by Джуд Уотсон
"No significance yet," Qui-Gon said. "And then there are the stolen school records. Only students with names A through H. Bruck's last name is Chun. I'm certain the records were stolen to conceal something about him."
Yoda nodded. "Time it will take, to regather information. Something you do not know, Qui-Gon — a sensitive time for the Jedi this is. A secret mission for the Senate we have undertaken. Held in our Jedi treasury is a large shipment of vertex."
Qui-Gon could not keep the surprise from his face. Vertex was a highly valuable mineral. After the raw substance was mined, it was cut into crystals of various shapes for currency. Many worlds used crystalline vertex instead of credits.
"Unprecedented it was, to accept such a shipment," Yoda agreed, noting Qui-Gon's surprise. "Yet the Council thought it best. Two star systems there are, locked in conflict over the shipment. Agree to peace talks they would not, unless a neutral party held the shipment. Almost concluded, the peace agreement is. If word there is that the Temple is vulnerable, war there would be." Yoda's voice dropped in concern. "A large war it would be, Qui-Gon. Many alliances these star systems have."
Qui-Gon digested this information. It often struck him that even while the Temple was a haven, it was connected to the galaxy in so many intricate ways.
"There is no time to waste," he told Yoda. "I will start with Miro Daroon. I must discover how Bruck and this intruder manage to navigate around the Temple without being seen. I'll need to coordinate with Tahl."
Yoda blinked at him. "And Obi-Wan?"
"The Council has ordered Obi-Wan to stay out of this," Qui-Gon answered, surprised.
"Predict I do that the boy will find a way to offer his help again,"
Yoda said.
"And I should refuse?"
Yoda waved an arm. "Directly involved the boy should not be. But shut him out, I would not."
Qui-Gon smiled grimly as he hurried away. It was contradictory advice, typical of Yoda. Yet the Master's advice somehow always turned out to make perfect sense.
Qui-Gon took a shortcut through the Room of a Thousand Fountains in order to reach the lift tube that would take him directly to the tech center. He walked purposefully through the winding paths, barely noticing his surroundings, intent on the problem at hand.
Then he saw the destroyed footbridge where the attack on Yoda had taken place.
Qui-Gon stopped, his gaze on the splintered bridge, his thoughts suddenly in the past. Years ago, he had a mission to stop a tyrant from taking over a world in the Outer Rim. The tyrant's strategy was based on a simple equation: Disruption + Demoralization + Distraction = Devastation.
That was the pattern, Qui-Gon realized. The thefts had followed the formula. Disruption: the petty thefts disrupted classes and activities.
Demoralization: the theft of the Healing Crystals of Fire and the attack on Yoda had caused many students to lose heart. Distraction: the failing of the cooling system, the security breaches, and the destruction of one of the main turbolifts meant that the Jedi had to focus to keep the Temple running.
Was the same evil formula working to dismantle the Temple? That tyrant was dead, killed years ago, but had he spread his equation of evil?
Suddenly, Qui-Gon felt a deep disturbance in the Force. It cleaved the air in front of him. The solid rocks seemed to shimmer.
The dark side was here.
The feeling lingered. The fountains continued to flow, the spray from rushing water still cooling his cheeks. He surveyed the area carefully, noting every leaf, every shadow. He saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Yet he knew something was there.
Obi-Wan decided he needed a new comlink. What if something happened in front of his eyes again, and he needed to summon help? Or suppose Qui-Gon or the Council changed their minds and needed him?
It could be wishful thinking, but I don't care, Obi-Wan thought. / have to think like a Jedi, even if the Council doesn't want me to.
Instead of heading to his quarters, Obi-Wan started toward the tech center. He was sure that Miro Daroon would let him have a new comlink.
Ahead of him, he saw a familiar figure striding down the hall, munching on a piece of muja fruit as she walked. It was Siri, a fellow student. He didn't know her very well, but he knew she'd been a friend of Bruck's. Maybe if he questioned her, she could come up with a clue about Bruck. He could return to the Council with the information.
He called her name, and she stopped and
turned. The impact of her blue eyes was like a cresting wave. Siri had always been striking, but she hated to have anyone comment on her good looks. She kept her blond hair in a close-cropped style, swept straight off her forehead. The boyish style was probably intended to dim her beauty but instead only enhanced her intelligent eyes and glowing skin.
When she realized who'd called her name, Siri's friendly expression cooled. Obi-Wan wondered why. They had never been friends, but they'd been friendly. Siri was two years younger than Obi-Wan, but her abilities had landed her in Obi-Wan and Bruck's lightsaber class. She had been a worthy opponent. Obi-Wan considered her style athletic and highly focused. Unlike other students, she never got distracted during a duel by emotions such as anger or fear, and she never involved herself in petty rivalries. Privately, Obi-Wan had always thought of her as a little too focused. She never seemed to relax or join in the jokes and fun that students enjoyed in their downtime.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Siri said flatly. "I heard you were back." She took a bite of fruit.
"Siri, you were a friend of Bruck's," Obi-Wan said urgently. "Did you notice any signs of anger or rebellion in the past few months? Or anything out of the ordinary?"
