Glaring at Dane, Anakin strode forward and snatched the partfrom his hand. “Don’t worry, Master, I can fix the enginein no time at all.”
Anakin accessed the engine panel on the exterior of theship. He withdrew a small hydrospanner from his utility kitand his head disappeared inside. Muffled exclamationsfloated out to the others.
Finally Anakin emerged, his face streaked with grease. “Youshorted out the sunlight engine fuses and deactivated thepower converter! I can’t six this!”
“I did?” Dane looked surprised. “I didn’t mean to. Idon’t know that much about engines,” he confided to Obi-Wan.
Floria smacked her brother on the arm. “I told you to becareful! Now how are we supposed to get out of here?”
“You’re the one who told me to disable it!” Dane protested.
“You said it was a good idea! If I’d known you didn’t knowhow, I wouldn’t have suggested it!”
Obi-Wan heaved an exasperated breath. If he could leavethese two behind, he would. But something told him that hestill needed them. “Stop squabbling, you two. We have totake Wren back to the Temple. We’ll have to return and findthe other bounty hunter’s ship.”
“Go back down the mountain?” Floria asked in dismay. “I’mexhausted!”
“And dusk will be here soon,” Dane added.
Obi-Wan shouldered his pack. Then we’d better get started.”
They left Wren wrapped in a blanket inside Teleq’s ship.Anakin was able to reconfigure the ship’s security code sothat Wren would be protected inside. Even if Teleq somehowmanaged to get free of those birds, he would not be able toboard his ship. At least Wren would have warmth andshelter. Promising to return soon, they set off down themountain again.
“It’s been almost five hours,” Obi-Wan told Anakin. “Withluck the bounty hunter will be just getting over hisparalysis. He’ll have no choice but the cooperate.”
“We certainly are developing a collection of bountyhunters,” Anakin remarked.
“Unfortunately they’re not all as harmless as Floria andDane,” Obi-Wan said.
Anakin looked at him curiously. “You knew Floria wasn’ttelling the truth from the beginning, didn’t you?”
“I suspected as much,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But I had no wayof knowing what she was concealing.”
“I believed her story,” Anakin said, frowning. “Why didn’tthe Force warn me?”
Obi-Wan smiled. “The Force is not a truth serum, Padawan.The ability to read a beings true motives comes withexperience and patience. I was once very bad at it. Qui-Gon taught me how to look and listen. Floria betrayedherself by playing on our sympathies just a bit too much.”
“And you knew they would find Teleq’s ship and try todisable it.”
“Experience,” Obi-Wan said. “It tells me the beings followtheir best interests. Floria and Dane have had to fighttheir way through the galaxy. They are used to looking outfor themselves. Naturally they would still try to foilanother bounty hunter winning the prize.”
Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “Do not troubleyourself, Padawan. You have an open heart. This is a goodthing. With time you will learn the balance you need in agalaxy where all beings do not tell the truth. Yourimpulsiveness is a source of energy and power for you. Butit can lead to trouble. You will learn to be more careful.Sometimes it is better to walk than to run.”
“I got us into trouble with the malia, and then in thecavern” Anakin admitted. “I’m sorry, Master.”
“Danger finds us on every mission,” Obi-Wan said. “Let uslook forward.”
They followed the winding path down the mountain once again.When they reached the site of their battle with the Tursha,they hurried through the meadow. Ahead they could see thecamouflaged tent. As they walked forward, they coulddistinguish the Tursha still slumped against the tree.
“He’s still paralyzed,” Anakin said, starting forward.
Obi-Wan stopped him. “No, Padawan. He is dead.”
Chapter Thirteen
Obi-Wan crouched over the body. “Poisoned,” he said.
Anakin leaned forward curiously. “Flechette canister?”
“No. See the flecks in his lips? It was a fast poison,injected in the neck.” Obi-Wan moved the Tursha’s head.”Here.” Obi-Wan stood. “Do you have your tarp?”
Anakin withdrew the tarp from his survival pack. Gently,Obi-Wan wrapped the body. “We will come back for him,” hemurmured. “We must take him to Coruscant. He might havehad family.” He stood, his eyes roaming the area. “Now wemust return to our problem. We must find his ship.”