The Call to Vengeance

12

Qui-Gon ran through the darkness, grateful for the new moons that made the night so dark. He moved from shadow to shadow noiselessly. When he had put a good deal of distance between himself and Manex’s residence, he finally slowed down.

He was tired, but he wanted to run again. Pushing his body was the only time his mind had a chance to empty out. Facing Mace had been difficult. Facing Obi-Wan had been worse. He knew he belonged with the Jedi. Yet he could not seem to stop himself from going on alone. His emotions were too large right now, too raw. Around the Jedi he felt too exposed. Mace would see how difficult it was for him to maintain serenity.

He could even order Qui-Gon back to the Temple. Qui-Gon could not allow that.

The truth was, he dreaded the moment he would walk back into the Temple and know that Tahl’s footsteps would never echo in its halls again.

The Temple would never again welcome him in the same way. Loss would be as much a part of it as shelter.

His fever to catch Balog battled with his fear of the future, when this mission would be over. He would be faced with only his grief to bear, and he would have to look ahead to empty years. What would happen to him then?

A deep chill caused him to shudder. The cool wind was drying his sweat. He saw a security patrol ahead and quickly turned down a side street. Once again he would not sleep tonight. He would have to keep alert.

Every officer in the city was now looking for Qui-Gon Jinn.

But he had learned something. They had tied him to the murder through the probe droids. He could not understand why the probe droids had attacked someone instead of tracking Balog, as they had been programmed to do. He wondered if the two droids that had veered off when attacking him had actually been his own droids. It had been strange that they had suddenly gone away. Did that mean that his droids had attacked Oleg, too? Someone had reprogrammed them.

He needed answers, and for once he knew where to find them. He would pay a visit to the black-market dealer, Mota, who had sold him the droids.

If they were reprogrammed, Mota was undoubtedly the link to whoever reprogrammed them. And if that person was Balog, he might have a way to contact him.

Qui-Gon circled back and glanced down the street. The security officer was gone. He struck out across the road into the park. There were more places to hide here in case he was spotted. And cutting across the park would bring him closer to the Worker Sector.

Qui-Gon suddenly sensed that someone was behind him, matching his footsteps and trying to match his speed. Qui-Gon melted off into the trees.

He made an arc and came up behind his pursuer. He saw a glint of gold hair in the darkness. It was Eritha.

He strode forward and grasped her arm. She gasped, then saw it was him. She was breathing hard, as if she’d just had a hard run. “I’ve been following you since you left Manex,” she said. “Or at least I’ve been trying to. I lost you and kept circling around. Finally I thought I saw you enter the park.”

“Why are you following me?”

She leaned over, trying to catch her breath. Her braids were unraveling, and her face was flushed.

“Does Manex have the list?”

“No. Was that why you are following me?”

Eritha shook her head. “It’s because I couldn’t wait until you contacted me. I guessed you would go to Manex tonight. I’ve got the information you need. I overheard Alani. I know where Balog is. I can take you there.”