by Джуд Уотсон
"I didn't understand how he knew about his father, or why he was so interested," Siri went on. "I asked him why he felt this new compulsion. The Temple is our home, the Jedi are family. These are the bonds we renew day by day. By now they are the strongest things in our lives. But not only was the mention of his father strange, his attitude was as well." Siri hesitated.
"Yes?" Tahl prompted gently.
"It seemed to me that it wasn't so much that he felt a need for a father, or wanted to contact him in any way. He just wanted to brag about him. Bruck discovered — and I don't know how, because he wouldn't say — that his father had become a powerful person on another planet."
"Which planet?" Tahl asked. "Can you remember?"
"One I never heard of," Siri answered. "Telos."
Tahl stiffened. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon exchanged another glance. Qui-Gon had his proof. Telos was Xanatos' home.
Yet satisfaction did not register on the Jedi's rugged face. Only disquiet.
"Thank you, Siri," Qui-Gon said. "You have been of more help than you know."
"I am glad to hear it." Siri gave Obi-Wan a quick glance, but he couldn't tell if it was a challenge or apology. She left, the door hissing behind her.
"Well, I should know better by now than to doubt you," Tahl said to Qui-Gon. She let out a long breath. "Xanatos."
"No wonder the student records were stolen," Qui-Gon said thoughtfully.
"Any changes in the status of students' families are recorded in their files. Somehow, Xanatos got to Bruck through his father. He most likely intrigued the boy, planting longings for power in his head, working on Bruck's anger and aggression until he turned him to the dark side. The same thing," Qui-Gon murmured, "that Xanatos' own father had done to him."
"And most likely Xanatos taught Bruck how to conceal the dark side as well," Obi-Wan added. He remembered during his own meeting with Xanatos how Qui-Gon's powerful enemy could manipulate the truth. His silky manner hid a devious purpose. He had placed doubt in Obi-Wan's mind about Qui-Gon.
"True, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon nodded. "Bruck would have to be practiced at concealment. Because he was a senior student, he was given more freedom. That helped him, too."
"So now we know our intruder," Tahl said.
"I suggest we divide the investigation into two parts," Qui-Gon stated.
"Obi-Wan and I must discover where Xanatos and Bruck are hiding."
So he would be included! Obi-Wan felt a surge of quiet satisfaction.
"Tahl, you must find out everything you can about Xanatos and Offworld.
It will be tricky — he's very secretive. But your investigative powers are a legend around here. Start working your galactic network."
"There's no need to flatter me," Tahl said dryly. "I can hardly crawl around tunnels with you and Obi-Wan."
Qui-Gon paused. Obi-Wan saw concern suddenly etch his features. He wasn't sure why. Qui-Gon often told him he was not connected enough to the living Force. There was something in the exchange between the two friends that had hurt Tahl, and Qui-Gon had just realized it.
Tahl turned her head, her hand almost knocking over a cup near her elbow. Lightning reflexes caused her to catch it before it fell. Her face flushed deeply.
Then Obi-Wan realized what Qui-Gon had seen. Tahl had only recently lost her sight. She had once been a brilliant warrior. Now she must feel as though she was being shuttled to the sidelines. But Qui-Gon was right. Tahl could not crawl through ducts and look for physical clues.
He watched as Qui-Gon moved closer to Tahl's desk. "Clues are found in many ways, Tahl," Qui-Gon said quietly. "The right information can save a mission more surely than a battle."
Tahl nodded. Obi-Wan could see the struggle on her face. Qui-Gon's fingers brushed her shoulder in a swift, compassionate touch.
"It will be a challenge," he said. "Whatever clues there are will be well buried. Offworld is made up of a pyramid of false companies, phony titles. Their assets are hidden carefully. No one knows where their headquarters is."
Tahl's eyes gleamed. "No one so far," she said.
Obi-Wan noted her new determination. Qui-Gon had done this. He had not dwelt on her dissatisfaction. He had acknowledged it compassionately, then flung out a challenge to engage her.
/ have so much to learn from him, Obi-Wan thought. And it is not only about battles and strategies and the Force. It is about the heart.
The door hissed open. "Sir Tahl! I am back from my errand. Here are the extra data sheets you asked for." TooJay, Tahl's navigation droid, hurried into the room.
Tahl raised her eyebrows to let Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan know that she had created the errand to get TooJay out of her hair. The navigation droid was designed to help Tahl, but often was just a source of great aggravation to a person who preferred to do everything herself.
"I'll leave you to your task," Qui-Gon said. "Obi-Wan and I have work to do."
On their way out of the room, they almost collided with Bant, who was rushing through the open door.
"I think I know how Bruck and the intruder are navigating through the Temple!" she cried.
Bant's silver eyes met each of their glances. "I was thinking about all the different attacks," she said eagerly. "They all took place near water.
Think about it — Yoda was attacked in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. The turbolift controls are by the lake. And you could reach the tech center itself through the water purification tanks."
