Part 27 (1/2)
”You're a Jedi,” the man said sourly. ”You never have problems like that.”
”That is as it may be,” C'baoth said. ”Nevertheless, for your role in this accident, you are hereby docked one day's pay.”
The man's eyes widened. ”I'm what? But that's-”
”You are also forbidden to use Outbound Flight's speeder system for one week,” C'baoth interrupted.
”Now, wait a frizzing minute,” the man said, consternation starting to edge into his shock. ”You can't do that.”
”I just did,” C'baoth said calmly. He looked around the crowd, as if daring anyone to argue the point, then brought his eyes to rest on a Rodian in a maintenance jumpsuit. ”You: take this speeder back to its parking area. The rest of you, return to your jobs.”
Reluctantly, Obi-Wan thought, the crowd began to disperse. C'baoth waited long enough to see the Rodian ride away with the speeder, then turned and headed back the way he'd come, his mouth twitching as he spotted Obi-Wan.
”I told you to remain with Padawan Skywalker,” he said as he approached.
”I know.” Obi-Wan gestured toward the dissipating crowd. ”'What exactly was that?”
”It was justice,” C'baoth said, pa.s.sing Obi-Wan without breaking stride.
”Without a hearing?” Obi-Wan asked, hurrying to catch up with him.
”Without even an investigation?”
”Of course there was an investigation,” C'baoth said. ”You were there; you heard it.”
”A couple of questions to the partic.i.p.ants hardly qualifies as an investigation,” Obi-Wan said stiffly. ”What about a call for witnesses, or an examination of the speeder itself?”
”What about the Force?” C'baoth countered. ”Don't we as Jedi have an insight that permits us to make these decisions more quickly than others?”
”In theory, perhaps,” Obi-Wan said. ”But that doesn't mean we should ignore the other resources available to us.”
”And what would you do with these resources?” C'baoth asked. ”Impanel a committee and spend hours in interviews and examinations? Do you think expending all that time and effort would lead to a different outcome?”
”Probably not,” Obi-Wan had to admit. ”But you pa.s.sed judgment without even consulting the captain or s.h.i.+p's law.”
”Bah,” C'baoth snorted, waving a hand in dismissal. ”A pittance of money in punishment, plus a temporary and perfectly reasonable restriction on his movements. Would you really have me waste Captain Pakmillu's time-and my own-with something so trivial?”
”The captain still needs to be informed.”
”He will be,” C'baoth promised, eyeing him thoughtfully. ”Your att.i.tude surprises me, Master Ken.o.bi. Isn't this sort of mediation and conflict resolution precisely the sort of thing Jedi throughout the Republic do every day?”
Obi-Wan glared at the corridor ahead. ”Usually one party or the other specifically asks for Jedi a.s.sistance. Here, neither of them did.”
”Yet is not a Jedi who sees such a problem honor-bound to lend his aid?”
C'baoth pointed out. ”But now to more important things. Your Padawan should have finished with the tutorial by now. Let us see how quickly he takes to this form of combat.”
16.
Car'das started awake to find a pair of glowing red eyes hovering above him in the darkness. ”Who is it?” he asked anxiously.
”Thrawn,” the commander's voice came back. ”Get dressed.”
”What's happened?” Car'das asked as he pushed off the blanket and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
”One of my scouts has reported a group of unidentified vessels in the area,” Thrawn said. ”Quickly, now-we leave in thirty minutes.”
Forty-five minutes later, the Springhawk cleared the asteroid tunnel and made the jump to lightspeed.
And not just the Springhawk. Before they made the jump Car'das counted no fewer than eleven other s.h.i.+ps forming up around and behind them, including two more Springhawk-size cruisers. ”Is this more Vagaari?” he asked as the starlines melted into the hypers.p.a.ce sky.
”It doesn't appear to be,” Thrawn said. ”The s.h.i.+p designs are entirely different. I wanted you aboard to see if you can identify them.”
”You might have done better to bring Qennto instead,” Car'das warned.
”He's a lot more knowledgeable about those things than I am.”
”I thought it best to leave both him and Ferasi behind,” Thrawn said.
”I've sensed certain . . . problems there.”
Car'das winced. ”You're right,” he had to admit. ”So where exactly are these invaders?”
”Why do you call them invaders?”
”Well, I-” Car'das floundered. ”I just a.s.sumed they were in Chiss s.p.a.ce, after that talk you had with your brother.” He frowned. ”They are in Chiss s.p.a.ce, aren't they?”
”The charter of the Expansionary Defense Fleet is to observe and explore the region around the Chiss Ascendancy,” Thrawn said. ”That's all we intend to do today.”
Which was pretty much exactly what he'd said about the Vagaari attack.
Terrific. ”How long until we get there?”
”Approximately four hours,” Thrawn said. ”In the meantime, I've had a combat suit prepared for you, one with more armoring and self-sealant capabilities than your suit from the Bargain Hunter Go below and put it on. The armorer will a.s.sist you.”
It took Car'das and the armorer most of the first three hours to get the suit fitted correctly, with the fourth hour spent in checking him out on its features. Once that was finished, though, he found the suit quite comfortable to wear, though noticeably heavier than the simple vac suits he was used to.
He returned to the bridge to find that in his absence Thrawn and the rest of the bridge crew had also donned their combatsuits. ”Welcome back,” the commander greeted him, running an eye over his suit. ”We're nearly there.”
Car'das nodded and moved to his usual place beside the other's command chair. Listening to the clipped comments of the bridge crew, he let his eyes roam the displays and status boards and waited. The time count went to zero, and they were once again back among the stars.
”Where are they?” he asked, peering through the viewports at the stars and a very distant sun.
”There,” Thrawn said, pointing a few degrees off the starboard bow.
”Sensors: magnify.” The main display rippled and steadied .. .