by Джуд Уотсон
"We will tell you what we can," Kevta said.
"I think I'll make sure Eritha is settled," Yanci said, rising. "Bini and Kevta are the strategists here." Qui-Gon noted how her hand lingered on Kevta's shoulder. He gave her a gentle smile as she left.
Qui-Gon questioned Bini and Kevta closely. By listening to the details, he was able to find a pattern in the direction of the attacks and the minimal amount of tracking the Rock Workers had done.
He left the two of them and walked slowly back to the med unit.
Without knowing it, Bini and Kevta had given him good news. The Jedi did not have to return to their last coordinates. They could track Balog from a point a few kilometers from the Worker settlement. If Balog was heading to the Absolute camp, they should find some evidence of his route. There were only a few possible routes through the canyons.
Of course, it all depended on whether Balog was heading for the secret hideout of the Absolutes.
It was a chance they had to take.
Qui-Gon checked on Obi-Wan, who was now sleeping deeply. Good. Qui- Gon needed to do the same. It had been days since his last sleep. He quieted his mind, allowing sleep to come. He knew he had to operate at his peak, and his body told him that he needed rest.
He slept, but his dreams were vivid and disturbing. Once again he was in the cafc on Zekulae. His heart lifted at the sound of Tahl's voice. He rushed forward to greet her. But her gaze was lifeless, her eyes a dull black color. He realized she could not move or speak.
He woke with a start, his heart pounding. It was still dark, but dawn was near. He immediately swung his legs over his sleep couch and went to check on Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan seemed to feel his gaze. His eyes opened slowly, and then he came awake at once.
He tested his leg muscles, stretching beneath the thermal blanket.
"Better," he said.
He swung his legs over his sleep couch. "Take it easy," Qui-Gon said.
"Yanci thinks you need one more day."
Obi-Wan slid out of bed, holding one hand against the wall to steady himself. He walked around the room. "Much better," he said. "I am ready to travel."
Qui-Gon studied his Padawan to make sure he was telling the truth. He knew Obi-Wan's desire to move on would be greater than his concern for himself. But his color was good, and there was no sign of pain on his face.
His gait was a bit stiff, but it was steady.
"We'll see what Yanci says," he said.
When Yanci arrived, bringing Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's breakfast, she was startled at Obi-Wan's recovery.
"I guess I'm better than even I thought," she said cheerfully. "I see no reason why you can't travel, Obi-Wan. Just try to rest the leg when you can, and apply bacta again tonight."
Qui-Gon left Obi-Wan finishing breakfast while Yanci added some items to his medpac. The suns were just a suggestion of orange along the horizon as Qui-Gon hurried to the speeders. They would need to be refueled before they took off. Every moment counted. And he should awaken Eritha. Part of him wanted to let her sleep so that they could leave her behind. He knew she would insist on coming with them, and he worried about her safety. Tahl was his first concern. Protecting Eritha would be a distraction he didn't need. But if he did not wake her, undoubtedly she would try to find them, and she could get into more trouble that way.
To his surprise, he found Eritha at the pen where their transports were kept.
"You're up early," he said.
She jumped. "You startled me."
"Obi-Wan is better."
She nodded. "I thought he would be. I came to start the refueling. I didn't want you to leave without me."
"I thought about it," Qui-Gon said. "Then I thought about how stubborn you are."
"It's a family trait." Eritha hesitated. "Tahl is important to me, Qui-Gon. I'd do anything for her. I promise I won't slow you down."
"I'll hold you to that," he said.
They completed the refueling in companionable silence, and Obi-Wan joined them. The stars had faded but the sky was still gray as they bid good-bye to Bini, Kevta, and Yanci.
Qui-Gon thanked them for their courtesy, but his mind was already on the day ahead. The tracking would not be easy.
"We wish you luck on your quest," Bini said. "Don't push yourself with that leg," Yanci told Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan thanked her and swung his leg a bit awkwardly over the saddle of his swoop. Eritha fired up her engines, and Qui-Gon took the lead.
With a last wave, they headed out of the settlement.
Qui-Gon went to the coordinates where the Rock Workers had lost the Absolute attack team the last time they pursued them.
"We need to find an indication that Balog headed this way as well,"
he told Obi-Wan. "The Rock Workers think the Absolutes took the west route through the canyons. Balog would have to change direction here."
"I don't understand," Eritha said. "The ground is sheer rock. How can you see anything?"
But the ground wasn't sheer rock, not to a Jedi. Obi-Wan left his swoop and began to search in ever-widening circles with Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon could see that his Padawan's leg was troubling him, but he focused on the task.
Obi-Wan found the first clue. At first it appeared to be a mere discoloration on rock. But further study told them it was the mark of Balog's high-speed engine. They recognized it now.
Qui-Gon crouched over the markings on the rock. "Good work, Padawan.
Balog is heading west. Look at the pattern of the exhaust. That way." Qui- Gon pointed to the crags in the distance. Beyond the crags, he would find her. He could feel it. Her presence suddenly pulsed inside him like a heartbeat.
