"Oh, I am, Your Corpulence, I am!" Privately, he wished he knew who or what the bossban was talking about. The expecta tion of possible riches far outweighed any fear he might have felt.

"The situation was made worse," the Hutt was saying, "be cause trained Jedi can oft times sense threatening disturbances in their vicinity.

Because of this ability, they are infernally difficult to ambush. Certain individuals will not be pleased by this turn of events. There will be additional expense."

This time Ogomoor kept quiet.

Hutt movements are slow, but their minds are not. "Though your mouth is closed, I see your brain working. The details of this business are for me to know and you to forget." Noting his bossban"s irritation, Ogomoor forbore from inquiring how he was supposed to forget something he had never been told.

"It may not matter. The representatives of the Unity grow more displeased by the day with the continuing indecision of Republic officials regarding the land claims of the nomads. I am informed that as with many current issues, Senate opinion is divided on the issue."

"Yes, yes, I know." Soergg grunted impressively. "It seems that the galaxy is now governed by confusion instead of consensus." A monstrous frown split his leathery face. "Bad for business, chaos is. That is why the Hutts have allied themselves, albeit quietly, with those forces that are working for change. For stability, the capitalist"s friend." He wagged a finger at his a.s.sistant. "With luck, these Jedi will need time to accomplish anything. It will take more debate before this quarrel between the city folk and the Alwari can be settled. That gives us time, and opportunity, in which to still conclude this business in a satisfactory manner. It must be concluded in a satisfactory manner. The Jedi cannot be allowed to sway the opinion of the Unity representatives.

The vote to pull Ansion out of the Republic must proceed!" s...o...b..r trickled down the absent chin as a huge tongue licked thick lips. The custodial droid scuttled swiftly to catch the noxious drool before it could stain the floor.

"You cannot imagine," the Hutt added in dangerously low tones, "the extent of the repercussions if we fail to successfully carry out this contract. Those who have engaged us to carry out their wishes in this matter have a reputation for treating failure harshly, in ways that can only be imagined."

Ogomoor had all too vivid an imagination. "I will do my best, as always, Bossban. Still, four Jedi-"

"Two Jedi and two Padawans," Soergg corrected him. He looked suddenly wistful. Or at least as wistful as a Hutt could look. "Those pathetic malingerers you were forced to hire are all too typical of the quality available on outlying worlds such as Ansion. What is needed for this kind of work is a real, experienced professional. Someone whose work and experience falls outside the boundaries of Republic legalese. A proper bounty hunter, for example. Unfortunately, none such is to be found on Ansion." He sat brooding for a long moment.

"Slatt!" he finally exclaimed. "There is one good thing to come out of this fiasco, anyway. Thanks to the efforts of the Jedi, there are few survivors to claim their pay."

"Then if you are done with me, O Great One, I have much work to do."

Ogomoor started to back out of the room. "The shipment of tweare skins from Aviprine is due to arrive-"

"Not so fast." Reluctantly, the majordomo was obliged to pause in his retreat. "I expect you to keep on top of this, Ogomoor. It"s a wise merchant who misses no opportunity. Let"s see some of that deviousness your tribe is famed for possessing. This business of putting a stop to Jedi interference takes precedence over everything else, including the shipment of tweare skins. I will expect regular reports. Whatever you need, requisition it and I will provide the necessary authorization.

These visitors must be stopped, or there will be consequences for all of us! Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Ogomoor bowed low. "Completely."

The Hutt puffed up importantly, like a toad much afflicted with pride. "I always do."

"To the greater edification of those of us who serve you, O Most Great and Wise Patron."

Having finally made good his flight from the room with rank and all body parts intact, Ogomoor resolutely ignored the multi-species giggling that followed him as he headed for his own office. There was nothing to worry about, he told himself. It was no big deal. All he had to do to retain his employer"s trust and appreciation was oversee the demise of two Jedi Knights and their wily Padawans. Why, any country ignoramus could perform such a task using only half a brain.

