"Tahl contacted us a moment ago," she told Obi-Wan. "Zan Arbor has blocked out all communications from the lab, but Qui-Gon managed to get a last message through to the Temple. Zan Arbor has locked herself in with the other prisoner. If Qui-Gon attempts to come through the door, she will kill the captive. He is searching for another way inside that room."

"Did he see the other prisoner?" Obi-Wan asked.

Siri shook her head.

"We think we know who he is," Adi said. "He is a Jedi Master."

Obi-Wan was startled. "She was able to hold two Jedi Masters hostage?

" How could such a thing happen?

"Noor R'aya is an elder Jedi," Adi explained. "He does not live at the Temple. He no longer goes on missions, but he chose to live out his remaining days in seclusion and meditation on his home planet. He disappeared several weeks ago, and we've been searching for him."

"We traced his disappearance to the bounty hunter, Ona Nobis," Siri explained. "As soon as we told Tahl this, she told us about Jenna Zan Arbor's involvement. Noor R'aya must be the other being Qui-Gon sensed at the lab."

"Our first problem is getting in," Obi-Wan said. "There are no windows and only one door. Other Jedi teams are on their way, but the more we delay, the more we risk Qui-Gon's and Noor R'aya's lives. And Simpla-12 has no security police. It's just us."

"It's not a problem," Adi said serenely. "We have a way in."

Chapter 2

"We've learned through our contacts that someone is looking for a large shipment of black market assassin droids for protection on Simpla-12, " Adi said. "We know this person is Jenna Zan Arbor. We've tracked down the droid dealers. Now we just need to get the dealers to agree to smuggle us inside along with the shipment."