Obi-Wan grabbed Lorana's upper arm. "Brolf teenager in a red-brown vest," he said in a low voice, pointing at the spot where the youth had disappeared. "Get Anakin, find him, and follow him."

"What?" Lorana asked, staring at him in bewilderment.

"Find him and follow him," Obi-Wan repeated, glancing around. To their right was a narrow alleyway cutting a path between a pair of ten-story buildings. "Go."

Still clearly puzzled, Lorana nevertheless nodded and hurried ahead. Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of her grabbing Anakin's arm; and then he was in the alley, dodging the garbage containers as he headed to the center. It was probably thirty meters to the tops of the buildings flanking him, and even with Jedi strength enhancement a leap like that was well beyond his capabilities.

But there were other ways. Glancing both directions down the alley to make sure no one was watching, he stretched out to the Force and leapt.

His boots hit the right-hand wall about four meters above the ground. Bending his knees to absorb the impact, he shoved off again before he could start falling back down, pushing himself upward and toward the wall on the left-hand side. That jump gained him another two meters, and he pushed off again toward the right, frog-hopping his way upward.

He reached the top with only minor twinges in his knees and leg muscles to mark the strain. Running to the edge of the roof, he dropped flat onto his stomach and looked down.

The streets looked just as crowded from up here as they did from down below. Pulling out his comlink, he keyed for Anakin. "Skywalker," Anakin's voice came promptly. "What's this about a kid in a brown vest?"

"He stole a pair of burst thrusters from that shop back there," Obi-Wan explained, shading his eyes from the sun with one hand as he searched the crowd below for the young thief

"You mean like you use in Podracers and swoops?"

"Right," Obi-Wan said. "They're also the drive system of choice for homemade missiles."

There was a gentle hiss from the comlink. "Got it," Anakin said, his voice suddenly grim. "Did you see which way he went?"

"He left the shop going west," Obi-Wan said. "But he could easily have changed-wait a minute." He leaned a little farther over the edge of the roof as a flicker of red-brown caught his eye before it passed out of sight beneath an awning. He watched the other side, and moment later it emerged. "There he is," he told Anakin. "He's headed north now."

"What street?"

"Not a clue," Obi-Wan admitted. "Where are you two?"

"Just passing a building with a big blue-and-gold sign talking about medicines," Anakin said. "Across the street is a green hanging banner-"

"Right-I've got you," Obi-Wan cut in as he spotted them. "Take the next street to your right, and you'll see him about a block ahead."

He watched Anakin and Lorana long enough to see them pick up their pace, then shifted his attention back to the thief, wishing he'd thought to bring along some macrobinoculars. Anakin had a set, but that wasn't going to do Obi-Wan any good.

"Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan lifted his comlink again. "Go."

"We've turned north," Anakin reported. "I think I see him ahead."

"Stay where you are," Obi-Wan ordered. A somewhat chunky Brolf had stepped from one of the storefronts and was moving to intercept the thief. "I think he's about to pass off his ill-gotten gain. Put Lorana on."

There was a moment of silence. "Yes?" Lorana's clear voice came.

"Move forward a little from where you are," Obi-Wan told her. "The thief's rendezvousing with someone-slightly overweight Brolf with a dark blue sash over a lighter blue tunic."

"I see him," Lorana confirmed. "He's moving in close.. looks like they're talking. ."

"Is the boy giving him the thrusters?" Obi-Wan asked. "The adult's blocking my line of sight."

"He's in mine, too," Lorana said tightly. "I can't-there they go.

"Blast," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath as the two Brolfi separated, the teen continuing north while the adult turned west. "Did he give him the thrusters?"

"I couldn't tell," Lorana said. "I'm sorry."

Obi-Wan scowled as he watched the two Brolfi heading their separate ways. The adult had certainly had the time and the opportunity to take the thrusters. Problem was, he'd also had the time to merely confirm that the grab had been made, to check for followers, or to give the boy new instructions.

And no matter which way the rendezvous had gone, the whole thing might simply be a bit of Barlok's normal criminal activity. It might have nothing to do with Passel Argente and Riske's paranoia.

But Riske had been looking for trouble out this way. Obi-Wan had found some. It was definitely worth checking out.

And here he was, stuck on a rooftop a block away.

"Then I guess we'll have to follow both of them," he decided, looking around the nearby rooftops. If he could leap to the next one over, then the one next to that, then find a stairway or turbolift to get back to street level..

But no. In broad daylight, in the middle of a crowded city, there was an even chance someone would spot his acrobatics and recognize him for what he was. The minute any potential attackers realized there was a Jedi on their trail, they would go to ground so fast and so deep that even a professional like Riske would have trouble rooting them out.

"I agree," Lorana said. "I'll take the adult."

Obi-Wan hesitated. Lorana was the older of the two Padawans, and thus theoretically the more capable. But he knew Anakin's capabilities and experience, and knew the boy could deal with any trouble he might run into.

Still, if there was one thing Lorana lacked in abundance, it was confidence. It wouldn't help to send her after a teenager, especially not with Anakin listening.

And after all, she would only be following the Brolf, not confronting or fighting him. That should be safe enough.

"Fine," he told her. "Take Anakin's comlink-it's linked directly to mine-and give him yours. What's your frequency?"

She gave him the number. "We're splitting up," she added. "I'll contact you when the adult comes to roost."

"Right," Obi-Wan said. "Tell Anakin I'll catch up with him as soon as I can."

Switching off the comlink, Obi-Wan pushed himself back to his feet. He took one final look over the edge of the roof, then turned and hurried toward the stairs. Yes, his Padawan could deal with any trouble he might run into.