Because that was what an angry Jedi would leave to him, a distraught Ogomoor knew. Still, there might be a way. What was it that overstaffed bag of smarmy suet had said? Something about the difficulty of sneaking up on and surprising a Jedi? Might there not be a way to counteract such a remarkable talent?

Or better yet, to outflank it?

"It didn"t work." Soergg slumped before the comm station. The Hutt had considerable respect for the small biped whose hologram he was addressing. Not because of her personality, but because of Shu Mai"s wide-ranging accomplishments in the field of commerce.

"What happened?" the president of the Commerce Guild asked curtly.

"The second Jedi and his Padawan arrived earlier than ex pected, and prevented the execution of the first." Soergg leaned closer to the comm.

"The information I was given was faulty. Many hirelings were lost." He chuffed importantly. "I have incurred expenses."

Shu Mai was unforgiving. "Don"t blame me for your failure. You were provided with the most up-to-date information avail able. Do you think tracking the movements of individual Jedi is like following a courtesan around a dance floor? They don"t publicize their comings and goings, you know." Her apprehension was clear. "Now I have to pa.s.s this disagreeable information along to another. What do you plan to do to rectify this miserable failure?"

"The matter is being pursued. The Jedi will not be allowed to prevent Ansion"s secession."

"Ansion is your chosen homeworld," Shu Mai reminded the Hutt. "Don"t you care if it stays in the Republic or not?"

Soergg made a rude noise. "A Hutt"s home is where his busi ness interests lie."

The president of the Commerce Guild nodded. "Even the members of the Trade Federation are not so mercenary."

"Fine words, coming from the one whose organization covered up the niobarium pollution on Vorian Four."

Shu Mai"s expression widened. "You know about that? For one with access to such restricted information, I would think the elimination of a couple of Jedi-and their Padawans-would be a simple matter."

"It would," Soergg agreed, "if I could get proper help. Can you not send me suitable individuals?"

Shu Mai shook her head. "I am under strict instructions to avoid any action that might draw additional attention from the Jedi Council.

Sending in offworld professionals is precisely the kind of action that would do so. Our friend would be hard-pressed to explain away such an action. You will have to make do with what you can hire locally. I was a.s.sured that you could. That is why you were engaged."

"This is not an easy business," Soergg complained bitterly.

The president of the Commerce Guild leaned close to her holo pickup, so that her face filled the imager. "I will make you a deal, Hutt. Trade positions with me. I will take care of these meddlesome Jedi, and you come here and deal with the one to whom I must report."

Soergg thought about it-but not for very long. The Hutts had not achieved all that they had by being fools. Besides, there was always the possibility that if Shu Mai became too intemperate, too insistent, she could be bypa.s.sed. One could go over her head.

Did Soergg want to do that? He was not at all certain he really wished to know who was backing the impatient Commerce Guild. Not on a personal level, anyway.

"I sense agitation, anxiety, and outright hostility," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin trailing dutifully behind him, Obi-Wan led the way toward the munic.i.p.al hall of the city of Cuipernam, where they were to meet formally for the first time with deputies of the Unity of Community-the loosely bound political ent.i.ty that represented the scattered city-states of Ansion and was the closest thing the world they were visiting had to a recognizable planetary government. The same ersatz planetary government, he reminded himself, that was threatening to secede from the Republic-and as a consequence, possibly take dozens of other systems with it.

Luminara nodded. "In other words, a bunch of nervous politicians." She glanced over at Barriss. "There are certain constants that remain the same throughout the galaxy, my dear. The speed of light, the motion of muons, and the unwillingness of politicians to commit to anything that requires a leap of personal responsibility."

As always, the Padawan listened thoughtfully before re sponding. "Then how do we persuade them of the Tightness of the galactic government"s ways, and that it"s in their best interests to remain a part of the Republic?"

"Sometimes it seems as if money works best." Obi-Wan"s tone was quietly sardonic. "But regardless of what goes on in the Senate these days, that is not the way of the Jedi. Unlike politicians, we cannot offer to buy the loyalty of these people with promises of financial aid and elaborate development projects. Instead, we are restricted to the use of reason and common sense. If all goes well, they will respond to these as enthusiastically as they do to ready cash."

