The Uncertain Path Page 8

  Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan's face flush. These two had once been his friends. But Nield had drawn a battle line, and they were loyal to him now. Qui-Gon wondered how far such loyalty extended. Why were the two sitting in an empty warehouse behind a barred door? They must have climbed in a window. Were they hiding?

  "Hello, Deila," Qui-Gon said in friendly tone. "I'm glad to find you well."

  Deila nodded coolly at Qui-Gon. "I am surprised to see you back on Melida/Daan."

  "Certain factions on Melida/Daan have called for Jedi assistance,” Qui-Gon answered. "I'm here to help."

  Deila glanced at Obi-Wan. "I think I know which faction has called for help."

  "There are many who still hope for peace," Obi-Wan said. "You were once among them."

  Deila flushed. "Peace is always our ultimate objective. What do you want?"

  "Just some answers," Qui-Gon said.

  "I have none to give."

  "I have not asked you a question yet."

  "We're trying to find out how and when the Elders and the Young rearmed themselves," Obi-Wan said. "Did someone take the weapons? Obviously the warehouse has been emptied out." He turned to the boy. "Do you know, Joli?"

  "Don't say anything, Joli," Deila said sharply. "We have nothing to say to an outsider."

  Qui-Gon leaned closer and fixed Deila with his piercing blue gaze. He could use the Force on this girl, but it would be better to let her own emotions guide her. He sensed uneasiness in her. She respected Obi-Wan. He sensed that, too.

  "You know that Obi-Wan fought hard for Melida/Daan," Qui-Gon said. "He shot down every deflection tower in Zehava for you, at great personal risk. He, Nield, and Cerasi devised the strategy that won the war. He fought side by side with you in that war. After peace came, he again risked his life to work for disarmament. If he is an outsider, he was also instrumental in saving your world. Now he continues to risk his life by remaining because he thinks he can help. Why do you show him no respect?"

  Fierce Deila crumpled under Qui-Gon's gaze and became a mumbling girl. "I don't know."

  "When you don't know your own mind, you fill it with the beliefs of another. Are you so sure that everything Nield says is true?"

  Deila glanced at Joli. Perhaps Qui-Gon had raised a question that they had been discussing. Joli nodded at her. "No," she muttered.

  "Then will you answer my questions if you can? You can help the cause of peace on Melida/Daan."

  Deila glanced at Obi-Wan. She bit her lip. "Of course I want to help the cause of peace."

  Qui-Gon signaled to Obi-Wan.

  "Where are the weapons?" Obi-Wan asked.

  "Mawat took most of them," Deila said. "He moved them to a safer location, he said. I don't know where."

  "Did he rearm Nield and the Young?" Obi-Wan asked.

  Qui-Gon saw Deila's eyes slide to Joli before she nodded. "He heard that the Elders had arms, he said. Nield gave him permission. What could I do? Nield is governor."

  So Mawat had just taken what he wanted. He'd known that Obi-Wan would refuse to open the warehouse. But how had the Elders gotten their weapons?

  Joli's round face was red. He looked at Deila nervously. "I think we should tell them," he said.

  "Be quiet, Joli!" Deila snapped.

  "I don't want to fight in a war again!" Joli cried. "You said you didn't either! That's why we're hiding here, remember?"

  "What do you want to tell us, Joli?" Qui-Gon asked.

  "Mawat armed the Elders that day," Joli burst out.

  "Mawat?" Obi-Wan asked, shocked. "But why?"

  "Because he wanted a confrontation," Qui-Gon guessed. "Isn't that right, Joli?"

  Joli nodded. "If a battle broke out, Nield would be held responsible. Mawat wanted to make sure there would be trouble. He ... he even put sharpshooters on the roof to start the battle if Nield or Wehutti backed down. He needed war."

  "So that he could grab power," Qui-Gon suggested.

  "He thinks Nield is weak," Joli said, slumping back against the wall. "Now he's planned another battle."

  "Today?" Obi-Wan guessed. "Is that why you're hiding?"

  Deila bit her lip. "He tried to recruit us. We hid instead. We don't want to fight. Especially since no one can find Nield. Mawat is planning a big action, but we're not sure what. He's acting on his own. He wanted me to set some explosives. But he doesn't have the authority to start a war with the Elders!"

  "I think both Mawat and Nield are crazy," Joli said. "We had peace on our world. Why can't we hold on to it?"

