The Blood Carver took the seat that had been made for Obi- Wan. He squirmed uncomfortably, then reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small, glassy green bulb.
Anakin watched through mostly closed eyes, slumped in the couch, as the long, triple-jointed arm swung out and slender, strong, golden fingers crushed the bulb under his nose.
Again, Anakin's head seemed to explode-but this time with outraged life. He flung himself away from the bulb's acrid stench and slammed his shoulder into an instrument panel. He shook all over and stared hard at his kidnapper.
'Young Jedi, there is no time to explain.' The Blood Carver's tone of voice changed suddenly, became more subdued.
'Is Obi-Wan dead?'
'Not your worry,' the Blood Carver said. 'This ship needs you, not him. And I need this ship. You will fly it to orbit above Zonama Sekot.'
'What if I don't?'
'Then I will kill your female.' He swung the lance around in the close quarters and poked the blade against Jabitha's chest. She gasped but kept very still.
Anakin tried to feel for his master's living presence, but there were too many voices outside the ship, too much confusion-he could not detect Obi-Wan. Uninjured, his master would doubtless survive any attack the Blood Carver could mount. But if he had been hit by the laser fire. .
The Blood Carver climbed up out of the second seat and swung one long arm back to the hatch. 'I assume silence means courage and you will not fly. So my mission has failed. I will kill the female now and dispose of her body.'
'No!' Anakin shouted. 'I'll fly. Leave her be.'
He probed once more, and sucked in his breath with relief. He could feel Obi-Wan-he was injured but still alive. Anakin could not imagine a universe without his master.
Good. It would be the end of your trial to lose your master. Now. . begin.
Anakin ran his hands over the controls. They were not marked, but their design and placement were reasonably standard.
The ship once again explained her condition. She was ready to fly, but her fuel reserves were low-the tanks had not yet been filled by the technicians.
'We don't have enough fuel to get far,' Anakin informed the Blood Carver. The Blood Carver grabbed the placket of his ritual robe and pulled Anakin close, breathing hot, peppery breath into his face.
'It's true,' Anakin insisted. 'I'm not lying.'
'Then fly to a place with fuel. We must preserve this ship.'
'You're the one who couldn't get a ship made! The seed- partners hated you.'
'Yes, I am a disgrace,' the Blood Carver said coldly. 'Now fly.'
Anakin brought his hands down over the controls, pulled back on the aft thrusters, and the ship's engines sang to life instantly, smoothly, unlike the engines in any other ship he had ever flown.
The hatch closed.
Some maiden voyage.
Anakin pushed the control levers forward. The console reached up around his fingers and hands. The ship spoke to him, taught him what to do. Anakin, in turn, suggested that the ship should break free of her cradle and fly straight up for a few hundred meters, then level off and head southwest.
The ship did all these things.
He was taking the Blood Carver away from Obi-Wan, giving his master time to recover. It was unfortunate that Jabitha had crawled into the ship. Anakin was more than just concerned for her safety.
He could feel his strength returning, and then building. To his dismay, the primary component of that strength was a red heat of anger.
It is the way, boy. Anger and hatred are the fuel. Stoke them, gather strength.
Again, the voice, terrifying in its power. Anakin could not identify its intent-it was raw, the voice of loyalty and survival, and it seemed to sneer at any second-guessing.
Anakin did not want Jabitha to see what that voice would make him be, what he would become, in order to save Obi-Wan, defeat his enemies, and survive.
Chapter 44
Raith Sienar looked out from the command bridge and saw the newly arrived fleet of twelve ships maneuvering to join up with his squadron. He recognized two converted midsized Hoersch-Kessel Drive cargo haulers-smaller than the ungainly craft that had blockaded Naboo, but of the same type. The remaining ten ships were Corellian Engineering light cruisers designed to escort the large Republic Dreadnoughts, the most powerful weapons in the Republic armory.
Yet Tarkin had not managed to procure any Dreadnoughts. His connections were not that strong.
Captain Kett surveyed the new ships with some satisfaction, no doubt anticipating the time when he would no longer have to take orders from Sienar.
