by Джуд Уотсон
Obi-Wan realized it wasn't Bant who stood between him and Qui-Gon. It was Qui-Gon's own feelings. He had known that. He just didn't want to accept it.
"We'll have to exchange tunics," Qui-Gon said. "Everything they wear and carry must be ours. We can't underestimate Xanatos. The match must be as perfect as possible."
Tahl suddenly came to the door. Her sightless eyes zeroed in on Qui-Gon exactly. Her ability to place people by their voices was exceptional.
"Qui-Gon, we could have a problem," she said. "Bant has disappeared.
She knows she's not supposed to roam the Temple without permission."
Garen and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance. They knew why Bant had left without permission.
Just then, Qui-Gon's comlink signaled. He activated it.
"What a pleasure to greet you again, Qui-Gon."
Everyone froze. The mockery that ran through the deep voice alerted even Ali-Alann and Garen that this was Xanatos.
"What do you want?" Qui-Gon asked tersely.
"My transport," Xanatos answered smoothly. "Fully fueled, on the spaceport landing platform. And no one around to follow me."
"Why should I give you this?" Qui-Gon asked scornfully.
"Hmmm. An interesting question. Perhaps because I have bumped into a friend of yours in the water tunnel. I think it might be a good idea if the fish-girl stays with me for awhile. Unless you object."
It took a moment, no more, for Obi-Wan to realize who Xanatos meant.
Bant. He had kidnapped Bant.
Qui-Gon squeezed the comlink so hard that Obi-Wan was surprised it didn't shatter. Tahl grabbed the doorframe. Garen took a step forward, as if he could reach through the comlink and grapple with Xanatos. Only Obi-Wan did not move. His blood had turned to ice, his muscles to stone.
"So do we have a deal?" Xanatos asked. "My transport, and I send the girl back to you. I'll give you fifteen minutes. That is all."
"How do I know you have Bant?" Qui-Gon asked.
Seconds later, a firm, high voice came over the comlink. "Qui-Gon, don't do it. I'm fine. I don't want you to — "
Bant's voice was cut off abruptly. The comlink went dead.
Qui-Gon went inside Tahl's quarters to confer with her. Ali-Alann and Garen followed. Obi-Wan still found himself unable to move.
It was as though his body had taken over, refusing to listen to his mind. No matter how forcefully he told his legs to move, they would not.
Never before had this happened, not during battle, not even when Cerasi had been killed in front of his eyes.
The words passed through his mind rapidly, like figures streaming across a data screen.
My fault. My fault. Bant will die. She will die. Xanatos is merciless.
She will die. And again it will be my fault.
Bant and Cerasi merged in his mind. His grief was a howl inside his body. It tore at his stomach, his throat, and yet he could not let it loose.
The loss of Cerasi rushed through him, as keen as the moment he had seen the life ebb in her crystal green eyes. She was gone to him forever. For the rest of his days, he would think of her, need her, turn to say something to her, decide to contact her.. and he would never be able to reach her again.
He loved Bant as he had loved Cerasi. How could he have spoken so harshly to her? How could he have suspected the most loving heart he knew of plotting against him? She would never have tried to take his place with Qui-Gon. He knew that as surely as he knew his own name. He had spoken out of bitterness, out of fatigue, out of his own shame, out of everything but truth.
Bant always spoke the truth. What a valuable friend she was.
And he would lose her. He would lose her forever.
My fault.
If Bant died, the grief would destroy him.
He bent over and stared at the floor, his heart racing as though he'd just fought a battle. He gulped down his panic, but he could not make it go away. Instead it rose in his throat again and again, choking him.
He heard footsteps approach him, then pause. He recognized Qui-Gon's step.
No. Don't let him see me this way.
He struggled to compose himself. But the panic was too real. The fear squeezed his throat, cramped his muscles.
He could not move.
He saw Qui-Gon's boots stop in front of him. Then, to his surprise, the large man crouched next to him. His voice was close to his ear.
"It is all right, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said gently. "I understand."
Obi-Wan shook his head. Qui-Gon could not possibly understand.
"Never fear your feelings, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "They can guide you if you control them."
"I — | can't." Obi-Wan forced the words out. How he hated to admit his weakness to Qui-Gon! But he could not lie.
"Yes, you can," Qui-Gon said with the same gentleness. "I know you can.
You are a Jedi. You will focus. You will reach your calm center. Do not try to tamp down the fear. Do not let it grip you. If you let it move through you, it will leave you. Breathe."
Obi-Wan breathed. A tiny part of the panic loosened its grip. He breathed again, and felt the fear rise. This time he did not battle it. He pictured it rising on his breath, leaving his body. His muscles loosened slightly.
"We will rescue Bant," Qui-Gon continued. "We will defeat Xanatos. We will bring him down."
The panic was lessening. But not the shame.
"I hurt her." The words were jerky, forced out on a hiccup of air. "I made her run away."
