"You don't seem to be understanding me, captain," Lundi said in a low, menacing voice. "I am not asking you to stop on Nolar. I am telling you."
"And you don't seem to understand that this ship is not going to Nolar. It's going to Lisal!" the captain bellowed. He slammed a meaty fist down on the controls, sending a small piece flying.
"But I don't need to go to Lisal," Lundi said, holding his ground.
Obi-Wan inched farther out on the catwalk until he was almost directly over Lundi and the captain.
Lundi's head moved slowly back and forth as he fiddled with something under his robe. The captain followed the Quermian's small head with his eyes.
"I will only say this once more," Lundi said, his head still swaying.
"The equipment I need is on Nolar. You will stop on Nolar. I will make it very worth your trip."
With a great effort the captain looked away from the Quermian's face and down at the folds of the professor's robe.
Obi-Wan could barely see something sparkle in Lundi's hands — he could have had something very valuable. Whatever it was, it seemed to change the captain's mind.
"I'll stop, but I'm not waiting," the captain finally spat.
"You will not regret it," Lundi growled back.
Chapter 5
The ship landed on Nolar within an hour. Obi-Wan barely had time to find his Master and brief him on what he'd heard on the bridge.
After Lundi quickly disembarked on Nolar, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon pushed their way past the puzzled captain. The Jedi followed as the professor made his way into a tiny, adjoining hangar. There was one small ship inside, and Lundi spoke briefly with its pilot before leaving the hangar.
"It looks like he just booked continuing passage," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully as the Jedi followed Lundi into the city. "But I was under the impression that Nolar was his final destination. Where do you think he's going?"
Qui-Gon let out a slow breath. "We shall soon see."
The capital city of Nolari was bustling. There was a great deal of both air and foot traffic. The city was populated by beings from many parts of the galaxy.
Obi-Wan tried to stay close to his Master, who strode purposefully ahead.
It wasn't difficult to keep track of Murk Lundi. His long neck, multiple arms, and tiny head made him an easy visual target, even in a densely populated metropolis like Nolari. But it was not long before an uneasy feeling came over Obi-Wan. He sensed that someone or something was following them. But what, or who?
Without slowing down, Qui-Gon turned back to his apprentice. "Stay close to me," he said quietly. "I think we are being followed."
"I feel a presence too, Master," Obi-Wan replied. "But I am not getting any sense of who it might be."
Qui-Gon began to move more quickly through the crowds. Obi-Wan was accustomed to his Master's long, powerful strides, but he found it difficult to move inconspicuously. In spite of the varied populace, their smelly mechanics' uniforms seemed to stick out.
Looking fleetingly over his shoulder, Obi-Wan suddenly spotted their pursuer — a humanoid figure wearing a long cape and a helmet.
"I see him, Master," Obi-Wan spoke quietly. "About forty paces behind us, to the right."
Qui-Gon nodded curtly. "We're going to have to split up," he said. "I will follow Murk. You should lead our new friend away from me, and then double back to see who he or she is."
Obi-Wan nodded. He looked over his shoulder a second time. By the time he cast his eyes forward again, Qui-Gon had disappeared into the throng.
Obi-Wan made a sharp left turn. Using his peripheral vision he saw his pursuer stop for an instant, as if unsure of which way to go. A moment later, he continued to follow Obi-Wan.
Relieved, Obi-Wan moved ahead. He zigzagged through a crowded marketplace, barely pausing to look at the delectable fruits and vegetables sold at various stands. Several vendors called out to him, aggressively trying to sell their foods. Obi-Wan's stomach growled. Unfortunately there was no time for a snack.
On the far side of the open market, Obi-Wan ducked behind a stack of crates. His tracker passed by quickly, but by the time Obi-Wan emerged from his hiding place he had disappeared again. Quickly scanning the crowd, Obi- Wan pressed on. But he was not able to find a lone figure in a helmet wandering the streets.
Obi-Wan was beginning to worry that he had failed his assignment when he suddenly spotted a flutter of gray fabric ahead. Hurrying forward, he saw the figure vanish around a corner.
He definitely looks humanoid, Obi-Wan thought. But male or female?
Obi-Wan rounded the corner quickly and nearly collided with a group of seedy-looking characters. Annoyed by the intrusion, two of the group glared openly at the Jedi. A third pulled out a blaster and leveled it at Obi-Wan's chest.
"Wrong turn," he growled. His arm was heavily bandaged above the wrist, but the heavy blaster did not waver in his hand.
Obi-Wan kept his eyes on the man's face as he pulled his lightsaber from his belt. Had he been at Dr. Lundi's lecture on Coruscant? Or on the ship? The young Jedi had been fairly sure that he and Qui-Gon were the only passengers to disembark besides the professor.
"I'm afraid this is your unlucky day," another thug spat.
Obi-Wan stepped forward slightly and ignited his lightsaber. That action alone was usually enough to intimidate an adversary. But the thugs didn't back down. In fact, now there were two blasters aimed at him.
"Ah, a lightsaber," one of the armed lowlifes mocked. "But does he use it wisely for power and vengeance, or foolishly for peace?"
The rest of the thugs smirked, and Obi-Wan's mind jolted. He'd heard those words before, and recently — at Dr. Lundi's lecture. These lowlifes were obviously familiar with Lundi and his work. Was this an ambush? Obi- Wan wanted to ask, but one of the hoodlums fired before he could get a word out.
Obi-Wan swung. Too late. The bolt grazed his shoulder, and he felt a hot pain tear through his flesh. He ignored the fierce throbbing as he leaped forward and swung again. This time he hit his target and severed a thug's finger from its hand.