The Call to Vengeance, Page 2

  "I don't think so." Bent's tone was flat. She looked at him steadily

  with her large silver eyes. Mon Calamari had extraordinarily clear eyes,

  and Obi-Wan had always been able to read Bant's emotions. Now he was

  confused by the anger he saw there.

  "Your sympathy comes too late," Bant continued. "How could you keep

  the fact that Tahl had been kidnapped from me, Obi-Wan? You know that you

  and Qui-Gon should have contacted the Temple immediately."

  "I know," Obi-Wan said. "But so much happened so fast. Qui-Gon

  thought that more Jedi might endanger Tahl's life. We decided that if we

  couldn't rescue her in twenty-four hours, we would contact the Temple."

  Actually, it had been Qui-Gon's decision to wait. But Obi-Wan would take

  responsibility for it, too. He could have argued with Qui-Gon. He had not.

  "That wasn't your decision to make," Bant interrupted. Her normally

  gentle voice was crisp with anger. "How would you feel if another Jedi team

  had done that to you, Obi-Wan? What if Qui-Gon had been kidnapped?"

  Obi-Wan felt shame wash over him. Qui-Gon had been kidnapped once, by

  the scientist Jenna Zan Arbor. If he hadn't been involved in Qui-Gon's

  rescue, he would have gone crazy.

  "We didn't think it through," he admitted.

  "I'll say," Bant said bitterly. She had never taken such a harsh tone

  with him. "Did you think of me at all, Obi-Wan?"

  "Of course," Obi-Wan said. "I thought I would save you a day of

  worry. If we couldn't rescue Tahl, we would have called in a Jedi team."

  "But you didn't rescue Tahl," Bant said evenly. "At least, not in

  time. Did you?"

  Obi-Wan was stung. Bant had said nothing more than the terrible

  truth, but it wasn't like her to hurt him that way.

  She seemed to realize how severely her words had wounded him. "She

  was my Master, Obi-Wan," she said in a slightly softer tone. "She needed

  me. I wasn't there. You can't imagine how that feels."

  "No," he said quietly. "And I never would want to. I am truly sorry,

  Bant. You are right. We should have contacted you."

  Bant nodded stiffly. Obi-Wan's actions had caused a rift in their

  friendship. He didn't know how deep that rift was, or how long it would

  last.

  Tahl was dead. Qui-Gon was like a stranger. And now Obi-Wan's best

  friend had turned away from him.

  He had never felt so alone.

  CHAPTER 3

  The last thing Qui-Gon wanted was a private talk with Mace Windu. He

  felt such a heaviness of spirit that it was all he could do to be courteous

  to the Jedi Master. The pain inside him ebbed and flowed like an

  unpredictable tide. Sometimes it reared up so fiercely that it tore at his

  insides like a beast.

  Out of all the Jedi, why did Mace have to take this mission? There

  was a great deal of respect between the two Jedi, but Qui-Gon had never

  felt particularly close to his formidable colleague.

  The door slid shut behind them. Even here in his private reception

  room, Manex had turned the lights to pale blue. It gave an eerie cast to

  the gleaming black stone that covered the walls and floors, and turned the

  bright vivid greens of the seating areas and lush pillows into a sickly

  hue.

  "Do you wish to accompany Tahl's body back to the Temple?" Mace

  asked. "Bant, Obi-Wan, and I can remain here and conduct the mission."

  Qui-Gon saw that Mace was trying to be kind. There was deep sympathy

  in his sober gaze. He felt a rush of relief that Mace did not inquire into

  his feelings, or ask if there had been something deeper than friendship

  between Qui-Gon and Tahl. Qui-Gon suspected that Mace already knew these

  things without words.

  Qui-Gon did not intend to give up the search for Tahl's killer. But

  he needed to be careful. He could not tell Mace that his need to find Balog

  was burning inside him. His anger might show in his voice or his face. Mace

  might think that the anger was not under control. He would not understand

  that despite his grief, Qui-Gon's control was complete.

  It is because it has to be. It's the only way I can go on.

  "Thank you for the offer," he said. "But I must continue the mission

  in order to honor Tahl's memory."

  To Qui-Gon's relief, Mace nodded. He was not going to argue with him.

  Tahl would have. She always knew when he was trying to sidestep his own

  feelings. A fresh spurt of agony caused him to clench his hands together

  into fists by his side. If Mace noticed, he did not comment.

  The light over the door flashed, then slid open partway. Manex's

  protocol droid, fashioned of highly polished black plastoid, hovered.

  "Manex has returned and would like a word with the Jedi," it said.

  Glad for the interruption, Qui-Gon turned. "Please tell him to come

  in."

  A moment later the door opened wider and Manex entered, along with

  Obi-Wan and Bant.

