by Джуд Уотсон
The truth was, he dreaded the moment he would walk back into the Temple and know that Tahl's footsteps would never echo in its halls again.
The Temple would never again welcome him in the same way. Loss would be as much a part of it as shelter.
His fever to catch Balog battled with his fear of the future, when this mission would be over. He would be faced with only his grief to bear, and he would have to look ahead to empty years. What would happen to him then?
A deep chill caused him to shudder. The cool wind was drying his sweat. He saw a security patrol ahead and quickly turned down a side street. Once again he would not sleep tonight. He would have to keep alert.
Every officer in the city was now looking for Qui-Gon Jinn.
But he had learned something. They had tied him to the murder through the probe droids. He could not understand why the probe droids had attacked someone instead of tracking Balog, as they had been programmed to do. He wondered if the two droids that had veered off when attacking him had actually been his own droids. It had been strange that they had suddenly gone away. Did that mean that his droids had attacked Oleg, too? Someone had reprogrammed them.
He needed answers, and for once he knew where to find them. He would pay a visit to the black-market dealer, Mota, who had sold him the droids.
If they were reprogrammed, Mota was undoubtedly the link to whoever reprogrammed them. And if that person was Balog, he might have a way to contact him.
Qui-Gon circled back and glanced down the street. The security officer was gone. He struck out across the road into the park. There were more places to hide here in case he was spotted. And cutting across the park would bring him closer to the Worker Sector.
Qui-Gon suddenly sensed that someone was behind him, matching his footsteps and trying to match his speed. Qui-Gon melted off into the trees.
He made an arc and came up behind his pursuer. He saw a glint of gold hair in the darkness. It was Eritha.
He strode forward and grasped her arm. She gasped, then saw it was him. She was breathing hard, as if she'd just had a hard run. "I've been following you since you left Manex," she said. "Or at least I've been trying to. I lost you and kept circling around. Finally I thought I saw you enter the park."
"Why are you following me?"
She leaned over, trying to catch her breath. Her braids were unraveling, and her face was flushed.
"Does Manex have the list?"
"No. Was that why you are following me?"
Eritha shook her head. "It's because I couldn't wait until you contacted me. I guessed you would go to Manex tonight. I've got the information you need. I overheard Alani. I know where Balog is. I can take you there."
Chapter 13
The Jedi still kept watch over Manex, who had now retired to his reception room for a rest. Mace covered the front of the residence while Bant stayed outside in the rear. Obi-Wan was positioned behind the curving stairway. From here he had a vantage point to the door of the reception room. He had a feeling it would be a long night.
Use your time. You'll find one day that you have too little of it.
Qui-Gon's words rose in his mind. Obi-Wan was still going over and over what he should have done when he saw his Master. The cloudy aura he felt around Qui-Gon had worried him deeply. He sensed confusion and static, and it prevented him from truly connecting. It had shaken him. Maybe it had prevented him from acting more quickly. Should he have followed Qui-Gon, gone with him no matter what he said?
Use your time…
Obi-Wan didn't think he could. His thoughts were too confused.
That is the time you need discipline most. That is what your training is for.
All right, then. He would stop the voice of Qui-Gon in his head by obeying him.
Although he was tired, although he felt that he had gone over the events of the past days too many times to count, Obi-Wan focused his mind and started again. He went over every event since he and Qui-Gon had stepped foot on New Apsolon. He turned things over in his thoughts, searching for inconsistencies. He considered every unanswered question and every possible answer.
lrini had sworn that she wasn't the one who had fired on them on their first day. They had never discovered who it had been for sure. Balog?
They hadn't yet been a threat to him, had they?
Was it just a coincidence that security showed up at Mota's while they were buying the probe droids? It seemed likely now that Alani had told them about Mote in order to trap them. She could have been the one to alert security that the Jedi were buying illegal goods.
The droids must have been reprogrammed to attack Pleni.
Obi-Wan pushed these questions aside. He did not think they would bring him closer to Balog. If only the answers were clear. If only they could get a solid lead. If only Eritha had come through with information on Balog. She had been at her sister's side for more than two days now. Surely she must have learned something.
Would it prove too difficult for Eritha to betray her sister?
But she had already taken a step she could not retake, Obi-Wan knew.
On finding out that her sister was behind Tahl's kidnapping, she had gone in search of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. She had risked much to do so. She could easily have lost her life in the cave. Obi-Wan remembered how afraid Eritha had been as the explosives were going off and the cave was collapsing. He admired how she'd been able to go on so bravely despite her fear. He still remembered her scream. They forgot me! They left without me!
Obi-Wan concentrated for a moment. There was something about the way Eritha had sounded that bothered him now. What was it? The emotion that was driving her was slightly off from what he would expect.
Astonished. She'd been astonished. And betrayed.
They forgot me!
