Star Wars.

Jedi Quest.

The Dangerous Games.

by Jude Watson.

CHAPTER ONE.

The s.p.a.celanes of the planet Euceron were jammed with vehicles. In the upper atmosphere, large transports and sleek pa.s.senger liners chugged in orbit. Despite the heavy presence of s.p.a.celane officers on high-alt.i.tude swoops, tempers flared as star cruisers and shuttle craft jockeyed for position outside the landing platforms.

Fourteen-year-old Anakin Skywalker swerved the Galan starfighter to avoid a cruiser trying to cut in the line waiting to land. "Watch it, you gravel-maggot!" he yelled, even though he knew the pilot couldn't hear him.

Beside him his Master, Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi, cleared his throat.

"I know, I know," Anakin said. "Feel my anger, and let it go. But do I have to be a Jedi all the time, even in s.p.a.ce traffic?" He flashed a grin at his Master. He knew the answer.

"You are a Jedi every moment," Obi-Wan said. "Even when another cruiser is sneaking in to your right."

"What?" Anakin wrenched his attention back to his piloting. A silver star cruiser was attempting to nose in - Anakin swerved to the left and then slid neatly into the empty slot ahead.

Obi-Wan leaned back in his seat. "If you allowed someone to cut in line, we would lose five minutes' time. Would that be so bad?"

His Master could always find an opportunity for a lesson, even while waiting to land in a crowded s.p.a.ce-lane. "I guess not," Anakin said. "We're not in a hurry. But it's not right for them to try to sneak ahead of others."

"No," Obi-Wan said. "But that is the other pilot's choice. By trying to prevent him, you are feeding your own anger and impatience.

Perhaps that is worse."

Anakin saw his Master's point. That was the trouble. Obi-Wan always made sense. The only problem was that Obi-Wan didn't understand how good it felt when Anakin had zoomed ahead, preventing the cruiser from cutting in.

The s.p.a.celane officer ahead signaled to Anakin. A new lane had opened up for landings. Anakin slid the craft neatly into place. Now that he was first in line, he could look around and enjoy the sight of so many star cruisers in one atmosphere.

"I knew it would be crowded on Euceron, but I didn't expect this,"

Anakin said. "At least on Coruscant the traffic is strictly controlled.

This is a mess."

"Euceron isn't used to such traffic," Obi-Wan agreed. "Beings come from all over the galaxy to the Galactic Games."

"I didn't realize they would all arrive at once." Anakin wasn't really grumbling. He enjoyed the chaos, the scramble for lane s.p.a.ce, the chance to see so many different kinds of star cruisers.

When he had first learned of the mission ahead, Anakin couldn't believe his luck. All he and his Master had to do was patrol the Galactic Games, keeping alert for any signs of trouble. The Galactic Games were held every seven years, and planets all over the galaxy competed to become the host planet. The Games were exciting and sometimes dangerous, with the fastest and most skilled competing in races and contests. Anakin couldn't wait to see the various events.

The government of Euceron had asked for Jedi help in order to keep the peace. In only seven years, the galaxy had changed. New trouble spots erupted far too often. Some systems had grievances with the Senate; some planets had trade conflicts with other planets. Beings from many different worlds would be in close quarters, some of them hostile to one another. It could be a volatile mix.

Then again, everyone was coming to have a good time. Anakin knew that he was. The Galactic Games had been started over eight decades before in order to promote peace through sport. Winners became famous both on their own planets and in places they had never traveled. Even as a slave on Tatooine, Anakin had heard tales of their determination and mastery.

"Euceron is trying its best to keep things under control," Obi-Wan observed. "The leaders of the Ruling Power don't want anything to go wrong. They are trying to gain more power in the Senate, to be put on some very important committees. This is a crucial way to show that their planet is stable."

Anakin nodded, a bit bored by Senatorial politics. He was notified that he could land now on the Euceron City landing platform. A series of laser signals told him which slot to take. He came in fast and low, executing a quick turn that dropped the starfighter into position perfectly. He glanced over at his Master, knowing he had been a bit of a show-off, but Obi-Wan was already beginning arrival procedures.

Anakin reached for their survival packs and activated the landing ramp, which led to the greeting center high above the capital city, Eusebus. He couldn't wait to get going.

"This will be a good opportunity for you to reflect on a new Jedi lesson," Obi-Wan said. "Connection with the Living Force. There are beings from all over the galaxy here. You'll pick up many kinds of energies. With such a variety of beings crowded onto one planet, there is much to learn."

