Jedi Voyage #5 - The Academy Of Fright

Chapter Thirteen

  Obi-Wan landed his starship on the main public landing platform in Utare. He completed his postflight check and activated the landing ramp. As he strode down it, he saw Siri waiting at the bottom. Her hands were on her hips and her blue eyes sparked fire.
  He guessed that she did not have good news.
  She spoke when he was still only halfway down the ramp. "How could you withhold this from me, Obi-Wan?" Did you think you could solve it by yourself and I'd never have to know? Were you afraid of how I'd react?" She put one booted foot on the ramp as though she were ready to charge at him. "Well, you were right to be afraid!"
  "Nice to see you, too, Siri," Obi-Wan said, coming up to her. He had been friends with Siri for over ten years now, and she could still nettle him like no one else. He wondered what minor infraction he was guilty of. "Now, do you mind filling me in on what you're talking about?"
  "Ferus is missing!" she exclaimed. "Don't tell me you didn't know."
  Obi-Wan's mild amusement faded immediately. "No, I didn't."
  "Didn't Anakin contact you?"
  "Our next scheduled communication isn't until tonight, and I received no emergency signal. Are you sure about this?"
  "Ferus contacted me via the emergency channel. I was on a mission and couldn't answer for an hour. When I tried to reach him, he didn't answer."
  "He never sent me a signal," Obi-Wan said.
  "I think something happened before he could," Siri said. "His message was cut off. But he did say that Anakin was taking off on a mission with the secret squad. They're going to conduct an air strike on the Andaran security transport landing platform."
  Obi-Wan stopped short. "What?"
  "You didn't know?"
  "Of course not." Obi-Wan was staggered by this news. He couldn't absorb it. A Jedi was missing, and Anakin had not informed him? Anakin had agreed to take part in an air strike against a nonhostile planet? It seemed inconceivable.
  "I don't understand," he said. "Was Anakin captured, or forced to leave with the squad?"
  "No," Siri said. "It was his own free will. Ferus was clear about that. He sounded worried about Anakin."
  Ferus was often worried about Anakin, Obi-Wan thought. He had noted that already. Ferus was concerned that Anakin would let down the Order in some way.
  And so he had. Obi-Wan felt the betrayal like a hard blow to his stomach. He had trouble getting air. He struggled with his own emotions, surprised at the depth of them. He felt betrayed, he realized. Why hadn't Anakin trusted him?
  He swallowed. "Did Ferus know where Anakin was headed?"
  "To Ieria. That's all. And it's a big planet."
  He wished Siri would look away. Her eyes had not left his face. Her gaze scorched him.
  He had promised to watch over Ferus like his own Padawan. He had failed.
  He did not know what to do. Whatever step he took could be the wrong one. And if he took the wrong one, he could lose one of them. Or both.
  Obi-Wan's thoughts whirled crazily. He could not focus.
  "Let's decide how to proceed," Siri said crisply.
  That was the way of the Jedi. Accept the mistake and move on. But Obi-Wan's mind was a blank.
  "We need to get into the school," Siri said. "Ferus is still there. I feel it."
  The confusion cleared, and Obi-Wan remembered why he had come to Andara.
  "I think Gillam is there, too," he said. "But without Anakin and Ferus to help us, we can't infiltrate the campus without being detected. We can't come as Jedi. We can't take the chance that someone will be watching. We must appear as though we belong there."
  "But how?" Siri asked. "Security there is incredibly tight. And we don't look like students."
  "I have an idea," Obi-Wan said.
  Siri gave him a searching look. "I can tell I'm not going to like it."
  "You're going to hate it," Obi-Wan said.

  "Your excellencies," the president of the school said graciously. "How kind of you to consider the Leadership School for your son."
  Obi-Wan and Siri walked into the inner office. It had taken only two minutes to contact Tyro for some fast false text docs.
  "Thank you for seeing us on such short notice," Obi-Wan said.
  "The king and queen of Cortella are always welcome," the president said. "Now, how old is your son?"
  "Thirteen," Obi-Wan said.
  "Eleven," Siri said at the same time.
  They looked at each other.
  "Two sons," Obi-Wan said quickly. "We have two. One for each of us," he added heartily.
  "I see. And you wish to enroll both?"
  "No," Siri said.
  "Yes," Obi-Wan said at the same time.
  "Remember, we talked about this, uh, dear?" Siri said, her eyes flashing a warning at Obi-Wan.
