The Uncertain Path Page 5

  Unbidden, an image flashed in Obi-Wan's mind. He saw the Temple, rising through the blue skies and white buildings of Coruscant, impossibly high, flashing golden in the light. He saw long, cool halls, quiet rooms, rushing fountains, a lake greener than Cerasi's eyes. He felt the hush inside himself as he sat in front of the healing crystals of fire and gazed into their flickering depths.

  The emotion swamped him. He missed being a Jedi.

  He missed his sure, strong connection to the Force. He had lost that. It was almost as though he were a first-year student again, aware of something he could feel, but unable to control it. He missed the sense of purpose he felt at the Temple, the sense that he knew exactly where he was going and was content to follow his path.

  And he missed Qui-Gon most of all.

  That connection was over. Obi-Wan could return to the Temple. Yoda would welcome him, he knew. Whether he could be a Jedi again was up to the Council to decide. Others had left and come back.

  But Qui-Gon would not take him back, nor would he welcome him. The Jedi Master was through with him. And, Obi-Wan knew, he had every right to be. Once broken, such profound trust cannot be regained.

  Cerasi read the truth in his eyes. "You miss it."

  "Yes."

  She nodded, as though this confirmed something she'd been thinking about. "It's not a shameful thing, Obi-Wan. Maybe you were meant for a wider world than we can offer you here. Your destiny might be for a different life."

  "But I love Melida/Daan," Obi-Wan said.

  "That doesn't have to change. You could contact him, you know."

  Obi-Wan did not have to ask who she meant.

  "You chose as you had to at that moment," Cerasi continued. "From what you've told me of the Jedi, no one will blame you."

  Obi-Wan looked over the plaza toward the gray sky, up into the atmosphere where a few stars were beginning to twinkle. Beyond them lay the other worlds of the galaxy, Coruscant among them. A distance of three days with a fast ship. Yet for Obi-Wan, unreachable.

  "One will blame me," he replied. "Always."

  Tahl and Qui-Gon went through their lists. Every student, teacher, and Temple worker who had access to the various stolen items and could not account for their time during that period was cross-checked against the central list. They hoped to narrow down who they needed to interview. The computer tallied the names. The list was narrowed to two hundred and sixty-seven.

  Tahl groaned aloud when the computer read the number. "It will take days to interview so many."

  "Then we'd better get started," Qui-Gon said.

  One advantage they had was that the interviews could be short. They scheduled each one for five minutes only. All they needed was for Tahl to pick up the scent she'd smelled in Qui-Gon's quarters.

  The short time between interviews meant that students ran into each other outside the room. Gossip buzzed out in the halls. The rumors about the stolen crystals were starting. Soon, there was a continual pileup of students in the hall.

  "Where is TooJay when I need her?" Tahl complained wearily at the end of a long day. "Somebody should take charge out there."

  "We're almost through," Qui-Gon said. "Bant Eerin is next."

  A gentle knock came on the door, and Qui-Gon activated the release. The door hissed open.

  Bant was only eleven, and small for her age. A Calamarian, she thrived in moist, humid climates. Qui-Gon knew that she had been a special friend of Obi-Wan's. She looked nervous as she approached the table where Qui-Gon and Tahl were sitting. Too nervous?

  Tahl didn't indicate any surprise or special alertness. But underneath the table, she reached out and grabbed Qui-Gon's knee.

  She had smelled the intruder.

  Qui-Gon looked at the slender girl again. Surely this couldn't be the thief! Bant's silver eyes slid away from his gaze involuntarily. Then she remembered her Jedi training and quickly met his gaze.

  "You seem uncomfortable," Qui-Gon began neutrally. "This is not an inquisition."

  Bant nodded uneasily.

  "But you can see that with the thefts, we need to speak with all students."

  Again, she nodded.

  "Would you consent to have your room searched?"

  "Of-of course," Bant replied.

  "Have you ever violated Temple security?"

  "No," Bant said, her voice wobbling a bit.

  Tahl leaned over to murmur in Qui-Gon's ear. "She is afraid of you."

  Yes, Qui-Gon could feel it, too. Why should Bant be afraid?

  "Why are you afraid?" he asked sternly.

