Every town and city on the planet was
hotly contested, with territory taken and lost in
a continuing series of battles. The
capital city of Zehava was under siege much of
the time, as the boundaries between
Daan and Melida constantly shifted.
Obi-Wan knew that Jedi Master Yoda was
depending on them for success in this
mission. He had chosen carefully among
the many Jedi Knights and their Padawans.
This mission was dear to his heart.
Weeks ago, one of his favorite pupils, the Jedi
Knight Tahl, had come to Melida/Daan
as a guardian of peace.
Tahl was renowned among the Jedi Knights
for her diplomatic skills. The two sides
had been close to a settlement when
war broke out again. Tahl had been badly
wounded and captured by the Melida.
Yoda did not know if she was alive or dead.
Just days ago, Yoda had succeeded in
getting a message through to his original
contact, a Melida named Wehutti. Wehutti
had agreed to smuggle Obi-Wan and
Qui-Gon into the city and help them
to work for Tahl's release.
The mission ahead was more difficult
and dangerous than usual, Obi-Wan knew.
This time, the Jedi had not been invited
to settle a dispute. They were unwelcome.
The last Jedi envoy had been captured,
perhaps killed.
He glanced over at his Master. Qui-Gon's
calm, steady gaze swept the landscape
ahead. He betrayed no agitation or
worry that Obi-Wan could see.
One of the many things Obi-Wan admired
about Master Qui-Gon was his
composure. He had wanted to become
Qui-Gon's Padawan because Qui-Gon was
well respected for his bravery, skill,
and connection to the Force. Although they
sometime had their differences, Obi-Wan
had a deep respect for the Jedi Master.
"Do you see that canyon?" Qui-Gon asked,
leaning forward and pointing. "If you can
land between the walls, we can hide
the starfighter there. We can use the underbrush
to cover it. It's a tight fit."
"I can do it," Obi-Wan promised. Keeping his speed steady, he dipped down lower.
"Slow down," Qui-Gon warned.
"I can make it," Obi-Wan said, gritting
his teeth. He had been one of the best pilots
at the Jedi Temple. Why did Qui-Gon
always have to correct him?
He zoomed into the small clearing with
only a centimeter to spare. But at the last
moment - too late - he saw that one
of the cliffs had a small outcropping. A groaning
sound filled the cockpit as the side
of the ship scraped against it.
Obi-Wan set the craft down and powered
down the engines. He did not want to look
at Qui-Gon. But he knew that being
a Jedi meant taking responsibility for every
mistake. He met his Master's gaze squarely.
He was relieved to see amusement in
Qui-Gon's eyes. "At least we didn't promise to
return the starfighter without a scratch,"
he said.
Obi-Wan grinned in relief. They had
borrowed the transport from Queen Veda on the
planet of Gala, where they had successfully
completed their last mission.
As they climbed down from the starfighter
onto the rocky terrain of Melida/Daan,
Qui-Gon paused. "There is a great disturbance
in the Force on this world," he
murmured. "Hatred rules this place."
"Yes, I feel it," Obi-Wan said.
"We must be very careful here, Padawan.
When so much volatile emotion is packed
into a place, it is hard to keep your
distance. Remember you are a Jedi. You are
here to observe and to help where you
can. Our mission is to return Tahl to the
Temple."
"Yes, Master."
The underbrush was thick and leafy,
and it was easy to drag large branches to cover
the starfighter. It would not be visible
from the air.
Shouldering their survival packs, the
two Jedi headed toward the outskirts of Nede.
They had been instructed to approach
from the west, where Wehutti would meet
them at a Melida-controlled gate.
It was a dusty hike through the hills
and canyons. At last the towers and building of
the walled city were before them.
"What should we do?" Obi-Wan asked.
"We don't want to approach unless we're
sure Wehutti is there."
Qui-Gon dug in his survival pack for
a pair of electrobinoculars. He trained them on a
guardhouse. "I've got worse news,"
he said. "I see a Daan flag. That means either
the whole city is now controlled by
the Daan, or the entrance is."
"And Wehutti is a Melida," Obi-Wan groaned. "So there's no way in."
Qui-Gon scuttled back to remove himself
from sight. He slid the electrobinoculars
back into his pack. "There is always
a way, Padawan," he said. "Wehutti told us to
approach from the west. If we follow
the perimeter, we might find an unguarded area.
Perhaps he's on the lookout. Once we're
away from that guard tower, we can get
closer."
Keeping to the cover of the shadow of
the cliffs, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon made their
painstaking way around the city's walls.
When they were out of the guardhouse's
sight, they moved closer. Qui-Gon's
keen eyes swept every meter of the wall,
searching for a break. Obi-Wan knew
he was using the Force to test the way ahead,
hoping to sense a break in the particle
shield. Obi-Wan tried to do the same, but he
could only feel glimmers of resistance.
"Wait," Qui-Gon said suddenly. He stopped
and held up a hand. "Here. There's a
break in the shield."
"There's another one of those black
buildings," Obi-Wan pointed out. The long, low
building sat next to the wall on the
city side.
"I still don't know what they are, but
I suggest we avoid them," Qui-Gon remarked.
"We'll scale the wall near those trees."
"We'll need the Force," Obi-Wan said, eyeing the high wall.
"Yes. But a carbon rope would help,
too," Qui-Gon said, smiling. He put his pack
down, then leaned over to root through
it. "We'll need yours, too, Padawan."
Obi-Wan stepped closer to Qui-Gon, swinging
his pack off his shoulder to the
ground. His boots suddenly hit something
with a clang. He looked down and saw he
had displaced some dirt on top of a
metal plate. "Look, Master," he said. "I wonder
what this - "
He didn't get a chance to finish. Energy
bars suddenly rose from the ground, trapping
them. Before they could move, the metal
plate slid open, and they fell into an abyss
below.
