by Джуд Уотсон
"How long will it take you to bypass the circuits and patch through into the feed?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Hard to say," Stephin answered. "Three minutes. Maybe four."
"The alarm will go off as soon as we break in," Qui-Gon said. "They'll be able to pinpoint our location then. Just do the best you can. We'll take care of whatever comes along."
Cilia and Stephin nodded to tell them they were ready. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan used their lightsabers to break through the door. Immediately, a red light began to pulse. As they walked through the doorway, another indicator light began to blink.
Now they could hear Lorian Nod's voice."… And it is with great reluctance that I stand before you now. Yet even with bad news we can gain comfort from the fact that we are strong and able to protect ourselves from the great threat… "
Stephin hurried to the console. His fingers began to fly. Qui-Gon gave him the disk and turned to face the doorway, lightsaber at the ready.
It took only seconds before the droids came. Qui-Gon had no doubt that they would be followed by armed guards. Obi-Wan sprang forward, his lightsaber flashing. They moved in the same rhythm, ready to cover each other, knowing when the other would go on the offense. It was a flow Qui-Gon remembered, when he knew what his apprentice would do before Obi-Wan did it. The Force surged around them, gathering so that it felt like heat and light, making every move easy.
Within seconds, battered and smoking droids littered the floor.
"Stars and galaxies," Cilia breathed. She had not had time to draw her own blaster.
"Three more minutes," Stephin muttered.
". We are tracking a group of spies who are planning to undermine our society, striking at our security itself. Thanks to the Guardians, we will be safe from them and their plans… "
"I'm entering the disk codes now," Stephin said.
"The information will come onscreen," Cilia said. "But will the citizens believe it?"
"Leave on the audio feed," Obi-Wan told Stephin. Obi-Wan spoke the words crisply, like an order. He did not glance at Qui-Gon. He was totally focused on the moment, on the problem at hand.
Qui-Gon felt a surge of satisfaction. It was as though Obi-Wan had taken a step on a journey back to him. Puzzled, Stephin nodded.
Qui-Gon heard the sound of boots thudding in the hallway. "Take no lives," he told Obi-Wan. If they could accomplish this without loss of life, it would be a good day.
". that a new blast potential of the Annihilator has been discovered. "
The security officers thundered in, blasters pinging, electrojabbers swinging.
"Stay behind us!" Qui-Gon shouted to Cilia, who now was ready to fight and had stepped forward.
The blaster fire was furious. Qui-Gon jumped and twisted, trying to be everywhere at once. Obi-Wan moved to protect Stephin. The guards were well trained for battle. They kept constantly on the move, using sophisticated flanking maneuvers. Qui-Gon realized that Lorian's Temple training had come in handy.
Still, the security officers were not Jedi. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could keep them at bay. He heard more boots thundering down the hallway and the distinctive whirr of oncoming droids.
Yes, they could keep the attackers at bay, but if more and more arrived, how long would it be before blaster fire got through?
Qui-Gon could see that the same thought had occurred to Obi-Wan. His Padawan did not flag, but a renewed burst of energy sent him in a spinning arc. He deflected blaster fire at the same time he destroyed two oncoming droids with a well-placed kick.
Then the moment Qui-Gon was waiting for occurred. The image of Lorian Nod fuzzed and broke into shattered pieces. A memo flashed onscreen.
Stephin had been able to keep the audio feed open. The voice of Lorian Nod boomed out.
"What is that? What is happening? Get that off the screen!"
MISINFORMATION REGARDING "ANNIHILATOR"
The memo title could be read clearly. More information streamed across the stream as the holofile unfolded.
WE KNOW NOT HOW OR WHY THIS RUMOR BEGAN.
"Get that off the screen!" Lorian shouted. "Don't you see what it is, you fools? It's a lie!"
The focus of the security officers wavered. Qui-Gon saw their eyes drift to the screen. They tried to keep fighting and keep track of what was flashing.
Another voice came through the feed. "This says that there is no Annihilator!"
It must have been another officer in the studio who had blurted it out.
"It's a trick," Lorian said. "Spies…"
"It's an official document from Delaluna," another voice said. "Look at the code seal."
The officers had all stopped fighting. They stared at the screen in disbelief. Whoever was programming the droids had stopped. They stopped in midair.
"Let's go," Qui-Gon said to Obi-Wan.
They raced out into the corridor. Following directions Stephin had given them, they ran to the studio and burst through the door.
Lorian's face was dark with rage. "You are under arrest, Jedi!"
"I believe you are mistaken," Qui-Gon said calmly. "We are arresting you."
"That arrest can only be ordered by the president himself!" Lorian snapped. "Guards! Take these Jedi away."
A guard across the room lowered his comlink slowly. "The arrest order has come through," he said. "I am to detain you, Lorian Nod, by order of Minister Ciran Ern."
