by Джуд Уотсон
Jedi Apprentice 9: The Fight for Truth
( Звёздные войны )
Джуд Уотсон
Most people on the planet Kegan don't want to have anything to do with the rest of the galaxy. But when a young potential Jedi is discovered there, Qui-Gon Jinn, Adi Gallia, and their apprentices, Obi-Wan and Siri, are compelled to visit this strangely isolated world.
They are not welcomed with open arms. Instead, Qui-Gon and Adi find themselves caught in a web of deception while Obi-Wan and Siri are imprisoned in a school where thought is dictated, dissent is forbidden, and detention is permanent.
On this planet, the Jedi must fight for truth…even though nobody wants to face it.
The Fight for Truth
The darkness was total. Not even a hint of light penetrated the hood.
Sound was muffled. Obi-Wan Kenobi balanced on his feet, kept his lightsaber in a defensive position, and concentrated. Without sight or clear sound, he had to rely completely on the Force.
He moved to the left, whirled, and struck with his lightsaber. It slashed through empty air. Yet he knew he'd been close.
Off to his right, he heard a buzzing sound, and the clatter of metal hitting the floor.
"Point, Siri," Obi-Wan's Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, said quietly.
Obi-Wan felt a trickle of sweat move down his neck. The hood was hot from his warm breath. He gripped his lightsaber harder. His opponent in this training exercise was Siri, another Jedi apprentice. She had already destroyed two seeker droids. He hadn't felled one.
"Remember your purpose, Obi-Wan."
He heard Qui-Gon's steady counsel. Even though Qui-Gon couldn't see his Padawan's face, he knew that Obi-Wan had lost his focus. The purpose of the exercise, Obi-Wan knew, was cooperation. It did not matter how many seeker droids he destroyed or how many were taken down by Siri. They would be judged on how they worked together. They would have to read each other's intentions through movement, instinct, and the Force. They would have to be generous, reaching out to each other to reveal their intentions.
But how could he reach out to someone who fought only for herself?
Siri focused on the enemy and ignored Obi-Wan. A skilled, graceful fighter, she was single-minded in her purpose. Every particle of her being was focused on victory. It made her one of the best lightsaber fighters in the Temple. Even though she was eleven — two years younger than Obi-Wan — she had fought in his classes.
Faintly, he heard Siri's soft footsteps behind him, and heard her foot slide as she lunged. Another buzz, another clatter of metal.
"Good footwork, Siri," Adi Gallia called.
Obi-Wan gritted his teeth. Adi had only recently taken Siri as her Padawan. She had chosen Siri because of the girl's extraordinary promise.
Now Siri was proving her value, showing up a more experienced Padawan — Obi-Wan.
Frustration and irritation surged inside him, driving out his connection to the Force. Obi-Wan listened intently for the slight stir in the air that the seeker droid caused. He heard the sound, whirled to his left, and collided with Siri.
"Opposite corners," Adi rapped out. "Begin again."
Obi-Wan moved back to his corner. He rubbed his palm along his tunic.
His hands were perspiring, and his lightsaber almost slipped. Dropping it while fighting alongside Siri would be humiliating.
He wished he had Qui-Gon's patience. He still had so much to learn. Try as he might, he could not penetrate Siri's devotion to the exercise. It was her battle, her challenge. There was no room for him.
They started forward again. Obi-Wan moved slowly, reaching out to the Force to tell him where the seeker droids were flying. He heard another clang as a seeker droid hit the floor.
"Trust your partner as well as the Force," Adi called. "Aggression and competitiveness have no place in this exercise."
Obi-Wan felt Siri move slightly nearer to him.
Yet he still felt nothing from her. Another seeker droid hit the floor, and Obi-Wan's irritation crested and drove out his caution. He reached out, ignoring Siri.
Buzz, clang! A seeker droid hit the floor as he dropped to one knee and made a horizontal sweep. He rolled to his left, then swung upward. Clang!
Another droid hit the floor. Why should he wait for Siri's cooperation while she destroyed all the droids herself? He would look like a fool.
Obi-Wan twisted, lunged, and attacked again. He heard Siri's breathing and the whisper of her quick footwork as she did the same. Within minutes, the two of them had destroyed every seeker droid in the room.
Obi-Wan felt a glow of satisfaction as he removed his hood. They had defeated their opponents in record time. Siri threw back her hood and pushed her golden hair behind her ears. Her vivid blue eyes blazed with satisfaction. They bowed to each other, then turned to face their Masters.
"You have both failed the exercise," Qui-Gon said sternly.
Adi rose, her garments rustling. Her tall stature and air of command made her an intimidating figure. She drew Siri aside and began to speak to her in a low tone. Qui-Gon tossed a towel to Obi-Wan so that he could wipe the perspiration off his forehead.
"I know you can fight," Qui-Gon told him. "You've proven yourself in battle after battle. That was not the point of the exercise, Padawan."
