"I should have done this years ago," the intruder continued. "Perhaps then I could have saved my favorite son. The one I loved the most. The one I cherished."
Zanita.
"I tried to save him, I really did. But once word got out that he wanted to betray the family — that you had talked him into testifying against his own flesh and blood, there was nothing I could do. It was a great loss for me, yes. But necessary."
Lena let go of a sob. "Necessary?" she echoed in disbelief. "Zanita, he was your own son!"
"I know that, Lena. Actually, I rather wished he had been a daughter.
You see, boys and men are nothing but foolish pawns. They always need to be told what to do, and half the time they still do it wrong. Things on Frego were a mess until I took control. I organized our forces and got the government to see matters our way. Everything was going just fine until you came along. You stole my Rutin's heart and coerced his mind."
"Rutin had a mind of his own," Lena said quietly.
Scanning the wall, Obi-Wan tried to remember the position of everything inside the quarters. His hands were damp with sweat, and his heart was pounding. He didn't have much time to act, or any room for error.
Zanita acted as if she didn't hear her daughter-in-law. "And now because of you I stand to lose my other two sons as well," she went on.
"But of course I'm not going to let that happen."
Obi-Wan heard an ominous click. He had to act — he just hoped he wasn't already too late. Raising his lightsaber, he pushed the blade into the wall.
"Would you like a moment to fix your hair, darling?" Zanita asked.
"You might be seeing Rutin in a few moments."
Obi-Wan sliced through the wall with remarkable speed — and stepped inside just in time to see Lena fall to the floor, meters away. She landed with a sickening thud and lay completely still.
Still holding a blaster in her hand, Zanita leveled the barrel at her daughter-in-law's chest. She did not seem to be aware of Obi-Wan's presence.
Obi-Wan tore his eyes away from Lena and took several steps toward Zanita. She whirled around suddenly, the blaster now aimed at him.
"Ah, a Jedi," she said. "Of course."
She fired several rapid blasts. Obi-Wan was surprised by her incredible accuracy, and had to dodge and weave to avoid being hit by two and deflect three of the bolts with his saber at the same time.
Stepping forward, he felt one of the bolts graze his robe. He spun around and leaped into the air, landing on Zanita's right side and grabbing the blaster. Zanita hurled herself forward onto Lena's body. Her shoulders shook violently as several sobs escaped her throat.
The true leader of the Cobral had been defeated, and was probably thinking of the time she would soon be spending in prison.
Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and re-clipped it to his belt.
There was a small hole in his robe where the blaster bolt had grazed him.
He fingered it gingerly, grateful that he was not wounded. But Lena..
All of a sudden Obi-Wan heard a rushing sound behind him.
"Obi-Wan, look out!" someone shouted. It was Qui-Gon.
For a split second Obi-Wan was not sure where to look. Then he saw the glimmer of a weapon in Zanita's hand. It was a vibroblade.
Before Obi-Wan could disarm her a second time, Zanita had plunged the reverberating blade into her chest.
A moment later she fell to the floor next to Lena, dead.
Chapter 20
Qui-Gon looked up from his sleep couch in his quarters at the Jedi Temple to see his Padawan standing in the doorway.
"I thought you might like to come with me to see Lena," he explained.
Obi-Wan shifted his feet slightly, and Qui-Gon was reminded of the young boy he had taken as a Padawan learner more than four years before.
Impatient and headstrong, but also unsure. They had come a long way since then. But at that moment Qui-Gon was very aware that the younger Jedi still sought his affection and approval. Qui-Gon could not blame him, and was even grateful. Soon enough Obi-Wan would be a Jedi Knight in his own right, and would no longer need him. For the moment, however, he was still a boy.
Things between them had not been very smooth of late, Qui-Gon knew.
He felt a twinge of guilt. He was not sure why it was so difficult for him to confide in the boy when it came to his feelings. Like many things, it simply was.
"I would like that," Qui-Gon said, getting to his feet. "How is she doing?"
"The blow to her head when she fell was quite severe," Obi-Wan replied. "But she is recovering well and is set to be released this afternoon. She is planning to return to Frego the day after tomorrow."
Qui-Gon set his pace to match Obi-Wan's as they made their way down the corridor. "Physical wounds heal quickly," he said quietly. "It is the emotional ones that require more time."
Qui-Gon was silent as they made their way down the hall. Then he spoke. "When Tahl died, the wound was so broad and so deep that I was certain I could not live. I could not go on. And in my pain I was blind to those around me — those who also loved and mourned Tahl."
"I grieved her as well," Obi-Wan said. "But I knew that my grief did not match yours, that it never would. I did not know how to help you. I was lost."
Suddenly Qui-Gon stopped and turned to face his Padawan. "I am the one who was lost, Padawan. You were generous and patient with me. And I needed that patience. I still carry the wound I suffered when I lost Tahl.
I will for the rest of my life."
Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. "I know," he said softly.
Qui-Gon placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I am grateful for your efforts to help me through my pain. For a long time I was not ready to hear your words, but you were still right to speak them. Thanks to you I have found myself again — I have found a way to go on. Your words… you are a comfort to me. Thank you."
Obi-Wan let out a deep breath and smiled. "You're welcome," he said.