"Obi-Wan is better."
She nodded. "I thought he would be. I came to start the refueling. I
didn't want you to leave without me."
"I thought about it," Qui-Gon said. "Then I thought about how
stubborn you are."
"It's a family trait." Eritha hesitated. "Tahl is important to me,
Qui-Gon. I'd do anything for her. I promise I won't slow you down."
"I'll hold you to that," he said.
They completed the refueling in companionable silence, and Obi-Wan
joined them. The stars had faded but the sky was still gray as they bid
good-bye to Bini, Kevta, and Yanci.
Qui-Gon thanked them for their courtesy, but his mind was already on
the day ahead. The tracking would not be easy.
"We wish you luck on your quest," Bini said. "Don't push yourself
with that leg," Yanci told Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan thanked her and swung his leg a bit awkwardly over the saddle
of his swoop. Eritha fired up her engines, and Qui-Gon took the lead.
With a last wave, they headed out of the settlement.
Qui-Gon went to the coordinates where the Rock Workers had lost the
Absolute attack team the last time they pursued them.
"We need to find an indication that Balog headed this way as well,"
he told Obi-Wan. "The Rock Workers think the Absolutes took the west route
through the canyons. Balog would have to change direction here."
"I don't understand," Eritha said. "The ground is sheer rock. How can
you see anything?"
But the ground wasn't sheer rock, not to a Jedi. Obi-Wan left his
swoop and began to search in ever-widening circles with Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon
could see that his Padawan's leg was troubling him, but he focused on the
task.
Obi-Wan found the first clue. At first it appeared to be a mere
discoloration on rock. But further study told them it was the mark of
Balog's high-speed engine. They recognized it now.
Qui-Gon crouched over the markings on the rock. "Good work, Padawan.
Balog is heading west. Look at the pattern of the exhaust. That way." Qui-
Gon pointed to the crags in the distance. Beyond the crags, he would find
her. He could feel it. Her presence suddenly pulsed inside him like a
heartbeat.
Eritha watched them, mystified and impressed.
"Remind me never to hide from the two of you," she said.
They set off again. Without the help of the probe droid, it was slow
going. They were forced to dismount time after time to check their
progress. By midday, they had found the campsite where Balog had spent the
night.
"He left this morning," Qui-Gon said quietly, studying the flat rock
where Balog had placed his condenser unit for heat. He could see a scorch
mark and some boot marks in the surrounding dirt. "We are close." His gaze
was fierce when he lifted his head. He looked past Obi-Wan toward the
rugged landscape. "Very close."
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon heard the noise of the transport at the same
time. They both turned toward the source of the sound.
"What is it?" Eritha asked.
The speck in the distance grew rapidly and turned into Yanci, her
auburn hair flying in the wind as she piloted a swoop at maximum speed
toward them.
"Something's wrong," Obi-Wan said.
Yanci pulled up so rapidly she almost tipped the swoop. She hovered
next to them.
"We need you," she gasped, out of breath. "A raid... a massive raid..
. like nothing we've seen - "
She bent over, trying to catch her breath. "This time they are trying
to destroy the entire camp," she said after a moment. "They are killing as
many of us as they can. Using small explosives and blasters. We have
some weapons. Not many."
Eritha put her hands to her cheeks. "This is terrible. We must do
something."
"Of course we will come," Obi-Wan said.
"Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "May I speak with you." He turned to Yanci.
"Just one moment, no more."
Obi-Wan dismounted from his swoop and went to join Qui-Gon a short
distance away where they could not be overheard.
"You must return with Yanci," Qui-Gon told him. "I will go on. We are
too close to Tahl to turn back."
Obi-Wan stared at him, astonished. Qui-Gon understood how he felt.
The Rock Workers were in desperate need of help. The Jedi were asked to
give it. He could not believe that Qui-Gon would turn away like this. But
how could he return when he felt Tahl's presence, when he knew she was only
hours away?
"It's hard to leave our pursuit of Tahl," Obi-Wan said. "But the Rock
Workers need us, Qui-Gon."
"They need Jedi help, it is true," Qui-Gon said. He put his hand on
Obi-Wan's shoulder. "You can provide this. But our first mission is to save
Tahl."
"Our first mission always is to save lives and promote justice," Obi-
Wan said, incredulous. "The Rock Workers need both of us, Qui-Gon."
