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Obi-Wan nodded. His skin had gone pale. "I must speak with him?" he asked.
"You must relate the details of the death of his son, yes," Mace Windu said in a voice that held a rare gentle quality.
"Know we do that this is not easy for you, Obi-Wan," Yoda said.
"He arrives in two days," Mace Windu said. "Qui-Gon will be by your side. May the Force be withyou. "
They were dismissed. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed, turned, and walked from the room. As soon as the door slid shut behind them, Obi-Wan's step faltered.
"Must I do this?" he asked Qui-Gon.
"You know the answer to that question," Qui-Gon said. "I know this will be hard. But I feel it could be helpful, Padawan. You will have to speak of something you think you ca
Obi-Wan gave him a startled glance.
"Yes, I know how much it still troubles you," Qui-Gon said gently. "Isn't it time to put an end to it?"
Obi-Wan's face was still drawn. Qui-Gon put a hand on his shoulder. "Find Bant and get some food. It is past time for themiddaymeal." Food always revived Obi-Wan somewhat. Qui-Gon did not want the boy to worry too much about the upcoming interview. No doubt it would be rough, but Obi-Wan was in the right, and so he would survive it.
After Obi-Wan headed for the turbolift, Qui-Gon lingered outside the Council Room. He hoped to have a talk with Yoda. Tahl's decision not to take a Padawan and her sudden disappearance troubled him. It was always helpful to have Yoda's perspective.
The door slid open noiselessly, and the Council members filed out. Yoda spotted him and nodded. Qui-Gon had an idea that Yoda knew exactly why he was waiting.
"Worried you are, Qui-Gon," Yoda said as he walked toward him, his robe rocking with his sideways gait. "Yet not just aboutyour Padawan, I think."
"Tahl," Qui-Gon said shortly. "Why did she not take a Padawan? And why did she leave so suddenly?"
Yoda leaned on his staff. "Should I be the one you ask this?"
Qui-Gon sighed. "You mean I should ask Tahl. I wanted your opinion first."
Yoda nodded. "Think I do that Tahl did not want to burden Bant with a blind Master. Afraid she was that it would limit Bant's experience."
"Burden! Limits!" Qui-Gon exclaimed incredulously. He could not associate those words with Tahl. "That's ridiculous!"
"Yet not think so, Tahl does. Time she needs, Qui-Gon. Help her with this, you ca
Qui-Gon was surprised. Centax 2 was a satellite of Coruscant. Transports and spaceliners often docked there in order to ferry goods and passengers to Coruscant on smaller ships. The Jedi had chosen Centax 2 to set up their new pilot program, run by Jedi Knight Clee Rhara.
"Is there a problem?" Qui-Gon asked.
"That we do not know," Yoda answered, blinking his large eyes. "We only suspect. Aware you are that this project does not have the full support of the Council. Clee Rhara believes that the Jedi should have a squad of starfighter pilots. Some agree. Some do not."
Qui-Gon knew the project was controversial. The Council had finally agreed to the operation, but only on a trial basis. Some of the gifted older students, like Obi-Wan's friend Garen Muln, had been chosen for it. There were some on the Council who believed that Jedi should continue to take rides on consular ships or haulers, or borrow small transports for short flights. They believed that Jedi pilots would lead to a Jedi fleet, a complex operation that would divert their attention from peacekeeping efforts in the galaxy.
"Clee Rhara, you know," Yoda said. "Charismatic, she is. A following among the young pilots, she has. Many are delaying their Padawan status. Allow this, the Council does, but many are uneasy."
Qui-Gon nodded. He had gone throughTempletraining with Clee Rhara. She had a bright wit and a fierce will that had attracted followers even then.
"What is Tahl's mission there?" Qui-Gon asked curiously.
"A grave problem we have," Yoda said. "Until now, the Senate donated the starfighters for Jedi pilots. Outmoded or damaged, the starfighters are. Clee Rhara has her own shipyard for refitting. Worked well, this system has. But mechanical failures lately there have been. One quite serious. A Coruscant air taxi was almost hit. Aboard, an important Senator was."
"Does Clee Rhara suspect sabotage?" Qui-Gon asked.
Yoda nodded. "Tahl has gone to investigate. Some there are in the Senate who resent the Jedi. Whispers there are about our taking advantage. Track these whispers, we ca
"I see," Qui-Gon said. "So if Tahl can discover that the ships were sabotaged, the program can continue."
"Perhaps."Yoda straightened and began to move toward the turbolift. "Watching us some in the Senate are. Hoping to see us fail, perhaps. And watching they will be the investigation of Bruck's death. Also, forget we should not that Vox Chun was once in the employ of one who plotted to destroy us."
"Xanatos," Qui-Gon said. His former Padawan was dead. Yet the evil he spread lived on.
Chapter 3
Qui-Gon decided that the most courteous thing would be to meet Vox Chun at the landing platform as he arrived. Obi-Wan knew his Master was right, but he wished he could postpone seeing Bruck's father for a while longer.
"Here he comes." Qui-Gon indicated a silver transport heading toward them. He eyed the sleek lines of the ship. "How does someone who just got out of jail afford a transport like that? Perhaps Vox still has powerful friends."
Obi-Wanwas too nervous to answer. Moments later, the transport glided to a stop, and the ramp lowered and the exit door slid open. A figure stood at the top. Obi-Wan gasped. It was Bruck.
He took a step backward, and Qui-Gon put a hand on his arm. "No," Qui-Gon told him in a fierce undertone. "It is not him, Obi-Wan. The boy only looks like Bruck."
The boy had a shock of white hair, like Bruck. He was dressed in a rough tunic similar to a Jedi's. But as he descended, Obi-Wan began to breathe again. He saw that the boy's features were softer and that he was a few years younger than Obi-Wan.
"A brother," Qui-Gon murmured. "They wanted to unsettle us. That is why he went first."