  Obi-Wan tried not to smile. He couldn't help enjoying how much Siri was hating this.
  "Of course. But you agreed with me, as you always do," he said.
  Siri's gaze flashed sparks at Obi-Wan, but the president could not see. Siri inclined her head haughtily. She hadn't done much to change her appearance, merely slicked back her hair more severely, but she looked suddenly regal to Obi-Wan.
  "Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the princes will both attend," she said in a distant tone. "We must be assured, of course, that the school is up to the highest standard."
  "It must be suitable for our royal regal sons," Obi-Wan said. Siri shot him a look that said, Let me handle this.
  "Of course," the president said nervously. "Shall we get started on our tour?"
  Obi-Wan and Siri stood. "We would prefer to tour on our own," Obi-Wan said.
  "We feel we will absorb the spirit of the place in that manner," Siri said. She indicated their traveler's tunics. "We dressed this way precisely so that we would not be conspicuous. We will not disturb your students."
  "Uh, ah... this is not exactly customary..." the president stammered.
  "Nevertheless, it is our wish," Obi-Wan said in a tone that implied he was not used to being overruled.
  "If there is a problem, we will go elsewhere," Siri said. "There is an excellent school on Alderaan –"
  "No, no, no problem," the president said. He waved a hand. "You are free to explore. I will alert security that you are not to be disturbed."
  Siri tilted her head again. Obi-Wan nodded. They swept out the door.
  "If you ever get tired of being a Jedi, you'd make an amazing queen," Obi-Wan told Siri as soon as the door had slid shut behind them.
  "And you'd make a terrible king," she said. "Royal regal sons?"
  "I was trying to sound pompous," Obi-Wan said.
  "Do you really think you need to try?" Siri asked. Her clear blue eyes held a mischievous glint. In the middle of any crisis, Siri was always able to take him by surprise. Now he realized with a sense of relief that her teasing was designed to tell him that she did not hold him responsible for the disappearance of Ferus. He was grateful to his old friend. He knew her so well. She would not speak of her feelings, but she would always manage to let him know what they were.
  "Did you notice that the president seemed nervous?" Obi-Wan asked. "And it wasn't just because he was meeting with a king and queen. The school must know Ferus is missing."
  "And they want to keep it quiet," Siri said, nodding. "That's why they haven't put the school in lockdown. If it's discovered that there are two missing students, they could lose students... and revenue."
  "Exactly. But the school must be looking for Ferus, too. They'll search the obvious places."
  "So we have to get to the un-obvious ones," Siri said. "Where should we start?"
  "I think we should try to find Reymet Autem," Obi-Wan said. "Ferus said several times that Reymet hinted at knowing something about Gillam's disappearance. And he also said he knew how to get around security. Ferus never found out if he really did, but..."
  "He's our only lead," Siri finished.
  They started down the halls. Most of the students were in class. The president must have alerted security, for they were waved through all checkpoints.
  But with the halls empty, they would have no luck finding Reymet. "We're not getting anywhere," Siri said, frustrated. "Maybe we need to go to registration. We can think of something in order to gain access to the class schedules –"
  "I don't think that's necessary," Obi-Wan said. "You're forgetting the best thing about classes."
  "What's that?"
  A soft beeping signal came over the hidden speakers.
  "They end," Obi-Wan said.
  Just then a voice was broadcast, speaking in a quiet but insistent tone. "End of mod six class. Five minutes to mod seven. Five minutes."
  Suddenly the doors hissed open and students spilled out into the hall. Obi-Wan and Siri were pushed against the walls as students ran, jostled, tossed datapads at one another playfully, or wolfed down a quick snack as they walked. Yet both Jedi could feel the effort and bravado in the calls and laughter. These students were afraid.
  Obi-Wan hailed a student who appeared to be about Anakin and Ferus's age. "Excuse me. Do you know Reymet Autem?"
  The tall Phlog nodded. "He's in my Current Galactic Political Trends class."
  "Can you find him for us?" Siri asked.
  "Not a problem. He's right there." The Phlog pointed to a boy across the hall who was tossing a small datapad from one hand to the other as he walked.
  "Thanks." It was a lucky break. Obi-Wan and Siri headed toward Reymet.
  "Are you a friend of Ferus Olin?" Siri asked him.
  Reymet nodded proudly. "We're best friends." He eyed them carefully. "Hey, are you his parents? You look like you could be."