"Ah." Qui-Gon paused. "Did you send her to Xanatos? Speaking sharply to a friend is wrong, Obi-Wan. It is cause for an apology. But it is not cause to be responsible for what happens afterward. Bant knows that. Her kidnapping is not your fault, and she would be the first to say so. She knows she should not use the water tunnels alone."
Obi-Wan kept his eyes on the floor. He grabbed onto Qui-Gon's calmness like a raft. He strove to find it within himself. He knew that Qui-Gon was frantic to find Bant, was full of anxiety to rid the Temple of Xanatos. Yet Qui-Gon crouched next to him, perfectly willing to wait out his panic.
"You want to return to the Jedi," Qui-Gon continued. "Now be a Jedi.
This is the moment. This is exactly the moment when you must. The very worst time is the time you must follow the Code. Cast away your doubt. Let the Force flow through you."
Obi-Wan lifted his head and met Qui-Gon's steady gaze. Now he could feel the Force move between them, gather itself and surround them. He knew that together they could defeat Xanatos. He was able to cast doubt aside and believe.
Qui-Gon saw the change in his face. "Are you ready?"
Obi-Wan nodded.
"Then come." Qui-Gon stood. Obi-Wan found that his legs moved easily.
The strange paralysis was gone.
"What are we going to do?" Obi-Wan asked.
"When your enemy strikes unexpectedly, things change," Qui-Gon said.
"But if your plan is good, there is no reason to abandon it."
Tahl sent TooJay on an errand while Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan exchanged clothes with Garen and Ali-Alann.
"Your boots are too big," Garen said, clomping around Tahl's quarters.
"No, your boots are too small," Obi-Wan said, wincing.
Qui-Gon and Tahl stood in a corner, speaking softly to Miro Daroon on the comlink. Their voices blended, interrupted, spoke rapidly and crisply as they conferred on strategy, deciding what Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would say on the voice track.
When Tahl and Qui-Gon signed off, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon went over what they would say several times. They would need to have the rhythm of natural conversation, Qui-Gon drilled into Obi-Wan. It was perfectly all right to hesi- tate or interrupt. But the information had to be exact.
The conversation had to be recorded in the hallway. The noise level and ambient sound had to mimic the area where TooJay would overhear. Ali-Alann and Garen stood at opposite ends of the hallway, making sure no one would pass. They also served as lookouts for TooJay.
While these preparations were made, Obi-Wan felt a constant tightening inside himself. Thanks to Qui-Gon, he had driven out his fear. Now his task was to find his center. He was impatient to engage Bruck and Xanatos. Yet impatience was not an ally in battle. It was an enemy. Qui-Gon had drilled that into him many times. He tried to draw on Qui-Gon's composure. The Jedi Knight seemed perfectly unhurried, yet Obi-Wan saw how quickly and surely he moved and spoke. In barely any time at all, everyone was clear on what had to be done and everyone was in position.
Qui-Gon activated the voice track. "We must talk, Obi-Wan. We must move fast. No doubt Xanatos has moved Bant from the water tunnels. We'll begin the search in the north wing of the Temple. Did you get the infrared sensors?" "I have them here," Obi-Wan replied. "Where will the other search teams be?"
"They'll start at the high floor of the north wing while we begin at the lowest. We'll meet in the middle and then shut down the wing completely and move onto the south wing. We'll trap them eventually."
"I don't know why we have to leave Xanatos' transport on the landing platform," Obi-Wan protested. "Why should we give him what he wants?"
"Because he might be checking to be sure that we do. We can't endanger Bant. Patience, Obi-Wan. Xanatos will never reach the transport."
"I can't help it," Obi-Wan said fiercely, making his voice rise. "I want to fight them!"
Qui-Gon had directed Obi-Wan to seem impatient. He wanted Xanatos to think the boy was close to the edge of his control. It could give them an advantage in the coming battle if Xanatos underestimated Obi-Wan.
"You must have control," Qui-Gon said sternly. "Now, as we search, remember that Miro will be shutting down the power system. We can't run the risk of other systems failing while we search. Miro will have to shut down the system in order to run a program to find all the bugs."
"Will we lose power completely?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes. Miro will have to shut down water sys- tems, communications, power stations, and last of all, security. The turnoff will last for twelve minutes. Then Miro will turn the system back on, beginning with security. It's a necessary risk. Now come. Let's head for the north wing." Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan walked off toward the lift tube. As soon as they turned the corner, Qui-Gon deactivated the voice track.
He handed it to Ali-Alann and Garen. In a few moments, Tahl would summon TooJay. Ali-Alann and Garen would impersonate Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and transmit the conversation while TooJay was within earshot. This would give Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon time to position themselves to ambush Xanatos.
Qui-Gon was counting on the fact that Xanatos would be monitoring closely, since he would want to know if his demand would be met. Thanks to the transmitted conversation, he would think he had a clear field.
"You two must seem to follow through on the plan," Qui-Gon directed Ali-Alann and Garen. "Start searching the north wing. Try to stay in ill-lighted areas, just in case Xanatos or Bruck checks to make sure."
Ali-Alann and Garen nodded.
"And what am I to do, Qui-Gon?" Tahl asked softly.
