Part 4 (1/2)

He couldn't risk that. He had to talk to Mica. Now.

It did not take Obi-Wan long to catch up to the girl. Grabbing her arm, he was struck by the anger he felt well up inside him. He was furious, he realized, because Mica was jeopardizing Lena's safety.

Obi-Wan calmed himself, intending to let the anger leave him before speaking. But as soon as he saw Mica's face the anger disappeared. The girl was clearly distraught.

”Where are you going?” Obi-Wan asked, trying not to sound too stern.

Mica looked alarmed. ”I... I was...” She blinked, her eyes glistening with tears. ”I need to go somewhere,” she finished in a whisper.

”Not before you tell me what's going on,” Obi-Wan said. He spotted several large crates in a corner and led her over to them. Sitting her down on one, he found another for himself.

”It's time for you to tell the truth. If you truly care about Lena, you'll do so,” he said.

Mica looked down at her feet. She didn't say anything for several minutes. Then she started to talk. ”The Cobral is terrible,” she began.

”They do hideous, evil things. But I do not think that Lena - or anyone else - is capable of bringing them down. Rutin tried, and he is dead.

Killed by his own family. My mother was killed by the Cobral as well.”

A sob escaped Mica's throat and she wiped her eyes. ”Of course I want to avenge her death. And I know that she is not the only one. Mine is not the only loss. I long to see those killers pay for their crimes.

But if I go after them I would probably be killed, too. And so would Lena. They think nothing of taking life. It means nothing to them. Not even in their own family.”

Obi-Wan nodded. ”I cannot tell you that you are wrong,” he said.

”But the Cobral has Frego caught in an evil trap of violence and crime.

Lena has a chance to destroy that trap - and those who made it - for good. She is willing to take that chance.”

Mica nodded. ”I know. Lena is a hero. She thinks nothing of her own life, only of Frego and its people. And I am nothing but a coward, guilty of thwarting her plan.”

Obi-Wan nodded again, surprised that he was not filled with anger for a second time. He knew that Mica had been deceiving Lena but he was somehow relieved that Mica felt guilty about her actions. ”How?” he asked simply.

”I wanted to stop the trial,” Mica explained. ”It was too dangerous. So I convinced Lena to wait until you arrived before proceeding with her plan. Then I broke into her apartment and erased the files. I figured that if the evidence was gone, Lena would have to give up. And if she gave up, the Cobral would leave her alone. She would be safe. Of course, I did not expect to find the hired thugs at her apartment.”

”Thugs?” Obi-Wan repeated.

Mica nodded. ”They were heavily armed and ransacking the place. At the time I thought they were just street people, thieves after the jewelry and precious metals. Lena and Rutin had a lot of beautiful possessions.”

She paused for a moment before going on. ”But then I realized that they must have been searching for something.”

”Did you see what they looked like?” Obi-Wan asked.

”No,” Mica said. ”They fled as soon as they heard me coming. They left the bedroom alone. I only caught a glimpse of their backs as they climbed over the balcony. I did not try to get a better look because I didn't want them to see me. I only know that there were two of them - both men. One was quite tall and lanky. The other short and bald.”

”Not much to go on,” Obi-Wan mused.

”I'm sure they were hired by the Cobral,” Mica said.

Obi-Wan felt better about Mica now that she had confided in him.

But there was still one question that was bothering him. ”I understand why you wanted to erase the computer files, but why did you leave that threatening message on the screen?”

Mica looked up, surprised. ”What message?” she asked. ”I didn't send any message.” She paused for a moment. Then, as if reading Obi-Wan's mind, she said, ”And I didn't tell anyone where Lena was hiding, either.”

CHAPTER 10.

Lena looked at Qui-Gon in disbelief. Qui-Gon could tell she did not think Mica would reveal her whereabouts, but the package on the table meant it was likely that someone had. The strange contents were not dangerous, but the knowledge of Lena's whereabouts was - especially in the wrong hands.

”I must speak to Obi-Wan.” Qui-Gon excused himself.

Walking slowly toward the kitchen, Qui-Gon felt exhausted. This routine mission was turning out to be more difficult than he'd imagined.

He felt a strong sense of deception, but something about it continued to elude him. He could not tell who was being deceived, or by whom. And he did not understand why Lena so fiercely protected her cousin. She had obviously learned - the hard way - that family lines do not protect you from being double-crossed. Or killed.

The food galley was empty. Following his instincts, Qui-Gon started down the stairs. Halfway to the ground level, Qui-Gon met Obi-Wan and a sullen Mica coming up the stairwell.

”The evidence is gone,” Obi-Wan blurted. ”Mica erased it.”

”Erased or stole?” Qui-Gon asked, looking directly at Mica.

”Erased!” Mica spat back defiantly. ”I do not profit by the misfortune of others, especially Lena.” Her voice softened when she spoke of her cousin. ”I only wanted to protect her. To make all of this go away.” Mica hung her head and shuffled her feet before the Jedi led her back up the stairs. She obviously knew it was time to tell Lena what she had done.

Although she was clearly ashamed of her actions, Qui-Gon felt that her conscience was clear. She was not deceiving them. He felt relief in knowing that somebody wasn't.

”Obi-Wan.” Qui-Gon stopped his Padawan on the landing, allowing Mica to go farther ahead. ”We must proceed with caution. All is not as it seems with our witness. On this planet, lies come easier than the truth, and at a lower cost.”

As Obi-Wan raised his eyes to meet his Master's, Qui-Gon saw tiny flames of anger burn inside them, then flicker out.

”Lena is a n.o.ble woman,” Obi-Wan said evenly. ”She is struggling to do what is right. Your doubts will not help her.”

Qui-Gon could not help but smile faintly. Obi-Wan thought Qui-Gon was insulting Lena, and he was upset - ready to defend her. It confirmed what Qui-Gon had suspected, that Obi-Wan was infatuated with Lena. He should have pointed it out sooner, to try and warn the boy. Most likely he would end up getting badly hurt.

”You are infatuated, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. ”Be careful not to let yourself be guided by your attraction.”

”I am - ” Obi-Wan shook his head and struggled to keep his voice under control. ”It is not infatuation. Lena's motives are good.”

”The motives she has told us are good, but there may be others.

Think of what she is giving up. She will probably never live again in the manner to which she was accustomed. She lost her footing with the Cobral when Rutin was killed and is in danger of being an outcast. Not just from the family, but from all of Frego. Don't you think it is possible that she is trying to get evidence in order to have something to bargain with?”