Jedi Apprentice

The Uncertain Path

By

Jude Watson

Obi-Wan Kenobi paced between rows of tombs in a tunnel below  the  city
of Zehava. Overhead, a  battle  raged.  The  noise  of  the  explosions  was
muffled. But every time Obi-Wan heard the faint thump of a  proton  torpedo,
he had to stop himself from wincing. His imagination supplied the damage the
explosive device had inflicted. The enemy had starfighters, and  the  ground
forces of the Young were being bombarded.

Around him, the shapes of other tombs loomed in the murky darkness. The
Young had made their headquarters in the tunnels below the  city.  They  had
chosen the vaulted space of an ancient mausoleum as central headquarters.

"Obi-Wan, sit down,"  his  friend  Cerasi  called.  "You're  making  me
dizzy."

In moments of crisis, Cerasi was always calm. Nield, a tall slender boy
with dark eyes, was more serious. Obi-Wan could  see  the  strain  on  their
faces. He could not remember the last time any of them had eaten  or  slept.
They had been fighting aboveground for fourteen days. Now  they  waited  for
the news that seemed long in coming.

The three had led the Young on a quest to bring peace to the planet  of
Melida/Daan. Their war with the Elders was yet another  war  in  the  bloody
history of Melida/Daan. The planet had been torn by conflict for  centuries,
as the two tribes, Melida and Daan, struggled for control. It was the  Young
who had finally called for peace.  The  Elders  had  refused,  and  now  the
children of Melida/Daan were battling to save their planet.

Obi-Wan had never believed in a cause more. He had  forsaken  his  Jedi
training because of it. After struggling to become Padawan to the great Jedi
Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, he had turned his back on him to battle for peace on  a
strange planet.

Sometimes, he could not believe that he'd made the  decision.  Then  he
would look at his friends and remember why he had done so. He had never felt
as close to anyone as he did to Nield and Cerasi.

Cerasi's crystal green eyes gleamed in a face streaked  with  dirt  and
sweat. She patted a space on top of the tomb where she sat with Nield.  "I'm
sure Mawat will clear the tunnel to  the  spaceport  any  moment  now,"  she
assured Obi-Wan.

"He has to," Obi-Wan said worriedly as he took his place between  them.
"We have to strike when the starfighters are being refueled. It's  our  only
hope."

Obi-Wan had been the one to notice that the fleet of  starfighters  all
attacked in the same wave. Most of the advanced weaponry on Melida/Daan  had
to be constantly retooled and refitted. The people had been fighting so long
that equipment was worn out. The aging starfighters had to be  refueled  and
checked more  frequently.  And  the  Elders'  mistake  was  that  they  were
refueling their entire fleet at the same time.

Which meant they were vulnerable.

Obi-Wan's plan was to invade the spaceport with a small team during the
refueling  process.  While  one  member  of  the  team  disabled  the  power
converters on the starfighters, the others would serve  as  lookouts.  If  a
battle started, the first objective was to distract the guards.

It was risky, but if they were successful, victory  would  be  assured.
Recently, the Middle Generation had offered their support to the Young. They
would form an alliance, but only if victory  was  in  sight.  If  the  Young
gained the support of the few who remained of  the  Middle  Generation,  the
Elders would be outnumbered.

Mawat, the leader of the Scavenger Young, was now working to  expand  a
small side tunnel into the spaceport's power shaft. From there they would be
able to enter the port through a grate in the floor.

"All we need is timing and luck," Cerasi said.

Obi-Wan grinned. "Who, us? We don't need luck."

"Everybody needs luck," Nield shot back.

"Not us."

They held out their palms toward each other, their hands  as  close  as
they could without touching. The  gesture  was  a  ritual  they'd  developed
through the many battles over the past weeks.

Suddenly, a small, slender girl rushed  into  the  vault.  "Mawat  says
we're clear."

"Thanks, Roenni," Obi-Wan said, springing to his feet. "Are you ready?"

She nodded and held up a pair of fusion-cutters. "I'm ready."

He hated to involve Roenni. She was younger and unused to  battle,  but
her father had been a starfighter mechanic. She'd grown up around every kind
of air transport available. She knew how to use a fusion cutter, and how  to
disable a power converter. Obi-Wan was counting on the  fact  that  she  was
small and agile. She could slip into the starfighter through the cargo  hold
below. With any luck, she could do it without being seen.

Obi-Wan, Nield, Cerasi, and Roenni hurried through  the  tunnels.  When
they got to the new tunnel immediately beneath  the  spaceport,  they  moved
more carefully. They were now directly below the guards.

Mawat came toward them. His lean face was completely  covered  in  dirt
and muck. His clothes were filthy.

"Took longer because we had to work so quietly," he murmured  to  them.
"But, hey, you'll come up right behind  the  fueling  tanks.  Three  of  the
starfighters are, bang, lined  up  next  to  them.  Two  are  close  to  the
entrance. There are two utility droids and six guards. At least, blast, they
won't be expecting you to come from below."

Remember, Padawan, when you are  outnumbered,  surprise  is  your  best
ally.

Qui-Gon's calm  voice  entered  Obi-Wan's  mind,  twining  through  his
apprehension like a cool river. He felt a pang. He had never carried off  an
operation like this without his Master by his side.

Obi-Wan reached out to the Force. He would need it in this battle.  But
the Force slipped away from him like an unseen  sea  creature  that  brushed
against him and then moved on. He could not reach it or summon it. He  could
only imagine its great power.

The Force had left him.

Leave you, the Force cannot. Constant, it is. If find  it  you  cannot,
look inside, not out, you must.

Yes, Yoda, Obi-Wan thought. Look inside, I should. But how can  I  when
I'm in the middle of a war?

"Obi-Wan?" Cerasi touched his shoulder. "It's time."

Obi-Wan moved the grate aside carefully. He boosted Roenni up and  then
followed. Cerasi swung herself out with her usual agility.  Nield  clambered
up a little clumsily, but without making a noise.

They crouched behind the fueling tanks.  The  utility  droids,  working
busily to refuel the starfighters, didn't notice them. Nor did  the  guards,
who stood at the entrance of  the  spaceport,  their  backs  to  the  grate.
Obi-Wan nodded toward the first starfighter, and Roenni streaked  across  to
climb inside through the cargo hold.

There were only five starfighters. Three were parked side by side. With
luck, Roenni could disable them quickly and quietly. The trick would  be  to
get to the last two, which were parked closer to the entrance  ...  and  the
guards.

Cerasi, Nield, and Obi-Wan watched  anxiously,  their  weapons  at  the
ready, as Roenni ran from one starfighter to another. After the  third,  she
poked her head out and gestured to the group. What now?

Obi-Wan leaned close to Cerasi and Nield. "I'll  go  with  Roenni,"  he
whispered. He did not want to  send  the  girl  across  the  expanse  alone.
"Hopefully, the guards won't turn around. You cover us."

His friends nodded. Obi-Wan moved quietly past the three  starfighters,
keeping away from the utility droids. He reached Roenni's side.  The  girl's
dark eyes were fearful as she looked at the space they would need to  cross.
He  squeezed  her  shoulder  for  reassurance,  and  she  nodded  with  more
confidence. They took off  across  the  empty  space,  running  quickly  and
silently.

They might have made it if a utility droid hadn't knocked into an empty
fuel barrel. It rolled noisily across the floor  and  came  to  rest  a  few
centimeters from their feet. One of  the  guards  turned.  Obi-Wan  saw  the
surprise on his face as he registered the two invaders.

"Hey! "the guard called.

In the split second it took  for  the  guard  to  fully  recognize  the
threat, Obi-Wan was already  moving.  He  gave  Roenni  a  push  toward  the
starfighters, then ran toward a stack of dura-steel cargo boxes. He made  an
enormous leap and landed on top of them, then  used  the  momentum  to  hurl
himself at the guard. As blaster fire erupted around his head, he  fervently
wished he had his lightsaber. He had given it to Qui-Gon to take back to the
Temple. Only the Jedi could carry lightsabers.

He could see the guard's mouth drop  in  surprise  as  Obi-Wan  hurtled
toward him, feet first. He knocked him down, then grabbed his blaster.

The second guard turned just in time to see the first go down.  Obi-Wan
was already whirling, coming at the guard with a kick to the chin. The guard
fell, cracking his head against the stone floor. His blaster  rifle  skidded
away, and Obi-Wan jumped back toward Nield. Nield  and  Cerasi  had  already
begun moving forward, firing at the guards.

The four remaining guards scattered. They  were  all  wearing  plastoid
armor, but no one took chances with blaster fire. They fired  as  they  ran,
and Obi-Wan leaped back around the boxes for cover. Nield and Cerasi  joined
him a split second later.

"They've probably called for  help  on  their  comlinks,"  Cerasi  said
grimly as she took aim at the guards, who were crouching behind  a  pile  of
disabled floaters. She fired rapidly over one guard's head as  he  tried  to
take a clear shot.

Obi-Wan saw Roenni frantically signal from the starfighter. "We need to
cover Roenni," he told the others. "Keep firing."

They kept up a rapid stream of blaster fire. Roenni scooted  under  the
belly of one starfighter and leaped into the next.

"Last one," Obi-Wan said.

Two guards suddenly split off from the others and dashed to either side
of the spaceport, ducking behind pillars for cover.

"They're trying to get behind us!" Obi-Wan alerted  Cerasi  and  Nield.
Then he ran to the other end of the cargo boxes, keeping under cover. Roenni
hadn't seen the guards' maneuver. She leaped down from the last  starfighter
at the same instant that the guard behind the pillar stepped  out  to  fire.
Obi-Wan saw him catch sight of the young girl, whirl, and aim.

Desperately, Obi-Wan reached out for the Force. This time, he  felt  it
surge around him. He put out  his  hand,  and  the  blaster  flew  from  the
surprised guard's hand. The blaster fire went  awry  and  pinged  harmlessly
into the wall.

Roenni stood, paralyzed with fear. Obi-Wan dashed  to  her  side  while
Cerasi and Nield kept up a barrage at the guards. Panic swirled in  Roenni's
eyes as she gazed at Obi-Wan.

"I'm right here." Obi-Wan locked eyes with her, hoping  to  drive  away
the fear. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Roenni's brown eyes cleared. Trust drove out fear. But Cerasi and Nield
couldn't keep the guards down forever. They were  exposed.  Obi-Wan  spotted
the empty fuel drum the droid had knocked over.  He  reached  out  with  the
Force. Nothing.

Never gone. Always there, it is.

Obi-Wan groaned. You think so, Yoda? Not for me!

Blaster fire ripped into the fuselage of the starfighter over his head.
Obi-Wan pushed Roenni down. Keeping his body bent over hers, he ran, hunched
over, to the barrel. Not the greatest protection, but it would have to do.

"We're going to have to crawl," he told Roenni. "Keep  yourself  behind
the barrel."

Roenni crawled in front of him as he pushed the barrel steadily  toward
Nield and Cerasi. Blaster fire pinged off  the  metal.  Obi-Wan  could  feel
Roenni shaking. When they reached the pile of cargo boxes, she  slid  behind
them with relief.

Obi-Wan rolled the huge barrel toward the front guard. It smashed  into
his knees, and he fell backward into the guard  behind  him.  They  teetered
into the line of fire of the other guards.

The four friends took advantage of the moment and ran, firing  as  they
went. They reached the safety of the fuel tanks. Cerasi was the most  nimble
of them all. She hustled Roenni down, then  followed.  With  a  last  blast,
Nield jumped down. Obi-Wan slid through the opening, then threw out a  timed
explosive device.

"Run!" he yelled.

They all scrambled to safety - and then the tank exploded, taking  most
of the hangar with it.

"That should keep them busy," he told the others.

Nield raised Mawat on the comlink. "It's done," he  said.  "The  Elders
have no starfighters anymore. You can contact the Middle Generation."

Mawat's voice crackled over the comlink. Though  the  transmission  was
faint, they could hear his glee.

"I think we just won the war!" he crowed.

The lightsaber came down, missing him by  millimeters.  Qui-Gon  jumped
away,  surprised.  The  blow  came  from  nowhere.  He  hadn't  been  paying
attention.

He whirled,  raising  his  own  lightsaber  in  defense.  His  opponent
parried, then twisted away to come at him from his left.  Their  lightsabers
tangled, buzzing. Suddenly, his opponent shifted his feet and  moved  right.
Qui-Gon  hadn't  expected  the  move,  and  his  dodge  was  ill-timed.  The
lightsaber glanced against his wrist. The burn was nothing compared  to  his
annoyance at himself.

"Round three, it is," Yoda called from the  sidelines.  "Approach  from
opposite corners, you should."

Qui-Gon wiped his forehead with his sleeve. When he had agreed to  take
part in a training exercise with the advanced  Temple  students,  he  hadn't
expected to work so hard.

He could hear the murmur from the student onlookers as Bruck Chun bowed
and retreated to  his  corner.  Bruck  was  doing  better  than  anyone  had
expected. He had made it through all six rounds  with  different  opponents.
This would be his final match.

Qui-Gon remembered Bruck  from  his  last  visit  to  the  Temple.  The
white-haired boy had fought Obi-Wan in a tough, long  match.  The  two  boys
were fierce rivals. They had fought out of fury at each other and  a  desire
to win Qui-Gon's approval. Qui-Gon had been impressed with Obi-Wan's skills,
but not with his anger. Watching Obi-Wan fight, Qui-Gon had been  determined
not to take the promising boy as his Padawan.

