'Yes, Master.'
Anakin ran out from the shelter of the boulders. Obi-Wan waited for a moment until he saw the spray of the Stokhli stick spew into the air. Anakin Force-jumped, and Obi-Wan could see that the spray would miss him by centimeters.
His Padawan's timing and reflexes were extraordinary. Anakin had timed his move so that the spray would miss him, but by so small a margin that the attacker would be diverted and want to attack again. His concentration would stay on Anakin.
Obi-Wan bent over so that he could keep the shelter of the boulders as far as possible. He ran around them, then times his move to the second attack on Anakin. He dashed across the open meadow toward the screen of trees.
He made the trees without an attack. Now the rest would be tricky. Anakin would keep himself just out of range of the Stokhli — he hoped — but Obi-Wan's objective was to get close enough to disarm the attacker. That meant he would have to be squarely in the stick's range.
Obi-Wan took off through the trees, heading toward where he had last pinpointed the attacker. No doubt the attacker would keep moving, especially when he or she realized Obi- Wan was gone. He would count on Anakin's skill to prevent the attacker from moving too far too fast.
Soon Obi-Wan stopped. He concentrated, accessing the Force to become one with the environment around him. The sounds of the forest dropped away. He did not hear the rustle of leaves in the wind, the occasional scurry of a small animal, the rub of a branch against another. He heard only the slight ssiiing sound of the spray stick.
Thirty degrees to his right. Obi-Wan moved carefully now, moving behind tree trunk to tree trunk. He barely touched the ground as he moved, making no sound.
Ssing! Another attack from the Stokhli stick. Coming from a few meters to the right of where he'd pinpointed the attacker.
Now Obi-Wan moved quickly, running over the soft ground, his boots silent, his breathing so controlled he made no sound.
He saw the attacker ahead. It was a male Tursha. Obi-Wan saw the distinctive headtails and the eleven- fingered hands lightly holding the Stokhli stick. The Tursha was just behind the tree line.
Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber and jumped. The Tursha turned, his Stokhli stick spewing mist. Instead of leaping to the side, Obi-Wan jumped high. He anticipated that the Tursha would move the stick in a sweeping motion to cover as much air as possible, and he did. Obi-Wan sailed over the mist, his lightsaber high.
The Tursha had fast reflexes. He moved back, putting himself in the open, past the tree line. Obi-Wan saw Anakin leap toward him.
Obi-Wan came down. He kept his lightsaber away from the Tursha. He did not want to kill or injure him. He wanted answers.
Anakin's lightsaber was drawn as well. The Tursha moved a fraction, enough so that the spray from the stick would put Anakin securely in range. Obi-Wan moved fast. He leaped again, this time adding momentum in midair. In a Jedi method that never failed to surprise opponents. He kicked out with one foot at the handle of the stick. He gave his blow topspin, and the stick flew out of the surprised Tursha's hand and then twisted in midair. Though Obi-Wan didn't plan it this way, the spray hit the Tursha full in the face.
He fell to his knees. He gazed out in shock at Anakin and the meadow beyond.
'They. were. mine,' he managed to gasp out, before the spray paralyzed him completely. He slumped against a tree trunk, his face frozen in a surprised expression.
Chapter Seven
'Who is he?' Floria asked in a hushed voice. She tiptoed closer, keeping behind Anakin.
Obi-Wan bent over the inert form. He examined the Tursha's utility belt and searched the hidden pockets in his cloak.
'I'd guess he's a bounty hunter,' he said to Anakin. 'He has a variety of weapons and what looks to be some false ID docs.' He took a restraining device from the bounty hunter's belt and secured him to the tree.
'You'll recover from the stun in about five hours,' he told the Tursha, who could do nothing but stare straight ahead. 'But I guess you know that. We'll return for you.'
'Can't you ask him what happened to my friends?' Floria asked.
'He can't speak. Not yet. If he did attack your friends, we'll escort him to your home planet for trial,' Obi- Wan said.
Suddenly tears spilled down Floria's cheeks. 'He killed them,' she said. 'I know it. Did you hear what he said? 'They were mine.' He did it.'
'You don't know that,' Anakin told her soothingly. He could have meant any number of things. We don't know anything about him. You can't jump to conclusions that way. You can't imagine the worst.'
Anakin patted Floria's back as she used the hem of her cloak to dry her tears. Despite his reassurances, he was worried. He had felt the growing darkness on the planet. Floria could be right. Her friend could have been attacked.
Obi-Wan stared out at the meadow, thinking. He did not acknowledge Floria's tears, or try to sooth her on any way. Anakin couldn't believe it. How could Obi-Wan be so cold?
Obi-Wan signaled to Anakin and drew him aside. 'What is a bounty hunter doing on an underpopulated planet?' he asked. 'Why would he attack us? Is he her for another purpose? Why would he attack a grroup of young students on a camping trip? It doesn't make sense.'
'But they've disappeared,' Anakin said. 'Something happened.'
