“Master… “
“It is the dark side of the Force, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “I’m picking it up, too. Ignore it.”
But Anakin couldn’t ignore it. There was something insistent about the voices. Something that urged him to answer. Although the feeling made him anxious, he also wanted to face it. He wanted to get to the root of this dark power… to match himself against it… to prove, once and for all, that he was as strong as it was.
CHAPTER SIX
Obi-Wan stopped outside the small cafŠ. It fit the coordinates he was given, but still he hesitated. Was it even open? The cafŠ was small, dingy, and in serious disrepair. Half of the roof was caving in. It was a wonder anyone would go inside at all.
“What is it, Master?” Anakin asked.
“Teluron Thacker is a prosperous businessman,” Obi-Wan said. “Why would he frequent this kind of place?”
“You think it’s a trap?”
“I’m not getting a warning. But still…” Obi-Wan shook his head. The problem was the energy on this planet. Dark waves buffeted him from every side. It was like swimming in an evil sea. All that darkness made it hard to distinguish what was a true threat.
“It could just be a case of not wanting to be seen with us,” Siri pointed out. “One of us should go in first to check it out.”
“I’ll go.” Anakin and Ferus spoke the words together.
“I will.” The words came from Ry-Gaul. He strode forward, pushed open the rusty metal door, and disappeared inside. No doubt Ry-Gaul’s height and size would serve to deter anyone who wanted to challenge him.
The rest of them waited, every second wearing on their nerves. Finally Ry-Gaul emerged and said, “He’s there. All clear.”
They followed Ry-Gaul into the cafŠ. Apparently the sagging roof scared off customers, for only one man sat inside, at a table near the door. He hugged a mug with one hand and kept his eyes darting from the door to the roof, as if expecting it to crash down at any moment.
Teluron Thacker was a tall humanoid with pale skin and the soft look of a being used to spending time indoors, sitting down. He greeted the Jedi with a nervous nod and drew his red cape around his body.
“Thank you for seeing us,” Obi-Wan said.
“The Jedi helped my home world of Eeyyon,” Thacker said. “I pledged to help whenever I could.”
“How do you find yourself on Korriban?” Siri asked.
“Just lucky I guess,” Thacker groaned. “I angered my boss. Such a little thing, but she was so touchy. So I didn’t check references and the deal went bad. What’s a few million credits? The next thing I know, I get handed an assignment to open an office on Korriban.” Thacker shuddered. “I haven’t slept through the night since.”
Obi-Wan signaled to the bartender to bring a round of drinks. In such a place, it was better to place an order, even though he wouldn’t touch anything they were pouring. He waited until the bartender slammed down a pot of grog that slopped over the rim, then dropped a pile of not-too clean mugs onto the table.
Thacker leaned over and whispered. “I wouldn’t drink that if I were you.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Siri said. “What can you tell us about the two beings we’re pursuing?”
“Only that they are here,” Thacker said. “A human man and woman have been seen. They match the descriptions perfectly. I checked the one hotel and several guest houses, and they aren’t registered.”
“They wouldn’t use their real names,” Obi-Wan said. “Did you give descriptions?”
“Well, I said a man and a woman, traveling together,” Thacker said.
“Did you try anything else? Is there a database for arrivals and departures?”
Thacker shook his head. “Nobody really keeps track.”
“Have you looked into whether any businesses here are a cover for Omega’s enterprises?” Obi-Wan asked.
“Well, no,” Thacker said. “Naturally I want to help the Jedi. But it is not wise to ask too many questions on Korriban.”
“Why?” This question came from Ry-Gaul, and it stopped Thacker in his tracks.
“Uh, because.” Thacker shrugged. “Because that’s what everyone says.”
Obi-Wan exchanged an exasperated glance with Siri. It was clear that Thacker wasn’t going to be much help. He was too intimidated by even the rumor of possible problems.
“I should warn you about something. You know that the Commerce Guild has its own army? Well, there’s a division here,” Thacker said. “They say it’s out of necessity, to protect the business workers from petty crime. But spider and surveillance droids are everywhere. If Omega and Zan Arbor have any contacts in the Commerce Guild, they could have access to all the surveillance information. Which means they could see everything.”