“Just know that I do it for Obi-Wan.”
“Fair enough.”He walked closer and drew up a chair next to her. “What do you have so far?”
“My contacts in the Senate tell me that there are rumors that Clee Rhara sabotaged the ships herself,” Tahl said, passing a weary hand over her eyes.
“Why would she do that?” Qui-Gon asked, startled.
“In order to prove to the Senate that the project needs funding and more up-to-date ships,” Tahl said.
Clee’s booming indignation suddenly echoed off the metal walls of the tech dome. “What a load of sludge oil!” She strode toward them, her hands on her hips. “I would never endanger my pilots!”
“I thought you were giving Obi-Wan a tour of the starfighters,” Qui-Gon said.
“I came back to make sure you two weren’t killing each other,” Clee said. “I remember how you used to scrap at the Temple.”
“We are Jedi Knights now,” Qui-Gon said. “We don’t scrap.”
Tahl smiled. “We argue, and then I win.”
Clee flopped in a chair. “Well, I’m glad to see both of you. I’m really in a mess. If I don’t figure out who is sabotaging my fleet, I’m sure the Council will cancel the whole program. I can’t let that happen!”
“Tell me about security,” Qui-Gon said.
“Ships are refitted at a nearby yard, and all the workers have undergone Senate security checks. After the first incident, I restricted the workers who take care of Jedi ships to two. It slows things down, but it’s safer. Each of them has passed the highest level of security clearance from the Senate. I thought everything would be fine. Yet another incident happened after this.”
“So it has to be one of the two workers,” Qui-Gon said.
“Or someone is finding a way to sneak into a highly restricted area,” Tahl said.
Clee leaned forward and gripped her hands in frustration. “I can’t tighten security more than I already have. Those Senate security checks are incredibly thorough.”
“There’s another possibility,” Qui-Gon said. “Someone in the Senate is behind this, and one or both of the security clearances is false.”
“I didn’t think of that,” Tahl said. “That would explain the rumors in the Senate. The same someone could be responsible. Someone who wants this project to fail.”
“But why?”Clee asked. “Who would object to a handful of Jedi Temple students learning how to fly starfighters?”
“Someone who is afraid of the Jedi increasing their power,” Qui-Gon mused. “The program is still young. Its potential may scare them.”
Qui-Gon’s comlinksignaled, and he excused himself to answer it, walking a few paces away. It was Yoda.
“Unhappy news I have,” Yoda said without preliminaries.”Ruled the Senate has to form a subcommittee to investigate Bruck’s death. Vox Chun has a hidden powerful ally there. Discovered we have that Sano Sauro is a prosecutor. Rumor is he is hungry to make his mark. Return you must, Qui-Gon. Three witnesses there will be—yourself, Bant, and Obi-Wan. Fear I do that this process will take its toll on your Padawan.”
Qui-Gon’s heart sank. “Yes,” he said softly. “I fear it will as well.”
CHAPTER 5
The hearing committee of the Senate did not waste time. They called the Jedi to their private inquiry room the very next day.
Obi-Wan felt a sense of dread as he dressed that morning. He could barely choke down his morning meal. He was almost relieved when it was time to meet Qui-Gon and head for the Senate.
“There will be fifteen Senators on the panel,” Qui-Gon explained to Bant and Obi-Wan as they threaded their way through the Senate’s lavender halls. The hallways were thronged with Senators striding by importantly, with scurrying aides, consorts, and droids at their heels.
“I will be called first,” Qui-Gon explained.”Then Bant. Obi-Wan will be last. Sano Sauro will try to twist your words, so be sure you speak the truth with every sentence you utter. The Jedi have elected not to use a representative. We have truth on our side. Remember that.”
Obi-Wan nodded. Qui-Gon’s calm gaze was reassuring. The walls of the Inquiry Room were fashioned from transparisteel, so Obi-Wan could see that the Senators had already gathered at the long table inside. It was set up on a platform. Vox Chun, Kad Chun, and Sano Sauro were already sitting opposite them. An empty table waited for the Jedi.
“Senator Pi T’Egal is the head of the committee,” Qui-Gon said softly, indicating the Senator who sat at the center of the table. “That is good. He is a friend of the Jedi.”