by Johinsa
Author's Note: At the time of this writing, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace has just been released. So, this is probably completely inconsistent with Episodes 2 and 3. Just so you know. I've really tried to keep things accurate to what I know. (At least, I used "I Am A Jedi" to get the spelling of the names right. Which is way more research than I normally do.) In terms of the timeline, it takes place well before Episode 1, at least a few years before.
Star Wars and all Star Wars characters, places, etc., belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Inc., and I'm not trying to claim any of them. All praise and thanks to George Lucas, who created this wonderful universe that I just couldn't resist trying to play around in. The story itself is mine, and shouldn't be reproduced without my permission.
This is my first Star Wars fanfic, so any and all criticism is very welcome. Send it to johinsa@hotmail.com. I love getting mail! And now, on with the story...
Obi-wan Kenobi, Jedi apprentice, was worried.
He paced nervously around the perimeter of the training gym, his unlit lightsaber held loosely in his right hand. Obi-wan had come down here to practice, but he was having difficulty concentrating; the remotes had singed him twice already. For some reason, the Force didn't seem to be much with him today.
It wasn't as if he had any particular reason to be nervous, Obi-wan told himself. True, Master Qui-Gon had been called before the Council, but that was to be expected after returning from such a long mission. True, there seemed to be less Jedi in the halls of the Temple than usual, but with the recent unrest in the Galaxy it was no wonder that more of them were absent from Coruscant. No, this worry felt different somehow. It was almost like a disturbance in the Force, but neither Qui-Gon nor any of the other Jedi Obi-wan had spoken with that day had seemed particularly ill at ease--
A sudden rustling behind him made Obi-wan jump, his thumb automatically flicking the power switch of his lightsaber. The three remotes hovering by the wall, taking the energy surge to mean that Obi-wan wished to continue his exercises, darted forward, firing.
Obi-wan lunged sideways, catching two of the tiny droids with the tip of his lightsaber as he swung around. A second beam took care of the third.
He looked over in surprise. A human girl, perhaps thirteen years old, stood near the door with a yellow-orange lightsaber flickering in her hands. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't know this gym was occupied."
"No, it's all right," Obi-wan assured her. "I'm not getting much practicing done anyway." He shut off his weapon, hooking it back onto his belt, and held out his hand. "My name's Obi-wan Kenobi, padawan to Qui-Gon Jinn."
The girl solemnly shook hands with him. "Leeyat ay Finn, padawan to Master Artega. Nice to meet you, Obi-wan Kenobi." She was short and awkward-looking, with soft grey eyes that seemed oddly out of place in her angular face. Loose wisps of brown hair stuck out from her obviously hasty braid, and she wore a plain robe whose sleeves were a few inches too long for her arms.
Her lightsaber, which she still held in her left hand, flared suddenly bright orange and died. "Oh, damn!" She threw the handle down angrily, then visibly composed herself, closing her eyes. "Calm down," she muttered. "Frustration leads to the Dark Side. Frustration leads to the Dark Side--"
Obi-wan grinned. "Is that your first lightsaber?" She looked about that age.
Leeyat nodded. "Master Artega decided I was ready to make one. I think he was a little too optimistic, myself." She frowned at the now-useless weapon. "What I can't figure out is what went wrong. It seemed to be working so well."
"They take awhile," Obi-wan agreed. "I didn't get mine right until the sixth try. Don't get frustrated--"
"--because frustration leads to the Dark Side," Leeyat finished ruefully. "I know, I know, I hear enough of that from Master Artega."
"And you will hear it again, Apprentice," a new voice added, "as you do not seem to have taken the lesson to heart." It was a violet-skinned Serath, wrinkled and shrunken but probably still under two hundred years of age.
Leeyat quickly crossed the gym to stand beside him. "Master," she said.
"I see your first attempt was less than a resounding success," Artega observed dryly, looking down at the lightsaber lying on the floor. "You must have more patience, Apprentice. If you allow yourself to give in to your emotions, they will control you."
"Yes, Master," Leeyat said with reluctant obedience. "But it seems awfully--"
"Don't complain," Artega said sternly. "Complaining leads to the Dark Side."
Leeyat frowned. "Is that really true, or are you just saying it to make me be quiet?" Artega didn't reply. Leeyat winked at Obi-wan as her Master turned away.
"You are Qui-Gon Jinn's padawan, are you not?" Artega asked. "Kenobi?"
"Ah--yes, Master Artega," Obi-wan answered respectfully.
"Good luck on your mission, then," Artega said, and turned away. "Come along, Leeyat." He started to leave.
"Wait!" Obi-wan called after him. "What mission?"
"Yours and Qui-Gon's, of course." The Serath frowned, his mauve forehead furrowing. "You had not been informed?"
"Master Qui-Gon and I have just returned from two months out on the edge of the galaxy," Obi-wan replied. "We've been given no new mission yet."
"Ah. Well, perhaps I heard incorrectly." Artega nodded to himself. "Yes, that must be the case. Good day, Kenobi."
"Good day, Master Artega," Obi-wan said, somewhat confused, but the other two had already disappeared up the curving corridor.
Qui-Gon Jinn returned late that night to their rooms in the Temple. Though "night" and "day" were somewhat arbitrary concepts on the city-world of Coruscant, it was nevertheless after midnight, and Obi-wan had been asleep for several hours when he was awakened by the door. He was immediately struck by how tired his Master looked; despite his ever-present air of Jedi calm, Qui-Gon's face was etched with lines of exhaustion. "Did the Council meeting not go well, Master?" Obi-wan asked sympathetically. Qui-Gon appeared not to hear him; Obi-wan repeated his question.
Qui-Gon looked up. "What? Oh, no, the meeting went quite well, actually. The Council was most interested in our report on the Adewa system; they'll be sending another Knight there to continue our observations."
"Then--forgive me, Master, but what's wrong? You seem disturbed."
"I am," Qui-Gon answered, leaning back in his chair. "As you should be. Do you recall a Jedi Master by the name of Mil Tarisat?"
Obi-wan nodded. "I've heard of him, of course. I don't believe we ever met."
"Indeed. I knew him personally, some time before he--left." Mil Tarisat's leaving, and the circumstances surrounding it, were practically taboo subjects. Rumours abounded among the apprentices, but the Jedi were unwilling to discuss the topic.
The silence stretched for several moments. "But Mil Tarisat was killed more than ten years ago," Obi-wan said finally. "What bearing could he have on anything?"
"Be still and listen," Qui-Gon said in mild rebuke. Obi-wan nodded, and Qui-Gon continued: "You are probably aware that Tarisat fell prey to the Dark Side of the Force; that much at least is common knowledge. After his failed attempt to kill Master Yoda, he fled Coruscant in a stolen ship. Eight Jedi were sent after him; five died before Tarisat was killed."
Obi-wan shivered. The Dark Side--He couldn't imagine why someone, especially a full Jedi Knight, would choose that path.
"However, Mil Tarisat is not the Council's current concern," Qui-Gon said. "Tarisat had a padawan, a boy named Jase Kedra. He was given to another Master after Tarisat died, as is customary under the Code. Of course, he was watched carefully for any sign that he had been corrupted by his previous master, but no warning signs were observed; he seemed to be a model apprentice."
"I take it that assumption was premature?" Obi-wan asked.
"We don't know," Qui-Gon answered. "What we do know is this: Master Garydos, Kedra's master, has been murdered, and Jase Kedra himself is missing."
"The approximate time of death was the night before last," the medical droid chirped. It was the next day, and Qui-Gon and Obi-wan were examining Garydos' body in the morgue.
"That would tally with what we know," Qui-Gon agreed. "Jase Kedra was last seen that morning."
"The cause of death, as you can see here," the droid continued, "is that his spinal cord was severed between the third and fourth vertebrae. One stroke, very cleanly cut, and with the cauterization of the wound and relatively small amount of blood loss--"
"--the weapon was very likely a lightsaber," Qui-Gon finished grimly.
"Precisely, sir," the droid said.
"Did Master Garydos' padawan have a lightsaber yet?" Obi-wan wanted to know.
Qui-Gon frowned. "I'm not quite certain."
"Who might know?" Obi-wan asked.
"Anyone on the Jedi Council," Qui-Gon answered. "Jase was very closely watched; that's why Garydos remained on Coruscant instead of returning to his homeworld." He sighed. "It appears the precautions weren't enough. Poor man."
"Sir?" the medical droid said. "If you're finished, I have to put the body back into stasis."
"Yes, of course." Qui-Gon turned and headed out of the medical bay. Obi-wan followed.
"Master?" he said when it became apparent that they were not headed back to their quarters. "Where are we going?"
"To find Jase Kedra," Qui-Gon answered. "A ship and a pilot have been assigned to us already."
Obi-wan swallowed hard, then nodded. "Where are we going?"
"To a world called Midren," Qui-Gon said, seeming pleased with his apprentice's outward lack of reluctance. "That was Kedra's home before he was called to be a Jedi. I believe he will return there."
"Why?" Obi-wan asked bluntly. "He couldn't have been very old when he was called; I barely remember my own homeworld. Why would he want to go back? Besides, if he managed to hide his allegiance to the Dark Side from the entire Jedi Council, he must have had a reason to move when he did. That implies a plan, and one that probably wouldn't be served by running off to some backwater planet in the Outer Rim Territories."
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. "You have another idea, Apprentice?"
"I think we should look for him here on Coruscant," Obi-wan answered, emboldened. "What better place is there to hide than in plain sight? He knows we won't think of searching here."
"Indeed," Qui-Gon said approvingly. "That's an excellent suggestion, Obi-wan. In fact, Master Yoda brought up that very point when the Council was assigning Jedi to this search, and several of them will be looking here."
"Oh," Obi-wan said, crestfallen.
Qui-Gon smiled. "Our assignment, however, is to look for him on Midren. The ship leaves within the hour, and our belongings are already aboard. The landing platform is this way."
Ennikavul and his ship, the Skeddu, were quite similar. Both were old and cranky, both emitted a rather odd smell, and both were treated with a combination of affection and terror by the Skeddu's crew.
Obi-wan noticed the stench first. "Master," he said plaintively, following Qui-Gon into their quarters near the Skeddu's engines, "why can't we take commercial transport? This ship smells disgusting."
"Commercial transport would be too noticeable," Qui-Gon answered placidly. He, at least, seemed untroubled by the odor that permeated the vessel. "Midren is too far out for there to be regular transport there. You will just have to adapt."
The flight took three days. Obi-wan became somewhat inured to the smell during that time, but he was still glad when the Skeddu entered orbit around Midren and they were able to catch a shuttle to the surface.
"So this is Midren," Obi-wan commented as they walked down the shuttle's ramp into what they had been told was Midren's capital city. "I don't think I've been missing much."
The city spread out across the flat beige plain, divided by neatly geometric roads into identical square blocks. None of the buildings were more than three stories high, and few were more than one. Around the city, fields of native grain met the sky at the horizon in every direction. From its appearance, Midren was a quiet, sedate and utterly boring place.
"It's mainly an agricultural supply world for the other planet in this system," Qui-Gon explained to his apprentice. "They have a symbiotic relationship; Midren provides Landren with a steady food supply, and Landren returns technological items that Midren can't manufacture."
"Fascinating," Obi-wan said dryly. Farm planets bored him. He looked around absently, seeking something to look at less tedious than brown buildings and alien wheat.
