Джуд Уотсон - Jedi Apprentice 11 - The Deadly Hunter

As they entered the cool halls of the Jedi Temple, Qui-Gon saw the relief Obi-Wan tried to hide. The boy was worn out. Qui-Gon had not expected that a short stop to meet Didi would spiral into a twisting mystery they would be forced to solve.

"I did not plan for this, Padawan," he told him. "I just wanted to stop by to say hello to a friend."

Obi-Wan nodded. "But a friend was in danger. You could not refuse to help."

"You did not approve," Qui-Gon said.

He saw the hesitation on Obi-Wan's face. He knew the look well. Obi-Wan hated to disappoint him. But he never lied to him.

"No," he said. "Not at first. But now I do. You say I need to connect to the living Force. More and more I see what you mean. My first impulse was to turn away from Didi." Obi-Wan met his Master's eyes. "I was tired and hungry and I did not like Didi. I thought of my own needs. Now I see what you see. Didi has faults, but he is a good being. It just takes me longer to see these things. I wish," Obi-Wan said with difficulty, "it did not."

"You are too hard on yourself, Padawan," Qui-Gon said quietly. "That can become a fault if you are not careful, for anger at oneself is a destructive thing. Every living being can be impatient, can turn away at a first glance, can avoid getting involved. It is a natural impulse. We are all creatures who want peace and comfort. Yet we are Jedi. Our own peace and comfort is not what drives us. We are dedicated to a larger good. But always remember that the peace and comfort of just one being is what drives us, too."

Obi-Wan nodded. Qui-Gon put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Get something to eat, Padawan," he said. "I am going to speak with Yoda and Tahl."

Qui-Gon could see Obi-Wan's hunger and fatigue battle with his desire to remain by his Master's side. "Are you certain you won't need me?"

"I will find you when I need you," Qui-Gon said. "What you need is a bit of rest and food. Then we'll continue."

He left Obi-Wan at the juncture toward the food hall. Then he made his way to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, where he was to meet Yoda and Tahl. He had contacted them on his comlink to arrange the meeting.

The cool, moist air revived Qui-Gon better than a meal would have. His eyes rested on the multitude of shades of green in the plants and trees that were arranged amid the winding paths. He paused for a moment to register the beauty around him. He drew a long breath, then another, concentrating on the shades of green, the murmuring fountains, the scent of growth and flowers. He let the moment matter, fill his heart and mind. Refreshed, he headed down the winding paths toward Yoda and Tahl.

They sat on a bench that Yoda favored, where water ran over smooth white pebbles, making a musical sound. Tahl must have heard his step, for she turned her head toward him.

"I hope you allowed Obi-Wan to get a decent meal," she called in a humorous tone before he could speak. "That poor boy is always hungry."

Qui-Gon grinned. Tahl never said hello. Instead she always launched right into a conversation. "Do you realize," he said, seating himself on a bench opposite them, "that you always give me an accusation, never a greeting?"

Tahl smiled. "Of course. How else can I keep you on your toes?"

Qui-Gon let his eyes rest on Tahl's lovely face. Her sightless green-and-gold striped eyes were alive with humor. Once he had not been able to look upon her without pain. Just the sight of the white scar that marked her dark honey skin had grieved him. But he had come to realize how Tahl had accepted her fate, how she had allowed it to deepen her. Her friendship was invaluable to him.

"I left him at the food hall," Qui-Gon said. "I am sure he's on his second helping by now."

"No news have you?" Yoda asked. "Concerned we are about Didi. A scoundrel he may be, but a friend to the Temple he is."

"I am sorry to report that things are worse rather than better," Qui-Gon said. Quickly, he filled them in on the murder of Fligh and the attack on Astri and Didi.

"Fligh's body was drained of blood?" Tahl frowned. "That sounds familiar."

"There have been a half dozen similar cases on Coruscant over the past year," Qui-Gon said. "Mostly drifters, beings with no ties to anyone."

"Yes, I know that," Tahl said. "It is something else." Her frown deepened. "There is one more thing. I did some more investigating on your bounty hunter. It seems she is a master of disguise. She uses wigs, synth-flesh, prosthetics. that is how she moves about undetected."

"I am not surprised to hear it," Qui-Gon said. "Obi-Wan saw her turn from an elderly man back into a young woman."

"Say you did that Fligh stole a data pad from a Senator," Yoda said. "Who?"

"Someone I did not know," Qui-Gon said. "Senator Uta S'orn from the planet Belasco."

"By the way, I contacted the security police," Tahl told him. "Senator S'orn never reported the theft. It might not be significant. The Senate is full of petty thieves. I'm sure many thefts do not get reported. Still, I thought I'd mention it. Senator S'orn also announced her resignation today. She said it was for personal reasons."

"Know Senator S'orn, I do," Yoda said. "Several talks she had with the Jedi."

Startled, Qui-Gon turned to Yoda. "About what?"

"A son she had," Yoda continued. "Ren S'orn. Force-sensitive, he was. Accepted him for training, we did. Part with him, his mother could not. Harness the Force, understand it, he could not. Wandered he did through the galaxy."

Tahl gave a sharp intake of breath. "Of course," she whispered. Yoda nodded.

"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked, leaning forward urgently. He saw that Yoda and Tahl knew something important.

"Ren became a lost being, a drifter," Tahl said. "He lost contact with his mother. At last she came to us for help. Several teams of Jedi were sent to find him and help him. He rejected them."

"Hoped we did that he would reach out one day," Yoda said. "Feared we did that he would use the Force for evil. Yet the Force merely confused and angered him. Different he was. Different he did not want to be. Peace he could not find."

"Such a tragedy," Tahl said. "He could not find a way to flourish. He could not find a place that felt like home. So as it often happens he fell in with bad companions. We received word that he had been killed."

"Not long ago, it was," Yoda said. "Six months, I think. On Simpla-12."

"This is sad news," Qui-Gon said. "But why is it significant?"

"Because of the manner of his death," Tahl said quietly. "Ren had been strangled. And his body had been drained of blood."

Obi-Wan saw at once from Qui-Gon's grim face that he would not get to savor his tart. He scrambled to his feet.

"I am sorry, Padawan. But it is time to go," Qui-Gon said.

Obi-Wan snatched up the tart and wolfed it down while they walked. Qui-Gon checked out a speeder from the transport pool. Within seconds, they were heading back toward the Senate building.

It was late evening, and the air lanes still buzzed with traffic. The glow lights made the buildings and walkways blaze as bright as daylight. Beings strolled below them, crowding the restaurants and walkways.

"What did Yoda and Tahl say?" Obi-Wan asked, swallowing the last bite of his tart.

"I don't have a clear picture yet," Qui-Gon told him. "But somehow Senator S'orn is either connected to Fligh's death or involved in it. Her son died the same way Fligh did." Qui-Gon explained the story of Ren's confused life and tragic death.

"But what does that have to do with Didi?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Maybe nothing." Qui-Gon guided the transport along the crowded air space surrounding the Senate.

"But it doesn't make sense," Obi-Wan said. "Her son died on another planet. And Didi has never met Senator S'orn."