  Bant swallowed. "B-because you are Qui-Gon Jinn. You took Obi-Wan away. All he wanted was to be your Padawan, but a short while later he left the Jedi. And I wonder ..."

  "What?" Qui-Gon asked.

  "W-what you did to him," she whispered.

  "The girl is innocent," Tahl said.

  "I know," Qui-Gon replied heavily.

  "She didn't know what she was saying," Tahl said. "Obi-Wan's leaving was not your fault."

  Qui-Gon didn't answer. The long day had taken its toll. He could march for hours, fight off ten armed enemies, and here he was exhausted after interviewing children.

  Without speaking, they headed for the lake. TooJay had not shown up to bring Tahl back to her quarters. Qui-Gon was grateful not to have her trilling voice calling out every obstruction. If Tahl held his arm, she could move just as quickly as he, even over uneven ground.

  They reached the lake, and Tahl slipped her arm out from his. She did not want to take any more help than she needed.

  "We should decide on our next step," Qui-Gon said, staring out at the clear green lake, now dusky with evening shadows. The lake took up five levels of the Temple, and was landscaped with trees and shrubs. Narrow paths wound through the greenery. One had the illusion of being on the planet's surface instead of suspended high above. "It's time to flush out the thief. We could--"

  "Qui-Gon, I smell it." Tahl interrupted him excitedly.

  Qui-Gon looked around. They were alone. "But there's no one here."

  She reached down and trailed a hand in the water. "It wasn't a person I smelled. It was this." She held up her glistening hand. "I smelled the lake!"

  Suddenly, the cloudiness of Qui-Gon's mind cleared, and facts clicked into place.

  "We have to explore the bottom of that lake," he said.

  Tahl's mind made the connection as quickly as Qui-Gon's did. "The thief is hiding the stolen items there?"

  "Maybe."

  "Obviously, I'm out," Tahl said ruefully. "How's your swimming, Qui-Gon?"

  "Fine," Qui-Gon said. "But I know someone who can do the job better."

  Bant's silver eyes widened as she opened her door and saw Qui-Gon and Tahl.

  "I would never hurt the Temple -" she began tearfully.

  "Bant, we need your help," Qui-Gon interrupted kindly.

  Quickly, he told her what they needed. He didn't want to involve the regular Jedi security patrol if he didn't have to. Everyone at the Temple was still a suspect. But both Qui-Gon and Tahl were convinced of Bant's innocence.

  The Calamarian girl was the perfect choice. She swam every day, and her clothes gave off a faint smell of water and humidity. That was the scent Tahl had picked up in Qui-Gon's quarters. Bant no doubt knew the lake bottom well. She could do the search more efficiently than Qui-Gon could.

  Bant nodded her acceptance, her tears already drying. "Of course I can do that," she said. "For a Calamarian, it's nothing."

  Together, the three hurried back to the lake.

  "You'll have to cover the whole lake," Qui-Gon told Bant as they came to the beach. "But I'm guessing that if something is hidden below, it will be fairly close to shore." He smiled at her. "Not everyone is as good a swimmer as you."

  Bant stripped down to the suit she wore for bathing. "Don't worry if I'm underwater for a long time."

  Qui-Gon was glad she'd given him the instruction after she disappeared under the surface. Even though he k
new she was amphibious, the amount of time she could spend underwater still tried his nerves. He watched and Tahl listened just as intently for the small splash Bant made as she resurfaced. Each time, she shook her head, took a deep breath, and dived underwater again.

  The illumination bank had powered down to dusk when Bant resurfaced again. Qui-Gon was ready to ask her to stop. He didn't want to exhaust the girl. But she waved at them excitedly.

  "I found something!"

  Qui-Gon slipped off his boots and waded into the cool water. He swam out to Bant. Taking a deep breath, he followed her underwater.

  The lake water was dark. He could barely make out the flicker of Bant's pale skin as they swam down, down to the bottom. Qui-Gon wished he'd been prepared. He should have brought an underwater glow rod and a breather. He'd been too impatient.

  But suddenly the crate loomed in front of him, settled into the fine sand at the bottom of the lake. Qui-Gon circled around it. There was no plant life or algae on it, which meant it had only sunk recently.

