Chapter 26

All around him, doors began to slide closed. Obi-Wan hit the ground running. Squeezing sideways, he was just able to make it through the door he'd entered earlier and into the corridor. The last thing he saw was Norval laughing at him, a sneer twisting the lower half of his face.

"You have no idea what you are up against," he shouted.

Obi-Wan raced back down the white corridors to the shuttle. The glowing Holocron cast an eerie red glow on the walls. Obi-Wan ignored the queasiness in his gut and the weakness in his legs. He had to get to Anakin.

Within minutes Obi-Wan was hurtling out of the shuttle bay in the tiny vessel. Pressing his face to the transparisteel, he scanned the space for a sign of Anakin's ship. He didn't see one. Nor did he see the gray vessel. The earlier laser fire had stopped completely.

Obi-Wan sat back, discouraged. He was quite sure he'd know if his Padawan had been killed — he would have felt it. But where was he?

Obi-Wan programmed the shuttle to travel close to Norval's ship. He needed cover for as long as possible.

The shuttle glided through space, around to the other side of Norval's ship. Still Obi-Wan saw nothing. He was just about to give up and launch himself away when he spotted the small borrowed craft sneakily hiding right next to Norval's vessel. Obi-Wan was relieved. The boy was smart.

As soon as the shuttle had docked on the borrowed ship, Obi-Wan opened the door and hurried to the cargo bays. He had to secure the Holocron before he did anything else. He wanted someplace safe, and as far away from Lundi as possible.

Obi-Wan carefully placed the artifact in an onboard vault, and was immediately relieved to have it out of his hands. But he knew he wouldn't be completely comfortable until it was safely locked away in the Jedi archives on Coruscant. and perhaps not even then.

Obi-Wan rushed onto the bridge, eager to see his Padawan. But what he saw from the doorway was so surprising it stopped him in his tracks.

The professor's cage was empty and its door hung open. Anakin sat on the floor. He was cradling Lundi in his lap.

"I understand now," Lundi said in a hoarse whisper. "Some things are better left at the bottom of the sea."

Lundi gasped for air, and Obi-Wan suddenly realized that the Quermian was dying. He stepped forward and looked briefly into his eye. He finally saw what he'd always hoped he'd see — remorse and fear.

"I just… just hope it's not too late," Lundi finished. His fragile body shuddered and went limp, and Anakin laid him gently on the floor. Dr.

Murk Lundi was dead.

Several emotions clashed inside Obi-Wan. Confusion, frustration, relief..

Anakin turned to face him. "I knew he was going to die," he explained. "And I didn't think he should end his life in a cage. So I let him out. I thought it was the right thing to do." His face was full of worry, and Obi-Wan realized that he had probably upset the boy with his outburst on Kodai.

"It is all right, Padawan," Obi-Wan said, placing a hand on Anakin's shoulder. He had much to learn as a Jedi Master, he realized. And it had taken him and Qui-Gon years of working together to develop their strong ties of trust.

Those ties would develop for him and Anakin as well, in time. As for Lundi, it didn't matter now. The Quermian and his evil were gone.

Obi-Wan saw relief wash over Anakin's young face. "I'm sorry about the hologram message," he said. "I didn't mean to keep it from you, I just — "

Obi-Wan nodded. "I know," he said. "I should not have reacted so strongly. Next time we will both do better."

"I hope there — " Anakin was suddenly interrupted by a flash of blinding light, followed by an earsplitting roar. The ship hurtled backward as debris pummeled the exterior.

"Cut the power," Obi-Wan barked.

Anakin raced to the controls and flipped the master switch. A second later they were enveloped in darkness. If they were lucky they would hurtle away with the flaming wreckage unnoticed by the mysterious gray ship — Obi-Wan held his breath. He reached out to the Force and felt immediately that Norval was dead. The poor clever student was wrong.

Whoever was aboard the gray ship was not his friend. The blast had been intended for the Jedi, and whoever had caused the fiery explosion had been willing to kill an ally to keep the Sith Holocron out of Jedi hands.

Chapter 27

The ship docked in the Coruscant hangar and Anakin and Obi-Wan disembarked. They'd drifted for hours while they patched the hyper-drive back together. Even with Anakin's skills as a mechanic they'd only just managed to limp the craft home. Now, there was much to do.

"I will see about getting the ship back to Kodai," Anakin offered.

Obi-Wan nodded. He had removed the Holocron from the cargo bay and was eager to get it to its permanent home in the archives. He'd learned to ignore the nausea, but would never be comfortable around this kind of dark power.

"Come to the Council Chambers when you are finished," Obi-Wan said.

"I am sure the Council will want to hear from us as soon as possible."

Anakin nodded. "And Lundi?" he asked.

"I will have his body removed from the ship and brought into the Temple. The Council will decide what to do with him."

Obi-Wan watched Anakin cross the hangar, then hurried to the Jedi Temple. Jocasta Nu was waiting for him, the safe for the Holocron already open. They placed the artifact inside, then sealed the door and lowered it into the archive vault.

When the Holocron was out of view, Obi-Wan sighed in relief. He hoped he would never have to see or touch that evil object again.

By the time Obi-Wan arrived outside the Council Chambers door, Anakin was waiting for him. The boy smiled broadly as the Chambers door slid open.

"Congratulations," Depa Billaba said as they stepped inside. "A job well done."

"Indeed," agreed Saesee Tiin.

Anakin's eyes were lit with excitement. "It was a great mission," he said. "The most exciting one yet."

Obi-Wan noticed that Yoda's eyes registered concern as they rested on the boy. But the other Council members seemed only pleased and relieved to have the Sith Holocron safe in the Temple archives.

"Make a mission great, excitement does not,"

Yoda said gravely. The wise Master looked over at Obi-Wan, and Obi- Wan felt a twinge of guilt. Did Yoda think he was failing as Anakin's Master? Was he concerned that he was not capable of leading the boy?