by Jude Watson
"I don't think so." Bent's tone was flat. She looked at him steadily
with her large silver eyes. Mon Calamari had extraordinarily clear eyes,
and Obi-Wan had always been able to read Bant's emotions. Now he was
confused by the anger he saw there.
"Your sympathy comes too late," Bant continued. "How could you keep
the fact that Tahl had been kidnapped from me, Obi-Wan? You know that you
and Qui-Gon should have contacted the Temple immediately."
"I know," Obi-Wan said. "But so much happened so fast. Qui-Gon
thought that more Jedi might endanger Tahl's life. We decided that if we
couldn't rescue her in twenty-four hours, we would contact the Temple."
Actually, it had been Qui-Gon's decision to wait. But Obi-Wan would take
responsibility for it, too. He could have argued with Qui-Gon. He had not.
"That wasn't your decision to make," Bant interrupted. Her normally
gentle voice was crisp with anger. "How would you feel if another Jedi team
had done that to you, Obi-Wan? What if Qui-Gon had been kidnapped?"
Obi-Wan felt shame wash over him. Qui-Gon had been kidnapped once, by
the scientist Jenna Zan Arbor. If he hadn't been involved in Qui-Gon's
rescue, he would have gone crazy.
"We didn't think it through," he admitted.
"I'll say," Bant said bitterly. She had never taken such a harsh tone
with him. "Did you think of me at all, Obi-Wan?"
"Of course," Obi-Wan said. "I thought I would save you a day of
worry. If we couldn't rescue Tahl, we would have called in a Jedi team."
"But you didn't rescue Tahl," Bant said evenly. "At least, not in
time. Did you?"
Obi-Wan was stung. Bant had said nothing more than the terrible
truth, but it wasn't like her to hurt him that way.
She seemed to realize how severely her words had wounded him. "She
was my Master, Obi-Wan," she said in a slightly softer tone. "She needed
me. I wasn't there. You can't imagine how that feels."
"No," he said quietly. "And I never would want to. I am truly sorry,
Bant. You are right. We should have contacted you."
Bant nodded stiffly. Obi-Wan's actions had caused a rift in their
friendship. He didn't know how deep that rift was, or how long it would
last.
Tahl was dead. Qui-Gon was like a stranger. And now Obi-Wan's best
friend had turned away from him.
He had never felt so alone.
CHAPTER 3
The last thing Qui-Gon wanted was a private talk with Mace Windu. He
felt such a heaviness of spirit that it was all he could do to be courteous
to the Jedi Master. The pain inside him ebbed and flowed like an
unpredictable tide. Sometimes it reared up so fiercely that it tore at his
insides like a beast.
Out of all the Jedi, why did Mace have to take this mission? There
was a great deal of respect between the two Jedi, but Qui-Gon had never
felt particularly close to his formidable colleague.
The door slid shut behind them. Even here in his private reception
room, Manex had turned the lights to pale blue. It gave an eerie cast to
the gleaming black stone that covered the walls and floors, and turned the
bright vivid greens of the seating areas and lush pillows into a sickly
hue.
"Do you wish to accompany Tahl's body back to the Temple?" Mace
asked. "Bant, Obi-Wan, and I can remain here and conduct the mission."
Qui-Gon saw that Mace was trying to be kind. There was deep sympathy
in his sober gaze. He felt a rush of relief that Mace did not inquire into
his feelings, or ask if there had been something deeper than friendship
between Qui-Gon and Tahl. Qui-Gon suspected that Mace already knew these
things without words.
Qui-Gon did not intend to give up the search for Tahl's killer. But
he needed to be careful. He could not tell Mace that his need to find Balog
was burning inside him. His anger might show in his voice or his face. Mace
might think that the anger was not under control. He would not understand
that despite his grief, Qui-Gon's control was complete.
It is because it has to be. It's the only way I can go on.
"Thank you for the offer," he said. "But I must continue the mission
in order to honor Tahl's memory."
To Qui-Gon's relief, Mace nodded. He was not going to argue with him.
Tahl would have. She always knew when he was trying to sidestep his own
feelings. A fresh spurt of agony caused him to clench his hands together
into fists by his side. If Mace noticed, he did not comment.
The light over the door flashed, then slid open partway. Manex's
protocol droid, fashioned of highly polished black plastoid, hovered.
"Manex has returned and would like a word with the Jedi," it said.
Glad for the interruption, Qui-Gon turned. "Please tell him to come
in."