He found it. "Master," he said in a whisper, "over there, across the street."
"I see them," Qui-Gon replied without turning his head. "Keep moving. It's nothing to do with us."
"But--"
"Keep moving, Apprentice."
The men Obi-wan had spotted were standing clustered in a narrow alley between two buildings. Their postures and casual dress suggested nonchalance and boredom; only someone with the Force could sense the poised alertness with which they held themselves. They were waiting for someone.
"Master, what was that about?" Obi-wan asked when the two of them were safely past.
"This world has no government to speak of," Qui-Gon answered. "Aside from the Agricultural Board, which regulates the grain shipments, there aren't any laws or governing bodies. It's an interesting way to run a planet, although something of a dangerous one; bands of hired thugs like those ones back there are one consequence." He turned down a street that looked to Obi-wan like every other street they had passed. "I've arranged lodgings for us in advance. Jase Kedra's mother and older sister live in the south quarter of the city; we'll pay them a call tomorrow morning."
The hostel was plain but clean, and the clerk took their Republic credits and told them to lock their doors. Obi-wan took it in stride when Qui-Gon introduced them as father and son from Alderaan on a business trip; if his Master felt it was unsafe for them to reveal themselves as Jedi here, Obi-wan wasn't about to argue. Their lightsabers were safely stowed in their baggage, and Obi-wan made a mental note not to use his Jedi talents unless absolutely necessary.
Qui-Gon reinforced the warning when they were alone in their rooms. "This may be a very dangerous place, Apprentice," he said. "We must be cautious here. You are not to so much as try to touch the Force without permission under any circumstances. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Master," Obi-wan answered, surprised at the injunction but determined to obey.
Something awakened him a few hours before dawn.
Obi-wan carefully kept his eyes closed and breathed evenly, as though he were still asleep, while he listened carefully, trying to detect the noise that had disturbed him. It wasn't a noise, he realized a moment later; it was a tiny ripple in the Force, the sort that every living thing made automatically. There was someone in the room with them, someone who was taking great care to be quiet. Obi-wan risked opening his eyes a crack. A man was standing over him, his face less than a foot away. Obi-wan yelled involuntarily and leapt out of bed.
Two more intruders, both dressed in black, were rummaging through the luggage stacked in the corner. Qui-Gon was apparently asleep. "Hey!" Obi-wan shouted. "Get out of here!"
The man near him glanced at the other two. At a gesture, they all drew knives from their belts. The nearer one darted around the other bed and came up beside Qui-Gon, holding his knife at the older man's throat. "Don't move," he hissed. Obi-wan froze.
The other two resumed their inspection of the luggage. "This stuff is all worthless," one of them called. "There's nothing worth taking in the whole lot."
"What do we do now?" the other asked.
"I say we kill them both," the man beside Qui-Gon suggested.
Forgetting Qui-Gon's order not to touch the Force, Obi-wan reached out with his mind and tore the knife out of the thief's hand. The thief stared as the weapon clattered across the floor. "Let's get out of here!" he shouted, and the three of them beat a hasty retreat, slamming the door behind them.
"Would you like to explain yourself, Apprentice?"
Obi-wan turned to see Qui-Gon sitting up in bed, apparently fully alert. His expression was one of barely controlled anger. "Master?" Obi-wan said in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Tell me," Qui-Gon said icily, "what did I tell you when we got here?"
"I--"
"Did I, or did I not, inform you that it would be dangerous to use the Force here?" Qui-Gon demanded. Without pausing long enough for Obi-wan to answer, he continued, "If there is indeed a Dark Jedi here, you've just announced our presence to him."
"But those men--"
"--would have gone through our things and then left. They had no interest in us until you started your pointless heroics." Qui-Gon turned away. "Come. We have to go."
"Go? Where?"
"It's almost sunrise," Qui-Gon answered calmly as he repacked their luggage. "We'll eat breakfast and then visit Jase Kedra's family." He sealed the two cases shut and straightened up, handing one to Obi-wan. "We'll take these with us; we won't be coming back here."
The clerk at the front desk waylaid them as they headed out. "Sirs! Excuse me!"
"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Message for you, sir," the clerk answered. "It came in late last night; I didn't want to disturb you. You can view it here." He gestured to the computer on his desk.
As Qui-Gon read the message, his frown deepened. "Master?" Obi-wan asked. "What's happened?"
Qui-Gon stood up. He looked as though he had aged years in the space of the last few minutes. "Take our things to the Skeddu and tell Captain Ennikavul that we'll be leaving immediately," he said at last. "Inform him that we've been called back to Coruscant."
Obi-wan looked at him in confusion. "Why?"
"It appears," Qui-Gon said heavily, "that you were correct, Apprentice. Jase Kedra must indeed be on Coruscant; another Jedi has just been killed there."
"We're almost in range now--get ready--"
Qui-Gon stirred in his sleep, his head filled with phantom voices. Beside him, his apprentice slept peacefully, untroubled by dreams.
"I think I see him. Qui-Gon? Is that him?"
He hadn't dreamed this dream for a long time, but now the images played out in his head, exactly as they had occurred ten years ago--
"You're right," Qui-Gon said. "It's him." He shivered involuntarily, and was once again glad that his padawan was safely back on Coruscant; Obi-wan was far too young to be here. Only one of the eight Jedi on this mission was an apprentice, a man named Kayawa nearly old enough for the Trials. Four of the others were Knights, and the remaining three, including Qui-Gon himself, were Masters. Qui-Gon was the most junior of the three, being newly promoted. "All vessels, lock weapons on the "No good," Master Junia's voice crackled. "He's confusing the instruments." "He's detected us?" Kayawa asked, his voice rising an octave. "No, he's just blanketing the area with interference," Junia said. "I don't think he's seen us yet." "Good," Murlat said. "Form up for attack pattern five, everyone. Junia and I will draw his fire while the other three pairs target Tarisat's engines." "Are we trying now to disable his ship rather than destroy it, then, Master?" Kayawa asked hesitantly. Qui-Gon could almost hear Junia frown. "No. Our orders haven't changed; he must be destroyed." "Enough chitchat," Murlat said impatiently. "Junia, with me. The rest, follow." His ship swooped forward. Junia's matched his speed and course, headed toward the Qui-Gon and his wingman, a Calamari named Lenlek, were the last pair in the line. By the time they reached Mil Tarisat's ship, Junia and Murlat were already dodging energy bolts while Kayawa and his partner fired at the engines. The smaller ships were vastly more agile than the lumbering "He's using the Force to block our weapons," Kayawa realized. "That shouldn't be difficult to counter," Murlat said. "There are eight of us and one of him, after all. Lenlek, Kayawa, Vors--" There was silence on the intercom for a moment, but Qui-Gon could feel the Force radiating from the four pilots. His ship seemed to vibrate with the intensity of the energy they were drawing in; an almost unbearable sense of expectation was growing around him. A sudden tearing shock abruptly broke off the sensation. For a moment Qui-Gon couldn't see, couldn't move. His ship, uncontrolled, was thrown into a spin by an energy bolt from the enemy. Qui-Gon wrestled with the controls, trying to bring himself to a halt a safe distance from the "This is Junia," the woman's voice said hoarsely. "Murlat is dead. Something--his mind was destroyed. Incredible power. I felt it--I--he's dead. So are Lenlek and Vors--and--and Kayawa." She sounded as though she were barely managing to hold herself together. "What are your orders, Master Junia?" Qui-Gon asked. "What should we do? Tell us." "I don't know--" "Marland, Kren," Qui-Gon said quickly, addressing the other two surviving pilots, "ideas?" "Couldn't have been conventional weapons," Marland said. "Can't be a coincidence it was the four pilots using a Force attack." "You think he could sense they were using the Force, and sort of--" "Why not? We do it. I mean, not as a weapon, obviously, but sensing people who are using the Force is easy enough. Make a sort of feedback loop, reflect their power back at them--sure, it could be done. I could see how to do it, given time." Qui-Gon shuddered. The thought of Master Murlat and the others lying helpless in their ships, mindless imbeciles--this was a terrible weapon indeed. "That--" Junia launched into a string of invective in several languages. "Master Junia, please," Kren said. "We must--" "I'll kill him! I'll tear him apart!" "Master, please!" Qui-Gon could tell the other two were as worried as he; none of them had ever heard a Jedi Master lose control this way before. "Tell us what to do!" "I will," Junia answered grimly. "Retreat." "Retreat?" Kren protested. "But--" "The three of you," Junia clarified. "I will remain." "You--" "Do as I say!" Junia shouted. Then, in a lower voice, "Please. I know what has to be done." Qui-Gon realized, horrified, what she meant. "You'll be killed! Master Murlat--" "I'm stronger than Master Murlat," Junia said. "And I know what we're facing; he didn't. Now, get your ships out of range." "We'll help you," Kren insisted. "No, you won't. And don't say anything further on this channel; I'm sure Mil Tarisat is listening with great interest." She cut off the signal. Through the viewport Qui-Gon could see her tiny silver ship accelerating toward the "May the Force be with you," Marland said quietly. The other two echoed him, their eyes glued to their screens as they watched. Once again there was the buildup of the Force, centred on Junia's ship. It wasn't nearly as strong as before, and Qui-Gon realized with a sinking heart that she didn't have a chance against Tarisat's power, even forewarned. Again there was the screaming shock as Tarisat retaliated. When Qui-Gon was able to see again, he looked out the viewport, expecting to see Junia's ship hanging motionless in space like the other four. Instead, he saw with disbelief that it was actually "The autopilot," Kren said softly. "She set it to ram him." "That means she knew she'd be--" Qui-Gon broke off, realizing just what that meant. He remembered her last words, that Tarisat was likely listening in on their communications. Her loss of control had been an act, then--or at least partly an act--to convince Tarisat that a Master would indeed take such a reckless and stupid action. The three pilots watched in silence. Without a living, Force-using mind for Tarisat to home in on, it was computer against computer, and the smaller ship was faster. Eluding the automated defenses, Junia's ship with its incapacitated pilot arrowed into the engines of the Even through the soundless vacuum of space, Qui-Gon could feel the explosion reverberate deafeningly inside his skull. For an instant the flash blinded him; then all that was left were a few pieces of debris spiralling outward against the stars. The "Master Qui-Gon?" Marland's voice broke through the stillness. "Should we go back?" "Yes," Qui-Gon answered heavily. "Set your courses for Coruscant. Tarisat is dead; we'll go back and tell the Council." They turned their backs on the dead ships and headed for home.
Qui-Gon awoke, his face and forehead drenched with sweat. He hadn't had that dream in--it must have been eight years or more. Stumbling out of bed, he made his way to the small sink on the other side of the cabin and splashed cold water on his face to wake himself up. It was almost morning; they'd be arriving soon.
He sat down in a chair and looked over at his apprentice, sleeping on the other bunk. Obi-wan lay on his side, snoring slightly. It was amazing, Qui-Gon thought, how much that young man had changed in the last ten years. Obi-wan was an adult now, very nearly ready to end his apprenticeship and become a Jedi Knight in his own right. Ten years--and yet somehow they were right back where they had been. He knew he had been hard on Obi-wan the other day, but the younger Jedi didn't seem to understand the danger of what they were facing. They couldn't risk another debacle like what had happened with Tarisat.
