The Defenders of the Dead

11

Qui-Gon sat in the shadows, watching the furious activity of the Young as they dashed in and out of the vault for supplies, then hurried out to return to the streets above.

Something had woken him before dawn, a soft flurry of movement. He had seen Obi-Wan leave with Cerasi and Nield. He had let his Padawan go.

It would have been easy to step forward and challenge Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon’s anger had surged, and he had wanted to confront the boy. Obi-Wan had no right to leave without permission. He had violated Qui-Gon’s trust. It was a small violation, but it stung.

He and Obi-Wan had not yet achieved the perfect mind-communion of the Master-Padawan relationship. They had merely taken a few steps on a long journey together. They occasionally had disagreements and misunderstandings. But Obi-Wan had never deliberately concealed something from him before.

Obviously, Obi-Wan was afraid that Qui-Gon would not let him go. The boy was right; he would have forbidden it. Qui-Gon believed the Young sincerely wanted peace, but he wasn’t sure if they would follow through with their good intentions if they gained any sort of power. He saw much anger in them. Obi-Wan saw only passion.

At last Nield, Cerasi, and Obi-Wan returned. Qui-Gon let out a slow breath of relief. He had started to worry.

“Time for phase two,” Nield said as the three entered the vault. “We go for the weapon storage of both sides.”

“What about Tahl?” Qui-Gon asked.

“Cerasi will lead you to Tahl,” Nield said.“Deila?”

A tall, slender girl paused as she loaded more projectiles into pouches that hung from her belt. “Yes?”

“How’s it going on the Melida side?”

She grinned.“Chaos. They think the Daan are everywhere, even in their closets.”

“Good.” Nield turned back to Qui-Gon. “There should be enough confusion for you to slip through. Cerasi will bring you, but you’ll have to rescue Tahl on your own.”

“That’s fine,” Qui-Gon agreed. He didn’t want to put the girl in danger.

Obi-Wan didn’t meet his Master’s gaze as the two Jedi followed Cerasi into a narrow tunnel that led off the vault. Qui-Gon pushed his anger aside. He would not confront Obi-Wan about sneaking out. Not yet. He turned his mind to the task ahead. He had to focus on Tahl now.

Cerasi led them through a maze of tunnels until they came to a grate. Pale gray light filtered down.

“We are underneath the building where Tahl is being held,” she whispered. “This will lead you to a lower level of a military barracks. Tahl is being held in a room three doors to the right. There will be guards there, but probably not as many as there were before. Every soldier is needed on the streets.”

“How many were there before?” Qui-Gon asked in a low murmur.

“That’s the bad news,” Cerasi said ruefully. “She’s guarded by only two guards, but right around the corner is the main quarters for soldiers. It’s where they come to eat and sleep. So there are always plenty of soldiers walking back and forth. That’s why Nield and I figured you needed a diversion.” She pointed overhead. “The grate leads directly into a grain storage area, so you can climb up without being seen.”

“Thank you, Cerasi,” Qui-Gon said quietly. “We can find our own way back.”

But when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan emerged into a small storage area crowded with sacks of grain, Cerasi’s head popped up out of the grate after them.

“I thought you were going back,” Obi-Wan whispered.

She grinned. “I have a feeling you’ll need my help.” She dangled her slingshot. “A diversion might come in handy.”

Obi-Wan returned her grin, but Qui-Gon frowned. “I don’t want to put you in danger, Cerasi. This is not part of our deal. Nield said—”

“I make my own decisions, Qui-Gon,” Cerasi interrupted. “I’m offering my help. I know the layout. Will you accept my offer or not?” Cerasi’s chin stuck out challengingly. Her crystal eyes glinted at Qui-Gon.

“All right,” he said. “But if Obi-Wan and I get in trouble, you leave. Do you promise me?”

“I promise,” Cerasi agreed.

Qui-Gon eased the door open a crack and surveyed the area. A long hallway was lined with heavy metal doors. One soldier hurried down the hall and disappeared around a turning. Two soldiers were posted as guards outside one of the doors. It was where Tahl was being held.

A soldier headed toward him, moving fast. Qui-Gon faded back, but kept close to the opening.

“Going back out there?” one of the guards asked.