There was no need for guards or clerks to announce the visi tors to the a.s.sembled representatives; they were expected. The munic.i.p.al hall itself was impressive by Cuipernam standards: long and high, the upper reaches of the second story lined with scenes of Ansionian life rendered effectively in stained quartz. No doubt it served to impress pet.i.tioning citizens. On Corus-cant, Obi-Wan reflected, it would not have drawn a curious yawn from a bored pa.s.sing traveler. The difference in scale and aesthetics did not make him feel bigger or more important than the locals. Very early in his training, he had come to realize the insignificance and unimportance of mere physical achievements. Anyone could buy expensive attire and fancy accoutrements, live in a big house, command legions of servants both organic and mechanical. Wisdom was much harder to come by.

Nevertheless, the four visitors dutifully admired their sur roundings, complimenting the female who came forward to ex tend them formal greetings. Seated at a long table cut from a single piece of purplish xellwood, seven delegates awaited them. Two were human, four indigenous Ansionian, and one Armalat.

Luminara studied the Ansionians carefully. Slightly shorter on average than humans, the dominant native species of Ansion was much slimmer, wiry and lean, with skin a pale yellow that was almost golden. Both genders were hairless except for a single startlingly dense brush of fur about fifteen centimeters wide and seven or eight high that ran from the top of their foreheads all the way down their backs to terminate in a fifteen-centimeter-long tail. Beneath their warm, well-made clothing the sweep of hair, which varied in color across the entire visible spectrum, was usually kept neatly trimmed. The large eyes with their small black pupils were usually red, sometimes shading to lighter tones of yellow or, in rarer instances, mauve. The numerous teeth were noticeably sharp. Though omnivorous, the Ansionians ate proportionately more meat than humans.

Particularly, she reminded herself, the Alwari.

There was no one in the chamber to represent the interests of the nomads, of course. They shunned the cities and towns, preferring their life out on the immense prairies that dominated much of Ansionian topography.

After millennia of constant conflict between nomads and city folk, a tenuous peace had finally been established two hundred local years ago.

Now the exigencies of interstellar politics threatened to tear that fragile concord to shreds and drag Ansion out of the Republic entirely.

The nomads wished to remain under the Republic"s protection. Chafing against the weight of regulations and petty rules that seemed to pour forth from Coruscant in a never-ending stream, the urbanites were considering joining the nascent secessionist movement. The result was fresh estrangement between nomads and city dwellers. If they could reconcile these opposing views, Luminara knew, Ansion would probably stay within the Republic. As was ever the case through history, local conflicts threatened to expand beyond their boundaries. It was likely that neither side in this internal dispute truly grasped the far larger issues that were at stake. The intensifying argument between city dwellers and nomads had galactic ramifications.

Not only those who were bound to it through formal pact and treaty, but others, too, were watching to see what happened on Ansion. Due to its strategic location and entanglement of alliances, it was a key world in this part of the Republic. Remove a small plug from a dam holding back agitated waters, she knew, and an unexpectedly great flood can result.

The Ansionian who rose from behind the table gestured a formal local greeting. The other delegates, Luminara noted, did not rise.

"I am Ranjiyn. Like my colleagues, a representative of the Unity, of Ansion"s city and town dwellers." Most Ansionians used only one name, she knew. His mane was dyed in alternating black and white stripes. He proceeded to introduce his fellow delegates. One did not have to be a master of the Force to note their wariness. When he had finished the introductions, he concluded, "We of the towns and cities welcome you, the representatives of the Jedi Council, to Ansion and extend to you all the hospitality and cooperation of which we are capable."

Fine words, Anakin thought. Master Obi-Wan had spent much time trying to satisfy his Padawan"s curiosity about politics. One of the first things a student of that odious subject learned was that words were among the cheaper currencies employed by politicians, and therefore one they felt free to spend lavishly.

Meanwhile, Luminara was replying. She certainly was unusual for a Jedi, he thought. In her own way, she could be as in timidating as Obi-Wan. At least she was openly friendly and understanding, which was more than could be said for her by-the-book Padawan Barriss.