Qui-Gon nodded. "A series of water tunnels links all the systems. I saw it on Miro's diagrams, but I didn't think the tunnels were navigable."
"They are," Bant assured him. "I use them. It's against the rules, I know," she added sheepishly. "But if I'm late for a class, it's so much faster for me to swim than walk."
"The sporting gear," Obi-Wan said suddenly. "The kit must have several breathers."
"Good work, Bant," Tahl said approvingly.
"Excellent deduction." Qui-Gon put his hand on Bant's slender shoulder.
She smiled shyly.
Jealousy trickled through Obi-Wan. He fought against it. Jealousy was not an appropriate emotion for a Jedi. Yet he couldn't dampen it, or make it go away. Bant had always trailed after him. She'd worshipped him. Now, in the short time he'd been gone, she'd grown up. Her mind was agile and clever, and she wasn't afraid to challenge him.
And Qui-Gon saw how special she was.
Obi-Wan felt a shock as he realized that if Qui-Gon didn't take him back, he most likely would want another Padawan. Was he thinking of Bant?
"Bant, can you show us the tunnel?" Qui-Gon asked. "We'll need a guide."
Bant nodded. "Of course."
"If any trouble crops up, I want you to fade back," Qui-Gon warned.
"Don't engage with Xanatos. He is extremely dangerous."
Bant nodded solemnly. Qui-Gon turned to Obi-Wan. "We'll need breathers."
"I brought some," Bant told him. "I thought you'd want to go right away."
"That was quick thinking," Qui-Gon said approvingly.
Obi-Wan trailed after Qui-Gon and Bant. Now I'm the one who is tagging behind her, he thought, entering the turbolift with them. They took the lift to the cordoned-off lake area.
"I found the tunnel entrance when I was exploring the bottom of the lake," Bant explained as they waded into the cool water. "Water is flushed through every twenty minutes past the hour, so I always keep track of time.
It's easy to get out in time, or there are plenty of places to climb to when the water flushes through."
She dove under the surface. Obi-Wan followed the trail of her bubbles.
Bant was so graceful underwater that she soon pulled ahead. When she realized this, she stopped and waited for them.
They wound through a grotto of underwater rocks. A panel was cleverly hidden in the face of a large boulder. Bant accessed the panel and swam through. Qui-Gon followed, and then Obi-Wan.
They surfaced in a large tunnel of blue tile with a ceiling that curved overhead. The wa
ter was clear and clean.
"This services the fountains and reflecting pools in the wing," Bant explained, her voice echoing against the tiled surface. "There are landing platforms every thousand meters or so. Some of them are high enough to conceal someone who wants to hide. I'll stop as we go along."
Qui-Gon nodded. Bant took a breath and dove under the water. They followed.
Obi-Wan followed Bant's waving pink-orange legs through the crystal water. She led them down tunnel after tunnel, curving and twisting throughout the Temple. They stopped at every landing platform to examine it for traces of Xanatos or Bruck. They found nothing.
At last Bant surfaced at a place where a wide main tunnel narrowed and fed into three smaller tunnels.
"This feeds into the water purification tanks," she said as she bobbed.
"We've seen everything. I guess I was wrong." Bant looked discouraged. "We should head back."
"It was a good deduction, Bant," Qui-Gon told her kindly. "And we haven't disproved it yet. We didn't find anything. That doesn't mean that Xanatos wasn't here."
Qui-Gon treaded water, surveying the area. "What's that?" he suddenly asked, pointing to a recessed area to one side.
"It's too small to be a landing platform," Bant said. "I think it's a service area for the purification tanks."
Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon's powerful stroke toward the recessed area. The Jedi hoisted himself up on a narrow ledge, water streaming down his tunic. Obi-Wan followed, and Bant easily vaulted up behind them.
Qui-Gon worked his way along the ledge. It ran alongside the side tunnel for a time. Then it ended in a sheer wall. From here they could hear the hum of machinery.
"We're close to the purification tanks," Bant said.
"But why would the ledge just end?" Qui-Gon wondered. He bent to examine the curving wall on one side. "Here. There's an access panel," he said. "Bant?"
Bant eased past Obi-Wan. "I see it," she said excitedly. Her fingers ran alongside the edges. She pressed something, and the curved panel slid open.
Qui-Gon stepped through. When Obi-Wan followed, he saw that they were on some sort of service platform that was suspended above the water in the durasteel purification tank. A narrow, tiled staircase led down to the water below.
Qui-Gon strode to a corner. He bent down to examine a servo-tool kit and some items stacked against the wall.
"They were here," he said.
Obi-Wan felt something that began as a whisper, like a soft breath against the back of his neck. The disturbance in the Force was muffled, and he couldn't quite place it. But Qui-Gon looked up, his keen eyes alert. His gaze met Obi-Wan's.
Yes, his eyes seemed to say, as they had said many times when he was his Master. / feel it, too, Padawan.
Then the muffled disturbance escalated to a roar. Below them the water parted, and a black form rose. It was Xanatos.
