The Defenders of the Dead Read online

  "They say they want peace, but they wage war," Wehutti said contemptuously. "Well, we can give them a war to make our ancestors proud. We may have lost some weapons, but we are not defenseless."

  "And we have weapons remaining as well," a Daan said quickly. "Shipments are arriving this very afternoon from our stores outside the city."

  "They will collapse at any sign of resistance," a Melida woman chimed in. "We can fight them."

  "But not together," Wehutti said. "The glorious Melida can defeat them without Daan help."

  "For once, do not overestimate yourselves!" Qui-Gon spoke sharply. "You don't have weapons. You don't have air support. You have an army made of Elders and the wounded. Think of what you're saying. There are thousands of them!"

  Both sides of the room grew silent. Wehutti and Gueni exchanged a glance. Qui-Gon glimpsed surrender underneath the sizzling distrust.

  "Perhaps the Jedi is right," Gueni said reluctantly. "I see only one way to defeat them. We must join our armies and weapons. But the Jedi must lead us."

  Wehutti nodded slowly. "It's the only way we can be sure that the Daan will not turn on us once the battle is won."

  "It is our only assurance also," Gueni said. "We cannot trust the word of the Melida."

  Qui-Gon shook his head. "I did not come here to lead you into battle. I came here to urge you to find a way toward peace."

  "But there is no peace!" Wehutti cried. "The Young have drawn the battle lines!"

  "These are your children!" Qui-Gon cried out. He had lost his patience in the face of the cruel obstinacy of both sides. He controlled his voice and went on. "I, for one, will not kill children. Why are you so willing to do so?" He turned to Wehutti. "What about Cerasi? Are you willing to march into battle against your own daughter?"

  Wehutti paled. His clenched fist uncurled.

  "My grandson Rica is underground," Gueni said.

  "I have not seen my Deila in two years," a woman Melida said quietly.

  Other Daan and Melida looked uncertain. There was a long pause.

  "All right," Wehutti said at last. "If you will be our emissary, we will open talks with the Young."

  Gueni nodded. "The Daan agree. You are right, Qui-Gon. We cannot wage war against our children."

  "We will not meet with them," Nield told Qui-Gon furiously. "I know what their promises are worth. They agree to meet as a diversion. They will tell us we must disarm. And then the fighting will begin again. This surrender is too soon. If we relent, they'll think we're weak."

  "They know you have backed them into a corner," Qui-Gon argued. "They're willing to talk. You succeeded, Nield. Now take your victory."

  Cerasi crossed her arms. "We did not succeed by being fools, Qui-Gon."

  Qui-Gon turned away with a sigh. He had been arguing with Cerasi and Nield since he'd returned. It had done no good. It was out of his hands, anyway.

  Obi-Wan sat at the makeshift table, watching. He hadn't offered an opinion, or tried to sway Cerasi or Nield. Qui-Gon had noted this with surprise. Obi-Wan had wanted peace on this planet. Why did he stand back now? Once again, when Qui-Gon tried to connect with his Padawan, he found a void.

  Headquarters was now crowded with the boys and girls who had arrived from the country. More congregated aboveground, gathered in parks and squares. The Young had mobilized, bringing whatever food they had and instituting a supply line. It would take all day to get everyone fed, but they were determined to succeed.

  "How did you blow the deflection towers?" Qui-Gon asked Nield and Cerasi curiously. It was a question that had been bothering him since he'd heard the news. "You'd have to hit them from the air. But floaters couldn't do that job. You'd need ..."

  Qui-Gon paused. He turned to face Obi-Wan. Slowly, Obi-Wan pushed his chair back. Qui-Gon heard it scrape against the stone floor. Then he stood. He did not fidget or look away. He met Qui-Gon's gaze.

  "So it was you," Qui-Gon said. "You took the starfighter. You took it knowing it was our only way off the planet. You took it knowing it was the only hope for Tahl."

  Obi-Wan nodded.

  Cerasi and Nield glanced from one Jedi to the other. Cerasi began to speak, but thought better of it. The tension between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan was private.

  "Please come with me, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said curtly.

  He led the way to an adjacent tunnel where they could talk privately. He waited a few moments to compose himself. Bitterness had no place here. Yet he felt it surge within him. Obi-Wan had broken his trust.

