The security officers thundered in, blasters pinging, electrojabbers swinging.
"Stay behind us!" Qui-Gon shouted to Cilia, who now was ready to fight and had stepped forward.
The blaster fire was furious. Qui-Gon jumped and twisted, trying to be everywhere at once. Obi-Wan moved to protect Stephin. The guards were well trained for battle. They kept constantly on the move, using sophisticated flanking maneuvers. Qui-Gon realized that Lorian's Temple training had come in handy.
Still, the security officers were not Jedi. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could keep them at bay. He heard more boots thundering down the hallway and the distinctive whirr of oncoming droids.
Yes, they could keep the attackers at bay, but if more and more arrived, how long would it be before blaster fire got through?
Qui-Gon could see that the same thought had occurred to Obi-Wan. His Padawan did not flag, but a renewed burst of energy sent him in a spinning arc. He deflected blaster fire at the same time he destroyed two oncoming droids with a well-placed kick.
Then the moment Qui-Gon was waiting for occurred. The image of Lorian Nod fuzzed and broke into shattered pieces. A memo flashed onscreen.
Stephin had been able to keep the audio feed open. The voice of Lorian Nod boomed out.
"What is that? What is happening? Get that off the screen!"
MISINFORMATION REGARDING "ANNIHILATOR"
The memo title could be read clearly. More information streamed across the stream as the holofile unfolded.
WE KNOW NOT HOW OR WHY THIS RUMOR BEGAN . .
"Get that off the screen!" Lorian shouted. "Don't you see what it is, you fools? It's a lie!"
The focus of the security officers wavered. Qui-Gon saw their eyes drift to the screen. They tried to keep fighting and keep track of what was flashing.
Another voice came through the feed. "This says that there is no Annihilator!"
It must have been another officer in the studio who had blurted it out.
"It's a trick," Lorian said. "Spies . . ."
"It's an official document from Delaluna," another voice said. "Look at the code seal."
The officers had all stopped fighting. They stared at the screen in disbelief. Whoever was programming the droids had stopped. They stopped in midair.
"Let's go," Qui-Gon said to Obi-Wan.
They raced out into the corridor. Following directions Stephin had given them, they ran to the studio and burst through the door.
Lorian's face was dark with rage. "You are under arrest, Jedi!"
"I believe you are mistaken," Qui-Gon said calmly. "We are arresting you."
"That arrest can only be ordered by the president himself!" Lorian snapped. "Guards! Take these Jedi away."
A guard across the room lowered his comlink slowly. "The arrest order has come through," he said. "I am to detain you, Lorian Nod, by order of Minister Ciran Ern."
The color slowly drained from Lorian's face. He tried to smile, but it looked as though it cost him a great deal of effort.
Looking at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, he shrugged. "How strange life is," he said. "The galaxy is so immense, but I can't get away from the Jedi. They have destroyed my life once again."
CHAPTER No. 19
Lorian Nod was in prison, awaiting trial. Cilia was no longer an underground hero, but a public one, able to walk the streets with her husband. The Guardians had fallen into disarray and the minister had promised to disband them.
It was time for the Jedi to leave.
Qui-Gon waited at the landing platform with Obi-Wan. He remembered arriving on this planet while worrying about what was to come with his apprentice. It was true that he missed that pure trust, that lack of shadows between them. He had seen the flaws in Obi-Wan, and the flaws in himself. He had seen where their flaws could rub up against each other and create fissures in their relations, cracking them open like a groundquake could split the very core of a planet.
Yet there was something to be gained from that, Qui-Gon thought. Now their relationship could truly begin, for they had seen the worst of it and they had both decided that what they wanted, the most important thing, was to go on. There had been no betrayal. Qui-Gon knew Dooku was wrong — he was not alone.
"The idea to leave the audio feed open was a good one," he told Obi-Wan. "Lorian was trapped by his denials."
"I thought he might say something incriminating," Obi-Wan said.
"You ordered Stephin to do it," Qui-Gon said. "You did not check with me. You did not even look at me." "I am sorry, Master —"
"It was the right thing to do."
