Then Obi-Wan saw Roy Teda on the same tier, making his way forward. A droid was tracking him, Obi-Wan saw, and Teda knew it. He was running for his life.
Omega had betrayed Teda, as he eventually betrayed all who joined forces with him. He had programmed a seeker droid to assassinate Teda, too.
Obi-Wan leaped onto a pod twenty meters down. He knew he was too far to reach the tier in time, but he had to try. As he made his way down, his lightsaber never stopped moving, swiping at the droids who were zeroing in on terrified Senators.
He was close enough now to see the snarl of fury and terror on Teda's face, and suddenly, Obi-Wan guessed his intent. If he was going to go down, he wanted the seeker droid to take down Palpatine, too.
Obi-Wan leaped, then leaped again. Just below, Teda ran. Ferus had turned to deal with a storm of blaster fire from five droids heading his way. Far below Ferus, Siri had seen nothing. Anakin had made his way down to the Senate floor and was on his way back up again. He had landed in a large pod and was in the middle of protecting an entire delegation.
Obi-Wan continued to make his way down, slicing through droids as he went. The Senate chamber was filled with shouts and screams, the smoke of blasters, and the unmistakable smell of fear.
Teda was only a few steps from Palpatine when Ferus moved. Obi-Wan had never seen him turn, had never seen him notice Teda, yet suddenly, Ferus's arm moved backward. Without even looking, he took out the lead seeker droid that had been targeting Teda.
Then Ferus turned his full attention to the droids. He Force-leaped upward, the bronze glow of his lightsaber a constantly moving presence, arcing and circling, slashing, flipping backward, moving forward.
Even as he leaped down the final meters toward Ferus, Obi-Wan saw the droids fall. Only one remained. Teda drew a blaster to fire at Ferus, but the droid suddenly dipped and fired, and Teda fell, smoke rising from the exit wound in his back. Ferus slashed the droid in half and bent over Teda.
Obi-Wan could see by the posture of Ferus's body that it was too late.
Obi-Wan landed at last. "Good work, Ferus." Ferus's mouth was tight.
"I was too late."
Even though Teda was an enemy of the Jedi, Ferus felt he had failed.
Obi-Wan repeated the words he had spoken, this time in a gentle tone.
"Good work, Ferus."
Ferus turned to look out over the chamber. "The tide has turned."
The Jedi and security forces were gaining the upper hand. Senators had been herded out of the chamber to safety. Others were being protected. The Jedi teams were now destroying the last of the droids. Obi-Wan glanced quickly over the chamber, searching for a Jedi who might need his help.
Suddenly he heard his name being called.
"Obi-Wan!"
It was Tyro. Obi-Wan half-turned, searching for his friend.
Tyro stood in the back of the tier, half-shrouded in darkness. He darted forward toward Obi-Wan, straight into the path of a seeker droid homing in on Palpatine.
"Tyro, drop!" Obi-Wan shouted, already moving.
Ferus leaped as the droid fired. He deflected the fire from Palpatine, but it was too late for Tyro.
Tyro fell on his knees, riddled with blaster fire.
"NO!" The cry was torn from Obi-Wan's chest. No, no, not Tyro, not him, not this, I cannot bear this….
He ran toward him, his legs propelling him forward while a part of him deep inside was still with dread, knowing what the next seconds would bring.
Tyro met his eyes. There was infinite sadness in his gaze, infinite regret. He opened his mouth but could not speak.
Tyro lifted his hand. It trembled as he opened his palm toward Obi- Wan. He closed his hand into a fist and placed it against his heart.
Then he looked beyond Obi-Wan's shoulder, behind him. Fear flickered in his eyes. And then he was gone.
Obi-Wan bent over him. He opened his own hand. He closed it. He placed it against Tyro's chest and bowed his head over his beloved friend. He murmured the words every Svivreni told a loved one before a journey.
"The journey begins," Obi-Wan whispered. "So go."
Chapter Twenty-one
The next day, the vote was finally held. There was no debate. Senator Bog Divinian's proposal to bar the Jedi from any action taken on behalf of the Senate was soundly defeated. Even Sano Sauro voted against it. It was noted that the two of them had arrived well after the previous day's events.
Bog was disgraced. Back on his planet, those who had once been his supporters demanded his resignation. Everyone but Bog knew his political career was over.
Because of his coolness on the day of the attempted massacre, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's stature increased, and he was more powerful than ever. Twenty-one Senators died that day, fourteen aides, and ten Senatorial guards. It was considered a miracle that the numbers weren't higher.
For a day or two, the Senators seemed bound in a common grief. But after the memorials and the speeches were over, the blame began. Who had allowed it to happen? What committee had not forseen it? What faction had secretly approved of it? Who had not condemned it loudly enough?
Charges and countercharges. Speeches. Lectures. Tirades.
Obi-Wan was sick of it. Sick at heart.
He sat in Tyro's cluttered office. He had attended Tyro's memorial service, which was packed with friends, with more spilling out into the hallways, unable to participate or hear, but still wanting, needing to be present. Obi-Wan had no idea that so many had loved him.
But here, among his beloved files and documents, here was where Obi- Wan felt closest to him.
He had thought he couldn't bear this death. But of course he had.
There would be more to bear, he knew. The growing darkness that Master Windu had spoken of was now in his heart. He could feel that darkness with every breath he took.
He had searched through Tyro's files, through his datapad, through everything he could think of. There was no record of what Tyro had been trying to tell him. Obi-Wan could not make sense of it.
I stumbled on something. Something… terrible…. the highest level..
great evil…
… only you can truly understand…
What was it? Obi-Wan silently asked Tyro. What were you going to tell me?
He had assumed that the seeker droid that killed Tyro was heading for Palpatine. Yet the Senate investigator had told him that morning that it was programmed to hit Tyro.
Why would Omega want to kill a lowly Senate aide? It didn't make sense.
He might never know the answer.
Obi-Wan looked around at the tiny office. He had arranged for Tyro's files to be moved to the Temple, where a team under the supervision of Madame Jocasta Nu would go over everything. There could have been something Obi-Wan missed.
By tonight, the office would be cleared. Knowing the demand for Senate space, by tomorrow, the office would already be occupied. Any memory of Tyro would be swept out with the dust.