The lock gave, and Qui-Gon pushed open the door. He stopped, stricken at the heart by Tahl"s appearance. She had gone through Temple training with him. She had always been beautiful, a tall woman from the planet Noori, with eyes striped gold and green and skin the color of dark honey.
Now she appeared thin and wasted. Her beautiful skin was marred by a white scar that ran from one eye and curved around her chin. The other eye was covered with a patch.
"Tahl," he said, keeping his voice steady. "It"s Qui-Gon."
"Ah, rescue at last," she said in the gently mocking tone that had always made him smile. "Do I look that bad, old friend?"
He realized then that she could not see.
"You look as lovely as ever," he said. "But can you wait on the compliments? My hands are full at the moment."
"I"m afraid I"m a little weak," Tahl confessed.
"I"ll carry you." Qui-Gon scooped up Tahl in his arms. She felt as light as a child. "Can you hang onto my neck?" he asked.
He felt her nod as her arms tightened around him. "Just get me out of here," she said. "I"ve had better food in a Hutt cantina."
Just then Qui-Gon heard the sound he"d hoped he wouldn"t: rapid blaster fire. Reinforcements had arrived. Obi-Wan was in trouble. His time had run out.
He proceeded cautiously to the door. He peered out.
Six soldiers had charged out of their quarters and were shooting at Obi-Wan from the end of the hall. Obi-Wan had flung open a door and was using it for cover. The soldiers had rearmed the two on the ground, so there were now eight soldiers to fight.
"What"s the bad news?" Tahl asked.
"Eight so far," Qui-Gon said. "Maybe more coming."
"Piece of cake for you," she said weakly.
"Just what I was about to say."
Blaster fire rebounded off the door that Obi-Wan crouched behind.
The doors were armored, Obi-Wan realized. They could use that to their advantage.
Qui-Gon flung his own door wide open and stepped out behind it, making a quick calculation. Obi-Wan had held off the soldiers so far by periodically deflecting blaster fire back at them with his lightsaber, but they would soon realize that he wasn"t armed with a blaster.
Then they would rush him.
Qui-Gon looked over at Obi-Wan. It was time to take the offensive again. But he couldn"t endanger Tahl, and she was too weak to walk. They were stuck. He would not leave Tahl. He didn"t even want to put her down again. If he was separated from her, he might not be able to get to her again.
"Leave me, Qui-Gon," Tahl murmured to him. "I"ll be no worse off than I was before. Do not let them capture you, too."
"Have a little faith, will you?" Qui-Gon countered gently.
Suddenly, blaster fire erupted from the opposite end of the hall.
Now they were surrounded!
But after a moment Qui-Gon realized that the blaster fire was directed at the soldiers.
Or, he realized suddenly, at least it sounded like blaster fire.
Cerasi hadn"t left after creating a diversion, as she"d promised.
The soldiers dived around the corner for cover. Qui-Gon glanced back down the other end just in time to see Cerasi fire another laser-ball. It hit the wall, and blaster fire echoed down the hall.
The guards now fired blindly, unwilling to risk exposure by coming around the corner. Obi-Wan stepped out. He was easily able to deflect the wild shots with his lightsaber. Holding Tahl against his chest with one arm, Qui-Gon raised his lightsaber to catch any blaster fire that Obi-Wan was unable to deflect. Together they moved backward down the hallway toward the storage room.
As they moved, Obi-Wan flung open door after door. They swung outward, helping to block blaster fire. The soldiers kept up a steady stream of fire, but Cerasi loaded and shot laser-b.a.l.l.s just as fast, and the soldiers were convinced they were under attack.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan reached the safety of the storage room. Cerasi dashed forward.
"Hurry," she urged. "I"m running low."
She continued shooting as Obi-Wan slid back the grate and Qui-Gon climbed down one-handed, Tahl hugging his neck.
"Now! "Obi-Wan yelled.
Cerasi hurried down after Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan followed, setting the grate back in place.
"Thank you, Cerasi." Qui-Gon spoke quietly.
"We could not have done this without your bravery."