  "Yes, we're his parents," Siri said. "Have you seen him this afternoon?"
  "No, and that's weird, because he's in three of my classes," Reymet said. "Is he sick?"
  "No, Reymet," Obi-Wan said. "That's why we came to you. We think Ferus is missing. We think it has something to do with what happened to Gillam Tarturi."
  "Will you help us?" Siri asked. "Ferus told us that you know secret things about the school."
  "I know some things," Reymet said cautiously.
  "We promise we won't tell the school officials anything you show us," Siri said.
  Reymet still hesitated. "Unless you don't tell us anything, and then we'd be forced to go to the school officials," Obi-Wan pointed out.
  "Whoa," Reymet said. "In that case, I'd be happy to tell you everything I know."
  Obi-Wan noted that he sounded relieved. Maybe Reymet had a secret that had been a burden to keep, and that was why he kept hinting to Ferus that he knew something. "Follow me."
  The halls were emptying of students as Reymet quickly led them down to the ground level of the school.
  "Class beginning. Mod seven." The soft voice floated out from the speakers. "Mod seven. Class beginning."
  The hallway was empty. "Hurry," Reymet hissed. "I only have a few minutes before I have to check in to my next class."
  He ducked into a storage closet, and Obi-Wan and Siri quickly followed. They crowded in next to him.
  "Couldn't you find a bigger place for us to hide?" Obi-Wan asked as he bumped into a durasteel toolbox.
  "If you could just squeeze together, I can..." Reymet began to wiggle past them, then ducked down below them. "...okay, just a second... move your foot... no, the other way... thanks..."
  Reymet unscrewed a panel from the wall. A large utility shaft opened up.
  "In there," he said.
  "What's in there?" Obi-Wan asked, peering in.
  "When they renovated, they just built around all the old electrical and water systems," Reymet explained. "It was cheaper than ripping them out. There's a whole network of utility pipes still in place. They lead to the old system rooms."
  "Did you show Ferus this?" Siri asked.
  Reymet nodded. "We were going to explore it together, during free time. I didn't know he was missing. I would have looked for him –"
  "Do you think he's with Gillam?" Obi-Wan asked. He kept his gaze on Reymet.
  Whatever reserve the young boy had crumbled. "I don't know," he said. "I think Gillam is still here, though. I saw him the night he disappeared. He knew about the old utility pipes, too."
  "Do you think Gillam is hiding?" Siri asked.
  Reymet nodded. "I don't blame him. With a father like that, I'd hide, too. That's why I wouldn't tell on him." He looked uneasily at them. "But now I'm not so sure. I can see Gillam hiding, but I can't see Ferus doing that. He isn't mean like Gillam."
  "Gillam is mean?" Obi-Wan asked.
  "Maybe I shouldn't have said that," Reymet said. "He's not mean, I guess. He's just... not nice." He shifted from one foot to the other uneasily. It was clear he was worried he'd said too much. "They're doing extra security checks – and I'm late for class. One more demerit and I'm suspended. Not that having to leave this place would break my heart. But it might break my old man."
  "Go," Obi-Wan told him. "We'll handle it from here."
  Reymet suddenly looked lost. "I really hope you find him. I like him a lot." Reymet hurried out the door.
  Obi-Wan peered into the pipe. He could see where the dust had been disturbed, but it was impossible to tell but whom or by how many."
  "After you," Siri said.
  Obi-Wan climbed into the pipe. He had to stoop and move slowly because of his size. Siri had an easier time.
  "Hurry," she urged him.
  "Would you like to go first?"
  "If I could get around you, I would."
  Obi-Wan saw light at the end of the pipe and quickened his pace. He slid out of the pipe onto a springy floor. He realized that it was covered in moss. The large space had a damp, moldy smell. Mildew marked the walls in cloudy patterns. The smell was close and dank.
  "This must have been some sort of holding tank," Siri said. She took out a glow rod and held it up. "Makes sense if that was a water pipe."
  Obi-Wan felt the floor suck at his boots. "There's a couple of passageways. Any ideas?" He turned to Siri, but he already felt the Force move in the space. She was looking keenly about her, sending out the Force, trying to reach her Padawan. Obi-Wan joined her, calling on the Force to help them locate Ferus.
  They turned at the same moment and headed for the passageway to their left. They could feel it now. The Force had entered the dank, dark space, and they knew Ferus was near.