"Yes, Master." Anakin hovered by the doorway, waiting impatiently while Obi-Wan double-checked to make sure the cabin of their craft was secure. He made sure to keep his body still, however. He might not have conquered his agitation though he had learned to mask it.

But it was rare that his Master did not pick up on his feelings.

Obi- Wan noted his impatience. "All right, young Padawan. Let's go."

Anakin walked out onto the landing ramp, his eyes eagerly sweeping the platform. Star pilots chatted in small groups, children dashed past parents' reaching fingers, air taxis unloaded pa.s.sengers who lunged for their luggage - Wookiees and Babbs and everything in between. Everyone seemed in a terrific hurry to get somewhere. And the Games had not yet begun!

"Are you picking up anything about the mission ahead?" Obi-Wan asked him curiously. His Master often asked the question as soon as they stepped foot on a planet. Sometimes he even asked it before they landed, if he sensed that Anakin was swept by intuitions about the mission to come.

Anakin reached out to the Force. Sometimes it felt so easy. The Force was there, right within his grasp, and he could fold it around himself as easily as slipping into his travel cloak.

"I don't feel darkness here," he said. "I feel tremendous energy.

It is not all good, but it isn't dark. It's just. ."

"Life," Obi-Wan finished. "Emotion, expectation, hope, worry, excitement."

"It feels more intense," Anakin said slowly as they walked through the crowd.

"Because it is," Obi-Wan said. "We are all packed into one small city, waiting for a big event." He paused to consult a coordinates kiosk.

"We will be staying in the official Games quarters, but let's explore a bit first."

They squeezed aboard a crowded turbolift that brought them down from the greeting center to the surface of the planet. They spilled out onto the main boulevard of Eusebus. The streets were crowded with speeders of every kind and description, and the many beings jostled and pushed their way to their destinations. Large overhead signs blinked out directions and routes, such as STADIUM ONE: LEFT ON USIRINE STREET or STADIUM TEN: TAKE AIR TRANSIT GREEN.

The aroma of the various food stands wafted toward them. Anakin's stomach growled. Meat sizzled on grills and sweets hung from slender poles that danced in the brisk wind, tantalizing him. He had eaten his morning meal only an hour before, but he suddenly felt hungry.

"Look around," Obi-Wan directed. "Tell me if you see anything out of the ordinary."

The ordinary? There didn't seem to be anything ordinary in Euceron City. It was a city built entirely of plastoid materials, since there was no native stone. The buildings were brightly colored and no higher than twenty stories. Eucerons were a humanoid species with large domed heads and delicate limbs. They dressed in neutral colors as if to offset their colorful structures.

But Obi-Wan had seen something Anakin should have noted. Anakin screened out his rapidly growing appet.i.te and opened his mind to careful observation. It took him a few minutes, but then he felt it.

"There are security officers everywhere," he said. "They are not in uniform, but they are patrolling." He could tell they were security only by noting their watchful eyes constantly sweeping the crowd.

"Yes. Nicely observed, Padawan," Obi-Wan said. "Euceron has the largest security force in the galaxy for its size. The Ruling Power needs the security officers to keep the population under control. It is government by repression and intimidation. The Ruling Power is made up of ten rulers who make all laws and decisions. The city looks peaceful and prosperous, but the Ruling Power has been working for years to make it look that way. They are cultivating an image, and they are typically aggressive about their methods."

"So why should the Jedi help them?" Anakin wondered.

"The Ruling Power is not the kind of government the Senate would normally support," Obi-Wan agreed. "But the safety of many beings depends on the Games proceeding well, and that is important for the continued peace of the galaxy itself. So don't forget that this mission is a serious one. There are always beings in the galaxy who use these large gatherings for their own ends. Sabotage is always a possibility, so the Jedi are needed."

"Are we supposed to meet with the other Jedi teams?" Anakin asked.

He hoped to see Tru Veld, a fellow Padawan and one of his few friends at the Temple.

"Yes. We'll need to coordinate our patrols," Obi-Wan said. "We'll see them at our quarters later."

Obi-Wan did not break his stride, but suddenly his concentration shifted. Anakin could see the change.

"Something is wrong," he murmured.

Anakin threw his own attention out like a net. He was aware of a change in the sound of the crowd. "A disturbance," he said.

"This way." Obi-Wan stepped up his pace. He threaded through the pedestrians.