  He did not know what to say. His emotions swamped him. Qui-Gon recalled his Temple training with an effort. He would admonish his Padawan according to Jedi rules. First, he would describe the offense. It was the duty of the Master to do so without judgment.

  Grateful for a guide, Qui-Gon took a deep breath. "You were instructed not to take sides."

  "Yes," Obi-Wan responded calmly. It was the duty of a Padawan to agree to his fault without argument.

  "You were instructed to be available to leave at any time," he said.

  "Yes," Obi-Wan replied.

  "You were instructed that Tahl's health was your first concern. Yet you endangered that health by taking our only form of transport on a dangerous mission."

  "Yes," Obi-Wan agreed.

  Qui-Gon swallowed painfully. "By doing all this, you not only put Tahl at risk, but the peace process on Melida/Daan as well."

  Obi-Wan hesitated for the first time. "I aided the peace process--"

  "That is your interpretation," Qui-Gon interrupted. "It was not your instruction. Your Master and Jedi Master Yoda had decided that Jedi intervention at this stage could only prejudice either the Melida or Daan, thereby sabotaging the peace process. You were told this. Is that true, Obi-Wan?"

  "Yes," Obi-Wan admitted. "It is true."

  Qui-Gon paused. He gathered himself to deliver the Jedi wisdom of the Master and Padawan relationship. How the rules had evolved over thousands of years. How the Padawan's pledge of obedience had nothing to do with power, but everything to do with the gaining of wisdom and the humility of service. How he was not here to punish Obi-Wan, or even to teach him, but to aid Obi-Wan's own journey and enlightenment until the day he grew to become a Jedi Knight.

  "I don't care," Obi-Wan said, breaking into his thoughts.

  "You don't care about what?" Qui-Gon asked, startled. Usually, a Padawan was silent after his admission, waiting for the Master to decide on their next step.

  "I don't care that I broke the rules," Obi-Wan said. "It was right to break them."

  Qui-Gon took a breath. "And was it right to break my trust?"

  Obi-Wan nodded. "I'm sorry I had to. But yes."

  Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan's words enter him like a blade. He saw in a flash that since he had taken Obi-Wan as his apprentice, he had been waiting for this moment. Waiting for the betrayal. The strike. He had hardened his heart, preparing himself for it.

  And yet he was not prepared at all.

  "Qui-Gon, you must understand," Obi-Wan said quietly. "I've found something here. All my life, I have been told what is right, what is best. The path has been pointed out to me. That was a great gift, and I'm grateful for all I've learned. But here on this world all those abstractions I've learned suddenly fit into something concrete. Something I can see. Something real." Obi-Wan gestured back toward the headquarters of the Young. "These people feel like my people. This cause feels like my cause. It calls to me like nothing I've ever felt before."

  Qui-Gon's astonishment turned to grief and anger at himself. Obi-Wan had been swept away. He should have stepped in earlier. He should have remembered that Obi-Wan was just a boy.

  He chose his words with care. "The situation here is heartbreaking, yes. It is a hard one to walk away from. That's why I tried to resolve it before we left. But walk away we must, Padawan."

  Obi-Wan's face turned stony.

  "Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said gently. "Everything you think you found here you already have. You are a Jedi. Wha
t you need is distance and a little time for reflection."

  "I don't need to reflect," Obi-Wan said stiffly.

  "That is your choice," Qui-Gon said. "But still, you must accompany me back to the Temple . I need to gather some things for Tahl in the city. When I return, I expect to find you packed and ready to go."

  He started back to the main tunnel. Obi-Wan did not move.

  "Come, Padawan," he said.

  Reluctantly, Obi-Wan trailed behind him. Qui-Gon felt worry fill him. There was something closed in Obi-Wan, something unmoveable, that he had never sensed in his apprentice before. It would be good to return to the Temple , where the wisdom of Yoda and the calm surroundings could help Obi-Wan find his center again.

  Qui-Gon heard a roar from the main tunnel, voices shouting, pounding feet on stone. He quickened his pace and burst into the space, Obi-Wan at his heels.

  Nield spun around to face them. "The offer for negotiation was a trick. The Elders have attacked!"