Why hadn't he listened to his instincts?

Qui-Gon  wrenched  his  attention  to  the  present  moment.  He   must
concentrate. Bruck's fighting skills had  improved  tremendously.  The  duel
should have been easy for Qui-Gon, but he found his  distraction  harder  to
fight. Bruck had surprised Qui-Gon more than once. The boy fought  doggedly,
never tiring, and was  quick  to  take  advantage  of  Qui-Gon's  lapses  in
concentration.

Bruck circled him, his lightsaber held in  a  defensive  attitude.  The
training sabers were set on low power. A blow would cause a  sting,  not  an
injury. Blocks littered the floor to make the ground uneven. The lights were
kept at half-power to add to the  difficulty.  A  blow  to  the  neck  would
declare the winner.

Qui-Gon watched, waiting for Bruck to make his next move.  Bruck  began
to fade  to  the  left.  Qui-Gon  noted  how  his  hands  tightened  on  his
lightsaber. Impatience had always been Bruck's  weakness,  just  as  it  was
Obi-Wan's....

Was his former Padawan's impatience getting him in trouble back on  the
treacherous world of Melida/Daan?

Too late, Qui-Gon saw the flash of the lightsaber. Bruck had utilized a
simple trick, a trick that never should have fooled  him.  He  had  reversed
direction. The blow came down as Bruck leaped into the air, twisting to come
at Qui-Gon's opposite side. The  blow  missed  Qui-Gon's  neck  by  a  hair.
Qui-Gon ducked, and took the blow hard on his shoulder. As he staggered,  he
heard the onlookers gasp.

He'd had enough of this. He was tired of his own  inattention.  It  was
time to end it.

Qui-Gon allowed his body to ease into his misstep, fooling  Bruck.  The
boy came at him too eagerly, his balance off. Qui-Gon whirled and  attacked.
Bruck  stumbled  backward,  surprised.  He  flailed  at  Qui-Gon  with   his
lightsaber. Another mistake. Qui-Gon's next blow had all his  weight  behind
it. Bruck nearly dropped his lightsaber.

Qui-Gon pushed his advantage. He attacked, his lightsaber  now  just  a
blur in the dusky light. Slashing, parrying, whirling to come at Bruck  from
yet another angle, then another, Qui-Gon forced the boy back into a  corner.
Now the murmurs he heard from the onlookers were  of  appreciation  for  the
skill of a Jedi Master. Qui-Gon tuned them out.  The  battle  was  not  over
until the final defeat.

Bruck tried a last assault, but the boy was tired. It was not hard  for
Qui-Gon to knock Bruck's weapon from his hand and lightly touch the  end  of
his own lightsaber to the boy's neck.

"End point, it is," Yoda announced.

The two exchanged the ritual bows and the customary eye contact. At the
end of every match, each Jedi showed respect to the other and gratitude  for
his lesson, win or  lose.  Qui-Gon  had  fought  many  times  in  this  way.
Sometimes, Jedi students could not control their frustration or anger during
the ritual bow.

But in Bruck's steady gaze  Qui-Gon  saw  only  respect.  That  was  an
improvement.

But he saw other things. Curiosity. Desire.

Bruck was going to be thirteen in a few  days.  He  had  not  yet  been
chosen as a Padawan. Time was running out. He was most likely  wondering  if
Qui-Gon would choose him.

Everyone was wondering, Qui-Gon  knew.  Teachers,  students,  even  the
Council. Why had he returned to the Temple? Had he come  to  choose  another
apprentice?

Qui-Gon turned away from the speculation  in  Bruck's  eyes.  He  would
never choose a Padawan again.

He returned his lightsaber to his belt. Bruck replaced his in the  rack
where the senior students left their weapons after training. Qui-Gon quickly
walked through the dressing and washing rooms and activated the door to  the
Room of a Thousand Fountains.

He felt the coolness of the air  with  relief.  Here  in  the  enormous
greenhouse it was always refreshing. The sound of rushing water and the many
shades of green soothed a restless spirit. He could hear the trickle of  the
small fountains nestled in the ferns, as well as the gentle thunder  of  the
larger waterfalls down the  paths.  Qui-Gon  had  always  found  the  garden
peaceful. He hoped that now it would calm his raging heart.

Privacy was greatly respected at the Temple.

Qui-Gon had not been confronted with questions since he'd arrived.  Yet
he knew that curiosity bubbled beneath the calm surface of the  Temple  just
as the hidden fountains flowed in the gardens. Students and  teachers  alike
wanted to know the answer to one question: What had gone wrong  between  him
and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi?

Even if someone asked him the question, would he be able to answer  it?
Qui-Gon sighed. The situation whirled with cloudy motivations and  uncertain
paths. Had he misjudged his Padawan? Had he been too firm with Obi-Wan?  Not
firm enough?

Qui-Gon didn't have an answer. All he knew was that Obi-Wan had made an
astonishing and bewildering choice. He had thrown  away  his  Jedi  training
like it was a worn-out tunic.

"Troubled you are, if the garden you seek," Yoda said from behind him.

Qui-Gon turned. "Not troubled. Just overheated from the battle."

Yoda gave a slight nod. He did not fully respond if he felt a Jedi  had
dodged an issue. Qui-Gon knew that well.

"Avoiding me, you have been," Yoda remarked. He settled  himself  on  a
stone bench placed near a fountain that ran over smooth white  pebbles.  The
sound of the water was nearly music.

"I've been watching over Tahl," Qui-Gon answered.

Tahl was the Jedi Knight who  Qui-Gon  and  Obi-Wan  had  rescued  from
Melida/Daan. She had been blinded in an attack and then held as  a  prisoner
of war.

Again, Yoda only nodded slightly. "Better healers we have at the Temple
than you," he said. "And in need of constant care, Tahl is not. Welcomes  it
not, I think."

Qui-Gon could not suppress a half smile. It was true. Tahl was  already
impatient with the constant attention. She didn't like to be fussed over.

"Time it is for you to speak your heart," Yoda said softly. "Past time,
it is."

With a heavy sigh, Qui-Gon sat on the bench next to Yoda.  He  did  not
want to unburden his heart. Yet Yoda had a right to know the facts.

"He stayed," Qui-Gon said simply. "He told me he had found something on
Melida/Daan that was more important than his Jedi training. On  the  morning
we were leaving, the Elders attacked the Young. They  had  starfighters  and
weapons. The Young were disorganized. They needed help."

"And yet stay you did not."

"My orders were to return to the Temple with Tahl."

Yoda leaned slightly backward in surprise. "Orders, they were? Counsel,
it was. And always willing to ignore my counsel you are,  if  suits  you  it
does."

Qui-Gon gave a start. Obi-Wan had flung almost the same  words  at  him
back on Melida/Daan.

"Are you saying I should have stayed?" Qui-Gon asked  irritably.  "What
if Tahl had died?"

Yoda sighed. "A hard choice it was, Qui-Gon. Yet  willing  are  you  to
blame your Padawan. Place the  choice  before  him  you  did:  forsake  Jedi
training, or children die, friends are betrayed. Thought  you  understood  a
boy's heart, I did."

Qui-Gon stared stonily ahead. He had  not  expected  this  rebuke  from
Yoda.

"Impulsive you were yourself as a student," Yoda continued. "Led by the
heart, many times you were. And wrong, many times you were as well.  This  I
remember."

"I never would have left the Jedi," Qui-Gon said angrily.

"True that is," Yoda said, nodding in agreement. "Commitment  you  had.
Absolute it was. Does this mean that to question, others must not? Like  you
always, they must be?"

Qui-Gon shifted on the bench. These conversations with  Yoda  could  be
painful. The Jedi Master had a way of poking the deepest wound.

"So I should let him make his foolish decision," Qui-Gon  said  with  a
shrug. "Let him fight a war he can't  win.  Let  him  stand  and  watch  the
massacre that will result. He'll be lucky if he escapes with his life."

"Ah, see I do." Yoda's yellow eyes gleamed. "Unbiased by your  feeling,
your prediction is?"

Qui-Gon nodded shortly. "I see disaster there. The Young cannot win."

"Interesting," Yoda murmured. "For win they did, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon turned to him, startled.

"Word we have received," Yoda said calmly.  "Won  the  war,  the  Young
have. Forming a government, they  are.  Understand  now  do  you,  Obi-Wan's
decision? Fighting for a lost cause, he was not.  A  planet  ruler,  he  has
become."

Hiding his surprise, Qui-Gon turned away. "Then he is more foolish than
I thought," he coolly replied.

Obi-Wan sat between Nield and Cerasi at a huge round conference  table.
The Young  had  taken  over  the  bombed-out  Melida/Daan  Unified  Congress
Building. It had stood intact for only three years, during  a  period  where
the Melida and Daan had tried to rule together before  war  had  broken  out
again.

The Young had taken it over as a symbolic gesture of unity. There  were
certainly more welcoming places they could have chosen. They  had  tried  to
clear most of the rubble, but they were forced to leave the  heavier  fallen
beams and columns. The windows had been blown out, and more  than  half  the
roof was gone.

Obi-Wan was damp and cold and uncomfortable, but he was thrilled to  be
here, forming a new government. The days were long  and  difficult,  but  he
never felt tired. There was so much to think about and so much to do.

The Young had won the war.  But  the  hard  part  was  just  beginning.
Before, they had all been in agreement. They had simply  wanted  peace.  But
now the Young waged a war of words among themselves.  There  were  too  many
decisions to make and too many opinions.

The city of Zehava was a ruin. Many people did not have heat, and  food
was scarce. Hospitals needed supplies. Fuel for floaters and transports  was
low. But the worst problem was the amount  of  arms  still  carried  by  the
citizens, most of them former soldiers. Tensions ran  high,  and  any  small
conflict could escalate into a serious battle.

The Young were in the majority on  Melida/Daan,  especially  since  the
decimated Middle Generation had thrown their support to them during the war.
It had been easy to reach an agreement to elect Nield as temporary governor.
In addition, an advisory council of ten members had been set up. Obi-Wan was
on it, along with Mawat and other Young leaders. Cerasi headed the  council.
As governor, Nield was required to follow any motion that  was  voted  by  a
majority. He cast one vote as well.

Nield and the council had gone to work immediately, forming  squads  to
address the separate problems that Zehava faced. Obi-Wan  was  head  of  the
Security Squad. It was the most

dangerous duty, involving a house-to-house weapons sweep of the  entire
city. Until further notice, only members of the Security Squad were  allowed
to carry weapons. All others were directed to turn their  weapons  in  to  a
warehouse until the tensions eased. Obi-Wan had not been surprised when many
people did not want to cooperate. Even some of the Young were  reluctant  to
hand over their weapons. They had all lived with conflict for too long.

The policy had been discussed at the first general meeting.  There  had
been shouting and furious arguments.

Cerasi had faced them all down. She had stood  in  the  middle  of  the
ruined building and seemed to meet every eye in  the  packed  house.  "Peace
isn't just a concept to me," she had said. "It is life and  breath.  I  will
never pick up a weapon again. I have seen what they can do. If a  weapon  of
destruction is in my hands, sooner or later that weapon will be used. I will
not contribute to one more death on Melida/Daan!"

After a silence, the Young had burst into cheers.  Cerasi  had  flushed
with happiness and pride as boys and girls streamed up to the council  table
and handed over their weapons. It had been a proud moment.

"First order of business,"  Cerasi  now  said  crisply,  breaking  into
Obi-Wan's thoughts.

"Let's get progress reports from the  squad  heads.  Nield,  would  you
begin?"

Nield stood. He was head of the New History Squad, which was in  charge
of demolishing the symbols of hatred and division in Zehava - war monuments,
military statues, and the great Halls of Evidence, which housed holograms of
warriors telling tales of hatred and bloodshed.

"As you all know," Nield began in a ringing voice, "the building  of  a
new society can only take place if the old rivalries are  stamped  out.  How
can the fragile peace hold if both Melida and Daan still have places  to  go
to fuel their hatred? I say that the destruction of the  Halls  of  Evidence
should be our first priority!"

Many onlookers cheered. But Taun, the head of the Utilities  Squad,  in
charge of bringing back power and heat to the many ruined buildings,  raised
his hand.

"The people are cold and hungry," he said.  "Isn't  helping  them  more
important?"

"It's when they're cold and hungry that they  blame  the  other  side,"
Nield answered. "That's when the lines at the Halls of Evidence  grow  long.
People would rather warm themselves with hatred than blankets."

"What about the med centers?" Dor, a quiet boy,  spoke  up.  "The  sick
can't line up at the Halls. They need medicine."

"And the orphans?" someone else called. "The care centers can't  handle
the overflow."

"I would say that rebuilding housing is our first priority," Nena,  the
head of the Housing Squad, spoke up. "There are so many who  were  displaced
by the war."

Nield suddenly brought his hand down on the table with a  sharp  crack.
The buzz of conversation stopped.

"All of these problems come from the endless wars!" he cried. "And  the
endless wars spring from the endless hate! We must destroy the Halls  first.
It will give the people hope. Hope that we can bury the past as easily as we
bury the symbols of our division!"

A hush fell on the room. Everyone stared at Nield. His words rang true.