"I am going forward," Qui-Gon said. His gaze was as flinty as the
rocks surrounding them. "I cannot turn back now." Tahl was close. He could
feel her. And he could feel that she was slipping away from him.
"What about Eritha?" Obi-Wan asked, lowering his voice. "If she
returns with me, we will be putting her in danger. And if she goes on with
you, she will not have the full protection she needs."
Obi-Wan was right. Qui-Gon struggled with the dilemma for a moment.
"She will go with you," he said. "But before you reach the Rock Workers'
camp, you must leave her in a safe place. You must do this, Obi-Wan. She
has no place in that battle. I will come when I can."
"Master," Obi-Wan said, his eyes locking on Qui-Gon's, "this is
wrong. You know it is. Tahl would say the same. How can you turn your back
on these people?"
"Our mission is too important," Qui-Gon said.
"And Tahl..." His voice died away, and his hand dropped from Obi-
Wan's shoulder.
They stood not speaking for a moment. Qui-Gon felt the gulf between
them. His Padawan was filled with doubt and confusion. But he couldn't
explain, not here, not now. He would have to go back to the vision he had
on Coruscant, how every event since they'd arrived on New Apsolon had
confirmed his dread. And he would have to tell Obi-Wan how he felt about
Tahl. That was a conversation for another time.
His Padawan looked so confused that he relented. "Obi-Wan, I cannot
abandon her," he said, his voice low. His gaze pleaded with Obi-Wan to
understand.
But he got no such understanding. Obi-Wan shook his head. "You're
wrong."
The flat words took him aback. It had been years since Obi-Wan had
contradicted him so boldly. Qui-Gon flushed with an emotion he wasn't sure
of himself.
He turned away without another word and headed to his landspeeder.
CHAPTER 12
With a grace surprising for a large man, Qui-Gon quickly sprang into
the pilot seat, reversed the engines to turn the craft, and zoomed off.
Eritha ran toward Obi-Wan. "Qui-Gon isn't coming with us?"
"He has gon
e on with our mission," Obi-Wan said. "We will return with
Yanci. But you will remain hidden outside the Rock Worker camp. You will
not get involved in this battle."
He spoke the words automatically, his eyes on Qui-Gon's transport as
it dwindled in the distance. He wondered if Qui-Gon had formulated a plan
of attack for when they caught up to Balog. He assumed so. Yet Qui-Gon
seemed so driven, so caught up in finding Balog, it did not seem he had
time to formulate a strategy. Obi-Wan had wanted to ask, but did not want
to insult his Master. Usually, Qui-Gon found his own time to inform Obi-Wan
what he was thinking.
But Qui-Gon had not found that time. Obi-Wan was just as confused as
when they'd started. Now Qui-Gon was violating Jedi principles by ignoring
a cry for help.
He had spoken bluntly to his Master, but he did not regret his words.
He was right. It was Qui-Gon's duty as a Jedi to turn away from what he
wanted in order to help those who needed him.
Obi-Wan had felt this way once before, long ago, on the planet of
Melida/Daan. There he had begged Qui-Gon to stay and help the Young. They
were being massacred by their own leaders and parents. That day, Qui-Gon
had refused to help in the same way. And Tahl had been the reason then,
too.
Something in Obi-Wan's face prevented the argument that rose to
Eritha's lips. Instead, she pressed them together and nodded. "I'll do what
you say."
Relieved that he had won that battle, at least, Obi-Wan signaled to
Yanci.
"Qui-Gon has to go on, but I am coming with you," he told her. "We
need to find a place close to the camp to conceal Eritha."
"I know a place," Yanci said, nodding. She swung a leg over her swoop
and waited for Obi-Wan and Eritha to mount their vehicles. Then, taking the
lead, she sped off.
Obi-Wan felt his muscles tense, and his leg suddenly throbbed in
protest. He had to struggle for the Jedi calm that was necessary before
battle. He and Qui-Gon did not usually argue. Since their rupture when he
had left the Jedi order, they had learned to honor each other's moods and
inclinations. Even when they disagreed, they had found harmony. One of them
stepped back and let the other make the decision. Usually it was Obi-Wan
who let Qui-Gon lead, as a Padawan should. But as he grew older, his Master
often let Obi-Wan choose, just as he had allowed Obi-Wan to choose a path
back on Ragoon-6 during their tracking exercise. They never separated in
anger after a disagreement.
Obi-Wan was startled at how disappointed and angry he still felt
about Qui-Gon's decision. The wind was cooling his hot cheeks, but not his
disquiet.