  "Excuse the interruption please," Manex said, running a hand through

  his cropped curly hair. For the first time, Qui-Gon noticed that it had

  begun to turn gray like his brother's. "I have just come from the United

  Legislature, and I have some news that I thought you needed to hear. I'm

  glad to see the new Jedi team has arrived."

  "I am Mace Windu and this is Bant," Mace said.

  Manex bowed his greeting. "I'm honored to have distinguished Jedi in

  my home. But I'm afraid that my news is not good. Information has been

  leaked to the Senators that Tahl was helping the Absolutes. There is a

  holotape of a meeting that she chaired in which she is discussing taking

  over the government."

  "Tahl was working undercover in order to expose the Absolutes," Obi-

  Wan explained.

  "The Senators don't know what to believe," Manex said.

  "How did this tape get circulated?" Mace asked.

  "Balog," Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon said together.

  "Obviously it's been leaked by him," Obi-Wan continued. "He needs to

  discredit the Jedi in order to prepare the way to return to power."

  "It doesn't matter," Qui-Gon said. "We'll clear Tahl's name when we

  find Balog."

  "If you can find him quickly," Manex said gravely. "My fear is that

  he will come to, power and we won't be able to charge him with anything. Do

  you know who is backing him? Whoever it is, he or she must be powerful."

  "We are not certain of anything," Mace said. The Jedi were not ready

  to confide in Manex. He knew nothing of Alani's treachery. He might even be

  an ally of hers.

  "I have further news," Manex said. "I have been appointed Acting

  Supreme Governor until the elections are held. I haven't sought this

  position, nor do I want it. I'm a businessman, not a politician. But the

  Senators prevailed on my love of my planet and my desire for peace. They

  feel that Roan's brother has the best chance of holding the government

  together. No doubt the election period will be volatile. I've tightened

  security and closed the Absolute Museum. We are mainly trying to keep the

  people calm. And there's one more thing. As Acting Supreme Governor, I'm

  making an official request to the Jedi. I'd like you to oversee the

  preparations
for the upcoming elections. We are holding them in three days.

  We can't afford to wait. It's the only way to keep the peace."

  "But not everyone trusts the Jedi," Obi-Wan said. "I'm sure the Tahl

  holotape didn't help."

  "There are enough who do," Manex said. "And once you find Balog, as

  you said, Tahl's name will be cleared. Until then, you'll have all my

  support. I've instructed World Security to give you cooperation."

  Mace nodded. "Then we accept."

  Qui-Gon bristled. Mace had not even glanced at him, or sought his

  opinion. He would have been against the acceptance.

  "I'll leave you, then," Manex said. He rushed out, his gold robe

  swirling around his soft, polished boots.

  Qui-Gon knew he should speak diplomatically, but he didn't have time

  for tact. "This is a mistake," he told Mace. "Overseeing elections will

  divert us from the investigation of Tahl's death. We should be

  concentrating on finding Balog."

  Mace took Qui-Gon's stern tone in stride. "I disagree," he said. "The

  political situation is part of the pursuit of justice for Tahl's killer. It

  is all tied together. We will be in the perfect position to gain

  information. Not to mention that our overall mission was to restore New

  Apsolon to stability. If the Supreme Governor requests our help in a

  legitimate cause, the Jedi must agree."

  Qui-Gon pressed his lips together. He knew better than to push the

  argument further. But he was furious at Mace's decision. He wanted to stalk

  out of the room, out of the house, and keep going. He wanted to push an

  airspeeder as fast as he could, even without a direction. Frustration

  boiled inside him. With every second that ticked away, he could feel Balog

  slipping out of his reach.

  CHAPTER 4

  "I suggest that we find our quarters and take some refreshment," Mace

  said, turning to Bant. "We had a long journey, and we don't know when we'll

  get a chance to rest. Then we'll head to the United Legislature and get

  started."

  Obi-Wan had felt Qui-Gon's displeasure with Mace's decision. It was

  clear how deeply he disagreed with Mace. Obi-Wan knew that Qui-Gon saw this

  as a waste of time. But his Master had not come up with an alternative

  plan, either.

  Mace lifted an eyebrow at Qui-Gon. "If you had an idea of Balog's

  whereabouts, or a way to find him, we would delay and follow your lead. But

  until then, the only course open to us is to gather information."

  Obi-Wan glanced at Qui-Gon. His Master had not told Mace about the

  probe droids he'd sent out to find Balog. It was one thing to break the

  laws of a planet because a Jedi was in immediate danger of death. It was

  another to employ them in tracking a citizen of the planet where they were

  illegal. He wasn't sure how Mace would react, which was most likely why

  Qui-Gon did not tell him. The Jedi were already on uncertain footing on the

  planet.

