Jedi Apprentice Special Edition 1: Deceptions

Chapter 4

Qui-Gon watched Vox Chun's sleek transport rise in the sky. The meeting had not gone well. In fact, it could not have gone worse. He had seen in Obi-Wan's face that meeting Vox and Kad Chun had only increased his feelings of guilt. Yet guilt must ease for Obi-Wan so that sorrow could take its place.

He had spoken to the boy, but the words had not reached him. Life needed to teach him. Time. Experience. These he could not hand over like a piece of advice.

But he could do something for his Padawan. He could distract him.

Obi-Wan had returned to his quarters. He lay on his sleep-couch, staring at the ceiling.

Qui-Gon leaned against the door frame. "How would you like to take an excursion to Centax 2?"

Obi-Wan sat up. His troubled look vanished."Really? I can see Garen! And those starfighters!"

"Yes, I thought you would like that. Tahl is investigating some problems there. I thought she might be able to use our help."

Obi-Wan gave a vigorous nod. He would do anything for Tahl. "When do we start?"

"Now, if you like," Qui-Gon said. "Get your gear together. We can take an air taxi there."

Obi-Wan grabbed his survival pack, and they headed for the landing platform. There, they boarded an air taxi. It was a short flight to the upper atmosphere, where Centax 2 was located. The satellite was a small, bluish moon with no vegetation or water. Its deep valleys and mountain ranges had been leveled in order to accommodate huge landing platforms and various tech support buildings and hangars.

The landing platforms were busy with traffic, and the air taxi joined a line waiting to dock. At last they were given clearance to land. They exited the air taxi, and Qui-Gon led the way to a covered moving walkway that had exits for different landing platforms. They got off at the very end, where the walkway looped around to return. Then they trudged along a windswept lane to a small, private landing area in the distance. Obi-Wan could see five starfighters lined up outside a tech dome.

As he got closer, he saw two starfighters zooming overhead, just silver streaks in the sky. He kept his eyes on them as they dove, screaming, toward the surface, then pulled up. They flew side by side in mirror formation, then broke apart.

"I wish I could learn to fly like that," Obi-Wan said admiringly.

After the two starfighters landed, Obi-Wan recognized a familiar figure jumping out of one of the cockpits. Garen Muln removed his helmet and shook out a head of thick, shoulder-length hair. To Obi-Wan's surprise, Garen no longer wore the short hair and long braid of a seniorTemplestudent. He saw that the other pilot had grown his hair as well.

Garen's keen gaze picked out the two figures approaching. After only a few seconds, he recognized Obi-Wan. With a delighted shout, he leaped off the starfighter and ran toward him.

"Obi-Wan! Why didn't you tell me you were coming? It's so good to see you!" Garen collected himself as he realized he had neglected to greet a Jedi Master. "Excuse me, Qui-Gon Jinn," he said, bowing. "Welcome."

Qui-Gon smiled. "Obi-Wan and I decided to see how you were doing here at the base."

"We're doing great. Except for a few mishaps lately, but Clee Rhara has straightened that all out."

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Just wait until you meet her," Garen told Obi-Wan, his eyes shining. "She's incredible. The best pilot I've ever seen. She's got us doing things in the air we only dreamed about. I've come such a long way from theTemple!"

"You don't look like a Jedi any longer," Obi-Wan said, noting Garen's flight coveralls and long hair.

"I'm still a Jedi, don't worry," Garen said, flashing a grin.

Just then Clee Rhara strode out from the tech dome. She was dressed in flight coveralls, just like Garen. Her bright orange hair was untamed and flew around her face in the wind. Clee Rhara was petite and slender, barely coming up to Qui-Gon's shoulder, but her compact body was built of wiry muscle. She saw Qui-Gon, and a broad smile broke out on her face.

"What a surprise!" she called, hurrying forward.

"I'd like you to meet my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wanwas examined by a pair of intense eyes the same color as Clee's vibrant orange hair. "I've heard good things about you from Garen," Clee said. "Welcome." She linked her arms with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. "Let me show you the outfit. And Tahl is here. She'll be thrilled that you've come."

Clee gave them a tour, showing them the re-tooled starfighters, the student quarters, the study rooms, hangars, and even the kitchens. Qui-Gon noted how the gaze of the Jedi students followed Clee as shestrolled the grounds. Obviously she inspired great loyalty.

Clee ended her tour at the tech center, where her students had hands-on experience with engines and hyperdrives. Tahl sat at a utility desk, using a voice-activated computer. She stopped speaking as they walked in.

"You'll never guess who-" Cleebegan.

"Qui-Gon."Tahl said his name flatly. Qui-Gon felt a flicker of apprehension. Tahl had never greeted him so coolly.