"Your work is done, my friend," Qui-Gon said. "Now it is up to me and Obi-Wan."
"May the Force be with you," Tahl murmured.
"May it be with us all," Qui-Gon quietly replied. He signaled to Obi-Wan, and they headed for the lift tube.
"Where are we going?" Obi-Wan asked.
"To Xanatos' ultimate destination," Qui-Gon answered. "Everything he's done has led to this. Capturing Bant was a bonus — he can now use her as leverage to get his transport back. He knew Miro would eventually have to shut down the entire power core, including the security system. In those precious minutes when security is down, Xanatos is planning to strike."
Of course! "He's going after the vertex in the security chamber,"
Obi-Wan said.
"And we will be waiting," Qui-Gon replied grimly.
The security chamber was built like a strongbox. It could not be reached by turbolift, only by a short stairway down from the Jedi Council room itself. Access was limited to Jedi Council members, who underwent a retinal scan to enter. Approval had to be received and coded into the central system.
Ali-Alann and Garen's impersonation had given them time to arrange the ambush. Yoda arranged for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to enter before security shut down. The hallway outside the chamber was narrow and dark, the lights at half-power.
"Three minutes until Miro shuts down the power," Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan softly. "Xanatos and Bruck will come through one of the air ducts. Do not wait to engage them. Surprise is key. But don't activate your lightsaber too early or the glow will alert them that someone is here."
Obi-Wan nodded. He gripped his lightsaber, keeping his eyes on the ceiling above. The minutes slid by slowly. The unventilated air caused him to perspire. His fingers slipped on the lightsaber hilt. Quickly, he wiped his palm on his tunic.
He tried to summon up Qui-Gon's calm, but it slipped by him. He did not know why he was having such trouble with his composure. Every nerve was on fire. All he could think of was Bant. Was she alive or dead?
The thought of Bant sent panic shooting through him again. Obi-Wan bit down against it. They would save Bant. They would defeat Xanatos. Their enemy was not invincible. He trusted Qui-Gon's strength and cleverness.
Suddenly, the lights went out. Even though Obi-Wan knew this would happen when Miro shut down the central power core, it still made him start.
He wrenched his mind to stillness.
A slight noise overhead alerted him that someone was now traveling in the duct system. Qui-Gon kept his eyes trained on the duct closest to the treasury door.
Moments later, the grate slid open. Xanatos and Bruck somersaulted through, both dressed in black, blending into the darkness. The only gleam of light was of Bruck's white ponytail and Xanatos' pale skin.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon moved as one. They sprang forward, lightsabers activated.
The surprise on Xanatos' face was gratifying. He gave a strangled cry of rage and sprang back, his hand reaching for his lightsaber.
Bruck was not as quick. He stumbled back, fumbling. The hilt of his lightsaber was in his hand when Qui-Gon, with a delicate touch, knocked it away without touching Bruck's skin. He did not want to harm the boy, just capture him.
Obi-Wan sprang toward Xanatos as Qui-Gon came at him on the other side.
But this time Xanatos surprised them. Instead of trying to elude them, he leaped forward and grabbed Bruck. He held his glowing red lightsaber against the boy's neck.
"Don't come any closer," he said, his eyes snapping a challenge. "You know I'll do it, Qui-Gon."
"Xanatos?" Bruck's eyes wobbled in fear.
"Be quiet," Xanatos snapped. "Now I have two hostages, Qui-Gon," he continued. "Do you want to sacrifice two young lives?"
Qui-Gon made a subtle movement toward Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan felt the Force surge. Qui-Gon was reaching out to him, trying to tell him something. But what?
If your plan is good, there is no reason to abandon it.
Obi-Wan remembered that Qui-Gon had wanted him to seem impatient, close to the edge of control. Xanatos would not look at him as a threat.
"You're not going to let him get away with this, are you?" Obi-Wan shouted, pumping desperation in his voice. "I don't care about Bruck! Let's charge him!"
"The boy is ruthless, Qui-Gon," Xanatos purred. "Did he learn this from you?"
With a cry, Obi-Wan started toward Xanatos. At the same time, Qui-Gon sprang forward. Xanatos gave Bruck a violent shove away from him, trying to use the boy to block Obi-Wan's advance. At the same time, he stepped forward to meet Qui-Gon's first strike.
Bruck dropped to the floor and scrambled for his lightsaber. Obi-Wan leaped to prevent it, but Bruck grasped it, rolled away, and sprang to his feet.
"Make sure she is dead!" Xanatos hissed at Bruck. "Now!"
Bruck took off toward the end of the hallway.
"After him!" Qui-Gon roared to Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan ra
ced to catch up to Bruck, but Xanatos stepped to the side and made a diving sweep at him. Obi-Wan parried the violent blow, but it drove him backward. He slashed at Xanatos, but Xanatos blocked his every move while twisting to evade Qui-Gon's attack.
Grimly, Qui-Gon stepped up his pace, going after Xanatos again and again, so relentlessly that Obi-Wan was free to maneuver.