  "That is a very good question, Joli," Qui-Gon said. "I wish every planet in the galaxy could answer it."

  "So one of the sharpshooters killed Cerasi," Obi-Wan said as they reached the street. He felt dazed by what he'd learned. "Because of Mawat, she's dead. The funny thing is, Mawat loved Cerasi, too."

  "The important thing is that Nield did not kill Cerasi," Qui-Gon said. "He needs to know that, and he needs to know of Mawat's betrayal. Do you know where Nield could be?"

  "Any one of a dozen places," Obi-Wan said, thinking. "The tunnels. The park..."

  "Let's split up," Qui-Gon said grimly. "We're running out of time." He reached into his cloak and brought out Obi-Wan's lightsaber. He tossed it to Obi-Wan. "Here. I have a feeling you're going to need this."

  Obi-Wan's hand curled over the hilt of the lightsaber. As he hefted it, the Force suddenly surged through him. As he slung it into his belt, he lifted his chin and met Qui-Gon's gaze. For the first time since Qui-Gon's arrival, he felt no shame.

  It didn't matter what Qui-Gon thought. He was still a Jedi.

  Obi-Wan went to Lake Weir, where Nield had spent happy times as a boy. He went to the Unified Congress Building. He went everywhere he could think of until suddenly he stopped dead and knew exactly where Nield was.

  He was with Cerasi.

  Obi-Wan rushed through the strangely deserted streets. Had the citizens of Zehava heard that a battle was forming? He didn't have time to worry about it.

  Obi-Wan arrived at the Hall of Evidence. The entrance was pockmarked with blaster fire and beamdrill holes. He pushed open the door and stepped into darkness. He waited for his eyes to adjust, then walked down the aisle to where Cerasi's marker had been placed.

  Nield lay on the floor, one arm curled around Cerasi's marker. A lump rose in Obi-Wan's throat. Any anger he'd felt vanished in an instant. He remembered Cerasi's tales of Nield's childhood. One person after another who loved him had been killed - father, mother, brothers, and a cousin who raised him afterward. He'd become a homeless orphan, afraid to trust or love anyone. Then he'd met Cerasi. If Obi-Wan's grief was terrible, Nield's must be even worse.

  As soon as Nield saw Obi-Wan, he shot to his feet. "How dare you come here," he said shakily.

  "I had to find you," Obi-Wan said. "I found out something that you need to know."

  "You can't tell me anything I need to know," Nield shot back contemptuously.

  "It wasn't you who killed Cerasi," Obi-Wan said quickly.

  "You're right - it was you!" Nield cried.

  "Nield," Obi-Wan said softly. "You know I miss her, too. We were friends once. What happened? Why do you hate me so much?"

  "Because she's dead!" Nield screamed.

  Suddenly, he rushed at Obi-Wan. He swung at him with his fists, raining blows on Obi-Wan's head and shoulders. Nield was wiry and strong, but Obi-Wan was larger and stronger, and better trained. It was easy for him to step around Nield, grab his arms and lock them behind his back. Nield tried to twist away.

  "Don't struggle, and it won't hurt," Obi-Wan ordered, but Nield continued to try to free himself. "Listen to me, Nield. Mawat is the one who armed the Elders."

  Nield stopped struggling.

  "He wants a war," Obi-Wan went on. "If it starts, and if the Young don't win, you'll be blamed. I suspect he could be in league with the Elders. He wants to rule Melida/Daan, and he'll make any alliance he can to do it."

  "Mawat wouldn't betray me," Nield said.
>
  Obi-Wan ignored the protest. "Mawat wanted the shooting to start the day Cerasi died. He positioned sharpshooters on the roof. They were ordered to fire if you or Wehutti backed down. They did fire. That's how Cerasi was killed. It wasn't you. It wasn't Wehutti."

  Obi-Wan let go of Nield's arms. Nield turned to face him.

  "Mawat has been pressuring me to mobilize," Nield said reluctantly. "I went along at first. After Cerasi ... I couldn't think. I could hardly breathe. But something happened to me here, next to Cerasi. I saw how wrong I was. How could I have wanted another war? Now I see why he was pushing me."

  Obi-Wan heard sounds from outside the Hall. He exchanged a puzzled glance with Nield. There were no windows in the Hall, so they hurried to the front entrance. They peered out the beamdrill holes.

  Mawat and a group of Scavenger Young were outside. They were busily placing something against the walls.