Qui-Gon saw the flash of pleasure in Obi-Wan's eyes. He is no longer afraid of displeasing me, Qui-Gon thought. Good.
"Shall we board?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Of course, Master." Obi-Wan paused and looked longingly at a food court. "But can we eat first?" He grinned. "I'm still thinking about that turnover."
Qui-Gon laughed. Yes, his Padawan was back. And the boy was back, too. Now they could begin again.
He had not known the Jedi cruiser to Naboo was taking him on what would turn out to be his final mission with Qui-Gon. Yet they both had understood that the time was coming when Qui-Gon would recommend him for the trials. Obi-Wan knew he was ready, but he was not yet prepared to leave his Master. He was anxious to be independent, but he was reluctant to come out from the protection of his alliance with Qui-Gon. It was not apprehension that kept him there, but loyalty. Friendship. Love. They had spoken more on that trip than they had ever spoken before. Qui-Gon had been in a rare talkative mood, and they had remembered old missions, old acquaintances. They had laughed over the exploits of Didi Oddo, the friend who was always in trouble. They had remembered the loyal brothers, Guerra and Paxxi, now heads of large families on their homeworld of Phindar.
From time to time a shadow would cross Qui-Gon's face and Obi-Wan knew he was thinking of Tahl, who he had loved. Tahl had been killed during a mission to New Apsolon despite their intense efforts to find and save her. The pilot dimmed the lights for sleep. Still Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan did not move. They sat on their chairs, reluctant to move to the sleep area. A silence fell between them, as companionable as always. In the dark silence, Obi-Wan had asked the question that had been in his mind for months.
"Master, can you tell me something I am lacking? Something I cannot see that I need to work on?"
He could not see Qui-Gon's face clearly now. "Do you mean a flaw, Padawan?"
"Yes. You have told me that I worry too much, and I've tried to work on that."
"Ah. You mean you've worried about worrying too much?" Qui-Gon's voice was light. He was teasing him.
"I can be impatient with living beings, too. I know that. And sometimes, I'm a little too confident of my abilities, perhaps."
Now Qui-Gon's tone was serious. "These things are true, Obi-Wan, but they are not flaws. I have seen how hard you have worked. I've seen what you can accomplish."
"Then what is my flaw?" Obi-Wan asked.
There came a silence so long that Obi-Wan wondered if Qui-Gon had fallen asleep. Then his voice rose out of the darkness, soft and deep.
"You will be a great Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I know that with every breath, with every beat of my heart. You will make me proud I was there at your beginnings. If you do have a flaw, perhaps it is simply this: You wish to please me too much."
Twenty-three Years Later
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
CHAPTER No. 20
Obi-Wan had never understood the meaning of Qui-Gon's words. He had meant to ask him after the mission was over. He had puzzled over the words, forgotten them, remembered them again, pushed them away only to have them reappear in his mind.
And now, they haunted him.
The Clone Wars had begun. The galaxy had fractured and the Republic was threatening to split apart. They had discovered that the former Jedi, Count Dooku, was leading the Separatists. Many Jedi had lost their lives on Geonosis six months earlier. The tragedy o
f that battle infused the Temple, made every Jedi walk with a heavy step. Their vision had been clouded for so long. They realized this, yet their vision did not clear. It was as though a dark curtain was draped over the Temple.
And something had changed within Anakin Skywalker. Something that made Obi-Wan uneasy. And now a worry had been pushed to the forefront of his mind — had his love for Qui-Gon blinded him to the faults in Anakin for too long?
The uneasiness he felt about Anakin, the sense of dull dread that had the power to wake him up from a deep sleep, now had a partner: the conviction that it was too late to do anything about it.
His Master could not have foreseen all that had taken place. Yet he had placed a sure finger on the spot that was most vulnerable in Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had opened his heart to Anakin because of Qui-Gon's belief that Anakin was the chosen one. Had he tried too hard? Had he overlooked what he should not have overlooked?
Love had never blinded Qui-Gon. But it has blinded me.
