The Fight for Truth(21)

Students spilled out into the hall to see what had caused the disturbance. 0-Bin and several other Teaching Guides hurried out, dressed in their sleepwear.

“I know these two well,” O-Bin said. “What are you doing out in the hallways after curfew?”

A shaky voice came from behind them. “It was me.”

They turned. Davi stood nervously, his eyes on the floor, afraid to look at 0-Bin.

“I was heading for the food prep area,” Davi said. “I… forgot something.”

“I’ll say he did!” V-Tarz hurried forward. “He left all the stoves on! Tripped the sensors!”

0-Bin plastered her chiding smile on her face. “This is very careless of you, V-Davi. We will have to consult to figure out how many punishment marks you will receive.”

“I know,” Davi mumbled. “I realize that I endangered the General Good. I am repentant.”

“Well. We shall discuss this tomorrow.” O-Bin clapped her hands. “Everyone return to your quarters.”

Amid the crush of students, Obi-Wan and Siri made their way to Davi.

“Why did you do that?” Siri whispered.

“I don’t have as many punishment marks as you,” Davi whispered back.

“Davi, why are you wearing your boots and outer tunic?” Obi-Wan asked shrewdly.

“I saw you leave,” Davi said. “I knew you were going to escape. I wanted to come with you!”

“V-Davi!” O-Bin’s voice was shrill. “If you want .to repent for your disobedience, you should not be talking to two troublemakers!”

With a last glance at them, Davi backed up. But suddenly something shot out of his pocket. Obi-Wan knew immediately what it was: Davi’s pet ferbil, Scurry. Davi would not leave the Learning Circle without his pet.

“What is that?” 0-Bin snapped. “Catch it!”

Davi went down on his hands and knees. He made a chirping noise with his mouth and cupped his hands. The ferbil ran into his palm.

“That,” 0-Bin said, “is a pet.”

Davi said nothing. His face flamed.

“It’s just a little ferbil,” Siri said.

“Two punishment marks, 0-Siri. I was not talking to you. V-Tarz!”

V-Tarz rumbled forward. “Please search V-Davi’s dorm area,” 0-Bin ordered.

Obi-Wan and Siri followed. While the students stood around, it did not take V-Tarz long

to find two iridescent lizards, another baby fer-bil, and a bag of seeds.

O-Bin pressed her lips together. “What do we say, students?”

All the students faced Davi.

“SHAME. SHAME. SHAME,” they repeated over and over.

“Take … those … things,” O-Bin told V-Tarz, her teeth clenched in a smile. “And get rid of them.”

V-Tarz scooped up the lizards and put both ferbils in his pocket.

“No! “Davi cried. “Please…”

“SHAME. SHAME. SHAME.”

Inside V-Tarz’s pocket, the ferbils chirped anxiously.

Davi’s eyes filled. Tears slowly dripped down his cheeks. “Please,” he whispered.

As soon as the lights powered up the next morning, Obi-Wan hurried to Davi’s sleep couch to give him words of encouragement. They would find a way out. They would take him with them.

But Davi was gone.

Qui-Gon and Adi hid behind a low wall, their eyes on the high security building that housed the CIP. Nen had brought them through several checkpoints, but he was not authorized to enter the building. It was up to them to get past the guards.

“We cannot attack any Keganite,” Adi murmured. “We must use the Force to bypass security.”

“There is only one guard,” Qui-Gon said. “It should be easy. Kegan is not used to unlawful activity.”

They rose from their hiding place and strolled toward the guard.

“Greetings,” Qui-Gon said. “V-Tan and 0-Vieve have sent us here to observe. You will be happy to let us pass through.”

“I am happy to let you pass through,” the

guard said, succumbing to the mind trick and waving them through the doorway.

Once they were inside, Qui-Gon and Adi quickly found the Central Instruction Processor. Adi’s fingers flew at the keyboard as she entered a series of contradictory instructions.

“This should send them all to landing sites,” she said. “I don’t want them to crash in a populated area. This program should confuse the tech personnel and give us time.”

“How long?” Qui-Gon asked.

Adi’s eyes never left the data screen. “Hard to say. It should give us at least two hours. Maybe three. They aren’t technologically advanced, so it could take them a while.”

“I don’t want another night to fall without finding our Padawans,” Qui-Gon said grimly.