“We’ve got an invasion on our hands,” the soldier said curtly.“Just got news of an attack only two blocks away. I’ve got to find my unit.”

The guards exchanged nervous glances. “We’re sitting ducks in here,” the first one muttered. “We should be out there fighting. This duty is a waste of time anyway. I don’t care if she is a Jedi, she’s too weak to be a threat.”

“She’s done for,” the other guard said. “It won’t be long.”

Rage and pain rose in Qui-Gon. It couldn’t be too late. He controlled the anger and called on the Force to help him. He knew Obi-Wan was doing the same, for the Force was suddenly a presence in the room, surging around them.

“Qui-Gon,” Cerasi whispered. “I have an idea. Will you listen?”

“Do I have a choice?” Qui-Gon responded.

Cerasi moved closer and whispered her plan in his ear.

“All right,” he said. “But then you leave. Agreed?”

Cerasi nodded. Then she eased open the door and slipped out.

It took a moment for the guards to notice her.

Cerasi hurried toward them, her expression stricken.

“Halt!” the guards called.

“What?” Cerasi asked, distracted. She kept on moving.

“Halt or we’ll shoot!” the guards warned.

Cerasi stopped. She wrung her hands together. “But my father is here! I have to see him!”

“Who is your father?”

Cerasi drew herself up. “Wehutti, the great hero. I must tell him that my aunt Sonie is dead. She was blown up by a foul Daan proton grenade. You must let me pass!”

“You are Wehutti’s daughter?”

“Yes, look. I have an identity card.” Cerasi showed the guards her Melida card.

One of the guards took it, then swiped it down his readout. When he handed it back to her, his voice was kind. “I haven’t seen Wehutti here. He’s most likely on the streets. We’re being invaded, you know.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Cerasi cried. “The Daan are taking the Hub block by block. They’ll be here any minute. I need my father! He promised he’d be here if I needed him. He promised!” Cerasi’s voice wobbled. With her slight figure and her quavering voice, she seemed younger than she was.

The guards exchanged a glance.“All right. But then you’ve got to clear out and seek shelter,” the second one said.

Cerasi hurried down the hall and turned the corner. A moment passed, then another. Qui-Gon waited patiently. He had confidence in Cerasi. She would need time to circle around to the other side of the guards.

Suddenly, the sound of blaster fire echoed down the hallway in the direction opposite from where Cerasi had disappeared. The two guards exchanged glances.

“Daan!” the first guard hissed. “The girl was right! They’re attacking!”

Qui-Gon was out the door, lightsaber in hand, before the guards could turn and react. Obi-Wan raced alongside him.

The guards fired their blasters rapidly as soon as they saw the Jedi. But they were too late. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon deflected the fire with their lightsabers without missing a step.

Moving in synch, they jumped the last few meters to the guards, feet first. Deflecting blaster fire with their lightsabers, they hit the guards in the chest with a powerful kick. The guards flew back, their blasters flying out of their hands.

“Cover me,” Qui-Gon instructed Obi-Wan crisply. He moved to the door. As he began to slice through the lock with his lightsaber, the guards recovered and reached for the electro-jabbers on their belts.

Obi-Wan didn’t wait for them to rise. He leaped over them so that they would need to turn and twist to attack. He knocked the electro-jabber out of one guard’s hand with a kick and sliced down with his lightsaber toward the other. The guard howled and dropped his weapon.

“Don’t move,” Obi-Wan warned them, keeping his lightsaber over their heads.

The lock gave, and Qui-Gon pushed open the door. He stopped, stricken at the heart by Tahl’s appearance. She had gone through Temple training with him. She had always been beautiful, a tall woman from the planet Noori, with eyes striped gold and green and skin the color of dark honey.

Now she appeared thin and wasted. Her beautiful skin was marred by a white scar that ran from one eye and curved around her chin. The other eye was covered with a patch.

“Tahl,” he said, keeping his voice steady. “It’s Qui-Gon.”

“Ah, rescue at last,” she said in the gently mocking tone that had always made him smile. “Do I look that bad, old friend?”

He realized then that she could not see.

“You look as lovely as ever,” he said. “But can you wait on the compliments? My hands are full at the moment.”

“I’m afraid I’m a little weak,” Tahl confessed.

