Jedi Apprentice 18: The Threat Within (звёздные войны) Page 8

  Obi-Wan tried to reassure Grath. "We're doing all we can. We mustn't lose hope," he said.

  But Obi-Wan himself had a foreboding feeling. They might be too late.

  "It's all my fault," Grath went on. "I started to change the pranks.

  I wanted to get their attention. To make them see…" Grath's eyes filled with tears as he stared out of the shuttle portal. "And now my father, the leader of the planet, is in danger."

  "It's not your fault, Grath," Tray piped up, her voice wavering.

  "It's mine." She made a sharp turn and the shuttle banked to the left.

  There was a groan from a few Freelies who were thrown against the shuttle wall.

  "I convinced Flip that the pranks should become violent. I told him you would respect him for taking the next step, that you would be proud….

  " Tray took a hand off the controls to wipe her eyes, sending the shuttle into a nosedive. It skidded against the ground before Tray righted it again.

  "And he believed me," she said with a sob. "He believed every word I said."

  Finally the shuttle rounded a corner and the Multycorp annex came into view. Obi-Wan let out a huge sigh of relief. It was still standing.

  But before the shuttle got close enough for anyone to shout a warning, a huge explosion rocked the workspace. Chunks of metal, cement, and other debris shot into the air as the front of the Multycorp annex exploded, collapsing in on itself.

  "No!" Grath screamed, covering his face with his hands. Nania stared ahead, too shocked to speak. Tray slumped over the shuttle's controls. Obi- Wan scanned the area through the view-screen, waiting for the dust to clear. Did Qui-Gon get his message? Did the Vorzydiaks get out in time?

  Obi-Wan sensed that his Master was nearby, but could not tell if he was all right.

  Obi-Wan immediately saw a group of people. Some were crouched, others lay on the ground amid the rubble. There was not much movement.

  Forcing open the shuttle door, Obi-Wan raced toward them. He desperately hoped that he was not running toward a scene of death.

  Chapter 21

  The explosion site was in chaos. Vorzydiak laborers and retirees were everywhere, lying on the ground, droning, and nursing injuries. All of them were in shock. Obi-Wan followed Grath and Tray as the Vorzydiaks searched the crowd for their families.

  At last Obi-Wan spotted Qui-Gon's brown robe. His Master was kneeling beside a body on the ground. Next to him was Chairman Port.

  "Father!" Grath shouted and sprinted ahead.

  Chairman Port turned. His face was singed. With one hand he protected the injured arm that hung awkwardly at his side. Being careful not to hurt his broken arm, Grath stepped close to his father. They did not speak but instead embraced using their antennae, letting their feelers entwine, assuring each other that they were going to be all right.

  Obi-Wan hurried toward Qui-Gon. He was relieved to see his Master was not injured, but the Jedi did not embrace. The look on Qui-Gon's face stopped Obi-Wan in his tracks. Tray's grandmother was the figure on the ground. Her eyes were closed and there was blood on her face.

  Tray dropped to her knees beside her grandmother, unable to speak.

  "She's going to be fine," Qui-Gon said softly. "She was hit on the head by a small piece of falling debris on her way out of the building."

  The old woman's eyes fluttered open and she reached out for her granddaughter. Tray took her hand, but her face remained a mask of horror.

  Obi-Wan knew she was blaming herself.

  Qui-Gon put his hand on Tray's shoulder. "Your grandmother is a brave woman."

  Tray looked gratefully at Qui-Gon through tear-filled eyes. He returned her gaze reassuringly before turning to Obi-Wan.

  "Thanks to your warning almost everyone was able to get out of the building in time."

  "Almost everyone?" Obi-Wan asked. Qui-Gon did not need to say anything else. Obi-Wan knew who had been left inside. "Flip," he said quietly, not wanting to upset Tray further. But she overheard.

  "No!" Tray sobbed. "No, not Flip. We've got to find him. We've got to get him out."

  Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. Of course they needed to find Flip. He only hoped they would find him alive.

  Grath shouted and waved the growing group of Freelies to the corner of what had been the front of the Multycorp annex.

  "There's a sound coming from the basement," he explained. "We have to get in there."

  The team of laborers had searched the rubble for only a few minutes before they first heard the soft pinging. It could have been a piece of machinery still trying to operate. It could have been a wild creature. Or it could have been Flip.

  A dozen large laborers gathered together and pushed with all of their strength on a heavy beam that blocked access to the basement level. It didn't move.

  "Lift together," Grath shouted. "On three."

  Several of the laborers looked skeptically at the young Freelies. But they made room for them around the beam.

  "One, two, three," Grath counted. Working together, the group lifted the beam, easily sliding it over until they'd created an opening about a meter wide.

  "Brace the side," Grath shouted.

  The opening wasn't much, but it was big enough for Obi-Wan to squeeze through. "Hurry, Obi-Wan," Grath urged as the young Jedi began to lower himself into the darkened basement. He didn't need to ask twice. Obi-Wan knew that the remains of the Multycorp annex were unstable at best. Even with the beam braced over the entrance, the chance of a collapse was great. And if Flip was still alive his time could be limited.