"I know destroying the resting places of our ancestors is asking people
to sacrifice their memories," Nield continued. "That is why I've chosen  the
resting place of my ancestors as the first Hall to be demolished. I want  to
remember my parents as people. Not warriors! I want to  remember  them  with
love. Not hate! Come with me now," he urged, leaning  over  the  table,  his
voice carrying to every corner of the room. "Let me show you  what  a  great
mark of unity this will be. Are you with me?"

"We're with you!" the Young shouted.

Nield sprang up and strode down the center aisle. "Then come on!"

Boys and girls jumped  up  and  ran  behind  him,  cheering.  Grinning,
Obi-Wan and Cerasi followed.

"Nield will always be able to bring us together," Cerasi exclaimed, her
face glowing.

The crowd followed Nield to the Daan  sector,  where  a  huge  Hall  of
Evidence was located on  a  large,  glittering  blue  lake.  The  low  black
structure hovered on repulsorlifts, covering almost the  entire  surface  of
the lake.

Already, workers from Nield's squad were carrying out the stone markers
on small speeders. They dumped them in a growing pile.

Mawat waved Nield over as soon as the crowd arrived. "Hey, I made  sure
they saved these intact," he told Nield in a low voice. "I  didn't  know  if
you wanted to keep them."

Obi-Wan looked over at  the  stone  markers.  He  saw  the  name  micae
chiseled on one, with the warrior's birth and death dates. Next to it was  a
marker for Leidra. They were Nield's parents.

Nield looked down at  the  markers.  "I'm  glad  you  saved  them,"  he
murmured to Mawat.

Obi-Wan  exchanged  a  surprised  glance  with  Cerasi.   Would   Nield
reconsider his position now that he was face-to-face with the last  evidence
of his parents?

Nield caressed the golden globe  that  activated  the  projection.  His
father appeared in hologram form, brandishing a blaster and wearing armor.

"I am Micae, son of Terandi of Garth,  from  the  North  Country,"  the
hologram began.

Nield turned and activated the hologram of his mother, Leidra.  A  tall
woman with Nield's dark eyes appeared. "I am Leidra, wife of Micae, daughter
of Pei of Quadri," she began.

The two voices combined, each drowning out  the  other.  Obi-Wan  could
pick out isolated words and phrases about battles fought and won,  ancestors
dead, villages destroyed.

Nield picked up a beamdrill. Now the crowd had gathered around  him.  A
solemn look was on his face as he turned to the marker for his father.

"I was but a boy when the evil  Melida  invaded  Garth  and  herded  my
people into camps," Micae was saying. "There -"

Nield attacked the  marker  with  the  beamdrill,  shattering  it  into
pieces. The hologram dissolved into glittering fragments, then disappeared.

Only the voice of Nield's mother remained.

"And to my son, Nield, my treasure, my hope, I leave  my  love  and  my
undying hatred for the filthy Melida -"

Leidra's voice was cut off as Nield set to  work  on  her  marker.  The
hologram wavered, then dissolved. The harsh sound of  the  beamdrill  filled
the air. Stone splintered and chips flew, cutting  Nield  on  his  arms.  He
didn't seem to feel it. He operated the drill  until  his  parents'  markers
were ground to small chunks of stone.

"Now they are gone forever," Cerasi whispered. Obi-Wan saw a small tear
trickle down from the corner of her eye.

Nield turned. He wiped the sweat from his brow with  a  forearm.  Blood
from his cuts mingled with the dust covering his face.  He  leaned  down  to
pick up one of the chunks of stone. He held it aloft.

"The remnants of these stones will be used to  build  new  housing  for
Melida and Daan to live together  in  peace,"  he  shouted.  "Today,  a  new
history is born!"

A great roar rose from the crowd. Many rushed into  the  Hall  to  help
dismantle it. Others hoisted pieces of stone and cheered.

Obi-Wan stood next to Nield and Cerasi. It was a  historic  moment.  He
had helped to shape it.

He had no regrets about leaving the Jedi. He was home.

Qui-Gon was in his quarters when he got the  message  that  he  was  to
report to the Jedi Council immediately. He was most likely being  called  to
report on what had happened with Obi-Wan.

He rose with a sigh. He had returned to the Temple for peace.  Instead,
he was forced to relive the situation over and over.

Still, a request from the Council could not be ignored. Part of being a
Jedi was recognizing that one's own wisdom had limits. The Council was  made
up of the wisest and best of the Jedi Masters. If they wanted to  hear  from
Qui-Gon directly, he would tell them.

Qui-Gon entered the Council room. It was the highest room in one of the
Temple towers, taking up the entire top story. Outside the windows that  ran
from floor to ceiling, the spires and towers of Coruscant hovered below. The
sun was just rising, brushing the clouds with orange fire.

Qui-Gon stood in the  center  of  the  room,  bowed  respectfully,  and
waited. How would they begin? Would Mace Windu, whose dark eyes  could  burn
through  you  like  hot   coals,   demand   his   reason   for   leaving   a
thirteen-year-old boy in the middle of a war? Would Saesee Tiin murmur  that
Qui-Gon's actions had always come from an impulsive but giving heart? He had
been called before the Council more than most Knights.  He  could  guess  at
what each would say.

Yoda began the meeting. "Call you here on a matter of grave  importance
we have. Secret it is. A series of thefts we have discovered."

Qui-Gon was startled. He had not been prepared for this. "Here  at  the
Temple?"

Yoda nodded. "Sorry I am to report such a thing. Taken are things  that
do not have monetary value. Yet serious the thefts  are.  Against  the  Jedi
Code, they are."

"Does the Council believe  that  a  student  is  responsible?"  Qui-Gon
asked, frowning. Such a thing was unheard of at the Temple.

"This we do not know," Yoda replied.

"If it is not, then some outside force has invaded the  Temple.  Either
possibility is intolerable," Mace Windu put in. "And both must be

investigated." He knit his long, elegant fingers together. "That is why
we've called you here, Qui-Gon. We need to investigate discreetly. We  don't
want to alarm the youngest students, or tip off the thief. We'd like you  to
take charge of the investigation."

"Work with Tahl, you will," Yoda added. "True it  is  that  she  cannot
see. But remarkable are her powers."

Qui-Gon nodded. He agreed with Yoda. Tahl's intuition and  intelligence
were renowned.

"The thefts may seem small for now," Mace Windu warned.  "But  a  small
threat can be a hint of a greater threat to  come.  Either  from  within  or
without, this threat is real. Take care, Qui-Gon."

"Yes, I heard," Tahl told Qui-Gon when  he  came  to  see  her  in  her
quarters. "Yoda came to see me this morning. Woke me up with bad  news.  Not
my favorite way to start the day."

Tahl gave an ironic half smile, one that Qui-Gon knew  well.  They  had
gone through Temple training together. Tahl  had  always  attracted  notice.
Strong and beautiful, with skin the color of dark honey  and  striped  green
and gold eyes, Tahl and her sharp tongue  had  deflated  pride  and  exposed
bullies, even as a six-year-old.

Now when he saw her sightless eyes and the white scar that ran from her
left eyebrow to her chin, Qui-Gon's heart contracted in pain. Tahl was still
gloriously beautiful, but it hurt to see the visible signs of  how  she  had
suffered.

"I heard the healers were with you yesterday," Qui-Gon remarked.

"Yes, that was another reason that Yoda came to me. He wanted  to  make
sure I was all right," Tahl said. The half smile quirked  a  corner  of  her
mouth. "Yesterday I was told that I would never have sight again."

The bad news made Qui-Gon slowly sink down into a chair next to her. He
was glad she could not see the pain on his face. "I'm sorry."  He  had  been
hoping, along with Tahl, that the healers on  Coruscant  would  be  able  to
restore her sight.

She shrugged. "Yoda came to tell me I was needed on this investigation.
I think that our friend gave me this assignment so that I can turn  my  mind
to other things."

"If you would rather not, I can find another  partner,"  Qui-Gon  said.
"The Council will understand."

She gave his hand a pat and reached for the teapot. "No, Qui-Gon.  Yoda
is right, as he always is. And if there is a threat to the Temple, I want to
help. Now have some tea." She felt the pot. "It's still warm."

"Let me," Qui-Gon said quickly.

"No," Tahl said sharply. "I must do things for myself. If  we're  going
to work together, you have to understand that."

Qui-Gon nodded, then realized she couldn't see him. He  would  have  to
get used to this new Tahl. She might have lost her sight, but her perception
was stronger than ever.

"All right," he said mildly. "I'd like some tea."

Tahl reached out for a cup. "Don't you know what I've been up to  these
past weeks? Training exercises. I'm working with the Masters to  develop  my
hearing, sense of smell,  and  touch.  I've  already  made  some  remarkable
progress. I had no idea how sharp my hearing could be."

"And here I thought it was your tongue that was sharp," Qui-Gon said.

She laughed as she steadied the cup with one hand and  began  to  pour.
"And Yoda arranged a surprise for me. An unwelcome surprise, I must say, but
don't ever tell him. He -"

"One centimeter to the left!" A musical voice rang out from behind them
suddenly. Startled, Tahl spilled the tea on her wrist.

"Stars and galaxies!" she cried.

Qui-Gon handed her a napkin. He turned to see a  droid  roll  into  the
room. It had the silver body shell of a protocol droid,  but  Qui-Gon  could
see that other features had been ineluded. Extra sensors were built into the
head, and the arms were longer. Now they shot out  and  took  the  cup  from
Tahl.

"You see, Master Tahl, you spilled the tea," the droid said.

"I spilled it because you startled me, you hunk of recycled tin,"  Tahl
sputtered. "And don't call me Master Tahl."

"Yes, certainly, sir," the droid replied.

"I'm not a sir. I'm a female. Who's the blind one here?"

Qui-Gon tried to hide his grin. "What's this?" he asked, indicating the
droid.

"Meet Yoda's surprise," Tahl said with a grimace. "2JTJ,  but  call  it
TooJay. It's a personal navigation droid. It's  supposed  to  help  me  with
domestic matters until I can navigate alone. It scans for obstructions and I
can program it to lead me to any destination."

"Seems like a  good  idea,"  Qui-Gon  remarked  as  TooJay  efficiently
cleaned up the spill and poured more tea.

"I'd rather walk into walls," Tahl grumbled. "It's thoughtful of  Yoda,
but I'm not used to  having  a  constant  companion.  I  never  did  take  a
Padawan."

Qui-Gon sipped his tea. Once he had felt as Tahl did. He hadn't  wanted
a Padawan after his first, Xanatos, had destroyed every bond

of honor and loyalty between them. He enjoyed  being  alone.  He  liked
being responsible for only himself. Then Obi-Wan had come into his life.  He
had grown used to having him there.

"I'm sorry, Qui-Gon," Tahl said gently. "That was a careless remark.  I
know you miss Obi-Wan."

Carefully, Qui-Gon set down his cup. "If I am not to help you pour  the
tea, then can I request that you not tell me how I am feeling?"

"Well, perhaps you don't know that you miss him," Tahl said.  "But  you
do."

Annoyed, Qui-Gon stood. "Do you  forget  what  he  did?  He  stole  the
starfighter to destroy those deflection towers. If he had  been  shot  down,
you would have died on Melida/Daan!"

"Ah, so you have a new talent. You can see things that might have been.
Must come in handy."

Qui-Gon paced in front of her. "He would have stolen  it  again,  if  I
hadn't stopped him. He would have left us on that planet with no way to  get
off."

Tahl pushed Qui-Gon's chair out with her foot. "Sit  down,  Qui-Gon.  I
can't see you, but you're making me nervous. If I don't blame  Obi-Wan,  why
should you? It's my life you're talking about."

Qui-Gon didn't sit, but he did  stop  pacing.  Tahl  cocked  her  head,
trying to gauge his mood.

"It was a tough call," she said in a gentler tone. "You went  one  way,
Obi-Wan another. It seems to me that you're the only one  who  continues  to
blame the boy. And he is a boy, Qui-Gon. Remember that."

Qui-Gon was silent. Once again, he found  himself  discussing  Obi-Wan.
And he didn't want to discuss his Padawan with Tahl, or even  Yoda.  No  one
knew how much of himself he had invested in the boy in such a short time. No
one knew how Obi-Wan's decision had grieved him.

"Maybe we should talk about the investigation," he said finally.  "It's
a high priority. We're wasting time."

"True," Tahl said, nodding. "I think the Council  is  right.  We  can't
treat this lightly. There is danger here."

"Where should we start?" Qui-Gon asked, sitting down. "Do you have  any
ideas?"

"One of the thefts was in a semi-restricted area,"  Tahl  pointed  out.
"Some student records are missing. Let's see who has access  to  the  Temple
registry. When you don't know where to begin, the obvious is a good place to
start."

Obi-Wan strapped a blaster to his hip and made sure his vibroblade  was
in its holster. He had received a report of holdouts in  the  Melida  sector
who had refused to turn over their weapons.

He, Cerasi, and Nield were still  living  in  the  Young's  underground
vault until accommodations could be found. It  wouldn't  be  right  to  take
housing when so many were without. He walked out into the main  vault  where
his Security Squad waited. He nodded at Deila, his second in  command.  They
were ready.

They climbed up a ladder to a grate and  hoisted  themselves  onto  the
street. They had gone only a few steps  when  Obi-Wan  heard  the  sound  of
running footsteps behind him. He turned and saw Cerasi.

"I heard about the holdouts," she said as she

ran up, fastening her warm hooded tunic. "I'm coming with you."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Cerasi, this could be dangerous."

Her green eyes glinted. "Oh, and the war we fought together wasn't?"

