Surprised, she slashed at it with her whip. Obi-Wan felt the power in his legs as he leaped straight over her head toward the girder above. He landed, slipping just a bit from the mud on his boots. But he knew he would regain his balance. He bent his legs and leaped again, this time to a higher girder.
Far below, the whip snaked toward him. It could not reach him as he leaped to the next high girder. From here, he leapfrogged his way down, out of her reach at the far side of the site. Her howl of rage rang in his ears as he raced away.
Chapter 9
Siri was waiting for Obi-Wan back in the atrium, her vivid blue eyes snapping with impatience.
"This place is crazy," she said before Obi-Wan could speak. "There is no Wing M. Or if there is, I can't find it, and would you care to make a bet on how helpful the Sorrusians were? Plus, Astri isn't even registered here. I went to Wing A, and they had never heard of her. So then I asked about Rai Unlu. Get this — they've never heard of him, either. Or at least that's what they tell me. I don't know whether they're lying, or I'm trapped in a nightmare." For the first time, Siri noticed Obi-Wan's mud- splattered tunic and dirty face. "Did you fall in a puddle?"
"I had a run-in with Ona Nobis," Obi-Wan said. "This whole thing was a setup. I don't think Astri's here at all. Ona Nobis lured us here to get revenge on me."
"So what happened?" Siri asked, instantly poised for action.
Obi-Wan thought the decision to leave the battle was hard. He hadn't thought ahead to telling Siri. This was harder.
"We fought. I left," he said.
Siri looked incredulous. "You ran away?"
Obi-Wan felt his annoyance rise. Why did Siri have to put it that way? He struggled not to let his anger show. The best way to tell her what happened was not to offer excuses.
"I was outmatched this time." The words seemed to come out smoothly, but they felt as though they'd been torn from his throat.
Siri opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. Obviously, there were many things she wanted to say. Just as obviously, Adi had taught her well.
For once, she kept her thoughts to herself.
Yet the expression on her face spoke more clearly than anything she could have said. Siri could not understand leaving the scene of a battle.
She could not imagine a situation in which she would give up. She had not been in as many battles as Obi-Wan. She was more used to the training rooms at the Temple, where she had usually been the winner. When she had lost, she had bowed to her opponent with grace. Then she beat them in the next encounter.
She did not yet realize that even for the best Jedi, there were battles that could not be won. Qui-Gon had taught Obi-Wan that. As skilled a fighter as he was, Qui-Gon knew that surprises in battle came often. You could train for them, but you could not predict them. Sometimes you had to cut your losses.
He wanted to tell Siri this, but Siri would not listen. She liked to find things out her own way. And you did not go to her for a sympathetic ear.
"We'd better contact Qui-Gon and Adi," Obi-Wan said, turning away.
They found a secluded place to talk in the gardens in the center of the med complex. Qui-Gon's calm voice came through the comlink, and Obi-Wan quickly described what had occurred.
There was a pause. "You did well, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan felt some of the tension inside his body uncurl. Qui-Gon understood his decision, at least. "Ona Nobis is only a distraction for us now. But this news distresses me. Astri has not checked in with Tahl. If Ona Nobis used her as a lure, that means she must know that Astri is on Sorrus. She must know where she is."
"Siri and I can look for her — "
"No," Qui-Gon interrupted. "Hard as it is, I must agree with Tahl.
Astri has made her own decision. She has not asked for our help." "But — "
"Obi-Wan, listen to me. Do nothing. Tahl, Adi, and I will discuss this. You and Siri return to the Temple immediately."
It was Qui-Gon's sternest voice. Obi-Wan tucked his comlink back into his belt. Reluctantly, he turned to Siri. "We'll be able to hitch a ride from the main landing platform."
She nodded. She was silent on the walk back to the landing platform.
Obi-Wan did not know what to say, either. He and Siri had formed a bond during their adventure on Kegan. He had liked her spirit and humor and had depended on her courage. Obviously, they still had a distance to travel before they became real friends. He felt a sudden sharp ache for his friend Bant, who would never let him feel like a coward for leaving the scene of a battle. She would trust his judgment. Siri only trusted her own.
When they got to the landing platform, Obi-Wan looked for a hauler on a direct run to Coruscant. The first pilot he approached refused, but pointed to another pilot nearby.
"Donny Buc is about to make a run. He'll probably let you hitch a ride. He's been laid up for repairs for a day, but he's ready to roll."
Obi-Wan saw a pilot squatting near his ship, drinking a carton of muja juice. He signaled to Siri and approached him.
"Sure, I can always find room for Jedi," the pilot said. "Are you ready to leave now?"
"Yes." Obi-Wan had a sudden impulse. "By any chance, has someone else tried to hitch a ride earlier today? She's tall and has a shaved head — "
"Sure, I remember her," the pilot said, taking a last gulp of juice.
He wore a tattered leather helmet and sported a short black beard. "Her and some of her friends were looking for transport to the far desert."
"Friends?" Obi-Wan asked, puzzled.
"Three of them," the pilot said. "They kept quarreling about how much they were willing to pay. Wouldn't listen to a word the girl said."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes. "Their names wouldn't be Cholly, Weez, and Tup, by any chance?"
"That was them!" the pilot chortled. "What a bunch of chuckleheads."
"Did you transport them to Arra?" Obi-Wan asked. That was no doubt where she was headed.