The Only Witness by Jude Watson
action?"
"Only my mother-in-law lives there now. She's not part of the family
business. Taking the risk will be worth it. It has to be."
In the basement of the building, Lena and the Jedi climbed into a
large landspeeder. Within moments they were zipping outside the city,
toward the home of Lena's mother-in-law, Zanita Cobral.
"We've always gotten along," Lena explained as they skimmed the
surface of the planet. "Rutin was her favorite son. He was the youngest.
Losing him was devastating for her, for all of us."
Qui-Gon had trouble focusing his attention on Lena from his seat in
the rear. As he forced himself to stay present, in the back of his mind he
wondered if coming on this mission had been a bad idea. It called for
subtle judgments he wasn't certain he was equipped to make. He felt as if
he was moving through a fog of unclear emotions.
"Zanita may be the only person on the planet who is not under Solan's
thumb," Lena said to Obi-Wan. "She's the only one who can help. I just hope
she wants to."
The Cobral Estate sat on a high ridge overlooking Rian. When the
large home was within sight Lena activated a transparisteel roof, which
quickly covered the travelers. Then she pushed another button and the
transparisteel turned a dark shade of gray.
"When we reach the gate you'll have to duck down," Lena said. "The
Cobrals don't like strangers."
Qui-Gon wondered how much the Cobrals would like seeing Lena. Even
though she'd said that she and her mother-in-law were on good terms, her
presence might stir things up rather than settle them.
At least they had someone to remind them of Rutin. But who did Qui-
Gon have to remind him of Tahl? No one had known her as he had. Fresh
memories came to him every day. There was no one to share them with.
Crouched in the back and covered by his own robe, Qui-Gon felt Lena
tense. He could tell it was not just apprehension about the meeting with
Zanita. Something else was happening.
"That's Solan's speeder," she whispered to the Jedi. "And his brother
Bard's. The whole family is here."
Qui-Gon raised his head enough to see a number of luxury vehicles
parked in the bay outside the mansion. There was no doubt that the Cobrals
possessed extraordinary wealth.
"Maybe we should come back later," Obi-Wan suggested gently from the
front seat.
"No. I don't have time," Lena said with her familiar resolve. "We'll
sneak in, and I'll find a way to get Zanita alone. Or maybe I'll find what
I need on my own and we won't need her help after all. We might be able to
get additional information. Having several of the Cobrals present could
turn out to be a good thing. "
Or a deadly one, Qui-Gon thought.
Lena parked her speeder at the far end of the row, next to a metal
statue.
"We can get in through the galley," she said, motioning with her head
toward a small entrance.
Qui-Gon watched as Lena and Obi-Wan moved silently into position by
the galley door. Moments later a cooking servant emerged. He did not notice
as Lena slipped her foot into the door, preventing it from closing. When
the servant rounded the edge of the building, Qui-Gon slipped into the
galley after Lena and Obi-Wan.
The entrance had been too easy.
The cooking quarters were vast, with rows of gleaming countertops and
food storage units. Servants bustled about, busily preparing a large meal.
Lena waited until most of the servants had their backs to the door,
then pulled up her hood and walked through the quarters. She carried
herself with such authority that nobody bothered to ask who she was or
where she was going.
Soon after entering a spectacularly long hallway covered in lush,
thick carpet, she ducked into a small room and pulled Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon
in after her. The room held several holoscreens.
"This used to be a guard station," Lena explained. "But when her
husband died Zanita didn't think she needed as much protection, so it's no
longer used."
Qui-Gon felt slightly relieved. At least there was an explanation for
the easy entrance.
Lena adjusted one of the holoscreens until it showed a large dining
room filled with people.
"It's Bard's birthday," Lena said with relief. A large Fregan birth
celebration banner lay across the dining table. "I should have remembered."
The crowd milled about the room, smiling and carrying glasses filled
with red liquid. At first glance it looked like any other party. Qui-Gon
looked harder.
"There's Zanita," Lena said, pointing to a tall older woman dressed
in a black gown covered in tiny smokats. A large scarf was wrapped
attractively around her head like a turban. In spite of her age she was
easily the most striking person in the room. Qui-Gon was surprised by her
commanding presence and the way she set people around her at ease -
laughing, smiling, and making sure they were taken care of. Then something
else caught his eye.
