by Джуд Уотсон
Obi-Wan gathered his own connection to the Force. He resolved that no matter what, he would remain by his Master's side. He could not lose hope.
He would protect his Master from himself if he had to. He would not lose Qui-Gon on this dark night.
Qui-Gon pulled up in front of the Supreme Governor's residence.
"Master, we should contact Mace Windu," Obi-Wan said.
Qui-Gon leaped out of the speeder. "Whatever you want."
Obi-Wan activated his comlink as he jumped out of the speeder and ran after Qui-Gon. He spoke hastily into the comlink to Mace about what they had learned.
"Wait for us," Mace said. "We're close."
"It's too late," Obi-Wan said, as Qui-Gon began cutting a hole in the front door of the residence with his lightsaber.
He shut off the comlink and followed Qui-Gon through the hole. The security devices sounded an alarm, and a security officer emerged from the booth. He eyed the Jedi but did not draw his blaster.
"Lenz called ahead," he said. "I'll shut these down. I already disabled the link to World Security."
Qui-Gon nodded. Obi-Wan was glad for this bit of luck. The Workers'
spy was on duty. Of course the twins had heard the commotion, but at least security reinforcements wouldn't be called. They would only have to deal with the security in the residence itself, at least for a time.
Lenz had given them details on how to reach the tunnel. Qui-Gon ran toward the back of the house, Obi-Wan matching his stride. They knew the entrance was in a storage area for the Kitchens.
They burst into the storage area. Eritha stood casually in the middle of the floor, holding two blasters aimed at their chests.
"You have to kill me to get through that door," she said. She looked older than her years. Her face was pale, and her eyes glittered. Her gold hair straggled down her back.
"I am prepared to do that," Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan did not glance at his Master. He hoped Qui-Gon was bluffing. He did not know how close to the edge Qui-Gon was. He couldn't sense his Master any longer. There was only grayness and static between them.
"You think I will not attack because you are a young girl," Qui-Gon said. "But the moment you set out on your path to power, you took on the consequences of an adult. You are responsible for Tahl's death."
"I am not responsible!" Eritha said shrilly. "Others have survived the sensory deprivation device. Why couldn't she? She was a Jedi!"
"She was locked in it for days," Qui-Gon said. "Far longer than any Absolute prisoner."
He spoke in a flat, unemotional tone. Somehow he had pushed grief down so far that it did not tinge his words. That worried Obi-Wan more than his earlier display of anger. Did this mean that Qui-Gon had now accepted his revenge and was willing and ready to act on it?
"I didn't have anything against Tahl," Eritha said. "She is a casualty of war. We brought her here because we knew she would come.
Everything was all planned. We needed a Jedi presence at first to cover for us. With Jedi support the rest would be easy. Balog would kidnap us and Roan would resign. Alani would run for his post. Then we found out about the list. Balog was on it. We knew Roan had it, and we knew he was waiting to expose Balog. He thought Balog had been his friend. He didn't want to expose him, but he would. Everyone would know that Balog had been an Absolute. It would have spoiled our plans! We had to get that list. You'd think as head of World Security that Balog would be helpful. He was useless. He leaked the information to the Absolutes, and someone stole the list. Only he didn't bring it to Balog. He kept it so he could sell it. We didn't know who it was."
"Oleg," Obi-Wan said. He wanted to keep Eritha talking. He was uneasy about how Qui-Gon's urgency had changed to a deadly calm. He could feel through the Force that there was no serenity in this calm. Qui-Gon was staring at Eritha as though she were an obstacle, not a person.
"Yes. Just our luck-the Absolute who gets his hands on the list turns out to be a Worker spy," Eritha said. "But all we knew then was that someone had it. We needed help — more help than Balog could give us. We needed someone with brains and courage. It was lucky that Tahl was coming.
I knew we could get her to help us without knowing it. She was generous that way. She would do what we asked. She still thought of us as helpless young girls with no mother or real father."
Qui-Gon closed his eyes.
"We let her think it was her idea to infiltrate the Absolutes. We knew she'd find out about the list and try to get it for us."
"She trusted you," Obi-Wan said.
Eritha shrugged. "Everyone trusts us. That's our advantage. We are the daughters of the great hero Ewane. The great hero who barely spent one day in his daughters' presence but passed them off to strangers to raise.
The great hero who only thought about his planet, not his own flesh and blood." Eritha's lip curled. "Why shouldn't we use that trust? Tahl did everything we asked and more. When she was seen escaping with Oleg, we thought she had the list. But she didn't bring it to us, so we had to take it. Everything was completely logical. If Tahl had only told us the truth — that she didn't have the list — she wouldn't be dead."
"Balog would have killed her anyway," Obi-Wan said.
"You don't know that," Eritha said craftily. "He might have let her go."
"You're lying," Qui-Gon said flatly.
