Obi-Wan drifted to the front of the cockpit and the others followed.
They stood, looking out into dark space. There were few stars out here, and no planets. Korriban loomed in their vision, a large planet with blood-red clouds obscuring its surface.
'I've heard it called the cradle of darkness,' Obi-Wan said. He realized that he had lowered his voice.
He felt it now, the dark side of the Force emanating from the planet's surface. Looking at the faces of the Jedi, he knew they felt it as well. It had a sick sweetness to it, something that seemed to pour through his veins, attracting and repelling him at once. It was the most complicated surge of the dark side he had ever felt.
He struggled to meet it, struggled to clear his mind.
Warily, Obi-Wan moved forward and entered the coordinates into the nav computer. His fingers hesitated even as they entered the data. It was as though making the commitment to land was sealing their fate.
He stood and joined the other Jedi at the cockpit windscreen. They couldn't turn away. The ship flew into the atmosphere, straight through the blood-red clouds, and dread entered their hearts as the surface of the planet grew closer.
Chapter Five
He would have to wear a mask. A mask of friendship. Anakin had decided this before he'd left the Temple. Ferus could never know his true feelings.
He would defeat him without Ferus ever knowing they were in competition.
That had been his plan, but it was hard to follow through when faced with Ferus himself. Anakin could feel his resentment leaking out like a gas. It was only a question of time before he exploded.
No. I will prove I am a better Jedi. I will not explode in anger.
They flew over the planet, over mountain ranges and desert and deep canyons.
'Where is the Valley of the Dark Lords?' Ferus asked.
'Invisible from the air,' Obi-Wan told him. 'The valley is narrow, a slit hidden in the mountains some distance from Dreshdae. Plus it is constantly under heavy cloud cover.'
'There's the spaceport,' Siri said, as it loomed closer.
Dreshdae had been built on a plateau in the middle of the largest mountain range on the planet. From the air, the Jedi could see a huddle of buildings cramped together with no effort at orderly design.
The landing platform was deserted except for a small number of cruisers behind an energy fence. There was no one to check them in and no one to care. The landing area itself had been recently refurbished, but it had been a hasty job and already the platform was pitted and scarred.
Soara, Darra, Ry-Gaul, and Tru came over to Anakin's ship once they had landed. The Masters huddled in the cockpit, going over some last-minute details. The Padawans stood on the ramp, looking out over the spaceport and preparing their equipment. Dreshdae looked as grim at ground level as it had from the air.
'Not exactly Belazura,' Darra said as she stuffed her thermal cape into her survival pack.
'I've seen worse,' Ferus said. 'I hope.'
Ferus might have meant the remark as a joke, but Anakin took it as a challenge. Ferus was showing off again.
'We all have,' Anakin pointed out.
'I don't think so,' Tru said. 'I'd say we've finally made it to the worst the galaxy has to offer.' He said this cheerfully as he wound one flexible arm around his back to fasten the strap on his survival pack. As a Tee-van, Tru could bend his limbs backward and twist them in surprising angles. It was one of the things that made him such an excellent fighter.
'I don't think you'll be finding any Terratta strips here,' Darra teased Tru. 'I have a feeling we'll be living on food capsules. I wouldn't trust the food on this planet.'
'I never get the good planets,' Tru whined, making a comical face.
They were joking now, wanting to displace the odd tension they all felt.
'We've come a long way from the Galactic Games, that's for certain,'
Ferus said. 'Remember how nervous we were on our early missions?'
'Sure,' Tru said. 'I still am.' He looked out at Dreshdae, and the humor drained from his face. 'Especially here.'
'What about you, Ferus?' Anakin asked as he bent over to tighten a strap that didn't need tightening. 'Nervous? Or is that not allowed for a Jedi Knight?'
'I'm not a Jedi Knight yet,' Ferus answered.
'But you're closer than any of us,' Anakin said, straightening. 'Does that make you more nervous or less? I mean, let's face it, the Jedi Council's eyes are on you.'
Ferus frowned as he picked up the taunt buried in Anakin's easy tone.
'I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about the mission.'
'We're all thinking about the mission, Anakin,' Darra said.
'Of course, we all want to capture Omega,' Tru added. His eyes told Anakin to back off.
