"I certainly hope not," Obi-Wan answered. Wherever Fligh was, trouble
was soon to follow.
With a last bow, Fligh ran from the room, his belongings trailing from
his packing case.
"If they're sending Destroyer Droids, they must be worried," Siri
said. "Whoever they are."
"One of us should attend each event," Obi-Wan said. "The Padawans are
already at the Podrace and it's scheduled to begin in... fifteen minutes.
Can you head out there, Ry-Gaul? I'll contact Anakin and tell him that
something is supposed to go wrong, but I'd feel better if you were there."
Ry-Gaul gave a short nod and left the room, stepping over a pile of
droidekas in the doorway.
"I'll take the bowcaster skill contest," Siri said. "It's at Stadium
Seven."
"That leaves me with the obstacle course," Obi-Wan said, nodding.
"Stay in touch."
"I just wish I knew what I was looking for," Siri said. Obi-Wan tucked
his lightsaber into his belt. "That makes two of us."
Obi-Wan was able to give Anakin an update on the way to Stadium Nine.
There was nothing much for Anakin to do except what the rest of them were
doing - being mindful, and watching.
Obi-Wan strode into the stadium. He felt the heat and the noise of a
crowd eager for the event to begin.
As the Euceron hero and record-setter for the event in the last
Galactic Games, Maxo Vista was here as well. Obi-Wan found a seat as close
to the judges as he could and watched on a viewscreen overhead while
Vista's podium zoomed to the center of the stadium.
"Welcome, all," he said, his voice amplified throughout the stadium.
"I'd like to introduce myself. I am - "
"MAXO VISTA!" the crowd roared.
"You may not remember me - "
The crowd roared once again.
- but I was at this event seven years ago - " A cheer went up.
" - I didn't do too badly - " Vista paused and waited for the cheers
and laughter "- - and I truly hope that today, my record will be broken.
I'm just a Galactic Games official now, seven years older and seven years
slower, so I'd better make way for the next generation of athletes."
The broad grin still on his face, Vista suddenly vaulted off the
platform. The crowd gasped, but a cable launcher hidden in Vista's belt let
out a long line, and he bounced at the end of it, only centimeters away
from the ground. With a powerful thrust, he flipped his body upward, then
twisted, flew through the air, and landed on his feet. His movements were
so graceful it was more like a dance than an athletic feat.
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. The cheers went on and on.
The cheers fell away for Obi-Wan. He heard only the absence of sound,
the silence of concentration and revelation.
The lines of Vista's body were suddenly familiar, the fluid, powerful
way he moved. The way he made something that took great effort look
effortless.
Maxo Vista was the air-taxi pilot who had tried to kill them. And he
was the speeder driver who had run down Aarno Dering.
Which meant that the great hero of Euceron was the insider who was
behind fixing the Games.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
It was his fault. If he hadn't been so irritated at not knowing who
Maxo Vista was, he would have looked closer at him. He had made a mistake
worthy of a Jedi Temple student, not an experienced Jedi Knight. He had
allowed his own perspective, his own emotion, to color his perception.
Perception comes from not one but all angles at once.
Yes, Qui-Gon.
Obi-Wan raced down the moving walkway that circled the stadium. He had
to make it down to Level Twenty, where Maxo Vista would enter the VIP box.
He could not risk losing Maxo Vista the way he had lost Aarno Dering.
He was almost at the door of the box when Astri dashed toward him,
curls bouncing and robe swirling. "Obi-Wan!"
"Later," he said tersely, striding toward the door.
She grabbed his arm. "You must know this! The Podrace! Something
terrible is going to happen!"
He half-turned and searched her dark eyes. "How do you know this?"
"Bog," she said. "He went to Maxo Vista to tell him what you had
discovered - "
Obi-Wan almost groaned aloud.
" - Vista wasn't there, and so Bog accessed his data-pad. He thought
as a fellow Council member he could do this - " Her hand to her throat,
Astri got the words out fast, between her panting breaths. " - and
discovered that the Podrace is not only fixed, but booby-trapped. The nav
computer will lead the Podracers close to the city's hub. The lead Podracer
will get taken over by the nav computer. It will be made to crash into the
crowd! We don't know if Vista himself is aware of this, it could have been
sent to his dataport without his knowing. We cannot believe that Maxo Vista
would be involved. Bog replaced the datapad and told me what he'd seen. He
is going to tell Liviani Sarno. But I came to you."
"Does Vista know about this?" Anakin is in danger. Obi-Wan reached for
his comlink as he asked the question.
