Star Wars_ The Approaching Storm - Alan Dean Foster [135]
No, he told himself as he fumbled for the closed-frequency comlink. He might yet make his knowledge and experience pay. There was still one card left to play.
Neither Luminara nor Obi-Wan quite understood what had happened to the potentially lethal shooters on the surrounding rooftops until a familiar face appeared in the midst of the body-strewn street. As soon as they recognized it, they and their Padawans were in equal measure surprised and relieved.
“Hello, Bayaar.” Placing one hand over her face and the other over her chest, Luminara greeted the Borokii warrior in the accepted Alwari fashion. Behind him, Borokii and Januul fighters were mopping up the last of the hired assassins. This wouldn’t take long, she saw, since the remainder of their attackers were now desperately scrambling to flee in any and every available direction. “Though I didn’t expect to see you again, I have to admit that your timing for a reunion is nothing short of admirable.”
“What is this?” Obi-Wan gestured past him, in the direction of their other rescuers.
Bayaar’s sharp teeth showed in a broad grin. “Your honor guard, noble Obi-Wan. Don’t you remember being promised a ‘present’ by the twinned Council of Alwari Elders? This is it. They didn’t want anything to happen to their new offworld friends.” Had he been physiologically capable of doing so, he would have winked. “Especially not before the formal treaty between the Alwari and the Unity is put in place. We’ve been shadowing you ever since you left our camp; guarding your rear, looking for trouble, watching out for you.” His tone and expression grew more serious. “We lingered almost too far behind you.”
“We would have managed,” Anakin told him. At a stern look from his Master, he added quickly, “Though your help was certainly more than welcome.”
Bayaar bowed slightly in the Padawan’s direction, and Anakin felt abashed. Would he ever learn to think before speaking? His training was making him more than overconfident: it was making him brash. Somehow, he was going to have to learn how to be as patient as Obi-Wan. Otherwise he would never stand a chance of equaling, much less surpassing, the skills of his instructor.
“We’re no less anxious than your elders to conclude this matter.” Making sure her lightsaber was resecured at her waist, Luminara started back up the street. Obi-Wan joined her, with the rest of their party following behind.
They were flanked on both sides, on both the ground and the surrounding rooftops, by warriors of the Situng Borokii and the Hovsgol Januul. Drawn from the best fighters of both clans, they presented an intimidating yet captivating spectacle as they escorted the offworlders through the city streets. Wide-eyed locals stopped in their tracks or emerged from shops to behold the procession, and visiting aliens from even sophisticated worlds were suitably impressed. The Jedi were not challenged again.
When they finally arrived, the municipal hall of the city of Cuipernam was as they remembered it. While Bayaar and his warriors stood guard outside, the visitors were announced and admitted. The makeup of the Unity’s delegation was somewhat different than it had been before. Delegate Ranjiyn was there, of course, and Tolut, and five others Luminara recognized, but for purposes of the vote the delegation had been expanded to twelve members. In consideration, no doubt, of the importance of the decision they were to render. Of the twelve, eight were natives of Ansion and the others resident aliens like the humans Volune and Dameerd and the Armalat Tolut.
Though they watched and listened attentively, neither Anakin nor Barriss paid any particular attention to the welcoming formalities. Kyakhta and Bulgan sat proudly behind the visiting humans, while a bored Tooqui spent his time searching the floor for valuables that might have been dropped by the esteemed participants. So long as he stayed in the background and did not intrude on the proceedings,