As if they shouldn't have, as if she were somehow privileged, even though she was a prisoner.
If she had been a prisoner…
And why had she been heading toward the back of the cave?
Yes, the smoke had been thick near the front of the cave. But wouldn't she have tried to push through?
She was heading for the other exit near the back of the cave, Obi-Wan realized. But how had she known about it? They had not found it when Eritha had been captured. She should have had no way of knowing how deep the cave was.
Slow down, Obi-Wan warned himself. There could be other explanations for what had happened. Eritha had been panicked. She was reacting, not thinking.
But since the suspicion had been lodged in his mind, Obi-Wan went back to Eritha's behavior while they were together. He concentrated, bringing the memory back moment by moment, as fresh as if it had happened that morning.
Eritha had seemed sincere when she caught up with them. Shortly after, they'd been attacked by the Rock Workers. Eritha had been genuinely surprised by the attack, Obi-Wan was sure, and genuinely afraid. When Qui- Gon had warned her to stay behind them, she had readily agreed.
So why then did she suddenly dodge forward when their probe droid was in sight? She had forced them to protect her. As a result, Obi-Wan had received a leg injury and their probe droid had been destroyed. Could it have been a desperate attempt to destroy their only method of tracking Balog?
And what about the attack on the Rock Worker settlement? Qui-Gon had told him that he had met up with Eritha before dawn. She had been planning to refuel the speeders. Or so she had said. But what if she'd actually been planning to leave? If she and Alani were plotting against the Jedi, they had done their work. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were without a probe droid. They had no way to track Balog. Eritha had not known that Obi-Wan was better and was able to travel. She would have most likely assumed that Qui-Gon would stay in the settlement.
Maybe she was leaving because she knew of the attack.
Could it be possible? Obi-Wan wondered.
Could Eritha have misled them into thinking that she was the good sister? Were both sisters out for the power they could grab?
The
re was one last thing. When Obi-Wan and Eritha had arrived back in New Apsolon, Eritha had been furious that Manex had stepped in and offered his own med team for Tahl. Obi-Wan had seen it in her eyes. He had thought it was because she held the same distrust for Manex as he did and was concerned about Tahl's recovery. But what if the opposite were true? What if she didn't want Tahl to recover?
What if he had suspected the wrong person? What if Manex was good, and Eritha was bad? Never had he longed for Qui-Gon more.
When Manex had told them of his decision to run for office, Obi-Wan had brought up Alani. Why had Manex hesitated? Was there a reason he was running against Ewane's daughter?
Obi-Wan rubbed his eyes. The lack of sleep and rest was getting to him. His thoughts whirled. He didn't know if he was constructing a case against Eritha on no evidence, or whether this was worth pursuing. Why would the twins call for Tahl's help in the first place, if they planned a power grab all along? It didn't make sense.
Obi-Wan knew his mind would not rest until he had found out some answers. He went to the door of Manex's reception room and pressed the indicator light that would alert Manex that he had a visitor.
The door hissed open a few seconds later. "Is it Balog?" Manex whispered from the darkness.
"No. I need to ask you some questions," Obi-Wan said, stepping inside.
Manex powered up a low light by his sleep couch. He swung his legs over and rubbed his eyes. "I am at your service."
"Why did you insist on your own med team for Tahl?" Obi-Wan asked bluntly. "Surely the team for the Supreme Governor is just as good."
"But mine is better," Manex said. "Don't you remember that I have the best of everything?" He tried to say this jokingly, but it sounded hollow.
"Is there some reason you don't trust Alani and Eritha?" Obi-Wan asked. "If so, you must tell the truth. If you have a suspicion, you must name it."
Manex looked away for a moment, thinking. "I have no real proof," he said slowly. "I did not think it fair to speak until I had some evidence.
Those girls have been through so much. First the death of their father, then their protector. At first I thought I was crazy to suspect them."
"Suspect them of what?" Obi-Wan demanded.
"Of working with the Absolutes," Manex told him. "A terrible accusation for the daughters of a Worker hero. But that is why I am running for Supreme Governor against Alani. I can't watch the government fall into the hands of the corrupt again."
"What makes you suspect them? And are you sure it is both of them?"
"Alani does not make a move without Eritha," Manex said. "And Eritha does not make a move without Alani. As I said, I have no proof. Just a couple of overheard words. Unguarded moments. The way they communicate to each other. I sensed a falseness in their grieving for Roan. And today, when I heard that Qui-Gon had been in the United Legislature, I also found out one thing — he had been with Eritha just before the security squad was sent after him."
"Do you think she turned him in?"
"I don't know," Manex said. He spread his hands. "I'm sorry. It isn't much to go on. You see why I didn't want to say anything. I know nothing for sure. It is all instinct."
"I believe in instinct," Obi-Wan said, and headed for the door.