The color slowly drained from Lorian's face. He tried to smile, but it looked as though it cost him a great deal of effort.
Looking at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, he shrugged. "How strange life is," he said. "The galaxy is so immense, but I can't get away from the Jedi.
They have destroyed my life once again."
Chapter 19
Lorian Nod was in prison, awaiting trial. Cilia was no longer an underground hero, but a public one, able to walk the streets with her husband. The Guardians had fallen into disarray and the minister had promised to disband them.
It was time for the Jedi to leave.
Qui-Gon waited at the landing platform with Obi-Wan. He remembered arriving on this planet while worrying about what was to come with his apprentice. It was true that he missed that pure trust, that lack of shadows between them. He had seen the flaws in Obi-Wan, and the flaws in himself. He had seen where their flaws could rub up against each other and create fissures in their relations, cracking them open like a groundquake could split the very core of a planet.
Yet there was something to be gained from that, Qui-Gon thought. Now their relationship could truly begin, for they had seen the worst of it and they had both decided that what they wanted, the most important thing, was to go on. There had been no betrayal. Qui-Gon knew Dooku was wrong — he was not alone.
"The idea to leave the audio feed open was a good one," he told Obi-Wan. "Lorian was trapped by his denials."
"I thought he might say something incriminating," Obi-Wan said.
"You ordered Stephin to do it," Qui-Gon said. "You did not check with me. You did not even look at me." "I am sorry, Master — "
"It was the right thing to do."
Qui-Gon saw the flash of pleasure in Obi-Wan's eyes. He is no longer afraid of displeasing me, Qui-Gon thought. Good.
"Shall we board?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Of course, Master." Obi-Wan paused and looked longingly at a food court. "But can we eat first?" He grinned. "I'm still thinking about that turnover."
Qui-Gon laughed. Yes, his Padawan was back. And the boy was back, too.
Now they could begin again.
He had not known the Jedi cruiser to Naboo was taking him on what would turn out to be his final mission with Qui-Gon. Yet they both had understood that the time was coming when Qui-Gon would recommend him for the trials. Obi-Wan knew he was ready, but he was not yet prepared to leave his Master. He was anxious to be independent, but he was reluctant to come out from the protection of his alliance with Qui-Gon. It was not apprehension that kept him there, but loyalty.
Friendshi
p. Love. They had spoken more on that trip than they had ever spoken before. Qui-Gon had been in a rare talkative mood, and they had remembered old missions, old acquaintances. They had laughed over the exploits of Didi Oddo, the friend who was always in trouble. They had remembered the loyal brothers, Guerra and Paxxi, now heads of large families on their homeworld of Phindar.
From time to time a shadow would cross Qui-Gon's face and Obi-Wan knew he was thinking of Tahl, who he had loved. Tahl had been killed during a mission to New Apsolon despite their intense efforts to find and save her. The pilot dimmed the lights for sleep. Still Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan did not move. They sat on their chairs, reluctant to move to the sleep area. A silence fell between them, as companionable as always. In the dark silence, Obi-Wan had asked the question that had been in his mind for months.
"Master, can you tell me something I am lacking? Something I cannot see that I need to work on?"
He could not see Qui-Gon's face clearly now. "Do you mean a flaw, Padawan?"
"Yes. You have told me that I worry too much, and I've tried to work on that."
"Ah. You mean you've worried about worrying too much?" Qui-Gon's voice was light. He was teasing him.
"I can be impatient with living beings, too. I know that. And sometimes, I'm a little too confident of my abilities, perhaps."
Now Qui-Gon's tone was serious. "These things are true, Obi-Wan, but they are not flaws. I have seen how hard you have worked. I've seen what you can accomplish."
"Then what is my flaw?" Obi-Wan asked.
There came a silence so long that Obi-Wan wondered if Qui-Gon had fallen asleep. Then his voice rose out of the darkness, soft and deep.
"You will be a great Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I know that with every breath, with every beat of my heart. You will make me proud I was there at your beginnings. If you do have a flaw, perhaps it is simply this: You wish to please me too much."
Twenty-three Years Later
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
Chapter 20
Obi-Wan had never understood the meaning of Qui-Gon's words. He had meant to ask him after the mission was over. He had puzzled over the words, forgotten them, remembered them again, pushed them away only to have them reappear in his mind.
And now, they haunted him.
The Clone Wars had begun. The galaxy had fractured and the Republic was threatening to split apart. They had discovered that the former Jedi, Count Dooku, was leading the Separatists. Many Jedi had lost their lives on Geonosis six months earlier. The tragedy of that battle infused the Temple, made every Jedi walk with a heavy step. Their vision had been clouded for so long. They realized this, yet their vision did not clear. It was as though a dark curtain was draped over the Temple.
And something had changed within Anakin Skywalker. Something that made Obi-Wan uneasy. And now a worry had been pushed to the forefront of his mind — had his love for Qui-Gon blinded him to the faults in Anakin for too long?
