Obi-Wan raced down the wide boulevard, heading for the government buildings. He fervently hoped he wasn't too late.
The World Security headquarters loomed ahead, a squat gray building.
He saw two figures hurrying toward it. On one side of the building was a large pen that held hovercraft and swoops. On the other side was the high stone wall that separated the parkland from the road.
"Qui-Gon!" he shouted.
Qui-Gon turned and saw him. Eritha touched his arm, obviously urging him to ignore Obi-Wan and enter the building. Obi-Wan put on a burst of speed and reached out to the Force. He leaped.
At the top of his leap, the doors to the security headquarters flew open. Officers and attack droids spilled down the stairs.
The Force must have warned Qui-Gon, for his lightsaber was activated and in his hand before Obi-Wan hit the ground near him. With one hand, Qui- Gon pushed Eritha out of the danger and leaped forward to cover her.
By now Obi-Wan was close enough to speak to Qui-Gon. "They won't harm her. She betrayed you," he said, taking up his position next to Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon didn't react. He kept his eyes on the officers and droids, which were wheeling in formation in front.
"We must take out the droids," Qui-Gon told him. "Don't harm an officer. I'm wanted. They're only doing their job. As soon as the last attack droid goes down, we leave. What do you say we take the offensive?"
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan leaped together in one motion. The droids began to pepper them with blaster fire. The security officers stayed behind duraplast shields, waiting for the droids to do their work.
The Jedi's lightsabers moved in tandem, blocking blaster fire and sending it zinging back in the droids' direction. The security officers ducked behind their shields at the surprising return of fire.
The droids fanned out in a flanking maneuver. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon split up. Obi-Wan took the left, Qui-Gon the right. One by one, they smashed their way through the line.
Initially, the officers kept behind their shields. But as the battle waned and the blaster fire petered out, they grew more bold. Some drew their blasters and fired.
"Now, Padawan!" Qui-Gon shouted, deflecting fire.
The two Jedi leaped over a line of security vehicles. Blaster fire ripped into the vehicles a split second later. With another great leap, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon landed on the other side of the park wall. Obi-Wan had just enough time to see Eritha's twisted look of rage as they reached safety. That told him everything he needed to know.
They took off through the darkness of the park. Obi-Wan heard the distant sound of a revving hoverscout.
"Master, Eritha planted a tracking device on you somehow," Obi-Wan said. "At the Legislature today."
"When she embraced me," Qui-Gon said. As he ran, he carefully felt his clothing and skin. He found the whisper-light device on the back of his utility belt. He threw it away into the darkness, then veered off in the opposite direction.
The bright lights of the hoverscout swept the park, but it turned toward the tracking device. Now they could hear security officers crashing through the trees. The attackers would follow the device for a time.
The Jedi kept under the cover of giant trees with leaves that offered a degree of protection. The trees were planted so close together that even swoops would have a hard time maneuvering through them.
Qui-Gon led them along a zigzagging path through the park, ducking when he saw lights overhead and then moving on. He seemed to know the park well, Obi-Wan noted. Soon they were close to the other end of the park.
They leaped over the wall and hurried down the dark streets. After a few blocks Obi-Wan recognized where he was. Qui-Gon had brought them to the Worker Sector.
They paused to catch their breath in the shadow of an alley between two tall buildings.
"Thank you, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "I did not think I needed help.
Obviously, I did. How did you know that Eritha would betray me?"
"Instinct," Obi-Wan said. "Alani confirmed it. They are not afraid of anything, let alone the Jedi. Alani said that they no longer feared exposure."
"That must mean they are in possession of the list," Qui-Gon mused.
"So we can stop chasing it."
"Alani gave the impression that Balog is not the killer of Oleg and Pleni," Obi-Wan said. "She said you were chasing air."
"But I saw him right before Oleg was killed," Qui-Gon said.
"Maybe he wasn't after Oleg. Maybe he was after you," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"That is possible," Qui-Gon said slowly.