Would this disagreement shake their union? He didn't know. He had
felt distance between them since they arrived on New Apsolon. Perhaps this
would deepen it.
He couldn't worry about it. He had spoken the truth. But the distance
he felt from his Master saddened him.
Obi-Wan turned his mind away from the disagreement and used the time
to focus. He would need a sure connection to the Force. His wound would
slow him down somewhat, and Qui-Gon would not be there to cover him. He
would have to rely on strategy more than speed.
They were approaching the Rock Worker settlement when Yanci signaled
them. She turned the swoop away and led them toward a split in a sheer
wall. Eritha's landspeeder cleared the opening with just centimeters to
spare.
"They won't find her here," Yanci said. "I doubt they'd be looking
for strays. We think their object was to steal our most advanced
explosives."
"I will contact you when the situation is safe," Obi-Wan told Eritha.
She looked reluctant, but she nodded.
Suddenly, he felt a surge in the Force. He whipped his head around
and saw nothing.
Yanci zoomed out of the crack in the canyon wall, and he followed. He
quickly scanned the horizon and saw Qui-Gon's landspeeder in the distance,
gaining fast.
Obi-Wan signaled to Yanci, then headed out to meet Qui-Gon. When he
caught up to the landspeeder, he hovered by Qui-Gon's side.
Qui-Gon looked at him directly. His face showed the signs of a great
internal struggle. "I was wrong, Padawan. Thank you for pointing it out to
me. My duty lies here. No matter," he said with difficulty, "what it may
cost."
Obi-Wan nodded. "I'm glad you came back."
Gunning their motors, they caught up to Yanci.
"I'm taking you around a back way," she told them. "When I left, we
had managed to hold our position surrounding the unit where we keep the
supplies and explosives."
They didn't need the caution. They took a roundabout way, skirting
the settlement. Yanci slowed her speeder as they approached a road cut
through a narrow canyon.
Obi-Wan listened for the sounds of battle, but heard nothing except
the wind. The quiet was eerie. He glanced over at Qui-Gon and saw his
Master frown.
Something lay in the road ahead. Obi-Wan didn't need to come closer
to know what it was. The deep disturbance in the Force told him everything.
Yanci slowed to a crawl, almost stalling her swoop. "It's a body,"
she said shakily.
Suddenly, she gunned the engine and zoomed ahead. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon
speeded up to catch her.
Yanci was off her swoop before it had stopped. It kept going and
crashed, but she didn't react. She raced toward the body in the road. Her
cry was terrible.
"Kevta!" She bent over the body. With tears streaming down her face,
she checked for his vital signs. She placed her hands on his chest. "Kevta!
" Her cry turned to a moan, and she collapsed, cradling his head.
Qui-Gon's face went pale. Obi-Wan saw that his Master could not tear
his gaze away from the sight.
"Master," he said. "We need to go on, find out what happened..."
Qui-Gon's nod seemed to take forever. "One moment." His voice was
hoarse.
He got off the landspeeder and walked to Yanci's side. He crouched by
her and put a hand on her shoulder. He did not speak a word. He let his
presence balance her grief until she was able to lift her head.
"I left him," she said, her voice broken. "He made me go. I am the
best on a swoop, he said. I am the one who knows the quarries best. I was
the one who could catch the Jedi. I left him!"
"You left in order to save your people," Qui-Gon said.
"And I failed them. If Kevta is dead, I don't want to see the rest of
the camp." Yanci gently laid her head on Kevta's chest. "I will stay here.
I can't leave him."
Qui-Gon squeezed her shoulder. Then he stood. Wordlessly, he nodded
at Obi-Wan. The two Jedi knew what they were about to find. Death lay ahead
of them.
They walked farther into the camp. Some of the dwellings were still
smoking from fires the Absolutes had set. Bodies lay alongside the road.
The Rock Workers still clutched the tools they had used as weapons.
Obi-Wan saw Bini on the ground. Her sightless eyes stared up at the
sky. H
e knelt beside her and gently closed her eyelids. "Sleep well," he
murmured.
Qui-Gon entered the school. Several long moments passed before he
exited. "It is better for you not to go in," he told Obi-Wan. "The Rock
Workers tried to hide the children there. The Absolutes left no one alive."
Obi-Wan turned away. Qui-Gon was right. He did not need to see it.
The sound of a speeder rose above the eerie quiet. Eritha rode slowly