Eritha watched them, mystified and impressed.
"Remind me never to hide from the two of you," she said.
They set off again. Without the help of the probe droid, it was slow going. They were forced to dismount time after time to check their progress. By midday, they had found the campsite where Balog had spent the night.
"He left this morning," Qui-Gon said quietly, studying the flat rock where Balog had placed his condenser unit for heat. He could see a scorch mark and some boot marks in the surrounding dirt. "We are close." His gaze was fierce when he lifted his head. He looked past Obi-Wan toward the rugged landscape. "Very close."
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon heard the noise of the transport at the same time. They both turned toward the source of the sound.
"What is it?" Eritha asked.
The speck in the distance grew rapidly and turned into Yanci, her auburn hair flying in the wind as she piloted a swoop at maximum speed toward them.
"Something's wrong," Obi-Wan said.
Yanci pulled up so rapidly she almost tipped the swoop. She hovered next to them.
"We need you," she gasped, out of breath. "A raid… a massive raid..
like nothing we've seen — "
She bent over, trying to catch her breath. "This time they are trying to destroy the entire camp," she said after a moment. "They are killing as many of us as they can. Using small explosives and blasters. We have rallied who we can and have made a last stand in an outbuilding. We have some weapons. Not many."
Eritha put her hands to her cheeks. "This is terrible. We must do something."
"Of course we will come," Obi-Wan said.
"Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "May I speak with you." He turned to Yanci.
"Just one moment, no more."
Obi-Wan dismounted from his swoop and went to join Qui-Gon a short distance away where they could not be overheard.
"You must return with Yanci," Qui-Gon told him. "I will go on. We are too close to Tahl to turn back."
Obi-Wan stared at him, astonished. Qui-Gon understood how he felt.
The Rock Workers were in desperate need of help. The Jedi were asked to give it. He could not believe that Qui-Gon would turn away like this. But how could he return when he felt Tahl's presence, when he knew she was only hours away?
"It's hard to leave our pursuit of Tahl,"
Obi-Wan said. "But the Rock Workers need us, Qui-Gon."
"They need Jedi help, it is true," Qui-Gon said. He put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "You can provide this. But our first mission is to save Tahl."
"Our first mission always is to save lives and promote justice," Obi- Wan said, incredulous. "The Rock Workers need both of us, Qui-Gon."
"I am going forward," Qui-Gon said. His gaze was as flinty as the rocks surrounding them. "I cannot turn back now." Tahl was close. He could feel her. And he could feel that she was slipping away from him.
"What about Eritha?" Obi-Wan asked, lowering his voice. "If she returns with me, we will be putting her in danger. And if she goes on with you, she will not have the full protection she needs."
Obi-Wan was right. Qui-Gon struggled with the dilemma for a moment.
"She will go with you," he said. "But before you reach the Rock Workers'
camp, you must leave her in a safe place. You must do this, Obi-Wan. She has no place in that battle. I will come when I can."
"Master," Obi-Wan said, his eyes locking on Qui-Gon's, "this is wrong. You know it is. Tahl would say the same. How can you turn your back on these people?"
"Our mission is too important," Qui-Gon said.
"And Tahl…" His voice died away, and his hand dropped from Obi- Wan's shoulder.
They stood not speaking for a moment. Qui-Gon felt the gulf between them. His Padawan was filled with doubt and confusion. But he couldn't explain, not here, not now. He would have to go back to the vision he had on Coruscant, how every event since they'd arrived on New Apsolon had confirmed his dread. And he would have to tell Obi-Wan how he felt about Tahl. That was a conversation for another time.
His Padawan looked so confused that he relented. "Obi-Wan, I cannot abandon her," he said, his voice low. His gaze pleaded with Obi-Wan to understand.
But he got no such understanding. Obi-Wan shook his head. "You're wrong."
The flat words took him aback. It had been years since Obi-Wan had contradicted him so boldly. Qui-Gon flushed with an emotion he wasn't sure of himself.
He turned away without another word and headed to his landspeeder.
Chapter 12
With a grace surprising for a large man, Qui-Gon quickly sprang into the pilot seat, reversed the engines to turn the craft, and zoomed off.
Eritha ran toward Obi-Wan. "Qui-Gon isn't coming with us?"
"He has gone on with our mission," Obi-Wan said. "We will return with Yanci. But you will remain hidden outside the Rock Worker camp. You will not get involved in this battle."
He spoke the words automatically, his eyes on Qui-Gon's transport as it dwindled in the distance. He wondered if Qui-Gon had formulated a plan of attack for when they caught up to Balog. He assumed so. Yet Qui-Gon seemed so driven, so caught up in finding Balog, it did not seem he had time to formulate a strategy. Obi-Wan had wanted to ask, but did not want to insult his Master. Usually, Qui-Gon found his own time to inform Obi-Wan what he was thinking.
But Qui-Gon had not found that time. Obi-Wan was just as confused as when they'd started. Now Qui-Gon was violating Jedi principles by ignoring a cry for help.