  He signaled to Bant to surface, but she remained underwater as he fastened a carbon rope around the container. He tugged at it, and the container rose. It was heavy. Bant grabbed part of the rope to help, and together, they pulled the crate to the surface.

  Qui-Gon emerged, gasping for air. Bant was breathing easily. She treaded water while he regained his breath. Then they towed the container to shore. When he could stand, Qui-Gon carried it up to the beach.

  He described the container to Tahl. "I've never seen anything like it before."

  "I have," Bant said. She knelt and ran her fingers along it. "We have them back on my world. Since so much of it is underwater and prone to floods, we store things in watertight containers. Look." She found a hidden panel and opened it. "You can place things in this compartment. Then you close the panel and activate the vacuum pump. It removes the water, then slides the item into the dry interior compartment. That way you can put things in without taking the container out of the water."

  "Clever," Qui-Gon said. "Can you open it?"

  "I think so." Bant pressed another button. The hinged top popped open.

  Qui-Gon looked inside. "The lightsabers!"

  Qui-Gon searched through the items. "Most everything is here, but I think some things are missing."

  "The crystals?" Tahl asked.

  "Not here," Qui-Gon said. Disappointment thudded through him. But this was a start.

  "What do we do now?" Tahl wondered.

  Qui-Gon turned to Bant. "You have done well today. Can you keep what you did to yourself?"

  Bant nodded. "I will tell no one, of course."

  Qui-Gon ran his hands over the container. "I must ask you to do one last thing. Help me return this to where we found it." He looked at the calm, shadowy surface of the lake.

  "At last it's time," he said. "We can set the trap."

  "I call for a vote on a stop action for the New History Squad's demolitions of the Halls of Evidence," Cerasi called out. Her voice echoed off the crumbling walls of the building.

  For once, the council chamber was silent. All of the Young were stunned at the call to oppose Nield. Cerasi, Obi-Wan, and Nield were almost seen as one person by the group. The division between the friends was shocking.

  Birds wheeled overhead in the blue sky. Occasionally, one would fly inside the open roof and perch above, and a shrill caw would split the air.

  Deila stood. "I second the motion."

  The room erupted in shouts and demands. Obi-Wan could only pick out some of them.

  The Halls must be destroyed! Nield is right!

  Nield has taken this too far!

  Cerasi is right! We need housing, not rubble!

  Nield's face was still and white as he waited out the shouting. Cerasi gripped her hands together. As council head it was her job to control the crowd.

  At last she stood and pounded on the table with the stone she used to maintain order. "Quiet!" she shouted. "Sit down and be quiet!"

  Slowly, the boys and girls took their seats. Everyone looked at Cerasi expectantly.

  She cleared her throat. "The council shall vote. On the issue of a stop action on the demolition of the Halls, vote yes for the action, and no to continue the demolition." Cerasi turned to Mawat. "You may begin."

  "Hey, I agree with Nield," Mawat said. "The demolition must continue. I vote no on the stop action."

  Cerasi turned to the next council member, and the next. By the time the vote got back to her, it stood at four against the stop action and four for it.

  Cerasi gave a quick, nervous glance to Obi-Wan. There were only three votes left: Cerasi's, Nield's, and Obi-Wan's. Cerasi would vote for the stop action. Nield would vote against it. Obi-Wan would be the one to break the tie.

  "I vote yes," Cerasi said quietly.

  Everyone looked at Nield. "And I vote no, for the continued peace and security of Melida/Daan!" he called in a ringing voice.

  Now all eyes in the chamber turned to Obi-Wan. He heard the mocking caw, caw of the birds overhead and the moaning of the wind. His heart was heavy as he said, "I vote yes."

  "The motion is carried," Cerasi said, swallowing hard. "The New History Squad shall temporarily cease all demolition of the Halls until further study."

  For a moment, no one moved. Then Nield suddenly sprang to his feet. "I call for another vote!" he shouted. "I call for the removal of Obi-Wan from the council!"

  Obi-Wan stiffened.

  "What?" Cerasi cried.

  Nield turned to the crowd. "How can Obi-Wan get a vote when he is neither Melida nor Daan?"

  "Obi-Wan is one of us!" Cerasi cried in shock.