"On behalf of the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi and I, Lu minara Unduli, thank you for ourselves and our Padawans, Anakin Skywalker and Barriss Offee." She and her companions took seats on the other side of the beautiful table, opposite their hosts. "As you know, we are here to try to mediate this dispute between the urban inhabitants of your world and the Alwari nomads."

"Please." A tall, dignified older man waved one hand diffi dently. "None of your Jedi subterfuges. We all know you are here to do anything and everything in your power to keep Ansion from voting to join the secessionist movement. Local quarrels of the kind to which you allude are not the purview of the Jedi Council." He smiled confidently. "In any event, they would not send four representatives to deal with what is essentially a minor internal problem."

"No conflict is minor to the Council," Obi-Wan responded. "We hope to see all citizens of the Republic living together in peace and contentment, wherever they may be, whatever species they may represent, whatever their local customs and lifestyles."

"Contentment!" Reaching under the table, one of the other Ansionians, a female with long vertical lines in her face and one clouded brown eye, pulled out a stack of data disks the size of a building stone and dropped them onto the highly polished surface. They landed with a dull boom.

"Lifestyles! Do you know what this is, Jedi?" Before either Luminara or Obi-Wan could reply, she told them. "It"s the latest bimonthly policy update from the Republic Senate. The latest only!" She gestured at the enormous stack as if it were some obscene sea creature that had suddenly expired on her desk and already begun to rot. "The yearly indices alone carry more data than the city library. Compliance, adherence, obedience: those are what the Senate is interested in these days. That, and preferential treatment for themselves and those they represent in matters of trade and commerce. The once-great galactic Republic has fallen under the sway of petty bureaucrats and self-seeking b.u.t.ton pushers who seek only personal aggrandizement and advancement, not justice and fair dealing."

"The Senate"s clear bias toward the Alwari proves this," declared the female Ansionian seated next to her. "Senator Mousul has kept us well informed."

"The Senate favors no social or ethnic group above another," Luminara countered. "That basic principle is enshrined in the founding law of the Republic and has not changed."

"I happen to agree with the delegate," Obi-Wan declared quietly.

Surprised and even a little startled, the room"s occupants shifted their attention to the other Jedi. Even Luminara was taken aback.

"Pardon my eyes," Ranjiyn murmured, "but did you say you agreed with Kandah?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "To deny that there are problems within the Senate and the bureaucracy would be to deny the existence of pulsating stars.

Certainly there is confusion and disagreement. Certainly there is bureaucratic infighting and conflict." His voice rose slightly, though not in the general manner of other people. It was full of controlled energy. "But the law of the Republic stands, pure and inviolate. So long as all partic.i.p.ating sentients adhere to that, all will be well within the galaxy." His gaze fixed on Kandah. "And on Ansion."

Seated at the end of the table because his ma.s.sive legs would not comfortably fit under it, Tolut the Armalat finally rose to point one of his three thick fingers at Obi-Wan.

"Jedi obfuscation!" He glared out of small red eyes at his fellow delegates. "See not where this is leading or what is being attempted?

They try to fool us with clever words. Think all Ansionians are backworld dust riders, I wager!" Leaning forward over the table, he rested the knuckles of his powerful hands on the smooth purplish wood. Though strong and well made, the table creaked under the weight of his several hundred kilos.

"Masters of the Force, are you? Masters of scheming and sneaky phrases, say I. Jedi mischief!"

"Please, Tolut." Ranjiyn tried to calm his far larger, highly agitated colleague. "Show some respect for the Force, if not for our visitors.

Though we may disagree, we still-"

"Pagh! "The Force." You all bemused and intimidated by this Force nonsense." Green fingers stabbed at the silent visitors. "These are humanoids, like yourself. Sentients, like me. They bleed and die like any creatures of flesh and blood. Why should we continue to suffer beneath their burdensome rules? Their officials are corrupt, or ignorant of the needs of different species, or both. When a government becomes like an old sea creature, it should be treated like one." Thick, chisel-like teeth flashed. "Taken out and buried." Reaching across the table, he picked up in one hand the ma.s.sive stack Kandah had brought forth and threw it across the room, where it slammed against a wall, disks scattering everywhere.

