by Джуд Уотсон
"And the kitchen," Qui-Gon said.
"No, not the kitchen," Didi said.
"But it was chaos, pots everywhere," Obi-Wan said.
"It always looks that way," Astri said with a sigh. "What bounty hunter? I thought we were talking about a common thief."
"Why did the group leave?" Qui-Gon asked Astri.
Astri cradled her head in her hands. "I tried my best," she mumbled. "I guess I'm not quite elegant yet. Renzii kept mixing up the orders. I couldn't handle all the cooking. Some of the food was cold. So Jenna Zan Arbor had a fit, and they left. Next time I'll hire extra help. That was a big mistake. It's just that I spent all the extra money on the food…"
"So how did the bounty hunter get in?" Obi-Wan asked.
Astri lifted her head. "What bounty hunter?" she asked again in frustration.
"Didi, tell her," Qui-Gon said.
"Not while you're hurt, Astri," Didi said nervously. "You need to lie down —"
"What bounty hunter?" Astri asked through clenched teeth.
"I might — ah — have gotten myself in a tiny spot of trouble," Didi told her. "Nothing serious."
"Sure," Astri said. "This isn't serious. Just another ordinary evening in the cafй. I get knocked out on a regular basis."
"What a sense of humor my daughter has,"
Didi said to the Jedi nervously. "Isn't she marvelous?"
"Your father may have a piece of information that is valuable to someone," Qui-Gon broke in impatiently. "That someone has sent a bounty hunter after him. We're assuming they want the information back at any cost. And yet, the bounty hunter did not kill him when she had the chance."
"That's a good sign," Didi said encouragingly. Then he looked fearful again. "Isn't it?"
"You're selling information again?" Astri yelled angrily. Then she winced and closed her eyes. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "You slimy, slithery, snaky son of a Kowakian monkey-lizard," she hissed through her teeth. "You lied to me. Again."
"I didn't lie so much as not tell you everything," Didi said, patting her shoulder. "I would not say that I have the thriving business I once did. But Fligh still came to me with bits and pieces to sell. How could I abandon him? Without me, how could he sell his little tidbits? It is tragic that he has been killed."
"Killed? See where his business has gotten him," Astri said, fixing her father with a steady stare. "Am I next, Papa?"
Didi turned away, unable to face his daughter. She got up unsteadily and left the room. "Let's return to what we know," Qui-Gon said to Didi. "The bounty hunter has not found what she is looking for. She tore this place apart. That means there is an actual object she wants, not just information in your head. What is it, Didi? This time you must tell the complete truth. You see now that you have put the ones you love in danger."
"Yes," Didi said heavily. "I see that. But I cannot help you, my friend. I do not have anything. Fligh didn't give me anything but information. This I swear."
"Not a data pad?" Qui-Gon asked.
Didi shook his head. "Nothing."
Qui-Gon sighed. "Then there is no alternative. You must close up the cafй. Take Astri and leave Coruscant."
Astri was just returning to the room as Qui-Gon finished. She paused in the act of pressing a cold cloth to her head. "Close up the cafй?"
"Just until we know what the bounty hunter is looking for," Qui-Gon told her. "We can't stay by your side all day and all night, Astri. I think you are in danger as well as Didi." He paused, then said gently, "I know you are angry at your father, but you do not want to see him hurt."
Astri bit her lip and nodded. "But where will we go?"
"I know where," Didi said. "I have a house in the Cascardi Mountains."
"You bought a house?" Astri exclaimed. "But you say you have no money!"
"It was a deal I could not refuse," Didi explained. "I haven't even been there yet, and I haven't told anyone about it."
"Where are the Cascardi Mountains?" Obi-Wan asked.
"On the planet Duneeden," Qui-Gon said. "A short journey from Coruscant. But the mountains are a good choice. The Cascardis are remote and rugged. It's a good hideout for a time. Obi-Wan and I will wait while you pack a few things. You must leave quickly."
Didi sprang up and helped Astri from the room. They went into their bedrooms to pack.
"Do you think they'll be safe?" Obi-Wan asked Qui-Gon in a low tone.
"Safer than here on Coruscant," Qui-Gon said. "But the bounty hunter is no doubt an expert tracker. Even though the galaxy is wide, it's hard for beings to just disappear. No, I fear we must unravel this mystery. No matter where they are, Didi and Astri are still in great danger. She will find them, and it will be sooner rather than later. Of that I have no doubt."
Chapter 10
As they entered the cool halls of the Jedi Temple, Qui-Gon saw the relief Obi-Wan tried to hide. The boy was worn out. Qui-Gon had not expected that a short stop to meet Didi would spiral into a twisting mystery they would be forced to solve.
"I did not plan for this, Padawan," he told him. "I just wanted to stop by to say hello to a friend."
Obi-Wan nodded. "But a friend was in danger. You could not refuse to help."
"You did not approve," Qui-Gon said.
He saw the hesitation on Obi-Wan's face. He knew the look well. Obi-Wan hated to disappoint him. But he never lied to him.