He took the back exit of the dwelling. He didn't want to run into Mace. Bant came forward out of the shadows as he hurried across the lawn.
"Obi-Wan, where are you going?"
"Tell Mace I need to talk to Eritha," Obi-Wan said.
"But can't it wait?" Bant asked, frowning.
"No. Nothing can wait. I'll explain later. Tell Mace that I'm gone."
Obi-Wan did not think that Balog would attack tonight, but he knew Mace and Bant could handle it if it happened. He was more worried about Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon still trusted Eritha.
The Supreme Governor's residence was close by. Obi-Wan circled around the building to the back. If he remembered the layout correctly, Eritha's room was at the back. She had no reason to think that Obi-Wan suspected her. She would join him outside, and then he could question her. If he had the slightest feeling that his doubts about her were correct, he would demand that Mace let him find Qui-Gon.
When he reached the back area, he saw that someone was walking along the dark lawn. At first he didn't know which twin it was. But as she came forward, he knew for certain it was Alani. The two girls were almost identical. Perhaps they could fool others. They were not able to fool him.
"Good evening, Alani," he said.
"I see you couldn't sleep, either," Alani said. "Tomorrow is a big day. My name is being presented to the people for the vote. I'll fulfill my father's legacy."
Obi-Wan decided on the spot to be bold. He would not get anywhere playing games with Alani. "Your father's legacy?" he asked. "But Ewane was never in league with the Absolutes. They just imprisoned and tortured him.
You have changed his legacy, I think."
Alani looked deeply shocked for just a moment. Then she forced out a laugh. "You're joking."
"No. I'm making a point." Obi-Wan took another step toward her. "I believe you are nothing like your father."
Alani took an involuntary step back. Then she gathered her courage and raised her chin. "It doesn't matter what you think. Eritha told me that we have nothing to fear from the Jedi any longer. Your friend is chasing air. Soon you'll be too busy trying to get him out of jail. And I will rule New Apsolon."
"Are you so sure of yourself?" Obi-Wan asked. "Are you so sure you won't be exposed?"
"Exposure is no longer possible," Alani said. "The Jedi have no proof. The people of New Apsolon love me. Eritha was right."
"So Eritha is your ally."
"She is my sister and my protector. She is part of me," Alani said.
"She told me that she was smarter than the Jedi, and she was right. She told me not to worry. I can rule New Apsolon with her by my side. Eritha doesn't like the limelight, but she wants the power. I like it when people are around me and want to talk to me. So I will rule, and she will tell me what to do the way she always has. She told me she would take care of Qui- Gon, and she is doing just that. It was so simple a child could do it. And we are not children anymore. We never had a childhood. Our mother died. Our father was imprisoned. Then he became ruler, and we never saw him. So we can take the only thing he left us, his good name, and make something of ourselves. That's what Eritha says."
He had to keep her talking. Alani, he saw, was not as clever as Eritha.
"What about Tahl?" he asked, ignoring the surge of anger that rocked him when he mentioned her name. The anger would flow through him and pass.
"She was kind to you and you betrayed her."
"She was useful," Alani said, coloring for a moment. "I didn't think she would die. But Eritha says that she will be useful again. Because of Tahl, Qui-Gon will trust Eritha without thinking. He will go with her wherever she wants, even to World Security headquarters itself. That is how smart my sister is. She planted a tracking device on Qui-Gon today at the Legislature. We've known where he is at all times. She will lead him right to security headquarters, and he will follow her! If he escapes, it doesn't matter. They'll find him anyway. Isn't that a clever plan?"
It was all he needed. Without another word, Obi-Wan whirled and ran.
"You're too late, Obi-Wan!" Alani shouted after him. "Just like you were too late for Tahl!"
Chapter 14
Obi-Wan raced down the wide boulevard, heading for the government buildings. He fervently hoped he wasn't too late.
The World Security headquarters loomed ahead, a squat gray building.
He saw two figures hurrying toward it. On one side of the building was a large pen that held hovercraft and swoops. On the other side was the high stone wall that separated the parkland from the road.
"Qui-Gon!" he shouted.
Qui-Gon turned and saw him. Eritha touched his arm, obviously urging him to ignore Obi-Wan and enter the building. Obi-Wan put o
n a burst of speed and reached out to the Force. He leaped.
At the top of his leap, the doors to the security headquarters flew open. Officers and attack droids spilled down the stairs.
The Force must have warned Qui-Gon, for his lightsaber was activated and in his hand before Obi-Wan hit the ground near him. With one hand, Qui- Gon pushed Eritha out of the danger and leaped forward to cover her.
By now Obi-Wan was close enough to speak to Qui-Gon. "They won't harm her. She betrayed you," he said, taking up his position next to Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon didn't react. He kept his eyes on the officers and droids, which were wheeling in formation in front.