But it was not just her beauty. No, it was more than that.
It was her strength—the strength she drew from her vulnerability-that had enamored him. Lena was a grieving young widow. The husband she had loved was only recently lost. But instead of hiding in the hole that he’d left, she pulled new purpose from it. She was not drowning in it, refusing to speak of the loss. Not like Qui-Gon.
Obi-Wan’s thoughts drifted back to his Master. He shook his head as he climbed a steep bridge arching over a waterfall. Perhaps the bond between them was not as damaged as Obi-Wan imagined. No matter how he tried, Obi-Wan could not deny that Qui-Gon correctly recognized Obi-Wan’s feelings for Lena, and before he did.
How can he be so clear about the emotions of others when he cannot seem to untangle his own? Obi-Wan wondered.
“With time,” Master Yoda would say. “With time all are healed.”
Obi-Wan felt new energy flood through him as he relaxed and let go of everything that had been bothering him. He had been in danger of letting his emotions blind him. Now he felt more sure.
Still, Obi-Wan did not believe his Master had been right about everything. Walking more quickly and scanning the park for Lena, Obi-Wan realized his resolve to help her was stronger than ever. Whether or not his judgment had been clouded by affection, he knew that Lena was on the side of rightness.
For the first time in hours, Obi-Wan felt clear. And he was more certain than ever that Lena was doing the right thing. She was fighting for peace and justice, and not just for herself. For her entire planet. As a Jedi it was his duty to help.
As these thoughts formed in his mind, a new one floated over them like a dark cloud: They were running out of time.
12
Qui-Gon pulled his comlink from his utility belt. He was about to activate it and summon Obi-Wan when his Padawan appeared, walking toward him on one of the paths.
“There he is,” said Mica a moment later. She craned her neck to see what Qui-Gon already knew. Lena wasn’t with him, either. The three of them had scoured most of the enormous park, but Lena was nowhere to be found.
Mica and the Jedi left the park and walked back to the deserted warehouse in silence. Qui-Gon tried to stretch out with his feelings, to get a sense of whether or not Lena was in danger, or even alive. But he felt nothing.
The dim evening light made the hideout look less welcoming than it had early that morning. Qui-Gon strode into the room ahead of the others, and immediately saw a figure sitting on the couch in the darkness.
In a flash, he activated his lightsaber. Its green blade cast an eerie light over the room, illuminating the sparks in Lena’s eyes. Qui-Gon quickly switched off the blade just as Obi-Wan and Mica came into the room.
“Lena,” Mica cried when she saw her cousin. She hurried forward and sank to her knees in front of the couch. “Lena, we were so worried. Where were you?”
“I’m sorry I ran off,” Lena said, looking from one person to the next. “I didn’t want to worry you, but I had to be sure that the package was from Rutin. I had to know….” Lena trailed off.
Mica rose to turn on the light. Back on the table, next to the wrappings, were the contents of the package: the pair of waterproof boots, the small light, the beam drill, and the vial of dirt.
The objects made no sense to Qui-Gon. What did Lena have to know? And where had she been? Qui-Gon felt betrayed. She was not telling them the whole truth.
Although Lena appeared to be upset, Qui-Gon did not wait for her to calm down. “Where have you been?” he demanded.
Lena looked up, surprised by the stern tone of the Jedi’s voice.
“Wandering,” she replied. “I–I needed to be alone.”
Qui-Gon was not satisfied. “Alone? Or just away from us?”
Lena’s lip trembled and Qui-Gon noticed Obi-Wan was staring at him.
He softened his tone slightly, but pressed on. “Why did you take the contents of the package with you?”
“That package is from Rutin,” Lena said after a moment, struggling to control her voice. “He sent it to me before he…” She fought again for composure. “But how did he know he was going to die? And why didn’t he tell me?”
Lena lost the struggle to suppress her frustrated grief and dropped her head into her hands. “He’s trying to give me a message,” she said after a moment, struggling to control her voice. “But I can’t figure it out! It’s as though he’s speaking to me, and I can’t hear him.” Lena lost the struggle…. “He really is gone forever.”
Mica and Obi-Wan rushed to join her on the couch, anxious to offer support. Qui-Gon stumbled back until he was sitting, facing the other three. Lena looked so much smaller than she had before. Less capable of deception, somehow.
Qui-Gon felt himself diminish as Lena’s waves of grief washed into him, adding to the sea of sadness that never stopped pounding in his heart.
Her words touched him deeply, and he had no more doubts about her sincerity. He, too, knew how the fact of a loved one’s absence could strike with as savage a blow as the first realization. He knew that moment when the future ahead seemed empty and impossible to bear.
“The loved ones we have lost are always with us,” Qui-Gon said. He was surprised to hear himself speaking, and surprised by his words. But they rendered comfort. Suddenly, it did feel as if Tahl were nearby, and the storm inside of him quieted a little.
There was a moment of thoughtful silence in the room. Obi-Wan gazed at his Master, his eyes full of compassion. And for the first time Qui-Gon did not feel the need to look away.
Lena’s grief seemed to lift, and she looked at the Jedi Master gratefully. “It’s true,” she said, nodding. “Rutin is looking after me even now. He must have sent this package some time ago and arranged to have it delivered today. I’m sure it is meant to help me find evidence. He must have known that any information on the computer would be a target. He knew I would need something more.”
Qui-Gon noticed that Mica paled as Lena spoke of the computer. He wondered if she was embarrassed that her plan hadn’t worked, or frightened by the possibility that more evidence existed.
The young widow took no notice of her cousin. Her tears had stopped and the familiar strength was returning. Lena gathered the boots from the table and held them in her lap. “I haven’t figured out the clue yet, but I will,” she said firmly.
“Just please don’t rush off like that again,” Mica told her. “You scared me to death. We searched the park for hours.”
Lena frowned. “The park…” she murmured.
Obi-Wan stared at the strange items on the table, then suddenly spoke. “Rutin had the package delivered to you here. So, he must have known about the hideout.”
“Of course,” Lena said. “Rutin was the one who secured this place. He was planning to hide here himself while he waited to be smuggled off the planet.”
Suddenly, Lena leaped to her feet, knocking the boots aside. “I almost forgot,” she cried, pulling a datapad from her pocket. “While I was out I went by my apartment to see if I’d received a message from Zanita. She sent this.”
13
The sky outside the warehouse had darkened to a milky gray. Qui-Gon peered around the portal screens that masked the people inside from the streets below. It was getting late and the alleys were deserted.
“Meeting with Zanita is an unnecessary risk,” Qui-Gon stated as he left the portal and paced the floor. He suddenly felt that leaving the planet as soon as possible was the best course of action. “We have the clues from Rutin, and should work with that. We do not need to place you or your mother-in-law in further danger.”