There was too great a distance between him and Anakin now, at a time when he needed to keep his Padawan even closer than before. Every instinct told him that Anakin had been profoundly changed while they were apart before the Battle of Geonosis. He knew that Anakin had been to Tatooine and he knew Anakin's mother was dead. He knew that a bond had grown between Anakin and the brilliant Senator Padmè Amidala.
He sensed that some of the change was for the better. Some not. It was as if Anakin had grown harder — and more secretive. One thing Obi-Wan saw clearly: Anakin had lost his boyishness. He was a man now.
Whatever the changes were, they did not bring Anakin peace. Obi-Wan sensed his Padawan's restlessness, his impatience. He saw that Anakin no longer felt the same sense of peace from the Temple. He always wanted to be moving. He always wanted to be somewhere else.
Obi-Wan stood in the doorway of the Map Room of the Temple, watching Anakin. This was a place Anakin came when his mind was restless. For some reason his Padawan found it calming to set dozens of holographic planets spinning while voices intoned their details: geography, language, government, customs. Out of the chaos, Anakin would distinguish one voice. Then he would trace another, then another, until he could clearly hear each voice amid the babble.
Anakin had grown quite adept at this game, Obi-Wan saw. Holograms whirled around his head like angry insects. The voices were a confusing blur to Obi-Wan. He couldn't imagine why someone would find peace during this. As he watched, Anakin lifted a finger and added another planet to the mix.
"Anakin."
Anakin did not turn. Most beings would. Instead he lifted a hand. One by one the planet holograms disappeared, the voices cut off until the last solitary voice was silenced. Obi-Wan noted that it had been intoning the precious metals of Naboo. Anakin stood and turned. Obi-Wan could see that Anakin was still not used to his new artificial hand. He hugged that arm a little closer to his body. The sight tore at Obi-Wan's heart.
"Master."
"Master Yoda has requested our presence."
"A mission?"
"I do not know."
Over the past weeks there had been much to do, too much to plan — too many battles. The Jedi Council held constant strategy sessions. It was necessary to carefully place the Jedi where they were most needed. Systems and planets were now vulnerable, and many were highly strategic. The Separatists were gaining new planets with a combination of coercion and force. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine pledged to help planets loyal to the Republic.
"You go to the Map Room when you are troubled by something," Obi-Wan said as they walked. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Anakin made a restless gesture. "What is the good of talking?"
"It can be very good," Obi-Wan said gently. "Anakin, I see that the past months have marked you. I am your Master. I am here to help you in any way I can."
He could see his Padawan only in profile, but Anakin's mouth tightened. "I have seen things I wish I had not seen. I did not think so many Jedi could die. I did not think a once-great Jedi Master could fall so far."
"Count Dooku's fall has troubled us all," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "Now we have a great and powerful enemy." His thoughts turned to his battle with Dooku. He had never met such power in battle before. He had never come up against something that had completely overpowered him. Even meeting the Sith Lord who had killed Qui-Gon had not been the same. If only Qui-Gon were alive, to give them insights into Dooku. Now Obi-Wan thought back and wondered why Qui-Gon had never spoken of his Master. He would never know that, either.
He would have liked more time to talk to Anakin, but they drew up in front of the reception chamber where Yoda had asked them to convene. Obi-Wan stepped forward to access the door but it slid open before he could. Yoda was always a step ahead of him.
Yet Yoda had a more significant surprise. He stood in the middle of the room with Lorian Nod. Lorian was older, his hair completely silver now. He wasn't as lean, but his body still looked strong. Dressed in a cloak of veda cloth, he looked more like a successful businessman than a soldier, but it was unmistakably Lorian Nod.
"What is he doing here?" Obi-Wan barked. He was seldom, if ever, rude. But lately he hadn't had the time to hide his feelings. Anakin was not the only one who had developed impatience.
"To help the Jedi, Lorian Nod has come," Yoda said. "Really," Obi-Wan said, strolling in. "Are you offering to set up your own security force, Nod?"
Lorian bowed his head slightly, as if he had expected Obi-Wan's jibe and accepted it as his due. "I knew I would meet skepticism if I came here," he said. "All I can say is that I admit I have not operated within galactic laws during some periods of my life. Yet now, when things are so serious, I find that I must return to my beginnings. I wish to help the Jedi."