  "They're wiring it with explosives," Obi-Wan guessed. "They're going to blow it up. That will provoke the Elders. And Mawat will blame it on you, Nield. Everyone will believe it. After all, you're the one who proposed the destruction of the Halls."

  "We have to stop them," Nield said.

  Obi-Wan noted Nield's unconscious use of "we." He withdrew his lightsaber and activated it. As it shot to life and he saw its pale blue glow, he felt encouragement rush through him.

  "We can take them together," he said.

  Nield nodded and reached for his vibroblade.

  "Good luck," Obi-Wan said.

  Slowly, Nield began to grin. "We don't need luck."

  "Everybody needs luck."

  "Not us."

  Nield put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. Their friendship had risen from ash and smoke. Danger lay outside, but they would face it together.

  Weapons held high, they charged outside to meet Mawat.

  Qui-Gon hoped that Obi-Wan had more success in locating Nield than he did. The tunnels were deserted. Most of the Young had found quarters aboveground by this time.

  He lingered in the vault where the Young had based their headquarters before the war. Perhaps there was a clue here that could lead him to Nield. He stood in the small adjoining room where Cerasi had slept with the youngest of the Young. No one had removed her personal effects, but someone had left flowers on her sleeping area with its neatly folded blanket and rolled-up mattress.

  Qui-Gon smoothed the blanket with his hand. It seemed very poignant to him. Here Cerasi had tidied up on the last morning of her life. He felt a small bulge in the blanket. He slipped his hand between the folds and discovered a holographic message disk.

  Qui-Gon fitted the disk into his holographic message unit. Had Cerasi left one last message behind?

  Obi-Wan and Nield threw themselves into the battle. They were outnumbered, but surprise was in their favor.

  Their first objective was to prevent Mawat's crew from rigging any more explosive devices. Obi-Wan and Nield attacked furiously. The lightsaber felt so right in Obi-Wan's hand. He moved gracefully, his balance perfect, the lightsaber a blur of motion. Nield attacked with his vibroblade, slashing at the equipment boxes and rendering them into piles of scrap. The Scavenger Young dropped the rest of the timing devices and ran.

  They beat back the Scavenger Young to a position on the plaza. There, Mawat had already organized the rest of his forces. Obi-Wan and Nield took cover behind the dry fountain. Its curving stone wall hid them from the blaster counterattack. But they would not be able to hold out for long.

  "What are we going to do?" Nield asked Obi-Wan, ducking his head as blaster fire pinged into the stone, sending chips flying. "I don't have a blaster, just my vibroblade."

  Obi-Wan quickly raised his head, then ducked down again. "We're outnumbered, that's for sure. And Mawat has probably called for reinforcements."

  "Well, at least they can't blow up the Hall," Nield said worriedly.

  "We'll figure out something," Obi-Wan assured him. But inside, he wasn't so confident. He wished Qui-Gon would appear. Together, they could take on Mawat's forces. But with only one lightsaber, Obi-Wan didn't think he could protect Nield and fight at the same time.

  Suddenly, blaster fire erupted behind them. Obi-Wan and Nield turned, startled. Deila, Joli, and Roenni were heading toward them, firing as they came.

  "We thought you might need some help," Deila said as she landed next to them behind the fountain wall. "Roenni organized the others. They're going to come at Mawat's forces from the other side."

  Just as Deila finished speaking, they saw more of the Young spill into the plaza, surrounding Mawat. At last the odds were even.

  "Let's go!" Obi-Wan shouted.

  They leaped up over the fountain wall and ran toward the battle. Blaster fire pinged around them, but Obi-Wan was able to deflect it with his lightsaber. With a sense of deep gratitude, he felt the Force enter and guide him. He moved without having to plan, anticipating where the fire would come.

  Mawat whistled, and a squad of Scavenger Young suddenly materialized around a corner. They, too, joined the battle. Lightsaber swinging, Obi-Wan struggled to get to Mawat. If he could capture him, perhaps the battle would end.

  A member of the Scavenger Young took aim at Nield with his blaster, and Obi-Wan swooped down, nearly connecting with the boy's wrist. The lightsaber seared his skin, and he let out a howl. He dropped to his knees, his face white with pain.

  Nield and Obi-Wan exchanged a quick sorrowful glance. This was the ultimate wrong, the thing they thought could never happen. The Young were fighting each other. And they were doing it right on the spot where Cerasi had died.