"No," he said. "Not at first. But now I do. You say I need to connect to the living Force. More and more I see what you mean. My first impulse was to turn away from Didi." Obi-Wan met his Master's eyes. "I was tired and hungry and I did not like Didi. I thought of my own needs. Now I see what you see. Didi has faults, but he is a good being. It just takes me longer to see these things. I wish," Obi-Wan said with difficulty, "it did not."
"You are too hard on yourself, Padawan," Qui-Gon said quietly. "That can become a fault if you are not careful, for anger at oneself is a destructive thing. Every living being can be impatient, can turn away at a first glance, can avoid getting involved. It is a natural impulse. We are all creatures who want peace and comfort. Yet we are Jedi. Our own peace and comfort is not what drives us. We are dedicated to a larger good. But always remember that the peace and comfort of just one being is what drives us, too."
Obi-Wan nodded. Qui-Gon put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Get something to eat, Padawan," he said. "I am going to speak with Yoda and Tahl."
Qui-Gon could see Obi-Wan's hunger and fatigue battle with his desire to remain by his Master's side. "Are you certain you won't need me?"
"I will find you when I need you," Qui-Gon said. "What you need is a bit of rest and food. Then we'll continue."
He left Obi-Wan at the juncture toward the food hall. Then he made his way to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, where he was to meet Yoda and Tahl. He had contacted them on his comlink to arrange the meeting.
The cool, moist air revived Qui-Gon better than a meal would have. His eyes rested on the multitude of shades of green in the plants and trees that were arranged amid the winding paths. He paused for a moment to register the beauty around him. He drew a long breath, then another, concentrating on the shades of green, the murmuring fountains, the scent of growth and flowers. He let the moment matter, fill his heart and mind. Refreshed, he headed down the winding paths toward Yoda and Tahl.
They sat on a bench that Yoda favored, where water ran over smooth white pebbles, making a musical sound. Tahl must have heard his step, for she turned her head toward him.
"I hope you allowed Obi-Wan to get a decent meal," she called in a humorous tone before he could speak. "That poor boy is always hungry."
Qui-Gon grinned. Tahl never said hello. Instead she always launched right into a conversation. "Do you realize," he said, seating himself on a bench opposite them, "that you always give me an accusation, never a greeting?"
Tahl smiled. "Of course. How else can I keep you on your toes?"
Qui-Gon let his eyes rest on Tahl's
lovely face. Her sightless green-and-gold striped eyes were alive with humor. Once he had not been able to look upon her without pain. Just the sight of the white scar that marked her dark honey skin had grieved him. But he had come to realize how Tahl had accepted her fate, how she had allowed it to deepen her. Her friendship was invaluable to him.
"I left him at the food hall," Qui-Gon said. "I am sure he's on his second helping by now."
"No news have you?" Yoda asked. "Concerned we are about Didi. A scoundrel he may be, but a friend to the Temple he is."
"I am sorry to report that things are worse rather than better," Qui-Gon said. Quickly, he filled them in on the murder of Fligh and the attack on Astri and Didi.
"Fligh's body was drained of blood?" Tahl frowned. "That sounds familiar."
"There have been a half dozen similar cases on Coruscant over the past year," Qui-Gon said. "Mostly drifters, beings with no ties to anyone."
"Yes, I know that," Tahl said. "It is something else." Her frown deepened. "There is one more thing. I did some more investigating on your bounty hunter. It seems she is a master of disguise. She uses wigs, synth-flesh, prosthetics. that is how she moves about undetected."
"I am not surprised to hear it," Qui-Gon said. "Obi-Wan saw her turn from an elderly man back into a young woman."
"Say you did that Fligh stole a data pad from a Senator," Yoda said. "Who?"
"Someone I did not know," Qui-Gon said. "Senator Uta S'orn from the planet Belasco."
"By the way, I contacted the security police," Tahl told him. "Senator S'orn never reported the theft. It might not be significant. The Senate is full of petty thieves. I'm sure many thefts do not get reported. Still, I thought I'd mention it. Senator S'orn also announced her resignation today. She said it was for personal reasons."
"Know Senator S'orn, I do," Yoda said. "Several talks she had with the Jedi."
Startled, Qui-Gon turned to Yoda. "About what?"
"A son she had," Yoda continued. "Ren S'orn. Force-sensitive, he was. Accepted him for training, we did. Part with him, his mother could not. Harness the Force, understand it, he could not. Wandered he did through the galaxy."
Tahl gave a sharp intake of breath. "Of course," she whispered. Yoda nodded.
"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked, leaning forward urgently. He saw that Yoda and Tahl knew something important.
"Ren became a lost being, a drifter," Tahl said. "He lost contact with his mother. At last she came to us for help. Several teams of Jedi were sent to find him and help him. He rejected them."
"Hoped we did that he would reach out one day," Yoda said. "Feared we did that he would use the Force for evil. Yet the Force merely confused and angered him. Different he was. Different he did not want to be. Peace he could not find."
"Such a tragedy," Tahl said. "He could not find a way to flourish. He could not find a place that felt like home. So as it often happens he fell in with bad companions. We received word that he had been killed."