A moment later the door opened wider and Manex entered, along with
Obi-Wan and Bant.
"Excuse the interruption please," Manex said, running a hand through
his cropped curly hair. For the first time, Qui-Gon noticed that it had
begun to turn gray like his brother's. "I have just come from the United
Legislature, and I have some news that I thought you needed to hear. I'm
glad to see the new Jedi team has arrived."
"I am Mace Windu and this is Bant," Mace said.
Manex bowed his greeting. "I'm honored to have distinguished Jedi in
my home. But I'm afraid that my news is not good. Information has been
leaked to the Senators that Tahl was helping the Absolutes. There is a
holotape of a meeting that she chaired in which she is discussing taking
over the government."
"Tahl was working undercover in order to expose the Absolutes," Obi-
Wan explained.
"The Senators don't know what to believe," Manex said.
"How did this tape get circulated?" Mace asked.
"Balog," Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon said together.
"Obviously it's been leaked by him," Obi-Wan continued. "He needs to
discredit the Jedi in order to prepare the way to return to power."
"It doesn't matter," Qui-Gon said. "We'll clear Tahl's name when we
find Balog."
"If you can find him quickly," Manex said gravely. "My fear is that
he will come to, power and we won't be able to charge him with anything. Do
you know who is backing him? Whoever it is, he or she must be powerful."
"We are not certain of anything," Mace said. The Jedi were not ready
to confide in Manex. He knew nothing of Alani's treachery. He might even be
an ally of hers.
"I have further news," Manex said. "I have been appointed Acting
Supreme Governor until the elections are held. I haven't sought this
position, nor do I want it. I'm a businessman, not a politician. But the
Senators prevailed on my love of my planet and my desire for peace. They
feel that Roan's brother has the best chance of holding the government
together. No doubt the election period will be volatile. I've tightened
security and closed the Absolute Museum. We are mainly trying to keep the
people calm. And there's one more thing. As Acting Supreme Governor, I'm
making an official request to the Jedi. I'd like you to oversee the
preparations
for the upcoming elections. We are holding them in three days.
We can't afford to wait. It's the only way to keep the peace."
"But not everyone trusts the Jedi," Obi-Wan said. "I'm sure the Tahl
holotape didn't help."
"There are enough who do," Manex said. "And once you find Balog, as
you said, Tahl's name will be cleared. Until then, you'll have all my
support. I've instructed World Security to give you cooperation."
Mace nodded. "Then we accept."
Qui-Gon bristled. Mace had not even glanced at him, or sought his
opinion. He would have been against the acceptance.
"I'll leave you, then," Manex said. He rushed out, his gold robe
swirling around his soft, polished boots.
Qui-Gon knew he should speak diplomatically, but he didn't have time
for tact. "This is a mistake," he told Mace. "Overseeing elections will
divert us from the investigation of Tahl's death. We should be
concentrating on finding Balog."
Mace took Qui-Gon's stern tone in stride. "I disagree," he said. "The
political situation is part of the pursuit of justice for Tahl's killer. It
is all tied together. We will be in the perfect position to gain
information. Not to mention that our overall mission was to restore New
Apsolon to stability. If the Supreme Governor requests our help in a
legitimate cause, the Jedi must agree."
Qui-Gon pressed his lips together. He knew better than to push the
argument further. But he was furious at Mace's decision. He wanted to stalk
out of the room, out of the house, and keep going. He wanted to push an
airspeeder as fast as he could, even without a direction. Frustration
boiled inside him. With every second that ticked away, he could feel Balog
slipping out of his reach.
CHAPTER 4
"I suggest that we find our quarters and take some refreshment," Mace
said, turning to Bant. "We had a long journey, and we don't know when we'll
get a chance to rest. Then we'll head to the United Legislature and get
started."
Obi-Wan had felt Qui-Gon's displeasure with Mace's decision. It was
clear how deeply he disagreed with Mace. Obi-Wan knew that Qui-Gon saw this
as a waste of time. But his Master had not come up with an alternative
plan, either.
Mace lifted an eyebrow at Qui-Gon. "If you had an idea of Balog's
whereabouts, or a way to find him, we would delay and follow your lead. But
until then, the only course open to us is to gather information."
Obi-Wan glanced at Qui-Gon. His Master had not told Mace about the
probe droids he'd sent out to find Balog. It was one thing to break the
laws of a planet because a Jedi was in immediate danger of death. It was
another to employ them in tracking a citizen of the planet where they were
illegal. He wasn't sure how Mace would react, which was most likely why
Qui-Gon did not tell him. The Jedi were already on uncertain footing on the
planet.
