Echo - Chapter Five

The storm broke before dawn. Qui-Gon went to the fighter immediately to clear away the snow. He had several guards, Senator Beruss, and the three remaining Tanthalan Ambassadors to shuttle to a new and, hopefully, safer location. The faster that task was accomplished, the sooner Qui-Gon could search for Senator Organa and Obi-Wan.

The fighter took to the sky as the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon. Qui-Gon hadn't said so, but Doman was right. He was worried about his Padawan. In the eight standard years that Obi-Wan had been his apprentice, the boy had made great strides. There had been some difficulties in the beginning but, looking back, Qui-Gon knew they were largely of his own making. The competitive streak he had seen in Obi-Wan during his early teens, and had worried him so much that he had resisted taking him on as a Padawan, had resolved into a commendable dedication to the Order.

But Qui-Gon had to be honest in his evaluation of his apprentice. Obi-Wan was talented, but the young man had limitations and much to learn of the Living Force. It would be several years yet before he would be ready to undertake the Trials. Obi-Wan was impulsive. He opened his mouth when he should still his tongue and listen. He often acted independently instead of asking for guidance. He was too quick to reach for his lightsaber. He was frequently before the Council.

But then, so was Qui-Gon.

Flying steadily northward, Qui-Gon kept his senses open and his eyes toward the ground. He encountered two small sets of ruins and dropped lower to inspect them. Neither seemed right. The first had no good location to hide the fighter and the second was little more than two spires jutting out of the snow. When he nudged the controls and gained altitude, Qui-Gon adjusted course to fly northeast.

Obi-Wan was somewhere below. Qui-Gon could sense the nearness of his Padawan and it was difficult not to take the time to search. However, his first responsibility was to the other members of the delegation. When that responsibility had been met he would be free to turn his attention elsewhere.

A dark smudge to the east caught Qui-Gon's attention. He banked the fighter and went to investigate.

Qui-Gon reduced his speed and altitude for a closer look. This set of ruins was much larger. Five spires thrust upward out of the snowfield, each with at least three stories exposed. Several other partial structures also pushed out of the ground and one had a crescent shaped indentation that might serve as a place to house the fighter. Yes, this place would do well. The fact that he felt the presence of Obi-Wan relatively nearby meant the Padawan was likely leading the Senator to this location.

Turning the fighter south, Qui-Gon headed back to begin the transport of the delegates.

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Bail and Obi-Wan trudged through the snow toward the ruins. Both of them were tired. While they looked a little worse for ware - rumpled and scruffy - they had come through the evening without much more than damp clothes, cold bodies, and stiff necks.

They spoke surprisingly little. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but it was laden with something neither man was quite able to define. Bail felt off balance and unsure of himself. Obi-Wan was preoccupied, perfunctory, and distant.

Bail wasn't sure, but he thought they had made a connection in the night. He hadn't meant to reach out and grab Obi-Wan's hand the way he did. The story Obi-Wan had told him about Melida/Daan - about the young girl that gave her life for what she believed in - had moved him deeply. At first Obi-Wan spoke about it quietly, hesitantly. But, after a while, his voice gained strength and the words began to flow. Bail was fairly certain that the Padawan rarely, if ever, spoke about what had happened and he wondered why. He wondered why Obi-Wan held it so tightly inside; why the Jedi had decided to speak about it. Bail suspected Obi-Wan had been in love with the girl but hadn't thought it prudent to ask.

He hadn't intended to fall asleep with his head on Obi-Wan's shoulder. It simply happened. Bail had never opened his eyes after his panic attack, preferring to replace the unknown with his own visions and, later, with those conjured by Obi-Wan's words. He had dreamed of broken cities full of tombs and lush green forests. He had dreamed of young people fighting to rebuild a world and fill it with hope. He had dreamed of young earnest Obi-wan struggling to help his friends.

Bail's lips brushing against Obi-Wan's cheek when he woke certainly hadn't been deliberate either. The rough feel of stubble and the softness of skin had been startling. He'd felt awkward and turned away quickly to cover his embarrassment. He was glad for the darkness then, it hid the flush that came to his face.

Obi-Wan hadn't said a word about any of it. After waking Bail, he had gone about the business of packing up their things and breaking camp as if nothing had happened. There was no mention of their conversation the night before or what it might have meant. He'd given Bail time outside to himself before joining him with the gear. The Jedi made a joke that showers at their accommodations only came with cold water and that it should be added to the list of complaints.