Siri chewed, staring at him, not answering.
Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably. He realized too late that these days, being Bruck's friend was not exactly a benefit around the Temple. He had blurted out the question without thinking, eager for answers and mindful of the time pressure. He supposed he should have phrased the question more diplomatically.
While he was trying to think of a better opening, Siri swallowed. She spun the muja fruit in her hand, searching for the next place to bite.
"What's it to you?" she asked.
Her rudeness surprised him, and Obi-Wan struggled not to snap back. "I want to help Qui-Gon find Bruck and the intruder — " he began patiently.
"Wait a second," Siri interrupted. "I thought Qui-Gon Jinn dumped you.
And you dumped the Jedi."
Annoyance filled Obi-Wan. "I didn't 'dump' the Jedi," he said irritably. "And as for Qui-Gon, we…" Obi-Wan stopped. He didn't owe Siri an explanation! She stood there, chewing on her fruit and staring at him as though he were a lab experiment. "You shouldn't listen to gossip," he told her.
"So why do you want me to gossip about Bruck?" Siri shot back coolly.
She took another bite of the muja.
Fuming, Obi-Wan took a breath. The interview wasn't going well, that was for sure. "The Temple is under siege," he said, struggling to keep his voice even. "I'd think you'd want to help."
Siri's cheeks flushed. "I don't have to help you, Obi-Wan. You're not even a Jedi. But for your information, I wasn't a friend of Bruck's. He just used to hang around, trying to copy my lightsaber moves. He knew I was a better fighter than he was. So does the rest of the class. I thought he was a bore. He was always trying to impress me. That about sums up our supposed 'friendship,' all right?"
"All right," Obi-Wan said. "But if you think of anything — "
"And another thing," Siri interrupted, her eyes shooting sparks at him.
"I do care about the Temple. You're the one who left the Jedi. When you did that, you cast doubt on the commitment of all Padawans, present and future.
You made all Jedi Knights question whether we're as committed as we should be. You're almost as bad as Bruck!"
Siri's words hit his cheeks like slaps from an open hand. Color rushed to Obi-Wan's face. Was this what the other students felt? That he had betrayed them?
Obi-Wan hadn't considered before that his action could cast doubt on the commitment of all Padawans. Faced with a similar situation, would he offer to help someone who had done what he had done?
With every encounter at the Temple, Obi-Wan received a wider picture of the consequences of his decision to stay on Melida/Daan. Now he realized that his action had left a wider pool of ripples than he'd thought.
A decision is yours alone to make. Yet remember you should that you make it also for the silent ones who stand at your shoulder.
How many times had he heard Yoda say that? Now the meaning was so clear that it mocked him with its simplicity. He understood completely what Yoda had meant. He should have understood it before.
Siri seemed to regret her words. Her cheeks flushed almost as deeply as Obi-Wan's.
"If you can think of anything that might help, please see Qui-Gon,"
Obi-Wan said stiffly.
"I will," Siri murmured. "Obi-Wan — "
But he couldn't bear to hear an apology or an excuse. Siri, he knew, had blurted out exactly what was in her heart.
"I have to go," Obi-Wan interrupted, and hurried away.
Qui-Gon stood in the tech center next to Miro Daroon. Around them curved a blue screen that ran along the wall in the circular room. The screen flashed diagrams of every tunnel, service hallway, catwalk, and duct in the Temple.
At first, the schematic drawings had seemed like a maze to Qui-Gon. But with Miro's help he had soon understood the logic of the diagrams.
But logic hadn't helped to find the intruder. There were dozens of tunnels tall enough for someone Bruck's height to walk upright inside. Ducts were placed conveniently on every floor, giving outlets to every area of the Temple except those under the most severe security restrictions, such as the treasury room.
The problem wasn't discovering a way for the intruder to navigate. The problem was narrowing it down. Qui-Gon had already called the Jedi Knight Tahl, his partner in the investiga- tion, to send out search teams to comb the infrastructure. But that would take time — time they didn't have. He was still hoping for a clue.
Behind them, the door hissed open. Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan in the reflection on the screen. He saw the boy catch sight of him and pause.
"Have any additional problems cropped up?" Qui-Gon quickly asked Miro.
He wanted Obi-Wan to remain, but couldn't ask him. That would violate the wishes of the Council. But he felt that if he and Miro discussed Temple problems and Qui-Gon didn't ask him to leave, Obi-Wan would stay.
So this is what Yoda meant, Qui-Gon thought.
Miro sighed. He was a tall alien from the planet Piton, thin as a reed, with a high forehead and pale, almost white eyes. Pitons lived underground on their own planet. They had little pigment in their skin that was almost translucent. They were hairless, and Miro wore a cap and tinted eye shields to protect his eyes from glare.
"When I tried to restore power to the service lift tubes in the lake area, the air circulation failed in the north wing. We have to move all the students to temporary quarters in the main building."
In the screen reflection, Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan studying the diagrams.
"So now two wings of the Temple have been shut down," Qui-Gon murmured thoughtfully. "You must be very frustrated, Miro."
