"That means we need a ship," Anakin said.
"Teleq's must be nearby," Obi-Wan said, rising to his feet.
Anakin looked around. "Where are Floria and Dane? They were supposed to wait by the hill."
"I think I know where I can find them, too" Obi-Wan said.
Chapter 12
Floria and Dane sat by Teleq's ship at the end of the meadow. They jumped up when they saw Obi-Wan and Anakin.
"We saw the battle," Floria said. "I'll never underestimate the Jedi again. The way you strategized! The way you moved!"
"Nice star cruiser," Anakin said, circling around Teleq's ship. "We could get to Coruscant on this."
"Don't bother going inside yet," Obi-Wan said. "The engine's been disabled."
Anakin poked his head around the side of the ship and looked at Obi-Wan quizzically. Obi-Wan looked at Floria and Dane.
"Well?' he said sternly.
Dane opened his hand. A sensor lay in it. "Just a little part," he said. "And the engine is easily fixed. It's an activation sensor for the sublight drive."
"So Teleq wouldn't be able to leave the atmosphere," Anakin said. "He'd have to rely on repulsorlift engines."
"And a warning light would tell him so," Obi-Wan finished. "He'd know he wouldn't be able to take off without work on the engine. And while he was working on it, you'd disable him. And take off with us for a prize."
"Wait a second," Anakin said. "This means that you expected Teleq to capture us."
"No offense," Dane said. "What kind of bounty hunters would we be if we didn't explore all of the alternatives?"
Glaring at Dane, Anakin strode forward and snatched the part from his hand. "Don't worry, Master, I can fix the engine in no time at all."
Anakin accessed the engine panel on the exterior of the ship. He withdrew a small hydrospanner from his utility kit and his head disappeared inside. Muffled exclamations floated out to the others.
Finally Anakin emerged, his face streaked with grease. "You shorted out the sunlight engine fuses and deactivated the power converter! I can't six this!"
"I did?" Dane looked surprised. "I didn't mean to. I don't know that much about engines," he confided to Obi-Wan.
Floria smacked her brother on the arm. "I told you to be careful! Now how are we supposed to get out of here?"
"You're the one who told me to disable it!" Dane protested.
"You said it was a good idea! If I'd known you didn't know how, I wouldn't have suggested it!"
Obi-Wan heaved an exasperated breath. If he could leave these two behind, he would. But something told him that he still needed them. "Stop squabbling, you two. We have to take Wren back to the Temple. We'll have to return and find the other bounty hunter's ship."
"Go back down the mountain?" Floria asked in dismay. "I'm exhausted!"
"And dusk will be here soon," Dane added.
Obi-Wan shouldered his pack. Then we'd better get started."
They left Wren wrapped in a blanket inside Teleq's ship. Anakin was able to reconfigure the ship's security code so that Wren would be protected inside. Even if Teleq somehow managed to get free of those birds, he would not be able to board his ship. At least Wren would have warmth and shelter. Promising to return soon, they set off down the mountain again.
"It's been almost five hours," Obi-Wan told Anakin. "With luck the bounty hunter will be just getting over his paralysis. He'll have no choice but the cooperate."
"We certainly are developing a collection of bounty hunters," Anakin remarked.
"Unfortunately they're not all as harmless as Floria and Dane," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin looked at him curiously. "You knew Floria wasn't telling the truth from the beginning, didn't you?"
"I suspected as much," Obi-Wan admitted. "But I had no way of knowing what she was concealing."
"I believed her story," Anakin said, frowning. "Why didn't the Force warn me?"
Obi-Wan smiled. "The Force is not a truth serum, Padawan. The ability to read a beings true motives comes with experience and patience. I was once very bad at it. Qui- Gon taught me how to look and listen. Floria betrayed herself by playing on our sympathies just a bit too much."
"And you knew they would find Teleq's ship and try to disable it."
"Experience," Obi-Wan said. "It tells me the beings follow their best interests. Floria and Dane have had to fight their way through the galaxy. They are used to looking out for themselves. Naturally they would still try to foil another bounty hunter winning the prize."
Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Do not trouble yourself, Padawan. You have an open heart. This is a good thing. With time you will learn the balance you need in a galaxy where all beings do not tell the truth. Your impulsiveness is a source of energy and power for you. But it can lead to trouble. You will learn to be more careful. Sometimes it is better to walk than to run."
"I got us into trouble with the malia, and then in the cavern" Anakin admitted. "I'm sorry, Master."
"Danger finds us on every mission," Obi-Wan said. "Let us look forward."
They followed the winding path down the mountain once again. When they reached the site of their battle with the Tursha, they hurried through the meadow. Ahead they could see the camouflaged tent. As they walked forward, they could distinguish the Tursha still slumped against the tree.
"He's still paralyzed," Anakin said, starting forward.
Obi-Wan stopped him. "No, Padawan. He is dead."
Chapter Thirteen
Obi-Wan crouched over the body. "Poisoned," he said.
Anakin leaned forward curiously. "Flechette canister?"
"No. See the flecks in his lips? It was a fast poison, injected in the neck." Obi-Wan moved the Tursha's head. "Here." Obi-Wan stood. "Do you have your tarp?"
Anakin withdrew the tarp from his survival pack. Gently, Obi-Wan wrapped the body. "We will come back for him," he murmured. "We must take him to Coruscant. He might have had family." He stood, his eyes roaming the area. "Now we must return to our problem. We must find his ship."
They spit up and searched the area thoroughly, but they could not find the ship the bounty hunter had used.
"One of the other bounty hunters must have stolen it," Obi- Wan said. "Mol Arcasite, perhaps."
"Do you think she killed him?"
"Possibly," Obi-Wan said. "But one of the others could have done it. We have no way to know."
"What now?" Anakin wondered. "We're stuck on the planet with no comm unit."
"We have one last sabaac card to play," Obi-Wan said. He turned to Floria and Dane.
"What?" Floria shifted nervously. "We told you everything we know."
"I don't think so," Obi-Wan answered. "If you had captured us, where would you have taken us?"
"To Granta Omega, of course," Dane answered.