“Let us return to theTemple,” Qui-Gon said as the Senators filed out. “Come, Obi-Wan.”
“In a moment.”Obi-Wan suddenly felt a need to be alone. All he had wanted the past few days was his Master and friends around him. Yet now he could not bear to be with them.
Bant started to say something, but Qui-Gon signaled her to be quiet.
“We will wait for you at the Senate entrance,” he said.
Obi-Wan could only nod numbly. He had a sense of Qui-Gon and the others leaving. The table where Sano Sauro and the Chuns had sat was empty. He wondered what he felt. He did not feel much of anything.
“You must be relieved.”
Kad Chun spoke behind him. Obi-Wan turned. The boy stood in the aisle, fists clenched, eyes burning.
“Sano Sauro almost got you to reveal the truth,” Kad Chun went on. “You hated my brother. All your noble Jedi training failed you. You were glad to see him die.”
Obi-Wan shook his head. “No …”
Kad shot forward unexpectedly. He swung out with his closed fist. The blow hit Obi-Wan on the side of the head near his cheekbone. He staggered back.
Kad swung again, but this time Obi-Wan was able to duck. The blow grazed his ear.
“You killed him,” Kad grunted. “The one honor our family had. You killed it.”
“I didn’t …” Obi-Wan ducked again and twisted away. He tried to capture Kad Chun’s arms.
With a shove that sent Obi-Wan flying back into the table, Kad Chun leaped away. He dodged behind the long table where the Senators had sat so that it was now between him and Obi-Wan.
“Kad, I didn’t want your brother to die,” Obi-Wan said, his breath ragged. “You heard his ownwords, you heard what he was willing to do!”
“He was angry! He was taunting you. So what?” Kad screamed. “It doesn’t mean he would have done it!”
Obi-Wan shook his head helplessly. Kad worshiped his brother. That was clear. He could not bear to hear the truth about Bruck. He had never known him.
“He would have done it, Kad,” Obi-Wan said. “I am certain of it.”
“Who cares what you think!” Kad suddenly leaped onto the Senator’s table. In his hand he held the heavy wood and metal staff that Vivendi Allum had used. It was a formidable weapon. With Kad’s strength, he could knock Obi-Wan out cold.
Obi-Wan knew he could neatly slice it into pieces with his lightsaber. It would only take moments. Kad was strong, but he was not trained. Obi-Wan could disarm him in a moment. But he would not take up his lightsaber against Bruck’s brother.
Kad ran toward him, his face taut with fury.
Obi-Wan watched him run at him with a strange detachment. It was as though he were in a dream. He made no move to dodge. He saw Kad’s arm muscles bunch as he lifted the staff, gathering himself for the blow. Obi-Wan still did not move. He saw the staff whistle down toward his skull. …
At the last second, Kad twisted his wrist. The staff hit the table, splitting it in two. Kad dropped the staff. He stared down at the floor, panting. Then he raised his gaze to Obi-Wan.
“I will never forgive you, Obi-Wan Kenobi,” he rasped. “In my eyes, you will always be a killer.” He kicked aside the staff and walked up the aisle toward the door.
Obi-Wan stood frozen, Kad’s words echoing in his brain. You will always be a killer.
No matter how many meditations he had done, no matter how many talks with Qui-Gon he had had, nothing had done him any good. He could not wipe the guilt and shame from deep within himself. He knew that Kad had seen into his heart.
In his own eyes, he was a killer, too.
Twelve Years Later
CHAPTER 11
Obi-Wan moved quickly along the path that ran beside the lake. A fresh breeze moved across his skin and whispered through the branches overhead. Even after all these years, he had to remind himself that the breeze was caused by hidden cooling fans, the dappled shadow on the forest floor created by a series of illumination banks that mimicked the rise and decline of the sun.
His footsteps slowed as he heard the calls and laughter of the Jedi students at the beach along the lake. Although he had received a message that he and Anakin were to report to Yoda, he wanted a few seconds of delay. Anakin had so few opportunities for play. He hated to interrupt him.
They had been heading back from an intense physical workout when Obi-Wan had spied the students from Anakin’s year heading to the lake. He had seen the longing in Anakin’s eyes as the students dived into the cool water.
“Go ahead,” Obi-Wan had told him. “Take some time off.”
Anakin had looked at him uncertainly, but Obi-Wan shooed him off. It puzzled and worried Obi-Wan how much time his Padawan spent alone. Anakin had told him that he’d had good friends on Tatooine, especially a human boy named Kitster. He’d been at theTemplefor three years now, but he hadn’t made one close friend, although he was well liked and certainly got along with the other kids.