"I didn't. But now I do." Vista's voice came from behind him. He
smiled as Obi-Wan turned. "I promise you, I can explain everything. This
way, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan hesitated.
"Trust me." Maxo Vista had a blaster pointed at Astri, but the
friendly grin was still on his face. Astri could not see the blaster, which
was on his other side.
"This way," he repeated meaningfully to Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan stepped inside. He would follow Maxo Vista's instructions, but
only for a few seconds. He had to make sure Vista would not hit anyone with
blaster fire.
The floor moved under his feet. He realized that he had not stepped
out into the VIP box, but onto a moving podium. It suddenly zoomed to the
center of the stadium. Vista's hand dropped and the blaster was lost in the
folds of his cloak.
"It is a long-range model, and it is still pointed at Astri," he said
pleasantly.
Obi-Wan tried to signal Astri to move, but she stood watching him from
afar, not knowing the blaster was pointed at her. He could reach for his
lightsaber, but he wasn't sure if even he could be fast enough to block the
shot.
Light suddenly hit his eyes, dazzling him for a moment. "Welcome to
the exhibition match!" Maxo Vista's voice was amplified throughout the
stadium. "Jedi against athlete! Let the event begin!"
The crowd roared. A cube of white light settled over Obi-Wan. Another
flashed over Maxo Vista. A holo - graphic image of a treton, a wild
creature from the planet Aesolian, appeared in front of them. On the tip of
one pointed ear a green laser glowed. His snarl was amplified and echoed
through the stadium. There was a collective 00000hh of fear. Even though
the spectators knew the treton was holographic, its fierce battle cry
struck terror into their hearts.
An announcer's steady voice boomed over the stadium. "Ten seconds.
Contestants, prepare...."
Obi-Wan reached for his comlink to contact Anakin, but it was dead.
Now he remembered that in the stadium center a jamming device was employed
so that no contestants could use hidden devices to aid them in their
events. Maxo Vista had trapped him, no doubt in order to buy time.
Obi-Wan judged the distance back to the stadium. It was too far. The
podium was too high for even a cable launcher. He would have to wait. He
was now officially in the obstacle course, and subject to its rules. He was
trapped. And Anakin was just about to begin the Podrace.
"Welcome to my world, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Maxo Vista whispered. "I had a
feeling the Jedi would show up, so I've been planning this. Sorry it had to
be this way, but at least you'll have some fun before you die."
"Five seconds, contestants..."
A lightweight weapon emerged out of the platform floor in front of
Obi-Wan. He grabbed it. At the tip was a green laser. Obi-Wan guessed that
in order to score points, he would have to hit the laser on the hologram
with the laser tip of his weapon. He wished he had seen a holographic
obstacle course before. He had no idea what was in store.
"Yes, Obi-Wan. Something will go wrong and you will die in this
stadium. You won't know when it will come, or how to fight it." Maxo Vista
smiled. "May the best man win. Which means me, of course."
"Begin!" the announcer said.
The treton rushed forward. Maxo Vista was prepared. He charged ahead
and slashed at the Treton even as it zoomed upward and around in a crazy
evasive dance that no bulky treton would ever accomplish. Vista hit the
creature precisely on the ear and a loud joyful clang clang! resounded
through the stadium.
"Point, Vista," the voice announced. The stadium erupted in cheers for
the favorite.
Obi-Wan's laser tip now glowed pink. The edge of the platform
elongated into a ramp that rose almost straight upward. Vista began to
bound ahead.
After a second of hesitation, Obi-Wan followed. He had no choice. He
would have to hope that somewhere in the course he would be able to break
free.
Obi-Wan gained on Vista easily. At the top of the ramp six snarling
holographic neks sat guard. At the center of their collars, a laser glowed
like a pink jewel.
Now Obi-Wan knew that he had to hit each of the creatures precisely
with the tip of his weapon, laser to laser, in order to progress.
Vista sprang forward as the nek on the far left lunged, teeth bared.
Vista twisted, but the holographic teeth grazed his ankle. A harsh buzzer
sounded.
"Minus point five," the announcer said.
Obi-Wan somersaulted, avoiding the two neks who flew at him. He used
the weapon like a lightsaber, touching the collars lightly. Two loud clang
clang! clang clang! noises sounded, and he whirled and touched the other
collars just as delicately, even as Vista was moving toward them. Clang
clang! The neks dissolved in a shower of light.
"Six points, Visitor." This time the cheers were not nearly as
deafening.
The laser shifted to blue. Ahead was a cliff face with shallow ledges
forming a pathway upward. At the top were three multi-clawed
ravenscreechers, large birds from the Outer Rim planet Wxtm. Each had a
large wing span and six legs with claws half a meter long. Instead of an
eye, a bright blue laser spot winked at Obi-Wan from each bird.