  As if they'd conjured her up, Cerasi's voice suddenly filled the air.

  "I made my decision after the war ended," she said in a strong, clear voice. "I will no longer carry a weapon. I will fight no more in the name of peace. But today I might die for it."

  Everyone froze. Obi-Wan felt his heart hammer against his chest. He looked around wildly. He saw Qui-Gon standing on the wall of the fountain. The Jedi held an amplifying device. The Young had used them in the early battles of the war, when they had fooled the Elders into thinking they had more weapons than they did.

  Cerasi shimmered in hologram form in the well of the dry fountain. Obi-Wan heard the gasps around him. He looked at the faces, and he saw shock and sadness.

  Cerasi had touched so many lives. She had pierced so many hearts. The Young had fought side by side with her, experienced loss and victory with her, had been inspired by her. Now, only she had the power to make them pause and listen.

  "Do me a favor, friends. Don't build any monuments for me. Don't destroy any, either. History isn't in our favor, but that doesn't mean we should annihilate it. Don't let our dream of peace die. Work for it. Don't kill for it. We fought one war for peace. We always said that one war had to be enough."

  Cerasi gave the cocky grin that Obi-Wan remembered so well. "Don't mourn too long for me. After all, I wanted peace." She shrugged. "Look at it this way. Now I have it forever."

  Cerasi's image disappeared. The plaza was no longer filled with her vibrant presence. But an echo of her love and reason remained.

  Beside Obi-Wan, Nield dropped his weapon. Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber. They both stared at Mawat. He stared back defiantly.

  One by one, the others in the plaza dropped their weapons. They all turned to Mawat. The defiance drained out of Mawat's face. He dropped his blaster.

  The last battle of Zehava was over.

  Due to Qui-Gon's skillful negotiation and the power of Wehutti and Nield, a strong peace agreement was reached on Melida/Daan. Nield agreed to share power with the Melida and Daan Elders. No more would the city be divided, by either tribe or age.

  Mawat returned to the countryside with a few of his followers. He had seen the city slipping out of Nield's control and saw himself as the savior of Melida/Daan. He had been wrong, and admitted it to Nield and the Young. Cerasi's words had reached him, too.

  "Perhaps he can find
his own forgiveness in the countryside," Nield said to Obi-Wan.

  They stood in front of the fountain on the day of Obi-Wan's departure. He was planning to return to the Temple. He would ask the Council if he could return to the Jedi. Qui-Gon had agreed to accompany him.

  Nield flung his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders. "I gave you a hard time, my friend. It was good of you to find forgiveness in your heart."

  "Sorrow can defeat the best of us," Obi-Wan said.

  Nield gazed thoughtfully at the fountain. "I realize now how close I came to turning Melida/Daan back into the bloody battlefield I hated so much. The truth is, Obi-Wan, I was afraid."

  Obi-Wan drew back to look at him. "You? Afraid?"

  "I felt alone," Nield said simply. "I had a job that was too big for me to handle. I needed guidance, and there was no one to turn to. It seemed to me that every Elder and every member of the Middle Generation had no ideas. But I'm finding that's not true. I was listening to the loudest voices. Now I'm discovering there are others who share our vision of peace for Melida/Daan."

  "You've created a new world," Obi-Wan told him.

  "We did," Nield corrected. "Now I only have one regret."

  "Cerasi is not here to see it," Obi-Wan finished gently.

  Later, Obi-Wan trudged to the transport next to Qui-Gon. He longed to break the silence. Why was it so awkward now? Such silence was clogged with feelings, he supposed. Feelings that could not be shared.

  He had to break it. He had to ask the question that tore at his heart. He was afraid of the answer, but it was worse not knowing.

  "Will you ever take me back, Qui-Gon?"

  The words hung in the cold air. Qui-Gon didn't answer, but kept on walking.

  "I know I am meant to be a Jedi," Obi-Wan added. "I'll never doubt that again."

  "I know you are meant to be a Jedi, too," Qui-Gon answered carefully. "But whether you are meant to be my Padawan again is not so clear."

  Obi-Wan's heart fell. He knew it was useless to argue with Qui-Gon, or try to persuade him. Desolation filled him. It was not enough to be a Jedi. He had to be Qui-Gon's Padawan. Not because he'd failed him once, and his pride demanded a second chance. It wasn't pride that moved him. Deep in his heart, he felt it was right.