Chapter 9
Senator Tyndale wiped away the sweat from his dirty forehead. The hot sun beat on him hard, as if enough heat wasn't seeping from the smoldering rubble. For three days, he had toiled with his fellow citizens, dazed by the sudden violence and death of their leader, mindlessly searching for anything to remind them of the life they had. They were all too aware that the government they had known was not to return.
He stood erect slowly, his back slightly rippling in pain from being arched over the piles of concrete for so long. Tyndale glanced around the once flourishing courtyard, which was now used as a dumping ground for the ruins of the decimated east wing of the capitol. Sighing, Tyndale leaned over and sifted through more rubble, searching for meaning in the jagged rock that ate at his hands.
Soon, the lunch siren rang, and his Grace, Prince Kalizan saved them all from the torturing sun. A mediocre meal would be provided at the grand expense of his Highness, and even a bit of water would be most amiably spared for each parched man. Such rewards for such uplifting work!
But as Tyndale turned for the kitchen tent, a strange brown tuft sticking out between two slabs of concrete tugged his eye. Carefully, he brushed some of the smaller, softball sized rocks off the slabs, revealing light brown hair.
" Oh my hell," the senator gasped. Not one body had been recovered from beneath the double layered debris. Straining, he was able to push one slab off to the right just far enough to see a face. With disbelieving eyes, Tyndale was fixed upon the bruised and bleeding countenance that he had come to respect in a very short time.
" Hey! You there..." the stern voice of the guard shook him. Tyndale turned.
" It's lunch- get a move on."
He nodded, half-bowing, and made to move towards the tent. " Yes, sir," he replied. The Prince's officer turned, convinced Tyndale was coming, but the middle-aged man swiftly returned to his discovery, and as gently as he could, hid it away once more.
Lunch, as usual, was not much to speak of. Be that as it was, Tyndale would still devour it, but today he could only pick at the bread, and push the beans about his plate. Casually, Senator Tyndale's close colleague sat across from him and said nothing. Senator Perany, an older gentleman, had tutored Tyndale in his first years seated in the senate. Tyndale, about 17 years Perany's junior, looked about before leaning in to whisper his news.
" I found someone. Beneath the rubble. I'm not sure if he's dead." Perany, unable to control his shock, whipped his head up. But, he knew enough to keep quiet verbally; obviously there was a reason Tyndale didn't alert anyone else.
" It's him," Tyndale continued gravely. " The Jedi. I didn't have a chance to check, but if he's still alive..." Perany nodded, at once understanding.
" They'd kill him. Damn it, they would do it in a minute." Now the elder shook his head in disapproval. " What do you plan to do?"
" If he's alive, we need to hide him. If we could get him back to his planet then someone would know the truth and help us. Kalizan is telling all inquiring minds he had nothing to do with the attacks, that he mourns his father."
The old senator pondered. The Jedi was their only hope, but this was expensive hope. If they were caught with him, their lives wouldn't be spared. The Prince's men worked at the site all night. Retrieving him wouldn't be simple either.
" Sometime during the night, they must rest. When they do, we'll move him."
Tucked in the only shadow of the floodlight lit disaster zone, Tyndale and Perany waited in tense silence. The night crew was slowly meandering away from their hiding spot. Their window of opportunity opened, and they carefully removed the slabs from around Qui-gon's body.
At first glance, Perany refused to believe that he could possibly be alive. Judging by the amount of blood surrounding the Jedi, Tyndale's elder nearly left him, but as the voices of Kalizan's army drew close once more, the two friends gently pulled Qui-gon out of his tomb, and raced back to their homes.
Senator Tyndale wiped away the sweat from his dirty forehead. The hot sun beat on him hard, as if enough heat wasn't seeping from the smoldering rubble. For three days, he had toiled with his fellow citizens, dazed by the sudden violence and death of their leader, mindlessly searching for anything to remind them of the life they had. They were all too aware that the government they had known was not to return.
He stood erect slowly, his back slightly rippling in pain from being arched over the piles of concrete for so long. Tyndale glanced around the once flourishing courtyard, which was now used as a dumping ground for the ruins of the decimated east wing of the capitol. Sighing, Tyndale leaned over and sifted through more rubble, searching for meaning in the jagged rock that ate at his hands.
Soon, the lunch siren rang, and his Grace, Prince Kalizan saved them all from the torturing sun. A mediocre meal would be provided at the grand expense of his Highness, and even a bit of water would be most amiably spared for each parched man. Such rewards for such uplifting work!
But as Tyndale turned for the kitchen tent, a strange brown tuft sticking out between two slabs of concrete tugged his eye. Carefully, he brushed some of the smaller, softball sized rocks off the slabs, revealing light brown hair.
" Oh my hell," the senator gasped. Not one body had been recovered from beneath the double layered debris. Straining, he was able to push one slab off to the right just far enough to see a face. With disbelieving eyes, Tyndale was fixed upon the bruised and bleeding countenance that he had come to respect in a very short time.
" Hey! You there..." the stern voice of the guard shook him. Tyndale turned.
" It's lunch- get a move on."
He nodded, half-bowing, and made to move towards the tent. " Yes, sir," he replied. The Prince's officer turned, convinced Tyndale was coming, but the middle-aged man swiftly returned to his discovery, and as gently as he could, hid it away once more.
Lunch, as usual, was not much to speak of. Be that as it was, Tyndale would still devour it, but today he could only pick at the bread, and push the beans about his plate. Casually, Senator Tyndale's close colleague sat across from him and said nothing. Senator Perany, an older gentleman, had tutored Tyndale in his first years seated in the senate. Tyndale, about 17 years Perany's junior, looked about before leaning in to whisper his news.
" I found someone. Beneath the rubble. I'm not sure if he's dead." Perany, unable to control his shock, whipped his head up. But, he knew enough to keep quiet verbally; obviously there was a reason Tyndale didn't alert anyone else.
" It's him," Tyndale continued gravely. " The Jedi. I didn't have a chance to check, but if he's still alive..." Perany nodded, at once understanding.
" They'd kill him. Damn it, they would do it in a minute." Now the elder shook his head in disapproval. " What do you plan to do?"
" If he's alive, we need to hide him. If we could get him back to his planet then someone would know the truth and help us. Kalizan is telling all inquiring minds he had nothing to do with the attacks, that he mourns his father."
The old senator pondered. The Jedi was their only hope, but this was expensive hope. If they were caught with him, their lives wouldn't be spared. The Prince's men worked at the site all night. Retrieving him wouldn't be simple either.
" Sometime during the night, they must rest. When they do, we'll move him."
Tucked in the only shadow of the floodlight lit disaster zone, Tyndale and Perany waited in tense silence. The night crew was slowly meandering away from their hiding spot. Their window of opportunity opened, and they carefully removed the slabs from around Qui-gon's body.
At first glance, Perany refused to believe that he could possibly be alive. Judging by the amount of blood surrounding the Jedi, Tyndale's elder nearly left him, but as the voices of Kalizan's army drew close once more, the two friends gently pulled Qui-gon out of his tomb, and raced back to their homes.