  Siri held her glow rod aloft. "I think we're in the old water treatment system. See the inflow pipes?"
  "These are holding pens for the water," Obi-Wan said, peering into the rooms as they passed. Some of the chambers still had their durasteel panel doors. Others had doors that were half rusted away, or had been removed.
  The Force grew stronger. Ahead they saw a chamber with an intact door. It was bolted to the wall with a new lock.
  Siri withdrew her lightsaber. Within seconds, the metal peeled back, giving them an entry to the chamber.
  Ferus sat in the middle of the room. He quickly stood, facing them. "I am sorry for needing rescue, Master," he said to Siri. "I am sorry, Master Kenobi."
  "We all need rescue sometime," Obi-Wan said.
  "Some more than others," Siri said, grinning at Obi-Wan.
  Ferus was so different from Anakin, Obi-Wan thought. Anakin would have smiled at him as soon as he entered. It's about time, he would have said. Or maybe, I hope you brought my lunch. He felt an intense need to find his own Padawan. Added to the feeling was the fury that he was gone at all.
  "What happened?" Siri asked Ferus. "Are you all right? Where is your lightsaber?"
  "It's hidden in my room." Ferus made a face. "One of several of my mistakes. I came down here looking for Gillam without stopping there first. I thought if I found him I could prevent Anakin taking off with the secret squad. Instead, Gillam found me."
  "Gillam?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised.
  Ferus nodded. "He was never kidnapped. He staged it himself."
  Obi-Wan felt a surge of impatience. He should have examined this possibility. He hadn't been able to imagine a son doing such a thing to his father. No matter how much he'd seen in his life, no matter what evil he'd faced, he was still capable of surprise at a son's resentment of a powerful father. It always surprised him, how personal a betrayal could be.
  "I don't understand how he could have imprisoned you," Siri said with a frown.
  "I was exploring, and I found a hiding place," Ferus said. "It's just down this corridor. His datapad was hidden in a drain behind a lock, in a plastoid sleeve. I was just trying to access it when I heard someone coming. It was Gillam and a few members of the secret squad. I was able to conceal the datapad but they got my comlink."
  "What did they do?" Obi-Wan asked. He felt dread invade him. So the secret squad was involved.
  "They thought I was just a nosy student," Ferus said. "I decided not to resist because I didn't want to blow my cover, or especially Anakin's. They didn't know what to do with me. They were afraid I'd report them. They searched me, but I used the Force to redirect them, so I was able to hang onto Gillam's datapad. Then they put me in here. Gillam brought​ me food, but I haven't seen him in hours."
  Ferus held up the datapad. "They left me alone, so I was able to read this. First of all, look – it has a Senate seal."
  Obi-Wan took it. He recognized the symbol of Andara on the back. "This belongs to Berm Tarturi." He thought a moment. "Maybe Tarturi was right. Someone did break into his office and go through his things. But it was his own son."
  Ferus nodded. "That's not all. There are ransom notes on this pad. Two of them have been sent. I think Gillam plans to pin his own kidnapping on his father."
  "Why would he do such a thing?" Siri asked. "Does he hate him so much?"
  "He must," Ferus said. "But that's not the only thing. Are you in contact with Anakin?"
  Obi-Wan shook his head. "He hasn't reported in. He must be traveling or even on Ieria by now, but his comlink has been turned off."
  Ferus looked grave. "The last letter in the file takes responsibility for Gillam's death. It hasn't been sent yet, but it's timed to go out in five hours."
  "He's going to frame his father for his own murder?" Obi-Wan said.
  "But how?" Siri asked. "He'll need a body. There will be some kind of investigation."
  "That's what I've been thinking about," Ferus said quietly. He ran his hands through his hair in a rare gesture of agitation. "What if Gillam planned to produce a body? Someone similar in age and build, someone who looks a little like him. They could plant text docs on the body, or near it."
  "They'd have to count on a great deal of chaos and confusion," Siri said. "There are many tests that can be done to determine identity."
  "The secret squad is going to help start a war between Andara and the rest of the planets in the system," Obi-Wan said. "They may not realize it, but they will. That will certainly create chaos." He suddenly realized what Ferus, brooding in his damp cell, had already put together. "They just need a body." He thought back to the information he had on Gillam, to the boy's height and weight and coloring. "And they've chosen –"
  "Anakin," Ferus said.