"You don't carry a weapon," Obi-Wan said, exasperated. "There could  be
shooting."

"Relax, Obi-Wan," Cerasi said, buckling a thick belt around her  waist.
"I have my own bag of tricks."

Despite his worry, Obi-Wan couldn't help smiling. Cerasi had devised  a
number of trick "weapons." They were slingshots that gave off the  sound  of
blaster fire.

"All right," he agreed. "But for once, follow my orders, will you?"

"Yes, Captain," Cerasi teased.

It was a cold day, and their breath mingled as it clouded the air. They
passed a square where some members  of  the  New  History  Squad  were  busy
dismantling a war monument. A group of Melida Elders  watched,  their  faces
stony.

"They expect us to put up monuments to ourselves, I hear," Cerasi said.
"I can't wait to surprise them. No more war memorials on Melida/Daan."

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked with a

straight face. "I can  see  you  up  on  a  pedestal  holding  up  your
slingshot -"

Cerasi nudged him with her shoulder. "Watch it, friend." She grinned at
him. "I didn't know Jedi were allowed to joke."

"Of course we are." Obi-Wan's face flushed.  "I  mean,  they  are."  He
spoke lightly, but a shadow must have crossed his  face  because  the  smile
left Cerasi's lips.

"You gave up so much for us," she said sadly.

"And look what I  received,"  Obi-Wan  replied,  swinging  his  arm  to
encompass Zehava.

Laughter bubbled out from Cerasi. "Sure. A destroyed city, bad food, no
heat, a home in a tunnel, a job disarming fanatics, and -"

"Friends," Obi-Wan finished.

Cerasi smiled. "Friends."

The large, two-story building where some of the  Melida  holdouts  were
living seemed peaceful under the sharp blue sky. It looked perfectly  intact
from the front, but as they carefully circled it, keeping out of sight, they
saw that the back had been completely demolished.  A  repair  job  had  been
attempted with a combination of boards and tough plastoid sheets.

There was one thing odd about the house, Obi-Wan noted.  There  was  no
back door. He pointed it out to Cerasi.

"Only one entrance to defend," she said,

squinting up at the roof. "That way we can't surprise them."

"I don't want to surprise them," Obi-Wan said. "I have to give them the
chance to surrender their arms. I can't go in shooting." He  looked  at  the
house, his hand drifting toward his belt. It was still a surprise to feel  a
vibroblade there instead of a lightsaber.

"We need a lookout on the street," Obi-Wan continued. "That's you."

For a moment, Cerasi seemed about to protest. Then she nodded. She held
out her hand, palm out. Obi-Wan put his up against  hers,  as  close  as  he
could without touching. "Good luck."

"We don't need luck."

"Everybody needs luck."

"Not us."

Obi-Wan ducked around the corner, followed by his squad of six boys and
girls, the best fighters the Young had.

He knocked on the door.  He  heard  movement  behind  it,  but  nothing
happened. He leaned closer to the  door  and  shouted,  "We  are  the  Young
Security Squad. You are ordered by the acting  governor  of  Melida/Daan  to
open the door."

"Come back when your voice changes," someone shouted from inside.

Obi-Wan sighed. He had been hoping for cooperation. He nodded at Deila,
their explosives expert. She quickly set explosive charges near the lock  of
the heavy door.

"Stand back from the door," she shouted to those inside.

The Security Squad had done this before. Many Melida  and  Daan  Elders
would not open their doors to them or recognize their authority. This was  a
quick way to show them who was in charge. No lives were lost - just doors.

Deila motioned to all of them to step back, then  set  the  charge  and
jumped back with them. A muffled boom split the  silence.  The  door  shook.
Deila stepped forward and nudged it with a toe. It fell with  a  loud  thud,
and the Security Squad rushed in, with Obi-Wan leading the charge.

At first, he couldn't see anything. But he hadn't  forgotten  his  Jedi
training. He let go of the urgent need to see and accepted the darkness.  In
only seconds, he could make out shapes.

Shapes with weapons ...

The Melida Elders stood at the end of the  long  hallway.  Their  backs
were to a stairway leading upward. They all wore battered plastoid armor and
held their weapons pointed at the squad.

Obi-Wan saw his problem at once. He would  have  to  end  the  conflict
here. The group had access to the stairway. More lives could be lost if  his
squad was forced to follow them upstairs. There could be booby traps. At the
very least, it would be a dangerous exercise to try to locate all six Elders
upstairs.

One of them spoke. "We do not recognize your authority."

Obi-Wan knew the voice. It belonged to Wehutti, Cerasi's father. Cerasi
had not seen him in years. Obi-Wan was glad that she was outside.

"It doesn't matter if you don't recognize it," Obi-Wan  answered  in  a
steady tone. "We have it. You lost the war. We've formed a new government."

"I do not  recognize  your  government!"  Wehutti  cried  sharply.  His
powerful hand gripped a blaster. He had lost his other  arm  in  an  earlier
war, but Obi-Wan had seen firsthand that Wehutti could inflict  more  damage
with one arm than most warriors could with two.

"Young fools!" Wehutti continued  harshly.  "You  talk  of  peace  with
weapons in your hands! You are no different from us. You  wage  war  to  get
what you want. You oppress the  people  to  keep  what  you  have.  You  are
hypocrites and fools. Why should we bend to your authority?"

Obi-Wan began to walk forward.  His  squad  followed  him.  "Drop  your
weapons or we'll arrest you. We've called for reinforcements."

At least he hoped so. The standard operating procedure was for the last
one in to signal the lookout to call if it  looked  as  if  there  would  be
resistance. Cerasi should have contacted Mawat on her comlink by now.

"If you take another step, Jedi, I'll fire," Wehutti said, leveling his
blaster.

Before Obi-Wan could take his next  step,  blaster  fire  erupted  from
upstairs. Obi-Wan sprang backward to avoid it, but he couldn't see where  it
was coming from.

Wehutti sprang backward as well. That meant that he didn't  know  where
it was coming from, either.

Cerasi! Somehow she had climbed into the upper  story.  Cerasi  was  an
agile, fearless gymnast. She had pulled what she called a "rooftop special,"
jumping from an adjoining roof onto another and  then  swinging  down  to  a
window.

Obi-Wan took advantage of Wehutti's surprise and  launched  himself  at
the group, his squad on his heels. He leaped into the air, twisting his body
in order to bring the hilt of his vibroblade down on Wehutti's wrist. Even a
powerful man like Wehutti couldn't withstand the shock of such  a  blow.  He
howled and dropped his blaster.

Obi-Wan scooped it up as he whirled to disarm the next Elder. He saw  a
flash of movement behind him. It was Cerasi, leaping over the stairway  rail
into the fray. She dove feetfirst into a Melida Elder. The Elder's  vibro-ax
clattered to the floor, and Deila picked it up.

Within thirty seconds, the entire group was disarmed.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Obi-Wan said.  It  had  been  decided
that if resisters were disarmed without any loss of life, no  one  would  be
arrested. If they had to arrest every  resister,  Nield  pointed  out,  they
would have no place to put them.

"A curse on the foul Youth who destroy our civilization!" Wehutti  spat
out. His green eyes were similar in color to Cerasi's, but they blazed  with
hate.

Cerasi stood rooted to the spot, transfixed by her father's hatred.  He
had not recognized the slight figure in the brown cloak and hood.

Obi-Wan tugged on her arm, and she followed him outside. The  cold  air
cooled their flushed cheeks.

"Deila, take the weapons back to the warehouse," Obi-Wan said  wearily.
"We'll take a break for now."

Deila waved. "Good work, chief."

The rest of the squad headed off. Cerasi  walked  in  silence  next  to
Obi-Wan for a few minutes. It was cold, and they tucked their  hands  inside
their cloaks for warmth.

"I'm sorry I didn't call for reinforcements," Cerasi said.  "I  figured
we could handle it."

"Did you know Wehutti was there?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Not for sure. But when I hear about a bunch of stubborn  angry  Melida
holdouts, naturally my dear dad springs to mind."

Cerasi tilted her face back to catch the warming rays of the  sun.  She
looked serene, but Obi-Wan had picked up the sad bitterness in her voice.

"He is wrong," Obi-Wan admitted quietly. "But he knows no other way."

"I was stupid enough to  think  this  war  would  change  him."  Cerasi
stooped down to pick up a piece of rubble in her path. She threw it  into  a
pile at the side of the road and tucked her hand inside again. "I thought if
we survived the last war we'd ever fight  on  Melida/Daan,  we'd  find  each
other again. Stupid."

"Not stupid," Obi-Wan said carefully. "Maybe it  just  hasn't  happened
yet."

"It's funny, Obi-Wan," Cerasi said thoughtfully. "I had no empty places
inside me during the war. I was filled up  with  my  desire  for  peace,  my
friendships with the Young. Now we have victory, and my heart feels empty. I
didn't think I would miss my family ever again. But now I want something  to
connect to that goes as deep as blood."

Obi-Wan swallowed. Cerasi continually  surprised  him.  Every  time  he
thought he knew her, another layer would peel  back,  and  he  would  see  a
different person. He had met a tough, angry girl who could shoot  and  fight
almost as skillfully as a Jedi. After the  war,  he  had  seen  an  idealist
emerge with the power to move hearts and minds. Now he saw a young girl  who
just wanted a home.

"You connect to me, Cerasi," he said. "You've changed  me.  We  support
each other and protect each other. That's family, right?"

"I guess."

He stopped and turned to face her. "We'll be each other's  family."  He
held up his hand. This time, she pressed her palm against it.

The wind picked up,  cutting  through  their  cloaks  and  making  them
shiver. Still, they kept their palms together. Obi-Wan felt  the  warmth  of
Cerasi's skin. He could almost feel the beating of her blood against his.

"You see," he said, "I have lost everything, too."

A tool box from the servo-utility unit Holographic files  and  computer
records for students with names A through H A teacher's  meditation  robe  A
fourth-year student's sports activity kit

Qui-Gon stared at the list. It was such an odd assortment of items.  He
could see no pattern there. He and Tahl were working on the assumption  that
these were petty thefts. That would be  the  easy  answer.  Somewhere  there
could be a student who seemed to be adjusting but who was hiding  resentment
or anger. He or she had lashed out.

But Qui-Gon had learned through long experience that  the  easy  answer
usually just led to a harder question.

The holographic files on the students were kept by Jedi Master Tun. Tun
had a record of long years of service. He was several hundred years  old,  a
wizened being of great learning. He had kept the records of the  Temple  for
the past fifty years. Each year he was aided  by  two  student  helpers  who
volunteered for service. Tahl and Qui-Gon had interviewed both of them. They
had answered steadily and clearly. Only Tun and other members of the Council
had access to the private files. The students were never alone in the filing
office without Tun.

It was typical of their investigation. Every lead  had  turned  into  a
dead end.

An urgent knock came on his door. "Qui-Gon,"  Tahl  called  softly.  "I
need you."

He opened the door. "More bad news," she said with  an  anxious  frown.
"The senior training rooms have been vandalized. All of the lightsabers have
been stolen."

Dismay made him slow to respond. Obi-Wan's lightsaber had been  in  the
senior training room. Qui-Gon had left it there. Part of him had hoped  that
someday Obi-Wan would reclaim it.

"This is no longer petty theft," he said.

"Yoda has cordoned off the room  until  we  see  it,"  Tahl  explained.
"Hurry, before TooJay catches up with me."

They walked quickly to the lift tube and took it to the training floor.
Qui-Gon strode into the changing rooms. He stopped short,  and  Tahl  bumped
into him from behind.

"What is it?" she asked. "What do you see?"

Qui-Gon couldn't answer for a moment. Sick at heart,  he  surveyed  the
room. Training tunics had been ripped to shreds, the pieces flung around the
room. Lockers were flung open, their contents spilled onto the floor.

"I can feel it," Tahl said. "Anger. Destruction." She  picked  her  way
through the debris, reaching down to pick up a scrap of fabric. "What else?"

"A message," Qui-Gon said. "Scrawled on the wall in red." He read it to
her.

COME, YOUR TIME WILL BEWARE YOU MUST, TROUBLE I AM

"It's mocking Yoda,"  she  said.  "I  know  the  students  imitate  him
sometimes. Even I do. But we do it with great affection. Qui-Gon,  there  is
hate here."

"Yes."

"We have to get to the bottom of this. And the students must  know.  We
must go on alert."

"Yes," he agreed. "This cannot be secret any longer."

The Temple went on high-security alert. It was a decision  the  Council
was reluctant to make. It made prisoners out of the  students.  They  needed
passes to leave the Temple, passes to use the gardens and  to  swim  in  the
lake. They needed to account for their time at every minute of the  day.  It
was for everyone's protection, but it violated the spirit of the Temple. The
Temple's philosophy was that discipline needed to come from within. Security
checks contradicted that concept.

But Qui-Gon and Tahl had insisted on the measure, and Yoda had  agreed.
The safety of the students was their primary concern.

An atmosphere of mistrust grew at the Temple. Students eyed each  other
with suspicion. As they were called into interviews with Qui-Gon  and  Tahl,
they watched each other for guilty signs. Yet no one could  believe  that  a
student could be capable of such vandalism.

Bruck was one such student. "I know it  can't  be  any  of  the  senior
students," he told Tahl and Qui-Gon quietly when they  called  on  him.  "We
have been through training together. I can't imagine any one of  us  wanting
to damage the Temple."