  Obi-Wan paused a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. He listened for the pinging. It seemed to be coming from a spot ahead of him and to the left. It was getting less frequent.

  Suddenly dirt and pebbles poured down onto Obi-Wan's head.

  "Look out," called a voice above him. "I'm coming with you."

  The light from the opening was blocked for a moment. Then Tray dropped down beside Obi-Wan.

  "The noise is coming from over there," Obi-Wan pointed. He started to lead the way but Tray rushed past him.

  "Flip?" she yelled. "Flip? Hang on, we're coming." The Vorzydiak girl ducked around a large piece of machinery. She moved quickly and easily in the cramped quarters and disappeared from view. But Obi-Wan could still hear her calling to her friend.

  "Flip? Flip!" Tray's exclamation left no doubt that she had found the boy. Obi-Wan pushed past a pile of rubble to join them.

  "Flip," Tray repeated more quietly. Together Obi-Wan and Tray heaved the piece of durasteel bracing that pinned Flip to the floor off his chest.

  Dropping down beside him, Tray took the boy's hand. She loosened his grip on the scrap of durasteel he'd been pounding on the brace as a distress signal.

  Except for a large bruise on his forehead, Flip appeared to be okay.

  But even though the brace was no longer holding him down, he couldn't get up. Watching him struggle to get enough air to speak, Obi-Wan realized that he was in bad shape. Flip coughed and winced in pain.

  "Lie down," Obi-Wan instructed. "Don't try to move or speak. Then he turned to Tray. "Stay with him while I get the medics."

  As Obi-Wan made his way back to the basement opening he heard Tray speaking softly.

  "I'm so sorry," she whispered. A sob caught in her throat. "I was wrong."

  Chapter 22

  Tray stood as close as she could to the gravstretcher as Flip was slowly maneuvered out of the basement. Grath fidgeted nervously as they emerged. It was obvious to Qui-Gon that the boy wanted to talk to Flip, but that something was holding him back.

  Qui-Gon glanced at his Padawan, mentally urging him to coax Grath forward. But Obi-Wan was already approaching the Freelie leader. Qui-Gon could not hear what Obi-Wan spoke into Grath's ear, but whatever it was gave him the courage to take a few steps toward the wounded boy.

  Grath put his hand over Flip's and bent close to his face, speaking quietly. Although Flip could not respond, the look in
his eyes said that all was forgiven. Grath and the younger boy touched their antennae together briefly. Then Flip's antennae drooped across his face, and his body went still. Flip was gone.

  "No!" Tray sobbed. She leaned over Flip's body, laying her head on his chest. "No," she whispered. "Not you."

  Grath put a comforting hand on Tray's back. "It's not your fault, Tray," he said softly. "Flip was his own person, and made his own choices.

  We were all doing what we thought needed to be done."

  Tray looked up at Grath gratefully, her large eyes full of tears.

  Then she dropped her head. "But our way was not the right one," she said.

  "I do not think so, either," Grath said. "But now we are on another path. The path to peace."

  Tray nodded slowly. Qui-Gon sensed that over time she would come to terms with Flip's death. But it would not happen quickly.

  Grath gazed down at Flip's lifeless body, then leaned over and briefly said good-bye. Tray did the same, then several other Freelies. The medics covered Flip with a heavy gray cloth and loaded the gravstretcher into the transport.

  Grath, Tray, and Obi-Wan stood silently together as the transport took off. Slowly more Freelies gathered around the trio, twining their arms and droning. The sound was soft at first, then grew louder and more intense. It was full of pain and sorrow. The young group had been through a lot, and would now need to cope with a death among them. It would not be easy, Qui-Gon knew. And there was still much work and challenge to come.

  When the last of the injured Vorzydiaks had been taken to med units and the dust had finally settled, there was a moment of calm. But soon the moment of peace was over.

  A large Vorzydiak laborer pointed an angry finger at the Freelies.

  "Look at what you've done," he said, gesturing toward the rubble. "How can we work?"

  "Have you no respect?" asked another angry laborer, shouting at the Freelies. "Have we taught you nothing?"

  "You've taught us plenty," answered a voice from the cluster of Freelies. "You've taught us that work is all you care about. And that this is what we have to do to get your attention."

  Very quickly the scene erupted into a giant shouting match between the Freelies and the laborers. Qui-Gon watched from the sidelines beside a handful of retirees. The argument was going nowhere, each side convinced that the other was at fault. Qui-Gon was about to take a step forward when Obi-Wan separated himself from the Freelies and moved to stand between the two groups.

  "It is useless to lay blame," he said in a commanding voice. "I think you can all agree that the damage has been done." Obi-Wan spoke slowly and calmly, looking into the faces of laborers and Freelies alike. Qui-Gon felt a wave of pride well up within him. When had Obi-Wan become so wise?

  "You must work together to heal the wounds that have shown themselves today." Obi-Wan directed his plea toward the laborers. But in spite of the truth in Obi-Wan's words, Qui-Gon could tell the adult Vorzydiaks were not convinced.