“I’ll carry you.” Qui-Gon scooped up Tahl in his arms. She felt as light as a child. “Can you hang onto my neck?” he asked.

He felt her nod as her arms tightened around him. “Just get me out of here,” she said. “I’ve had better food in a Hutt cantina.”

Just then Qui-Gon heard the sound he’d hoped he wouldn’t: rapid blaster fire. Reinforcements had arrived. Obi-Wan was in trouble. His time had run out.

He proceeded cautiously to the door. He peered out.

Six soldiers had charged out of their quarters and were shooting at Obi-Wan from the end of the hall. Obi-Wan had flung open a door and was using it for cover. The soldiers had rearmed the two on the ground, so there were now eight soldiers to fight.

“What’s the bad news?” Tahl asked.

“Eight so far,” Qui-Gon said.“Maybe more coming.”

“Piece of cake for you,” she said weakly.

“Just what I was about to say.”

Blaster fire rebounded off the door that Obi-Wan crouched behind. The doors were armored, Obi-Wan realized. They could use that to their advantage.

Qui-Gon flung his own door wide open and stepped out behind it, making a quick calculation. Obi-Wan had held off the soldiers so far by periodically deflecting blaster fire back at them with his lightsaber, but they would soon realize that he wasn’t armed with a blaster.

Then they would rush him.

Qui-Gon looked over at Obi-Wan. It was time to take the offensive again. But he couldn’t endanger Tahl, and she was too weak to walk. They were stuck. He would not leave Tahl. He didn’t even want to put her down again. If he was separated from her, he might not be able to get to her again.

“Leave me, Qui-Gon,” Tahl murmured to him. “I’ll be no worse off than I was before. Do not let them capture you, too.”

“Have a little faith, will you?” Qui-Gon countered gently.

Suddenly, blaster fire erupted from the opposite end of the hall. Now they were surrounded!

But after a moment Qui-Gon realized that the blaster fire was directed at the soldiers.

Or, he realized suddenly, at least it sounded like blaster fire. Cerasi hadn’t left after creating a diversion, as she’d promised.

The soldiers dived around the corner for cover. Qui-Gon glanced back down the other end just in time to see Cerasi fire another laser-ball. It hit the wall, and blaster fire echoed down the hall.

The guards now fired blindly, unwilling to risk exposure by coming around the corner. Obi-Wan stepped out. He was easily able to deflect the wild shots with his lightsaber. Holding Tahl against his chest with one arm, Qui-Gon raised his lightsaber to catch any blaster fire that Obi-Wan was unable to deflect. Together they moved backward down the hallway toward the storage room.

As they moved, Obi-Wan flung open door after door. They swung outward, helping to block blaster fire. The soldiers kept up a steady stream of fire, but Cerasi loaded and shot laser-balls just as fast, and the soldiers were convinced they were under attack.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan reached the safety of the storage room. Cerasi dashed forward.

“Hurry,” she urged. “I’m running low.”

She continued shooting as Obi-Wan slid back the grate and Qui-Gon climbed down one-handed, Tahl hugging his neck.

“Now!” Obi-Wan yelled.

Cerasi hurried down after Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan followed, setting the grate back in place.

“Thank you, Cerasi.” Qui-Gon spoke quietly. “We could not have done this without your bravery.”

“Obi-Wan helped us this morning,” Cerasi replied carelessly, as if risking her life were nothing. “I just returned the favor.”

“Why did you think of claiming to be Wehutti’s daughter?” Obi-Wan asked her as she led the way back.

“Because I am,” Cerasi answered.

“But you said your father was dead,” Obi-Wan pointed out.

“He is dead to me,” Cerasi replied with a shrug. “But occasionally he comes in handy. Just like most Elders.”

She looked over her shoulder at Obi-Wan and flashed him a grin. Obi-Wan’s eyes shone back.

Qui-Gon saw in the moment of their exchange that something had deepened between them. They were intimates now, communicating without words. The adventure they had shared that morning had united them.

Qui-Gon felt his earlier anger drain away. He supposed that Obi-Wan had a lonely existence at times, traveling with someone older than himself. He must miss being with boys and girls his own age. It was good that he could bond so strongly with another.

Why should it make Qui-Gon so uneasy?