  Chaos reigned in the tunnels. The passageways were choked with bodies, children desperately trying to escape the battle raging above. Some were wounded. Others hurriedly tried to arm themselves for the counterattack. Hundreds of the Young were trapped above in open parks and squares. They needed reinforcements.

  "We need medics and a supply line for weapons," Cerasi said.

  "We need to strike back hard!" Nield cried.

  Obi-Wan rushed to huddle with Cerasi and Nield. Qui-Gon saw anguish on all three faces. It was right that his Padawan help while he could.

  But they had to get Tahl off-planet immediately. Now it was imperative.

  Qui-Gon hurried to her side. She was sitting up, listening intently to what was going on around her. He crouched by her side. "I had hoped to go back to the city to find more med supplies and borrow a floater, but I'm afraid that's impossible now. War has broken out, and we must leave immediately."

  She nodded. "It's all right. I can walk, Qui-Gon. Your medicine has already helped me. I can make it, if you guide me."

  Qui-Gon bent to gather up their things. They had lost their survival packs, but he had gathered supplies over the past few days. He stashed them in a pack Cerasi had given him.

  When he turned to search for Obi-Wan, the boy was gone.

  Cerasi and Nield were gone as well. Qui-Gon dropped the pack and searched the adjoining tunnels. He went as far as he could, but he was wasting time. Obi-Wan had probably gone to the surface with Cerasi and Nield.

  Perhaps he thought that Qui-Gon still needed to gather more supplies, as he had told Obi-Wan. In that case, Obi-Wan might be planning to meet him at the starfighter. The boy had disobeyed him again, but Qui-Gon felt sure Obi-Wan would appear at the starfighter.

  In any case, he couldn't waste any more time. He gathered his pack, helped Tahl to rise, and started through the tunnels to the edge of Zehava.

  The smell of smoke and the sound of cries were in the air as Obi-Wan, Cerasi, and Nield climbed above ground. They crouched behind a wall for shelter. Starfighters circled overhead, strafing the park where the Young had gathered. Children ran for cover, or tried to shoot down the ships with shoulder-mounted torpedo launchers. The Starfighters were able to stay out of range.

  "They're wasting ammunition!" Nield cried.

  "They must have flown in the starfighters from another base," Cerasi said. "Or maybe they'd hidden them somewhere we didn't know about. We can't fight them from the ground!"

  Obi-Wan gripped the wall. A starfighter came in low. He saw rapid flashes from the forward gun pod. Blaster fire ripped into the grass. A young girl sprang for cover. Another boy wasn't so lucky. The fire hit him in the leg, and he fell. Before Obi-Wan could move, the boy's companion dragged him to safety. Anguish ripped through Obi-Wan. The children were helpless!

  Cerasi squeezed her eyes shut, as though she couldn't bear to see any more. "We have to stop this," she said numbly.

  "There's only three Starfighters," Obi-Wan said tensely, scanning the sky above.

  "That's enough," Nield said grimly. "We've got to get organized. They're going to drive half of us out of the city if we don't do something!"

  Nield turned to Obi-Wan. "We need your starship again, my friend. We have to fight them in the air. With your skills, we can shoot them down, just like we hit those deflection towers."

  Stricken, Obi-Wan gazed at his friends. "You said you would not ask me to go against Qui-Gon's orders again."

  "But everything's changed, Obi-Wan," Cerasi pleaded. "Look around you. Children are dying. We'll lose everything if we can't fight them from the air." Tears ran down Cerasi's cheeks. "Please."

  Obi-Wan's ears rang with the cries of the terrified children. Even though he was safe behind the wall, he felt as though blaster fire had ripped through his body. He had been torn in two. Everything he'd known, everything he'd thought was important had been shattered. His Jedi training lay in pieces at his feet. It meant nothing compared to what was going on around him now.

  He flinched as a proton torpedo exploded. Dirt sprayed into the air, raining down on their heads.

  "Obi-Wan!" Nield shouted. "You must choose!"

  Tears snaked down through the grime on Cerasi's face. She didn't speak. Her shoulders shook as a child screamed in pain.

  Obi-Wan realized he had already chosen. He couldn't turn his back on this suffering. He couldn't turn his back on his friends. Even if it cost him everything. He would give that, and more.

  "I'll be back," Obi-Wan promised, and took off.

