NEED CREDITS? STOP HERE! The signs flashed around a row of booths near the entrance. Farther on Obi-Wan saw food stalls. Tempting aromas floated toward them. His stomach rumbled again. He almost groaned. With Qui-Gon, he never knew when his next meal would come. His former Jedi Master seemed to exist on a diet of fresh air and determination.

"This must be some sort of gambling event," Qui-Gon said. "Curious."

"And popular," Obi-Wan added, jostled by the surging crowd.

As they entered the interior of the dome, they found themselves high above the central area, which was one giant ring with a smaller concentric ring inside. Large screens were hung at various heights and distances around the dome so that they were visible throughout the giant space. Scenes of natural beauty flashed across them while booming music played out of hidden speakers.

Floating boxes surrounded the central wings. Stationary seating ringed the area, the topmost rows lost in the vastness of the dome.

They climbed up, searching for two empty seats near exits. Qui-Gon's keen gaze swept the crowd below them, looking for the security police who had been following them.

At last he found places a few seats in from the end. They sat, and Obi-Wan turned his attention to the giant screens, which began to flash a stream of names and numbers he could not decipher. There was also a screen with a keypad built into his armrest.

While Qui-Gon kept his eyes on the crowd, Obi-Wan leaned over to a tall Telosian seated next to him.

"This is my first time here," he said. "Can you explain what's going on?"

"The screens are flashing the current odds for the games," his seatmate replied, pointing. "You can bet at your seat on each event. There are twenty contestants competing in a variety of contests."