Yet Anakin knew that Obi-Wan might run into surprises on Nierport Seven. He might find a clue he had to pursue immediately. He might not have time to send for Anakin. He could be left behind after all.
There was nothing he could do about it, however. The turbolift doors opened and Anakin stepped out, carried along with the crowd for a few steps until he broke away. The sun was rising now, the pink rays flashing on the cruisers in the space lanes and the buildings surrounding him.
He chose the least crowded walkway, the one that would bring him down the center of the fountains that lined one quadrant of the Senate complex. The coolness of the water freshened the air. He felt the droplets hit his skin. His weariness lifted, and he began to think about the morning meal ahead of him at the Temple.
A man sat on the edge of the fountain, his face lifted toward the spray. Then he turned and saw Anakin and waved.
For a moment, Anakin couldn’t place him. Then he realized it was Tic Verdun, one of the scientists from Haariden. Verdun was now dressed in a cloak made of deep blue veda cloth. He looked completely different from the weary scientist he had met on Haariden.
“I’m so glad to see you!” Tic said, hurrying toward Anakin. “At this exact moment I was thinking of you. I didn’t want to be forward, but I was wishing I could go to the Temple and inquire about the young girl.”
“Darra will be fine,” Anakin said. “The blaster bolts carried a chemical compound, but the medics were able to find the antidote.”
“That’s good news,” Tic said warmly. “I will see the others at the hearing, and they’ll be happy to hear it, too. We’ve submitted our final report and now we have to answer questions from the committee.” He sighed. “Too bad the expedition ended badly. We didn’t get to do the experiments on Haariden that we hoped. We could have put a stop to that bloody civil war if we had.”
“How?” Anakin asked.
“The two tribes are fighting over possible titanite deposits,” Tic explained. “If we had found exactly where the titanite was and how much there was, the Senate might have been able to come up with a plan to divide it equally. Instead, the two tribes are fighting over something that might not even exist.”
“That’s too bad,” Anakin said.
Tic nodded, discouraged. “The worst part of it is, there was another scientist on Haariden who was also conducting experiments. If we could talk to him, maybe he had found out more. But nobody can seem to locate him.”
“Another scientist? Who?” Anakin asked.
“Granta Omega,” Tic Verdun said. “We ran into him on Haariden.”
“You mean you know him?” Anakin asked, amazed.
Tic nodded. “Not well. But I’ve met him several times.” He noted the interest on Anakin’s face. “Why do you ask?”
“Because we’re looking for him,” Anakin said. “The Jedi would like to talk to him, too.”
“Popular fellow.” Tic frowned. “You know, I’m here on Coruscant with a group of friends. Some of them are scientists, some involved in business. We’re having a kind of reunion . Most of them know Omega, too. Or they’ve met him, at least. Maybe if we put our heads together, we could come up with a lead for you. There’s a chance we could know things you don’t know.”
“That wouldn’t be hard,” Anakin said ruefully. “We don’t know much.”
“I’ll talk to them and see if I can come up with anything,” Tic said. “They would be happy to help the Jedi, I am sure.”
Anakin agreed enthusiastically. He said good-bye to Tic and hurried toward the Temple. He wouldn’t contact Obi-Wan about this, he decided. Not yet. First he would compile information.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if he were to be the one to find Granta Omega?
CHAPTER TEN
Nierport Seven was within the Core, but its desolation reminded Obi-Wan of an Outer Rim planet. It was a cold, barren moon with only one small settlement. Nierport’s meager vegetation appeared to be a wild bush with red thorns well over a meter long. It was said the bushes bloomed with beautiful violet flowers in the summer, but the summer only lasted a month. The rest of the year was numbingly cold and bleak. The buildings were built with thick blocks of stone designed to keep out the cold wind.
Nierport Seven was one of seven moons in a small system that was notable only because it was a convenient refueling stop on the way to Coruscant. Most of the intragalactic travelers chose to refuel on the planet Eeropha, which at least had several small cities. But Nierport Seven was able to support a refueling stop of its own and a few small guesthouses, all serving the kind of pilots who could not afford to scrounge up even the low prices Eeropha charged.