  Obi-Wan ran without stopping. He had to get to the ship before Qui-Gon. He did not want a confrontation. If Qui-Gon tried to stop him, what would he do? He pushed aside the thought. He would just have to get there first. Tahl would slow Qui-Gon down.

  But he had underestimated the determination and speed of two Jedi Knights. As he ran down the canyon path, Obi-Wan saw Qui-Gon lifting off the last of the camouflaging branches. Tahl must already be aboard.

  His steps slowed as Qui-Gon caught sight of him. Obi-Wan saw the relief on his Master's face. Qui-Gon thought he was coming to return with him to the Temple . The Jedi Knight stood by the entrance ramp, waiting.

  Obi-Wan didn't give Qui-Gon a chance to speak. He could not bear to hear words of welcome.

  "I'm not here to go with you," he said. "I came for the starfighter."

  Qui-Gon's look of quiet welcome faded. His features froze into a mask. "Tahl is aboard," Qui-Gon said. "I am taking her to Coruscant."

  "I'll bring the ship back," Obi-Wan tried. "I need it now. If you could wait here -"

  "No," Qui-Gon said angrily. "No, Padawan. I will not make your betrayal easy for you. If you try to take this step, know what a hard one it is."

  Neither had moved a muscle. Yet Obi-Wan knew that Qui-Gon was just as prepared as he was to fight. The Force swirled around him, but it was a disturbed Force, neither dark nor light. He tried to tap into it and could not. It was like trying to squeeze a handful of fine sand as it streamed out through the cracks in his fingers.

  He had no choice. The world around him was dying. He had to save it. He had to fight Qui-Gon.

  Obi-Wan went for his lightsaber. Qui-Gon moved only a fraction of an instant later. Because of his quickness, his lightsaber activated at the same time as Obi-Wan's.

  Qui-Gon's green beam shot up, glowing in the gray light. Obi-Wan felt his own lightsaber pulse in his hand. Qui-Gon kept his eyes on Obi-Wan.

  Here was the moment. He had only to step forward and challenge his Master. He had only to move one muscle for it to be taken as an offensive move. Then the battle would begin. Obi-Wan met Qui-Gon's gaze and saw the same anguish he felt. He felt something within him crack, and his resolve slowly drained away. He could not do this.

  Simultaneously, they both lowered their weapons. The lightsabers deactivated with a faint buzzing sound. For a moment, all Obi-Wan heard was the lonesome wind, howling through the canyon.

  "You must choose, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon told him quietly. "You can go w
ith me now, or stay. Know that if you stay, you are no longer a Jedi."

  No longer a Jedi. Was he prepared to take that step? Is this what he had come to?

  The moment spun out, became timeless to Obi-Wan. Time meant nothing. The confrontation with the man he had pledged to study under, learn from, defend and support suddenly felt unreal. How did he get here? What was he doing?

  But through his confusion he saw Cerasi's fierce glowing eyes, heard Nield's fervent words. He still smelled the smoke of battle, heard the desperate cries. He saw barricaded streets and Elders too blind with hatred to notice that they were killing their planet, piece by bloody piece. He saw them killing their own children.

  He could tell Qui-Gon about the battle he had seen. He could try. But he had tried before. Qui-Gon was right. He must make his choice.

  Obi-Wan grasped the rock of his conviction and felt his confusion drop away. Here on Melida/Daan he had met a reality that was stronger than anything he'd known.

  "I have found something here more important than the Jedi code,” Obi-Wan said slowly. "Something not only worth fighting for, but worth dying for."

  Obi-Wan handed his lightsaber to Qui-Gon. "You may go, Qui-Gon Jinn. But I will stay."

  It was as though the words hit Qui-Gon in the face, for he flinched. He stared down at Obi-Wan's lightsaber in his hand, not speaking. A great struggle seem to go on within the Jedi Knight's powerful body.

  Obi-Wan had hurt him. He longed to take the words back. He could not. They had been said. He had meant them.

  Qui-Gon did not look at him. He did not say a word. He turned and strode up the ramp, into the starfighter.

  Obi-Wan stood back as the engines powered up. The starfighter rose cleanly from the canyon and shot off into the upper atmosphere. He stood watching until it was out of sight. Then Obi-Wan turned his back. He hurried down the path, back to Zehava and his new life.

  Cerasi and Nield were waiting.