Part 18 (1/2)

”Hmmph. ” Sufi looked down at Bohle. ”You can do this again?”

76.Ob, may the force give me strength. ”I will do it as often as I need to, Teeba. ”

”You're leaving, you said. ”

”You'll be safer if we go. But in between now and then?” Obi-Wan stared around the sick house, at the cots burdened with the injured.

”What skills I have are yours to use. ”

Teeba Brandeh snorted, sounding like Yoda. ”Then apply them to Arrad, Jedi. He's in need of your help. ”

Yes, Arrad was. He had broken bones and split, spoiled muscle and some kind of growing pressure on his brain. Seated beside the young man's cot, Obi-Wan felt his courage falter. Oh, Vokara Che. Inspire me. Master. And then, reaching for his dwindling reserves of strength, he plunged himself deeply into the Force.

Watching Obi-Wan drag himself back to awareness, Anakin felt a rising fear. Only trained healers were supposed to work on injuries like Arrad's, and they were meant to use special crystals so they could safely contain and focus their energy. Two experienced healers on the war's front line had crippled themselves doing what his mentor was trying to do now.

What were you thinking, Obi-Wan? This isn't your job.

Beside him, Teeb Rikkard hugged his ribs in silent distress. On his other side Teeba Jaklin rocked on her heels.

At long last, Obi-Wan opened his eyes.

”My son, ” said Rikkard, pus.h.i.+ng forward. ”How is my son? Will he live? Have you healed him?”

Obi-Wan dragged a shaking hand down his face and nodded. ”Yes, Teeb. He'll live. He's not mended entirely-his broken bones are still knitting. But the wound in his head is dealt with, and the bleeding in his belly. ” He took a deep breath and let it out hard. ”He must stay quiet with Teeba Sufi awhile yet. ”

The Teeba came forward with scissors and fresh bandages. ”I'll see he does-Teeb Ken.o.bi. ”

Obi-Wan stood, not quite steady. ”Is there anyone else here you think is in danger?”

Anakin opened his mouth to protest, but Obi-Wan raised a silencing hand. Teeba Sufi's frowning gaze traveled over the other occupied cots.

”No, ” she said. ”There's pain and little rest, but no death due the others. Not that I can see. ” She looked Obi-Wan up and down.

”You've done enough. It's rest you need. ”

”Soon, ” said Obi-Wan. ”Teeb Rikkard...”

Rikkard was hovering over Arrad. ”What?”

”I must ask you to step outside for a moment, with myself and Anakin and Teeba Jaklin. ”

”No. This is my boy, ” Rikkard protested. In the sick house's dull lighting his face was drawn so tight it looked close to tearing. All his knotted scars shone with oil and dirt and sweat. ”I'll not leave him. ”

”I'm sorry, Teeb, you must, ” said Obi-Wan. Even exhausted, his voice snapped with authority. ”It's village business and you're the head miner. ”

Sufi patted Rikkard's bowed shoulder. ”I'll sit with him, Teeb. If he stirs I'll call you. ”

”Please, Rikkard, ” Teeba Jaklin said. ”I can't decide for Torbel on my own. That's not right. ”

Resentful, Rikkard shrugged Sufi away. ”Don't keep me from him long, Teeb Yavid. Or whatever you call yourself. ”

Anakin stared at him. ”Teeb Rikkard, you could keep a civil tongue. Master Ken.o.bi just saved your son's life. ”

”Anakin, ” Obi-Wan murmured. ”Don't. His tone doesn't matter. ”

77.It did, but he could argue the point later. Leaving the sick to the care of Teeba Sufi and Teeba Brandeh, they withdrew to the street outside the sick house. Torbel had quieted a lot in the past hour. Flickering lights in the distance spoke of families sheltering in their homes. The mine was emptied. No one walked or drove through the village. The low-throated hum of the generators was the only constant sound. Beyond the plasma s.h.i.+eld the theta storm continued to lash them, an odd light building behind its reddish orange glow.

Dawn. The air trapped inside the s.h.i.+eld was still tainted with smoke. Still poisoned. Coughing, Anakin tried not to think about that.

”What d'you want to say, Jedi?” Rikkard demanded. ”Spit the words out and leave us be. ”

Obi-Wan didn't answer him. ”Anakin. The power plant? It's stable? And the generators-you're confident no more will blow?”

Confident? Now, that was a bold word. He'd spent the last hour with Rikkard and Devi working like a crazy man to sh.o.r.e up every circuit, every relay, every diode interface and every plasma conduit and junction. Torbel's power plant made Mos Espa's look sophisticated. How these people managed to survive out here had become a constant source of amazement to him.

”Devi and Teeb Rikkard say the plant's holding steady enough, ” he said cautiously. ”I agree. I don't think we'll have another power surge. And we couldn't find another faulty s.h.i.+eld generator. Provided the storm doesn't last much longer...”

”There's no knowing when it'll stop, ” said Jaklin. ”It'll pa.s.s when it pa.s.ses. Could lie hours. Could be days. ”

Great. ”Don't worry. We'll keep the plant running somehow. ”

”So, ” said Rikkard, rubbing his eyes. ”You're Jedi. And what does that mean for Torbel? Can you save us from the government when it learns we can't supply it with enough damot.i.te?”

”No, ” said Obi-Wan. ”And we can't be found here when the convoy comes. But before we leave, we need to send a message to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. ”

Rikkard and Jaklin stared at them. ”Our comm hub isn't strong enough to punch a signal that far, ” Jaklin said, hostile. ”It's not even strong enough to reach the nearest HoloNet relay. ”

”That's all right, ” said Obi-Wan. ”We have the means to boost the signal. But-we'll probably blow your hub doing it. ”

”Are you mad?” Rikkard demanded. ”Cut us off from Lantibba? From help, if we need it?”

Jaklin was shaking her head. ”You can't expect us to say yes to that. ”

”It's said the Jedi are arrogant, ” Rikkard growled. ”Seems to me that's a reputation well deserved. ”

”Excuse us a moment, would you?” said Anakin, and tugged Obi-Wan aside.

”Anakin...”

He lowered his voice. ”We have to tell them about the damot.i.te. About what it's being used for. ”

”No, ” said Obi-Wan. ”It's too dangerous. ”

”Obi-Wan, we have to. It's the only way to get them on our side. ” He glanced at Rikkard and Jaklin. She had her hand on his arm, close to shaking him, and his worry for Arrad shouted in the Force. ”Do you think we can't trust them?”

”I think they don't need to know, ” said Obi-Wan. ”They have burdens enough. ”

”Maybe, but we don't have the luxury of sparing them, ” he retorted. ”Chances are our only hope of stopping Durd is with an all-out a.s.sault on this planet before the barve can s.h.i.+p his bioweapon offworld. Are you really going to put these people's feelings ahead of that?”