Part 42 (1/2)
Feeling the sluggish flow of her blood, Taria unfolded from her stretch. ”Sufi, I know he wouldn't. So isn't it a good thing I don't answer to him?”
”He'll be cross, ” said the little girl, Greti, whose startling presence in the Force shouted to be noticed. ”p.r.i.c.kly he is, when he's cross.
p.r.i.c.kly. Taria grinned. ”He can p.r.i.c.kle at me all he likes. Won't make a blind hit of difference. ”
Teeba Sufi and the child exchanged looks.
170.
”Truly, ” she added, and slipped the activated comlink into her bodysuit's thigh pocket. ”There's no need to fret. I've known Obi-Wan my whole life, almost. If he's cross with me, well, it won't be the first time. ”
Greti looked ready to argue. Then she changed her mind, and instead turned suddenly shy. ”Teeba... ”
Taria dropped to a crouch before her. ”Yes, Greti?”
”Your hair, ” said the girl. ”It's-pretty, it is. ”
Xenophobic, Senator Organa had called the people of Lanteeb. Rigidly prejudiced against anyone different.
”I expect it takes a little getting used to, doesn't it?” Taria said softly, and with a glance included Teeba Sufi. ”I don't suppose you've ever seen hair this color before. ”
Teeba Sufi's face was stiff. ”No. ”
”It's just hair. Underneath it, I'm the same as you. ”
”No, you're not, ” said Greti, shaking her head. ”Underneath it, you're a Jedi. ”
There was a deep, aching regret in the child's voice. Looking at her, Taria realized Greti understood she was trapped here. For a moment she was furious with Obi-Wan, for waking the girl's potential when he knew he'd have to leave her behind. And then she sighed.
He did what he had to. I can't blame him for that.
Standing, she looked at Sufi. ”I have to go. Stay inside. No matter what you hear-don't leave this sick house. Not unless there's an order. ”
Sufi reached for the child and pulled her close. ”We won't. ”
”What about Bohle?” Greti protested.
”Her mam, ” said Sufi. ”I'll send for her, Greti. Let the Teeba be about her business now. ”
With a smile and a touch to Greti's cheek, Taria left them. Outside, the square was alive with some thirty of the healthiest villagers learning the rudiments of blaster firing and how to throw what looked like homemade grenades. Their courage was admirable... and heartbreaking. They didn't stand a chance against that horde of droids on the other side of the s.h.i.+eld. She watched for a while as Obi-Wan and Anakin moved from group to group, trying to impart years of training and months of frontline experience in minutes. A fool's errand, some would call it- but what else could they do? Tell everyone to sit on the ground and wait for the droids to break through the s.h.i.+eld and kill them like nerfs?
No. And neither can I.
Seeing her approach, Obi-Wan broke off his demonstration and walked to meet her. ”Taria...”
She raised an eyebrow at him. ”You're surprised? Really?”
”No, ” he said, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
”I see you've been busy making bombs. ”
”Among other things, ” he said wearily. ”We're as armed as we can be. ”
”But not as trained. Where do you want me?”
Heroically, he restrained himself. ”Over there, ” he said, pointing. ”That group's still waiting for basic blaster instruction. ”
”Excellent, ” she said, and got to work.
An hour later, they stopped to rest. After answering a spate of last-minute questions Taria left the villagers to pester Obi-171 Wan. Refusing to admit her pain and fatigue, she joined Anakin in the middle of the road leading out of Torbel, where he stood contemplating the droid army. The s.h.i.+eld buzzed and flickered with every blaster-bolt impact.
”Here, ” said Anakin, handing her his quarter-filled cup of water. ”And don't argue. ”
Amused, grateful, she sipped and stared at the droids. ”Have they stopped tiring at all yet, today?”
”Only to reload, ” he said, morose. He'd seen her comforting Obi-Wan at the s.h.i.+eld, the night she arrived. For some reason their closeness had angered him, and that had distressed Obi-Wan. She had no intention of causing strife between them.
”Anakin, I need to ask you a favor. ”
He glanced at her. ”What?”
”Promise me you'll always have Obi-Wan's back. And be there for him, when I die. ”
After a long silence, he nodded. ”All right. ”
She swallowed the last mouthful of water. ”He'd die for you. You do know that?”
Another nod. ”I know. ”
His tone was faintly hostile, as though she'd broken some unspoken rule. And maybe she had. She smiled.
”Just checking. ”
When she didn't say anything else, he raised an eyebrow. ”What-you're not going to ask if I'd die for him?”
And that made her laugh. ”Just how stupid do you think I am?”
He was still trying to decide exactly what she meant by that when Obi-Wan joined them, and nodded at the ranks of droids beyond the s.h.i.+eld.
”Have you noticed what's skulking at the back of the line?”
”Of course, ” said Anakin. ”Super battle droids. ”
”The Seps must have emptied the city of droids by now, ” said Obi-Wan. ”It's only a matter of time before they ramp up their bombardment. Anakin-are we ready for it?”
Anakin shrugged. ”As ready as we'll ever be. I can't make the s.h.i.+eld any stronger, not without overloading the generators or the power plant. ”
”And you're sure we can't spare any more liquid damot.i.te? We could use some extra grenades. ”