I won't let that happen, Qui-Gon thought. No matter what. Thus reassured, he sank back into sleep. This time, he did not dream.
"It's the same as Garydos," Mace Windu told the assembled Jedi. They had gathered in one of the lower rooms of the Temple, since the Council room was too small to hold everyone who had been called to return. "One clean cut through the spine with a lightsaber. We have to assume that the same person who killed Garydos, killed Artega as well. If Kedra--"
"Jase Kedra?" one of the Jedi Knights inquired. "Are we sure it's him?"
Mace Windu shook his head. "We won't be sure of anything until we find him. But if it wasn't the Kedra boy, it's quite a coincidence that he should disappear when he did."
Yoda spoke up. "One difference between this attack and the first, there is. This time, a witness we have."
"Yes," Mace Windu agreed. "Artega's padawan was present when Artega was killed. As far as we can gather, she came into Artega's quarters and saw the murderer standing over her Master's body. She says that she ran to find help and he pursued her. She threw herself out a window to escape."
"Where is she now?" Qui-Gon inquired.
"In the medical bay," Mace Windu answered, "being treated for broken bones and shock; she landed on a platform two stories down. We've barely been able to get anything out of her at all. Perhaps she'll be able to tell us more when she's more recovered."
Qui-Gon frowned, looking over at Yoda. "I'd like permission to speak with her."
"Permission you may have," Yoda answered, "although clear it with the medical staff you must. No objections have I." He glanced around the room. "More questions are there? Then leave you may. Your search assignments you have already."
The Jedi began to disperse. Obi-wan followed Qui-Gon as they proceeded down the hall toward the lift that would take them to the medical bay. "Master?" Obi-wan said. "Do you really think Master Artega's padawan will be able to tell us much?"
"No, I don't," Qui-Gon admitted. "As far as I know, Leeyat is little more than a child, and fear can colour the perceptions of even a Jedi--"
Obi-wan frowned. "Leeyat?"
"Leeyat ay Finn, Artega's padawan," Qui-Gon said. "You know her?"
"I think we've met," Obi-wan answered. "I--yes, just before we left for Midren. She and Artega were in the training gym."
"Then perhaps you had better speak to her alone," Qui-Gon suggested. "The medical bay is always monitored; I'll watch from another room. She might feel more comfortable speaking with another padawan; I don't want her to be intimidated."
"Yes, you do have that effect on people sometimes," Obi-wan said with a grin. Qui-Gon frowned at him. "Sorry, Master."
"Leeyat? Can I come in?" Obi-wan asked, poking his head around the corner.
"Sure," the girl answered indifferently.
Obi-wan walked into the room. Aside from Leeyat, the medical bay was empty of patients. Qui-Gon had temporarily dismissed the medical droids so that Obi-wan could talk to Leeyat without interruption.
"Are you here to ask me more questions?" Leeyat asked as Obi-wan sat down on a chair beside the bed.
"Well--I guess so," Obi-wan answered with a forced grin. "I'm Obi-wan Kenobi. Remember me?"
She nodded. "You were there when I was testing my new lightsaber. I remember." Leeyat sat up with obvious difficulty. Her ribs were bandaged, and various medical-looking devices were attached to her skin. "So--go ahead. Ask your questions."
"If you don't want me to," Obi-wan began. Leeyat shook her head.
"You might as well. Everyone else has. Master Yoda even came down here to see me." She smiled. "A week ago I'd've been thrilled to meet Master Yoda. Now I--" Leeyat broke off abruptly, turning her head away. Obi-wan could see tears glistening on her cheeks. "Sorry. I'm probably not supposed to cry." She wiped her eyes awkwardly with the edge of the blanket. "It probably leads to the Dark Side--that's what--that's what Master Artega would've said--" Leeyat buried her face in her hands, her body shaking with silent tears. Obi-wan put his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against his chest and sobbed.
When she seemed to have calmed down a little, Obi-wan said quietly, "Maybe we shouldn't do this today."
"No!" Leeyat's expression hardened, and she pulled away. "No," she repeated. "I want to. I want to help the Council catch this--this Dark Jedi, or whoever they think he is."
"You're sure you feel up to it?" Obi-wan asked.
"He killed my Master," Leeyat said simply. "I'll do anything I can. What do you need to know?"
"Just tell me what happened," Obi-wan said. "What did you see?"
Leeyat nodded, composing herself. "I was coming back from a lesson with Master Entedari," she began. "I'd stayed afterwards to talk with him about something, so I was late. I got to our room, and there was someone standing there. I thought it was Master Artega at first, but then he turned around and--it wasn't him. I stopped, I looked around, and Master Artega was lying on the floor. There was blood, not much but--" She shook her head. "I didn't think he was dead. I thought maybe he'd been hurt, and this other man was a Jedi, he was helping him maybe--"
"What did the other man look like?" Obi-wan asked intently.
Leeyat shook her head. "I don't know. He was wearing a long robe, and a hood. I think he was human. His hands looked human, but he was wearing gloves and he could've been almost anything. He was tall, taller than me. For a second he just looked at me, and then he drew a lightsaber. I was scared. I ran. He--he chased me down the hall. I didn't know what to do. I jumped through a window. Master Artega's been trying to teach me how to fall without hurting myself; he says I'm really a quick learner--I mean, he said that, the last time. I jumped out the window and I--I was scared, I couldn't concentrate. I hit a platform and I must've blacked out. That's all I remember."
"I'm sorry," Obi-wan said softly.
"I don't know what happens now. I guess I'm assigned to a new Master. I mean, that's what the Code says." She stared at him. "It doesn't seem real, none of it does. I keep expecting Master Artega to walk through that door and start lecturing me on how I'm wasting my time in here when I could be practicing--but he isn't going to."
The intercom on the wall buzzed. "Obi-wan," Qui-Gon's voice said. "I am going to speak with Master Yoda."
"Do you need me with you?" Obi-wan asked.
"No. Return to our rooms when you're finished here."
"Understood." The intercom clicked off. Obi-wan turned to Leeyat. "I guess I should probably go."
"Could you stay for awhile?" Leeyat asked plaintively. "You're the first friendly face I've seen in here. I--I don't think I want to be alone."
"Of course." Obi-wan sat down beside her. "Why don't you get some sleep. I'll be right here."
"I'm sorry, you can't come in here."
Obi-wan looked around, confused. There were voices coming from the next room. One sounded like a medical droid; the other was indistinct. This room was dimmed, but a crack of light could be seen through the door. Who could that be? Obi-wan wondered.
"Well, you don't look sick. And it's past visiting hours. You'll have to leave."
The second voice said something that Obi-wan couldn't hear. There was a muffled pop, and the droid went silent.
"I'll be back in a minute," Obi-wan told the sleeping Leeyat. She mumbled something and rolled over on her side. Obi-wan stood quietly and headed toward the lit room.
The harsh white light hurt his eyes and he squinted, trying to make out where he was. The walls were unadorned metal, with rows of what appeared to be drawers built into them--
The morgue. He was in the morgue.
"Who are you?" someone demanded. Obi-wan turned, surprised, and saw a young man standing beside an open drawer. The body inside, kept in stasis so that it wouldn't decay, was that of Master Garydos.
"Who are you?" Obi-wan returned, keeping one hand close to the lightsaber at his belt. Anyone sneaking around in a morgue in the middle of the night was probably up to no good. Even Obi-wan wasn't sure if he was allowed to be here.
"I--I had to be sure," the intruder explained unevenly. He looked about eighteen, human, with dark brown hair and dark eyes. "He's--that is Master Garydos?"
Obi-wan nodded warily. "You didn't answer my question."
"Look, just--please, just don't tell anyone I was here, okay? I'll leave. I don't want to get in any more trouble."
"You're already in trouble." Obi-wan glanced around. "Breaking in here, deactivating medical droids, doing who-knows-what with dead bodies--"
"I had to be sure," the young man repeated. "I'd heard about him, but I thought it might just be a rumour or something. I'd hoped it was." He looked sideways toward the door. "I'm going to leave now."
"No," Obi-wan said, "you're not. Not until you tell me who you are."
"You wouldn't believe me," the young man said. "Just let me go. I'll never come back."
"I'm sure you won't," Obi-wan answered. "Jase Kedra."
The young man winced. "How did you know?"
"I guessed," Obi-wan said blandly. "So you are him, then."
Jase's hands darted to his belt, and he was abruptly holding a lightsaber. Its blade glowed red. "I don't want to hurt you," he said.
"I find that hard to believe," Obi-wan said. "You've already murdered two Jedi; what's one more?"
"I didn't!" Jase protested. "I--" He stopped. "Two Jedi? You mean there's been another one? I heard about Garydos, but--" Jase shut off the lightsaber, shaking his head in apparent disbelief. His hands were trembling. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I really didn't."
Obi-wan stared at him. Jase Kedra didn't seem at all like he'd expected. He appeared to be simply a nervous, agitated young man; there was nothing about him that indicated he had been taken over by the Dark Side. "You're saying you didn't kill them?" Obi-wan demanded.
"I'd never hurt a Jedi!" Jase protested. "I don't know why everyone thinks it was me."
"You ran away," Obi-wan pointed out.
"I just needed some time by myself. I had to get away for a few days, just to--to sort out some things. Then I heard about Master Garydos from a friend of mine and I--I was afraid to go back."
"Why?" Obi-wan asked. "If you didn't do it--"
"Because I knew they'd blame me!" Jase burst out. "They'd say it couldn't be a coincidence that he was killed right after I disappeared. And they'd blame me because of who my first Master was."
Obi-wan nodded. "Mil Tarisat."
"You say that like it's a dirty word," Jase said bitterly. "Your Master's probably told you all sorts of horrible stories about him. And I'll bet I've heard them all."
"He was a Dark Jedi," Obi-wan said.
"I know what he was. The Council's told me often enough. Trying to get rid of any last vestige of loyalty to him, no doubt." Jase laughed sardonically. "They needn't have bothered. I was seven years old when they killed him; I barely remember what he looked like. Not that that makes much difference to the Council. They seemed to think he'd--I don't know, corrupted me somehow. Turned me to the Dark Side, I guess."
"You have to admit," Obi-wan said, "the evidence suggests that he did."
Jase sighed. "I know. That's why I didn't come back. The Council doesn't trust me. Everything I've done for the past ten years, the Council's been looking over my shoulder. That's why I left. I realized I didn't even know why I was still here; if in ten years they still think I might be a--a threat, there's no way they're ever going to let me take the Trials, I thought. I needed some time away from here, just to think things out."
"You knew they'd look for you."
"Padawans run away sometimes," Jase pointed out. "It happens. If they're too much trouble to find, and they have enough control over the Force that they aren't going to accidentally hurt themselves or other people, the Council usually stops looking after awhile."
"You honestly thought they'd stop looking for you?" Obi-wan asked.
Jase shook his head reluctantly, running his fingers over his close-cropped hair. "I guess that was pretty stupid, huh."
"Obi-wan? Who're you talking to?" Leeyat called from the other room; apparently she had just woken up.
"Just a minute, Leeyat," Obi-wan called back. Then, to Jase, "I have to tell Master Yoda that you're here, you know."
"No!" Jase looked around wildly as if searching for an escape, his earlier panic returning to his face. "You can't tell them! They'll--"
"They aren't going to do anything to you," Obi-wan said firmly. "I promise. If you tell them you're innocent, they'll believe you."