"I know," Obi-Wan admitted. "But she — "
Qui-Gon didn't wait for him to finish. "Siri has her own strengths and weaknesses. That was for you to discover. You merge with the strength, cover the weakness. Together, the two of you are stronger."
"Siri did no better than I did," Obi-Wan said. He knew he sounded sulky, but he couldn't help himself. It was Siri who had changed the rules of the exercise.
"Siri is not my Padawan," Qui-Gon said sternly. "We are speaking of you. Remember, Obi-Wan, the fear of looking like a fool is never a reason to do something. Or not do it. It is a fear born in weakness."
Obi-Wan nodded. He knew better than to continue to challenge Qui-Gon.
At least they would soon be leaving. He would not have to repeat the exercise with Siri. Yoda had informed them that he was sending them on a mission.
Just then Yoda entered the training room. He tucked his hands inside his robe, waiting for them to face him.
"A summons we have received," he said. "Parents have contacted the Jedi. Think they do that their child might be Force-sensitive. Kegan, the planet is. Are you familiar with this world?"
He asked the question of Qui-Gon and Adi. Both Jedi Masters shook their heads. Obi-Wan was surprised. Between the two, they had traveled an extensive amount.
"Remote Kegan is," Yoda said. "A one-planet system orbiting one sun. It is an Outer Rim planet, cut off from the galaxy. Trade agreements, they do not have. Travel to other worlds, they do not do. Outsiders, they do not welcome. No one has landed on the planet in thirty years."
"That is very unusual," Qui-Gon observed.
Yoda blinked. He had lived long and seen much. There was not much that could surprise him.
"A good sign this request may be," he said. "Think we do that by taking this step Kegan means to open up relations with the Inner Core worlds.
Welcomes this, the Galactic Senate does. Relations between worlds fosters peace. So two parts, your mission has. Open relations with Kegan we must.
Determine the child's potential we must as well. A planet that isolates itself can be filled with suspicion and fear. Diplomatic you must be.
Disruption you must not allow."
Yoda looked at Adi and Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan was confused. Was he sending the two Jedi Masters instead of a
Master-Padawan team?
"Two teams we have decided to send," Yoda said.
"You mean all of us?" Obi-Wan blurted in dismay.
Yoda ignored his tone. "Cooperate you must to complete the mission."
Cooperate with Siri? Obi-Wan wanted to cry. He'd need more than the Force to accomplish that!
Why two teams? Obi-Wan wondered as Adi piloted their craft toward the surface of Kegan. The mission to identify a Force-sensitive child was fairly routine.
Did it mean that the Council was still looking over his shoulder?
After he had left the Jedi for a short time, Obi-Wan had been put on probation. He had used the time to deepen his study of the Jedi path. The probation had been lifted, and he was once again an official Padawan learner. But did the Council still withhold their trust?
Over the past months, the process of repairing his ties with his Master had been satisfying for both of them. They had spent much time at the Temple, and also had roamed the galaxy together, observing other worlds and customs and helping when they could. Their bond had grown stronger.
Had the Council not seen this? Why were they paired with Adi and Siri?
"Landing in three minutes," Adi announced, breaking into his thoughts.
Obi-Wan stole a glance at Siri. Her face was passive as she gazed over the countryside below. She looked completely calm, but perhaps she hid nervousness well. Obi-Wan remembered how anxious he'd felt before his first mission. It was a new experience to leave the Temple and be thrust into the sometimes rough and violent galaxy. Obi-Wan leaned closer.
"Landing on a planet for the first time can be confusing," he told her.
"There's usually so much to see that it's hard to focus. But in the first few minutes you can learn many things."
She didn't turn, but kept her eyes on the approaching landing platform.
"I never lose my focus, Obi-Wan. Or my commitment."
The words felt like a slap. Obi-Wan leaned back again, his face flushed. Siri had been furious with him for leaving the Jedi path. She had accused him of undermining the commitment of all Padawans by his decision.
She implied that her commitment to the Jedi was stronger than his.
It wasn't fair. He had taken one misstep. His Master and the Council had forgiven him. Why couldn't she?
The craft slowly lowered onto the landing platform. Obi-Wan saw a group waiting for them. Both the men and women wore tunics similar to the Jedis'.
Adi activated the ramp, and they disembarked. A man and a woman stepped forward immediately to greet them.
"Welcome, Jedi visitors," the woman said in a pleasant tone. She was of middle years, with a broad face and curly gray hair that framed her ruddy cheeks in a frothy cloud. "We are the Hospitality Guides, here to introduce you to our world and make sure you're comfortable. I am 0-Rina and this is V-Haad."
Her companion smiled and bowed. He was tall and balding, with warm dark eyes.
The Jedi bowed in return, and Qui-Gon introduced them. "We were called here by two of your citizens."
The younger couple stepped forward. "I am V-Nen and this is my wife O-Melie," the man said. "We are the parents of O-Lana."
