The Fight for Truth

12

The morning gong shattered the silence before dawn. Instantly, students threw back their covers and stood, lining up to use the wash basins that ran along the wall.

Obi-Wan felt the shock of cold water against his skin. His mind was already clear. The next gong sounded, the signal to dress and proceed to the food hall within three minutes. Davi had explained what was required last night before they’d separated.

Obi-Wan reflected how different life at the Temple had been. There, a soft light began slowly and grew in brightness, mimicking a rising sun. The students all had their own quarters, as privacy was respected. Early morning was a time of meditation and gentle exercise before the day began. It was not harsh noise and hurry.

Here the students did not seem to mind the abrupt start of the day or the strict schedule they had to follow. They did not seem to notice the contrast between the smiles of the Guides and their sharp orders. And nobody seemed to mind the food.

Across the room, Siri sat with the other girls. She lifted a spoonful of grain mash and made a face at him. Obi-Wan laughed quietly to himself.

“Two punishments marks, V-Obi,” one of the Guides said, entering it into a touch pad. “Concentration on nutrition is what we do during meal service. Interaction with others is saved for free time.”

Obi-Wan chewed on the tasteless meal. Siri was right. They had to get out of here.

“Today we will play Response Time,” O-Bin announced. “You all know how this is done. A topic will flash on your screen. Whoever hits their response button first will tell the class what the significant facts about the topic are. Good luck.”

Obi-Wan glanced at his data screen. Coruscant flashed across it. He did not hit his response button. The best thing he could do today was try not to attract any attention from the Teaching Guides.

Jedi responses are lightning fast. The light on top of Siri’s data screen lit up first. Obi-Wan threw her a warning glance, but she ignored it.

O-Bin was clearly not pleased at having to call on Siri. “O-Siri?” she asked through pursed lips.

“Coruscant is a world made up of one city. It is the home of the Galactic Senate. Billions of beings live on Coruscant. It is known for government and culture and its excellent transit and security systems—”

“I must interrupt you, O-Siri,” O-Bin said with a smile. “That is all wrong. Can anyone correct O-Siri?”

Data screen lights glowed throughout the classroom. O-Bin consulted her screen to see who had been first. “V-Mina?”

“Coruscant is a world of corruption,” V-Mina said. “Slavery is legal there.”

“Precisely,” O-Bin said.

Siri’s face was burning. Obi-Wan fixed her with a steady gaze. They both had to keep quiet. They should not attract any more attention.

Next it flashed Jedi Order.

This time, O-Bin deliberately ignored Siri’s glowing light. “V-Taun?”

“The Jedi Order is surrounded by darkness. They—”

Siri sprang to her feet. “The Jedi path is one of service to the galaxy!”

“Sit down, O-Siri! Five punishment marks! And you know what that means ...”

Obi-Wan groaned loudly.

“Food service cleanup after the evening meal,” O-Bin hissed through her teeth. “And V-Obi, from your groan I’m sure you’ll be happy to join O-Siri. So much better for the General Good.”

“I am capable of keeping my mouth shut,” Siri told Obi-Wan later. “I just don’t want to. What difference does it make if we’re washing dishes? At least we’re not sitting in a class listening to O-Bin tell us that the Core Worlds are corrupted.”

Obi-Wan regarded the stack of dishes crusted with the remains of the evening meal. It was the second time they had been given cleanup duty that day. “I think I’d rather be sitting in class.”

“I have a suggestion.” Siri threw the dishrag into the sink. “Let’s forget the dishes and escape. Tonight. If we can’t outsmart that greedy V-Tarz, we don’t deserve to be Jedi.”

“All right,” he agreed.

“Obi-Wan, you’ve got to listen to me sometime. You’re not the only one who can—” Siri did a double take. “Did you just agree with me?”

Obi-Wan nodded. “You’re right. We saw how the security system operates. Let’s do it. Qui-Gon and Adi must be really worried now.”

“There will be two guards,” Siri said. “And V-Tarz might not be able to go for his snack. What do you have in mind?”

“The other Security Guide thinks the system malfunctioned last night, but they don’t know where the problem is, right?”

Siri nodded.

“So let’s create a real problem,” Obi-Wan said. “They’ll have to shut down the system to check and repair it. Meanwhile we’ll sneak out the cleansing room window.”

“How can we sabotage the system?” Siri asked. “We can’t sneak into the admin center now. It’s full of Guides.”

“We have to sabotage it here,” Obi-Wan said, glancing around the kitchen. “Any ideas?”

They examined the security devices set into the ceiling corners.

“Didn’t V-Tarz say something about the infrared sensor?” Siri asked.

“He claimed that it could be malfunctioning,” Obi-Wan said.

“Can we rig something to set it off again?” Siri asked. She ran her hand along the big warming unit. “What if we turned the stoves on low? They’d heat the room and eventually the infrareds would go off. They’d have to turn off the system to figure it out.”

“Simple, but genius,” Obi-Wan said. “Let’s do it. But we’d better wash the dishes first. If a Guide comes in to check our work, he or she might notice the stoves are on.”

