'Our dream has died,' VeerTa said. Her face was filthy with dirt and mud.
'No,' Clat'Ha responded softly. 'That's what they want. We can rebuild.'
The door opened, and SonTag entered. She, too, had helped at the mine today. Her red and gold tunic was filthy and caked with blood.
'We have news of the cause,' she announced quietly. 'It wasn't Offworld. There was a mixture of gases in a sub-level tunnel.'
VeerTa half-rose. 'Impossible!' she cried. 'We have sensors — '
'The sensor was inoperative,' SonTag said. 'Strictly a mechanical failure. The engineers are certain of it.'
Clat'Ha and VeerTa stared at SonTag in disbelief. 'So it's our fault?' VeerTa asked numbly.
'I'm afraid it appears that way,' SonTag replied. 'Could someone have sabotaged the sensor?'
VeerTa shook her head. 'We have the mine under twenty-four hour guard.'
SonTag spread her hands. 'Mechanical failure is one of the hazards of mining.'
Qui-Gon wasn't so sure. Something wasn't right here.
Just then, a knock came at the door. A miner handed a message to SonTag. She read it. Then crumpled it in her hand.
'Bad news?' Clat'Ha asked.
'No, just surprising,' SonTag said slowly. 'Xanatos has offered the resources of Offworld to help rebuild the mine. Money, droids, anything we want. Plus, he'll house any displaced workers in Offworld housing.'
'So he was sincere,' VeerTa said, surprised.
Qui-Gon felt disturbed at this news. If this was a trap, it was a costly, elaborate one. Were the stakes so high for Xanatos? Surely he wouldn't go to all this trouble just to get revenge on Qui-Gon.
The site of the meeting had been moved at the last minute. The main building had been completely destroyed. If SonTag hadn't changed her mind, they would all be dead.
Xanatos was playing a game. Qui-Gon only wished he knew what the goal of the game was.
He was sure of just one thing: when it came to Xanatos, games had no rules.
Chapter 6
Obi-Wan was bored. If he had to go on one more Spore Tour, he would scream.
He knew that Agri-Corps did important work. But why was he here?
In the middle of brown, parched earth, the Agri-Corps had constructed a giant dome. Surrounding the dome were scientific laboratories and worker housing. Entrances from the labs and the admin centers led into the dome itself. Everyone worked for the good of the planet. No outside interests were allowed to control research, and no profits were taken from any discoveries.
Obi-Wan would have found the operation interesting id it weren't for the fact that his tour guide, a Meerian named RonTha, was the dullest creature he'd ever met. RonTha was fascinated by such things as stem grafts and seed sprouts. He could talk about them for hours in his droning monotone. And he did.
The only bright spot was that Obi-Wan was about to be reunited with his friend Si Treemba, the Arconans he'd met on the transport.
Arconans were born in nests and raised in close communities. They didn't have a highly developed sense of individual self, and didn't often associate with outsiders. But Si Treemba had formed a deep bond of friendship with Obi-Wan. He had stood side by side with him against Hutts and Togorian pirates. Because of his decision to take Obi-Wan's side against the Hutt Offworld leaders, he had almost lost his life. Si Treemba had discovered his own individual courage along the way.
Obi-Wan headed for the admin center, where he was to meet RonTha and Si Treemba. He saw his friend waiting and hurried to greet him.
'It is good to see you again, my good friend,' he said, clasping both of Si Treemba's arms. The Arconan had a strong, snakelike body with slender arms and legs.
'We are blessed to see you, Obi-Wan,' Si Treemba answered. His large, glowing eyes were full of pleasure. Arconans rarely, if ever, used the word 'I.'
Clat'Ha had sent Si Treemba to monitor the Agri-Corps' dactyl research. The Arconans needed the yellow crystal to survive, and Agri-Corps was trying to develop a way to incorporate it into the food supply. It was unusual for one of his species to travel alone, but Si Treemba had become an unusual Arconan. Clat'Ha knew she could depend on him.
RonTha approached, consulting a datapad as he walked. 'Today we are scheduled to tour the northernmost quadrant of the great dome.' He told them in his usual drone. 'We have many fascinating seed experiments to cover. Stay with me at all times, an do not touch anything.'
RonTha led the way into the dome. The vast, enclosed place was lit by an artificial sun, actually an illuminated bank set high in the dome. Outside the dome was a vast brown wasteland, but here they were surrounded by rustling grain and grasses. Around them gardeners hurried to and fro, their arms filled with flats of baby plants, or seed dishes.
Dazzled by the light and heat, Obi-Wan and Si Treemba trailed after RonTha as he listed the many agricultural experiments taking place.
'With all this talk of food, we're getting hungry,' Si Treemba whispered to Obi-Wan.
