Star Wars - Jedi Apprentice 06 - The Uncertain Path

by Jude Watson

  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 lost... 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 organiz
ed 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 beamdrills 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 p
ut 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?"