He'd been wearing a waterproof satchel on his back, Obi-Wan suddenly recalled. Why?
What if it had been no accident that Xanatos had appeared at the platform? What if he'd come to remove the evidence that showed he'd been there?
What if he'd been tipped off? He certainly had managed to stay one step ahead of the Jedi until now. That wasn't easy.
"I think there could be a spy at the Temple," Obi-Wan said slowly, turning back to Qui-Gon. "Xanatos has someone planted there, warning him of our next move. Why else would he have come here with a satchel on his back?"
"Many reasons, I suppose," Qui-Gon said.
"And remember that he said that you had to rely on children to tell you that he was using the tunnels? How did he know that Bant tipped you off?"
Qui-Gon frowned. "I'm not sure about this, Obi-Wan. The only ones who knew we were searching the water tunnels were Bant and Tahl. They are both completely above suspicion. Bant would never do anything to compromise the security of the Temple."
Stung by how quickly Qui-Gon had leaped to Bant's defense, Obi-Wan blurted, "And what about Tahl? Do you trust her so well?"
"With my life," Qui-Gon answered shortly.
"But you haven't seen her in years," Obi-Wan pointed out. "What if Xanatos got to her somehow?"
"No, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said curtly. "You are wrong. I am used to betrayal. I know exactly what it looks like." He gave Obi-Wan a hard look and turned away.
Obi-Wan felt a stab of pain. He knew Qui-Gon was talking about him.
The moment the words left Qui-Gon's mouth, he regretted them. His harshness had arisen more out of his frustration at Xanatos' escape than anything Obi-Wan had said. Yes, the boy had lost his trust. There was no need to torture him by continually reminding him of it. It was behavior unworthy of a Jedi.
It was his own flaw, Qui-Gon realized heavily. He was the one who could not take the leap to trust again. It was not Obi-Wan's fault. It was a combination of Qui-Gon's history and his nature. Although he felt a connection to other beings, he was slow to trust them. Once his trust was given, it was solid. When it shattered, he was at a loss as to how to refashion it again.
His problem. Not Obi-Wan's.
He needed to tell the boy this. The bond between Master and Padawan had to be one of total trust, and he didn't know if he was capable of giving it, even if Obi-Wan was. It wouldn't be fair to Obi-Wan to take him back under those circumstances. It might be better for Obi-Wan to find a new Master.
/ will speak to him. When I am sure what it is I want to say.
Suddenly, the lights in the tunnel dimmed to half-power. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon exchanged a concerned glance. A moment later, Qui-Gon's comlink buzzed. Tahl's crisp voice came through the unit. "We have some developments here."
"I noticed. We'll be right there." Qui-Gon turned to Obi-Wan. He spoke gently to the boy to make up for his harsh words. "I don't think Tahl is in league with Xanatos," he said. "But you could be right about the spy. Let's keep it in mind."
Obi-Wan nodded. The boy was silent as they hurriedly made their way to Tahl's quarters.
Tahl sat at her desk, a pile of data sheets on her lap. "I just spoke to Miro," she told them. "He's been trying to fix the air circulation system in the senior students' wing. When he took the necessary steps, all the lights in the Temple went to half-power. Plus, the refrigeration unit in the dining hall failed. He's working on it."
"The lights are powered down on every floor?" Qui-Gon asked.
Tahl nodded. A ghost of a smile flitted across her face. "Now we're almost even, Qui-Gon. We both have to work in the dark."
"Not quite even," Qui-Gon said with a smile that was evident in his voice. "You're still wiser than I am."
Tahl grinned. "Speaking of which, that's not the development I was talking about. I found out something about Offworld. Here, I printed it out for you." She handed the data sheets to Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon stared at the sheets. There were columns of numbers and names of companies. "You're going to have to tell me. You know I'm not good at galactic finance."
"Offworld is not as solvent as they appear," Tahl said, tapping her finger on the desk. "A futile mining operation on an inhospitable planet has drained its resources. Xanatos refused to accept defeat and just kept pouring more and more money into the operation. There's a rumor that he's secretly plundered the treasury on his home planet of Telos."
Qui-Gon stared down at the numbers, which meant nothing to him. The figures weren't important. Tahl's findings were. If Xanatos was close to financial ruin, maybe his motive for storming the Temple had as much to do with money as revenge.
Always a double motive…
"The vertex," he said softly.
"Of course," Tahl breathed.
Obi-Wan looked at them, puzzled.
Qui-Gon thought for a moment. Yoda had told him a secret. But if Obi-Wan was to help them, he had to know. He filled Obi-Wan in on the story of the Jedi agreement to guard the vertex for a short time.
"We've been focusing too much on Xanatos' revenge motive," Qui-Gon said. "Xanatos is more complex than that. Why put himself in such danger if all he got out of it was personal satisfaction? But destroying the Temple and walking away with a fortune would be worth much more to him."
"The treasury room is one half level below the Council room," Tahl said. "Isn't it strange how the wings have been shut down one after the other? Now everyone has been moved to the central building. This can't be accidental."
"Xanatos is planning something," Qui-Gon brooded. "He hopes to contain us so that it will be easier to destroy us. But how?"
The door hissed open and TooJay walked in, carrying a tray. "I brought your lunch, Sir Tahl," she announced.
"I'm not hungry."
"There is a protein cake, fruit, and — "
"Just put it down," Tahl ordered absently, her mind still on Xanatos.
TooJay set down the tray and began to straighten Tahl's desk.
"Whatever he is planning, it will happen soon," Tahl said.
TooJay moved one set of papers from one side of the desk to the other.