by Джуд Уотсон
"His next appointment isn't for two weeks," Obi-Wan said, discouraged.
"Well, let's contact Mace and tell him it's a dead end," Bant suggested.
Obi-Wan wasn't thrilled at giving Mace that news, but he reached for his comlink.
When Mace answered, he quickly explained the steps they had taken and where they were.
Mace sounded odd. "Give me your location again." When Obi-Wan repeated it, there was a long pause. "I've just received word that a body was found nearby. Meet me there. I am leaving now." Mace gave Obi-Wan the address and signed off.
Obi-Wan looked over at Bant. He knew what they both feared. He could not speak the fear aloud, but it rose inside him, draining him of strength.
The body was Qui-Gon.
Without a word, they turned and ran toward the address Mace had given them. It was only a few blocks away.
They stopped in front of a warehouse. Security vehicles were parked outside, and officers walked in and out.
Obi-Wan strode forward as if he belonged there. He couldn't wait another second.
"We are Jedi. Manex has given us the authority to investigate," he said firmly.
To his surprise, the security officer waved them inside. Manex must have followed through and demanded access for the Jedi.
The body lay under a tarp in the hallway. Obi-Wan felt relief drain the remaining strength from his muscles. He could already tell from the outlines that the body was too short and slight to be Qui-Gon's.
He bent over and lifted a corner of the tarp anyway. Mild blue eyes stared up at him in surprise. No matter how many times Obi-Wan had seen it, he never got used to death.
He guessed who the young man was. "Do you have an ID?" he asked a nearby officer.
"Name was Oleg," the officer replied as he entered something into a datapad.
"Was anything on the body?" Bant asked. "Just a blaster. Never got a chance to use it, did he? A probe droid got him first."
While they waited for Mace, Obi-Wan and Bant explored the area. At first they found nothing to indicate a struggle, no clues to send them in a new direction. Then they came to the back door. The panel was peeled back, leaving an opening wide enough for a man to step through.
Mace's voice came from behind them. "A light-saber, no doubt."
"It could have been a vibrotorch," Obi-Wan suggested. Suddenly he did not want Mace to think that Qui-Gon had been there.
Mace didn't answer. His eyes narrowed, and he moved forward to pluck something off the sharp end of a broken hinge. He held it up to Obi-Wan and Bent. It was a piece of a Jedi robe.
He turned and looked through the opening cut in the door. The security officers had left bright glow rods to illuminate the back area.
"There was a battle with probe droids," Mace said. "See the scorch marks on the pavement? Maybe four or five or even more." He turned to Obi- Wan. "Did Qui-Gon employ probe droids to track Balog?"
Obi-Wan swallowed. He could not lie to Mace. "Yes," he said.
Mace stood holding the scrap of fabric. His face showed nothing of what he was thinking. But Obi-Wan could guess.
Was Qui-Gon involved in Oleg's death? Had his grief and rage turned him to the dark side? Would he not care who was in his way in his quest to avenge Tahl's death? Obi-Wan feared the question was in Mace's mind. His bigger worry was that it was in his own.
Chapter 8
Qui-Gon moved swiftly through the dark streets. The clue he had found at the site of Oleg's killing led him on. By Oleg's side, he had found a slender chain and pendant. The chain had been broken. He had recognized the pendant immediately. Irini had been at the warehouse.
He stood for a moment outside Lenz's dwelling, wondering how to proceed. Irini did not volunteer information freely. But his impatience allowed no time for persuasion.
Then he saw Irini heading toward him, her arms filled with a bag of food. Her steps slowed for an instant when she saw Qui-Gon. Then she moved forward briskly to hide her hesitation. In that moment, Qui-Gon decided that his best chance was to bluff.
"So we meet again tonight," he said.
She eyed him warily. "Again?"
"You were at the warehouse tonight with Oleg. So was I."
She swallowed. Her eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
"Did you get the list?"
She let out a breath. "No. He didn't have it. I posed as a buyer, hoping to get it. If not, I wanted to protect him."
"But he betrayed the Workers," Qui-Gon said.
"He saw a way to make his fortune, yes," Irini said wearily. "Many Workers are desperate that way. Despite our hopes, the wealth of the Civilized has not trickled down to us. But Oleg is still a Worker, and we know he was being pursued. My job was to bring him in."
"Did you see what happened?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Two probe droids attacked, so I got out," she said. "I'm sure it was Balog who sent them."
"Balog was there, too," Qui-Gon said. "I saw him."
Irini dropped the bundle she held. Fruit and protein packs spilled onto the pavement. "Balog was there? Did he get the list?"
"You said Oleg didn't have it," Qui-Gon said.
She shook her head rapidly, suddenly concerned. "I didn't see it. But maybe I overlooked something…"
"I don't think Oleg had the list on him," Qui?Gon said. "He was worried about his safety. I also think it's possible that he'd already sold it."