As they hiked through the fresh snowdrifts, Bail's mind wandered. He wondered how Obi-Wan managed to look so fetching in spite of the lack of sleep. The Jedi robes were hardly mussed and the short Padawan buzz cut now seemed to have more than one purpose - it was easily cared for and meant a distinct lack of bad hair in extreme circumstances. Part of Bail realized exactly how shallow his thoughts were. He mentally upbraided himself for even thinking them. Here they were, stranded in the middle of nowhere with no real assurance of rescue, and all he could think about was how terribly shabby and unattractive he must look. He would have given some serious credits for a toothbrush. Bail knew he should have been focusing on something vital, like surviving, but every time he looked up and saw Obi-Wan walking just ahead of him every reasonable thought seemed to fly right out of his head. He remembered the soft scratchy feel of Obi-Wan's cloak against his cheek. He remembered the calluses on Obi-Wan's hand when he held it. He remembered how warm and safe it felt to be near the Padawan under the thermal blanket.

This is ridiculous. You're a twenty-five year old Prince and Senator from one of the most influential planets in the Galaxy, Bail thought angrily. Quit acting like a love-struck teenager, Bail!

Bail was startled from his thoughts by a rumbling crack. He jerked his head up just in time to see Obi-Wan's body dropping through the snow.

"Obi-Wan!" Bail, wading in snow up to his knees, desperately pushed forward as Obi-Wan disappeared from sight. Another rumble brought a feeling of unsteadiness and Bail's legs began to slip from underneath him.

Then he too began to fall.

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"While there is much I do not know about the attack, Ambassador, one thing seems certain. The intent was to stop the treaty from being signed."

Qui-Gon spoke with quiet confidence as he piloted the fighter. He and Senator Beruss had discussed it and were working a tandem approach. Qui-Gon would bring up the implications of the attack as he shuttled the Ambassadors and the Senator would take the political side once the Tanthalan delegates were returned to the ground. The hope was that echoing each other's words would nudge the remaining delegates to return to Coruscant under Jedi protection to sign the treaty instead of returning home.

"Forgive me, Master Jinn, if I say that it is likely the culprit will succeed. We were under the impression that the Republic would be providing adequate security during the negotiations. It seems to me that joining the Republic when they can't even manage to keep control of a treaty signing is a bit foolhardy."

"While I can certainly understand your concerns, Ambassador, I must point out that Rhen Var was not the choice of the Republic for this signing." Qui-Gon kept his tone even and light. "In fact, both Senator Beruss and I suggested several alternate locations - Republic worlds such as Alderaan and Coruscant - that might have been better suited. However, now is not a time to assign blame. The fact of it is that one can never anticipate every situation."

The Ambassador's response was rather negative. "I am an Ambassador and politician, not a Jedi Knight or soldier. I do not care for being shot at and I certainly am not fond of being stranded on a planet covered in ice. I, for one, am eager to return home."

Qui-Gon had to suppress the urge to sigh. "While the incident is regrettable and unfortunate, you should not let it destroy the hard work you and your associates have put into this treaty - a treaty that will bring great benefit to the Tanthal Alliance and your people."

Senator Beruss, two of the three Ambassadors, and four of the guards were already at the new location. Each of the Ambassadors had expressed similar concerns during their flights. Getting the delegates to agree to going to Coruscant to sign the treaty was going to be even more difficult than he expected. He had hoped that at least one of them would indicate they were still receptive to the signing.

While the Jedi was concerned that months of work might be undone, at this point Qui-Gon's largest worry was the status of the fighter. The frigid nighttime temperatures of Rhen Var were much lower than the suggested tolerance levels for this type of craft. There was a distinct possibility that the lifecycle of the fuel cells would be shortened as a result of the temperature fluctuations. If that happened before he found Obi-Wan and Bail Organa, it could complicate matters significantly. The fact that he had felt a surge of distress earlier through the training bond only heightened Qui-Gon's sense of urgency.

The velocity of the fighter slowed as Qui-Gon approached the ruins. He adjusted the thrusters and dropped the landing gear. "Well, Ambassador, I hope that after you take some time to think about the situation you will reconsider your position."

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"Bail, are you certain?"

A worried Obi-Wan knelt near the injured Prince. Bail, unable to protect himself with the Force as Obi-Wan had, ended up with a severely sprained ankle, a nasty cut on the left side of his head, and what Obi-Wan suspected were several cracked ribs during the fall. The medkit, which had been in Bail's pack, was buried somewhere in the snow and now lost.

"I'm slowing you down." Bail fidgeted, picking at the edge of the thermal blanket wrapped around him. "You can't keep carrying me, Obi-Wan. Even a Jedi has limits."

Obi-Wan frowned. The Prince was right but he was uneasy about leaving. The crevasse they had fallen into was deep and narrow. Sheer ice walls gave little hope of getting back to the top without an ascension gun. The only alternative available was to follow the fissure in the ice with the hope that it would lead them somewhere.