"You are naive." Jase sighed. Reluctantly, he handed over his lightsaber. "But I guess I don't have any choice, do I."
Master Yoda proved not to be difficult to find; the Knight standing at the door of the Jedi Temple informed Obi-wan that the Council was currently in session. "But you can't interrupt them," the Knight added, flipping her brown ponytail back over her shoulder. "I was told to keep everyone out."
"This is urgent," Obi-wan told her. "I--we need to speak to the Council immediately."
"This is highly irregular, you know. Padawans can't just burst in on the Jedi Council and expect to be heard." She sighed. "Look, why don't you give me your names, and I'll see if they'll let you in."
"Obi-wan Kenobi, padawan to Qui-Gon Jinn," Obi-wan answered, "and Jase Kedra."
The Knight's eyes bulged, and she backed away a few steps before catching herself. "I--I--I'll go tell them," she squeaked, and darted through the wide double doors.
Jase sighed and slumped against the wall. "And I thought people were looking over my shoulder before," he muttered.
"It'll be okay," Obi-wan told him. "The Council is nothing if not fair." Jase closed his eyes and said nothing.
In a few moments, the Knight re-emerged, with Master Yarael Poof behind her. "Jase Kedra?" the long-necked Jedi asked. Jase nodded reluctantly. "Please come with me. You as well, Kenobi."
They followed him into the main room of the Jedi Temple. The other members of the Council were seated in a circle around the edge of the room, along with several other Masters and Knights, including Qui-Gon Jinn. "Obi-wan? What's this?" Qui-Gon asked, half-rising from his seat. He then caught sight of Yarael Poof escorting Jase Kedra, and fell silent.
Yoda stood. "Captured him you have, Apprentice?" he asked.
"No," Obi-wan said quickly. "He agreed to come with me. To come before you. I didn't capture him, or force him to do anything." Jase looked at him gratefully.
"Does he claim that he didn't kill Garydos and Artega, then?" Master Saesee Tinn inquired. "Unbelievable!"
Jase pushed forward, out of Yarael's grasp. Obi-wan noticed that at least three hands dropped unconsciously to the hilts of their lightsabers when he did so. "I'll speak for myself," Jase said angrily. "I didn't kill them. I wasn't even here."
"That remains to be seen," Mace Windu said coolly. "You will wait your turn to speak." He turned to Obi-wan. "Now, Kenobi, tell us exactly how you found him."
Obi-wan recounted what had happened, as nearly word for word as he remembered it. "Then we came here," he finished. "I thought it would be best if we came to you as soon as possible, so you could decide what to do."
"The right thing you have done, Apprentice," Yoda told him. The wizened Master looked around at the rest of the Council. "Guarded he should be, and carefully examined. If a Dark Jedi he is--"
"Master Yoda," Obi-wan interrupted. All eyes turned to him. "I don't believe he's a Dark Jedi. I get no sense of evil from him at all."
"For the Council to judge, that is!" Yoda said sharply. "Skilled you are and strong in the Force, Padawan Obi-wan Kenobi, but not a full Jedi yet!"
"Master Yoda is correct," Mace Windu agreed. "Indeed, I think that perhaps you--"
Qui-Gon glanced at him. "No," he said, clearly knowing what the other Jedi had been going to say. Obi-wan, for his part, was mystified.
"It would be a sensible precaution," Mace Windu said. "And you aren't a member of this Council, Qui-Gon."
"He is my padawan, and I tell you no." The two of them locked gazes for a moment, and then Qui-Gon turned and looked over at Obi-wan. "Apprentice, you should not interrupt that way."
Obi-wan bowed formally. "I apologize, Master. But I stand by what I said. He doesn't seem evil."
"He may be able to fool an apprentice," Oppo Rancisis said in a reedy voice, "but we should be able to find out the truth."
"Agreed," Mace Windu said. "I concur with Master Yoda; we must have him watched most carefully. I suggest restricting him to his quarters and assigning guards. Full Masters, to prevent him from using the Force."
Eeth Kath looked up. "I will volunteer for that duty."
"I as well," Adi Gallia said, her voice firm. "He must remain unharmed and in our custody until it is time for him to answer for his crime." Around the circle, heads nodded agreement.
"You don't even know if he's guilty yet!" Obi-wan protested.
"Restrain yourself, Apprentice," Qui-Gon said firmly.
Yoda held up a hand for silence. "Judged unfairly he will not be, Apprentice, but take precautions we must. If Dark Jedi he is, or if killed Master Garydos or Artega for another reason he did, punished will he be. Until then, no judgements we will make." Obi-wan could see, though, looking around the room, that the minds of most of the Council were already made up.
"Master," he said, "may I go?"
"Eeth Kath, Adi Gallia," Mace Windu said, "since you have agreed to guard the--the boy, would you please take him to a room and keep him there?" The two Masters addressed nodded, and Adi took Jase's arm and led him out. "If there's nothing else for us to discuss--" The others stood and began to leave.
Obi-wan followed Qui-Gon outside. "Master," he said, "Jase Kedra is innocent."
Qui-Gon, who had been walking some distance ahead, stopped abruptly and turned to face his apprentice. Obi-wan was surprised at the coldness in his face. "What were you trying to do in there, Apprentice?" he demanded.
"I just--" Obi-wan began, but Qui-Gon cut him off sharply.
"You must not let your personal feelings interfere in this matter. The Dark Side of the Force is the most dangerous thing a Jedi can face, and a Dark Jedi--a Dark Jedi is pure evil. There is no greater threat. Do you understand?"
"I think so, Master," Obi-wan said uncertainly. "But tell me, Master. Did you feel anything like that from him?"
Qui-Gon shook his head. All the anger seemed to drain from him. "No, Obi-wan, I didn't. But you have to realize that we can't take the chance. The Council has to look out for our safety."
"So what are you going to do?" Obi-wan asked. "How far does 'our safety' go? Is he going to be kept under guard for the rest of his life? How much can the Council justify? Would they kill him to ensure our safety?"
"There are some on the Council," Qui-Gon answered, "who would suggest that very thing. Some who would take any shred of evidence, no matter how circumstantial, and convict him without trial."
"Mace Windu?" Obi-wan asked.
"Perhaps. I seriously doubt he's quite that fanatical, but he does believe that Jase Kedra is a threat. He was on the verge of suggesting that you be confined as well, and carefully examined to make certain that the Kedra boy hadn't influenced you in any way. Your--insistence--on Kedra's innocence didn't help."
"That's what he--that's when you interrupted him?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "The Council had discussed that very thing earlier: examining those who were known associates of Kedra or of Mil Tarisat. Had I allowed Mace Windu to speak, to put it to a Council vote, you would probably be under guard at this moment." He smiled ruefully. "You can see why I wasn't eager to have you explain yourself."
"I understand, Master," Obi-wan said, "and I thank you for looking out for me."
"For myself as well, Obi-wan; Mil Tarisat and I were good friends, once. I have no desire to be locked up, not when there's work of this magnitude to be done." He gestured, and they continued down the hall. All of the other Jedi had gone by now, and there was no-one else in sight. "You understand, finding the boy is hardly the end of this. Trying to determine whether or not he's guilty will be difficult."
"I know," Obi-wan said heavily. "Do we--are we still assigned to the investigation, Master, or did our part in this end when he was found?"
"I intend to pursue this whether or not the Council gives me its leave," Qui-Gon answered bluntly. "As for you, I'll welcome your help. But right now there's somewhere else you should be. You told the Council you left Leeyat in the medical bay to bring Kedra here; she'll be wondering where you are."
Obi-wan glanced up quickly. "Leeyat! Yes, she'll be worried--"
"Go." With a grateful look, Obi-wan hurried away down the corridor.
Watching him, Qui-Gon smiled. The impatience of youth, he thought. He had bigger problems right now, though, than his apprentice. Turning away, he began to consider his strategy.
"Leeyat?" Obi-wan looked through the door. Leeyat was there, sitting on her bed. When she saw him, she jumped up, startled. "Easy, Leeyat, it's just me."
She nodded, relieved. "Obi-wan. Where did you go? I heard you talking with someone--"
"It's all right. I'm back now."
"I thought--I fell asleep, I think, and I had the strangest dream. I thought the man who killed Master Artega was here. Not chasing me, or trying to kill me, like in my nightmares--I just thought he was here. It was almost as though I sensed it through the Force. I sensed something--it was the same feeling I had from the man who--the man who I saw." Her hands fluttered nervously in her lap. "It was so strange. I felt like he was watching me, somehow--"
If she sensed Jase, here-- Obi-wan thought uncomfortably. If it turns out he was the one who killed Artega-- It was an unsettling idea; if it were true, it meant that Obi-wan had been thoroughly duped, and he didn't like to think that someone could fool him so easily. He prided himself on being a good judge of character.
"Anyway, thanks for coming back." Leeyat's voice startled him out of his thoughts. "I think I'm going to try to sleep for a bit, though. And I know you must have things to do."
Obi-wan smiled. "You call me if you need anything, all right? Anything at all."
"I will. And thanks." Leeyat closed her eyes and sank back against the pillows.
Adi Gallia yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. She had been watching Jase Kedra, both physically and through the Force, for slightly more than three hours now. Eeth Kath was due to replace her in another hour.
For his part, Kedra seemed surprisingly unconcerned. That wasn't quite the word for it. He appeared almost--resigned, as though he had already accepted whatever fate was in store for him. Adi wondered if she would be so calm in his place.
She sighed. That was a ridiculous thing to think; she would never be in his place. Someone who had turned to the Dark Side--and yet, somehow, she couldn't feel anything evil from him. If he had indeed fooled that young apprentice, he was fooling her as well. She realized that, and it annoyed her.
"Master Gallia?" Adi jumped at the sound of the boy's voice, and was doubly annoyed at herself for doing so; she was letting her control slip. "May I get something to eat? I haven't had anything since lunch, and it's--" he glanced at the wall clock, "--nearly midnight, now."
"I'll have it brought in." Adi stood gracefully, her skirts rustling behind her, and crossed to the door. "Guard?"
"Yes, Master?" the hooded young woman in the corridor asked. She was small, the top of her head barely at Adi's shoulder, but Adi had had it drummed into her by her old Master that size didn't matter to a Jedi.
Adi smiled at her. "Bring us something to eat, if you please."
"At once, Master," the woman said, bowing her head.
As Adi returned to her place, something nagged at her mind. One guard? She had ordered three to be kept outside Kedra's room at all times, and none of those she had seen last time she had looked out had been women. Frowning, she turned back toward the door--
A wave of pain swept over her and she fell to her knees, gasping at the unexpected onslaught. Struggling to raise her head, she saw the female guard enter the room. "So," the girl said in an oddly harsh voice, as if forming syllables she was unused to. "Master Adi Gallia. Hardly stronger now, I think, than before you were raised to the Council. A shame."
"Who are you?" Adi demanded. She tried to reach out with the Force, to defend herself, but it was like striking at a glass wall. This is impossible! Adi's mind wailed. No-one is this strong! The guard looked at her from the depths of her cowl, and Adi's spine arched backwards, sending agony searing through her body. She tried to scream, tried to call out to someone, anyone, but she could barely manage to breathe. The guard detached a lightsaber from her belt and raised it, its green light reflecting from her robe. Adi moaned, trying desperately to fight the control being imposed on her body.