"Then why would he meet another buyer?" Irini asked.
"As you say, he wanted his fortune," Qui-Gon said. "He could sell the list several times and make enough to live out the rest of his life in luxury."
Irini pressed a hand against her eyes. "So several people could have the list, then. I hadn't thought of that."
"The question is: who?" Qui-Gon said. "And if Balog does have it, what is his next move?"
"I can't answer those questions. I'm as much in the dark as you are."
Irini bent down and began to retrieve her food. Qui-Gon bent to help her.
"We are after the same thing, lrini," he said, placing a package of tea into her bag. "It might be a good idea if you helped me."
Suddenly a look of sadness came over Irini's usually impassive face.
"I would if I could," she said. "I have to get these to Lenz now." Then, cradling the package in her arms, she walked off.
Qui-Gon contemplated his next move. It was hard to keep his mind clear. He felt as though he were stumbling around in the dark. So much of his pursuit of Balog was based on guesswork.
But it was all he had.
The list was still the key. Even if Balog had it, his next move would be to consolidate his power. If Oleg had already sold it, who would be in the market to buy it?
The answer was easy. New elections were about to be held. Those who would benefit most by the list, or be the most threatened by it, would be politicians. A Legislator who held that list would hold great power.
He hated to admit it, but Mace had been right. He needed to go to the United Legislature. It was night now; he wouldn't have much luck finding Legislators. But surely there was something he could accomplish. Qui-Gon turned and headed back to the Civilized Sector.
Chapter 9
Obi-Wan and Bant stood outside the Luster, an opulent cafc near the United Legislature building. Inside under the great domed lamps they could see the elite Civilized at polished tables, laughing, eating, and talking, their heads together in government gossip. Chairs were drawn up at already crowded tables, making it difficult to move around the room, but no one seemed to mind.
Mace was somewhere inside, trying to gather information. He had said that the two could wait in more comfortable quarters at Manex's residence, but neither Obi-Wan nor Bant wanted to leave. There was a feeling of urgency, as though every moment counted.
Bant stood, her arms folded, her eyes on the brilliantly lit cafc.
Obi-Wan wondered how to start a conversation. Suddenly, after years of talking to Bant about everything that was on his mind, he h
ad to struggle to find something to say.
Bant held her slight body rigid. Her stare was as fierce as Mace's.
Her stiffness and concentration made it even harder for him to break the silence.
Then he noticed that she was not as contained as she appeared. Her hands were gripped together tightly. He realized that far from being lost in concentration, Bant was struggling to maintain her composure.
When he looked closer, he saw that her eyes were full of tears. She was struggling to keep them from falling.
"Bant." He said her name gently. He didn't know what else to say.
"She should be here," Bant said in a choked voice. "It seems impossible that she's not here. I can't believe she won't come around the corner any second. I keep hearing her scold us for making such a big fuss and coming here to save her." The tears tumbled down her face. "It hurts so much, Obi-Wan. I can't find peace in her death. I know I'm supposed to accept it. I can't."
It was the longest flood of words she had spoken since she'd arrived.
Obi-Wan realized that Bant had said all the things he had been feeling. It did seem impossible that Tahl was dead. He knew that part of him hadn't absorbed it.
He knew that he was focusing on his worries about Qui-Gon so that he wouldn't have to.
"I know what you mean," he said. "When we found her, and she was so weak, I never for one moment thought she could die. Tahl was so strong. She was as strong as Qui-Gon."
"Did she say anything?" Bant asked timidly. "Anything before…"
"She was too weak to talk when I saw her," Obi-Wan said. "Qui-Gon was with her when she died."
"I'm glad such a good friend was there," Bant said.
Obi-Wan hesitated. He did not know whether he should speak. But didn't he owe Bant his confidence? Maybe it would help to close the gap between them.
"I think Qui-Gon and Tahl had become more than friends," he told her.
"Here on New Apsolon, something changed. That's why Qui-Gon is grieving the way he is."
Bant turned, surprised. "You mean they loved each other?"
Obi-Wan nodded.
Bant looked down at her clasped hands. "Then it is even more sad, isn't it?"
"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "It's the saddest thing I've ever seen. That's why I'm worried about Qui-Gon."
Bant reached out and squeezed his arm. Obi-Wan was happy to feel the spontaneous gesture. "We will help him, Obi-Wan," she promised. And for the first time, Obi-Wan felt that maybe they could.
Just then Mace emerged from the cafc, his robe swirling around his ankles. He crossed the road and came up to them.
"I haven't learned much," he admitted. "But I did pick up an item of interesting gossip as I was leaving. Just today Legislator Pleni has announced that she will run for Supreme Governor. She has kept a low profile in the Legislature, so this was surprising. In just an afternoon, she managed to sway some powerful Legislators to support her."
Mace saw the look of puzzlement on the faces of Bant and Obi-Wan.
