The Captive Temple Page 2

  They stared up. At first they saw only what they were meant to see: a brilliant sun in a blue sky. Then everything seemed to happen at once. There was a dimming in the light, and suddenly, an object crashed down through the sky, which they could now see was only a scrim. The skeletal forms of catwalks and the blocks of illumination banks were revealed. Part of a horizontal tunnel swung in midair.

  "It's the horizontal turbolift," Bant said, horrified. "It's going to crash!"

  Obi-Wan saw everything in a flash, but with the clarity of slow motion. The turbolift ran horizontally high above, crossing above the lake and surrounding trails. Normally, it was hidden from view by the glare from the giant illumination banks. But a portion of the lift had fallen through its shaft, knocking out a bank of lights.

  "The repulsorlift engines must have blown," Obi-Wan guessed. "It's hanging by a thread."

  "That turbolift links the nursery and care centers for the younger children to the dining halls," Bant said, her eyes on it. "It could be filled with children." She wrenched her eyes away.

  "I don't have my comlink," Obi-Wan said quickly. "It was damaged on Melida/Daan."

  "I'll go," Bant decided. "You stay in case ... in case it falls."

  Bant streaked away. Obi-Wan knew she was heading for the comm unit at the entrance to the lake level. He could not tear his eyes from the turbolift. The shaft swayed slightly. Any moment it could plunge into the lake below.

  But the turbolift held.

  He couldn't stand around and do nothing. Obi-Wan scanned the tech area overhead. He hadn't realized what a maze of catwalks it was. If the children could climb out of the turbolift, they could escape over the catwalks to the tech service level....

  The thought flashed across his mind and he sprinted toward the tech door hidden in the foliage. He burst through and pressed the button for the vertical lift tube. Nothing happened. Obi-Wan turned and saw a narrow staircase heading up. He took the stairs two at a time, his legs pumping, his muscles tiring as the long climb went on. Still he did not falter.

  At last he burst out onto the top level. A tunnel led to a series of doors marked with numbers: B27, B28, B29, and on and on. Which door would lead to a catwalk closest to the damaged turbolift?

  Obi-Wan paused. His heart was beating furiously. He wanted to charge ahead, but he would waste precious time if he didn't think this through. He oriented himself to the floor below, picturing where the turbolift hung. Then he quickly walked down the tunnel past the doors until he felt he was close to where the lift would be. He pressed the button marked access on door B37. The door hissed open and he stepped out onto a small landing.

  The turbolift still hung precariously out in the middle of the giant space. If he followed the catwalk, it would bring him close to the part of the shaft that was still intact. He could cut a hole in it with his lightsaber by leaning over the catwalk railing. Then he would have to hoist himself into the shaft and walk a short distance to the turbolift.

  If the shaft didn't break free because of his weight. ..

  Obi-Wan knew he would have to take the chance. Peering over the catwalk, he could see that Bant hadn't arrived with help. If the service lift tube was out of order, perhaps the comm unit was as well.

  Quickly he moved down the catwalk. Massive illumination banks surrounded him. Peering through them, he could see the glint of the lake far below. Even the tallest trees seemed impossibly small from this height.

  When he reached the area of the shaft that curved close to the catwalk, Obi-Wan powered up his lightsaber. Carefully and slowly, he carved an opening in the shaft. He did not want the peeled metal to fall back into the shaft itself. Then he returned his lightsaber to his belt.

  He climbed over the railing. Now there was nothing between him and the lake hundreds of meters below. He could not hear any noise from the turbolift, but he felt the ripples of distress and fear. He could sense that children were trapped inside.

  Obi-Wan slid himself halfway into the shaft. Without letting go of the railing, he tested his weight. The shaft didn't wobble, or make a noise. It would hold him. He eased off the catwalk, ready to spring back if the shaft began to swing. But it didn't move.

  He would have to move slowly. If he ran, the vibration could jostle the shaft and it could break free. Obi-Wan closed his mind against the dark lake below, the image of trapped children falling. He began to walk. The shaft was dark, and he activated his lightsaber for illumination. Ahead he could see the bulky form of the turbo-lift. As he drew closer, he could hear the deep voice of a Jedi caretaker and the occasional murmuring of the children.