When Obi-Wan didn't say anything, Bail pasted a smile on his face and put a hand to Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Besides, you Jedi are nothing but trouble! Since I've been in your company I've been shot at, fallen from the sky, been caught in a raging snowstorm, and fallen in an avalanche. You'll forgive me if I think I might be better off alone."

"Bail." Obi-Wan winced at the rather blunt summation of his inability to keep the Prince safe.

"I mean it, Obi-Wan. It will go faster without me. It's the logical thing to do."

Logical or not, Obi-Wan didn't like it. Bail's nervousness was apparent. If the Prince weren't worried he wouldn't be trying to cover with jokes and forced smiles. However, there were few options. At least they still had some rations, the blaster, an emergency lantern, and the thermal blanket. "All right, I'll go. But I won't be gone long. If I don't find anything, I'll pick a new camp site and come back for you."

Bail swallowed and nodded. His olive skin now held a permanent ashen undertone. "Obi-Wan, before you go..." He fumbled with the snap and pulled the blaster free of the hip holster. "How do I use this?"

Obi-Wan blinked. "Well, you see this?" He pointed at the muzzle. "It's the business end. Point it at what you want to stop then pull that trigger."

"Oh." Bail frowned. "There's no safety latch?"

"No." Obi-Wan shook his head.

"I see." The Prince's hand began to shake. He quickly sat the weapon on the snow beside him and tried to grin. "Well, then, I'll just point that business end at anything that doesn't look friendly."

"Bail, I can stay. I'll make a new shelter and..."

"No. You said you had a good feeling about heading that way." Bail pointed to his left. "I trust that. I trust you. Now go down there and find us a way out so Master Jinn can get us."

Obi-Wan nodded and stood up. "Try to rest. I'll be back soon."

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Garen Muln rechecked the coordinates in his navi-computer a final time. He would soon drop out of hyperspace and make the second jump required to reach the rendezvous point. His Galan starfighter, along with those of Bant Eerin, Kit Fisto, and Mace Windu had left Coruscant when Qui-Gon missed two scheduled reports. His Master, Clee Rhara, had wanted to come as well, but the Council refused. The political situation surrounding the Jedi starfighter training facility on Centax 2 was volatile and the Council felt that Clee's absence might provide an opening for further Senate investigations.

Behind Garen and the Jedi team followed two Republic Cruisers and a Destroyer from Illodia. The Cruisers had been modified with the addition of turbolasers and extra defensive shielding. After the team determined the situation, the objective was to rescue the delegation if required and either take them to the rendezvous point or call in backup.

Garen was excited to have been chosen for the mission. While he was worried for his friend Obi-Wan, he was eager to show Master Windu his capabilities. Soon it would be time for him to undertake the Trials. Technically Master Windu's opinion would mean little, but showing a member of the Jedi Council his abilities couldn't hurt.

The onboard astromech droid chirped, whistled, and sent data to Garen's viewscreens. It was time. The fighter dropped out of hyperspace and Garen nudged the controls to avoid the gravity well of a nearby moon. Once in position, he punched in the coordinates and was off. In another ten standard hours he would be at the rendezvous.

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Obi-Wan pushed through the drifts that clogged the narrow passage. The light was dim now. Well past mid-day, the sun no longer found a direct path into the crevasse. He removed his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it, using it for additional light.

Within the thick walls of ice, Obi-Wan could see the shadowy remains of buildings. He thought that they might be the outskirts of a former city. If that was so, then the fissure he was following would lead to the ruins he had sighted.   However, that assumed the passageway would remain passable far enough.

He pressed on.

The area narrowed further causing Obi-Wan to turn sideways. His breath came in tiny puffs of white and he could feel the jagged ice grab at his cloak. He was uncertain if Bail would be able to make it through. Between the man's injuries and his panic in tight spaces, getting the Prince this far might prove difficult.

Obi-Wan considered using his lightsaber to cut away some of the wall and widen the passage but it would be a risky proposition. An incorrect choice could destabilize the wall and bring it falling downward. Far better to leave nature alone and take what was offered than risk being buried alive.

Bail had nearly been buried alive. Obi-Wan had found the Senator's boot sticking out of the snow and scrambled to dig him free. The blow to the head had caused Bail to pass out which, in hindsight, had probably been for the best. The man had no idea how close he had come to suffocating to death.

Obi-Wan was angry with himself. He had been preoccupied and the distraction had lead to the accident. His focus had been on Bail - on how much he had wanted to be close to him and how confused he was - and not on the situation at hand.

Why had he told Bail about Melida/Daan?

Suddenly, the fissure widened. Obi-Wan turned and stepped forward and into a large circular space. The floor was unnaturally level, there was a door in the far side of the ice wall, and when Obi-Wan looked upward he saw something even more disconcerting - the trusses of a retractable roof.