Miro's mournful face collapsed in a deeper frown than the one he already wore. "Frustrated doesn't cover it, Qui-Gon. I know this system inside and out. But when I fix one problem, three more pop up. It's difficult to keep up. I've never seen such intricate sabotage, not even in hypothetical models. My last resort would be to shut the whole system down to run my own program. That's something I don't want to do."
Qui-Gon felt bothered by this news. Miro was a brilliant, intuitive tech expert. Anyone who could confound him must be a tech genius. Bruck certainly wasn't capable of this. It seemed he was searching for a slippery being with a hatred of the Jedi, a knack for subterfuge, and now a technological wizard as well.
Qui-Gon drew in a quick, startled breath. The knowledge had been in the back of his mind for some time, cold and insidious, like water seeping into the cracks of a boulder. Now it froze into certainty, blasting the rock to smithereens.
"Xanatos," he murmured.
Obi-Wan gave a start. Miro looked at Qui-Gon, shocked. "You think Xanatos is involved?"
"It's possible…" Qui-Gon murmured.
The clues had ticked away for a while now. He had sensed a vengeful, personal motive in this operation. Xanatos held an implacable hatred for the Jedi — a hatred that was only surpassed by his hatred for Qui-Gon.
And then there was that feeling he'd had in the Room of a Thousand Fountains.. could Xanatos have been nearby?
Disruption + Demoralization + Distraction = Devastation. During that mission, Xanatos had been his Padawan. He had been a boy of sixteen. He could have easily remembered the formula.
"I remember him," Miro said quietly. "He was a year behind me. But he was the only Jedi student who was better at constructing tech infrastructure models."
Qui-Gon nodded. The young Jedi student's mind had been what had first attracted Qui-Gon, first made him wonder if he would make a good Padawan.
In that instant, Qui-Gon made a decision. He was not allowed to involve Obi-Wan in the investigation. But things had changed.
He turned and acknowledged Obi-Wan for the first time.
"I need your help," he said.
Obi-Wan stood frozen, surprised at Qui-Gon's words.
"I need to see Tahl and report all this," Qui-Gon said. "I'd like you to come along."
"But the Council — "
"It is my investigation," Qui-Gon said firmly. "You have faced Xanatos before. You could be helpful. So come."
Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon into the corridor. He walked beside him, feeling a surge of contentment as their footsteps matched in their own rhythm. Not only could he redeem himself by helping the Temple, he would work with Qui-Gon again. Even if he were confined to the fringes of the investigation, he'd take what he could get. It was the first step toward reestablishing the trust between them.
Tahl was checking on the status of the search teams when they arrived.
She looked up at them, her lovely face worried. Obi-Wan hadn't seen her since Melida/Daan.
She'd been ill after her rescue, thin and drawn. Now her extraordinary green-and-gold striped eyes were sightless, but they gleamed against the dark honey tones of her skin.
"Nothing yet," she said by way of greeting. "Who is with you, Qui-Gon?"
She paused. "It's Obi-Wan, isn't it?"
"Yes," Obi-Wan said hesitantly. He was worried about her reaction to his presence. After all, in order to blow up deflection towers for the Young, he'd stolen the transport intended to spirit her off the planet.
Would she hold a grudge? But relief flooded him as her face broke into a smile.
"Good. I'm glad." She made a wry face. "You have a knack for rescuing me. It could come in handy. No luck here, I'm afraid."
"I have news," Qui-Gon said crisply. Quickly, he outlined his suspicions about Xanatos.
Obi-Wan could see as Qui-Gon spoke that Tahl was dubious about this supposition. Even as Qui-Gon was finishing, she was slowly shaking her head.
"You're basing much on a leap of logic, my friend," she said.
"It is a fact that Xanatos was known for his technological genius,"
Qui-Gon argued.
She waved a hand. "As are countless others in the galaxy."
"None as good as a Jedi," Qui-Gon pointed out. "Except one who was a Jedi. We must look into Xanatos' recent whereabouts. There could be a clue there."
"I'm not saying you're wrong, Qui-Gon. But what if you are? If we concentrate on one suspect, we could waste time."
The indicator light over Tahl's door went on, announcing a visitor. At the same time, a muted bell sounded. Impatiently, Tahl stabbed at the door access that was at the keyboard on her desk. The door hissed open.
&nb
sp; "Yes, who is it?" she asked brusquely.
Obi-Wan was surprised to see that the visitor was Siri.
"I was told by Miro Daroon that Qui-Gon Jinn would be here," Siri said.
"Obi-Wan told me to contact you if I remembered anything strange about Bruck."
"Yes?" Qui-Gon asked kindly. "Anything could help."
Siri took a step into the room. "It could be nothing… but a few months ago, I had a strange conversation with Bruck. He told me about his father."
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon exchanged a startled glance. Those who were chosen by the Jedi gave up their birthright. The Temple became their home. That way, their loyalties could not be divided or exploited in any way. They committed themselves to the larger, deeper connection, the Force. It was highly unusual for a Jedi student to mention — or even think of — a parent, especially at Bruck's age.