"Maybe." Obi-Wan was shocked at the cruelty in Eritha's eyes, like a large creature playing with a tiny one before gobbling it up. "You'll never know. Maybe it's your fault that Tahl is dead, Qui-Gon."
Obi-Wan saw the color drain from Qui-Gon's face. He saw his hand move toward his lightsaber. Obi-Wan could wait no longer. He threw himself forward at Eritha, who had locked eyes with Qui-Gon, taunting him.
His leg shot out, knocking one blaster from her hand. She screamed but he was already twisting behind her, grabbing her other wrist and wrenching the blaster from it. He tucked both in his belt.
"You hurt me!" she cried, grabbing her wrist.
"Qui-Gon, hurry," Obi-Wan urged. His Master hadn't moved. But at his words he rushed forward toward the tunnel entrance.
"You killed her, Qui-Gon!" Eritha screamed after them as they accessed the tunnel door. "Live with that, if you live at all!"
Chapter 17
Qui-Gon had no doubt that within minutes Eritha would send security attack droids after them. He knew that ahead of them, the Absolutes would be well armed. He gave no more thought to the obstacles than to a pesky insect. He did not strategize. He would charge ahead, and he would win.
That was all he knew.
Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan give a quick glance at him. He told himself not to display the temper he had showed at Mota's. His Padawan was worried about how quick to anger he was. Qui-Gon himself had been surprised at how his anger had continued to rise. He knew he was feeding it instead of letting it go. It gave him speed and focus.
He knew his attitude was bringing him dangerously close to the dark side. He knew with a chance for silence and stillness he would be able to see this. But he didn't have the luxury.
He would have to count on his own ability to control his anger at the proper time.
The tunnel ran below the governor's residence. It had been unused for many years, and was dark and stuffy. Qui-Gon ran by the light of his saber.
He knew Obi-Wan was behind him. His Padawan would give him support, but he knew he did not need it. This was between him and Balog.
Eritha's words had stunned him, but he had filed them away for the long sleepless nights ahead of him. Balog was his object.
The tunnel ended in a durasteel door. Qui-Gon cut through it and stepped inside. He was in the lower level of the museum.
"Droids behind us, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan spoke quietly in his ear.
"Coming from the residence."
A nuisance. They would have to be dealt with before they could proceed.
Qui-Gon turned as the first droids tumbled through the opening, already engaging them in blaster fire. They wer
e lucky. The droids were programmed to advance, but they were not programmed to strategize. They simply took the easiest route to their prey and poured through the opening in the door, where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were waiting.
Obi-Wan deflected fire while slicing at the droids. Impatiently, Qui- Gon swung his light-saber like a club. He had no time for finesse. He needed to cut down as many droids as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Obi-Wan was a blur by his side. Qui-Gon was grateful for his Padawan's speed. Soon the floor was littered with smoking droids.
There were only two more left. "Take them down," Qui-Gon told Obi- Wan, and raced away.
It was lucky that he and Obi-Wan had taken the tour of the museum upon their arrival on New Apsolon. He could remember each level and room.
This level was used for storage, so they hadn't toured it. The floors and walls were bare and damp. On the floor overhead were the cells and torture rooms, as well as the offices. No doubt the Absolutes were camped there.
Including Balog.
Qui-Gon accessed the turbolift to the next level. He strode out into the hall. He saw a figure ahead. It was a man dressed in a navy tunic. An Absolute. He froze when he saw Qui-Gon. Then he doubled back and ran the way he had come.
Qui-Gon chased after him. No doubt he had gone to spread an alarm.
The Absolutes weren't expecting invaders, but they would meet them with resistance.
He burst into the room just as the Absolute activated a row of attack droids that had been on display. To Qui-Gon's surprise, the attack droids immediately lined up. They were operational. The Absolutes had armed the displays in the museum.
This was more sophisticated weaponry than Eritha's droids. Blaster fire was erratic and came from the droids' chests, foreheads, and hands.
They could wheel and maneuver and twist themselves into flexible positions.
Qui-Gon was outnumbered, but he refused to be outmatched. Blaster fire rocketed toward him in a fiery curtain. Every part of him was vulnerable. His lightsaber had to keep pace with the rapid fire as he took evasive action. He had a shock when he realized that he might have to retreat.
He felled two droids, but the others were relentless. Some rushed toward him, blasting fire. The others flanked him and aimed as they tried to get behind him. Qui-Gon felt sweat roll down his forehead, stinging his eyes. He used the Force to smash one against the wall, but it reformed and came after him again. He used his lightsaber to cut it in half.
He had never been happier to see Obi-Wan in his life. His Padawan suddenly leaped into the fray, lightsaber swinging. With Obi-Wan's help, Qui-Gon was able to regroup and smash the two droids to his left. The two Jedi swung wide and came at the droids' line from each end. They each felled two, then leaped toward the center of the line to destroy two more droids as they shifted into position.
Smoke rose, choking them. Obi-Wan took out the last droid, and they stumbled out of the small room.
