[Jedi Quest] - 02(25)

Anakin nodded, though he did not understand. His greatestenemy so far in his life had been a slave trafficker namedKrayn. When he had died, Anakin had not paused to mourn.Far from it. He had rejoiced in his death. It could onlybe good for the galaxy that such a terrible being had ceasedto exist.

Something to meditate on in my next session, he thought.I’ll add it to the list. The difference between Anakin’sthoughts and Obi-Wan’s lessons was sometimes more than hewanted to examine. It was a struggle to reconcile them.

“Why do you think the bounty hunter did that?” he asked.

“That is the crucial question,” Obi-wan said. “He preferredto end his life rather than meet his fate with Granta Omega.That should tell us something.”

“It tells us that Omega is very powerful,” Anakin said.”And very cruel.”

“Yes, but there is more,” Obi-Wan said, as though tohimself.

Anakin wanted to stamp his foot in frustration. What? Whatare you thinking? But Obi-Wan did not add to his statement.He just looked wise and thoughtful, as usual.

“There must have been six bounty hunters, then,” Anakinsaid. He counted them off on his fingers. “the bountyhunter with the Stokhli stick. Floria and Dane together.Mol Arcasite. Teleq. Hunti Pereg. And now this one.That makes six. Floria and Dane were wrong.”

“Perhaps,” Obi-Wan said in the same thoughtful tone.

Annoyed, Anakin spun on his heel and trudged off to findFloria and Dane. They had gone off the trail and had hikedup a small rise, where a space cruiser was nestled in asmall hollow.

“We have to get off-planet,” Floria said excitedly. “Thismust be his ship.”

Anakin nodded. “Who was he? Do you know?”

Dane shook his head. “We were positive there were only fourother bounty hunters. It was important for all of us toknow exactly how many bounty hunters were involved. We allinsisted on that. If Granta Omega had lied to us, wewouldn’t have been happy. Even Omega wouldn’t want beingslike Hunti Pereg and Mol Arcasite as enemies.”

Obi-Wan walked up. “It’s time to leave Ragoon-6.”

“The best word I ever heard,” Floria said with a shiver.Night was falling. Blue shadows smudged the snow.

Anakin swung himself aboard the cruiser. He searched thecockpit, then motioned to Obi-Wan.

“Master, I found something strange. This cruise belongs to-“

“Hunti Pereg,” Obi-Wan finished.

“Yes,” Anakin said. “But why is it up here, at the peak?Why isn’t it the last bounty hunter’s ship?”

“It is the last bounty hunter’s ship,” Obi-Wan said. “Thatbounty hunter was Hunti Pereg. I am sure of it.”

Anakin looked at him, puzzled. “Then who was the bountyhunter with the paralyzed legs?”

“It was not a bounty hunter. It was Granta Omega,” Obi-Wansaid softly.

Anakin was stunned . “How do you know?”

“Floria and Dane never met him, so they would not recognizehim,” Obi-Wan said. “Even so, he was in disguise. Thatsynth-flesh I took for repair of an injury was designed toconceal his face. I realize that now. He does not want usto know what he looks like because he plans to meet usagain.”

“So he wasn’t really paralyzed,” Anakin said.

“No,” Obi-Wan said. “that was also a ruse. He somehow knewthat Floria and Dane had lied to him. He knew they weretrying to trap him. So he came down to see for himself. Heneeded to be sure. When he saw us, he was.”

“But how would he know> We were wearing laser cuffs.”

“Young Padawan, if I can teach you only one thing, it isthis: Never underestimate an enemy. Or a friend. Now tellme. What did you think of the man you saw?”

Anakin thought back to the amiable bounty hunter with theparalyzed legs. “Not much,” he said. “I mean, I didn’t getmuch of a feeling from him one way or the other. I got nosense of the dark side. Or the living Force, either, forthat matter.”

“Exactly,” Obi-Wan said. “I have been thinking the same.There are beings that Jedi call voids. At first sight theyseem to give off no real energy, rather like a hologram.But only beings with great power can project a simple blankto a Jedi. Sometime a void can be much more dangerous thana person who pulses with the dark side of the Force. Theyare clever and Focused enough to hide their dark side, andhide it so well they can even hide it from a Jedi for atime.”

“I didn’t think Jedi could be tricked that way,” Anakinsaid.

“Jedi can be tricked, my young Padawan,” Obi-Wan said.”they can be wrong. They can make mistakes. Do not forgetthat. We try to minimize those things by following ourfeelings and connecting to the Force. Yet we are notinfallible. Now we must return to pick up Wren. Night iscoming.”