, blinked twice.
“We can enter,” Lenz said.
Obi-Wan glanced at his Master. He was relieved to see that Qui-Gon seemed himself again. Most likely it was because they had taken action. He could sense the frustration inside Qui-Gon - as well as something else there, some desperation that Obi-Wan didn’t understand. At least Qui-Gon was back in control. He had found the calm he needed to proceed. Later, when Tahl was safe, Obi-Wan would ask his Master why he’d had such trouble focusing. Qui-Gon would not mind the question. He knew that Obi-Wan would only ask in order to learn.
Lenz pushed open the door to the building. Obi-Wan noted that although the building appeared to be a ruin, the door was armored. The arming devices must have been released when the sensor blinked back an okay.
A staircase led upward, but Lenz turned to the side and accessed a doorway flush to the wall. A ramp led down to a lower level.
Lenz and lrini went first, and the Jedi followed. The ramp was lit with one dim glow rod attached to the wall. Obi-Wan strode down the sloping ramp, ready for anything.
A figure stepped out of the dimness. “Lenz. We haven’t seen you here in a while.”
“Greetings, Mota. You know I have forbidden the Workers to use illegal means to achieve our ends,” Lenz said. “But my friends here need your help.”
The man stepped closer. He was dressed in the unisuit that Obi-Wan had seen many Workers wear. His gray hair was tied behind him, and his body looked strong. There were two blasters tucked into his utility belt.
“You must be Jedi,” he said, though Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were dressed in the garments of space travelers. “Never thought I’d see the day the Jedi would need my help.”
“We are grateful for anything you can provide us with,” Qui-Gon said.
“Don’t get me wrong. It will cost you. I’m in the business for one reason only. Credits. I’m the one who takes the risks. You can hitch rides around the galaxy, but my products aren’t free.”
“We are prepared to pay,” Qui-Gon replied impatiently. “The speed of the transaction is more important than price.”
“Then let’s get to it.”
Mota led the way down a long hallway into a large open space. Long metal tables stretched from one end of the space to the other. Isolated pieces of merchandise were laid out on the tables. There were some communication devices, some weaponry, and some pieces of tech equipment.
“As you can see, our stocks are low,” Mota said.
Lenz looked at him sharply. “I’ll say. Who is buying your weapons?”
Mota’s return gaze was neutral. “Whoever has the credits. I don’t ask questions.”
“We need probe droids,” Qui-Gon said.
“I only have one. Probe droids are hard to get.” Mota strode to a table and picked up a droid. “It’s in good shape, though. All ready for programming.”
“They need the vitals of a citizen,” Irini said. “Balog.”
“The Chief Security Controller?” At last an emotion flickered over Mota’s face: surprise.
But it smoothed out and became neutral again. “I have his stats. I can program the droid. The vitals will cost you more credits.”
“They’ll need swoops or landspeeders,” Lenz said.
“Down below.”
“Let’s program the droid first,” Qui-Gon said.