  His progress was agonizingly slow, but he reached the turbolift wall at last. He tapped on it.

  "It's Obi-Wan Kenobi," he called. "I'm in the turbolift shaft."

  "It's Ali-Alann," the deep voice said. "I am the children's caretaker."

  "How many are inside?"

  "Ten children and myself."

  "Help is on the way."

  Ali-Alann's voice had not a trace of nerves in it. "The repulsorlift engines malfunctioned one by one. Only one holds us. The comm unit is not working. The escape hatch will not open. I don't carry a lightsaber."

  Obi-Wan knew what Ali-Alann was telling him. The last repulsorlift engine could go at any time. They were trapped.

  "Keep the children away from this wall," Obi-Wan directed him.

  Again moving more slowly than he liked, Obi-Wan cut a hole in the turbolift wall. The metal peeled back but did not separate from the lift itself. Good. Obi-Wan held his lightsaber like a torch. The glow revealed the upturned, serious faces of the children and the evident relief on Ali-Alann's face.

  "We have to move very slowly," Obi-Wan told Ali-Alann, then shifted to a low voice so that the children would not overhear. "The shaft is precarious. I'm not sure how much weight it can hold."

  Ali-Alann nodded. "We'll bring them out one at a time then."

  The process was agonizingly slow. The children were all under four years of age. They could walk, of course, but Obi-Wan thought it better to carry them. Ali-Alann handed him the first child, a small human girl who trustingly wound her arms around Obi-Wan's neck.

  "What's your name?" he asked.

  Her red hair was braided in coils around her head, and her brown eyes were serious. "Honi. I'm almost three."

  "Well, Honi-who-is-almost-three, hang on to me."

  She pressed her head against his chest. Obi-Wan walked back down the shaft. When he got to the opening, he held Honi against him with one hand and reached out to grab the catwalk railing with the other. It would require perfect balance to make the move to the catwalk.

  He heard the sound of footsteps. In another instant Qui-Gon stood across from him on the catwalk. He held out his arms. "I can take the child."

  Obi-Wan swung out as Qui-Gon reached and safely passed Honi to him.

  "There are nine children left, and Ali-Alann," he said.

  "The Masters are below," Qui-Gon told him. "They are using the Force to keep the turbolift aloft."

  Now Obi-Wan could feel it: a tremendous wave in the Force, strong and deep. He glanced below. The Council members stood in a ring, their focus on the turbolift.

  "But I would not dawdle, just the same," Qui-Gon said dryly as he turned to bring Honi to safety.

  Obi-Wan made his way back to the turbolift. One by one, he carried out the children. One by one, he handed them to Qui-Gon. The children were already trained in calmness and the Force. Not one whimpered or cried, although some had to try hard not to. Trust was in their eyes and the relaxed posture of their bodies as they allowed themselves to be carried and handed over a gap to the tiny catwalk hundreds of meters above the lake.

  When only two children were left, Ali-Alann carried one to safety while Obi-Wan took the last, a young boy only two years old. Obi-Wan waited while Ali-Alann walked down the shaft. He heard the shaft creak and felt it wobble as Ali-Alann slowly made his way toward the catwalk. The Jedi was tall and strong, with a
similar build to Qui-Gon's. Obi-Wan could sense the weakening of the shaft as Ali-Alann moved.

  At last he handed over the child and swung himself onto the catwalk. Obi-Wan made the trip for the last time. With every step, he felt the shaft sway. Yet he knew that if he ran, it could break away completely. He handed the child to Qui-Gon and swung himself onto the catwalk. The shaft swayed but did not break. He looked down below and saw the Jedi Masters in a ring, concentrating on the shaft high above their heads.

  Jedi Knights had already carried the children downstairs in relays. Obi-Wan followed Ali-Alann and Qui-Gon down the long, winding staircase to the lake level. Sweet relief coursed through him. The children were safe.

  He walked behind Qui-Gon to the lakefront where the Masters were waiting. Bant held a child in her arms, talking to him quietly, and Yoda placed a hand on the head of one of the children. The atmosphere was being kept calm so that the children would not be frightened by their experience.

  "You did well, children," Mace Windu said, flashing them a rare smile. "The Force was with you."

