Part 33 (2/2)
”An a.s.sault the plan was, when the element of surprise we had, ” Yoda said. ”That advantage we have lost. Senator. ”
”He's right, Padme, ” said Bail, turning to her. ”In the time it would take the battle group to get past Grievous, you can bet Durd would s.h.i.+ft his location. Maybe even escape Lanteeb entirely, with enough stockpiled bioweapon to slaughter half the Republic. Our best hope now is a stealth job. ”
”Anakin and Obi-Wan were meant to he a stealth job, and look how well that turned out!” she retorted. ”Master Yoda, are you seriously suggesting we should trust this Bant'ena Fhernan? She's already betrayed us once. What makes you think she won't betray us again?”
Her concern was reasonable, but... ”Risk her life to tell us of Bespin she did, Senator. Need to do that she did not. Tell us that Obi-Wan and young Skywalker still live she did, and asked us to help them. Treacherous does that sound to you, hmm? Also, know now she does that saved by the Jedi were her family and friends. A reason to trust us she has, to repay that debt, wouldn't you say?”
”I suppose so, ” she muttered. ”But what you're proposing-it's terribly risky. ”
”Risky it is, yes, ” he said gravely. ”But our only chance it might be, to avert widespread disaster and save our two missing Jedi. ”
Padme exchanged looks with Bail, then nodded. ”All right. Not that you need my permission, but all right. So Bail, while you're working with Master Yoda on this new plan, I'll keep pus.h.i.+ng forward with the negotiations for a civilian fleet. Because if your friend Tryn has an epiphany in the next few hours we're going to want those extra s.h.i.+ps standing by just in case. ”
Still slowly pacing, Yoda smiled at the floor. Did they know how the Force worked within them, these two brave Senators? Could they feel even a hint of it, as he felt it in full flood? He thought not.
”Agreed, ” said Bail. ”Only...” He was frowning again. ”Master Yoda, are you going to tell Palpatine what we're doing?”
139.
Yoda stopped pacing. ”Think that I should, do you?”
”I want to say yes, ” said Bail. ”But honestly... ”
”Need to know he does not, Senator, ” he said firmly. ”Jedi business this is. Jedi business also the liberation of Lanteeb is. Problems enough with Chandrila and the Senate does our Supreme Chancellor have. Pleased he will be when resolved this crisis is. Care not, that bothered with details he was not. ” He smiled again, a little wickedly. ”Besides-permission he gave you to pursue other solutions, did he not? Hmm?”
Bail almost smiled back. ”Well. Yes. I suppose he did. ” Then he looked to Padme, worried that she would object. But if she had any reservations, she kept them to herself.
After escorting the Senators to Bail's waiting speeder, Yoda went in search of Taria Damsin. He found her in an empty dojo, lightsaber training with a remote.
”A mission?” Her tawny eyes glowed like banked fires. ”We're going to rescue Obi-Wan and Anakin? Master Yoda, of course I'm in.
You don't even have to ask. ”
”Rescue your primary objective will not be, ” he said sternly. ”Destruction of the bioweapon facility on Lanteeb your most important task is. ”
”Oh, ” she said. ”Yes, Master. I understand. ”
He searched her face. Searched the Force for any sense that she was the wrong person for this crucial undertaking. Sensing that, she dropped to her knees before him.
”Master Yoda, I swear on my oath as a Jedi. I can do this. I won't let you down. ”
A sudden flash of Force insight. Yes. She was the right person-a brilliant shadow. One of the best the Temple had ever known. She could do this, and she would not let him down. But the price she would pay... the terrible price...
”It doesn't matter, ” she said, seeing her future in his face. ”Nothing matters but making a difference. Please, Master Yoda. Don't change your mind. Not now. ”
Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and bowed his head. What did the Force want? How did it guide him? He waited, and waited... and his answer came.