If Clee noticed Tahl's manner, she made no sign of it. "Here we are, the three of us, all together again!" she said cheerfully.

"Yes," Tahl said.

Qui-Gon shot Clee a look. They hadn't seen each other in years, but their old friendship gave them a connection that would never weaken. She knew immediately that he wanted to talk to Tahl alone.

"Obi-Wan, do you want to see the starships?" Clee asked.

"Yes!" Obi-Wan answered immediately.

"Come on, Garen and I will show you the fleet," Clee said, striding toward the door. "Then we'll head back for the evening meal. See you there, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon waited until the others had left. He did not approach Tahl. "You're angry that I came."

She turned away from him so that he could not read the expression on her lovely face. Sometimes she did this so that he would not have an advantage.

"You think I am in need of help. You think I cannot handle a mission alone."

Qui-Gon was about to insist that such a statement was ridiculous, but he stopped himself. He did not need to see Tahl's face to realize that she was feeling vulnerable. The act of choosing a Padawan had pushed her up against something deep inside that hurther, that made her doubt herself. He knew that feeling well, for different reasons.

"No," he said. "I came because Obi-Wan had a hard time with Vox Chun. I am worried about him. I knew he would enjoy seeing the base. If we could help out as well, it might distract him further."

"Ah," Tahl said mockingly, "and that is the only reason you came?"

"I heard that you had decided not to take a Padawan-"

"And you thought I might need a heart-to-heart talk." Tahl whipped her face around again. He read lines of bitterness there. "You want to tell me how reluctant you were to take a Padawan, how much it cost you, how valuable it has turned out to be, how I must realize that even though I am blind I have much to give to an apprentice. Do you think I don't know every word you would say? So please refrain. Any discussion of Padawans or Bant is off-limits. I mean it, Qui-Gon."

"All right," he said quietly. "But will you, as a favor to me and Obi-Wan, let us help you in your investigation?"

"Just know that I do it for Obi-Wan."

"Fair enough."He walked closer and drew up a chair next to her. "What do you have so far?"

"My contacts in the Senate tell me that there are rumors that Clee Rhara sabotaged the ships herself," Tahl said, passing a weary hand over her eyes.

"Why would she do that?" Qui-Gon asked, startled.

"In order to prove to the Senate that the project needs funding and more up-to-date ships," Tahl said.

Clee's booming indignation suddenly echoed off the metal walls of the tech dome. "What a load of sludge oil!" She strode toward them, her hands on her hips. "I would never endanger my pilots!"

"I thought you were giving Obi-Wan a tour of the starfighters," Qui-Gon said.

"I came back to make sure you two weren't killing each other," Clee said. "I remember how you used to scrap at the Temple."

"We are Jedi Knights now," Qui-Gon said. "We don't scrap."

Tahl smiled. "We argue, and then I win."

Clee flopped in a chair. "Well, I'm glad to see both of you. I'm really in a mess. If I don't figure out who is sabotaging my fleet, I'm sure the Council will cancel the whole program. I can't let that happen!"

"Tell me about security," Qui-Gon said.

"Ships are refitted at a nearby yard, and all the workers have undergone Senate security checks. After the first incident, I restricted the workers who take care of Jedi ships to two. It slows things down, but it's safer. Each of them has passed the highest level of security clearance from the Senate. I thought everything would be fine. Yet another incident happened after this."

"So it has to be one of the two workers," Qui-Gon said.

"Or someone is finding a way to sneak into a highly restricted area," Tahl said.

Clee leaned forward and gripped her hands in frustration. "I can't tighten security more than I already have. Those Senate security checks are incredibly thorough."

"There's another possibility," Qui-Gon said. "Someone in the Senate is behind this, and one or both of the security clearances is false."

"I didn't think of that," Tahl said. "That would explain the rumors in the Senate. The same someone could be responsible. Someone who wants this project to fail."

"But why?" Clee asked. "Who would object to a handful of Jedi Temple students learning how to fly starfighters?"

"Someone who is afraid of the Jedi increasing their power," Qui-Gon mused. "The program is still young. Its potential may scare them."

Qui-Gon's comlinksignaled, and he excused himself to answer it, walking a few paces away. It was Yoda.

"Unhappy news I have," Yoda said without preliminaries."Ruled the Senate has to form a subcommittee to investigate Bruck's death. Vox Chun has a hidden powerful ally there. Discovered we have that Sano Sauro is a prosecutor. Rumor is he is hungry to make his mark. Return you must, Qui-Gon. Three witnesses there will be-yourself, Bant, and Obi-Wan. Fear I do that this process will take its toll on your Padawan."

Qui-Gon's heart sank. "Yes," he said softly. "I fear it will as well."