"And how do you think you can do that?" Obi-Wan asked.
Yoda blinked at Obi-Wan. It was just a blink. But it told him that his tone was not appreciated.
"Ruler of Junction 5, Lorian Nod is," he said.
Again, Obi-Wan was surprised. "How did you manage that? The last time I saw you, you were about to go to prison for a very long time."
"I did go to prison for a very long time," Lorian answered. "Then I got out."
"And you seized power," Obi-Wan said, disgusted.
"Obi-Wan." Yoda's voice had a quality Obi-Wan recognized, something he thought of as durasteel sheathed in ice.
Chastised like a youngling, Obi-Wan indicated that Lorian should go on.
"I was elected," Lorian said. "When I got out of prison, things had not changed much on Junction 5. Because Delaluna had allowed them to believe that they possessed the Annihilator, the great distrust between them had not diminished. The population still lived in a climate of fear. I suggested that I be an envoy to Delaluna and open talks between us. As the one who caused the worst of the trouble, I could be the one to stop it."
Obi-Wan crossed his arms, waiting.
"I would have failed," Lorian said, "if it wasn't for Samish Kash. He had recently been elected as ruler of Delaluna. He, too, believed that the mistrust between two such close planets was harmful to them both. He believed that open trade and travel between Junction 5 and Delaluna would benefit everyone. So we sat down at a table and began to talk. We reached an agreement, and trade began. Borders were opened. We formed a partnership with the Bezim and Vicondor systems to build the Station 88 Spaceport. Both our worlds thrived and prospered. Because of the success of our plan, I was elected leader of Junction 5 three years later. I have ruled during a peaceful time. Our two little worlds were overlooked by the powers in the galaxy. In the Senate, we were one tiny voice among many. And now everything has changed."
"The systems of Junction 5 and Delaluna, found they are. Crucial to the success of the Separatists, they have become," Yoda said.
"The Station 88 Spaceport," Lorian Nod explained. "We are a gateway to the Mid-Rim systems."
Yoda lifted a hand, and a holographic map appeared. Junction 5 and Delaluna were illuminated. "If Jun
ction 5 and Delaluna fall under Separatist control, fall Bezim and Vicondor will," he said. "Control they will a vast portion of the Mid-Rim systems."
"Count Dooku knows this very well," Lorian said. "He has contacted me. So far he has tried flattery and bribes to sway me to the Separatists, and I have lied and said I was leaning that way. Officially Samish Kash and I have not allied ourselves with either the Separatists or the Republic. I am not sure which way Kash is leaning, but I know that I have kept my own allegiances hidden. If Dooku knew I was loyal to the Republic, he could use force against my world — something I desperately wish to avoid. And I want to keep the Station 88 Spaceport as a strategic base for the Republic."
Obi-Wan nodded. He was interested now. He could see how important the tiny worlds of Junction 5 and Delaluna had become.
"Why not just declare your allegiance in the Senate?" Anakin asked. "They would send troops to protect you."
"Spread thin, the clone troops have become," Yoda said. "Our last option, that would be. A better way, Lorian has suggested."
"You may not be aware of this, Obi-Wan, but Dooku and I were friends during Temple training," Lorian said. "We had a falling out, but that was many years ago. I'm not sure if Dooku trusts me, but he needs me. It also makes sense to him that I would want to join the Separatists.
"It makes sense to me, too," Obi-Wan said. "Why don't you?"
"Because I have seen how making beings afraid or angry is the best way to make a power grab," Lorian said. "The Separatists have a point — the Senate has become a corrupt place where the needs of smaller systems go unheard. They have taken this resentment and used it as a screen for their own ends. Who are Dooku's main backers? That is where I look. The Commerce Guilds. The Trade Federation. The Corporate Alliance. The InterGalactic Bank Clan. What do they all have in common but wealth, and the desire for more power? This movement is a cover for greed." Lorian shook his head. "I am no longer able to access the Force as I did before. But I don't need the Force to show me that this road is a road to darkness."
Yoda bowed his head in agreement. Obi-Wan agreed as well. He just didn't like hearing this from Lorian Nod.