"Regulations! Restrictions! What can be done by peoples and what cannot.

All words-words we of Ansion not write. This movement to leave the Republic we should join, say I and those who think like me. Free Ansion!

And if the Alwari will not join us in this, we should deal with them as we have in the past."

Throughout the tirade, the visitors had sat silently. Now Anakin"s hand strayed in the direction of his lightsaber. A hint of a smile from his Master was all that was necessary to still the movement. Not that Anakin cared particularly whether Ansion stayed in the Republic or not. The convoluted machinations of galactic politics were still a mystery to him.

It was the insult to his Master that caused the anger to rise within him.

Now he forced himself to remain calm-because his Master wished that he be so.

Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi, he knew, was quite capable of taking care of himself.

The Jedi Knight started to rise, but somewhat to Anakin"s surprise deferred to the woman seated next to him. "The Force is nothing to be so casually disparaged, my large friend," Luminara informed the Armalat.

"Especially by one who has no understanding of it."

Once again showing his huge, flat white teeth in a broad grin, Tolut started around the table. Barriss and Anakin both tensed, but Obi-Wan sat quietly, indifferent to the approach of the ma.s.sive, powerful Armalat. A small smile played across his face. Luminara rose and stepped away from her chair.

"Think you only Jedi know the Force?" Tolut snorted at his fellow delegates. "Anyone can know it. It only takes practice." Extending a huge hand, he gestured at the table. One of the several crystal carafes of water that had been placed there to slake the thirst of the partic.i.p.ants trembled slightly, then rose half a meter off the surface. Sweat starting to seep from his cheeks in large, glossy beads, Tolut smiled triumphantly at his friends.

"See! With exercise and will, anyone can do what Jedi can do. Hardly reason for awe!"

"On the contrary," Luminara told him, "knowledge is always reason for awe." She did not raise her hand. She did not have to.

The carafe stopped trembling, steadied. As Luminara focused on it, it rose slowly until it reached the ceiling. Fascinated, the delegates could not take their eyes off it. Living as they did in a border world, none of them had previously had the opportunity to observe Jedi manipulation of the Force.

Like a bulbous crystal bird, the carafe drifted along the ceiling until it was poised directly above the Armalat. Grim-faced, he began to make ponderous, then frantic gestures in the hovering container"s direction.

These had absolutely no effect on the floating object. He might as well have been gesticulating in front of a mirror.

As smoothly as if manipulated by an experienced waiter, the carafe abruptly turned upside down and dumped its ice-cold contents on the increasingly frustrated alien. Glaring, he wiped water from his eyes and took a step toward the serene Jedi. Bar-riss reached for her lightsaber, only to be stilled by her Master, much as Obi-Wan had earlier restrained his own Padawan.

One by one, the remaining carafes leapt off the table to dash their contents in Tolut"s face. Laughter began to rise from the remaining seated, and still dry, delegates, the humans chortling softly, the Ansionians emitting boisterous bellows that belied their wiry frames. The tension that had enveloped the summit like a smothering spiderweb promptly vanished.

"I hope," Luminara murmured as she turned away and resumed her seat, "that no one is particularly thirsty."

Sputtering and soaked, the big alien growled dangerously-and then a change washed over him. Dripping water from face, teeth, and now glistening leather attire, he stomped back to his chair and sat down in a somewhat soggy frump. Folding arms the size of a human"s torso across his ma.s.sive chest, he nodded slowly in the direction of the woman responsible for his aqueous humiliation.

"Tolut is big among his people. Don"t always speak so good. But big doesn"t always mean stupid. Tolut knows when he wrong. I defer to greater power. Was wrong about Jedi abilities."

Luminara favored him with a kindly smile. "There is no shame in admitting one does not know everything. It shows wisdom. That is a much more valued talent than physical strength-or even the ability to influence the Force.

You are to be com mended, not condemned." She bowed her head slightly. "I con gratulate you on the acuteness of your perception."