Ahead was a large square. Food stalls were packed in tightly, and cafs ringed the edges.

Anakin saw a knot of beings across the square. They were packed so tightly it was difficult to see what they were looking at.

He heard a roar of anger. He did not know the language, but it was easy to guess the intent.

"Hurry." Obi-Wan tried to make it through the crowd, but the beings were crowded so densely now that it was impossible.

"Get out of my way or I'll kill you!" Someone shouted the words in Basic.

Now Anakin could see a Phlog, a giant being with a vibrosword, standing over a small Ortolan, a blue-furred creature armed with only a cup of juice. The Phlog waved the vibrosword close to his neighbor's nose. Instead of retreating, the crowd surged forward, interested in a possible fight.

"Go ahead, you tub of bantha fat," the Ortolan sneered.

"This isn't good," Obi-Wan muttered.

Suddenly the Phlog took his vibrosword and slashed through a small stone table. The group who had been sitting at it fell backward. One of them sprang up and withdrew a blaster. The giant Phlog grabbed both huge slabs of stone and lifted them over his head.

"I'll kill you all!"

Frustrated, Obi-Wan tried to get through the crowd. The beings had formed a solid wall of flesh and muscle. The Jedi could not move. But they weren't about to fail in their objective before the Games had even begun.

CHAPTER TWO.

Anakin saw a sudden flash of blue. A lightsaber danced in the air and came down, slicing expertly through the thick slabs of stone. The movement was so fast that a tiny curl of smoke was the only evidence of the lightsaber's trail. The slabs dissolved into rocks and dust. The Phlog howled as one of the stone pieces fell on his foot.

"That should slow you down a minute."

Jedi Knight Siri's tone was pleasant, but it rang with the shimmer of durasteel. Next to her stood Ferus Olin, her Padawan. His lightsaber was raised and ready, his expression hard. He was prepared to spring if anyone moved, and everyone seemed to know it. A hush settled on the crowd.

The Phlog stood awkwardly, holding his foot. "Who are you?" he bellowed.

The Euceron whose table had been pulverized quickly shoved his blaster into his belt. "Ah, Jedi. Just defending myself," he muttered, backing away.

The Ortolan nodded rapidly, his blue fur flying. "Easy in such crowds to b.u.mp by accident."

"Exactly," Siri said. "So an apology is called for." "Sorry," the Ortolan said quickly.

"By both of you," Siri said meaningfully, her gaze boring into Phlog, who towered several meters over her blond head.

The Phlog hesitated. He was not accustomed to apologizing for his temper. Even with a lightsaber centimeters from his neck.

For a moment, it seemed that the Phlog would launch an attack on Siri. She was ready.

By now Obi-Wan and Anakin had snaked through the crowd and were standing by, close enough to spring forward if needed. With a look, Obi-Wan told Anakin to hang back.

Ferus Olin stepped forward. "Think twice, my friend," he said in a soft tone. "Then think again."

Anakin saw the admiration on his Master's face at the coolness of Ferus's approach. A flare of jealousy rose inside him. Ferus always knew the right thing to say and the right way to say it. Ferus was only two years older than Anakin, but he was known for his maturity.

"Well, well, my fault," the Phlog said in false cheerfulness. "Let me buy you another juice."

He bent over the small Ortolan and led him into the caf.

Siri deactivated her lightsaber. "There. Everyone is sorry.

Incident over." Her clear voice sailed out over the crowd. "We can all get back to what we were doing."

The crowd that had been eager to witness a brawl suddenly melted away. Siri caught sight of Obi-Wan.

"Just a minute too late, as usual," she said.

"We were just waiting to see how you'd handle it," Obi-Wan answered. "I always wanted to see you go against a Phlog."

Anakin watched Obi-Wan and Siri. A stranger would never know that they were old friends.

He nodded a greeting at Ferus, who nodded stiffly back. There was no need to pretend that they liked each other. Ferus had warned him once that he did not trust him and would keep an eye on him. This had infuriated Anakin, and he still wasn't over it. He had let his anger go, but his resentment still simmered. He knew how a Jedi was supposed to handle that, but he couldn't.

He could not speak to Obi-Wan about it, either. He didn't want his Master to know that a fellow Padawan, especially one as gifted and respected as Ferus, did not trust him.

He turned his attention back to Siri and Obi-Wan, who were talking in low voices.

"... with the crowds like this," Obi-Wan was saying. "It was hard to get to you at all."