Jase jumped to his feet, his hand slapping the intercom panel on the wall. "Help! Someone! Help!" The woman glanced up at him, startled, and abruptly Jase was thrown roughly to the floor beside Adi. Already, though, footsteps could be heard in the corridor outside. With a snarled curse, the woman turned on her heel, replacing the lightsaber at her belt, and stalked out of the room.
Adi drew a long, shuddering breath. "Are you all right?" Jase asked, kneeling beside her. He looked concerned. "What--what happened, there? I've never felt anything like that."
"That," Adi said raggedly, "was a Dark Jedi. No-one would use the Force for something like that unless--"
"Master Gallia? Master Gallia!" Two guardsmen were abruptly standing in the open doorway, blasters levelled. "Get away from her, you! Get back!"
"Don't shoot him," Adi told them quickly.
"Did he hurt you, Master?"
"No," Adi said. "No, I--" She shook her head, bemused. "I think he saved my life."
Qui-Gon paced the length of the room he and Obi-wan shared, scarcely noticing what he was doing. It was unlike him to be so nervous, he thought, but he did have cause.
The door opened, and Obi-wan burst through. "Master," he acknowledged, slightly out of breath; plainly he had come as quickly as possible in answer to Qui-Gon's summons. "What's going on?"
Quickly Qui-Gon outlined what had happened to Adi Gallia. "It appears that we have a bigger problem than we thought," he finished. "The attacker was unquestionably a woman; both Gallia and the Kedra boy agree on that. Leeyat ay Finn, on the other hand, said before that the person who killed Artega was a man."
"Two Dark Jedi?" Obi-wan exclaimed. "Master, that's--"
"It's unbelievable," Qui-Gon said sharply. "None in the last ten years, not since Mil Tarisat, and now two at once?" He shook his head. "There has to be a simpler explanation."
"Perhaps Leeyat was confused," Obi-wan offered. "She did say the man who killed Artega was hooded, and if he didn't speak to her, surely she could have been mistaken."
"It's possible," Qui-Gon said with a sigh, "but unlikely. The female attacker was described as shorter than Gallia, and Gallia isn't a tall woman herself. Leeyat says that the man was looming over her; I don't see how they could be the same. Unless it were a shapeshifter or something of that kind, but that seems even more unlikely than two trained Jedi mistaking what they saw."
"Then--what else could it be?" Obi-wan asked, confused. "And why would they attack Master Gallia?"
Qui-Gon sat down in one of the chairs facing the window, and motioned for his apprentice to join him. Obi-wan did so. "Consider this situation logically, Apprentice," Qui-Gon said. "What conclusions come to mind?"
Obi-wan nodded, composing himself, trying to think of the situation as another mental puzzle of the type that Qui-Gon was so fond of assigning. "If there are two Dark Jedi," he said, "we should assume that they are working together."
"Very good," Qui-Gon told him. "And from that, we can determine--?"
"Maybe--" Obi-wan said hesitantly. "Maybe the attack wasn't against Master Gallia. Maybe the female Dark Jedi was trying to kill Jase Kedra. If he does know more than he's telling us about the attack on Master Garydos, or if the Dark Jedi think he does, they could have been trying to silence him."
"Hmm." Qui-Gon nodded. "Very good, Obi-wan. That was the Council's thought as well. The guards on Kedra have been tripled, but as much for his protection as for ours, now."
Obi-wan paused as a thought struck him. "Master, if that's the case, might Leeyat not also be in danger?"
"That, the Council didn't think of," Qui-Gon admitted. "You're correct, though. We should arrange for her to be guarded as well. I suggest we go to her at once."
They went quickly down to the level of the medical bay; their room was only one floor above it. Obi-wan's anxiety grew as they hurried down the corridor; it had only been perhaps twenty minutes since the attack on Adi Gallia and Jase, but that was enough time for the attacker to reach the medical bay from Jase Kedra's quarters if she ran all the way.
"Leeyat!" Obi-wan called, opening the door. No-one answered. "Leeyat! It's Obi-wan!" There was no sound in the medical bay at all, aside from the hum of machinery and the slight hiss of the ventilation system. "Leeyat?"
"Obi-wan?" He whirled and saw Leeyat standing behind him, leaning against the wall. "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?" he repeated. "What are you doing out there? Don't tell me they released you from Medical already?"
She shook her head, looking confused. "I--I think I went for a walk. I don't--you left, and I thought I'd stretch my legs. You haven't been gone more than five minutes--"
"Leeyat," Obi-wan said gently, "it's been almost an hour." An odd suspicion was beginning to form in his mind. Glancing over at his Master, he could see that Qui-Gon was thinking the same thing.
"Take off your shirt," Qui-Gon ordered the girl. Surprised but obedient, Leeyat complied. Under the baggy medical jumpsuit, a lightsaber was hung at her waist. "What's that?" Qui-Gon asked her.
"My lightsaber," Leeyat said, confused.
"Your lightsaber didn't work the last time I saw it," Obi-wan said. "And you certainly haven't been building one in here."
"No, of course not," Leeyat agreed. She didn't seem to understand why he was asking that. "This one doesn't work. Master Artega told me to keep it with me and study it, to see if I could figure out what I'd done wrong." Obi-wan looked at Qui-Gon, who nodded. He took the lightsaber from Leeyat's belt and pressed the power switch. It flared greenish-white. Leeyat gasped. "It's never done that before!"
"This isn't your lightsaber, then?" Qui-Gon asked mildly.
"It can't be," Leeyat said, bemused. "This one works."
Qui-Gon and Obi-wan shared a glance. "I can't feel anything from her that would suggest--that," Obi-wan said with a shrug.
"Nor can I," Qui-Gon agreed. "But she has a lightsaber that she can't explain having." He examined it. "Master Artega's weapon, I would guess; it was stored in the morgue, near his body. She can't account for her movements in the last hour. And there's time for her to have gone up there between when you left her and the time of the attack, and time between then and now for her to have returned." He sighed. "Put your clothes on and come with us, Leeyat. I'm afraid we're going to have to put you under arrest."
"Surprising, this is," Yoda commented. He and Mace Windu had stopped by Qui-Gon's quarters shortly after Leeyat had been confined. Obi-wan was asleep in the other room; it was almost three o'clock in the morning, and the apprentice had had a long day. "The Dark Jedi she is, you believe?"
"What I believe isn't the issue," Qui-Gon answered evenly. "We have to weigh the situation objectively. She had the opportunity to commit the murder of Artega and the attack on Gallia and Kedra. She has no alibi for where she was during that attack, and the cameras in the medical bay show her leaving almost immediately after my apprentice did. She had Artega's lightsaber on her person when we found her, and offered no explanation of why. The evidence is--convincing."
"And yet we can still find no evidence that she is indeed a Dark Jedi," Mace Windu mused. "Gallia says that there was a strong sense of evil around her attacker, but we can detect nothing of the kind from Leeyat. Nothing connects her to Mil Tarisat, or to anyone else we know of who was ever--" He shook his head, tactfully avoiding the distasteful subject. "And she's strong in the Force, perhaps stronger than average, but does anyone here truly think that a padawan like her could have overpowered Adi Gallia? And with so little effort?" Mace Windu glanced at the others in turn. "I thought not. No, Qui-Gon, we still have more questions than answers. I do not believe the evidence is as damning as you seem to suggest, especially in light of the fact that we can sense nothing of evil about her."
"Evil about Kedra, also, sensed was not," Yoda pointed out. "If willing to release Leeyat because of that we are, willing to release Kedra also we must be. Against him, the evidence much less is."
Mace Windu nodded, conceding the point. "I still have the feeling that we're missing something, though," he said.
"Perhaps we should look at this from another angle," Qui-Gon suggested. "Why were these particular Jedi singled out? The attack on Gallia may have been an attempt to silence Kedra, or a distraction, or any number of other things, but there must be something linking the first two murders."
"It can hardly be a coincidence that our two suspects are the padawans of the two dead Jedi," Mace Windu said.
"Collusion you suspect?" Yoda asked. He nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps. Perhaps. But motive we still do not have."
"Master Ki-Adi-Mundi has spoken with the 'friends' that Kedra was staying with during the time he was missing," Mace Windu said. "They say he did arrive only a few minutes after he disappeared from the Temple, the morning of Garydos' death, but that he was missing for several hours in the evening around the time that Garydos died. We questioned him, but he was able to tell us nothing. He says that he remembers spending the entire day at his friends' apartment. He disappeared again during the time that Artega was killed, and again he does not remember where he was."
Qui-Gon frowned at that. "Like Leeyat," he said. "She also claims to remember nothing during the attack on Gallia."
"And spoken to each other they have not," Yoda added. "Certain of that, we are."
"This is all very disturbing," Qui-Gon said. He turned to Mace Windu. "And aside from the fact that their padawans are the suspects, there's no connection between Artega and Garydos?"
"None that we can find," Mace Windu answered. "Garydos had lived on Coruscant for the last ten years with Kedra, ever since Mil Tarisat's disappearance. Artega left nine years ago, shortly after Leeyat was assigned to him, and returned a few months ago with her. There was no contact between them in the intervening years that we can find; no interstellar communication, no letters that we're aware of, no contact other than the most casual during Artega's few return visits to Coruscant--"
Yoda hopped down from his chair, tapping his walking stick against the floor. "But on Coruscant they both were, when here Mil Tarisat was," he said, clearly thinking aloud. "Connection with him did either have?"
Mace Windu shook his head slowly. "I don't know," he admitted. "Garydos did know Tarisat, I understand; they were friends, and he obviously knew Jase Kedra well enough to agree to take the boy on as padawan. Artega, though--I'm not certain."
"Check that, we should," Yoda said. "Few friends did Mil Tarisat have. Coincidence it cannot be, if know each other they did. Gallia also we should ask, to see if a connection with Tarisat she had."
"I'll do so immediately," Mace Windu said. "If you'll excuse me." He stood and left the room quickly.
Yoda hobbled over to sit beside Qui-Gon. "Concerned you are," the older Jedi said, "and should be. But emotions cloud the mind; remain in control of them you must."
"Yes, Master Yoda," Qui-Gon said automatically, and then smiled. "I'll try to do better."
Yoda smiled back. "My padawan you are no longer, Qui-Gon Jinn."
"It's been awhile, hasn't it," Qui-Gon agreed.
"More responsibilities we both have now. These days, especially. A Dark Jedi there has not been since Mil Tarisat, and now two at once. And two Jedi dead, and another injured. Unfortunate this is."
"Gallia is all right, isn't she?" Qui-Gon asked, concerned.
"Fine she will be," Yoda assured him. He looked at Qui-Gon, an expression of--compassion?--on his wrinkled face. "A friend of Mil Tarisat you were once, I know. If associates of Tarisat Artega or Gallia were, know you must that--"
"That I might be the next target?" Qui-Gon nodded. "The thought had crossed my mind."
"And against this enemy, little chance you would have," Yoda added bluntly. "Easily overpowered Adi Gallia was, and as strong as she you are not. Careful you must be, Qui-Gon. Most careful. Investigate this you will, I know, even if forbid you I do. To stop you I will not try, but careful you must be."
"I will, Master Yoda," Qui-Gon assured him. "Believe me, I will."
