Some of the Freelies grumbled aloud, but the group slowly made its way out of the facility. There was little discussion, and Obi-Wan could feel the tension in the air.
He could also feel the knot in his stomach. The division in the group was not a good sign. lithe Freelies wanted to be taken seriously, they would have to come forward peacefully and talk to the adults as a cohesive group. It looked like the chances of that were getting slimmer by the minute.
Obi-Wan decided to find Grath and see what he was thinking. He circled a pile of rubble near where he had last seen him, but instead spotted Flip and a dark-haired girl he didn't recognize.
The two were clearly deep in conversation, and Obi-Wan tried to look casual as he tuned in to what they were saying.
"It's not enough," the girl said. "Grath is on their side."
He saw Flip nod slowly, and the girl leaned in closer. She spoke almost in a whisper.
"We have no choice but to take action on our own," she said. "And soon."
Obi-Wan took a step closer to the two Freelies. He wanted to hear every word. But his movement caught their attention, and they immediately split up. It was obvious they didn't want to be overheard. But he couldn't tell if they knew he'd been listening in.
Obi-Wan's mind reeled. He needed some time to clear his head. Exiting the refuse facility, he watched groups of kids make their way toward the work training space. He knew instinctively that work training was not a good place for him to think things through. So he turned in the other direction, heading toward the home-space.
Walking along, Obi-Wan now noticed the adult laborers who were still making their way to work. Some walked in pairs, talking. Others ambled along, gazing at the sky. None of them seemed desperate to get to work. And there was no audible droning. It was almost as if being forced out of their work environment gave them a new perspective.
Perhaps the adults are ready for change, Obi-Wan thought. He felt a small surge of hope. If he and Qui-Gon could just bring the kids and adults together, Vorzyd 4 might have a chance.
Chapter 14
"Vorzyd 5 must pay," Chairman Port said as he and Qui-Gon entered the Multycorp offices. "We shall contact them immediately."
Qui-Gon exhaled slowly. Although he'd expected the chairman to react in this way, he had not yet come up with a plan to stop the communication from going through.
He again questioned the wisdom of his decision to let Obi-Wan infiltrate the Freelies. He'd wanted to empower his Padawan. And he believed that Vorzyd 4 would have the best chance at a peaceful resolution if the kids came forward on their own. Unfortunately, that belief was of no help to him at the moment.
Time to think on your feet, he told himself wryly.
"I think it would be better to wait until we have the results from the shuttle inspection," Qui-Gon said rationally. Chairman Port had ordered an investigation of all the shuttles in the city, and they were waiting for the report. "The more information we have, the better."
"They are to blame!" Chairman Port railed. "They need to be punished!
" "Do we, now?" came a voice from behind them. Qui-Gon turned and saw Felana standing in the doorway. Two large Vorzydiaks flanked her on either side.
Chairman Port's face had lost all traces of anger. His expression was now a combination of confusion and fear. His large eyes were even wider than usual and his antennae twitched uncontrollably. It was obvious that he was not accustomed to unexpected political visitors — especially hostile ones.
"What are you — "
"I have come to set the record straight once and for all, Chairman,"
Felana said, striding into the room. She was remarkably tall for a Vorzydiak, and her upright stance made her even more so.
The chairman blinked in surprise. Qui-Gon sensed that he wanted to know how she had gotten all the way into his office without being noticed and stopped. He imagined that it probably wasn't too difficult in the chaotic aftermath of the shuttle explosions.
There were several long moments of awkward silence. Then Chairman Port straightened his jumpsuit and cleared his throat loudly. His expression shifted to one of self-righteous indignation.
"You have been sabotaging our production capabilities," he said evenly. "You resent our productivity. You wish to appear stronger to the rest of the Vorzyd system. Our computers and assembly lines are malfunctioning. It is the only explanation."
"Explanations are not my concern," Felana replied. "Your baseless accusations are. And we do not resent your productivity," she added, her eyes glinting. "On the contrary, we find your work customs to be rather tedious."
If it were not for the seriousness of the situation, Qui-Gon would have smiled at Felana's remark. The Vorzydiak kids obviously found the work customs to be tiresome as well.
"You see?" Chairman Port said, turning to Qui-Gon. "They resent us."
Qui-Gon was silent. Part of him wanted to tell Chairman Port everything. But his gut told him that this meeting was not going to bring about any kind of immediate or violent action. And he still hoped that the Freelies would come forward on their own. Besides, he had promised his Padawan that he would wait. If all went well, there would be a meeting of the minds — between those truly involved and responsible — very soon.
"We did not resent you," Felana insisted. "Until you began to accuse us of crimes we did not commit." She glared at Chairman Port. "I want all of these baseless lies to stop at once, or we will be taking action against you in response."
Chairman Port's antennae began to twitch again. "What kind of action?
" he asked nervously.
Felana leveled her gaze at the Vorzyd 4 leader. "A kind much worse than the sabotage you've wrongly accused us of."
Chapter 15
That night, Obi-Wan met up with Grath on the shuttle platform. He looked tired, but his eyes were clear. Obi-Wan sensed that the boy had found a new sense of direction.
"Some of the adults looked content as they made their way to work today," Obi-Wan told him. "I think they enjoyed their time off."
Grath nodded. "It can work without violence," he said confidently.
"People just need a little time to see how it could be."