  "And Ali-Alann was there, too," Honi spoke up earnestly. "He told us stories."

  Smiling, Mace Windu patted her hair. "Ali-Alann will take you to the dining hall now. But not on the turbolift."

  The children laughed. They clustered around Ali-Alann, obviously adoring their large, gentle caretaker.

  "Well you handled this, Ali-Alann," Yoda told him. The Council members nodded.

  "The Force was with us," Ali-Alann repeated. He led the children away.

  "And you, young Bant," Mace Windu continued, turning to her. "You are to be commended as well. You stayed calm when you found the comm unit was dead on the lake level. Your speed in getting help was admirable."

  "Any of us would have done the same," Bant answered.

  "No, Bant," Qui-Gon said warmly. "It was wise to come straight to the Council room. And your calmness in the face of great peril was true to the Jedi way."

  Bant colored. "Thank you. My wish was to help the children."

  "As you did," Qui-Gon said.

  Obi-Wan felt a stab of jealousy and longing. The warmth in Qui-Gon's eyes and voice was unmistakable. Obi-Wan waited for the Council to notice him. It wasn't as though he had rescued the children in order to win praise. But he couldn't help feeling glad that he had been given an opportunity to come to the aid of the Temple . At least the Council had seen a better side of him.

  "As for you, Obi-Wan," Mace Windu said, turning to him, "you are to be thanked for your rescue of the children. You showed quick thinking."

  Obi-Wan opened his mouth to answer with humility, as a Jedi should. But Mace Windu kept talking.

  "However," he continued, "you also showed that impulsiveness is your flaw. The same flaw that has led us to hesitate about your suitability to be a Jedi. You acted alone. You did not wait for help and direction. You could have endangered the children needlessly. The shaft could have broken free."

  "But I tested my weight, and I moved carefully. A-And help was not arriving--" Obi-Wan said, stuttering. He was stunned that the Council had found fault with him.

  Mace Windu turned away. Obi-Wan's own voice echoed in his ears, and he realized that he sounded as though he were stammering out excuses. Bant looked at him with compassion.

  "Please do not interfere again," Mace Windu said. "The Council will now discuss what is to be done about the shaft. We must close down the wing."

  Qui-Gon put his hand on Bant's shoulder. The two followed the Council members from the lake.

  Obi-Wan stood, watching them go. He did not think this day could get any worse. Now it had. In the eyes of the Council, he could do nothing right.

  And in Qui-Gon's eyes, he was worth nothing at all.

  They were too hard on him, Qui-Gon thought as he left Bant and proceeded to his meeting with Yoda. Obi-Wan had acted impulsively, yes - but Qui-Gon would have done the same. He couldn't interfere with the Council's admonishment, however. And he had come to trust their wisdom in such matters. No doubt it was better for Obi-Wan to reflect on his impulsiveness, since that was what led him to leave the path of the Jedi in the first place. Mace Windu, Yoda, and the Council always had a reason behind their severity. So although he wanted to stay with Obi-Wan, he had left him so that the boy could think about what Mace Windu had said.

  Obi-Wan had taken a chance. No doubt about that. Qui-Gon's steps faltered momentarily as he recalled how he felt when he arrived at the lake and realized that Obi-Wan was in the turbolift shaft. A deep sense of dread had pierced him. What if the shaft had broken free before the Masters had arrived? What if Obi-Wan had perished? Qui-Gon's heart stopped at the thought.

  His hurried pace resumed. He had learned much over the past weeks about how the heart could surprise you. He was beginning to realize just how intricate and deep the bonds were between him and his former Padawan.

  But he must focus on the problem at hand. Whatever needed to be resolved must wait.

  Yoda stood in the middle of the empty white space of the safe room in the central tower, where no surveillance could possibly penetrate.

  "Confirmed it is by Miro Daroon," he told Qui-Gon. "Sabotage it was. A timing device in the repulsorlift engines, and a bug in the central core that shut down the lift tubes and comm units in the area. Find this person we must, Qui-Gon. After the children now, he is. Strange I find it that Bruck could be involved in such a thing," Yoda brooded.

  "The last repulsorlift engine held," Qui-Gon pointed out. "I do not think the turbolift was meant to fall."