Vista hurled himself at the cliff and began to climb. Obi-Wan
followed. Vista reached out a leg and tried to kick him. The crowd hissed
disapproval. No doubt Vista was risking the displeasure of the crowd in
order to vent his anger at Obi-Wan defeating all the neks.
Yes, you are a record-holder, Obi-Wan thought. But you've never
competed against a Jedi.
Accessing the Force, he vaulted into the air, bypassing Vista and
landing on a ledge close to the edge. The ravenscreechers took off, diving
toward him.
While the crowd roared and cheered, Obi-Wan held on with only one
hand. He slashed at one holographic bird, touching its eye and gaining a
point, then hit the next one on a backswing without even turning. Using the
momentum, he swung himself up to the top of the cliff and hit the third one
as it rose to attack him.
Clang clang! The points rang up on the screen. His laser tip flashed
yellow. Now more of the crowd was on his side, and Maxo Vista was furious.
His face was bright red as he scrambled from ledge to ledge, racing to
catch Obi-Wan.
On top of the ledge sat two swoops. Obi-Wan was about to spring
forward when a tentacle bush appeared, its branches reaching out for him.
It took him a moment to locate the tiny glowing tip of the yellow laser in
the heart of the bush. If one of the other branches hit him, he would lose
points.
He could feel Vista behind him and was not surprised when the man
launched himself at the bush. He knew Vista was furious, and anger would
make him careless. He would give Vista the first chance at the bush, but he
would not allow him to beat him to the swoops.
The branches moved like the arms of dancers, fluid and graceful, yet
lethal in their striking motions. In his fury, Vista tried to attack the
bush with stabbing motions, but the waving branches kept him just out of
reach. His movements were as fluid as that of the branches, and the crowd
began to chant his name.
Obi-Wan leaped. He somersaulted in midair, keeping his legs tucked
close to his body to avoid the waving branches. When he was dead center
over the bush, he reached down amid the cluster of wildly waving branches
and touched the glowing laser with his weapon. Then he landed precisely on
one of the swoops, legs astride, and took off. The whole operation had
taken less than three seconds.
The crowd was stunned into silence. The noise of the announcer echoed
through the nearly silent stadium.
"Point, Visitor."
The crowd went wild.
Obi-Wan did not think about what was behind him. Only what was ahead.
The minutes were ticking away, and he had to contact Anakin. The worry
ticked away inside him, but his movements did not betray him. Vista's
warning that something would occur on the course didn't worry him. He
trusted in the Force to warn him.
Ahead were glowing circles of light. Holographic humming peepers
twittered overhead. Each held a tiny violet laser in its beak. Obi-Wan saw
that he would have to navigate through the spinning circles without
touching the edges of each one, hitting as many humming peepers as he
could. This obstacle did not require strength, but agility and precision.
He did not look behind him, but he knew Maxo Vista was pushing his
swoop to maximum speed. Obi-Wan only saw the glowing obstacles and the tiny
birds. He dived through the first hoop and delicately touched the tiny bird
with his weapon. The clanging noise sounded, then sounded again a second
later. Vista, too, had scored a point.
Vista piloted the swoop as if it were part of his body. He leaned over
and scored another point, then flipped the swoop to quickly zoom through a
circle. The
crowd kept up a steady roar now. Vista pushed his swoop, aiming
for the back of Obi-Wan's. He bumped Obi-Wan's swoop but it appeared he was
only attempting to get through the next loop. Obi-Wan knew better. He
dived, engines screaming, then came at the next loop from an extreme right
angle. He zoomed through the loop with a centimeter to spare. Taken off
guard, Maxo Vista brushed against the side of the loop and lost five
points.
Obi-Wan zigzagged through the air of the stadium, sailing through the
loops and hitting the laser targets. Vista gave up trying to unseat him and
concentrated on gaining points. Soon the humming peepers had all been hit.
The glowing hoops dissolved into particles of light.
The stadium went black. Obi-Wan immediately pulled back on the swoop's
power and hovered in the air, waiting. Below, on the mid-level landing
platform, a group of holographic Gladiator Droids appeared. Bright orange
erupted from flame projectors in their fists. A bright red laser winked in
the center of their foreheads.
Obi-Wan flew down to the landing platform and leaped off the swoop.
The Gladiator Droids shot blaster fire at him, just harmless points of
light. The flames licked close to him but there was no heat. He could not
use the race weapon or his lightsaber against light, so he had to dodge the