Bulgan indicated agreement. 'I would rather live free among the perils of the prairie than safe in a cramped, smelly house in Cuipernam. And towns hold dangers of their own.'
His friend hissed knowingly. 'There are no Hutts on the open plains. Dearly would I love to see Soergg confronted by a few dozen flying chawix.'
Bulgan nodded energetically. 'The fat slimebag would feed a whole forest of chawix. On him, they'd grow big as trees!'
'This Soergg the Hutt,' Luminara asked them, 'the one who sent you to abduct Barriss: Did he ever tell you why he wanted her?'
The two Alwari exchanged a glance. 'Our minds worked dif ferently then, but no, I don't think he ever mentioned the reason.'
Bulgan confirmed his friend's response. 'I thought it was to hold her for ransom. That is the usual reason for carrying out a kidnapping, isn't it?'
'Not always.' She looked to her left. 'Obi-Wan?'
The other Jedi looked even more thoughtful than usual. 'We know there are elements that would like to see us fail in our mission, that would dearly love to see Ansion and its allies secede from the Republic. First you and Barriss are attacked, then these two are ordered to abduct her.'
'Not necessarily her.' Bulgan indicated Luminara's Pada-wan. 'We were told to take either of your apprentices.'
Obi-Wan gestured impatiently. 'It amounts to the same thing. A Hutt wouldn't dare to challenge the Order unless there was a substantial profit in it for him. That raises the interesting question of who paid this Soergg to carry out the kidnapping, and probably also the attack on you and Barriss.'
'We have no proof the Hutt was involved in that,' Luminara pointed out. 'But it follows logically enough.'
He nodded. 'Having tried twice to stop us, it stands to rea son he'll try again. We'll have to watch our step when we return to Cuipernam.'
'You raise the question of the Hurt's employer, Obi-Wan.' As she watched the last of the chawix tumble past outside their refuge, Luminara searched her memories. 'There are many powerful elements among the secessionists. Clearly, some have grown bolder than others. If we could find out who hired the Hutt, we could make a case against them before the Senate. It would embarrass their cause.'
He sighed softly. 'You have more confidence in the Senate than I do, Luminara. First, they would appoint a panel to study the accusation. Then the panel would produce a report. The report would go to committee. The committee would issue a commentary based on the report. The commentary would be tabled until the Senate could find the time to vote on the report. Recommendations would follow based on the vote- unless it was voted to send the report back to committee for further study.' He met her gaze evenly. 'By that time, Ansion and its allies could have seceded from the Republic, formed their own government, had a civil war, dissolved, and re-formed. One would have to live as long as Master Yoda to see the final outcome.'
Standing nearby, Anakin had listened in silence to the Jedi's discussion. Master Obi-Wan was right, he knew. Put something to the Senate, and nothing would ever be accomplished. That was what the Jedi were best at, he decided: getting things done without having to worry about the approval of the endlessly garrulous, nonsensical debate of the Senate. Give him a clean lightsaber over obfuscating words any day.
He moved slightly away from the others, leaning up against the wall of the overhang, and gazed disinterestedly out at the lethal plants that were still bounding past. There were fewer of them now. He and his companions should be able to move soon. Observing his isolation, Barriss moved to intrude upon it.
'You don't find wind-propelled carnivorous poison plants of interest? Not many would be so quickly bored with otherworldly wonders, Anakin.'
He looked over at her. 'It's not that, Barriss. I have other things on my mind.' Straightening, he stood away from the wall. 'I guess I'm just impatient to get this assignment over with.' He nodded in the direction of the gully. 'For example, if we had a landspeeder, we wouldn't have to worry about things like these chawix. The kyren, maybe, but not chawix.' One hand moved to his lower back. 'And my butt wouldn't hurt so much.' She smothered a smile. 'Your saddle doesn't fit you?' 'Very little on this world fits me. I wish I was elsewhere.' 'Strange world that, Elsewhere. I've heard a lot about it.' His expression changed. 'Now you're making fun of me.'
'No, I'm not,' she insisted, though her tone and expression were ambivalent. 'It's just that sometimes I think you're a little too self-centered to be a Jedi. A little too focused on what's good for and essential to Anakin Skywalker, as opposed to what's important to your colleagues and to the Republic.'
' 'The Republic.' ' He gestured toward where the two older Jedi were conversing with their guides. 'You should hear Master Obi-Wan talk about the Republic, sometimes. About what's happening to it, what's going on in the government.'
'You mean the talk of a secessionist movement?'
'That-and other things. Don't misunderstand. Master Obi-Wan is a true Jedi. Anyone can see that. He believes in everything the Jedi stand for and everything they do. The way I see it, that's very different from believing in the current government.'
'Governments are always changing. They're a mutable or ganism.' While she spoke, she continued to look on in fascination as the chawix slowly consumed the last of the unfortunate membibi. 'And like any living thing, they are always growing and maturing.'
'Or like any living thing, they die and are replaced. Believing in the Republic isn't the same as believing in the Senate.'
'Ah-that overstaffed hothouse full of declamatory blowhards!'
He looked at her in sudden surprise. 'I thought you dis agreed with me.'
'About the Republic and what it stands for? Yes. About the Senate, that's something else again. But politicians are not Jedi, Anakin, and Jedi are not politicians. It's the Council we report to, it's their directives that lead us, and unless that changes, I'm afraid I can't share your overweening cynicism regarding the state of the Republic.'
'Your upbringing was different from mine. You haven't seen the things I have.' He looked down at her. 'You