"It's hard to see into another person's heart," Qui-Gon remarked.

"I was the last person to leave the training rooms last  night,"  Bruck
said. "And of course you know that months  ago  I  was  disciplined  for  my
anger. I've worked with Yoda, and I've made progress. But I guess I'm  still
a suspect." Bruck met Qui-Gon's gaze steadily.

"We suspect no one as yet," Tahl assured him. "Did you see anything odd
last night? Think carefully."

Bruck closed his eyes for a long moment. "Nothing," he said finally. "I
powered down the lights, and I left. We never lock  the  training  rooms.  I
took the turbolift to the dining hall. I was with  my  friends  all  evening
until bed."

Qui-Gon nodded. He had already confirmed Bruck's story.

He and Tahl weren't even certain what they were looking for. They  were
merely gathering information,  trying  to  see  if  the  students  had  seen
anything out of the ordinary, even if it didn't seem to be important at  the
time.

They dismissed Bruck, and Tahl turned to Qui-Gon with a sigh. "I  think
he's right. I can't imagine any of the senior students doing this. They  are
Jedi."

Qui-Gon passed a weary hand over his forehead. "And no one has heard of
a student who has recently been angry or upset. Just the usual  things  -  a
bad performance on an exercise, or a petty disagreement..."  He  drummed  on
the table, thinking. "Yet Bruck was angry once."

"Yoda says  he's  made  great  improvements,"  Tahl  said.  "And  Bruck
acknowledged his problem used to be anger. He admitted it must look bad  for
him that he was the last one to use the room. I got  no  sense  of  darkness
from him. A boy so honest couldn't have done this."

"Unless he was very, very clever," Qui-Gon remarked.

"Do you suspect him?"

"No," Qui-Gon said. "I suspect no one and everyone ..."

"Master Tahl!" TooJay suddenly appeared in the doorway of the interview
room. "I am here to lead you to the dining hall."

Tahl gritted her teeth. "I'm busy."

"It is dinnertime," TooJay said in a musical tone.

"I can find it," Tahl snapped.

"It is five levels down -"

"I know where it is!"

"There is a datapad three centimeters to your left -"

"I know! And in another second, it will be flying at your head!"

"I see you are busy. I  will  return."  TooJay  beeped  at  them  in  a
friendly way, and scooted off.

Tahl dropped her head in her  hands.  "Remind  me  to  get  a  pair  of
vibro-cutters, will you, Qui-Gon? I really need to  dismantle  that  droid."
With a heavy sigh, she raised her head. "This  investigation  will  try  the
nerves of everyone at the Temple.  I  feel  a  serious  disturbance  in  the
Force."

"I do as well."

"I fear it is not a student who is doing this. I think it's an invader.
Someone who hates us. Someone who wants to see us fractured  and  distracted
..."

"Someone who could have a larger plan in mind, you mean? Is  that  what
you're afraid of?"

Tahl turned her worried emerald and gold eyes to him.  "It  is  what  I
fear the most," she said.

"As do I," Qui-Gon softly replied.

Obi-Wan walked  through  the  city  streets,  exhausted.  He  had  just
finished three solid days of Security Squad duty. It had been hard, but they
had managed to disarm whole quadrants of the city. There were only  isolated
pockets left. Most of the weapons had been collected. They were stored in  a
heavily guarded warehouse. It would be safer to get them  out  of  the  city
completely until the council decided whether to destroy them. He  needed  to
bring up the issue at the next council meeting.

A few flakes of snow trickled down from  a  metallic  sky.  Winter  was
almost upon them. People needed fuel for the upcoming  months.  Nothing  had
been done about it yet.

Instead, Nield had recruited more and more workers on  his  mission  to
destroy every Hall in the city. Since Obi-Wan was on the streets most

of the time, he had seen the anger of the people. They had turned  from
thoughts of war to thoughts of survival. The Young  were  not  helping  them
rebuild their homes or feed their families.  The  unrest  was  growing.  The
Middle Generation had helped them win the war, but  the  Young  were  losing
their support. What they lacked in numbers they made up  in  influence.  The
Young couldn't afford to alienate them.

We must do something, Obi-Wan thought.

He saw a group of Scavenger Young hurrying down a side  street  with  a
sense of purpose. Obi-Wan called to one of them.

"Joli! What's going on?"

A short, stocky boy turned. "Mawat called us. Another Hall of  Evidence
going down today. The one on Glory Street near the  plaza."  He  hurried  on
after the others.

Obi-Wan felt a pang. That Hall  of  Evidence  held  the  holograms  and
markers of Cerasi's ancestors. He remembered how wistful  she'd  been  about
her lack of family. Perhaps he should let her know what was about to happen.

He forgot his weariness as he hurried to the tunnels. He  climbed  down
the grate near the mausoleum and hurried into the vaulted space. Cerasi  sat
at the scrubbed tomb the Young had used as a meeting table.

"I heard," she told Obi-Wan.

His steps slowed as he approached her. "We can ask Nield to stop -"

Cerasi brushed a strand of her short coppery  hair  out  of  her  eyes.
"That wouldn't be fair, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan sank down on a stool next to her. "When was the last  time  you
went to the Hall?"

Cerasi  sighed.  "I  can't  remember.  Before  I  came  down  into  the
tunnels.... Long enough so that I can't really remember  my  mother's  face.
Her memory is fading." She turned to  Obi-Wan.  "I  believe  that  Nield  is
right. I hate the Halls of Evidence as much as he does. Or at least  I  did.
But I don't hate my family, Obi-Wan. My mother, my  aunts,  my  uncles,  the
cousins I've Jost... they're all there. Their  faces,  their  voices  ...  I
don't have any other way to remember them. And I'm not  alone.  So  many  on
Melida/Daan have nothing to remember their loved ones by except the Halls of
Evidence. We've bombed our homes and libraries and civic  buildings  ...  we
have no records of births and marriages and deaths. If we  destroy  all  the
holograms, our history will be lost forever. Will we end up missing part  of
what we destroy?"

Cerasi's keen eyes searched his, but he had no answers for her.

"I'm not sure," he said slowly. "Maybe Nield is being too  rash.  Maybe
the holograms should be preserved somehow. Say in a vault that can  only  be
accessed with permission. That way we wouldn't be encouraging the worship of
war or violence, but scholars could have access, and we'd retain the history
of Melida/Daan."

"That's  a  good  idea,  Obi-Wan,"  Cerasi  said  excitedly.  "It's   a
compromise. And it's something to offer the people of Zehava."

"Why don't we persuade Nield to stop temporarily until  we  can  figure
this out?"

The excitement in Cerasi's eyes dimmed. "He won't," she said flatly.

"The council of advisors could issue a stop  action  on  Nield's  squad
until further debate and study can be done. We have that power. Nield  would
have to go along."

Cerasi bit her lip. "I don't think I can do that. I can't oppose  Nield
officially. It would split the Young in two. We need to act together. If the
Young is divided, that's the end of  peace  on  Melida/Daan.  I  can't  risk
that."

"Cerasi, the city is falling apart," Obi-Wan said urgently. "The people
want  their  lives  back.  That's  the  way  peace  will  remain.  If  Nield
concentrates on destruction instead of rebuilding, the people will revolt."

Cerasi dropped her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do!"

Mawat suddenly rushed into the chamber. "Hey, Obi-Wan!" he called.  "We
need you!"

Obi-Wan sprang to his feet. "What is it?"

"Wehutti has organized the Elders to protest  the  destruction  of  the
Hall on Glory Street," Mawat said. "Yes, there's a  huge  crowd  forming.  I
need you, now, to authorize the release of weapons to  the  Young.  We  must
defend our right to demolish the Halls!"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I'm not releasing  any  weapons,  Mawat.  That
could turn a protest into a massacre."

Mawat pushed his hands through his long,  sandy  hair  in  frustration.
"But we're unarmed, thanks to you!"

"Thanks to the unanimous decision of the council," Cerasi  rapped  out.
"Obi-Wan is right."

Disgusted, Mawat turned away. "Hey, thanks for nothing."

"Wait, Mawat!" Obi-Wan called. "I said I wouldn't give you  weapons.  I
didn't say I wouldn't give you help."

The rumor spread through the Temple like wildfire. An intruder had been
spotted on the grounds. Some said he or she had  been  seen  in  the  Temple
itself. The youngest students were afraid, and even the  Jedi  Knights  were
apprehensive. The Temple was  on  high-security  alert.  How  could  someone
violate it? Was the Temple vulnerable?

"The Temple's security is tight," Qui-Gon  told  Tahl  as  they  walked
through the halls on a survey, TooJay ahead of them. "But perhaps it  relies
too much on closing down if a threat is out there."

"Meaning?" Tahl asked.

"Meaning, there are not as many systems  operating  to  protect  us  if
there is someone on the inside who wants the intruder to enter.  The  system
assumes that no Jedi would welcome an outside threat."

"Ramp, incline fifteen degrees, two meters ahead," TooJay trilled.

Tahl's face tightened with annoyance for a moment, but she returned  to
Qui-Gon's statement. "We don't even know if there's an intruder at all," she
said, frustrated. "We've tried to track the story to its  source,  and  it's
impossible. This one told that one, who heard it from this one, who  doesn't
remember who told him ..."

"It's the nature of a rumor to be difficult to track," Qui-Gon offered.
"Perhaps the intruder is counting on that. Perhaps he or  she  wants  us  to
think an invasion has occurred."

A voice came over the address system. "Code fourteen,  code  fourteen,"
the calm, steady voice intoned.

"Yoda's signal," Tahl said. "Something's happened."

The two Jedi Knights reversed direction. This time, Tahl took Qui-Gon's
arm so that they could move quickly.

"Master Tahl! Please slow down!" TooJay called in her musical voice. "I
must assist!"

"Get lost!" Tahl yelled over her shoulder. "I'm in a hurry!"

"I cannot get lost, sir," TooJay replied, hurrying after them.  "I'm  a
navigation droid."

Qui-Gon and Tahl hurried to the small conference room  where  they  had
agreed to meet Yoda for updates. The room was the most secure at the Temple,
with a scanner that constantly monitored for surveillance devices.

Yoda was waiting as they entered the white chamber.

"Door to close in approximately two seconds," TooJay told Tahl.

"TooJay -" Tahl said impatiently.

"I shall wait outside, sir," TooJay answered.

The door hissed shut behind them. Yoda looked grave.

"Bad news, I have," he said. "Another theft to report. Stolen this time
are the healing crystals of fire."

"The crystals?" Qui-Gon asked, stunned. "But they're under the  highest
security."

Tahl let out a breath. "Who knows?"

"The Council only," Yoda said. "But fear we do that word will get out."

Every time Qui-Gon thought the situation could not get worse,  it  did.
The seriousness of the thefts was escalating. Which could be the point.

There is the pattern, Qui-Gon thought. This isn't random. It's planned.

This time, the thief had struck at the very heart of  the  Temple.  The
healing crystals of fire had been a Jedi treasure for thousands of

years. They were held in a meditation chamber that  was  accessible  to
all students. The room's only heat and light source was  from  the  crystals
themselves. Embedded in the heart of each rock was an eternal flame.

When the students discovered them stolen, it would  surely  rock  their
belief in the Temple's invincibility. Maybe it would test  their  belief  in
the Force itself.

"Find who did this you must,"  Yoda  told  them.  "But  something  more
important you must find."

"What is that, Yoda?" Tahl asked.

"You must find why," Yoda said urgently. "Fear I do  that  in  why  the
seed for our destruction lies."

Yoda walked out. The door hissed behind him.

"First step?" Tahl asked Qui-Gon.

"My quarters," Qui-Gon answered. "I have notes on my datapad. And  from
now on, we should carry our notes  on  us  at  all  times.  If  the  healing
crystals are vulnerable, so are we."

Qui-Gon and Tahl entered the chamber.  Qui-Gon  had  worried  that  his
datapad would be missing, but it was right where he had left it, in a drawer
by his sleep-couch. There were no locks or safes at the Temple.

"All right," he said. "Let's get back to -"

He stopped to watch Tahl. It was obvious his friend wasn't listening to
him. She stood in the middle of the room, a look of intense concentration on
her face. He waited, not wanting to interrupt.

"Do you smell it?" she asked. "Someone has been here, Qui-Gon. There is
your scent in the room ... and something else. An intruder."

Qui-Gon  looked  around  the  room.  Nothing  had  been  disturbed.  He
activated his datapad. All his coded notes were still there. Interviews with
students, security procedures. Could someone have broken the code  and  read
them? It didn't matter much. He hadn't recorded speculation, only facts. But
still, someone had been here.

Sudden excitement rippled through Qui-Gon. Tahl  turned,  catching  the
change in his mood. More and more, it was extraordinary what she could  pick
up without seeing.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You just found a way to catch the thief," Qui-Gon replied.

Obi-Wan, Cerasi, and Mawat emerged from the tunnel only  a  block  from
the Hall of Evidence. Obi-Wan had alerted all members of the Security  Squad
to meet him there. He did not want to use violence, but a  show  of  weapons
could come in handy. A showdown must be avoided at all costs.

But they were too late. A showdown was already in progress.

Wehutti and the Elders had formed a human chain around the  Hall.  They
stood shoulder to shoulder facing Nield and his helpers.

Nield had apparently started the demolition before being  outmaneuvered
by the Elders. Some markers had been dragged out and  partially  demolished.
Floaters packed with beam-drills and other demolition equipment were  parked
outside the human wall. Obviously, Wehutti and the Elders had managed to get
between Nield and the equipment.

