"Lenz called ahead," he said. "I'll shut these down. I already disabled the link to World Security."

Qui-Gon nodded. Obi-Wan was glad for this bit of luck. The Workers'

spy was on duty. Of course the twins had heard the commotion, but at least security reinforcements wouldn't be called. They would only have to deal with the security in the residence itself, at least for a time.

Lenz had given them details on how to reach the tunnel. Qui-Gon ran toward the back of the house, Obi-Wan matching his stride. They knew the entrance was in a storage area for the Kitchens.

They burst into the storage area. Eritha stood casually in the middle of the floor, holding two blasters aimed at their chests.

"You have to kill me to get through that door," she said. She looked older than her years. Her face was pale, and her eyes glittered. Her gold hair straggled down her back.

"I am prepared to do that," Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan did not glance at his Master. He hoped Qui-Gon was bluffing. He did not know how close to the edge Qui-Gon was. He couldn't sense his Master any longer. There was only grayness and static between them.

"You think I will not attack because you are a young girl," Qui-Gon said. "But the moment you set out on your path to power, you took on the consequences of an adult. You are responsible for Tahl's death."

"I am not responsible!" Eritha said shrilly. "Others have survived the sensory deprivation device. Why couldn't she? She was a Jedi!"

"She was locked in it for days," Qui-Gon said. "Far longer than any Absolute prisoner."

He spoke in a flat, unemotional tone. Somehow he had pushed grief down so far that it did not tinge his words. That worried Obi-Wan more than his earlier display of anger. Did this mean that Qui-Gon had now accepted his revenge and was willing and ready to act on it?

"I didn't have anything against Tahl," Eritha said. "She is a casualty of war. We brought her here because we knew she would come.

Everything was all planned. We needed a Jedi presence at first to cover for us. With Jedi support the rest would be easy. Balog would kidnap us and Roan would resign. Alani would run for his post. Then we found out about the list. Balog was on it. We knew Roan had it, and we knew he was waiting to expose Balog. He thought Balog had been his friend. He didn't want to expose him, but he would. Everyone would know that Balog had been an Absolute. It would have spoiled our plans! We had to get that list. You'd think as head of World Security that Balog would be helpful. He was useless. He leaked the information to the Absolutes, and someone stole the list. Only he didn't bring it to Balog. He kept it so he could sell it. We didn't know who it was."

"Oleg," Obi-Wan said. He wanted to keep Eritha talking. He was uneasy about how Qui-Gon's urgency had changed to a deadly calm. He could feel through the Force that there was no serenity in this calm. Qui-Gon was staring at Eritha as though she were an obstacle, not a person.

"Yes. Just our luck-the Absolute who gets his hands on the list turns out to be a Worker spy," Eritha said. "But all we knew then was that someone had it. We needed help — more help than Balog could give us. We needed someone with brains and courage. It was lucky that Tahl was coming.

I knew we could get her to help us without knowing it. She was generous that way. She would do what we asked. She still thought of us as helpless young girls with no mother or real father."

Qui-Gon closed his eyes.

"We let her think it was her idea to infiltrate the Absolutes. We knew she'd find out about the list and try to get it for us."

"She trusted you," Obi-Wan said.

Eritha shrugged. "Everyone trusts us. That's our advantage. We are the daughters of the great hero Ewane. The great hero who barely spent one day in his daughters' presence but passed them off to strangers to raise.

The great hero who only thought about his planet, not his own flesh and blood." Eritha's lip curled. "Why shouldn't we use that trust? Tahl did everything we asked and more. When she was seen escaping with Oleg, we thought she had the list. But she didn't bring it to us, so we had to take it. Everything was completely logical. If Tahl had only told us the truth — that she didn't have the list — she wouldn't be dead."

"Balog would have killed her anyway," Obi-Wan said.

"You don't know that," Eritha said craftily. "He might have let her go."

"You're lying," Qui-Gon said flatly.

"Maybe." Obi-Wan was shocked at the cruelty in Eritha's eyes, like a large creature playing with a tiny one before gobbling it up. "You'll never know. Maybe it's your fault that Tahl is dead, Qui-Gon."

Obi-Wan saw the color drain from Qui-Gon's face. He saw his hand move toward his lightsaber. Obi-Wan could wait no longer. He threw himself forward at Eritha, who had locked eyes with Qui-Gon, taunting him.

His leg shot out, knocking one blaster from her hand. She screamed but he was already twisting behind her, grabbing her other wrist and wrenching the blaster from it. He tucked both in his belt.

"You hurt me!" she cried, grabbing her wrist.

"Qui-Gon, hurry," Obi-Wan urged. His Master hadn't moved. But at his words he rushed forward toward the tunnel entrance.

"You killed her, Qui-Gon!" Eritha screamed after them as they accessed the tunnel door. "Live with that, if you live at all!"

Chapter 17

Qui-Gon had no doubt that within minutes Eritha would send security attack droids after them. He knew that ahead of them, the Absolutes would be well armed. He gave no more thought to the obstacles than to a pesky insect. He did not strategize. He would charge ahead, and he would win.

That was all he knew.

Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan give a quick glance at him. He told himself not to display the temper he had showed at Mota's. His Padawan was worried about how quick to anger he was. Qui-Gon himself had been surprised at how his anger had continued to rise. He knew he was feeding it instead of letting it go. It gave him speed and focus.

He knew his attitude was bringing him dangerously close to the dark side. He knew with a chance for silence and stillness he would be able to see this. But he didn't have the luxury.

He would have to count on his own ability to control his anger at the proper time.

The tunnel ran below the governor's residence. It had been unused for many years, and was dark and stuffy. Qui-Gon ran by the light of his saber.

He knew Obi-Wan was behind him. His Padawan would give him support, but he knew he did not need it. This was between him and Balog.