"Is that Solan?" he asked quietly, pointing at a scowling man in the
corner.
"Yes, how did you know?" Lena asked. Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows but
said nothing. His eyes stayed trained on Solan. Like Zanita, the frowning
man was surrounded by a large group of people. But none of the people near
Solan seemed to be enjoying his company. They simply stood nervously by.
Suddenly Solan stood. A woman next to him rushed to take his empty
cup and napkin. Someone else asked if they could get anything for him, but
he brushed them off with a wave of his hand. Solan approached the guest of
honor, a man shorter than him but who otherwise bore a striking resemblance
to him. It was the middle brother, Bard.
Casually tossing an arm over Bard's shoulder, Solan interrupted the
conversation and steered him toward the outer edges of the party. He spoke
in hushed tones.
"They're all afraid of him," Obi-Wan remarked.
Qui-Gon was glad to see the stiffening shoulders of the younger
brother had not escaped the attention of his apprentice. "Exactly," said
Qui-Gon. "Even his family is fearful."
Lena held up a hand to silence the Jedi. "Zanita's leaving the party,
" she whispered. "This is my chance."
Without another word Lena slipped out the door, leaving the Jedi to
watch her on the holoscreen. She made her way down the long hallway toward
the library. It was a large room, with towering shelves of important-
looking books and polished furniture. Zanita was inside, apparently taking
a moment to relax.
Qui-Con felt a strange unease. In spite of Zanita's pleasing manner
he did not think the meeting would go well.
Obi-Wan leaned close to the screen. Lena entered the library unseen
by the other guests.
The look on Zanita's face when she saw her daughter-in-law was one of
sheer pleasure. The older woman stood and embraced Lena, holding her close
for a long time.
Obi-Wan fiddled with the projection controls beneath the screen,
tuning out the party g
and Zanita in the library.
"But, my dear, why would you hide from your family?" Zanita asked,
her voice filled with concern.
"I was afraid," Lena explained. "And without Rutin, I didn't know
what you would think of me.
"You will always be a Cobral," Zanita said solemnly, looking
thoughtfully at her daughter-in-law. "But why were you afraid?"
Lena hesitated, then lowered her voice. "I am afraid because I think
Solan had Rutin Killed."
Zanita staggered back before sinking onto a large, comfortable-
looking sofa. Her skin paled and she reached a shaking hand toward Lena.
"It was my greatest fear," Zanita whispered as tears sprang to her
eyes. "I did not want it to be true. And yet, when I look into my heart, I
know you are not lying."
She pulled a piece of embroidered cloth from her pocket and wiped her
eyes before going on. "I tried to stop Solan, to make him see reason, but
it was too late," she sobbed again. "And now Rutin is gone."
Kneeling beside her, Lena comforted Zanita as best she could. She
also told Zanita all she knew of Rutin's plan to end the crime ring. "I
know it will not be easy for you to hear, but now I am planning to testify
against the family. Rutin's dearest wish has become mine as well. I want to
stop the violence," Lena explained, looking into her mother-in-law's eyes.
"And I need your help."
In the guard room, Qui-Gon detected a slight quaver in Lena's voice.
He could not fault her, of course. She was asking Zanita to join her in
betraying her own family - her own children.
Zanita kept her eyes on her lap, but let go of Lena's hand. Her
commanding presence seemed somehow diminished as she sat unmoving on the
sofa. At last she looked up at the portrait hanging on the library wall. It
was a picture of three men, the Cobral brothers. Rutin stood proudly in the
center.
"Yes," she breathed. "It must stop."
CHAPTER 5
Zanita sat quietly for another long moment. When she looked up, there
were tears in her eyes. "There is a set of documents," she said slowly. "I
think I can get them for you. But you must promise me that you will not
link my name to the testimony in any way."
"Of course not, Zanita," Lena assured her. She squeezed her mother-
in-law's shoulder. "I know the violence and corruption are not your doing."
Zanita seemed to become empowered while her mind worked. It reminded
Qui-Gon of Lena. "It will take me some time to get the documents. Perhaps
by tomorrow night," she said. "I must be very, very careful. If Solan were
to suspect - "
Suddenly a loud voice boomed just outside the library door. Qui-Gon's
face registered concern. It was a man's voice, and it sounded angry.