Cerasi and Obi-Wan hurried over to Nield.

"Look at them," Nield said disgustedly.  "Protecting  their  hate  with
their lives."

"This is a bad situation, Nield," Obi-Wan said.

"Thanks for the information," Nield said sarcastically. Then he sighed.
"Look, I know it's bad. Why do  you  think  I'm  standing  here,  not  doing
anything? If we use force to break through them, it  can  backfire.  But  we
can't let them win. We have to destroy the Hall."

"Why?" Cerasi asked.

Nield whipped his head around. "What do you mean? You know why."

"I thought I did," Cerasi said.  "I've  been  having  second  thoughts,
Nield. Is it wise to destroy the only place we have collected our history?"

"A history of death and destruction!"

"Yes," Cerasi admitted. "But it is our history."

Nield just stared at Cerasi. "I can't believe this," he muttered.

"Nield, we have to consider Zehava, too," Obi-Wan put in. "When I  said
this was a bad situation, I meant more than just  the  destruction  of  this
Hall. If you insist on using force, the news will travel all over the  city.
The people are already unhappy with us. They're cold, and winter is  coming.
They need to see signs of rebuilding, not more destruction."

Nield looked from Cerasi to Obi-Wan in disbelief. "What happened to our
ideals? Are we going to compromise so soon?"

"Is compromise so bad?" Cerasi asked. "Whole civilizations are built on
it." She put her hand on Nield's arm. "Let Wehutti win this one, Nield."

He shook his head violently. "No. And since when do you  care  if  your
father is defeated? You didn't care during  the  war!  You  shot  at  enough
Elders. You would have killed him if you could!"

Nield's words seemed to hit Cerasi in the face. She turned away.

"Nield, listen," Obi-Wan pleaded. "This isn't  about  Wehutti.  We  all
want what's best for Zehava. These are matters we all need  to  discuss.  We
should put it to a vote. Isn't that why we set up the system of  government?
You yourself  wanted  the  council.  You  didn't  want  complete  authority,
remember?"

Nield's dark eyes were stormy. "All right. I can't oppose both of you."

Cerasi looked at him pleadingly. "We aren't opposing you, Nield.  We're
still together." She held up her palm.

Nield ignored it. He turned away and stalked off. He  signaled  to  his
squad, and after a moment, they followed, with baffled expressions on  their
faces. They had never seen Nield give up before.

The Elders let out a great cheer. Wehutti's strong voice boomed out.

"We have our victory!"

Cerasi's face was troubled as she watched her father. "I think  I  just
made a mistake. I shouldn't have argued with Nield in front of them."

"I don't think we had a choice," Obi-Wan  said,  though  he,  too,  was
worried by the Elders' reaction. Knowing Wehutti, he would turn this into  a
great victory and use it to his advantage.

Wehutti suddenly turned  and  looked  over  the  heads  of  the  crowd,
straight at Cerasi. Their gazes locked. Obi-Wan saw the  bravado  slip  from
Wehutti's gaze as he looked at his daughter. A softness took its place.

So he is a man, after all, Obi-Wan thought.  For  the  first  time,  he
thought there might be hope for Cerasi to reconnect to the father she longed
for.

An Elder tugged at Wehutti's arm, and he brusquely turned away.  Cerasi
let out a small sigh.

"Nield said his parents were more than warriors to him," she  said.  "I
feel that way, too. I know my father is filled with hate. But if I  want  to
remember, I can recall love, too."

"I think love is there," Obi-Wan said.

"That is sacred to me," she said. "And that means that the memories  in
the Halls might be sacred, too." She turned to Obi-Wan. "Do you know what  I
mean? Is anything sacred to you?"

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 knew 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.

Qui-Gon might need to follow the  thief.  Tahl  had  argued  that  they
should not rely on corn-links for communication. This was too important. And
they needed to do everything as silently as possible. It was best not to tip
off the thief.

"All right," he finally agreed. "Just leave TooJay in your quarters."

They had been waiting for five hours. Every so often they  would  stand
and stretch each muscle in a Jedi exercise known as  "stationary  movement."
That kept them awake and their muscles fluid.

The lakeside was so still that it was no more than a  flickering  of  a
leaf that alerted Qui-Gon to the presence of another.  Tahl  had  heard  it;
perhaps she had even heard a disturbance earlier, for her head  was  already
turned toward the sound.

Qui-Gon called on the Force to help him. He was dressed in a dark  robe
and blended in perfectly with the  vegetation.  He  kept  himself  perfectly
still.

A figure emerged onto the beach from their left, not from the  path  he
had anticipated. The figure was hooded, but Qui-Gon saw that it was  a  boy.
Judging by his height, it  was  one  of  the  older  boys.  The  stance  was
familiar, too, Qui-Gon did not have to wait until  the  hood  fell  back  to
reveal the gleam of a white ponytail to know that it was Bruck.

He leaned over and put his lips to Tahl's  ear.  He  whispered  Bruck's
name, and she nodded.

Bruck sat on the shore and took off his boots and outer cloak. Then  he
tied a waterproof parcel around his neck, lit a glow rod and waded into  the
lake. He took a deep breath and disappeared.

"He's underwater," Qui-Gon said in a low tone to Tahl. "When  he  comes
out, I'll follow him. You wait here.  Don't  move  a  muscle.  He  must  not
realize that he's being followed."

"All right," Tahl agreed. "If you're not back in fifteen minutes,  I'll
get help."

In minutes, Bruck resurfaced and swam with a strong stroke to shore. He
walked out of the lake and pulled on his boots, then pulled the cloak around
him. Instead of heading back to the turbolift, he chose an  overgrown  path.
Qui-Gon knew it well. It led through  the  undergrowth  toward  the  utility
buildings that held floaters and hydrocrafts.

Qui-Gon followed behind. Bruck could be heading for a meeting. He could
be heading to where he'd stashed the other stolen objects. Either way,  they
would learn something important tonight.

Bruck was being careful, but Qui-Gon was more so. He had more  practice
in moving silently than the boy did. He followed Bruck by sound rather  than
sight.

The overhanging trees blocked out the surroundings as  the  path  wound
farther away from the lake. Soon they would be at the utility  sheds.  Would
someone be there to meet Bruck? Qui-Gon picked up his pace slightly so  that
he could see the boy.

"Tree root, two  centimeters  ahead."  A  well-known  voice  split  the
silence. "Leaf frond, three centimeters straight ahead at eye level!"

TooJay! Qui-Gon stopped and went perfectly  still.  Bruck  turned,  his
ponytail whipping around. He could not see Qui-Gon in the darkness.  But  he
turned and ran.

It was no use following him. He  would  most  likely  double  back  and
return to the turbolift. He knew someone was out here.

Disgusted, Qui-Gon turned back. Tahl was waiting  on  the  path  a  few
meters back. TooJay stood next to her.

"Qui-Gon Jinn approaching," TooJay said pleasantly.

Furiously, Tahl reached over and shut off TooJay's speaking  mechanism.
The droid waved its arms, but could not speak.

"Qui-Gon, I'm sorry," Tahl said rapidly. "I didn't realize that  TooJay
was looking for me.

As soon as I started down the path, she was behind me."

"Why did you follow me?" Qui-Gon asked irritably.

"Because someone was following you," Tahl  explained.  "They  moved  so
quietly you might not have heard them. I was worried."

"Someone from the Temple?" Qui-Gon asked. "Could you tell?"

"I don't think so," Tahl said hesitantly. "Students and teachers,  even
workers, wear soft-soled boots. This person  wore  heavier  boots.  And  the
clothes had a whispery sound. Not like the sound of our cloaks or tunics.  I
think it's a man. The footfalls were heavy, and he brushed the icus  leaves.
He has to be close to your height."

"So there is an intruder," Qui-Gon said. "That was who Bruck was  going
to meet."

"Yes," Tahl agreed. "But not only that. He didn't hide in the bushes or
try to track you through the trees. He knew the way. This intruder  felt  at
home here. And he was not afraid."

A sudden chill ran through Qui-Gon. This was the scariest news of all.

When Obi-Wan woke the next morning, he was alone. Most of the Young had
already headed aboveground. Cerasi probably hadn't wanted to  wake  him.  He
was sure that she'd been awake when he'd slipped back into his sleeping area
near dawn.

Cerasi had left him a plate of fruit and a muja muffin  for  breakfast.
He ate, wondering when he'd get a chance to eat again. Each day was so busy.
If he wasn't on duty with the Security Squad, he was trying, with Cerasi, to
convince the Young that they needed to talk without anger.

Suddenly Roenni burst into the space. He hadn't seen much of the  quiet
girl lately. She kept to herself.

"Obi-Wan, they need you," she said breathlessly.

"Who needs me?" he asked, standing up.

"Everyone." Her eyes filled with tears.

"Roenni, start from the beginning."

"Nield has convinced Mawat that they must overthrow  the  vote  of  the
council and demolish the Hall of Evidence on  Glory  Street,"  Roenni  said.
"He's gathered most of his squad and some of the Scavenger Young."

Obi-Wan sighed. He would have to deal with this.

"They have weapons," Roenni warned.

"Where did they get them?" Obi-Wan asked sharply.

"I don't know. But Wehutti is there with  the  Elders,  and  they  have
weapons, too."

Dismay filled Obi-Wan. This is what he  and  Cerasi  had  feared,  what
they'd tried to avoid. Open conflict was in the streets of Zehava once more.

He debated whether to try to find Cerasi. He  could  call  her  on  the
comlink. But he didn't have much time, and it was better that she  find  out
about the conflict after it was over. He remembered how torn she'd  been  to
see Wehutti and Nield at odds last time.

Instead, he sent the emergency signal to  his  squad,  along  with  the
location of the site. He hoped they would arrive soon so he wouldn't have to
face Nield alone. The sight of Obi-Wan would not calm Nield. Still he had to
try.

Grabbing his vibroblade, Obi-Wan headed aboveground.

When he got to Glory Street, his worst fears were realized. There was a
large stone fountain with dry jets in the center of the plaza. Nield and his
forces stood at the end  of  the  plaza,  holding  transparent  shields  and
carrying blasters and vibroblades. Wehutti and the Elders were opposite, all
wearing plastoid armor and carrying weapons. They blocked  the  entrance  to
the Hall of Evidence. Only the  fountain  stood  between  them.  It  was  an
explosion waiting to happen.

Obi-Wan hurried toward them. "I order you in the name of the government
of Melida/Daan to disarm!" he called as he ran. He saw members of his  squad
hurrying toward the spot, their weapons at the ready. He made  a  signal  to
them to stand fast. If they started shooting, the Elders and Nield's  forces
would as well.

"You do not represent the government of Melida/Daan!" Nield shouted.

Obi-Wan's squad gathered around him. They looked from Nield to Obi-Wan,
and he saw confusion on their faces. Obviously, Nield had  reached  some  of
them when he'd called Obi-Wan an outsider. Even Deila looked uncertain.

Ignoring their hesitation, Obi-Wan quickly gave  orders  for  half  the
squad to surround the perimeter. At least he could prevent this battle  from
spilling out into the city core. He had to prevent any  reinforcements  from
arriving. This confrontation could not escalate into war.

He walked slowly toward the groups. He could feel the turbulence in the
air, the hot emotion. He knew that everyone was just a hair away from  using
their weapons.

"Move aside, Wehutti," Nield said. "We won  the  war.  Let  us  do  our
work."

"We will not allow the desecration  of  our  ancestors  by  a  band  of
brats!" Wehutti thundered.

"We will not allow murderers to be treated as the honored dead!"  Nield
shouted back. He raised his blaster rifle. "Now move!"

Suddenly, the grate in  the  dry  fountain  opened,  and  Cerasi  swung
herself up and out. She began to run toward the middle of  the  two  groups.
"No!" she shouted as she ran. "This cannot happen!"

"Cerasi!" With a cry, Obi-Wan sprang forward. At the same moment, shots
rang out. In the confusion, Obi-Wan could not place where they came from.

But they hit their mark. Cerasi's eyes  widened  as  the  blaster  fire
ripped into her chest. Slowly, she sank to her knees.  Obi-Wan  reached  her
just as she fell backward, into his arms.

"Cerasi!" he cried.

Her green eyes were glazed.

"You'll be okay," he said frantically. "Can you hear me? You don't need
luck. Cerasi!"

He held up his palm. She tried to raise her hand, but it fell back. Her
eyes unfocused.

"No!" Obi-Wan screamed.

He felt for her pulse with shaking fingers. There was no  beat  of  her
blood, not even a flutter.

Agony ripped through him.  He  looked  up  at  Nield  and  Wehutti.  He
couldn't form the words. It was as though he had forgotten how to speak.

Tears ran down his face as the pain grew and expanded to  every  corner
of his brain, his heart. It seemed unbearable. His body could not hold  this
much pain. It would simply  break  apart.  Yet  he  knew  it  was  only  the
beginning.

The shock waves of Cerasi's death echoed through Zehava. She  had  been
the symbol of peace. Her death became a symbol, too.

But it was not a symbol of reconciliation. Each side took her death and
fashioned it to fit their own ends. For the Elders, she was a symbol of  the
irresponsibility and recklessness of the Young. For the  Young,  her  tragic
death was a symbol of the inflexible hatred of the Elders. Each group blamed
the other for her death.