"Not long ago, it was," Yoda said. "Six months, I think. On Simpla-12."
"This is sad news," Qui-Gon said. "But why is it significant?"
"Because of the manner of his death," Tahl said quietly. "Ren had been strangled. And his body had been drained of blood."
Chapter 11
Obi-Wan saw at once from Qui-Gon's grim face that he would not get to savor his tart. He scrambled to his feet.
"I am sorry, Padawan. But it is time to go," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan snatched up the tart and wolfed it down while they walked. Qui-Gon checked out a speeder from the transport pool. Within seconds, they were heading back toward the Senate building.
It was late evening, and the air lanes still buzzed with traffic. The glow lights made the buildings and walkways blaze as bright as daylight. Beings strolled below them, crowding the restaurants and walkways.
"What did Yoda and Tahl say?" Obi-Wan asked, swallowing the last bite of his tart.
"I don't have a clear picture yet," Qui-Gon told him. "But somehow Senator S'orn is either connected to Fligh's death or involved in it. Her son died the same way Fligh did." Qui-Gon explained the story of Ren's confused life and tragic death.
"But what does that have to do with Didi?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Maybe nothing." Qui-Gon guided the transport along the crowded air space surrounding the Senate.
"But it doesn't make sense," Obi-Wan said. "Her son died on another planet. And Didi has never met Senator S'orn."
"It doesn't make sense, true," Qui-Gon answered. "But it has to, somehow. We just have to figure out the connection."
Qui-Gon left the speeder in the Senate landing area. He strode into the Senate building. The usually crowded hallways were almost empty. Their footsteps echoed on the slate floor.
"What makes you think she'll be here so late?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Because her resignation was announced," Qui-Gon answered. "No doubt she had a busy afternoon. And she seems the kind of Senator to work late. Most of them leave as soon as Senate business has concluded." Qui-Gon paused, then remarked, "The Senate is not what it was. And it is getting worse. It has lost one idealist after another."
They made their way to the Senator's office. The outer office was dark, but Qui-Gon knocked on the inner door.
"Come in."
They entered. Only one light was on in the office. Senator S'orn sat in a chair, staring out at the bright Coruscant night. "Yes?" she asked without turning.
Qui-Gon closed the door behind them. "We regret having to disturb you."
She spun the chair around and sighed. "It has been a day of disturbances. I didn't expect my announcement to cause such a stir. I guess there's not much else going on."
"I do not wish to bring up something that is no doubt painful for you," Qui-Gon said gently. "But is your son's death the reason you are leaving?"
Senator S'orn's face changed. Her features hardened and her lips thinned. "Yes, I know why you are here. I should have given him up for Temple training. I was selfish."
"No," Qui-Gon said quickly. "Not at all. Many parents choose to keep a Force-sensitive child. There are many paths in life. You make the best choice you can for your child."
"So I chose to keep him with me, and that decision destroyed him," Senator S'orn said bitterly. "I chose a path that led to death."
"No, Ren chose his own path," Qui-Gon said firmly. "Senator S'orn, I do not know you. But I have known many Force-sensitive children. There is no more guarantee a Force-sensitive child will grow up to find happiness than one who does not have that ability. Many do not choose the Jedi path. Some flourish outside the Temple, and some do not. We are not here to question your decision or blame you."
"There is no need. I blame myself," Senator S'orn said bleakly. "Ever since I heard the news of Ren's death, I have been unable to focus, unable to do my job the way it needs to be done. I have managed to concentrate for only brief periods of time. What right have I to serve my people when I could not save my son?"
"I cannot answer that question for you," Qui-Gon said. "But perhaps you are right to take time apart from your life's journey. I have found such a time helpful, if you can look at your choices with forgiveness and calm."
"Forgiveness and calm seem very far away when your son is dead," Senator S'orn said in a choked voice. She spun her chair around so that her back was to them. When she turned again, she had composed herself. "But if you didn't come here to blame me, you certainly didn't come to counsel me, Qui-Gon Jinn. What is it that you are looking for?"
"I'm not quite sure," Qui-Gon said honestly. "Tell me something. When your data pad was stolen, why didn't you report the theft?"
She shrugged. "The chances of Senate security finding it were slim. My friend's data pad was stolen as well. Jenna didn't think it worthwhile to report. We were both too busy to bother."
Qui-Gon's watchful gaze turned alert. "Jenna?"
"Jenna Zan Arbor," Senator S'orn said. "She's a friend of mine, visiting the Senate fo
r a conference. Surely you've heard of her. She's the foremost transgenic scientist in the galaxy, and a great humanitarian."
"Of course," Qui-Gon said. "You were together when the theft occurred?"
"It was in one of the hall cafйs," Senator S'orn said. "We were having lunch."
Obi-Wan controlled his excitement. Something was about to break. He knew it. Fligh stole the data pad, and Jenna booked Didi's for an important dinner. Was this a connection that would lead them somewhere? As Qui-Gon had said earlier, it didn't make sense, but it had to.