Xanatos was perfectly still, waist-high in deep water, suspended by the Force without kicking or moving his arms. His wet black hair flowed to his shoulders and his sharp blue eyes, as clear and cold as ice crystals, gleamed in the dim light. Watery shadows sent flickering patterns across his black tunic.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had already activated their lightsabers. They stood waiting.
But Xanatos didn't move to engage them. He smiled.
"It took longer than even I imagined for you to figure out it was me,"
he called mockingly to Qui-Gon. "That noble head of yours can be so thick.
Foolishly, I continue to give you credit for some intelligence."
Qui-Gon stood easily, his lightsaber activated but held loosely at his side. He did not appear to be in attack position, but Obi-Wan knew his fight- ing style well. If Xanatos were to spring, Qui-Gon had only to shift slightly in order to meet the attack.
Qui-Gon didn't answer Xanatos. His face was a study in composure. He didn't appear to have heard Xanatos at all.
Obi-Wan knew they could not attack while Xanatos remained in the water.
If they jumped in after him, their lightsabers would short out if the activated lasers came into contact with water. Xanatos knew it, too. Perhaps that was why he taunted Qui-Gon, goading him to attack.
"You don't even answer me?" he called. "Still holding a grudge? What a hard heart you have, Qui-Gon."
"I wasn't aware we were having a conversation," Qui-Gon answered. He moved forward a step. "That was always the way with you, Xanatos — you prefer the sound of your own voice."
Obi-Wan saw a momentary flush on Xanatos' cheeks. Then he laughed. "How tiresome you are, Qui-Gon. Your petty taunts still miss their mark. You never were very clever. And you still rely on children to do your work. You never would have figured out the water tunnels on your own."
Suddenly, he flew through the air in a great leap, propelled by the Force. His black cape streamed water as he activated his lightsaber in the blink of an eye.
Obi-Wan was ready, stepping forward even as Xanatos touched down on the platform.
He saw Bant make a running dive off the platform. She was unarmed, and no doubt was swimming for help. She had only waited for Xanatos to move.
Xanatos' red lightsaber crashed against the green glow of Qui-Gon's.
The angry buzz echoed through the tunnel. Xanatos had landed to Qui-Gon's left, and Obi-Wan raced to cover the Jedi's flank.
Xanatos was a skilled fighter. His strength was staggering. When Obi-Wan's lightsaber tangled with his, the shock nearly sent him flying backward. It was all he could do to keep his feet. The platform soon grew slick with their wet footprints and the water from their clothes. It was hard for Obi-Wan to keep his footing.
Xanatos was as quick as he was strong, already whirling away from Obi-Wan's attacks to strike at Qui-Gon.
Gradually, Obi-Wan became aware that Qui-Gon had succeeded in manipulating Xanatos, getting him close to the narrow stairs. Xanatos took a step down, then another, as Qui-Gon stepped up the fierceness of his attack.
Obi-Wan saw the reason for the strategy. If Xanatos got close enough to the tank, he would have to swing back to gain momentum for his blows. Xanatos would run the risk of shorting out his lightsaber or weakening his attacks.
The strategy could not be obvious, he knew. They had to distract Xanatos with countermoves so that he wouldn't realize how close he was to the water below.
Obi-Wan joined in the attempt, trying to keep Xanatos off-balance while driving him toward the water. The steps were slippery. It was difficult to get enough grounding to lend strength to his blows. He was tiring, but Qui-Gon remained focused, moving gracefully, forcing Xanatos down another step.
As he fought side by side with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan felt the familiar rhythm pulse between them. The Force was strong, bonding them together as one unit.
Over the sound of the battle, the sizzle of the lightsabers, and his own heavy breathing, Obi-Wan heard a noise. It started as a rumble in the distance. Within seconds, it was a roar.
It was the water flushing the system. A giant tidal wave of foaming water rushed toward them from a conduit in the tank.
"Jump, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon ordered. Using the Force, they made a simultaneous leap onto the platform above.
Immediately, Obi-Wan whirled to face Xanatos, who was no doubt behind them.
But Xanatos had not leaped to safety. Grinning, he deactivated his lightsaber, then jumped off the step just as the torrent roared through.
Within the flicker of an eyelash, he was swept away.
"He'll drown," Obi-Wan said, astonished at Xanatos' action.
"No, he won't," Qui-Gon said grimly, his eyes on the white water. "We shall meet him again."
The battle had not tired Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan could see that it had only fueled his determination to catch Xanatos and defeat him.
"Let's search the area," Qui-Gon told him. "I have a feeling that Xanatos allowed me to maneuver him down the stairs. It was almost too easy."
"He had planned his escape," Obi-Wan suggested.
"
Yes," Qui-Gon agreed. "But with Xanatos, there is always a double motive. He was trying to lead us away from something."
Obi-Wan walked to the opposite edge of the platform. "There's a ladder here," he called.
A slender metal ladder was tucked against the wall. It had been hidden by the platform's edge. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan climbed down. When they were just above the surface of the water, they could hear the sound of falling water ahead.