”Walk with me, Taria, ” he said, full of grief to come. ”And explain I will the details of your mission. ”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
”Liar!” Shouted Teeba Jaklin. ”You're a liar, Ken.o.bi! You and your friend. You mind-tricked us into believing we'd be safe and now look where we are-trapped and starving. And you expect us to trust you again?”
Returned with Anakin to the square, no matter where Obi-Wan looked he saw frightened, unfriendly faces. The handful of villagers who hadn't fallen victim to greensickness crowded close around him and Anakin, their courage defeated by hunger and terror. Durd's droid army was quiescent for the moment- but the strain of waiting for the bombardment to start again was almost as bad as enduring hour after hour of blasterfire.
Jaklin's bloodshot eyes were full of tears. Shame and rage consumed her. She was shouting at him, but she blamed herself for every ill that had befallen her village, and nothing he could say or do would change that.
Nevertheless, he had to try.
”Jaklin, we're not lying, ” he said, willing her to believe him. ”The help we hoped for has arrived. All we have to do is hold on a little longer. Our people will come. ”
”When?” she demanded, as the other villagers s.h.i.+fted and jostled and muttered their disbelief. ”And where are they?” Jeeringly she stabbed a pointed finger toward the ceiling of the storm s.h.i.+eld, ”Up there? In s.p.a.ce? They can't help us in s.p.a.ce, Jedi. They can't help us at all. ”
140.
”Jaklin, they can, ” said Anakin. ”I promise. Don't give up hope now. We're so close. ”
”Yes, close to our deaths!” she spat. ”Because Rikkard is a sentimental fool and I was a fool to let him sway me. ”
Obi-Wan took a step toward her, his hands raised. ”Teeba, please. Remember why we're doing this-we want to stop Lok Durd. We want to prevent him from using his bioweapon against innocent people. ”
” We're innocent people, ” she said, her glare savage. ”When are you going to start caring about us?”
”He does care!” Anakin said angrily. ”Would he be killing himself in your sick house, trying to heal the wounded and ill, if he didn't?
We both care, Jaklin. But giving up when we're so close to winning? That's crazy. That's your fear talking, Teeba. You need to shut it up before it gets everyone killed. ”
Obi-Wan heard more furious muttering from the crowd of villagers, felt a sharper edge of danger in the air. He touched Anakin's arm, drawing him aside. ”Don't, ” he said softly. ”The ice is very thin. We tread lightly or we fall. ”
Frustrated, Anakin nodded. ”Fine. But if you're going to negotiate us out of this, you'd better do it fast. I need to get back to the s.h.i.+eld generators. ”
The s.h.i.+eld generators... the power plant... the ailing villagers in the sick house... no matter where they turned there was a crisis demanding their attention.
Obi-Wan looked again at Jaklin. Hear me. Please, you have to hear me. ”Teeba, I can't tell you precisely what's happening above Lanteeb right now. The Force hasn't shown me. But I can tell you what I feel-what I know-to be true. There are Jedi trying to help us, but the Separatists are blocking them. That's why they're not here yet. ”
”Then what good are they?” cried Jaklin, rousing her fellow villagers to loud agreement. ”They might as well have stayed at home!”
”Jaklin...” Gently, he took her by the shoulders. ”I have been fighting this war since before it officially began. In these past months I have watched more friends die than I thought was possible and I have seen atrocities you can't even imagine. For every life I've saved, I've failed to save another. We're trapped in a nightmare and there are days, so many days, when I think I'll never wake. But...”
She shook free of him, trembling. ”Torbel's nightmare is of your making, Jedi. You came here. You brought this terror to us. And now...”
”And now Anakin and I are doing our best to save you from it, ” he said. ”But we can't do it alone. Jaklin, I'm not lying. ” Looking at the close-pressed circle of frightened villagers surrounding them, he raised his voice. ”I swear to you, on my life: I am not lying. Help has come to Lanteeb and it will come to Torbel just as soon as it can. ”
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