He had spoken bluntly to his Master, but he did not regret his words.
He was right. It was Qui-Gon's duty as a Jedi to turn away from what he wanted in order to help those who needed him.
Obi-Wan had felt this way once before, long ago, on the planet of Melida/Daan. There he had begged Qui-Gon to stay and help the Young. They were being massacred by their own leaders and parents. That day, Qui-Gon had refused to help in the same way. And Tahl had been the reason then, too.
Something in Obi-Wan's face prevented the argument that rose to Eritha's lips. Instead, she pressed them together and nodded. "I'll do what you say."
Relieved that he had won that battle, at least, Obi-Wan signaled to Yanci.
"Qui-Gon has to go on, but I am coming with you," he told her. "We need to find a place close to the camp to conceal Eritha."
"I know a place," Yanci said, nodding. She swung a leg over her swoop and waited for Obi-Wan and Eritha to mount their vehicles. Then, taking the lead, she sped off.
Obi-Wan felt his muscles tense, and his leg suddenly throbbed in protest. He had to struggle for the Jedi calm that was necessary before battle. He and Qui-Gon did not usually argue. Since their rupture when he had left the Jedi order, they had learned to honor each other's moods and inclinations. Even when they disagreed, they had found harmony. One of them stepped back and let the other make the decision. Usually it was Obi-Wan who let Qui-Gon lead, as a Padawan should. But as he grew older, his Master often let Obi-Wan choose, just as he had allowed Obi-Wan to choose a path back on Ragoon-6 during their tracking exercise. They never separated in anger after a disagreement.
Obi-Wan was startled at how disappointed and angry he still felt about Qui-Gon's decision. The wind was cooling his hot cheeks, but not his disquiet.
Would this disagreement shake their union? He didn't know. He had felt distance between them since they arrived on New Apsolon. Perhaps this would deepen it.
He couldn't worry about it. He had spoken the truth. But the distance he felt from his Master saddened him.
Obi-Wan turned his mind away from the disagreement and used the time to focus. He would need a sure connection to the Force. His wound would slow him down somewhat, and Qui-Gon would not be there to cover him. He would have to rely on strategy more than speed.
They were approaching the Rock Worker settlement when Yanci signaled them. She turned the swoop away and led them toward a split in a sheer wall. Eritha's landspeeder cleared the opening with just centimeters to spare.
"They won't find her here," Yanci said. "I doubt they'd be looking for strays. We think their object was to steal our most advanced explosives."
"I will contact you when the situation is safe," Obi-Wan told Eritha.
She looked reluctant, but she nodded.
Suddenly, he felt a surge in the Force. He whipped his head around and saw nothing.
Yanci zoomed out of the crack in the canyon wall, and he followed. He quickly scanned the horizon and saw Qui-Gon's landspeeder in the distance, gaining fast.
Obi-Wan signaled to Yanci, then headed out to meet Qui-Gon. When he caught up to the landspeeder, he hovered by Qui-Gon's side.
Qui-Gon looked at him directly. His face showed the signs of a great internal struggle. "I was wrong, Padawan. Thank you for pointing it out to me. My duty lies here. No matter," he said with difficulty, "what it may cost."
Obi-Wan nodded. "I'm glad you came back."
Gunning their motors, they caught up to Yanci.
"I'm taking you around a back way," she told them. "When I left, we had managed to hold our position surrounding the unit where we keep the supplies and explosives."
They didn't need the caution. They took a roundabout way, skirting the settlement. Yanci slowed her speeder as they approached a road cut through a narrow canyon.
Obi-Wan listened for the sounds of battle, but heard nothing except the wind. The quiet was eerie. He glanced over at Qui-Gon and saw his Master frown.
Something lay in the road ahead. Obi-Wan didn't need to come closer to know what it was. The deep disturbance in the Force told him everything.
Yanci slowed to a crawl, almost stalling her swoop. "It's a body,"
she said shakily.
Suddenly, she gunned the engine and zoomed ahead. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon speeded up to catch her.
Yanci was off her swoop before it had stopped. It kept going and crashed, but she didn't react. She raced toward the body in the road. Her cry was terrible.
"Kevta!" She bent over the body. With tears streaming down her face, she checked for his vital signs. She placed her hands on his chest. "Kevta!
" Her cry turned to a moan, and she collapsed, cradling his head.
Qui-Gon's face went pale. Obi-Wan saw that his Master could not tear his gaze away from the sight.
"Master," he said
. "We need to go on, find out what happened…"
Qui-Gon's nod seemed to take forever. "One moment." His voice was hoarse.
He got off the landspeeder and walked to Yanci's side. He crouched by her and put a hand on her shoulder. He did not speak a word. He let his presence balance her grief until she was able to lift her head.
"I left him," she said, her voice broken. "He made me go. I am the best on a swoop, he said. I am the one who knows the quarries best. I was the one who could catch the Jedi. I left him!"