Obi-wan awoke with the sunlight streaming through the window. He yawned and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, stretching as he stood up. Qui-Gon's bed was neatly made; he hadn't slept there last night.
"Master?" Obi-wan put his head through the door and glanced around the other room. Qui-Gon was asleep in a chair, still in the robes he had been wearing the previous night. Obi-wan sighed.
Qui-Gon opened his eyes. "Oh. Good morning." He looked around as if just realizing where he was. "I must have fallen asleep."
"You must have," Obi-wan agreed dryly. "How much sleep did you actually get?"
"A few hours. Master Yoda and Mace Windu came by, and we had some things to discuss." He quickly outlined the discussion they had had the previous night. "If Mace Windu has finished his research by now, we should know whether Tarisat was connected with Artega or Gallia. I suggest we pay him a visit."
What Mace Windu had uncovered confirmed Yoda's suspicions. Artega and Tarisat had indeed known each other; they had worked closely together several times before Tarisat had turned to the Dark Side. As for Adi Gallia, Mace Windu said that she had admitted to being Tarisat's lover. Obi-wan had been surprised at that; he had difficulty picturing the stone-faced Jedi woman with anyone.
"Master," Obi-wan said as they left Mace Windu's quarters, "you and Mil Tarisat knew each other, didn't you? I mean--"
Qui-Gon looked over at him, surprised at Obi-wan's perceptiveness. "Yes, we were friends, as I said," he answered. "And yes, I do realize that I may be a target. All the others who were attacked were friends of Tarisat, perhaps people that he felt--slighted him in some way, or something. I certainly did that; I was a member of the force sent to kill him, after all."
"And what?" Obi-wan asked. "He made a list? And now some apprentice, some fledgling Dark Jedi, is carrying out his revenge? That seems frankly unbelievable." He shook his head. "Forgive me, Master."
"No," Qui-Gon said thoughtfully. "No, Obi-wan, I believe you've come up with something. These attacks don't make sense, looked at that way. But it's the only connection we have between the victims. It would only make sense if it were Tarisat himself who was doing the killing--" His voice trailed off into silence.
"Master," Obi-wan said incredulously, "you don't--I mean, he's been dead for ten years! You can't honestly think--"
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" he asked mildly.
"Because--well, it's impossible!"
"There's very little that's impossible, Apprentice," Qui-Gon said. "Jedi have--existed--after death before, if there was some great need for them to, as part of the living Force. I don't see any reason why a Dark Jedi couldn't do the same, if he felt the reason was important enough." His steps quickened. "We must tell Master Yoda and the Council of this."
"I don't understand, Master Qui-Gon," Obi-wan protested, hurrying to keep up. "Even if Tarisat did manage to live on after he was killed, he would only be a ghost--without substance, unable to affect the living world. How could he manage to kill two Jedi Masters? And why would he appear as a woman to Jase and Master Gallia?"
"The answer to both questions is the same," Qui-Gon answered heavily. "Tarisat must somehow be able to use a physical body. If he could take one over, somehow--"
"Can that be done?" Obi-wan asked.
Qui-Gon nodded. "You know how to influence the thoughts of others; we all do. If someone's mind were put to sleep somehow, or made unable to act, the Dark Jedi could control their body. Not everyone could be used in this way, of course; a bodiless spirit would have far less control than a living person. The host would have to be someone who was trained to be sensitive to the Force, but without the mental control that a full Jedi Knight possesses. What sort of person might that be, do you think?"
Obi-wan gasped. "A padawan!"
"My thoughts exactly. More specifically, his padawan; Tarisat would already have had a strong mental rapport with him. He must have waited for Kedra's abilities to develop to the point where the boy was sensitive enough to be used; that's why he waited until now to act. Kedra remembers nothing of either murder because his mind had been made inactive during both periods of time."
"And after Jase was confined, Tarisat switched his attention to Leeyat," Obi-wan said, following his Master's train of thought, "whom he'd noticed before when she witnessed Master Artega's murder."
"When we ran into her, out in the corridor," Qui-Gon said, "Tarisat would have been returning her body to the medical bay. He must have fled her body when we arrived; perhaps he thought I would sense him or something similar."
"If that's the case," Obi-wan said slowly, "perhaps he's vulnerable when he's in a living body. We might be able to use that."
"Maybe so," Qui-Gon agreed. "We'll speak to the Council; Master Yoda will know more about this than I." He smiled. "You've done well, Obi-wan. Good work."
Eeth Kath watched Kedra closely, making sure not to take his eyes from the boy. Eeth Kath was a conscientious being, and he took his duty very seriously. He had to admit, though, that this was a particularly boring duty to perform. Kedra had eaten lunch and was now playing with the room's computer. Watching a padawan lose eight games of chess in a row was singularly uninteresting. The other three guards, all full Jedi Masters, seemed equally bored, but none had relaxed their vigilance in the slightest.
There was a sudden ripple in the Force. Eeth Kath's skin crawled. Something was wrong, he thought.
Jase Kedra stood abruptly, surveying the room with slightly glazed eyes. The feeling of wrongness was emanating from him, Eeth Kath was certain of it. He tightened the Force-shield around the five of them and felt the other Masters doing the same. The shield had been set up to keep Kedra from using the Force as well as to protect them from any external attacks; four Masters could hold it against almost anything.
There was a faint probing at the edges of the shield, as though someone were testing its boundaries, and then it faded. Kedra shook his head, looking confused, and sat back down.
Warily, Eeth Kath glanced at the other Masters. Plainly something had happened, but he had no idea exactly what.
Ki-Adi-Mundi frowned at Plo Koon. "I don't mind telling you," he said, "this makes me very uneasy."
Plo Koon laughed, a whistling, reedy laugh. "Jedi dead, Jedi injured, padawans turned to the Dark Side, and it makes you uneasy? I hesitate to imagine what would make you frightened."
"I'm serious," Ki-Adi-Mundi said irritably. "There's something very wrong here." He gestured at Leeyat, who was seated disconsolately against the wall, staring at nothing. "This--this apprentice couldn't possibly have done what was done to Gallia. She's one of the strongest on the Council."
"So what do you think is going on?" Plo Koon asked.
"I--" Ki-Adi-Mundi shivered suddenly. "Did you feel something?"
Plo Koon nodded. "A disturbance in the Force--" He leapt to his feet suddenly. Leeyat was standing, looking around. Hastily, Plo Koon bent his concentration to strengthening the shield around them, feeling the other Masters adding to it as well. Something brushed along the length of the shield, as if testing it, and then vanished. The strange light in Leeyat's eyes faded, and she sat back down, seeming confused.
"What was that?" Ki-Adi-Mundi asked as the strange ripple faded.
Plo Koon shook his head. "I have no idea. But we'd better tell Master Yoda. There's definitely something going on here."
Obi-wan Kenobi followed Qui-Gon down the corridor toward the main room of the Jedi Temple. He was afraid, though trying his best to hide it; the idea of a Dark Jedi was frightening enough by itself, but one that could insinuate himself into someone's mind, one that could take a person over without their knowledge, was terrifying.
He stopped suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. For an instant, he felt as if something almost insubstantial had brushed past him, but aside from himself and Qui-Gon the corridor was empty. With a shudder, Obi-wan quickened his pace to catch up with his Master. Just nerves, he told himself. That's all it is. He shook his head and followed Qui-Gon into the Temple.
"An interesting theory," Mace Windu said. "It would explain much."
Yoda nodded, agreeing. "Possible such things are. Studied in depth they have not been, but some knowledge of them there is, in the old records. When fewer Jedi there were, Masters sometimes would remain after death, to continue to instruct. One ancient record there is, several millennia past, of a time when numbered less than thirty the Jedi, and all apprentices were. Only one full Jedi there was, a dead Master named En Yan Aran. Remained his spirit did nearly fifteen years, often the bodies of several apprentices in turn using, until completely trained those few living Jedi were."
"Thankfully, the need for such after-death existence is far in the past now," Qui-Gon said. Obi-wan nodded agreement. "But if Mil Tarisat has rediscovered the technique--"
"He must have," Oppo Rancisis said. "It's the only explanation."
"I concur," Saesee Tinn agreed, folding his hands in his lap. "If we proceed on the assumption that this theory is true, then, what should we do? There must be some way to destroy him."
"A trap," Depa Billaba suggested.
Mace Windu nodded, steepling his fingers in front of him. "But how to bait such a trap?"
"With me." All around the room, heads turned to look at Qui-Gon Jinn. "At Master Yoda's suggestion, I've been doing some research into our records. Mil Tarisat had few close associates and fewer friends; of those, Adi Gallia and I are the only ones currently alive and on Coruscant. And she is guarded." He shrugged. "I believe he will come after me next."
"Excuse me!" The brown-haired Knight who had been on door duty was standing nervously near the entrance to the room. "Master Yoda, Master Eeth Kath just called. He says that--something--happened while he was guarding the padawan. And then Master Ki-Adi-Mundi called to say that someone just probed the shield around the other padawan."
"Thank you," Yoda said gravely. He turned to the others. "If unable to reach either one Tarisat was, another he will try to reach. All our apprentices we cannot guard."
"Whoever it is that he finds," Yaddle said, "will be in grave danger, certainly. If he is vulnerable while he is in a living body, we may be able to destroy him while he is there, but to do it without injuring the host may be quite difficult."
Saesee Tinn frowned. "I don't wish to be insensitive," he said, "but it seems to me that that is a secondary consideration. Mil Tarisat must be destroyed. How many more lives will be lost, if we wait?" Obi-wan wasn't surprised to hear those sentiments; Qui-Gon had said that Saesee Tinn was one of those who had been pushing for Jase Kedra to be convicted as quickly as possibly, to remove the threat.
"We must avoid needless loss of life," Mace Windu said in mild rebuke. "No-one is arguing that Tarisat should not be destroyed, but there must be a way to do so without injuring his host."
"Academic this is, if the host we cannot find," Yoda pointed out. "Our first consideration, that must be."
Mace Windu nodded thoughtfully. "As I understand it from the old records, he wouldn't have a host all the time. The rest of the time, he would be in non-physical form. We can assume that he only takes a host when he needs one--that is, when he's ready to attack. By the time we realized who it was that was possessed, it might be too late for his target."
"There must be some way to discover beforehand who he might choose," Even Piell said. Beside him, Depa Billaba nodded agreement. "If we can reason it out--"
"Chose Kedra he did," Yoda mused, "because his padawan the boy was. Leeyat he chose--why?"
"Perhaps because he had encountered her before," Qui-Gon said. "Such a spirit would have difficulty detecting anything in the living world unless they had been specifically brought to its attention, either before death or after. He saw Leeyat ay Finn when she walked in on the murder of Artega."
"In that case," Mace Windu said, "we must determine which other padawans he may have come in contact with. There were none present at either murder, we know that. As for the attack on Gallia--perhaps the door guards--?"
Yoda shook his head. "Jedi they were not."
"Then who's left? I don't want to release Kedra or the ay Finn girl, but if we must--"
"We most certainly shouldn't do that," Saesee Tinn said emphatically.
"But it may be necessary, if there is no other host that we can prepare as bait for him," Mace Windu pointed out.
Obi-wan, seated beside Qui-Gon's chair, stood hesitantly. "Master Mace Windu, Master Yoda," he said, "may I speak?"
Yoda nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes, speak you will."