  "Nield is right!" Mawat stood, his eyes blazing.

  "Vote again!" a supporter of Nield cried.

  Obi-Wan felt as though he could not move. Never could he have imagined Nield making such a charge. He and Nield were like brothers. Just because they disagreed on this issue didn't mean that would change. At least not for him.

  Cerasi took charge. "Council members have been elected for a one-year period. Nield cannot oust any of us just because a vote went against him. Obi-Wan was a hero of the war, and was voted in by an overwhelming majority." She banged her rock on the table. "The stop-action vote has carried. This meeting is over."

  She stood and motioned for the other council members to do the same. But the crowd was angry. Shouts and cries filled the air. Someone in a back row pushed someone else, and a fight broke out.

  "We must decide on our own destiny!" Nield was shouting. "Melida and Daan together!"

  The shouting grew louder. Obi-Wan stood at his place, still unable to move. He didn't know what to do. Suddenly, he was an outsider. He glanced at Cerasi. She stared out over the crowd, her face white, her hands gripping the edge of the table. She met his gaze with despair. The unity of the Young was disintegrating before their eyes.

  In the days after the meeting Obi-Wan and Cerasi could only watch helplessly as the Young splintered apart. Nield would not talk to them. He moved aboveground and slept with Mawat and the Scavenger Young in the park. Heartbroken, Obi-Wan and Cerasi could only try to heal the division they had caused.

  We cannot let this divide us, they pleaded.

  But the divide only grew wider.

  Nield worked on Mawat to convince the Scavenger Young to support him. If he had enough votes, he could overthrow the entire council and call for a new one. He targeted Obi-Wan as an outsider who had no right to make decisions for Melida/Daan.

  "If he succeeds, war could break out again," Cerasi whispered to Obi-Wan late one night as they sat up together in the vault. "If the Elders see that we are divided, they will use the rift to divide us further."

  "I should resign from the council," Obi-Wan declared. "It's the only way to end this."

  Cerasi shook her head. "We fought because we believed in ending tribal rivalries. Remember our slogan, We Are Everyone? If we start singling out who hasn't been born here, how is that any different from
tribal prejudice?"

  "Still, it would heal us temporarily," Obi-Wan argued.

  "Don't you see, Obi-Wan?" Cerasi asked despairingly. "It is already too late."

  Obi-Wan got up restlessly and wrapped his cloak around himself. He drew comfort from Cerasi, but he needed answers she couldn't give. He said a quiet good night to her and headed aboveground.

  The night was cold. He climbed onto a nearby roof in order to be closer to the stars. Reaching inside his tunic, he withdrew the river stone that Qui-Gon had given him as a thirteenth birthday present. As usual, the stone was warm. When he held it between his hands, it heated them. Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He could almost feel the presence of the Force. It had not deserted him. It could not. He had to remember that.

  He needed Qui-Gon. His Master was not the most talkative companion, but Obi-Wan had not fully realized how much he relied on Qui-Gon's counsel. He could use it now.

  Once, when he was Qui-Gon's Padawan, he had only to concentrate and he could summon Qui-Gon. Now he reached out and felt nothing.

  Events were slipping out of his control. Everything he'd fought for was now in danger, and he had no idea how to fix anything. There were plenty of people to talk to on Melida/Daan, but no one whose mature insight he could depend on. Even Cerasi was at a loss.

  If war threatened to break out, could he appeal to the Temple to send a Jedi as guardian of peace? Would they send Qui-Gon? Could he dare to ask such a thing?

  And if he asked, would Qui-Gon come?

  Because of heightened security, the illumination bank was turned off. The darkness was absolute. Luck was with them, Qui-Gon thought. He crouched with Tahl in the trees by the shoreline of the lake. He could barely make out the glint of the water.

  "At last we're even," Tahl murmured when Qui-Gon told her how dark it was.

  They had calculated that another theft would happen that evening. They had seen the thefts fall into an escalating pattern. It was time to follow up on the stunning theft of the crystals with another crime. The thief would need to conceal what he or she stole, and would come to the lake.

  Or so they hoped.

  Tahl would not stay behind. He had argued with her and lost. If Qui-Gon saw who the culprit was, she could get the news back to Yoda.