“I knew there was a drawback,” Siri groaned.

Working quickly, the two finished their task. The warning lights flashed for lockdown, and they ran for their dorm quarters. They paused outside the admin center.

“We don’t have time to say good-bye to Davi,” Siri said in concern.

“He’ll know what happened when he finds out we’re gone. We can come back for him with Qui-Gon and Adi. Meet me here as soon as the security light goes out,” Obi-Wan said. “Then we’ll head for the Quad 7 exit.”

Siri nodded. Obi-Wan headed to his dorm quarters. He managed to slip into bed just before the lights went out. He waited, listening to the breathing slow around him. The students worked so hard and long during the day that everyone fell deeply asleep within minutes of lying down.

At last the security light blinked off. Obi-Wan slipped into his boots and tiptoed out. He hesitated near Davi’s sleep couch. It was better not to awaken him. Anything could go wrong, and he didn’t want to get Davi in trouble. When he reached the hall outside the admin center, Siri was waiting.

“I just saw V-Tarz and the other Security Guide take off to check that sensor,” she said. “It’s an all clear.”

They hurried down the long hallway, past the other dorm rooms. The cleansing room was at the very end of the long, circular building. They had almost reached it when they heard the scrape of a door opening slightly.

Without hesitating a fraction, Obi-Wan and Siri leaped together toward the curve of the hallway, where they would be out of sight. They hit the floor and began to run. If someone had caught a glimpse of them, or even merely heard them, Security Guides might be called. Each student was encouraged to inform on the others.

But would they?

An alarm pierced the silence. The door to the cleansing room was in sight. They raced toward it. But before they could reach it, Security Guides spilled out into the hallway and surrounded them.

They could have fought them. But that meant they would have to draw their lightsabers. Obi-Wan was still reluctant to do that, since Yoda had cautioned them against it. There had to be a better way. He saw Siri’s hand drift to her lightsaber hilt, and he shook his head. But would Siri listen to him?

Students spilled out into the hall to see what had caused the disturbance. O-Bin and several other Teaching Guides hurried out, dressed in their sleepwear.

“I know these two well,” O-Bin said. “What are you doing out in the hallways after curfew?”

A shaky voice came from behind them. “It was me.”

They turned. Davi stood nervously, his eyes on the floor, afraid to look at O-Bin. “I was heading for the food prep area,” Davi said. “I… forgot something.”

“I’ll say he did!” V-Tarz hurried forward. “He left all the stoves on! Tripped the sensors!”

O-Bin plastered her chiding smile on her face. “This is very careless of you, V-Davi. We will have to consult to figure out how many punishment marks you will receive.”

“I know,” Davi mumbled. “I realize that I endangered the General Good. I am repentant.”

“Well. We shall discuss this tomorrow.” O-Bin clapped her hands. “Everyone return to your quarters.”

Amid the crush of students, Obi-Wan and Siri made their way to Davi.

“Why did you do that?” Siri whispered.

“I don’t have as many punishment marks as you,” Davi whispered back.

“Davi, why are you wearing your boots and outer tunic?” Obi-Wan asked shrewdly.

“I saw you leave,” Davi said. “I knew you were going to escape. I wanted to come with you!”

“V-Davi!” O-Bin’s voice was shrill. “If you want to repent for your disobedience, you should not be talking to two troublemakers!”

With a last glance at them, Davi backed up. But suddenly something shot out of his pocket. Obi-Wan knew immediately what it was: Davi’s pet ferbil, Scurry. Davi would not leave the Learning Circle without his pet.

“What is that?” O-Bin snapped. “Catch it!”

Davi went down on his hands and knees. He made a chirping noise with his mouth and cupped his hands. The ferbil ran into his palm.

“That,” O-Bin said, “is a pet.”

Davi said nothing. His face flamed.

“It’s just a little ferbil,” Siri said.

“Two punishment marks, O-Siri. I was not talking to you. V-Tarz!”

V-Tarz rumbled forward. “Please search V-Davi’s dorm area,” O-Bin ordered.

Obi-Wan and Siri followed. While the students stood around, it did not take V-Tarz long to find two iridescent lizards, another baby ferbil, and a bag of seeds.

O-Bin pressed her lips together. “What do we say, students?”

All the students faced Davi.

“SHAME. SHAME. SHAME,” they repeated over and over.

“Take … those … things,” O-Bin told V-Tarz, her teeth clenched in a smile. “And get rid of them.”

V-Tarz scooped up the lizards and put both ferbils in his pocket.

“No!” Davi cried. “Please…”

“SHAME. SHAME. SHAME.”

Inside V-Tarz’s pocket, the ferbils chirped anxiously.

Davi’s eyes filled. Tears slowly dripped down his cheeks. “Please,” he whispered.

As soon as the lights powered up the next morning, Obi-Wan hurried to Davi’s sleep couch to give him words of encouragement. They would find a way out. They would take him with them.

But Davi was gone.