"Outside in the corridor, just before we came in, I--I felt something," Obi-wan said. "Like a disturbance in the Force, but so small I thought I'd imagined it. But if Master Eeth Kath and Master Ki-Adi-Mundi felt something as well--" He broke off. "Master Qui-Gon and I ran into Leeyat when her body was being returned to the medical bay. It's possible that I--"
"No." Obi-wan glanced over in surprise at Qui-Gon, who had spoken. The Master's face was ashen. "No. I forbid it. Obi-wan will not be used for this."
"I believe the padawan is right," Yaddle chirped.
"I as well," Yarael Poof added.
"It seems likely that he'll be the one Tarisat chooses," Mace Windu agreed. "And Tarisat couldn't realize that we would know about him."
"I--" Qui-Gon stopped, and visibly composed himself. "Master Yoda, I ask that you not do this."
"Your apprentice he is," Yoda said firmly, "but a child he is not. His choice, this is." He turned his wrinkled face to Obi-wan. "Well? How say you? Serve as bait for our trap, will you?"
Obi-wan looked at Qui-Gon. "It's the only way to catch him. We don't know of anyone else he might choose, and unless I want to spend the next few weeks shielded and under guard while we wait for the next Jedi to be killed--" He nodded. "I'll do it, Master Yoda."
Yoda smiled. "Then prepare we must."
The preparations took several hours. Yoda and the other Masters had woven an intricate shield around Obi-wan, one that they were fairly certain Mil Tarisat would be unable to detect; if it worked properly, Tarisat would be trapped in Obi-wan's body once he had entered it, and the Masters could deal with him there. Strong in the Force he might be, but the Council was confident that their combined powers could deal with him.
"We will continue the investigation into Kedra's and ay Finn's actions," Mace Windu finished, "to allay suspicion. Kenobi will be watched, but circumspectly. All we can do now is wait." He rose. "If there is nothing more?"
"I'm sorry, Master," Obi-wan said as he followed Qui-Gon outside. "I didn't--"
"Somewhere else you should go, Apprentice," Yoda said from waist level, tapping his walking stick against Obi-wan's leg. "With your Master I must speak."
"Ah--yes, Master Yoda, of course," Obi-wan bowed hurriedly and left.
Qui-Gon looked down. "What is it, Master Yoda?" he asked.
"Walk with me." Qui-Gon followed Yoda into one of the empty rooms along the corridor. Yoda motioned for him to take a seat. "Now. Perhaps yourself you should explain."
"Explain myself?" Qui-Gon repeated, surprised. "What is there to explain?"
"Clouded, your mind is," Yoda said. "Troubled by emotions you are. Your behaviour in the Council meeting irresponsible was; a member of the Council you are not, and your decision it was not. Protect your padawan you should; young he is, yet. But adult he is, and dictate his actions you may not. His choice, it was, not yours. Accept that you must."
Qui-Gon nodded reluctantly. "I know that. It's just--Master Yoda, Obi-wan is like a son to me. He could easily be hurt, or killed, if we go through with this plan. To see him put himself in danger this way--ouch!" Qui-Gon rubbed his arm, glaring at Yoda and at the old Master's wooden cane. "What did you do that for?"
"Thump some sense into you, I should," Yoda grumbled. "Always headstrong you were, even as an apprentice. Dangerous this plan is, yes. In danger your padawan has put himself, yes. In danger you have also put yourself. Yes?"
"Yes," Qui-Gon said, "but--"
"Trying to protect you, your apprentice is! See that you cannot?" Yoda turned away, muttering to himself.
Qui-Gon looked at him, surprised. "But, Master Yoda, I was only--"
"When my apprentice you were, try to protect you I did," Yoda said sharply. "Warn you about the dangers we faced, I did. Teach you to defend yourself, I did--"
"Hit me with that damned stick, you did," Qui-Gon added with a wry grin.
Yoda shrugged, and continued, "But try to control your actions I never did. Responsibility for yourself you learned. This your apprentice has also learned; if the right thing to do he believes this is, prevent him do you think you should?"
"No," Qui-Gon admitted with a smile. "I suppose not." He stood. "You're a wise man, Master Yoda. Thank you."
"Hmph," Yoda muttered, but he seemed pleased. "Go now you should. With Kenobi you should stay, for now."
Qui-Gon nodded and headed out of the room, down the corridor. Yoda watched him go. "Like a son, your apprentice is?" he said softly when Qui-Gon was out of earshot. "A good father you would make." He turned and left the room. There was still work to be done.
Obi-wan closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. It was difficult to concentrate on his meditation; his thoughts were in turmoil. The tension in the Jedi Temple was so pronounced that he could feel it whenever he opened his mind to the Force. Even the non-Jedi there, the guards and visitors and others, were nervous; perhaps they couldn't sense the Force, but they could feel the anxiety radiating from even the most composed of the Jedi. It wasn't an atmosphere conducive to calm.
Suddenly restless, Obi-wan stood. "I'm going outside," he said.
Qui-Gon looked up. "Is something wrong, Apprentice?"
"No, nothing--I just need some air." Obi-wan grinned at his Master. "Don't worry. I won't be long."
He headed down the hallway toward the elevator, stepped inside and pressed the button for the roof. The doors closed in front of him.
The elevator made its slow ascent. Obi-wan waited impatiently for the doors to open again. He checked at his belt to make certain his lightsaber was there; he would need it.
Why?
The thought surprised him. Why did he need his lightsaber?
Obi-wan shook his head, dismissing the thought as useless. This was no time to let his mind wander; he had to concentrate on--on--what?
He reached out with his mind to the living Force. The other Jedi in the Temple glowed like candles in his inner vision, their auras flickering and dancing. He could feel the relative strength of each, and saw without surprise that he was stronger than any. Obi-wan focused on the strongest of the myriad sparks. It was moving, slowly, within the top floor of one of the buildings. He should be able to reach it without difficulty. Checking the power supply on his lightsaber, Obi-wan headed in that direction. He had to--
--kill Master Yoda?
The thought was startling enough to snap him out of his trance. He stared down at the lightsaber in his hand. What was he thinking?
So, you're awake. It was his thought, and yet it wasn't. You're stronger than the others. Stronger than I gave you credit for. Not that it matters.
What are you talking about? Obi-wan demanded silently. He knew it was Tarisat; it had to be. Carefully, he probed at the edges of his mind with the Force, trying to detect him.
"What do you think?" he said aloud, his mouth forming the words. "You can't match me, young padawan." It was distinctly eerie to feel his lips and tongue speaking against his will. "Try. You haven't a tenth of my strength." He laughed, and Obi-wan felt his probe snap painfully back. He would have staggered had his body still been under his control. "Pathetic."
The elevator doors slid open, and Obi-wan stepped out onto the roof. It was dusk, and only a thin sliver of Coruscant's sun was still visible above the uneven metal horizon. Overhead, an endless stream of ships flew along the airlanes, casting swift-moving shadows over the rooftops. The long steady shadows of the city's buildings and spires mingled with them in the vanishing sunlight. Night was falling.
Moving silently through the fading light, Obi-wan made his way toward his goal. He could feel Tarisat reaching out to the Force as he--they--walked; the Dark Jedi was forming his own shield around their minds. Obi-wan could barely follow the work; Tarisat may have been evil, but he was a full Jedi Master and had the discipline and skill to match his strength. The shield was made to keep them from being detected, though, he could tell that much. Master Yoda would have no warning that he was coming. His grip tightened on the unlit lightsaber in his hand.
"Master Yoda?"
Yoda touched the intercom. "Yes?"
"Master Yoda, Obi-wan has left my quarters. He didn't say where he was going."
"Anything from him did you feel?" Yoda asked.
There was a pause. "I'm not certain," Qui-Gon admitted. "There was something for a moment, but--"
"Keeping an eye on him we are," Yoda assured him. "Do not worry." The intercom beeped. Yoda pressed a button to tie the new caller into the frequency. "Yes?"
"This is Lieutenant Daril Kav, duty officer," a man's voice said. "Obi-wan Kenobi just disappeared from our sensors."
"Disappeared, you say?" Yoda asked, surprised. "Possible that should not be."
"I can't explain it, sir," Kav said in frustration. "The sensors are working perfectly; he's just gone."
"Gone?" Qui-Gon repeated. His voice was admirably calm considering the circumstances. "Where was he when he disappeared?"
"Uh--got it. He was outside, on top of one of the buildings near the Jedi Temple. You want coordinates?"
"No need for that," Yoda told him. "Know where he is going we cannot; double back he will, if that scanning him we are he realizes--and realize that he must, if shielded himself he has." Something stirred the air behind him, and he continued in a louder voice, "Finished this conversation is, Lieutenant Kav. Disconnect you should." There was a click as the channel cut off, but Yoda knew that Qui-Gon would still be listening. "Unexpected this was, Tarisat," the old Master said before turning.
"Yoda." Obi-wan leaned against the doorframe, a sardonic smile on his face. "I'm surprised you could sense me."
"Hear you, I did," Yoda answered calmly. "Too dependant on the Force, you are. Other senses we have also to rely on."
"Now that doesn't surprise me. Still lecturing after all these years. You haven't changed a bit, Yoda."
Yoda nodded. "You also. Still arrogant and disrespectful you are."
Tarisat grinned at him, lightsaber flickering blue in his hands. "You know," he said, glancing down at the weapon he held, "I've never actually seen you fight with one of these?" He tossed the lightsaber casually into the air and caught it in his other hand. "Often wondered how good you were."
"Proposing a fair fight, you are?" Yoda asked, taken aback.
For a moment, Tarisat appeared to consider it--then the smile widened on Obi-wan's face. "Nah."
Qui-Gon ran down the corridor at full speed, ignoring the startled looks directed at him by other Jedi as he passed them. He hadn't wasted any time after hearing Obi-wan's voice over the intercom; Master Yoda was in danger, and every second could count. The Council was prepared for an attack on him, Qui-Gon Jinn, and it would take them time to realize that Tarisat, for whatever reason, had chosen a different target. They had to be told before it was too late.
The elevator would take too long; Qui-Gon ignored it and raced up the stairs, taking them two and three at a time. Legs burning with fatigue, he burst out onto the top floor of the Jedi Temple and ran down the hall toward the Council chamber. The Knight standing outside the door started to say something to him, but Qui-Gon brushed her aside impatiently and hurried in.
Only five members of the Council were there; the Jedi Masters were keeping watch in shifts, not knowing how much time would elapse before the expected attack. "Qui-Gon Jinn," Yarael Poof said, surprised. "What is--"
"Tarisat," Qui-Gon answered shortly, trying to catch his breath. "He's made his move."
Saesee Tinn frowned. "Then why are you here?"
"We were wrong," Qui-Gon said. "He's gone after Master Yoda. Call the rest of the Masters together."
The lightsaber flashed through the air, narrowly missing Yoda's head. The old Jedi ducked sideways and came up just behind the blade's arc. He was tiring; unarmed, all he could do was to avoid Obi-wan's strokes. The two were almost evenly matched in the Force. Tarisat had been strong before he left, and now with his strength in the Force added to Obi-wan's, he and Yoda were nearly at the same level.
"Give up, old man," Tarisat said with a feral grin. "You aren't going to win this one."
"Say that once before you did," Yoda answered, his voice calm despite his tiredness. "When escape you did from Coruscant. Shortly before killed you were."
