'I hope you understand what could be at stake here,' Tarkin said, his thin face grim. His blue eyes grew large and deadly serious as he looked at Sienar. With such wide eyes, his face once more took on the aspect of an animated skull. 'At the moment we are merely useful lackeys. We are below the level of awareness of those who will command the galaxy. If this planet and its ships are as useful as they appear to be, we will be richly rewarded. We will be noticed. Some already share my belief that this could be very big. All will share in our success, so our mission has been given level-two priority, Raith. Level two!
'Not level one?' Sienar asked innocently.
Tarkin frowned. 'Your cynicism may not serve you well, my friend.'
'I keep an independent mind,' Sienar said.
'In the long run, that could be extremely unwise,' Tarkin told him, and his eyes narrowed to slits.
Chapter 14
Charza Kwinn brought the Star Sea Flower into a high orbit above Zonama Sekot. As Obi-Wan and Anakin prepared their belongings in the dry cabin, Obi-Wan brought out a pouch he had concealed in his robes, drew open a cord, and laid it out on top of his — travel kit.
Anakin looked at it hopefully. 'Another lightsaber?' he asked.
Obi-Wan smiled and shook his head. 'Not yet, Padawan. Something more appropriate for a planet run by merchants. Old-style aurodium credits. Three billion's worth, in several large ingots.'
'I've never seen that much money!' Anakin said, stepping closer. Obi-Wan shook his finger in warning, then opened the packet and showed its contents to Anakin.
The ten pure aurodium ingots sparkled like tiny flames. Each held a depth of mysterious light that refused to fix on one color.
'What they say about the Temple is true, then,' Anakin mused.
'That it holds secret treasure? Hardly,' Obi-Wan said. 'These were drawn from a joint account in the Galactic Capital Bank. Many in the galaxy lend their resources to support the Jedi.'
'I didn't know that,' Anakin said, a little downcast.
'This represents a few percent of that account. Not that we are going to spend it foolishly. Vergere carried a similar amount with her. It is rumored that this is sufficient to purchase a Sekotan vessel. Let's hope the rumors are correct.'
'But Vergere-maybe she's already bought a ship,' Anakin said.
'It may be necessary for us to be completely ignorant of Vergere,' Obi-Wan said.
'Oh. . right.'
Obi-Wan rolled up the ingots and tied the cord, then handed it to Anakin. 'Keep it with you at all times.'
'Wizard!' Anakin enthused. 'No one'd suspect a boy would carry this much cash. I could buy a YZ-1000 with this-a hundred YZ- 1000s!'
'What would you do with a hundred old star scows?' Obi- Wan asked with innocent curiosity.
'I'd rebuild them. I know how to make them go twice as fast as they do now-and they're plenty fast!'
'And then?'
'I'd race them!'
'How much time would that leave for your training?'
'Not much,' Anakin admitted blithely. His eyes danced.
Obi-Wan pursed his lips in disapproval.
'Got you!' Anakin cried, grinning, and grabbed the packet. He stuffed it into his tunic and strapped it close to his body with the long remainder of cord. 'I'll guard your old money,' he said. 'Who wants to be rich, anyway?'
Obi-Wan lifted an eyebrow. 'To lose it would be unfortu nate,' he cautioned.
Even from thirty thousand kilometers, Zonama Sekot was an odd-looking planet.
A spot of pearl white at the northern polar region was surrounded by an entire hemisphere of rich mottled green. Below the equator, the southern hemisphere was covered with impenetrable silvery cloud. Along the equator, a thin patch of darker gray and brown was broken by what looked like lengths of river and narrow lakes or seas. The edge of the southern overcast curled in elegant wisps, and the wisps broke free to form spinning storms.
While they waited for the planet's answer to their landing request, Charza was involved in a birthing in another part of the ship.
Anakin sat in the small side seat on the bridge with his elbows propped on his knees, watching Zonama Sekot. He had performed his first set of exercises for the day, and his thoughts were particularly clear. It seemed sometimes, when his mind was settled, when he had tamed his turbulence for the moment, that he was no longer a boy or even a human. His perspective seemed crystalline and universal, and he felt as if he could see all his life laid out before him, filled with accomplishment and heroism- selfless heroism, of course, as befitted a Jedi. Somewhere in that life would be a woman, though Jedi did not often marry. He imagined the woman to be like Queen Amidala of Naboo, a powerful personality in her own right, lovely and dignified, yet sad and shouldered with great burdens-which Anakin would help lift.
He had not spoken with Amidala in years, nor of course with his mother, Shmi, but in his present frame of
