Chapter 7

Enthea knows what the Dark Side feels like. It feels like she feels when she finally lets go on those rare occasions that she’s freed from her responsibilities to the Jedi, and set loose to find release.

That’s what she senses coming from Jayo’s casino as she stands outside the main entrance, confronted with the two armed guards who aren’t about to let a stranger through.

She should use the **** to change their minds about that, but she can’t spend that kind of time when she feels such a strong presence inside. She shoves them aside with the **** and rushes through, bounding into Jayo’s vast gambling den. She follows her feelings, leaping onto a nearby table, sending drinks and chips flying as she jumps high into the air, landing on a second-floor walkway and sprinting down it to burst into a private dance room.

A pale Togruta stands poised over a nude woman who is missing a hand. Enthea only sees the red lightsaber, and she lashes out with the ****, causing the other woman to stumble back.

The human leaps up, and Enthea knows right away who this is: the woman that she is meant to arrest. But that doesn’t matter right now.

“Run,” she says, putting out her hand toward the Togruta.

The human doesn’t hesitate. Naked, she dashes past and out the door.

The Togruta straightens up, looking annoyed. Her black robes billow as she gathers the ****.

“Don’t,” Enthea warms. “I don’t know who you are, but you should go in peace.”

The Togruta laughs.

( )

Blu finally recognizes the petite Dathomirian. She doesn’t know how or why, but that’s the same girl that landed on her speeder when she was running with Guioz. Now she knows where she’s seen her before: here on Coruscant. Blu caught her in a bar, looking nervous, but horny. Very drunk at the time, Blu decided to take pity on the shy girl and give her a little affection. She sucked off the Dathomirian in the bathroom.

That must be what this is about. The Dathomirian, just like the Togruta, knows about the recordings. They’re all here for ****. But if that’s the case, then why’d she tell Blu to run?

It doesn’t matter.

Blu is not shy. She has done some things.

However, running fully nude through a casino packed with hundreds of people is not one of them. Her whole body is blushing, skin hot and tingling as she runs as fast as she can. She’d love to stop and snatch someone’s jacket, but there is no time. That Togruta is some kind of dark Jedi, and that is not someone that Blu wants to fuck with. Pride is one of her failings, but even she knows she’s outclassed by someone like that. She managed to grab her blaster on the way out, but she knows perfectly well that it won’t do her any good against a lightsaber. Her only hope is to get away.

“Hello,” a startled, wide-eyed waitress says, turning to watch her pass. A nearby creature’s twelve eyes all swivel at once to watch.

( )

The Togruta strikes without hesitation.

Enthea draws her own lightsaber and brings up the blue beam in time to parry a furious series of strokes that send her staggering backward. Still laughing, the Togruta pushes forward, swinging huge, bold overhead strokes.

Enthea blocks and holds her ground, using the **** to make up for her body being smaller than the Togruta’s. The beams crackle and buzz, **** together. The Togruta smiles at her.

“Ready to die?” the Togruta asks.

It’s taking all of Enthea’s concentration to hold her off. She can’t reply. She reaches out and pulls on the light fixture with the ****. It bursts free and swings down. The Togruta senses it and leaps back, and Enthea rolls out of the way, bringing her lightsaber up at the ready.

“I don’t want to fight,” she says breathlessly.

“I don’t blame you,” the Togruta replies, raising her own weapon.

Before she can strike again, she looks sharply to her left, at the wall. Enthea senses it too: a familiar presence.

The Togruta throws out a hand, using the **** to send a bottle from the bar crashing into the control panel beside the door. The door slams shut, but a blue lightsaber slices through it right away. A few swift cuts leave it in pieces, which clatter to the floor.

Obi-Wan strides through, his expression grave.

“Put down your weapon,” he says without preamble, leveling his lightsaber at the Togruta.

Her eyes widen, and then her smile does as well. She laughs even more loudly. Then she stops. She cocks her head.

“You think that one and a half Jedi can stop me?” She twirls her lightsaber and gets ready to fight. Enthea tenses.

“No,” Obi-Wan replies calmly. “But one and a half Jedi and the entire Coruscant police **** is another story.”

Now Enthea notices it: sirens and alarms so loud that they penetrate even this insulated gambling den.

A look of annoyance passes over the Togruta’s face. After a moment, she lets her lightsaber go, and the red blade vanishes back into the gleaming, silver handle.

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan says politely, holding out his hand for it.

“No, thank you,” the Togruta says, using the **** to jerk Enthea’s lightsaber out of her grasp. The Togruta propels it at the window, shattering it and sending the weapon spinning out into Coruscant’s night. Before Obi-Wan can stop her, she’s out the window and gone with a flutter of her dark robes.

Obi-Wan reaches out with the ****, and Enthea’s lightsaber comes floating back in. He catches it and tosses it to her, going to the window and looking down.

Taking deep breaths, Enthea hooks her lightsaber back on her belt. She’s deeply embarrassed, but Dathomirians don’t blush.

“What was that?” she says, lost.

“A Sith,” Obi-Wan replies, still gazing out at the night. “And a powerful one.”

Enthea feels a chill. She thought that the Sith were defeated when Obi-Wan cut down Darth Maul on Naboo. There are more of them?

Obi-Wan turns to her. “What were you doing here?”

“My mission,” Enthea says quickly. “That woman that I was to arrest. She was here.”

“Here? You’re sure.”

“Yes! That Togruta was going to kill her.”

“The Sith want her?” Obi-Wan puts his lightsaber away, rubbing his chin. “Oh, dear.”

“What do we do, Master?”

Obi-Wan takes a deep breath, visibly trouble. “First we report to the council.”

“And then?”

He sighs. “And then we will have to do something very unpleasant.”

“I’m sorry, Master.”

“It’s all right,” he says, putting his hand on her shoulder and guiding her toward the door. Enthea can hear the police coming. “No one would expect you to be a match for her at this stage of your training. You’re lucky to be alive, my young Padawan.”

“Do you know who she is, Master?”

“No. But that’s what we’re going to find out.”