The uneasiness he felt about Anakin, the sense of dull dread that had the power to wake him up from a deep sleep, now had a partner: the conviction that it was too late to do anything about it.
His Master could not have foreseen all that had taken place. Yet he had placed a sure finger on the spot that was most vulnerable in Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had opened his heart to Anakin because of Qui-Gon's belief that Anakin was the chosen one. Had he tried too hard? Had he overlooked what he should not have overlooked?
Love had never blinded Qui-Gon. But it has blinded me.
There was too great a distance between him and Anakin now, at a time when he needed to keep his Padawan even closer than before. Every instinct told him that Anakin had been profoundly changed while they were apart before the Battle of Geonosis. He knew that Anakin had been to Tatooine and he knew Anakin's mother was dead. He knew that a bond had grown between Anakin and the brilliant Senator Padme Amidala.
He sensed that some of the change was for the better. Some not. It was as if Anakin had grown harder — and more secretive. One thing Obi-Wan saw clearly: Anakin had lost his boyishness. He was a man now.
Whatever the changes were, they did not bring Anakin peace. Obi-Wan sensed his Padawan's restlessness, his impatience. He saw that Anakin no longer felt the same sense of peace from the Temple. He always wanted to be moving. He always wanted to be somewhere else.
Obi-Wan stood in the doorway of the Map Room of the Temple, watching Anakin. This was a place Anakin came when his mind was restless. For some reason his Padawan found it calming to set dozens of holographic planets spinning while voices intoned their details: geography, language, government, customs. Out of the chaos, Anakin would distinguish one voice. Then he would trace another, then another, until he could clearly hear each voice amid the babble.
Anakin had grown quite adept at this game, Obi-Wan saw. Holograms whirled around his head like angry insects. The voices were a confusing blur to Obi-Wan. He couldn't imagine why someone would find peace during this. As he watched, Anakin lifted a finger and added another planet to the mix.
"Anakin."
Anakin did not turn. Most beings would. Instead he lifted a hand. One by one the planet holograms disappeared, the voices cut off until the last solitary voice was silenced. Obi-Wan noted that it had been intoning the precious metals of Naboo. Anakin stood and turned.
Obi-Wan could see that Anakin was still not used to his new artificial hand. He hugged that arm a little closer to his body. The sight tore at Obi-Wan's heart.
"Master."
"Master Yoda has requested our presence."
"A mission?"
"I do not know."
Over the past weeks there had been much to do, too much to plan — too many battles. The Jedi Council held constant strategy sessions. It was necessary to carefully place the Jedi where they were most needed.
Systems and planets were now vulnerable, and many were highly strategic. The Separatists were gaining new planets with a combination of coercion and force. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine pledged to help planets loyal to the Republic.
"You go to the Map Room when you are troubled by something," Obi-Wan said as they walked. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Anakin made a restless gesture. "What is the good of talking?"
"It can be very good," Obi-Wan said gently. "Anakin, I see that the past months have marked you. I am your Master. I am here to help you in any way I can."
He could see his Padawan only in profile, but Anakin's mouth tightened. "I have seen things I wish I had not seen. I did not think so many Jedi could die. I did not think a once-great Jedi Master could fall so far."
"Count Dooku's fall has troubled us all," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "Now we have a great and powerful enemy." His thoughts turned to his battle with Dooku. He had never met such power in battle before. He had never come up against something that had completely overpowered him. Even meeting the Sith Lord who had killed Qui-Gon had not been the same. If only Qui-Gon were alive, to give them insights into Dooku. Now Obi-Wan thought back and wondered why Qui-Gon had never spoken of his Master.
He would never know that, either.
He would have liked more time to talk to Anakin, but they drew up in front of the reception chamber where Yoda had asked them to convene.
Obi-Wan stepped forward to access the door but it slid open before he could. Yoda was always a step ahead of him.
Yet Yoda had a more significant surprise. He stood in the middle of the room with Lorian Nod. Lorian was older, his hair completely silver now. He wasn't as lean, but his body still looked strong. Dressed in a cloak of veda cloth, he looked more like a successful businessman than a soldier, but it was unmistakably Lorian Nod.
"What is he doing here?" Obi-Wan barked. He was seldom, if ever, rude.
But lately he hadn't had the time to hide his feelings. Anakin was not the only one who had developed impatience.
"To help the Jedi, Lorian Nod has come," Yoda said. "Really," Obi-Wan said, strolling in. "Are you offering
to set up your own security force, Nod?"
Lorian bowed his head slightly, as if he had expected Obi-Wan's jibe and accepted it as his due. "I knew I would meet skepticism if I came here," he said. "All I can say is that I admit I have not operated within galactic laws during some periods of my life. Yet now, when things are so serious, I find that I must return to my beginnings. I wish to help the Jedi."