  Yoda turned to him. "Taunting us, the intruder is? Endangering the lives of babies for a joke?"

  "Or there is some other motive," Qui-Gon said. "It's not clear to me yet. At first I thought the petty thefts were designed strictly to irritate and tease. Now I wonder otherwise. The stolen items appear to have served various purposes. The toolbox from the servo-utility unit was most likely used to dismantle the repulsorlift engines. The teacher's meditation robe was used for the intruder to travel about freely, especially in the early morning when most Knights meditate."

  "And the fourth year student's sporting gear?" Yoda asked.

  "No significance yet," Qui-Gon said. "And then there are the stolen school records. Only students with names A through H. Bruck's last name is Chun. I'm certain the records were stolen to conceal something about him."

  Yoda nodded. "Time it will take, to regather information. Something you do not know, Qui-Gon - a sensitive time for the Jedi this is. A secret mission for the Senate we have undertaken. Held in our Jedi treasury is a large shipment of vertex."

  Qui-Gon could not keep the surprise from his face. Vertex was a highly valuable mineral. After the raw substance was mined, it was cut into crystals of various shapes for currency. Many worlds used crystalline vertex instead of credits.

  "Unprecedented it was, to accept such a shipment," Yoda agreed, noting Qui-Gon's surprise. "Yet the Council thought it best. Two star systems there are, locked in conflict over the shipment. Agree to peace talks they would not, unless a neutral party held the shipment. Almost concluded, the peace agreement is. If word there is that the Temple is vulnerable, war there would be." Yoda's voice dropped in concern. "A large war it would be, Qui-Gon. Many alliances these star systems have."

  Qui-Gon digested this information. It often struck him that even while the Temple was a haven, it was connected to the galaxy in so many intricate ways.

  "There is no time to waste," he told Yoda. "I will start with Miro Daroon. I must discover how Bruck and this intruder manage to navigate around the Temple without being seen. I'll need to coordinate with Tahl."

  Yoda blinked at him. "And Obi-Wan?"

  "The Council has ordered Obi-Wan to stay out of this," Qui-Gon answered, surprised.

  "Predict I do that the boy will find a way to offer his help again,” Yoda said.

  "And I should refuse?"

  Yoda waved an arm. "Directly involved the boy should not be. But shut him
out, I would not."

  Qui-Gon smiled grimly as he hurried away. It was contradictory advice, typical of Yoda. Yet the Master's advice somehow always turned out to make perfect sense.

  Qui-Gon took a shortcut through the Room of a Thousand Fountains in order to reach the lift tube that would take him directly to the tech center. He walked purposefully through the winding paths, barely noticing his surroundings, intent on the problem at hand.

  Then he saw the destroyed footbridge where the attack on Yoda had taken place. Qui-Gon stopped, his gaze on the splintered bridge, his thoughts suddenly in the past. Years ago, he had a mission to stop a tyrant from taking over a world in the Outer Rim. The tyrant's strategy was based on a simple equation: Disruption + Demoralization + Distraction = Devastation.

  That was the pattern, Qui-Gon realized. The thefts had followed the formula. Disruption: the petty thefts disrupted classes and activities. Demoralization: the theft of the Healing Crystals of Fire and the attack on Yoda had caused many students to lose heart. Distraction: the failing of the cooling system, the security breaches, and the destruction of one of the main turbolifts meant that the Jedi had to focus to keep the Temple running. Was the same evil formula working to dismantle the Temple ? That tyrant was dead, killed years ago, but had he spread his equation of evil?

  Suddenly, Qui-Gon felt a deep disturbance in the Force. It cleaved the air in front of him. The solid rocks seemed to shimmer.

  The dark side was here.

  The feeling lingered. The fountains continued to flow, the spray from rushing water still cooling his cheeks. He surveyed the area carefully, noting every leaf, every shadow. He saw nothing out of the ordinary.

  Yet he knew something was there.

  Obi-Wan decided he needed a new comlink. What if something happened in front of his eyes again, and he needed to summon help? Or suppose Qui-Gon or the Council changed their minds and needed him?

  It could be wishful thinking, but I don't care, Obi-Wan thought. I have to think like a Jedi, even if the Council doesn't want me to.