"Obi-Wan helped us this morning," Cerasi replied carelessly, as if risking her life were nothing. "I just returned the favor."
"Why did you think of claiming to be Wehutti"s daughter?" Obi-Wan asked her as she led the way back.
"Because I am," Cerasi answered.
"But you said your father was dead," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"He is dead to me," Cerasi replied with a shrug. "But occasionally he comes in handy. Just like most Elders."
She looked over her shoulder at Obi-Wan and flashed him a grin.
Obi-Wan"s eyes shone back.
Qui-Gon saw in the moment of their exchange that something had deepened between them. They were intimates now, communicating without words. The adventure they had shared that morning had united them.
Qui-Gon felt his earlier anger drain away. He supposed that Obi-Wan had a lonely existence at times, traveling with someone older than himself. He must miss being with boys and girls his own age. It was good that he could bond so strongly with another.
Why should it make Qui-Gon so uneasy?
Qui-Gon settled Tahl into a nest of quilts and blankets, the best the Young had to offer. He stood over her for a moment. She had tired from the short battle and she fell asleep almost immediately. He could feel the flicker of her living Force, but it was only a flicker. Tahl"s memory of how she got her injuries was gone. She remembered being caught in the middle of a battle, but she could not remember being wounded or blinded.
Qui-Gon sat back against the wall to think. Their mission was over.
They had only to wait until the fighting died down. Cerasi had a.s.sured him that she could get the Jedi out of the city without endangering Tahl.
He would bring Tahl back to Coruscant and hope that the Jedi healing arts would bring her back to the vibrant strength he remembered so well.
Qui-Gon knew he would leave behind a world in chaos. Children battling to save it. Elders locked in conflict, willing to sacrifice the population for their cause.
Yet he must leave. His first duty was to get Tahl back. Then he would ask Yoda"s permission to return. The Jedi Master would not grant it, most likely. The Jedi did not go to worlds and meddle in their affairs unless they were requested to do so. Only in extraordinary circ.u.mstances would they interfere, or if a world was threatening the peace and security of others. The inhabitants of Melida/Daan were locked in its conflict, hurting no other world but their own.
Obi-Wan had asked permission to go above ground with Cerasi. Qui-Gon had granted it. He knew that when he told Obi-Wan that they must leave, his Padawan would not want to go. Yet Obi-Wan would obey him. It was his first duty as a Padawan, and Obi-Wan was a Jedi to the bone.
Their mission was close to success. Yet foreboding lodged in Qui-Gon"s chest like a heavy stone. His instinct was warning him, but he could not place what the warning was, or how it would affect him.
He heard running footsteps, and Nield burst into the room with Obi-Wan and Cerasi. Qui-Gon was struck with how the three moved in the same rhythm, their strides matching perfectly despite Obi-Wan"s long legs and Cerasi"s more slender build.
"Gather around, everyone!" Nield cried. "We have news!"
Nield leaped up on top of the grandest tomb. Boys and girls swarmed around him, coming from the strategy stations around the room and from the adjoining tunnels. They turned expectant faces up to him.
"Our battle is over," Nield said. "We have achieved total victory!"
The Young cheered wildly. Nield held up a hand.
"Our raid on the weapons storehouse of the Daan was a success. We have stolen the weapons the Daan did not waste in attacking the Melida or shooting at imaginary attackers. We have deposited them in the North Tunnel. The Melida" Nield paused, grinned, "-blew up their own storehouses so that the Daan would not get their weapons!"
The Young let out wild hoots of laughter. They shouted with joy.
"We have delivered our messages to both sides, letting them know that the Young were behind the battles, and that we have succeeded in stealing their arms. Without weapons, the Elders cannot fight each other. Today we have taken a giant step toward peace!"
Exhilaration raced through the room like a current. Qui-Gon watched as Nield leaned down and grabbed Cerasi"s hand. He pulled her up to stand next to him. Then he reached down for Obi-Wan. Smiling, Obi-Wan leaped up on the tomb to take his place beside the two leaders.
