Джуд Уотсон - Jedi Apprentice 8 - The Day of Reckoning

Den slipped out the door. Qui-Gon slowly rose.

"We have to get out of here now," he said.

Obi-Wan looked at him, surprised. "But we can't abandon Den."

Qui-Gon looked grim. "He has already abandoned us."

Obi-Wan heard the sound of pounding feet. The door hissed open.

"Don't draw your lightsaber," Qui-Gon quickly ordered, just before the security forces rushed in.

Obi-Wan knew why. Qui-Gon was hoping to escape detection as a wanted criminal. If they were lucky, they would be held at UniFy as trespassers.

But that fleeting hope was dashed immediately when the burly head of security stepped forward.

"You are wanted as violators of Telosian law under the Galactic Criminals Act," he told them. "You are under arrest."

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were swiftly transported to the Central Booking Station, where they were recognized as escaped galactic criminals and thrown into prison. Qui-Gon asked that the Temple be contacted, but the request was ignored.

"Telosian justice used to be fair," he said to Obi-Wan as he stood in the dank underground cell. "They should allow us the opportunity to clear ourselves."

"We're not even sure what the charges are," Obi-Wan said. "Do you think they'll discover that the whole thing has been faked?"

"There is always that hope," Qui-Gon said. "They can't hold us for long if they can't prove we did something wrong. At least they didn't find our lightsabers."

Using the Force, Qui-Gon had managed to prevent the guards from giving them a thorough search.

"Why don't we just cut through the door?" Obi-Wan asked, placing his hands against the fortified durasteel.

"Because there will be fifty guards on us before we can move very far," Qui-Gon said. "Let's bide our time. We'll find an opportunity to escape."

"I can't believe Den left us in the lurch like that," Obi-Wan said, disgusted. "He must have known there was a security alert as soon as the viewscreens froze."

"Yes, I think he did," Qui-Gon agreed calmly. "But it is better to focus on what we can do now."

"What can we do?" Obi-Wan asked. "We're locked up."

"We can think of our next step," Qui-Gon said. "It's a waste of time to blame Den. What did we learn while we were at UniFy?"

"I didn't learn anything except that people who work for companies send too many memos," Obi-Wan said, discouraged.

"There were many, it's true," Qui-Gon agreed. "And most of them were trivial. Many of them merely confirmed a conversation over a comlink. Did you notice that? This makes me think that so many files could be a way to stop examiners later should the company be investigated. It's hard to find the truth when it's buried under data. Does that remind you of anything?" Obi-Wan thought for a long moment. "Offworld," he said at last. "The company conceals its true intentions and even its headquarters behind other companies. It uses confusion to hide."

"Exactly," Qui-Gon said. "And there was something else I learned at UniFy. When the screens froze, I got to see what Den was doing. He was not looking up files on Offworld or the Sacred Pools. He was looking up Katharsis."

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't know the answer to that, but the question is interesting," Qui-Gon said. "UniFy administers the funds from the lottery, so I suppose it should have Katharsis files. But why is Den so interested? Think about his character."

Obi-Wan remembered Andra's words. "He must think he can profit in some way."

"Exactly," Qui-Gon agreed. "My guess is that's the reason he agreed to help us in the first place. So you see when we get out, we'll have another path to investigate."

"When we get out?" Obi-Wan asked, looking at the fortified durasteel door.

"We'll get out," Qui-Gon said in the same calm tone.

Obi-Wan wished he could feel as certain. He had a feeling that now that Xanatos had them where he wanted them, he would not be so foolish as to let them go.

They spent a cold night in the cell. Obi-Wan awoke before dawn. He lay on a sleep mat, his eyes open. There were no windows in the cell, so he could not distinguish the walls from the floor. He was surrounded by black, as though he were floating in a void. Perhaps this disorienting feeling was part of the punishment.

The only indication of morning was when the cell lights blazed on. They were given some hard bread and weak tea for breakfast.

The day passed slowly. Qui-Gon asked repeatedly to speak to someone in authority. The request was refused.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan did a series of muscle stretches to stay limber. Then they meditated. In captivity, a Jedi organized the mind, calmed the spirit, and kept the body strong.

Qui-Gon sat meditating on the hard stone floor. Suddenly, he sighed and raised his head.

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan was surprised by this statement. "Sorry?" he asked.

"You should be back at the Temple. I should not have let you accompany me. It was an error in judgment."

"The decision was mine to make," Obi-Wan said. "I'm not sorry to be here."

Qui-Gon's smile was as dim as the light. "Even though you are cold and hungry?"

"I am where I should be," Obi-Wan responded. "By your side."

Qui-Gon stood. "I was harsh to you after what happened on Melida/Daan."

"No more than I deserved." Obi-Wan was surprised to see the emotion on Qui-Gon's face. This was the first time his former Master had brought up the rift between them with sorrow more than anger. He seemed to be struggling for words.

"No, Obi-Wan, it was much more than you deserved," Qui-Gon corrected. "I have come to see that my reaction was due to my own failings, not yours. I haven't had a chance to tell you that. I?" Qui-Gon stopped suddenly. "He's here," he murmured.

Then Obi-Wan felt it, too. The disturbance in the Force was like a whisper of poison gas that snaked under a crack in the door and then filled the room. He stood and turned toward the door.

The durasteel door suddenly hissed open. Xanatos stood in the doorway. His black cloak was thrown back, his legs casually apart, his hands on his hips.

"Enjoying yourselves?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at them and smiling.

Qui-Gon faced him, not speaking.

"Ah, the silent treatment," Xanatos said with a sigh. "And here I was hoping that we could have a chat. There's not much time. Your punishment has been decided."

"But we didn't have a trial," Qui-Gon said quietly.

"Oh, but you did," Xanatos answered. "You were both considered too dangerous to attend."

"We have the right to attend our own trial! That isn't fair!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

Xanatos shook his head. "Ah, I remember being that young. Back when I thought that life would treat me fairly. Before I met you, Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Life does not treat you fairly or unfairly," Qui-Gon said. "It merely is. It is up to each of us to be fair, or unfair."

"It's never too late for some great Jedi wisdom," Xanatos said scornfully. "And it is always the same? nothing but riddles. Well, figure this out, Jedi? since you did not appear at your trial, I showed up in your place. I was the star witness against you. I had evidence of your crimes, records of the many worlds that brought charges against you, tales of the times you had escaped justice throughout the galaxy. And at last justice found you on Telos. It also helped that a grieving father was in the courtroom, distraught at the death of his son at the hands of your accomplice." Xanatos gave a heavy sigh. "Poor Bruck. I always thought he just needed a little push to succeed. How was I to know that Obi-Wan Kenobi would deliver it?"

Xanatos raised one hand and then slapped it into his palm with a sharp crack. It was eerily close to the crack of Bruck's head hitting the rocks below the waterfall. Obi-Wan tried not to wince. He would not give Xanatos that satisfaction. But inside, he felt the shock of it. Helplessness and guilt swept over him as he recalled Bruck's lifeless, unseeing gaze, the arm flung out as if in a last, desperate cry for help.