The Young and the Elders were more bitterly divided than  ever.  Though
Wehutti and Nield were both  in  seclusion,  their  factions  patrolled  the
streets, now openly armed. Each faction gathered more support every day. The
rumor was that war was inevitable.

Obi-Wan knew that Cerasi would hate what her death had become: a reason
to fight. But he could not begin to struggle with meanings and  symbols.  He
could only grieve.

Nield had not attended Cerasi's  funeral.  Her  ashes  were  now  being
stored in the Hall of Evidence where her parents' remains were.

Obi-Wan was alone. The loss of Cerasi was with him constantly. As  soon
as he opened his eyes he felt it. It was as though his bones  had  left  his
body, leaving an empty, yawning space. He wandered through the city streets,
wondering how people could continue to eat,  shop,  live,  when  Cerasi  was
gone.

He relived the moment over and over. He asked himself why he hadn't run
faster, or started toward her earlier, or  anticipated  that  she  would  be
there. Why couldn't he have caught the blaster fire?

Then he would see the shock in her crystal eyes as the  fire  hit  her,
and he would want to scream and pound the walls. Rage kept him  as  occupied
as grief.

The loss of her presence hit him afresh  from  moment  to  moment.  The
knowledge that he'd never talk to her again made him  ache.  He  missed  his
friend. He would always miss her. She had been a vivid presence in his life.
They still had so much left to say to each other.

So Obi-Wan kept on walking. He walked until

he was exhausted, until he could barely see. Then he slept for as  long
as he could. As soon as he awoke, he began to walk again.

Days passed. He did not know how to climb out of this grief.  Then  one
day he found himself at the plaza where Glory Street ended  and  Cerasi  had
died. Someone had hung up a banner and stretched it between two trees.

AVENGE CERASI CHOOSE WAR

Something snapped in Obi-Wan. He ran at the banner  and  jumped  up  to
grab it. The material was hard to tear, but he kept at it,  muscles  aching,
fingers stiff, until he had ripped it into tiny pieces.

Cerasi could not be used this way. He had to stop it. He  had  to  take
his grief and his love for her and fight to stop it.

He had to talk to Nield. No one else could help him.

Obi-Wan found him in the tunnels, in a room far  away  from  the  vault
where they'd first met. It was a room  they'd  used  for  a  short  time  as
storage. Nield sat on a bench, his head down.

"Nield?" Obi-Wan entered the room hesitantly. "I've been searching  for
you."

Nield didn't look up. But neither did he ask Obi-Wan to leave.

"Our hearts are broken," Obi-Wan said. "I know that. I miss her. But if
she could see what is happening, she would be furious. Do you  know  what  I
mean?"

Nield didn't answer.

"They're mobilizing for war and using  Cerasi  as  a  reason,"  Obi-Wan
said. "We can't let that happen. It would violate everything she stood  for.
We couldn't protect Cerasi when she  was  alive.  But  we  can  protect  her
memory."

Nield's head still hung down. Was his grief so huge  that  he  couldn't
hear Obi-Wan? Or had he reached him?

Then Nield looked up. Obi-Wan took a  step  backward.  Instead  of  the
grief he expected to see, Nield's face was twisted with rage.

"How dare you come here," Nield said, his voice  throbbing  with  fury.
"How dare you say you couldn't protect her? Why not, Obi-Wan?"

Nield stood. In the small space, his head nearly touched  the  ceiling.
His anger filled the chamber.

"I tried to get to her," Obi-Wan began. "I -"

"She shouldn't have been there at all!" Nield shouted. "You should have
been watching her, protecting her, not rushing  into  situations  trying  to
save strangers like a ... Jedi!"

Spitting out the last word, Nield took a menacing step toward  Obi-Wan.
His dark eyes

burned. Obi-Wan could see the unshed tears in them. Tears of grief  and
rage.

"Jedi, always with their  minds  on  higher  things,"  Nield  continued
bitterly. "Always better than those they protect,  unable  to  connect  with
living beings, with flesh and blood and hearts . .."

"No!" Obi-Wan cried. "That's not what Jedi are  about!  That's  exactly
opposite of who we are!"

"We!" Nield cried. "You see? You are a Jedi! You have no loyalty to us.
You're a stranger. You influenced Cerasi, you made her oppose me-"

"No, Nield." Obi-Wan struggled to keep his voice calm and steady.  "You
know that's not true. No one could ever influence Cerasi or tell her what to
do. She only wanted peace. That's why I'm here."

Nield's hands curled into fists. "Peace?" he  hissed.  "What  is  that?
What is peace next to loss? Cerasi was killed by the Elders  and  they  must
suffer. I won't rest until every filthy Elder is dead. I will avenge her  or
die!"

Obi-Wan was taken aback. Nield sounded like a  hologram  in  the  Halls
that he detested.

"What are you doing here, Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Nield asked, disgust choking
his voice. "You aren't part of the Young. You never were. You're not Melida.
You're not Daan. You're nobody, you're nowhere, and you are nothing to  me."
The anger left Nield's voice, and weariness seemed to pull him down  on  the
bench. "Now get out of my sight ... and get off my planet."

Obi-Wan backed out of the chamber. He walked through the tunnels  until
he saw a square of gray light overhead. He pulled himself up through a grate
he had never been through before. He found himself on an unfamiliar street.

He was lost. He took a step in one direction, then another.  His  brain
was reeling, and he couldn't gather  his  thoughts.  They  were  clouded  by
Nield's words.

Where should he go? Every cord that  connected  him  to  his  life  had
snapped. Everyone he cared about was gone.

Nield was right. Without the Jedi, without the Young, he had nobody. He
was nobody. When nothing was left, where was there to turn?

The gray sky seemed to  press  down  on  him,  grinding  him  into  the
pavement. He wanted to fall down and never rise again.

But as he reached the bottom of his despair, he heard a  voice  in  his
head.

Always here, you may come, when lost you are...

Qui-Gon alerted security to be on the lookout  for  Bruck.  They  could
comb the grounds  more  efficiently  than  he  could.  Then  he  raised  the
container from the water himself and dragged it back to shore. At least they
could return the stolen property.

He retrieved Obi-Wan's lightsaber from the dry compartment. He hit  the
activator, and  it  shot  to  life  immediately,  glowing  ice-blue  in  the
darkness. It hadn't been damaged, he saw with relief. He deactivated it  and
hooked it into his belt next to his own.

Tahl led the silenced TooJay back to her quarters. She would coordinate
the search efforts from there. Qui-Gon went straight to Bruck's chamber.

The boy wasn't there, of course. Security had already looked  for  him.
It was clear that the boy had decided not to take chances. He was  gone  for
good.

Qui-Gon looked around Bruck's room. If there was a clue here to  why  a
promising boy would do such things, he couldn't see  it.  His  clothes  were
neatly folded, his desk neat. What had been  in  the  boy's  heart?  Qui-Gon
touched the lightsaber on his belt. What was in any boy's heart? And why did
Yoda think that Qui-Gon could see into them?

He had let the Temple down. Bruck's anger had  been  there.  He  hadn't
seen it. Just as he hadn't seen the anger of his first Padawan, Xanatos.  Or
the unrest of Obi-Wan.

Wearily, Qui-Gon gazed out the window. The sun was rising. It was  time
to tell Yoda. One of their own had betrayed them.

His comlink flashed red - Yoda was calling  him.  He  was  most  likely
anxious for the report.

Qui-Gon took the turbolift to the conference room where  he  knew  Yoda
would be waiting. Yoda was alone in the room when he walked in.

"So you've heard," he said.

"Bruck our culprit is," Yoda said. "Troubling and sad, yes. Called  you
here for something else, I have. A message for you."

Startled, Qui-Gon looked at Yoda, but the

Master gave no clues. He activated a hologram instead.

The image of Obi-Wan suddenly appeared in the room.

Angrily, Qui-Gon turned away and started for the door.

"I don't have time -"

Obi-Wan's voice was soft. "Cerasi is dead."

The words hit Qui-Gon hard. He stopped and turned.  Now  he  could  see
that his former Padawan's face was etched with misery.

"She was caught in a cross-fire between Elder and Young forces."

Sorrow flooded Qui-Gon. During his short time  on  Melida/Daan  he  had
grown fond of the girl. He had understood why Obi-Wan had been drawn to her.
This was a tragedy.

"Now each side blames the other  for  her  death,"  Obi-Wan  continued.
"Even Nield is ready for battle. Wehutti's forces have rearmed. My squad has
been disbanded. I have no command, no way to convince the others to disarm."

Qui-Gon took an unconscious step toward the  hologram.  Obi-Wan's  face
was etched with grief and something else, something Qui-Gon had seen on  the
faces of those most stunned by an awful fate: incomprehension.

His former Padawan stood in miniature,  hands  dangling  at  his  sides
helplessly. "I don't know what to do," he confessed. "I am no longer a Jedi.
Yet I know what a Jedi can do. And  I  know  that  only  a  Jedi  can  help.
Qui-Gon, I realize I have done harm to us. But will you help me now?"

Qui-Gon's hand drifted to Obi-Wan's lightsaber, still tucked  into  his
belt. He closed his fingers around the hilt. It seemed to hold some sort  of
charge, even though it was deactivated. Or was it the Force he felt, pulsing
around him?

Obi-Wan's pale face shimmered before him,  then  disappeared.  At  that
moment, he saw what Yoda and Tahl had been trying, in their different  ways,
to tell him. He had not been betrayed by a Jedi. He had been betrayed  by  a
boy. A boy overtaken by passion  and  circumstance.  The  boy  deserved  his
understanding. No, he had no secret way to see into a boy's heart.

Perhaps all he needed to do was listen.

"Send Obi-Wan a message," he told Yoda. "I am on my way."

When Yoda told him via hologram that Qui-Gon was  coming,  Obi-Wan  was
overwhelmed. Relief coursed through him, and he  felt  the  first  surge  of
happiness since Cerasi's death.

But immediately, the happiness  was  replaced  by  worry.  Qui-Gon  was
coming out of obligation. Would working with a silent, disapproving  Qui-Gon
be worse than working alone?

Melida/Daan is what's important, Obi-Wan told himself firmly. / have to
do what I can for the world Cerasi loved.

It would take days for Qui-Gon to arrive. In the meantime, Obi-Wan  had
to wait. With time on his hands, there was nothing to do. Thanks to  Nield's
bitterness, he had been exiled from the Young. Perhaps there were  some  who
disagreed with Nield's tactics, but if so they did not join with Obi-Wan. No
one would cross Nield.

Obi-Wan felt as though he were a ghost. He was not allowed to  stay  in
the tunnels, so he slept where he  could,  or  where  he  happened  to  find
himself at night. Abandoned buildings, public squares, a park littered  with
the hulls of abandoned speeders. Life swirled around him,  but  he  did  not
take part in it. Only his belief in Cerasi's cause kept him on the planet.

His only friend was Roenni. She often  sought  him  out,  bringing  him
food. She had given him a survival pack with a glow rod, and a medpac, and a
warm, lightweight blanket for the cold nights. Obi-Wan was grateful  to  her
for her loyalty, but concerned that if others saw them together, word  would
get back to Nield.

"He will be angry," he told her. They were sitting in a small park that
had been the site of a battle in the last war. Grass struggled to grow  amid
the bare patches. Only one tree  still  flourished.  The  others  were  just
stumps, their branches and trunks blown to bits.

Her warm brown eyes turned suddenly fierce. "I don't  care.  What  he's
doing is wrong. Nield is a good person. He'll realize it  eventually.  Until
then, I'll protect you. The way you protected me."

"I  don't  know  if  Nield  will  ever  come  around,"  Obi-Wan   said,
remembering the hatred in his eyes.

"He's out of control because of his grief,"

Roenni said quietly. "Only you can save the peace, Obi-Wan."

"I can't do anything,"  Obi-Wan  said,  defeated.  "I  can't  influence
Nield. He won't even talk to me."

"Is that why you called for your Jedi?"  Roenni  asked.  "Can  he  help
Melida/Daan?"

Obi-Wan nodded and touched his river stone. "If anyone can help, it  is
Qui-Gon Jinn."

He believed in his Master absolutely, even if Qui-Gon didn't believe in
him.

At last the day of Qui-Gon's arrival came. Obi-Wan had been  instructed
to meet him directly outside the gates of the city.

He felt a rush of pleasure as he  saw  Qui-Gon's  tall,  strong  figure
stride toward him. A smile of relief sprang to his face.

The smile slowly faded as he saw no  answering  expression.  Of  course
there was  no  smile  on  his  Master's  face.  His  former  Master's  face.
Obviously, the sight of his former  Padawan  filled  the  Jedi  Knight  with
anguish.

Qui-Gon's expression smoothed and became neutral. He nodded at Obi-Wan.

No greeting. No inquiry into how he was. Fine. Obi-Wan could handle it.
He had asked for help, not comfort. He nodded back his own greeting. The two
began to walk together into the city.

Obi-Wan waited for Qui-Gon to speak. Why didn't he? If only they  could
talk about what had happened, if only Qui-Gon would give  him  a  chance  to
explain.

He knew one thing now. He'd known it the instant he'd seen Qui-Gon.  He
wanted to be a Jedi again. Not only a Jedi, but the Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn.
He wanted everything he'd thrown away. He wanted his life back.

