Part 8 (1/2)
35.”I know, I know. ” Anakin poked at his right collarbone, wincing. ”Don't worry. I'll be careful. ”
Sparking through the Force, sharp flashes of pain. With every appearance of casual, cousinly affection Obi-Wan let his hand drop to Anakin's shoulder and waited for the Force to show him the problem.
Stang. ”You've cracked it, ” he said. ”Best leave it alone. ”
Anakin gave him an amused look. ”Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi: Master Jedi by day, secret healer by night. Mysterious, elusive, a shadow who...”
”Very funny, ” he said, and tightened his fingers just a little bit. ”Cousin Markl. ”
”Ow, ow, ow, okay, ” said Anakin, sliding away. ”Point taken, Yavid. ”
He certainly hoped so. Anakin's fierce desire to defeat Durd might be admirable, but it could easily get them in trouble. For all his years of training, his recent war experience, and his newfound maturity, Anakin was still impetuous. Too often ruled by emotion.
Ahead of them stretched a line of long, low buildings. No windows in the back, just blank prefab walls and flat roofing. But before they could reach out with the Force to test for trouble they heard a low grumbling growl. Halting, they turned to look along the nearby cross street.
It was an old, dented groundcar running on buckled wheel rims-not a pa.s.senger vehicle but a working machine, cabin and broad, flat carry-tray combined. Its finish was dull and pitted, its windscreen missing entirely. Seeing two strangers, the woman driving it started in surprise, then slowed to a stop beside them.
”Who are you?” she demanded. She looked to be about Padme's age, maybe a year or two older, but far more weathered. One hand came off the groundcar's control yoke and slipped down beside her, as though she were reaching for a weapon.
Obi-Wan stepped forward and bowed. ”I am Yavid, once of Voteb. My young cousin Markl, this is. We're staying with Teeba Jaklin a few days. ”
”Oh, ” said the woman. Her reaching hand returned to the control yoke and her gaze, running up and down Anakin, warmed in the way that often happened when they met up with females of quite a few persuasions. ”Jaklin's hosting you?”
”She is, ” said Anakin. ”And we're to work in the mine later. All nodded at by Teeb Rikkard. You can ask. ”
The woman's dull brown hair was fastened in tiny knots, so it stood up on her skull like a husliki's b.u.mpy hide and left her face open to scrutiny. She smiled, revealing stubby little teeth. ”No need, Teeb. Who comes here to Torbel to cause mischief? n.o.body I know.
I'm Devi. I mostly work the power plant. I'll see you both around and about, most like. ”
”Devi...” said Obi-Wan, as the woman prepared to drive on. ”The charter house. Which way is it?”
”You want the charter house?” She was frowning again. ”Why?”
”Teeb Rikkard directed us there, ” Anakin said smoothly, treating Devi to his most dazzling smile. ”If you could tell us how to...”
”I'll do better, ” she said, melting anew. ”I'll take you. ” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. ”Climb on. ”
So they clambered onto the back of the groundcar and the woman Devi kicked the vehicle back into motion. Obi-Wan took advantage of their unexpected ride to slip once more beneath the surface of the Force, reaching out to feel for danger or a hint of what the future might hold. Beside him, Anakin followed suit. Good. Though his former apprentice's future- sensing tended toward the erratic-an ongoing frustration-his ability to read the moment was formidable. And these days, with the dark side clouding the Force everywhere they turned, oftentimes the moment was all the warning they had.
”No alarm bells ringing, ” Anakin murmured under the groundcar's grumble. ”You?”
”No, none. ” He gave a pleased nod. ”So far, so good. ”
As far as he could tell, theirs was the only groundcar on the move. Devi slowed and turned left down the wide street that led, eventually, out of the village. They pa.s.sed more men and a few women on foot, heading in the mine's direction. There were called 36 greetings, lots of waving hands. Next Devi turned right and there was the square: more beaten soil, no precious water wasted on greenery or gra.s.s, and lining one side of it a row of tiredly important buildings.