  "My Padawan is right," Qui-Gon said as he joined Obi-Wan in the space between the factions. "The generations have much to offer one another." He placed an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulder. "In time you may understand that there is more to life than work and productivity. You do not have to agree all of the time, but if you take time to listen, to learn from one another, the work you do together will become infinitely more rewarding."

  The words resonated within Qui-Gon as he spoke them. He hoped Obi-Wan understood that he was not just speaking about the Vorzydiaks. He was talking about the two of them. How much they taught each other. How happy it made them to work together, to depend on each other, to know that they would always be there for each other, even when they did not agree.

  With a glance at his apprentice he saw that Obi-Wan understood. The two Jedi did not need antennae to communicate emotions. Their bond was strong.

  Qui-Gon's words reached some of the Vorzydiaks, too. But many remained unconvinced.

  "Who are you to tell us what to do?" one of the laborers asked Qui- Gon and Obi-Wan angrily.

  Chairman Port struggled to the front of the crowd and Grath rushed to help him. "You are right," Port said to the angry Vorzydiak. "The Jedi are not the ones who should solve our problems. Together we have created this disaster." He leaned heavily on his son. "And together we must work to resolve it."

  Chapter 23

  In only two days the retirement complex had changed significantly.

  Almost every door stood open, including the front entrance that led to the courtyard. After work hours, Vorzydiaks of all ages drifted in and out.

  Occasionally the sound of laughter even made its way down the once-deserted halls.

  Obi-Wan walked with Qui-Gon toward the exit, marveling at the change.

  The Vorzydiaks would need time to mourn Flip's death and the damage he had done. The rift between the generations would not heal quickly. But Obi-Wan was hopeful.

  The irregular bleat of a Vorzydiak echoed down the hall. It made Obi- Wan smile, and then stop in his tracks. It sounded like Grath.

  "Master, wait," Obi-Wan called. He rushed back down the hall toward the familiar noise, and was not disappointed.

  Grath sat in a circle of chairs in one of the complex bedrooms.

  Taking a second look, Obi-Wan noticed that instead of sleeping couches this room had been filled with chairs and tables positioned for conversation. It had been converted into a sort of leisure lounge.

  Obi-Wan was pleased to see the converted room, but immediately sensed a sadness in the air.

  Grath stood and greeted his friend. "We were just talking about Flip, " he explained. "The things he did are still very painful, but sharing memories is helping all of us." He gestured to the others in the room — a few Freelies, his father, Tray, and Tray's grandmother, Ina. They all waved their antennae at Obi-Wan in greeting.

  Grath turned back to Obi-Wan. "You are not leaving yet, are you?"

  Obi-Wan was glad when Qui-Gon came into the room behind him and interrupted Grath's question. They were, in fact, on their way back to Coruscant.

  "Chairman Port." Qui-Gon's voice was warm and deep. He crossed the small room in two steps and held out his hand to the chairman. "You're away from your office. Don't you have work to do?" Qui-Gon's eyes were alight with amusement.

  Chairman Port took Qui-Gon's hand but did not return his smile. "You have shown us there is more important work to do," he said humbly. "We are grateful."

  "We were on our way to thank you," Grath said. "But we stopped to talk to Ina and were sharing some memories of Flip."

  Obi-Wan smiled slightly. The generations of Vorzydiaks were finally spending time together, sharing emotions. And in spite of the pain caused by Flip's death, they seemed to be enjoying it.

  "We wish to thank you," Chairman Port said formally, "for assisting us in our relations with Vorzyd 5, and…" Chairman Port struggled to find the words. His flailing antennae touched the top of his son's head, tousling his hair. "And in our relationships here on Vorzyd 4."

  Qui-Gon nodded, accepting the thanks.

  "Oh, and we have a new plan," Tray said excitedly.

  For a brief moment, Obi-Wan thought she was talking about another Freelie prank.

  "The young people are helping to make an outdoor space for us," Ina explained.

  "The laborers will also be helping," Grath added. "Father is shortening the work week by one day so that there will be time."

  The Vorzydiaks looked from one to the other. Their antennae waved gently back and forth as if they were riding a gentle breeze. Obi-Wan didn't think he had seen any of them looking as alive and happy as they did right now.

  "There is still much to be done," Chairman Port said. "But we have begun. And together we shall finish."

  "I believe that you will," Qui-Gon agreed. "But I'm afraid it is time for us to get back to Coruscant. We have our own work to do."

  "Of course, of course," Chairman Port agreed.

  The Vorzydiaks bid goo
d-bye to the Jedi, and Obi-Wan followed his Master down the hall. They did have work to do, Obi-Wan knew. And it was work they needed to do together.

  "Our work is well begun, my Padawan," Qui-Gon said, breaking into Obi-Wan's thoughts. They stepped outside into the courtyard, and Qui-Gon stopped and turned to his apprentice. "And though we are beyond the beginning of our journey, we are not quite at the end."

  Obi-Wan nodded. "I know. I still have much to learn."

  "Yet you have already grown so much," Qui-Gon acknowledged. "I am proud of you, Obi-Wan. Proud of what you have become. It is an honor to teach you, to work with you. I could not ask for a better Padawan learner."