Obi-Wan stopped pacing and fixed Tyro with a keen gaze. "Who are they?

" "They are called the Slams," Tyro said.

"Species?"

"Humanoid. From Mamendin, in the Core. They started there with con jobs, ID thefts, things like that. Then they roamed the galaxy, mostly in the Core, pulling scams. They were the gang who heisted the entire treasury of Vuma. The leaders are fairly young — a man named Slam and a woman named Valadon. Slam is a con man and Valadon is an ID theft expert. They have only two other members — they keep their numbers small to maintain loyalty.

The Slams were caught when they tried to break into a security vault of the Commerce Guild. You just don't go after the Commerce Guild without major consequences."

"I remember the Vuma affair," Siri said. "We heard about it at the Temple. It just about bankrupted the planet. The crystalline vertex they stole is still missing." She gave Obi-Wan a curious glance. "What is it?

You've got that look on your face."

"What look?"

"That look that says, You're going to hate this idea, Siri, but I'm going to do it anyway," Siri said dryly. Obi-Wan grinned. "Relax. You're going to love it."

Chapter Two

Anakin looked over at his Master. They had grown even closer over the past months. Anakin had broken down after the mission on Vanqor and confessed his fears to Obi-Wan. He had been afraid to tell his Master how there were times he no longer wanted to be the Chosen One. He realized that he had been walking around with a nameless dread in his heart. He didn't know what he feared, but he knew that he lived with the fear every waking moment. Saying this out loud had shocked his Master, but it had freed Anakin in a way he still didn't understand.