"Where to next?" Obi-Wan asked. He hoped his Master would allow him to stay by his side. He had already decided that if Qui-Gon told him he must return to Mace, he would not go.
"Mota," Qui-Gon said. "He holds the key."
Qui-Gon activated the laser pointer to indicate to Mota that he had visitors outside. It seemed a long time before the door slid open. Mota stood in the doorway.
"I'm closed," he said. "Even I need my rest. Come back tomorrow."
Holding out a hand, Qui-Gon used the Force to keep the door open.
Mota stared at the door, then at Qui-Gon. He shrugged.
"On the other hand, why should I turn down business?" he asked. He turned and disappeared into the warehouse.
The Jedi followed him. They knew the way down the ramp to the lower levels where Mota kept his stash of black-market items.
Mota was waiting. Instead of the Worker unisuit he had worn to do business, he was now dressed in a sleep tunic, his white legs thrust into a threadbare pair of slippers.
"What is it this time, Jedi? Another probe droid? Did you lose another one? You have the worst luck of anyone I've ever met."
"We want information," Qui-Gon said.
Mota eyed him. "Information has a price, too."
Obi-Wan saw his Master's frustration boil over. He had never seen Qui-Gon this angry before.
"The price will be that I do not break apart every item in this warehouse," Qui-Gon said, taking a step toward Mota.
The man suddenly looked frail in his nightshirt next to Qui-Gon's size and strength. "N-now, relax, we're all friends here," he stuttered.
"I'm not your friend, and I'm not here to relax!" Qui-Gon thundered.
"I'm here to find out why my droids were reprogrammed. And you have the answer."
Mota backed up until a table was between him and Qui-Gon.
"I'm not sure what you mean," he said.
Obi-Wan spoke quickly, wanting to give Qui-Gon a moment to control his anger. If he could control it. Obi-Wan's worry increased. This was a Qui-Gon he had never seen. Qui-Gon's sense of urgency had always been controlled. If anger came, it came in flashes of lightning that left serenity behind.
"We know that the probe droids were reprogrammed, Mota," Obi-Wan said in a calmer tone. "They never went after Balog at all. Instead they attacked two other beings. The question is, did you do it?"
Mota swallowed. "It wasn't me," he said quickly. "I don't know who it was. Someone broke into my files. I have a warning system built in, so I knew the next time I accessed them."
"When?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Within hours after you left," Mota said. "I don't know how. Or who.
You can't trust anyone these days."
"How did the security forces know that Qui-Gon had bought those droids?" Obi-Wan asked.
"They asked me," Mota said in a small voice. "All my droids are coded. They tracked the droids here. I told them the Jedi Qui-Gon had bought them. I had to tell the truth. You wouldn't want me to land in jail, would you?" Mota tried to smile.
Qui-Gon gave him an even stare. Mota backed up even farther. "Ah, I guess I should have mentioned to the officers that I suspected the droids were reprogrammed. But when speaking to security officers, it's better not to answer questions they don't ask. They might have gone through all my files. I wouldn't be able to protect my clients. And I would be out of business. Nobody wants that. You might need another probe droid, for example — "
"We need access to your computers," Obi-Wan said brusquely. "Right now."
"Of course, help yourself." Mota hurriedly pointed to his datascreen.
"Just don't erase any profits, heh heh."
Qui-Gon immediately began clicking keys and accessing datafiles. "Did you try to trace the break-in?"
"No," Mota admitted. "I'm not that advanced. I just know how to track inventory and money."
Qui-Gon continued to move through Mota's files with astonishing speed. Obi-Wan knew he was missing nothing. He could see the level of concentration on his Master's face.
Qui-Gon hit a few keys, activating a search mode Obi-Wan didn't recognize. Within seconds, he got a reply.
"Do you recognize this code?" he asked, pointing to the datascreen.
Mota leaned closer. "It's the Worker data address," he said. "It's already in my files." "Who uses it?" Qui-Gon asked.
Mota's face was tinged blue from the data-screen. "Irini and Lenz,"
he said.