[Jedi Quest] - 05(24)

Obi-Wan’s mild amusement faded immediately. “No, I didn’t.”

“Didn’t Anakin contact you?”

“Our next scheduled communication isn’t until tonight, and I received no emergency signal. Are you sure about this?”

“Ferus contacted me via the emergency channel. I was on a mission and couldn’t answer for an hour. When I tried to reach him, he didn’t answer.”

“He never sent me a signal,” Obi-Wan said.

“I think something happened before he could,” Siri said. “His message was cut off. But he did say that Anakin was taking off on a mission with the secret squad. They’re going to conduct an air strike on the Andaran security transport landing platform.”

Obi-Wan stopped short. “What?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Of course not.” Obi-Wan was staggered by this news. He couldn’t absorb it. A Jedi was missing, and Anakin had not informed him? Anakin had agreed to take part in an air strike against a nonhostile planet? It seemed inconceivable.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “Was Anakin captured, or forced to leave with the squad?”

“No,” Siri said. “It was his own free will. Ferus was clear about that. He sounded worried about Anakin.”

Ferus was often worried about Anakin, Obi-Wan thought. He had noted that already. Ferus was concerned that Anakin would let down the Order in some way.

And so he had. Obi-Wan felt the betrayal like a hard blow to his stomach. He had trouble getting air. He struggled with his own emotions, surprised at the depth of them. He felt betrayed, he realized. Why hadn’t Anakin trusted him?

He swallowed. “Did Ferus know where Anakin was headed?”

“To leria. That’s all. And it’s a big planet.”

He wished Siri would look away. Her eyes had not left his face. Her gaze scorched him.

He had promised to watch over Ferus like his own Padawan. He had failed.

He had lost both Padawans. It was unthinkable. Yet here he was.

He did not know what to do. Whatever step he took could be the wrong one. And if he took the wrong one, he could lose one of them. Or both.

Obi-Wan’s thoughts whirled crazily. He could not focus.

“Let’s decide how to proceed,” Siri said crisply.

That was the way of the Jedi. Accept the mistake and move on. But Obi-Wan’s mind was a blank.

“We need to get into the school,” Siri said. “Ferus is still there. I feel it.”

The confusion cleared, and Obi-Wan remembered why he had come to Andara.

“I think Gillam is there, too,” he said. “But without Anakin and Ferus to help us, we can’t infiltrate the campus without being detected. We can’t come as Jedi. We can’t take the chance that someone will be watching. We must appear as though we belong there.”

“But how?” Siri asked. “Security there is incredibly tight. And we don’t look like students.”

“I have an idea,” Obi-Wan said.

Siri gave him a searching look. “I can tell I’m not going to like it.”

“You’re going to hate it,” Obi-Wan said.

“Your excellencies,” the president of the school said graciously. “How kind of you to consider the Leadership School for your son.”

Obi-Wan and Siri walked into the inner office. It had taken only minutes to contact Tyro for some fast false text docs.

“Thank you for seeing us on such short notice,” Obi-Wan said.

“The king and queen of Cortella are always welcome,” the president said. “Now, how old is your son?” “Thirteen,” Obi-Wan said.

“Eleven,” Siri said at the same time.

They looked at each other.

“Two sons,” Obi-Wan said quickly. “We have two. One for each of us,” he added heartily.

“I see. And you wish to enroll both?”

“No,” Siri said.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said at the same time.

“Remember, we talked about this, uh, dear?” Siri said, her eyes flashing a warning at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan tried not to smile. He couldn’t help enjoying how much Siri was hating this.

“Of course. But you agreed with me, as you always do,” he said.

Siri’s gaze flashed sparks at Obi-Wan, but the president could not see. Siri inclined her head haughtily. She hadn’t done much to change her appearance, merely slicked back her hair more severely, but she looked suddenly regal to Obi-Wan.

“Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the princes will both attend,” she said in a distant tone. “We must be assured, of course, that the school is up to the highest standard.”

“It must be suitable for our royal regal sons,” Obi-Wan said. Siri shot him a look that said, Let me handle this.