Mace and Bant left the room. The tension did not dissolve. Qui-Gon
paced, brooding. Clearly, he did not want to talk.
Manex's protocol droid once again hovered in the doorway. "So sorry
to intrude. Another visitor. She says you know her, so I took the liberty.
Her name is Yanci."
"Yanci? Show her in, please," Obi-Wan said, surprise in his voice.
Yanci was the Rock Worker medic who had fixed his leg after a rock had
crushed it. She had come after them and begged for their help in resisting
an Absolute attack on their settlement. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had returned
with her, but it was too late. Every man, woman, and child had been killed.
Yanci's terrible grief still burned in Obi-Wan's memory.
Yanci entered the room. Obi-Wan could see at once that she had
changed in the course of two days. The massacre of her fellow Workers along
with the death of the man she loved had etched sorrow into her features.
Her eyes were different. He could see the loss there.
For the first time since Tahl's death, Qui-Gon's distraction lifted
and he truly seemed to focus on another person. It was as though the two
recognized each other immediately as fellow sufferers. He moved forward and
took her hand. "It is good to see you," he murmured.
She stared into his face. "I heard about Jedi Knight Tahl. You have
my deepest sympathy."
He pressed her hand, then dropped it. Obi-Wan saw that Qui-Gon did
not need words with Yanci.
She turned to Obi-Wan. "And how is that leg?"
"All healed, thanks to you."
"And you. I have great respect for the Jedi powers of recuperation. I
am sorry to come at such a time. I'm living with the Workers in the city
now." Yanci's voice lowered. "I heard something that I thought might help
you. It is about a Worker named Oleg."
Obi-Wan's senses sharpened. Oleg was the Worker who they believed had
the list of Absolute informers. He had been seen with Tahl, which was why
Balog suspected that he had passed off the list to her. Instead, he had
disappeared.
"I heard that Balog is chasing Oleg," Yanci went on. "I don't know
why, and I don't need to know. But I recognized that name. Several weeks
ago, the Rock Workers were contacted by the Workers in the city. They asked
if they could send a Worker to us who needed to go into hiding. It was
Oleg. He had infiltrated the Absolutes and needed a place to hide once his
mission was completed. They weren't sure when he would be coming. We
agreed, of course. Later we got word that his cover had been blown and that
he was being sent immediately. But he never showed up. We were concerned
and searched the quarries, but we don't think he ever left the city. Then
we ourselves were attacked. As you know."
"Thank you for coming to us," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan could hear the disappointment in his voice. He felt
disappointed as well. The information was interesting, but not very
helpful. It didn't lead them any closer to Balog.
"But that is not all I have come to tell you," Yanci said. "There was
a reason the Workers were sending him to us. They knew that I had training
in a specific medical condition that Oleg has. He got it as a result of
being imprisoned by the Absolutes years ago. It's a form of hibernation
sickness that recurs regularly, requiring treatment. I happen to be able to
provide treatment because several of our Rock Workers had the same
syndrome. But there are only a few med clinics in the city that can treat
it. So I thought... I thought it would be a way to track Oleg, if you were
looking for him. It could be a way to find Balog."
Yanci reached inside her cloak and took out a durasheet. She handed
it to Qui-Gon. "Here is a list of the clinics."
Obi-Wan felt his spirits rise. If they could track Oleg, no doubt
they would find Balog. Qui-Gon appeared frozen, transfixed by the list in
his hand.
"Do you think it could be helpful?" Yanci asked. "Yes," Qui-Gon said.
"Very."
Qui-Gon clutched the list, staring at it so fiercely that Yanci
glanced at Obi-Wan, concerned.
Obi-Wan moved forward to thank her. "This will help us," he told
Yanci.
"Thank you for coming. I'll see you out."
He walked her to the front door and bid her good-bye. He hurried back
down the hall to Qui-Gon, eager to discuss their next step.
But when he opened the door to the sitting room, his Master had
disappeared.
CHAPTER 5
Qui-Gon knew he should not have left Manex's residence without
telling Obi-Wan or Mace where he was going, but he did not regret it. More
talk meant more delay. If he had taken Obi-Wan with him, he would have put
his Padawan in a bad position. If Qui-Gon was going to have conflicts with
Mace Windu, he did not want Obi-Wan to be involved in them.
And, truth be told, his instincts told him that he needed to do this
alone. Four Jedi equaled four opinions, more talk, more discussion. He