He didn't belong on Melida/Daan. He had been swept away by a  cause.  A
just cause, a good cause, it was true. But there were other just  causes  in
the galaxy, and he wanted to fight for those, too. It turned out that Cerasi
was right. He wanted a wider life than the one he'd chosen on Melida/Daan.

He had found his true path again. That was good. Still, despair  filled
Obi-Wan. All he had to do was look at Qui-Gon to know that  the  Jedi  would
never take him back.

Qui-Gon had expected the awkwardness. He hadn't expected the pain.

The sight of Obi-Wan's young, hopeful face caused him to feel angry all
over again. Qui-Gon struggled against the feeling.  He  knew  he  was  being
harsh.

He couldn't speak. He didn't want Obi-Wan to hear anger in  his  voice.
His first words needed to be calm.

So instead he merely nodded his greeting. He saw that his coolness  had
hurt the boy. And Obi-Wan had suffered so much hurt already. Slowly, as they
walked, Qui-Gon's anger trickled away and compassion took its place.

"I was very grieved to hear your news about Cerasi," he  said  quietly.
"I am truly sorry for your loss, Obi-Wan."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said in a constricted voice.

"There are many things to talk about," Qui-Gon continued. "But I  think
such things would be a distraction right now. Any problems we have with each
other mean nothing in the face of a planet close to war. We should focus  on
the problems here."

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "I agree."

"What is the latest news on Nield and Wehutti?"

"Nield is massing his forces. He has  the  support  of  Mawat  and  the
Scavenger Young now. He is trying to get the Middle Generation to be  allies
again. There is a rumor that a battle will start very soon at the site where
Cerasi  was  killed.  I  know  that  Wehutti's  followers  are  also  arming
themselves. Wehutti himself is in seclusion."

Qui-Gon nodded thoughtfully. "Is Wehutti directing  his  followers,  or
are they acting on their own?"

"I don't think Wehutti is even in contact  with  them,"  Obi-Wan  said.
"He'll see no one."

"He will see us," Qui-Gon said firmly.

Wehutti's door was locked and bolted. Qui-Gon knocked loudly. There was
no answer.

"We know he doesn't want  visitors,"  Qui-Gon  said.  He  withdrew  his
lightsaber from his belt. "But I don't think we need an invitation."

Qui-Gon activated the lightsaber and used it to cut through  the  lock.
He pushed open the door easily.

The hallway was empty, as were both rooms in the front  of  the  house.
Cautiously, they moved up the stairs. They checked one  room  after  another
until they found Wehutti in a small back bedroom.

Food trays littered the floor. Thick blankets hung  over  the  windows,
cutting out all light. Wehutti sat in a chair pulled up to  a  window,  even
though he could not see out of it. He did not turn as they walked  into  the
room.

Qui-Gon walked into Wehutti's field of  vision  and  crouched  down  in
front of him.

"Wehutti, we need to speak with you," he said.

Slowly, Wehutti turned to Qui-Gon. "There was so much confusion. I  was
prepared to shoot, of course. But I don't think I did."

Qui-Gon glanced at Obi-Wan. Wehutti was reliving the  day  of  Cerasi's
death.

"There were more of the Young than we'd  thought,"  Wehutti  continued.
"We didn't think we'd actually have to use  our  weapons.  We  didn't  think
they'd be armed. And I didn't think that my daughter, my  Cerasi,  would  be
there. She didn't carry a weapon, did you know that?"

"Yes," Qui-Gon said.

"I had seen her a short time before. She'd come to see me.  You  didn't
know that."

"No, I didn't," Qui-Gon said gently.

"We talked. She wanted me to stop fighting  the  Young.  I  argued.  It
wasn't a good visit. But then ... she  suggested  that  we  not  talk  about
things as they are, but things as they were. Her childhood.  We  had  a  few
good years, before the war began again. And I remembered it all suddenly.  I
hadn't thought about it in so long."

Tears began to fall down Wehutti's cheeks.

"I remembered her mother. I remembered my son. Cerasi was our youngest.
She was afraid of the dark. I used to  stay  in  the  room  until  she  fell
asleep. I sat by her sleep-couch and kept one hand on it so she would know I
was there. She would touch my hand from time to time as she fell asleep. I'd
watch her," Wehutti whispered. "She was so beautiful."

Suddenly, he bent over in the chair, his forehead  hitting  his  knees.
Great sobs came from his body. "There was so much confusion," he said  in  a
choked voice. "I didn't see her at first. I was looking at Nield. My wife is
buried in that Hall. Her ashes lie there. I couldn't let them do it."

"Wehutti, it's all right," Qui-Gon said. "You did what you had  to.  So
did Cerasi."

Wehutti raised his head. "So you say. So  you  all  say,"  he  repeated
tonelessly.

"And now your supporters are mobilizing to fight another war,"  Qui-Gon
said. "Only you can stop them. Can you do that, for Cerasi's sake?"

Wehutti turned to Qui-Gon. There was no expression in his eyes, and his
face seemed bleached of all color. It glistened with the marks of his tears.
"And how will that help Cerasi? I don't care about war or battles.  I  can't
stop anything from happening, that's clear. I have no hatred anymore. I have
nothing."

"But Cerasi would want you to help," Obi-Wan said.

Wehutti turned toward the window that had no view. "There was  so  much
confusion," he said numbly. "I was ready to shoot. Perhaps I did. Perhaps  I
killed her. Perhaps I did not. I will never know."

Obi-Wan felt a sense of hopelessness move  through  him  as  they  left
Wehutti's house. If Wehutti wouldn't interfere, war seemed inevitable.

Qui-Gon walked thoughtfully by his side. Obi-Wan had no  idea  what  he
was thinking. But that wasn't  unusual.  Even  when  they  were  Master  and
Padawan, Qui-Gon often kept his thoughts to himself.

They turned a corner and almost ran into Nield. Startled, Nield quickly
skirted them. He did not look at Obi-Wan so much as  look  through  him,  as
though he were invisible.

Obi-Wan's step faltered. He still wasn't used to the impact of  Nield's
hatred.

"You said that  Nield  accused  you  of  being  an  outsider,"  Qui-Gon
remarked. "Was this just because you opposed his decision  to  demolish  the
Halls?"

"That's when it started," Obi-Wan said. "He was angry at  Cerasi,  too.
But things are worse now."

"Since Cerasi's death?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "He ... he said that her death was  my  fault.  That  I
should have been watching out for her instead of trying to save the Hall. He
said that because of me, she rushed to the scene that day."

Qui-Gon looked at him thoughtfully. "And what do you think?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan whispered.

"Nield has accused you of what he fears he himself did," Qui-Gon  said.
"If he hadn't been so adamant about the Halls, Cerasi would still be  alive.
He's also afraid that he killed Cerasi, just as Wehutti is.  They  are  both
afraid they fired the fatal shot."

Obi-Wan nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak. He couldn't think  of
that day without being swamped by feelings of guilt and loss.

Qui-Gon stopped. "Cerasi's death  was  not  your  fault,  Obi-Wan.  You
cannot prevent what you cannot see coming. You can only do what you think is
right at each moment as you live it.  We  can  plan,  hope,  and  dread  the
future. What we cannot do is know it."

You can only do what you think is right at each moment as you live  it.
Was Qui-Gon also talking about Obi-Wan's decision  to  stay?  Hope  rose  in
Obi-Wan. Had he forgiven him?

Qui-Gon began to walk again. "Here we have two grieving people who  are
secretly afraid they've killed the person they  loved  most  in  the  world.
Perhaps the key to peace is as simple as  the  answer  to  a  question:  Who
killed Cerasi? Sometimes whole wars can turn on one tragic loss."

Qui-Gon had not been talking about Obi-Wan's  decision.  His  mind  was
fixed on the problem at hand. As it should be. He was treating Obi-Wan  with
compassion, but it was compassion with distance. He hadn't forgiven Obi-Wan.

"But how can we discover  who  actually  fired  the  shot?"  he  asked.
"Wehutti is right. It was very confusing. Nield and Wehutti were both poised
to shoot."

They stopped. Obi-Wan saw with surprise that Qui-Gon had brought him to
the plaza where Cerasi was shot.

"Now, Obi-Wan. Tell me what you saw that day," Qui-Gon instructed.

"Nield and his forces were here,"  Obi-Wan  said,  pointing.  "Wehutti,
there. I stood here.  Their  weapons  were  raised  and  they  were  trading
threats. Cerasi came up through the fountain grate. I saw her ..."

Obi-Wan's throat closed. He cleared it and went on. "I couldn't believe
she was there. She began to run, and I ran, and I heard the blaster fire ...
I didn't know where it came from, so I kept on running. I was so afraid, but
I couldn't move fast enough, and she fell down. It was so cold and gray. She
was shivering -"

"Wait," Qui-Gon barked brusquely. "Stop telling me  the  story  like  a
grieving friend." He softened his tone. "I know it is hard, Obi-Wan.  But  I
can learn nothing if your emotions color what you  say.  You  must  remember
without guilt and sorrow. Tell me as a Jedi would.  Keep  your  feelings  in
your heart. Tell me what your mind saw. Now. Close your eyes."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. It took him a few moments to compose  himself.
He searched for a clear space to let the memory come. He calmed his mind and
slowed his breathing.

"I heard the scrape of the grate  before  I  saw  her.  I  was  already
turning to the left. She saw everything in one glance.  She  lifted  herself
out. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she started to run. She jumped over
the wall of the fountain. I turned back to the right for  just  an  instant.
Nield was surprised. I saw Wehutti out of the corner of my eye. He ..."

Obi-Wan stopped, shocked at the clarity of his memory. "He lowered  his
blaster," he said with surprise. "He didn't shoot Cerasi."

"Go on," Qui-Gon said.

"I ran, and I lost sight of Nield. I was facing Cerasi, trying  to  get
to her. I saw the sunlight glint on the roof  of  the  building  across  the
square. I remember hoping the reflection wouldn't get in my eyes.  I  needed
to see everything. I heard blaster fire. That's when she fell."

"Open your eyes, Obi-Wan. I have a question for you."

Obediently, Obi-Wan opened his eyes.

"Didn't you say that the day was gray? Overcast?"

Obi-Wan nodded.

"Then how could sunlight glint on a roof?"

Qui-Gon put his hands on  Obi-Wan's  shoulders  and  spun  him  around.
"Look. Up there. Could you have seen someone on the roof? Could  that  glint
you saw have been the fire from the barrel of a blaster rifle?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said excitedly. "It could have been."

"And I have another question for you," Qui-Gon continued. "You say  the
Elders had weapons that day. But that was before they imported them from the
countryside. Where did they get them? If you had confiscated all the weapons
and kept them in your warehouse, how did the Elders manage to rearm?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said. "I assumed they smuggled them in from the
country."

Qui-Gon gave a wintry smile. "You assumed? That does not sound  like  a
Jedi."

Obi-Wan tried not to show how crestfallen he felt. Qui-Gon  was  right.
He had been sunk in his own misery. He had lost the discipline of mind  that
was the goal of every Jedi.

Qui-Gon saw that. And now his former Master had even less confidence in
him than before.

To track how the Elders had been armed, Qui-Gon decided to start at the
obvious place: the  warehouse  where  the  Security  Squad  had  stored  the
confiscated weapons. Nield must have raided it. But could  the  Elders  have
stolen from it as well?

The walk to the warehouse was conducted in silence. There was  so  much
silence between them now, Qui-Gon realized. And it was not the easy  silence
of companions. He saw the emotions that Obi-Wan  struggled  to  hide.  Chief
among them was hope that Qui-Gon had forgiven him.

Of course Qui-Gon had forgiven  him.  He  was  not  sure  when  it  had
happened - when he heard Obi-Wan's voice as he reported Cerasi's  death,  or
when his former Padawan had greeted him at the gate with so much hope in

his face. Perhaps it had been gradual, but it was there, in his  heart,
and he knew it.

Qui-Gon did not think of himself as a hard man.  Obi-Wan  had  made  an
impulsive choice in the heat of a charged moment. It was a  choice  that  he
had come to regret. That was part of growing up.

Forgiveness was not the point. Qui-Gon had already passed to  the  next
step. Would he take Obi-Wan back if he asked? He did not think so.

But that feeling could change, Qui-Gon told himself, struggling  to  be
honest. It had before. So it was better to wait,  to  say  nothing.  Obi-Wan
must  deal  with  the  consequences  of  his  decision.  One  of  them   was
uncertainty.

The warehouse was deserted, bolted on the outside with a  strong  lock.
Qui-Gon sliced through it with his lightsaber and pushed open  the  door.  A
boy and a girl were sitting on the floor of the empty space,  talking.  They
looked up, startled, when Qui-Gon strode  in.  He  recognized  the  girl  as
Deila, one of the Young, but did not recognize the stout, round-faced boy.

Deila scrambled to her feet when she saw  Obi-Wan.  Then  she  appeared
confused. Since Obi-Wan was no longer her leader, she seemed to be thinking,
was it right to show him respect? Quickly,  she  sat  down  on  the  guard's
chair. The boy made a halfhearted attempt to rise,  but  Deila  shot  him  a
glance and he quickly sat down again.

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.

Yet Qui-Gon did not. Being a Jedi would have to be enough.

Suddenly, Qui-Gon's comlink signaled him.

He looked at the message. He paled, and his step faltered.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"A message from the  Temple,"  Qui-Gon  said  gravely.  "A  message  of
extreme distress. The Temple is under siege. An attempt  has  been  made  to
kill Yoda!"