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DawnI sat staring at the holo, lost in thought. I kept seeing Kelian’s dead face. I hate death. I hate touching it, feeling it, seeing it. My eyes were seeing the holo but mind was seeing the message written in blood.
You will fail.
Kelian took the coward’s way out by killing herself. No matter what she had done, she could have turned from it, made amends. Her heart wasn’t completely cold, I sensed that. There had been a chance for redemption. But not now. Death takes away that option.
“General Skywalker?” I looked up at Commander Cody. “There is transmission coming in from you. It’s General Kenobi, at least I think it is.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is encryption code attached to it I’ve never seen it before. It doesn’t match any I aware of,” Cody told me.
I stood up. “Show me.”
I leaned over counsel and patched in. I recognized it immediately. It was a private distress code that the two of us used. Only I know how to decipher the code. Which I did swiftly, a static filled holo of Obi-Wan flashed up.
“I have been on the trail of Marusi for several days. No sign of the younglings adducted but now Master Adana has been taken as well. I have discovered that Octavia is with Marusi, Anakin. They are both here and are behind this, I’m sure of it. I need your help on this. Make sure everything is secure on Geonosis before you leave but make it fast. I should have more information by the time you get here. I’m in the lower levels, I know you can find me easily.”
The holo faded. First thought: why not get help from someone closer from the Temple? Second thought: who better than me? No, that’s not my ego. Obi-Wan and myself worked better together than any other team. And with the way I fly, I could get there fast.
Anger washed over me. Octavia and Marusi. Octavia had did some pretty horrible things to Obi-Wan once before, a long time ago. Not much of it he remembers, but there is enough residual impression left from the experience that makes his face go a bit white when it’s mentioned.
It’s not often you see Obi-Wan Kenobi off his game.
“Cody, I’m leaving you and your men under Tarvis’ command,” I said whipping around.
“Yes, sir. Are you sure we shouldn’t come with you?” Cody asked.
“No, this is a delicate matter. Troops would make the situation worse.”
I thought of all the Jedi Knights missing, Barriss, D.J. and countless others, and now Adana.
It was time I did something about that. Starting now.
“Then again,” I gave Cody a clever smile. “A garrison hiding in the shadows can’t hurt, can it?”