"Her sudden bid for power and the quick support she received could mean that she bought the list from Oleg," he told them. "At any rate, it is worth investigating." Mace gathered his cloak around him. "If she has the list, she could be in danger. Whoever has possession of it could end up like Oleg. Come. Her residence is not far."
Mace's long stride covered more distance than Obi-Wan could make at a slow run. He and Bant had to jog to keep up with him.
Legislator Pleni lived alone in a small, elegant dwelling made of the gray stone that so much of New Apsolon was built with. All the lights inside the house were on. Mace pressed the illuminated bar that would alert her that she had visitors. They waited by the panel to announce themselves, but there was no answer.
"She could have left the lights on when she went out," Mace said.
"But let's explore just the same."
The look on his face was uneasy. Mace had a deep connection to the Force. Obi-Wan had felt nothing, but now he focused his attention on the Force, reaching out around him. He did not pick up anything.
They walked around the perimeter of the dwelling. Mace seemed to grow more worried as they walked. When they reached the back, Obi-Wan felt it, too — a disturbance in the Force. He glanced at Mace, who saw traces of a probe droid's entry into a high window.
The door was secured, but Mace didn't hesitate. He cut a hole in it with his lightsaber and strode in. Obi-Wan and Bant followed.
The stone floors gleamed. Not an item seemed out of place. They walked through the empty rooms in the eerie silence. Then they mounted the stairs.
Upstairs, they finally saw evidence of a struggle. Furniture was overturned. Large crystal vases were smashed.
Mace looked up to the ceiling. He pointed to several smudge marks.
"Probe droids."
The disturbance in the Force was now more than a ripple for Obi-Wan.
It was a cresting wave. He moved forward, his hand on his lightsaber hilt.
He turned a corner into Legislator Pleni's bedroom. It was untouched except for a halfway ajar door riddled with blaster fire.
Obi-Wan walked forward slowly, dreading what he would find behind that door. He nudged it open with the toe of his boot.
Legislator Pleni lay curled up in the corner, her hands clutching a blaster. A probe droid lay at her feet. She was dead.
Mace came up behind him noiselessly. Obi-Wan heard his deep sigh.
"We are always one step too late on New Apsolon," Mace said. Obi-Wan could locate in his voice the determination that this would no longer be the case.
They heard noises below, and the sound of feet on the stairs. Minutes later, a security squad burst in.
"She is in here," Mace said.
He brought Obi-Wan and Bant downstairs, where the evidence of Legislator Pleni's horrible death was not in front of their eyes. They were questioned by the security squad, then told they were free to go. Still, Mace lingered.
When the security squad came downstairs at last, having completed its investigation, Mace stopped the head officer.
"Any conclusions?"
"Yes," the officer said, brushing past them.
Mace stood in front of him, effectively blocking his path. "You know that Manex has ordered the security squads to cooperate with the Jedi."
The officer hesitated. A gleam of malice lit up his eyes. "Fine. Let me tell you what we discovered then. Legislator Pleni was killed by a probe droid. We have been able to trace its owner."
"You have a name?" Mace Windu asked.
"Certainly." The security officer bared his teeth in a smile. "Your Jedi friend, Qui-Gon Jinn."
Chapter 10
Qui-Gon got started early the next morning. He had spent most of the night going from cafc to cafc, trying to gather information. As the hours got later, tongues grew looser, but he did not discover anything that put him on Balog's track. Gossip swirled about Alani's bid for the Supreme Governor position and a growing swell of support for Manex. Neither helped him at all.
He spent the rest of the night on a bench in a grassy park, impatiently waiting for dawn. He could feel Balog out there, maneuvering, scheming, plotting his next move. He could feel the absence of Tahl as an ache so deep he could not face it directly. When he thought of her last days, what Balog had put her through, he would have to move, have to get up and walk through the park, driving himself to exhaustion so that he would not think of the dark vengeance that burned inside him. He would have to conquer it… somehow. He pushed his mind to numbness. It was the only way he could go on. Before long he had explored every path in the large urban park. He could draw a map of it blindfolded.
The suns rose, and people began to trickle out into the streets. Qui- Gon saw the morning begin with relief. He went to a cafc across from the Legislature for a light breakfast and watched and waited until the official buildings were full of people beginning their day.
Qui-Gon was still dressed in a traveler's cape over his tunic. He hoped he
would not be recognizable as a Jedi. He decided to pose as a businessman looking for new opportunities on New Apsolon.
Just as he was about to leave, he overheard a conversation behind him. Two aides had just greeted each other. He heard the name "Legislator Pleni." And then he heard the name "Qui-Gon Jinn."
Qui-Gon bent over, pretending to sip his tea, while he filtered out the noise of the cafc and concentrated on the conversation behind him. He then received the unwelcome shock of discovering that he was wanted for the murder of a Legislator.
