"It's just like any other lovely spot in the woods."
Hearing his words, Lena suddenly looked up. "But it isn't, of course, " she said. "It's all manufactured. Human made." She began to look at the ground in a new way. She stepped across a patch of fake ground covered with moss. Getting to her knees, she peeled it back.
Underneath was a large, locked panel.
Lena picked up the beam drill and forced the panel open. Lifting it aside, she found a short tunnel descending down.
Excited, Lena lowered herself into the tunnel. A moment later Qui-Gon heard a loud splash.
"Well, I know what the boots were for," she called up. "I'm up to my ankles in water. But at least it's not sewage!"
Qui-Gon handed Lena the boots. They were big, and Lena pulled them on over her shoes. Then she turned on the flashlight and splashed around. She was inside a small pump room.
"Do you need help?" Obi-Wan called down.
There was some more splashing, but no response. Then several moments of complete silence.
Qui-Gon and his Padawan exchanged glances. Qui-Gon was just about to lower himself into the tunnel when they heard a gleeful shout.
"I found it!" Lena exclaimed.
A moment later she emerged with a second small package in a waterproof sheathing.
Qui-Gon hoped it was the evidence they needed.
Chapter 16
The three wasted no time getting back to the warehouse. They had been at the park for a couple of hours, and it was now very early morning.
Obi-Wan was anxious to get to the makeshift apartment and open the package. He was also exhausted, and hoped they would be able to rest for a few hours before planning their next move. But then his Master was never one to rest. There had been many times when Obi-Wan was certain that the older Jedi simply did not need sleep.
Once safely inside the warehouse, Lena ripped open the package.
Inside was a datapad, well wrapped and protected from water or shaking.
Lena switched the tiny machine on and they all waited while it hummed to life.
The next few moments seemed to go on for hours. Her hands a bit shaky, Lena put the data-pad on a low table and sat down on the sofa. The datapad beeped.
Lena pressed a series of buttons on the side of the machine, and information began to flash across the screen. Information about illegal land negotiations, bribery, government extortion, contracts for murders…
the list of crimes went on and on.
"Say good-bye to power, Solan," she whispered. Lena looked up at the Jedi, smiling. "This will put the Cobral behind bars for a long, long time, " she said.
Obi-Wan sighed in relief. Soon this mission would be over. Lena would be safe, and Frego would be free.
Qui-Gon did not waste any time in contacting Senator Crote on Coruscant. He explained that they had the evidence they needed, and they would be traveling with it first thing in the morning.
"Wonderful," the senator replied. "Take the Degarian II. It is fast and available. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."
With nothing more to do, Lena and the Jedi settled down for a few hours' rest. But while Lena slept in the room next door and his Master dozed nearby, Obi-Wan found that, exhausted as he was, sleep evaded him. He kept remembering the conversation he'd overheard between his Master and Lena in the park. Qui-Gon had never spoken so frankly about his grief-to anyone. Why did he choose to confide in a woman he barely trusted, and not in his own Padawan?
Obi-Wan knew that Tahl's death was incredibly hard for Qui-Gon. He knew now that his Master was in love with her. But while Tahl was alive Obi-Wan had not fully recognized that their love existed. When did it blossom? Qui-Gon and Tahl barely had any time together that he knew about.
As Obi-Wan lay in the darkness, guilt washed over him. He knew it was not right for him to be upset with his Master. Who he chose to confide in was his decision. And if it was not Obi-Wan, so be it.
Rolling over, Obi-Wan remembered his Master's words to Lena. He remembered the look in Qui-Gon's eyes. And more than anything, he wished he could find a way to ease his Master's pain.
At last the fatigue of the mission overcame Obi-Wan and he began to drift into sleep. But just as his senses were falling into a more relaxed state, he heard movement in Lena's room.
Obi-Wan sat up, wondering for half a moment if Lena was trying to escape without them — if his Master had been right to question her motives all along. She'd spoken convincingly to Solan, perhaps she really did want to make amends with the Cobral. Then Obi-Wan heard a second set of footsteps and a struggle. Someone was attacking Lena!
Checking to make sure his lightsaber was safely at his side, Obi-Wan broke into Lena's room. Lena sat on a chair, bound and gagged. A figure wearing a hooded burgundy tunic stood over her.
Launching himself into the air, Obi-Wan somersaulted over the two of them, pulling back the figure's hood. He expected to find the face of a Cobral, but did not recognize the stranger, whose face contorted into a tangle of rage as he drew a blaster.
Obi-Wan was ready with his lightsaber, but the intruder quickly shoved something into his pocket and made for the transparisteel portal. He was about to disappear when Qui-Gon burst into the room and knocked the man into the wall with a Force wave. The intruder slid to the floor and was still.
Obi-Wan quickly untied Lena. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Lena nodded. "Another thug working for the Cobral," she said, cracking a half smile. "I'm almost getting used to them."
"Good timing, Master," Obi-Wan said wryly as he helped Lena to her feet.
"Thank you," Qui-Gon replied as he bent over the man. "He's going to wake up with quite a headache, I'm afraid."
Qui-Gon had not cracked a joke in weeks, and it was music to Obi- Wan's ears.
Qui-Gon searched the man's pockets and quickly retrieved Rutin's datapad. He retrieved something else, Obi-Wan saw, but concealed it in his hand.
Qui-Gon stood up and faced Lena and Obi-Wan. His face was grave with concern.
"There's been a change in plans. We must leave Frego as soon as possible," he said.
Chapter 17
Lena, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan were silent as they once again made their way through the darkened streets of Rian. It was almost dawn, and a pale yellow light was beginning to overtake the sky. Qui-Gon was anxious for the mission to be over. But as he strode purposefully ahead, he could not shake the feeling that they were far from the end.