Lena let go of her mother-in-law's arm and put a finger to her lips.
Without wasting a second she got to her feet and ducked behind a heavy
curtain covering the library's transparisteel portal.
A moment later the door slid open and Solan thundered into the room.
"Mother," he said sternly, looking at her as if she were a child who needed
scolding. "What are you doing in here?"
Zanita looked evenly at her son. She was not a child, and it appeared
that she did not appreciate being treated like one. "I was just having a
moment to myself," she replied simply. Her face showed no sign of fear.
Solan tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. "You are the hostess
of your son's birthday celebration," he stated. "It is not appropriate for
you to slip away to have a moment to yourself. If necessary you can do that
when the party is over."
"Stop bullying me, Solan. This is my house, and I'll do as I like."
She looked her son in the face.
Solan blinked and stepped backward. "Juno needs you in the kitchen,"
he said more quietly. "He is not clear about which service platters you
would like to use for dinner."
"Fine. I will go and discuss it with him," Zanita replied.
"Good. Then come back to the party."
Zanita did not acknowledge the fact that her son had just given her
an order. Instead she followed him easily out of the library. She did not
turn around as the door quietly closed behind her.
After waiting a few moments, Lena left the room as well. Minutes
later she met up with the Jedi in the guard station.
"I assume you heard all of that," she said. "He infuriates me,
talking to his own mother like that. Sometimes I wish she'd really put him
in his place." Her voice quieted. "But I suppose that might get her killed.
"
Lena paused while her quick mind moved on to the next thought. Her
eyes were suddenly lit with excitement. Qui-Gon wasn't sure if it was the
thrill of escape or the result of the meeting with her mother-in-law.
"Isn't it great?" she asked, perhaps a little too brightly. "Zanita
is going to help us. I knew she would. Leave it to a woman to understand
that the violent ways of the crime world can only lead to destruction and
hate."
Qui-Gon could not help but think of Jenna Zan Arbor, a mad female
scientist who had conducted horrible experiments on live human subjects -
including him. He knew many women who lived lives of crime and violence.
But he didn't say anything.
"Anyway, I'm very relieved. The meeting couldn't have gone better."
"It does look as though your mother-in-law is willing to help you get
testimony," Qui-Gon agreed. "Let's just hope she keeps her word."
Lena nodded as she turned back to the security screens. "We still
have to get out of here without being discovered," she said. She looked at
each screen in turn, noting the whereabouts of everyone in the house. Qui-
Gon knew she was trying to figure out the best time to leave.
"Follow me," Lena said after a moment. She slid open the guard
station door and peered into the hallway. She motioned to the Jedi, and
they all stepped out of the room. Zanita was still in the cooking quarters
with Juno, so they left through another, rarely used entrance at the side
of the mansion.
As they made their way outside, Qui-Gon considered the Cobral family.
On the surface they appeared like any other family - close and loving, but
not without tension. Beneath the surface, however, lay dark ties. There was
fear there, and possibly hatred as well.
Of course, this did not entirely surprise Qui‑Gon. A family that
ruled a planet with corruption and violence was bound to have a sinister
web woven within it.
Distracted by his own thoughts, Qui-Gon did not sense any nearby
danger. It was Obi-Wan who cried out first.
"Look out!" he shouted, pushing Qui-Gon and Lena away from their
landspeeder.
As the three of them tumbled to the ground, a huge metal statue
thundered down where they had been standing. It crashed into the front end
of their landspeeder, missing them by mere centimeters.
Their vehicle was destroyed. And if not for a few seconds of warning,
they might have been killed, too.
CHAPTER 6
The Jedi and L
rushing out the cooking quarters door. Qui-Gon felt Lena tense at the sight
of the servant, and for a brief moment Juno glared at her. But his face
shifted quickly into a look of concern.
"Are you all right?" he asked, holding out a hand to help her up.
Lena got to her feet on her own and brushed herself off. "Fine," she
replied briskly. She casually scanned the area to see if anyone else was
coming. It was a good thing they had parked their vehicle on the opposite
side of the mansion from the entertaining quarters.