Jedi Quest 1: The Way of the Apprentice

Chapter Ten

The Padawans were heading into the Emergency Command Center when Ferus held up a hand. The Padawans stopped.

Anakin nearly bumped into Darra. Annoyed, he stepped back.

"Before we meet with Galen, I suggest that only one Padawan conduct the questioning," Ferus said. "We don't want him to think we are accusing or bullying him. This should be done carefully."

"You should do it, Ferus," Darra said. "You have the most experience."

Ferus nodded. "All right."

Wait a second. Don't I get a vote? Anakin wondered. What happened to Jedi cooperation?

But Tru was agreeing as well, so Anakin nodded.

Ferus led the way into the room, which had been a minister's office before all the government officials had fled the planet. Now a row of datascreens glowed faintly as Galen sat on a repulsorlift chair, moving from screen to screen as he checked and matched lists.

"How is the evacuation coming?" Ferus asked politely as they entered.

Galen passed a harried hand through his hair. "All right.

There are so many details. And I don't have much help."

"We'd be glad to assist you," Ferus said. "How many workers do you have here?"

"Just me at the moment," Galen said. "I had a staff, but they all left when the ministers did." He gave the Padawans an impatient glance. "I can handle things here. You go ahead and keep patrolling the streets, or whatever you're doing."

He turned back to the datascreens, dismissing the Padawans as though they were naughty children who had interrupted his work.

"Can you tell us who has access to this information?"

Ferus asked. Anakin was surprised at his polite tone. How could he let Galen get away with patronizing them?

"The upper ministers of government had access," Galen answered without turning. "And now I do. Why?"

"Is there anyone who would release that information?"

Ferus asked.

Galen gave a weary sigh and turned around in his chair.

"No, of course not," he said. "It's classified. Sensitive.

If people knew in what order they would be evacuating, violence could erupt. The people at the bottom of the list will try to push themselves forward. I won't post the lists until immediately before the ships arrive." Galen looked at the Jedi curiously. "If there is something wrong, you must tell me. I am in charge of the city's security. I don't want the job, but I'm the only qualified one left."

"I'm afraid we have reason to believe that the raiders have information about the evacuation," Ferus answered. "We believe they are planning to plunder the homes of those who are leaving the planet."

Galen looked at them sharply. "Are you sure about this?"

At Ferus's nod, he shook his head. "Still, at least they will have their lives."

"But they will return to nothing," Darra said.

"If we can return." Galen looked away. "I have a feeling our beloved planet is lost to us for good."

"You don't know that," Ferus said. "The toxin could have a half-life."

"We don't have time to investigate that," Galen snapped.

"Don't you think we have enough to do?"

"We are not accusing you," Ferus said politely.

"Maybe not. But you are wasting my time. I am trying to save lives here." Galen waved at the datascreen.

"We need to find out who passed the information along,"

Anakin said in a forceful tone. He was tired of letting Ferus ask all the questions. He was getting nowhere with that polite tone. "Whoever it was wanted to foster instability on the planet. I don't call investigating that a waste of time. Do you?"

"Hey, there's no reason to jump down my throat, kid."

Galen held up two hands, as if to fend Anakin off. "Look, I'd like to help. But there's really no way to tell who passed on the information. Many of the ministers have gone to Coruscant. Some have scattered to other worlds to wait out the catastrophe in comfort." He frowned at them. "You're not thinking of leaving now that you've lost your Masters, are you?"

"We haven't lost them," Anakin snapped.

Ferus interrupted smoothly. "No, we're not leaving. We're to remain until the evacuations take place. Don't worry. And we've destroyed many of the Prototype Droids that the raiders were using."

"You kids did?" Galen looked impressed. "Maybe things are looking up." Suddenly the communicator sputtered to life. It crackled and buzzed, but they could hear a voice calling for Galen to answer.

He quickly adjusted the chair to swing over to the comm unit. "Galen here. Galen here. Do you read? Do you read?"

"Ships. . evacuation. . engine shutdown needs repair. ." The words came out in bursts of static "Delay.

Do you copy?"

"The ships are delayed? How long?" Galen asked desperately. "How long?"

But the comm unit went dead.

Galen turned to the Padawans. His face was pale. "That was the communication line of the Senate ship. Even a short delay will be fatal. The winds will shift in twelve hours.

Without those ships, we're dead."