Chapter Sixty
The day following his meeting with Neeshin and Shrio, Qui-Gon sat alone in his quarters in the Residence Hall. He had hardly slept since Cian had gone missing. And when he finally willed himself to sleep, all he did was dream of her.
Now he had just received a communiqué from Yoda informing him Obi-Wan and Aalea were overdue for their scheduled arrival back on Coruscant. Yoda had told Qui-Gon he suspected the two were on their way to Jalat. If they were, he had warned, the repercussions for their actions could be serious.
Qui-Gon sighed. He hoped Yoda was wrong. In his youth, Obi-Wan had been headstrong and reckless but, as time passed, his apprentice had become a much more cautious young man, prone to think through a situation then jump recklessly in. Qui-Gon hoped his padawan exercised the good judgment he had acquired over the years and stayed away from Jalat.
Qui-Gon stood and put on his robe. He knew it was hopeless, but he felt the need to go out again. Over the past few days, the sight of him striding through the streets of the capital as he searched for Cian had become a common one. And, as the days passed, many Jalatans had come up to him, having heard of Cian's disappearance, and laid their hands on his arm, offering their condolences and sympathy. He had been greatly touched by their kindness.
Just as Qui-Gon was about to leave, the comlink on the desk beeped. He went over and activated it.
"Yes," he said.
"Master Jinn." It was Epena, Shiro's aide. "Can you come to the First Minister's office immediately?"
"Yes, of course. Is something wrong?"
"I think we may have found Mistress Nyal."
Qui-Gon's heart lurched in his chest.
"I'll be right there." He turned and hurried out the door.
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As Qui-Gon entered Shiro's office, not only were Shiro and Epena waiting for him, but a young Jalatan male he did not recognize.
Shiro walked over and clasped Qui-Gon's hands.
"My friend, good. You are here."
He walked Qui-Gon over to the young man.
"Master Jinn, this is Salu Tydre. He is Chief Priest Rukal's aide."
Tydre bowed deeply to Qui-Gon. When he rose, Qui-Gon saw fear swirling in the young man's eyes. He kept glancing at the door as if he regretted having come and was desperately seeking a way out.
"Salu Tydre," Qui-Gon said, inclining his head.
Shiro put a hand on the young man's arm.
"Go ahead. Tell Master Jinn what you told me. He will not harm you."
Tydre swallowed, his eyes darting from Shiro's face to Qui-Gon's.
"I know," he began, then stopped and quickly cleared his throat. "I know where Mistress Nyal is."
Qui-Gon forced himself to relax as a rush of adrenaline surged through him. He had discerned through the Force the manner in which Tydre had said Cian's name; the intonation of his voice, the inflection of his words. Something terrible had happened to her.
"Go on," Shiro gently urged Tydre. "Tell him."
"She is at Salu Rukal's citadel. In Jholan Province."
Just as Tydre was about to say more, the door to Shiro's office flew open. General Neeshin rushed in.
"I just heard," he said as he strode over to Shiro and Qui-Gon. "Where is she?"
Shiro glanced disapprovingly over at Epena, who merely shrugged his shoulders.
Neeshin then saw Tydre. He grabbed him by the arms and shook him.
"Where is she, you son of a malik!"
Qui-Gon grabbed Neeshin and pulled him away from Tydre.
"That's enough, General."
Neeshin turned wide angry eyes on Qui-Gon.
"What's the matter with you, Master Jinn? This thing knows where she is!
"He's already told us. She's at Rukal's citadel."
Neeshin's face paled. "Rukal?" he whispered. He turned grim eyes back on Tydre. He was about to grab him again, but Qui-Gon stopped him.
He then looked down at Tydre. "What does Rukal want with her?"
Tydre looked fearfully up at the tall Jedi whose blue eyes seemed to pierce through to his soul. He clasped and unclasped his hands.
"My master tried to turn her to the dark side of what you call the Force."
The Jedi's expression did not change, but Tydre saw explosions of pain in his eyes. For long moments he just stared down at Tydre.
"What is wrong, Master Jinn?" Shiro asked when he saw the grim expression on Qui-Gon's face.
"The dark side, First Minister," Qui-Gon said tightly. "It would explain why I have not been able to sense Cian's presence through the Force. If Rukal is a dark side user, then I fear your wife was right. He is a very dangerous man."
Qui-Gon turned back to Tydre.
"There is more, is there not?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, Master Jinn. When she would not turn it made my master very angry. He hurt her."
Qui-Gon's face twisted with pain but he urged Tydre to go on.
Tydre shook his head mournfully.
"She has gone away. In here." He pointed to his head. "My master says she is hiding." Tydre stopped and wrung his hands.
"And she also believes...." He took a deep breath.
"She also believes you are dead, Master Jinn," he went on. "My master created an illusion which made her think you had come for her and was killed by him." Tydre somberly shook his head and looked down.