Obi-Wan leaned over to take a breath of pure air. "Where do you think Balog is?"
The question seemed to echo inside Qui-Gon's brain. He realized that he hadn't given much thought to Balog's whereabouts. He had just charged ahead. That wasn't like him.
I am not thinking clearly, he told himself. / am reacting, not acting.
He realized this meant he was on the edge of his control. But even as he recognized this, he recognized something equally chilling: He did not care.
And suddenly, he knew where Balog might be. Remembering the tour, he recalled a tech center on this floor. Since Balog had recently stolen the list from Irini, he was most likely accessing it on a datascreen. He would certainly waste no time erasing his name and looking for others to denounce.
Before he could answer Obi-Wan, more droids wheeled around the corner behind them. They felt a warming in the Force before the blaster fire began. Once again, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had to use every particle of concentration to defeat the agile droids. The blaster fire seemed to come from everywhere.
The droids were between them and the data center. Rage filled Qui-Gon at the delay. Every second that passed meant that Balog would have a chance to escape.
He charged at the droids, swinging his lightsaber in a constant arc, hardly noticing when blaster fire zinged near his ears or barely missed an arm or hand. He savagely swung at the droids, destroying one after another.
Obi-Wan tried to protect him as best he could, but even he could not keep up with the fierceness of Qui-Gon's attack.
Qui-Gon broke through the line of droids, kicking one aside and cleaving it in two. He had always thought that giving in to rage would make him sloppy. Instead, he felt precise. He felt powerful. His rage filled him with purpose.
The droids were defeated, in pieces, smoking around him. He dashed ahead.
"Qui-Gon, wait!"
But he ignored his Padawan. He could not wait.
With this new sharpness of mind, he remembered the exact location of the data room. He did not hesitate but threw open the door. He could hear Obi-Wan only steps behind him, and he felt a stab of disappointment. He wished Obi-Wan had stayed behind.
He wanted to meet Balog alone.
The squat, powerful man sat at a tech console. He spun around in his chair, a look of surprise on his face. So Eritha had not been able to reach him.
Qui-Gon took in the small dark eyes, the small pursed mouth, the round head. He focused his hatred on this man. Here was the man who had watched Tahl's health deteriorate slowly, day by agonizing day, and felt nothing. Here was the man who had not recognized that he was slowly crushing an extraordinary spirit.
This little, evil man.
The injustice of it staggered Qui-Gon. This man was alive. Tahl was dead. His vision blurred at the emotion that roared inside him.
Balog rose, kicking his chair out of his way. He reached for the blaster on his belt.
Qui-Gon smiled.
Obi-Wan stood next to him, his lightsaber held in a defensive stance, waiting for Balog to make the first move.
With one hand, Balog reached over to activate the comm unit on the tech console. "I need help in the data center. Send attack droids — "
With a casual gesture, Qui-Gon buried his lightsaber in the console.
Sparks flew, and smoke curled from the circuits.
Balog fired. Obi-Wan sprang forward to deflect it.
The blaster fire was nothing to Qui-Gon. It was merely a momentary barrier between himself and Balog. Balog was his prey. A collection of skin and muscles and bones that must be brought down in a heap.
His lightsaber moved like a trick of light, so fast that each stroke was a memory. It was so easy to deflect Balog's pathetic fire. Panic rose in Balog's eyes and made him clumsy. He dropped his blaster. He tried to run, but his legs tangled in the chair he had kicked away. He fell with a crash to the floor.
At last, Qui-Gon's enemy lay at his feet, just as he'd imagined. He stood over Balog, his lightsaber high, prepared for the stroke that would bring him so much satisfaction.
"No, Qui-Gon."
The voice seemed to come from far away, yet it was so close to his ear. It confused him.
He turned and met Obi-Wan's eyes. He felt he was seeing him from a great distance. Confusion swept over him.
Then it was as though clouds parted, and clarity came. He saw so much in a moment. In his Padawan's steady glance he saw both fear and compassion.
He was no longer far away. The distance compressed, and he was in the same room with Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon returned to himself, and saw how far he had gone. The dark side had risen in his blood. He had known it and encouraged it. Shaking, he deactivated his lightsaber and tucked it back in his belt.
He had come close to taking a life out of revenge. Only he would know how close. He would never forget it. He would never allow himself to forget it.
Balog closed his eyes in relief. Obi-Wan stood over him and reached for his comlink as Mace and Bant entered the room.
Chapter 18
/> The four Jedi stood on the landing platform high above the city of New Apsolon. Qui-Gon looked down at the stately gray buildings, the curving streets and wide boulevards. From high above it was easy to tell where the grand Civilized Sector began and the smaller, twisting neighborhoods of the Workers ended.
Manex had lent them the finest consular ship on New Apsolon, as well as his personal pilot. Tahl's body had been loaded aboard in a small room fragrant with native flowers. The Jedi would accompany her on her last journey back to the Temple.