[Jedi Quest] - 05(32)

Suddenly the laser cannons from the starfighter on his right began to fire. Gillam had slipped inside the cockpit.

Anakin did not lose his sense of frozen time. He was the master of time. He did not worry about the laser cannons any more than he’d worried about the attack droids. It all seemed so easy. He seemed to see the fire before it came, and he knew how to move to avoid it. His movements were like shimmersilk, so fluid it was as though he did not have muscles and bones, only will.

Now his Master was here. He could feel that, too. But he did not need him.

He spun in midair, taking out two battle droids while he leaped through the laser cannonfire straight at the cockpit of the starfighter. With one backward slash he took out the final droid. He had a flash of Gillam’s shocked face as he cut through the windscreen with one slice. With one hand, he threw Gillam out of the pilot’s seat and then dropped into it. He turned off the engines and disabled the laser cannons.

Siri and Ferus stood, lightsabers drawn, guarding Rolai, Marit, Hurana, Tulah, and Ze. Obi-Wan had captured Rana Halion.

Across the space, he looked at his Master. He waited for Obi-Wan to acknowledge him. The mission was over. He had been successful. He had found Gillam and thwarted an invasion.

He waited, standing in the cockpit, looking down. He could feel the flush of triumph on his cheeks. Siri glanced at him, as did Ferus. He could see the astonishment on their faces. But his Master never looked up.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN


Never had Obi-Wan seen such a display of the Force from a Padawan. From the great Jedi Masters, yes. From Qui-Gon, near the end of his life. But from someone so young? Anakin’s power astonished him. He had glimpsed it before, but now he had seen it unfurl, and it staggered him.

He had not had a chance to move, to help. Anakin had been a blur. He had seemed to be everywhere at once. He had destroyed ten attack droids, disarmed his aggressors, and disabled two laser cannons without hesitation, with even a slight smile on his face.

He could see that Siri and Ferus had been just as astonished at Anakin’s deep connection to the Force, the way he had seemed to know what was going to happen before it happened, the way he was able to dodge fire before it occurred. Astonished, yes - and disturbed.

Unease settled into Obi-Wan’s bones, joining his disappointment and the anger he had tried to eliminate from his heart. To have a Padawan so gifted who was capable of being so wrong - it was his gift to be able to teach him. It was his burden as well.

At first he could not even look at Anakin. He had to concentrate on the matter at hand.

Rana Halion tried to glide away from him, but with a lifted lightsaber he stopped her. “How dare you!” she cried. “I assure you, I have no idea what this renegade band is doing here. My security team alerted me that there was a breakin and I arrived to see a battle.” Her eyes swept the secret squad as if she had never seen them before.

“And why did you send in droids to attack a Jedi?” Siri asked.

“How ridiculous. I didn’t know there was a Jedi here,” Rana Halion said. “We sent in the droids because it is the usual procedure when there is a security breach.”

The girl called Marit raised her chin and fixed Rana with a contemptuous stare. “She is lying,” she said. “About everything. I’m not a student anymore, but I can see I’ve learned my first real lesson today. Betrayals are the way the galaxy works.” She looked at Anakin.

He shook his head at her, as if to apologize. “I believed in what you believed,” he said.

“Then you were as foolish as I was,” Marit said softly.

“You’ll take her word over mine?” Rana Halion huffed.

“This is a matter for the Senate to sort out,” Siri said. “These students will testify, no doubt. They’ve already been expelled, so they’ll certainly be available.”

“Expelled? I don’t think so,” Gillam said. “I want to talk to my father!”

“Your father might not want to talk to you after he discovers that you were trying to set him up for murder,” Obi-Wan said.

“Who told such lies?” Gillam asked. “I barely escaped my captors with my life. She kidnapped me!” he shrilled, pointing at Rana Halion.

“You scrawny brat!” Rana cried.

Ferus held up Gillam’s datapad. “You might want to reconsider what you’re saying, Gillam. Do you recognize this?”

Gillam went pale, but only for a moment. “I don’t know what he’s talking about. I don’t even know him. I’ve never seen that datapad. He’s just another jealous student, no doubt.”

“No, he is a Jedi,” Siri said.