"She loves you very much," he said softly. Then he lifted his head and looked up into Qui-Gon's eyes.
"And, I am afraid to say, there is more, Master Jinn. My master, Rukal, he....he violated her."
General Neeshin hissed, his hands balling into fists, his eyes burning.
Beneath his robe, Qui-Gon folded his arms tightly across his chest. He took a deep breath and called upon the Force as he struggled to control the agony which threatened to consume him, but it exploded behind his eyes, ripped through his chest and tore into his heart like some wild and merciless beast. He stood straight and unmoving but inside he was a howling, maddened thing. Cian. Cian.
"What does he intend to do with her?" Qui-Gon finally asked, his voice like chipped ice.
"He is giving her to his master."
"What?" Neeshin cried as he rushed at Tydre. "His master? What are you talking about, thing? Who is this master?
"I do not know, Salu Neeshin," Tydre said quickly, backing away from the rage in the general's face. "No one knows. Not even the acolytes of the inner circle. All we know is that he is very powerful and everything my master has learned about the dark side he has learned from him."
Neeshin turned towards Shiro and stood at attention.
"With your permission, First Minister, I'll assemble my forces. We can be at Rukal's citadel within the hour."
"No, General Neeshin," Shiro said. "You will do no such thing."
"What?" Neeshin cried. "Are you deaf as well as blind, Shiro? I warned you about Rukal. Now look what has happened! An innocent woman has been abused and raped!"
"You will not send your military forces into Jholan Province, General Neeshin," Shiro said firmly. "That is religious caste territory. Do you want to risk a civil war?"
"I can't believe what you're saying, Shiro. I thought you were her friend," Neeshin cried, his eyes blazing.
"I am her friend!" Shiro suddenly shouted, his kindly features twisted with rage. "Do you think I do not wish to have Rukal's throat between my hands right now!"
He raised his hands and shook them at the general.
"It was I who invited her here, to our world, on a mission of peace and diplomacy," Shiro went on in a strangled voice. He shook his white-haired head, his eyes dark with anguish. "And now, to know these vile and evil things have been done to her by a member of my own Council!"
Shiro quickly choked back a sob. He remained silent for a long moment, his shoulders shaking as he struggled to control his anger and grief. He then took a deep, shuddering breath.
"But we must also remember who and what we are, General," he went on quietly, but firmly. "We have a responsibility to our people, to our world. We can not allow our personal feelings to interfere with our duty."
Qui-Gon reached over and took Neeshin by the arm.
"The First Minister is right," he said. "You must not risk civil war. Not even for her. Remember, she is an emissary from the Republic. She would not want to see your world plunged into war on her account."
Neeshin turned grief-stricken eyes towards Qui-Gon.
"I can't believe you're saying this," he said. "Are you just going to leave her there? Don't you care for her?"
Qui-Gon released Neeshin's arm.
"Yes, General Neeshin, I do care for her," he said. "And no, I'm not going to leave her there. But, if Rukal is a dark side user, you will not be able to stop him. I must face him. Alone."
Neeshin glared back at Qui-Gon for a long moment, then let out an explosion of breath.
"How do you intend to get inside the citadel, Master Jinn?" he asked. "I've seen it. It's heavily fortified. I don't think even your vaunted Jedi powers can help you walk through walls."
"I know a way," Tydre said.
Neeshin turned and frowned at Tydre, but Qui-Gon moved past the general and took Tydre's arm.
"Will you help me? Can you get me inside?"
Tydre glanced quickly between Qui-Gon, Neeshin and Shiro. Then he nodded.
"There's an old passageway on the side of the citadel which faces the sea. It's been abandoned for centuries. I found it one day while I was wandering through the citadel. But, I must warn you, not only are Rukal's acolytes there, he also has a small cadre of mercenaries." He glanced quickly over at Neeshin. "They are part of his plan to build his own army."
"They won't be a problem," Qui-Gon said.
Neeshin shook his head. "Now I know you are mad, Master Jinn. You're going to march into Rukal's citadel and face not only him, but his acolytes and mercenaries and you're also going to trust this thing?" He gestured angrily at Tydre. "He's Rukal's creature. How do you know he's not leading you into a trap?"
"I don't know," Qui-Gon said calmly.
Neeshin shook his head. "I don't like it. Not one bit!"
He walked over and thrust his face close to Tydre's.
"Tell me, thing! Why are you doing this? Why are you betraying your master?"
Tydre backed away from Neeshin, his eyes wide. Qui-Gon quickly pulled Neeshin away from Tydre.
He then gazed down at the young Jalatan, looked deep into his eyes and saw what Tydre had seen and what he had felt; Cian's torment and his shame at having been the cause of it.
"I know why, General Neeshin," Qui-Gon said quietly.
To be continued....