The woman's eyes studied them, then looked down. She seemed nervous, as did her husband. No doubt they were worried about the approaching examination of their child.
"The child is at their dwelling," V-Haad said. "We will transport you there. Please follow."
The Jedi followed the Guides and the parents to a battered-looking landspeeder. Obi-Wan had never seen such an old model in use. He wondered if it would be able to start.
The repulsorlift engine fired up with a worrisome clatter, but it ran perfectly. As they sped over the rugged ground, Obi-Wan looked around curiously. They were traveling along one central unpaved road that curved around a low wall. Inside the wall were domed structures. The landspeeders parked outside looked as ancient and battered as the one they were riding in.
"There is but one city on Kegan, and we are all its keepers," 0-Rina shouted over the noise of the engine. "The rest of the planet is used for food and animal cultivation. There are large areas of open space. We are passing the Tech Circle right now. Kegan is divided into circles for each area of work. The Tech Circle leads into the Communication Circle, which leads to the Study Circle, which leads to the Garden Circle, and so on. They all ring the Gathering Circle, where we hold meetings. We are heading now to the Dwelling Circle."
A shadow passed over them, and Obi-Wan looked up. A skyhopper zoomed overhead, an old model he wasn't familiar with.
"Perhaps you are amazed that our transports are still running," V-Haad said to him with a chuckle. "Here on Kegan we do not destroy, we reuse. Our Tech Circle is expert at keeping old technology functional. We have no need for the newest models."
"Do you have currency here?" Adi Gallia asked in an interested way.
V-Haad shook his head. "We are a barter economy. Everything belongs to the General Good. We may give up great riches here, but we have no crime. I would rather live peacefully and safely than with worry on my shoulders."
"It seems a good philosophy," Qui-Gon agreed. "Do you have a system of government?"
"We have Benevolent Guides, V-Tan and 0-Vieve," O-Rina said. "They were the first to devise a new way to live here on Kegan. They have an Advising Circle, but they guide rather than rule. We are all given a voice.
Everything is adjusted for the General Good."
Obi-Wan had to admit that the system seemed to work on the surface.
Perhaps because Kegan was a tiny planet with a small population, it managed to avoid the strife of other worlds. As they sped by, people lifted their heads from their tasks to wave and smile. They all seemed busy and happy.
Still, he noticed something strange. "I don't see any children," he said to the Guides.
"Children are precious here," O-Rina told him. "Education is very important. They are sent to school at an early age to learn and explore. Ah, here is the Dwelling Circle."
V-Haad piloted the craft through a break in the wall and guided it to a penned enclosure where a few battered landspeeders were parked. They walked toward one of the many domed buildings that curved around the core in a spiral. Each building was connected to the next.
V-Nen opened the door and stood aside to let them in. The small room was furnished simply but comfortably, with low benches piled with thick cushions.
Qui-Gon turned to V-Haad and O-Rina. "Thank you for bringing us here.
We would like to examine the child alone with the parents."
"Oh, of course, we understand your procedures," V-Haad said.
"But we cannot follow them, so sorry to say this," O-Rina added.
"0-Melie and V-Nen have asked us to stay. They are nervous with outsiders."
Qui-Gon looked at the parents kindly. "There is nothing to be nervous about. We will simply tell you if your child is Force-sensitive. If so, we will explain what that means and what can be done, should you wish it."
V-Nen and O-Melie exchanged glances. O-Melie swallowed. "We wish for the Hospitality Guides to stay."
V-Haad and O-Rina smiled. "You see? You must not think of us as outsiders in this house," O-Rina rushed to assure them, "Everyone on Kegan is part of the same family. This is true, 0-Melie?"
"Yes," O-Melie said.
Suddenly, 0-Rina and V-Haad's smiles seemed fixed to their faces, as though what was inside did not match their friendliness. A small trickle of warning snaked through Obi-Wan. He had learned to trust that feeling.
Something was wrong here. Things were not what they appeared to be.
V-Haad and O-Rina had seemed to welcome them, but Obi-Wan had a feeling they were not happy the Jedi were here. Not at all.
Qui-Gon didn't trust V-Haad and 0-Rina from the start. Despite their wide smiles, they gave off a sense of unease that he could not attribute to being unused to strangers. And why were there Hospitality Guides when the planet allowed no visitors?
; He nodded at them anyway, meeting their friendliness with his own. "Of course you may remain if V-Nen and O-Melie wish it," he said.
"There are exceptions to every rule," Adi said graciously. She, too, no doubt knew that it was better not to aggravate the situation by insisting.
"I'll get 0-Lana," O-Melie said shortly. "A neighbor is watching her."
She hurried from the room.
She returned in a moment with a small bundle in her arms. The child was close to a year old. She looked up at Qui-Gon with a bright, inquisitive gaze. He held out a finger. She grabbed it, then pulled it to her mouth and gnawed on it gently.