He heard the sound of footsteps. In another instant Qui-Gon stood across from him on the catwalk. He held out his arms. "I can take the child."
Obi-Wan swung out as Qui-Gon reached and safely passed Honi to him.
"There are nine children left, and Ali-Alann," he said.
"The Masters are below," Qui-Gon told him. "They are using the Force to keep the turbolift aloft."
Now Obi-Wan could feel it: a tremendous wave in the Force, strong and deep. He glanced below. The Council members stood in a ring, their focus on the turbolift.
"But I would not dawdle, just the same," Qui-Gon said dryly as he turned to bring Honi to safety.
Obi-Wan made his way back to the turbolift. One by one, he carried out the children. One by one, he handed them to Qui-Gon. The children were already trained in calmness and the Force. Not one whimpered or cried, although some had to try hard not to. Trust was in their eyes and the relaxed posture of their bodies as they allowed themselves to be carried and handed over a gap to the tiny catwalk hundreds of meters above the lake.
When only two children were left, Ali-Alann carried one to safety while Obi-Wan took the last, a young boy only two years old. Obi-Wan waited while Ali-Alann walked down the shaft. He heard the shaft creak and felt it wobble as Ali-Alann slowly made his way toward the catwalk. The Jedi was tall and strong, with a similar build to Qui-Gon's. Obi-Wan could sense the weakening of the shaft as Ali-Alann moved.
At last he handed over the child and swung himself onto the catwalk.
Obi-Wan made the trip for the last time. With every step, he felt the shaft sway. Yet he knew that if he ran, it could break away completely. He handed the child to Qui-Gon and swung himself onto the catwalk. The shaft swayed but did not break. He looked down below and saw the Jedi Masters in a ring, concentrating on the shaft high above their heads.
Jedi Knights had already carried the children downstairs in relays.
Obi-Wan followed Ali-Alann and Qui-Gon down the long, winding staircase to the lake level. Sweet relief coursed through him. The children were safe.
He walked behind Qui-Gon to the lakefront where the Masters were waiting. Bant held a child in her arms, talking to him quietly, and Yoda placed a hand on the head of one of the children. The atmosphere was being kept calm so that the children would not be frightened by their experience.
"You did well, children," Mace Windu said, flashing them a rare smile.
"The Force was with you."
"And Ali-Alann was there, too," Honi spoke up earnestly. "He told us stories."
Smiling, Mace Windu patted her hair. "Ali-Alann will take you to the dining hall now. But not on the turbolift."
The children laughed. They clustered around Ali-Alann, obviously adoring their large, gentle caretaker.
"Well you handled this, Ali-Alann," Yoda told him. The Council members nodded.
"The Force was with us," Ali-Alann repeated. He led the children away.
"And you, young Bant," Mace Windu continued, turning to her. "You are to be commended as well. You stayed calm when you found the comm unit was dead on the lake level. Your speed in getting help was admirable."
"Any of us would have done the same," Bant answered.
"No, Bant," Qui-Gon said warmly. "It was wise to come straight to the Council room. And your calmness in the face of great peril was true to the Jedi way."
Bant colored. "Thank you. My wish was to help the children."
"As you did," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan felt a stab of jealousy and longing. The warmth in Qui-Gon's eyes and voice was unmistakable.
Obi-Wan waited for the Council to notice him. It wasn't as though he had rescued the children in order to win praise. But he couldn't help feeling glad that he had been given an opportunity to come to the aid of the Temple. At least the Council had seen a better side of him.
"As for you, Obi-Wan," Mace Windu said, turning to him, "you are to be thanked for your rescue of the children. You showed quick thinking."
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to answer with humility, as a Jedi should. But Mace Windu kept talking.
"However," he continued, "you also showed that impulsiveness is your flaw. The same flaw that has led us to hesitate about your suitability to be a Jedi. You acted alone. You did not wait for help and direction. You could have endangered the children needlessly. The shaft could have broken free."
"But I tested my weight, and I moved carefully. A — And help was not arriving — " Obi-Wan said, stuttering. He was stunned that the Council had found fault with him.
Mace Windu turned away. Obi-Wan's own voice echoed in his ears, and he realized that he sounded as though he were stammering out excuses. Bant looked at him with compassion.
"Please do not interfere again," Mace Windu said. "The Council will now discuss what is to be done about the shaft. We must close down the wing."
Qui-Gon put his hand on Bant's shoulder. The two followed the Council members from the lake.
Obi-Wan stood, watching them go. He did not think this day could get any worse. Now it had. In the eyes of the Council, he could do nothing right.
And in Qui-Gon's eyes, he was worth nothing at all.
They were too hard on him, Qui-Gon thought as he left Bant and proceeded to his meeting with Yoda. Obi-Wan had acted impulsively, yes — but Qui-Gon would have done the same.
He couldn't interfere with the Council's admonishment, however. And he had come to trust their wisdom in such matters. No doubt it was better for Obi-Wan to reflect on his impulsiveness, since that was what led him to leave the path of the Jedi in the first place. Mace Windu, Yoda, and the Council always had a reason behind their severity. So although he wanted to stay with Obi-Wan, he had left him so that the boy could think about what Mace Windu had said.
Obi-Wan had taken a chance. No doubt about that. Qui-Gon's steps faltered momentarily as he recalled how he felt when he arrived at the lake and realized that Obi-Wan was in the tur- bolift shaft. A deep sense of dread had pierced him. What if the shaft had broken free before the Masters had arrived? What if Obi-Wan had perished? Qui-Gon's heart stopped at the thought.