"And I was right, wasn't I?" Tarisat pointed out, making several quick back-and-forth slashes with his blade. It missed Yoda by less distance each time. "You didn't stop me then, and you won't now. Even if you kill this body, all you'll accomplish is killing one of your precious padawans."
Yoda shook his head sadly. "A fool you are. A truly great Jedi you could have been once, but only a fool you are now."
The door to the room opened behind Tarisat. He didn't turn to look, but Yoda could see that all the other members of the Council were there: Mace Windu and the other off-duty Masters, and the ones guarding Leeyat and Jase, and even Adi Gallia, looking pale and unsteady but grimly determined. Qui-Gon was with them as well, and Jase Kedra and Leeyat ay Finn. From the irritated looks that some of the Masters directed at those last two, Yoda assumed that they had not been invited but had simply tagged along when the Masters shielding them had left. There was no-one who could be spared to take them away, and so they stayed.
"Obi-wan," Qui-Gon called. "Obi-wan, listen to me. You must stop this. You must fight him. Listen to me, Obi-wan."
Tarisat laughed. "Oh, he is, Qui-Gon. He can hear you just fine. He's right here, aren't you, little apprentice?" He swung his lightsaber in a vicious backhand arc; it missed Yoda by a hair's width. "But you can see, there's nothing he can do. I'm in control now."
Qui-Gon turned back to the other Masters. He could feel the Force emanating from them, focusing on Tarisat, trying to destroy him. "Is it working?" Qui-Gon asked.
Mace Windu shook his head, his face tight with strain. "No," he said succinctly. "It's not."
Obi-wan watched helplessly as his body attacked relentlessly, his blade seeking its target with more skill than he had ever possessed on his own. Shouting in the silence of his mind, trying to distract Tarisat or weaken his hold or something, was all he could do; trying to wrest control back from the Dark Jedi felt like trying to lift a mountain with his bare hands.
One sweep of the lightsaber knocked Yoda off his feet. Obi-wan redoubled his efforts, trying with all his strength to fight Tarisat's control, but it was useless. He could do nothing to keep the blade from coming down again.
Something interposed itself between the weapon and Master Yoda: a second lightsaber. Blue crackled against green as the two blades met. "Qui-Gon," Tarisat said through Obi-wan's mouth, smiling thinly.
"Let him go, Tarisat." The two circled each other warily, weapons held ready. "Let him go."
"I don't think so." Obi-wan could dimly feel the other Masters probing at Tarisat's mental shield, but they didn't seem to be able to break it. "Your pathetic tricks won't work, Qui-Gon. All you'll accomplish is dying alongside your beloved Master."
Their blades met, again and again. The air crackled with electricity. Qui-Gon was holding his own, and better, Obi-wan realized; Tarisat controlled the body, but its reflexes and strengths were Obi-wan's, and Qui-Gon had taught him everything he knew about fighting. The battle was far from one-sided, though. Qui-Gon was trying to disable rather than kill, trying to hold Tarisat's concentration until the Council could break his shield. Tarisat was under no such stricture; every strike he attempted would have been a killing blow had it broken through Qui-Gon's defenses.
Obi-wan knew--and Tarisat must as well, he thought--that Qui-Gon was by far the better swordsman. He kept pressing his attack, never letting up, forcing Tarisat back and back across the floor until finally the Dark Jedi was fighting with his back against the wall.
With a dizzying flurry of strokes aimed at Obi-wan's head and face, Qui-Gon forced Tarisat's guard upwards, then abruptly ducked low, striking like an uncoiling snake at Obi-wan's unprotected wrist. The blue lightsaber dropped to the floor, scorching the tiles before its power blinked out.
He always falls for that move, Qui-Gon thought automatically, and frowned. Obi-wan had always fallen for it, that was true. How much of what he was fighting was Tarisat, and how much was still the apprentice?
Behind him, Qui-Gon could feel the Masters clustered together, focusing their energy on Tarisat's shield, trying to break through. They were having little success; somehow, Tarisat was holding them off, even while fighting the physical battle.
Tarisat, disarmed now, looked around wildly, plainly searching for a way out. Qui-Gon wasn't going to give him that. With a swift downward swipe of his lightsaber, he knocked the Dark Jedi's feet out from under him. Tarisat fell backward against the wall, for the moment vulnerable.
"Kill him!" Saesee Tinn urged.
"We can't break the shield," Ki-Adi-Mundi said tightly. "You must destroy him."
Qui-Gon drew a deep breath. He reversed his lightsaber over his head, casting an eerie green light over the scene. Obi-wan stared up at him helplessly--it was Obi-wan behind those eyes, Qui-Gon was sure of it. "Master Qui-Gon--" Obi-wan pleaded. "Master, help me--"
He couldn't do it. Slowly, Qui-Gon lowered his weapon. "No!" Mace Windu shouted. "It's a trick!"
A sudden Force blast knocked the lightsaber from Qui-Gon's hand, and its hilt slapped into Obi-wan's hand as he jumped to his feet. Tarisat started to laugh, a long, low, menacing laugh. "Master," he repeated mockingly. "Master, help me." The lightsaber's blade hissed and sparked, its point a millimetre from Qui-Gon's throat. "You're a sentimental old fool, Qui-Gon Jinn."
The air crackled with ozone. Qui-Gon could feel his skin starting to blister where the blade touched him. In another moment, it would cut deeper. "I, on the other hand," Tarisat continued, "have no qualms about killing you." His hands tightened on the hilt.
From the corner of his eye, Qui-Gon saw Yoda rush forward with surprising speed. Tarisat, engrossed in his gloating, didn't seem to see him. The old Jedi Master snatched up Qui-Gon's fallen lightsaber and, in one swift movement, struck.
"Obi-wan!" Leeyat screamed. "Obi-wan, no!"
Obi-wan stared down in shock at the bright blue blade protruding from his abdomen. There was very little blood; a lightsaber was a clean, efficient weapon. He remembered being told that--
Then the pain struck him like a hammer and he collapsed to hands and knees. He could feel Tarisat struggling wildly within his mind, trying to escape, but the trap the Masters had woven was tight. Tarisat screamed in frustrated protest.
Dimly, Obi-wan realized what Yoda had done. If he died while Tarisat was trapped within him, the Dark Jedi would be destroyed as well. A padawan for a Dark Jedi--that's not a bad trade, he thought deliriously, and realized he was dying.
Qui-Gon was kneeling beside him, saying something. He couldn't make it out, not clearly. Tarisat was screaming inside his head, his voice pulsing in time with Obi-wan's frantic heartbeat. Obi-wan tried to hold on, but the effort was too much. He fell forward, and the room went dark.
Jase Kedra watched in horror as Obi-wan collapsed. Even with his relatively weak sensitivity to the Force, he could feel Tarisat struggling against the shield, fighting to free himself before Obi-wan died. Jase could feel the Masters holding with all their strength, trying to keep Tarisat there.
Qui-Gon was kneeling beside the fallen apprentice, his head bowed. Jase could sense a trickle of energy from him as well, flowing into Obi-wan.
"You must not, Qui-Gon!" Yoda, still holding the burning blue lightsaber, ordered. "Heal him you must not!"
Qui-Gon looked up at him, anguish written on his face. "Master Yoda--"
"No!"
This is unfair! Jase's mind protested. He shouldn't die like this. He's the only one who believed me--now because of my Master he's going to die. This is my fault, and it isn't fair!
Tarisat was still fighting, but his struggles were weakening as the life drained from Obi-wan's body. In a sudden burst of inspiration, Jase knew what he had to do. He drew the Force into himself--
Qui-Gon looked up, shocked, as Jase Kedra ran forward. "Master!" the boy shouted. "Master Tarisat, to me!"
"What?" Mace Windu demanded.
"Master Tarisat!" Jase repeated urgently. "There's not much time! Come to me! Now, before he dies!" Qui-Gon sensed Jase's energy piercing the shield from the outside, an attack that the Masters were completely unprepared for. The now-brittle shield shattered.
"No!" Eeth Kath moaned.
"Stop him!" Mace Windu ordered.
"A traitor!" Saesee Tinn whispered. "We should have known!"
Qui-Gon, like all those assembled there, felt Tarisat's spirit flowing from Obi-wan into Jase Kedra. We have lost, he thought in despair. Then-- Can it be?
The shield Kedra had woven was crude, clumsy, a child's imitation of the masterwork that the Masters had laid, but it lasted for the needed seconds. With a shout of defiance, holding control of himself for just one moment, Jase threw himself across the blade of the lightsaber in Yoda's hands, and the two cleanly cut halves of his body struck the floor.
"Obi-wan? Obi-wan!"
He opened his eyes slowly to the soft white lights of the medical bay. "What--" he started to say.
"Shh." Leeyat's face swam into focus, smiling down at him. "You're all right. Everything's all right."
"What happened?" Obi-wan managed. "I thought--I mean--"
"Master Qui-Gon and Master Yoda started healing you as soon as Tarisat left you," Leeyat explained. "They kept you alive long enough for the medics to arrive."
"You're very lucky," Qui-Gon added, coming up beside Leeyat. "A few more seconds and you might not have made it."
Obi-wan frowned, trying to concentrate. His thoughts kept slipping; he felt dizzy, even lying still. "If I'm alive--Tarisat escaped?"
"No," Leeyat answered, managing a smile. She explained what had happened, and what Jase had done. "He saved you, Obi-wan."
"We misjudged him," Qui-Gon said. "We all did. The boy was--Jase Kedra was never Tarisat's creature."
Obi-wan nodded sadly. "We should have believed him."
"You did, Obi-wan," Leeyat told him. "He knew you did."
Obi-wan watched the fire flicker and dance in front of him, casting brittle shadows on the walls. The smoke stung his eyes, but his cheeks were dry of tears. He had cried, before, but now he only watched. Qui-Gon stood beside him, wrapped in his own thoughts. Leeyat, on his other side, clasped his hand and said nothing. The Council, and most of the Jedi Order, stood in a silent vigil around the burning funeral bier.
Jase Kedra had been posthumously promoted to Jedi Knight--a scant reward, but all they could give him for his bravery. Obi-wan hoped that somehow Jase knew. He thought he did.
The flames began to die down, and one by one the Jedi left. The Council filed out, and the other Knights and Apprentices. Qui-Gon looked at Obi-wan, but Obi-wan shook his head. He wanted to stay for awhile. Qui-Gon nodded, understanding, and led Leeyat out.
"Obi-wan Kenobi?"
Obi-wan looked down to see Yoda standing there. "Yes, Master Yoda?" he said.
"Regret this deeply, I do," Yoda told him. "All of this I regret. A sacrifice we should not have made of you. Wrong it was."
"I understand why you did it," Obi-wan assured him, and he did. "I volunteered for this because I had to do what I could for Master Qui-Gon. You did--what you did--because you had to do what was best for the Jedi. And Jase--" He stared into the flames, at the corpse barely visible within. "Jase did what he thought he had to do, to redeem himself. We all did what we had to."
Yoda smiled. "Understand much, you do. A good Jedi you will make."
"He would have, too." There was nothing Yoda could say to that. For a long moment, Obi-wan stared at the glowing embers that were all that was left of the fire, and then he turned toward the door. He and Yoda went out, the smell of smoke still clinging to their robes, and the room was empty.
End.