”The charter house, ” said Devi, pointing. ”Here's where I'll put you down, Teebs. It's testy Rikkard gets when the power plant's unattended for long. Temperamental it is, I'm sorry to say. ”
The groundcar rolled to a stop, and they eased themselves back to the street. ”Thank you, Devi, ” said Anakin, smiling. ”You've been a great help. ”
She shrugged, feigning indifference. ”There'll be no one in the charter house this early, mind. You'll have to wait for Teeba Brandeh to start her day and let you in. ”
”We don't mind, ” said Anakin. ”Being new here, we can look around until she comes. You have a fine village in Torbel. ”
”We do, ” said Devi, dimpling. ”Thinking to make it your home, are you?”
”You've guessed it, ” said Obi-Wan. ”If it turns out we suit each other. Devi, thank you. Please don't let us make you late to the plant. ”
”We'll see you again soon, I hope, ” Anakin added, with all his charm.
”You will, ” she said, and with a jaunty wave and a delighted little smile of her own left them beside the open square.
”Come on, ” said Obi-Wan, ignoring Anakin's grin. ”We don't have all day. ”
The charter house's once ornate but now shabby double doors were locked. Peering inside through one of the two front windows, Anakin nodded.
”The comm hub's there. We need to get inside. ”
”Well, then, what are you wai...”
Footsteps warned them that more villagers were approaching. In perfect unison they blurred themselves within the Force.
”Right, ” said Anakin, once it was safe to speak. ”One break and enter, coming up. ”
Watching Anakin manipulate the doors' tumble locks, Obi-Wan smothered a smile. Sometimes he thought his former apprentice would never outgrow his childish delight at playing with the Force. Using it to juggle fruit, pluck a comrade's lightsaber from her belt, float his precious little astromech droid upside down around a hangar bay-or, in this case, unlock a door. Hardly the proper use of Jedi powers, but he'd long since given up protesting. Anakin would have his fun, regardless... and besides, in these trying times it felt churlish to deny him a fleeting moment of levity.
The locked doors yielded, they slipped inside and found a modest room with a table and chairs ranged around it, shelves stacked with folders of flimsies, and more faded flimsies pinned to a notice board on the right-hand wall. The comm equipment, ranged against the back wall, appeared ominously old-fas.h.i.+oned.
Anakin scowled. ”I have a bad feeling about this. ”
”Now who's the pessimist?” he said, raising an eyebrow. ”Come on. Let's take a closer look. ”
”It's no good, ” Anakin said at last, frustrated. ”This thing's useless. Junk. No way does it have enough juice to punch a signal straight through to Coruscant. I'd say it practically fries its innards trying to reach the city. ” His fist struck the wall. ”Stang. ”
Arms folded, Obi-Wan sighed. ”Now, now, Anakin, let's not admit defeat quite so quickly. Surely we can do what we did before, and piggyback our signal onto an outgoing Separatist comm. I realize it won't be easy given our distance from Lantibba, but it is doable. ”
Anakin thought about it, then shook his head. ”Even if we managed to find the right signal to piggyback, I don't think this antique's got the power to maintain the connection all the way home. And if I boost its output I'll probably blow the hub. Resides, I don't fancy pulling my lightsaber apart. Not when it's the only weapon I've got. ”
Obi-Wan tugged at his beard. ”Do we know for certain that hooking a diatium power cell into the hub will burn out the equipment?”
37.”Obi-Wan, come on, ” Anakin retorted. ”Look at it. This hub gives antiques a bad name. There's a better-than-even chance it won't survive a diatium boost. Are you willing to risk it?”
No, he wasn't willing. Not only because they might need the comm hub later on, but because the loss of such vital equipment on the heels of two strangers appearing on their doorstep would inevitably raise the villagers' suspicions.
”We'll have to stow ourselves on board the damot.i.te convoy, ” he said, not at all pleased by the prospect. ”Let it take us back to the city. With luck we can hole up in our previous palatial residence and contact Yoda from there. ”
Anakin groaned. ”Except that means three more days stuck here. Obi-Wan, in three days Durd could be ready to launch his first attack. ”
He gave Anakin his steadiest look. ”I'm aware of that. But even if we were to head back to Lantibba right now, on foot it would take us longer than three days to get there. And with no food or water or hope of scrounging enough supplies...”