  Mace and Bant left the room. The tension did not dissolve. Qui-Gon

  paced, brooding. Clearly, he did not want to talk.

  Manex's protocol droid once again hovered in the doorway. "So sorry

  to intrude. Another visitor. She says you know her, so I took the liberty.

  Her name is Yanci."

  "Yanci? Show her in, please," Obi-Wan said, surprise in his voice.

  Yanci was the Rock Worker medic who had fixed his leg after a rock had

  crushed it. She had come after them and begged for their help in resisting

  an Absolute attack on their settlement. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had returned

  with her, but it was too late. Every man, woman, and child had been killed.

  Yanci's terrible grief still burned in Obi-Wan's memory.

  Yanci entered the room. Obi-Wan could see at once that she had

  changed in the course of two days. The massacre of her fellow Workers along

  with the death of the man she loved had etched sorrow into her features.

  Her eyes were different. He could see the loss there.

  For the first time since Tahl's death, Qui-Gon's distraction lifted

  and he truly seemed to focus on another person. It was as though the two

  recognized each other immediately as fellow sufferers. He moved forward and

  took her hand. "It is good to see you," he murmured.

  She stared into his face. "I heard about Jedi Knight Tahl. You have

  my deepest sympathy."

  He pressed her hand, then dropped it. Obi-Wan saw that Qui-Gon did

  not need words with Yanci.

  She turned to Obi-Wan. "And how is that leg?"

  "All healed, thanks to you."

  "And you. I have great respect for the Jedi powers of recuperation. I

  am sorry to come at such a time. I'm living with the Workers in the city

  now." Yanci's voice lowered. "I heard something that I thought might help

  you. It is about a Worker named Oleg."

  Obi-Wan's senses sharpened. Oleg was the Worker who they believed had

  the list of Absolute informers. He had been seen with Tahl, which was why

  Balog suspected that he had passed off the list to her. Instead, he had

  disappeared.

  "I heard that Balog is chasing Oleg," Yanci went on. "I don't know

  why, and I don't need to know. But I recognized that name. Several weeks

  ago, the Rock Workers were contacted by the Workers in the city. They asked

  if they could send a Worker to us who needed to go into hiding. It was

  Oleg. He had infiltrated the Absolutes and needed a place to hide once his

  mission was completed. They weren't sure when he would be coming. We

  agreed, of course. Later we got word that his cover had been blown and that

  he was being sent immediately. But he never showed up. We were concerned

  and searched the quarries, but we don't think he ever left the city. Then

  we ourselves were attacked. As you know."

  "Thank you for coming to us," Qui-Gon said.

  Obi-Wan could hear the disappointment in his voice. He felt

  disappointed as well. The information was interesting, but not very

  helpful. It didn't lead them any closer to Balog.

  "But that is not all I have come to tell you," Yanci said. "There was

  a reason the Workers were sending him to us. They knew that I had training

  in a specific medical condition that Oleg has. He got it as a result of

  being imprisoned by the Absolutes years ago. It's a form of hibernation

  sickness that recurs regularly, requiring treatment. I happen to be able to

  provide treatment because several of our Rock Workers had the same

  syndrome. But there are only a few med clinics in the city that can treat

  it. So I thought... I thought it would be a way to track Oleg, if you were

  looking for him. It could be a way to find Balog."

  Yanci reached inside her cloak and took out a durasheet. She handed

  it to Qui-Gon. "Here is a list of the clinics."

  Obi-Wan felt his spirits rise. If they could track Oleg, no doubt

  they would find Balog. Qui-Gon appeared frozen, transfixed by the list in

  his hand.

  "Do you think it could be helpful?" Yanci asked. "Yes," Qui-Gon said.

  "Very."

  Qui-Gon clutched the list, staring at it so fiercely that Yanci

  glanced at Obi-Wan, concerned.

  Obi-Wan moved forward to thank her. "This will help us," he told

  Yanci.
"Thank you for coming. I'll see you out."

  He walked her to the front door and bid her good-bye. He hurried back

  down the hall to Qui-Gon, eager to discuss their next step.

  But when he opened the door to the sitting room, his Master had

  disappeared.

  CHAPTER 5

  Qui-Gon knew he should not have left Manex's residence without

  telling Obi-Wan or Mace where he was going, but he did not regret it. More

  talk meant more delay. If he had taken Obi-Wan with him, he would have put

  his Padawan in a bad position. If Qui-Gon was going to have conflicts with

  Mace Windu, he did not want Obi-Wan to be involved in them.

  And, truth be told, his instincts told him that he needed to do this

  alone. Four Jedi equaled four opinions, more talk, more discussion. He