The Young reached up to touch his tunic. Obi-Wan reached down to touch their hands and accept their congratulations. He linked arms with Cerasi and Nield. Never once did he glance at Qui-Gon. It was as though the Jedi Knight wasn"t in the room. It was as though Obi-Wan was not a Jedi.
It was as though he was part of them. As though he had become one of the Young.
Qui-Gon left the main room and found a quiet place in an adjoining tunnel to contact Yoda. The Jedi Master appeared in miniature hologram form. Quickly, Qui-Gon filled him in on the situation and the rescue of Tahl.
Yoda pa.s.sed a hand over his forehead in distress. "Relieved I am to hear this news," he said. "Concerned I am to hear that Tahl is ailing.
Needs care, she does."
"I will leave as soon as she"s stronger and it is safe," Qui-Gon promised. "But I leave a situation here on Melida/Daan that is volatile."
Yoda nodded several times. "Heard you, I have, Qui-Gon. But remind you I must that neither the Melida or the Daan have asked for our help.
Almost sacrified one Jedi, I did. Willing sacrifice two more, I am not."
"We could bring Tahl back and then return," Qui-Gon pointed out.
Yoda paused. "Before the Jedi Council you must go," he said finally. "Make this decision alone I cannot. Cared for, Tahl must be.
Then decide we will, if help we must give. Until then, taking sides the Jedi must not do. Jeopardize peace it would. Avoid you must, angering one side or another."
As usual, Yoda had a point. Already the Melida would be angry when they heard that the Jedi had broken into their barracks. And if word got out that Obi-Wan had gone on the raid into Daan territory, that would anger the Daan.
He bowed. "I hope to find Tahl ready tomorrow. I will return soon, Master."
"Look forward to that day, I will," Yoda said gently. The hologram flickered and disappeared.
"Go back? We can"t go back!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "We can"t leave the Young now. They need us."
"We have received no official request to stabilize the planet,"
Qui-Gon said patiently. "Perhaps back on Coruscant, the Jedi Council will -".
"We can"t wait for the Council to review this," Obi-Wan interrupted, shaking his head. "If we wait too long, the Melida and the Daan will rearm. The time to act is now."
"Obi-Wan, listen to me," Qui-Gon said sternly.
"Yoda has directed us to come back. Tahl needs care."
"She needs rest and med care," Obi-Wan argued. "We can get that for her here. Cerasi can tell me where to go. We can bring a medic back here, or find a place to keep her that would be safe -"
"No," Qui-Gon said, shaking his head. "She must be brought back to the Temple. We can do no more here, Padawan. We will leave tomorrow."
"Part of our mission was to try to stabilize the planet, if we could," Obi-Wan insisted. "We haven"t done that. But we can if we stay!"
"We have not been asked -"
" We have been asked, by the Young!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.
"That is not an official request," Qui-Gon replied testily. The boy was beginning to try his patience.
"You have broken the rules before, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan argued. "Back on Gala, you left me to travel to the hill country when you were instructed to stay at the palace. You break the rules when it suits you to do so."
Qui-Gon took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. He would not match Obi-Wan"s anger with his own. "I break the rules not because it suits me, but because sometimes dur- ing a mission the rules get in the way," he said carefully. "That is not the case here. I believe Yoda is right."
"But-" Obi-Wan interrupted, but Qui-Gon held up a hand.
"Tomorrow we will leave, Padawan," he said firmly.
Suddenly, a roar rose from the Young, who were gathered in the far corner of the vault. Cerasi ran over to the Jedi, her face beaming.
"It is official!" she cried. "In the absence of a response to our request for peace, we have issued a declaration of war on the Elders. If they do not agree immediately to Melida/Daan peace negotiations, we will attack them with their own weapons. They must respond to us now." She turned shining eyes to Obi-Wan. "This is the last push we must do to change the history of Melida/Daan. We need your help more than ever!"
Choked with anger and frustration, Obi-Wan could not answer Cerasi.
It was Qui-Gon who said gently, "I"m sorry, Cerasi. We must leave tomorrow."
Obi-Wan didn"t wait to see Cerasi"s reaction. He could only turn away, sick at heart. He had let her down.