Jedi Quest 6: The Shadow Trap

Chapter Sixteen

Anakin watched as his Master rose. A heaviness seemed to lie on Obi- Wan, a weariness Anakin had never seen before.

He kept a firm grip on Feeana, who was staring down the tunnel in shock, amazed that she had been left behind.

Anakin knew that all his questions were in his eyes. He had heard of Xanatos. Every Jedi student had heard the story of the Temple invasion.

Obi-Wan had told him a little of it. Now Anakin realized how much more there was to know.

"We will discuss this later, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "We have a mission to complete."

When they emerged back into the substation, the battle was over. Decca was just arriving with her troops.

They were staring in disbelief at the litter of broken droids, fused weapons, captured forces, and only three Jedi.

Obi-Wan stepped over a pile of droids to speak to Yoda. "Omega has escaped. What should we do now with Decca?"

"A little reason now we shall use," Yoda said. "A dead end, she has come to. Listen now, she will." He moved forward to talk to Decca.

"I thought you would lose," Feeana said numbly to Anakin. "I was afraid for my troops. I had had some dealings with Granta. He always said I could join him. He said he would protect me and my gang. I was such a fool.

" There was nothing to say, Anakin saw. He led Feeana to sit with the other prisoners and then returned to Obi-Wan.

"So your vision was true," Obi-Wan said. "Yaddle met her death here.

We just did not know how to interpret it."

Anakin nodded. A lump rose in his throat. Why did having the vision make him feel so responsible?

"And yet it was not true, as well," Obi-Wan said. "The vision was not about Shmi. It was about you. It was about the temptations in your life."

He hesitated. "What did Omega tell you?"

Anakin hesitated and then said, "That the Jedi were holding me back.

That I could free the slaves on Tatooine, free my mother. He said he would help me do it."

"That must have tempted you," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin said nothing. He could not admit it, but he could not lie.

"It is all right, Anakin. It is understandable that you would want to ease your mother's life. But being a Jedi means that your ties are to all beings. You are the only Jedi with such a strong, deep tie, and it makes it harder for you. But remember, a life of service is not only about giving up. It is about giving."

"I don't believe you're holding me back," Anakin said. "I hate him for saying it."

"Hate is not an answer," Obi-Wan said. "Understanding is." He sighed.

"Xanatos could twist feelings in just that way. He was a dangerous being.

Just as Omega is. We'll meet him again, I'm sure of it."

Anakin was sure of it, too.

Yoda walked slowly back to them using his walking stick, his lightsaber tucked into his utility belt, his robe swinging. It was the Yoda Anakin knew best, the wise teacher, rather than the warrior. He was glad he had seen the warrior, however. He had seen how powerful Yoda was, and yet he knew somehow that he had seen only one small corner of his power.

"Leaving the planet, Decca is," Yoda said.

"How did you manage that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Informed her I did that the Jedi are thinking of setting up a satellite Temple on Mawan," Yoda said. "Seemed to dismay her, it did."

"We're thinking of setting up a satellite Temple?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised.

"From time to time, discuss an outpost, the Council does," Yoda said.

"Merely suggesting it, I was. Enough it was to convince her that it was best to leave." He blinked at Anakin. "See you do that the right diplomacy is always better than battles, young Padawan?"

Anakin nodded obediently, but something in his face must have alerted Yoda, for suddenly his gray-blue gaze grew keen. "Know you do that Yaddle's death was not your fault," he said.

"I had the vision," Anakin burst out. "I should have known!"

"And Obi-Wan and myself?" Yoda asked sharply. "Told us of the vision you did, and yet know we did not. Blame us as well, do you?"

"Of course not," Anakin said. "But things in the vision started to come true when I was with Omega. I should never have asked Yaddle to meet with him. I should have refused. I should have tried to escape."

"When you look back, lose your place on the path, you do." Yoda's voice gentled. "Learn you will, Anakin, that stars move and stars fall, and nothing at all do they have to do with you."

Yoda walked off with his Master. Anakin was grateful for his words.

Why hadn't his Master said them? When he'd said that Yaddle's death was his fault, Obi-Wan had remained silent.

He knew in his bones that he had caused a chain of events that led to a Jedi Master's murder. Even if that didn't make him responsible, he knew it would make it hard for him to sleep at night.

The vision hadn't been wrong. The essential truth it had left him with was part of him now. He felt it inside him like a wound. It was loss. The gulf between him and Obi-Wan was wider than ever.