“It’s a risk worth taking,” Anakin said. Obi-Wan was glad to hear that there was not the usual edge in his voice. Anakin was disagreeing with Ferus. That was usual. But he was doing it without resentment. That was good.
Their adventure together had brought Anakin and Ferus closer. Obi-Wan didn’t delude himself that they were friends. But he did think something had changed.
He kept only half his attention on the argument, letting the words of the others wash over him. With the other half of his mind, he was flipping through the holofile he’d copied at Zan Arbor’s. He had read every word of the uncoded files, enough to tell that she was planning a new operation, this time with partners. Everything depends upon secrecy and speed.
The rest of the files were coded, and he had tried the most difficult formulas he knew to break the code. He had called for help from the Temple and had worked with one of their codebreakers. No luck.
Siri was hanging back, letting the two apprentices discuss the situation. It was good for them to do so, and they were doing it well.
“If we help them, we will be actively supporting an overthrow of power on a planet,” Ferus said. “We have no Senate authorization to do so.”
“We are not the ones overthrowing Teda,” Anakin objected. “And the citizens of Romin are suffering. If we can help them and achieve our mission, why shouldn’t we?”
“Because it can get out of control,” Ferus argued.
“Joylin can surprise us. We don’t know anything about this resistance movement. We don’t know who they are or what they want, apart from overthrowing Teda.”
“They are an established resistance group,” Siri broke in. “I contacted Jocasta Nu to ask about them. They have been put down in brutal reprisals, but the movement has been growing steadily in response to Teda’s crackdowns. Madame Nu believes there may be support within Teda’s government as well. They, too, are tired of living in fear. Teda’s prisons are notorious and overcrowded, and you earn a harsh sentence if you displease him. She would not be surprised if many in the army desert. Many of them have families who live outside the wall. They know firsthand the misery and poverty there.”
“You see?” Anakin said. “Joylin and his group are fighting for justice. As we are. We can help them and bring Zan Arbor back to the prison world. You’re making this complicated, Ferus. It isn’t.”
I’m making this too complicated, Obi-Wan thought. It isn’t.
He thought for a moment, remembering Zan Arbor’s primary obsession. He keyed it in as a password: The Force.
The files opened like the motion-sensor doors at the Warm Welcome Inn on Coruscant. One after the other they flashed code accepted. Obi-Wan accessed the first file. The voices of the others faded as he began to scroll through the information.
A chill ran over him, even though the night was warm. The letters pulsed before his eyes. A name he hadn’t expected to see. Yet shouldn’t he have been prepared for it? Wouldn’t Zan Arbor naturally gravitate toward the most powerful criminal in the galaxy, one with the wealth and organization to help her with any scheme she might devise? Or had he contacted her, the one scientist brilliant and amoral enough to join with him? Didn’t they share the obsession with the Force and how it worked?
Granta Omega.
A copy of a message, a profuse thank you from Zan Arbor for Omega’s hosting of their first meeting.
A quick message saying she had to evacuate the Vanqor system and would be in touch.
A confirmation of their next meeting, in which she alluded to their shared interest in the Force.
Another letter, promising to destroy all written records of their correspondence, a promise that of course she had not kept, possibly as security.
Obi-Wan flipped through the next file. The two of them were careful. They never said exactly what they were planning. Yet it was clear the operation would take place on a large planet in the Core. It would net them not only wealth, but influence.
Siri’s voice broke through his thoughts.
“I’ve listened to you both very carefully, as has Obi-Wan,” she said, shooting him a chastising look, for it was clear to her that he hadn’t been paying attention in the least. “You both make valid points. We must make a decision, however. I think we should go ahead and help Joylin’s group. Obi-Wan?”
“There is another factor we must consider,” Obi-Wan said. “These files indicate that Zan Arbor is in league with Granta Omega.”
“Omega!” Anakin exclaimed in surprise.
Siri and Ferus suddenly became grave. They all knew that these two powerful criminal minds could do more than double the damage if they became partners.