drawn.'
'You mean your lightsaber magically appeared in your hand? You did not draw it in attack or defense?' Vox Chun asked sarcastically.
'I drew it when Xanatos and Bruck came through the vent outside the Council Room,' Obi-Wan said.
'Did Bruck have his lightsaber drawn?'
'No,' Obi-Wan answered. 'He was hiding in a vent, waiting to steal-'
'Jedi history,' Vox interrupted, waving his hand. 'Not relevant to my question. So he drew his lightsaber when he saw yours?'
'Yes,' Obi-Wan said. 'We battled, and Xanatos ordered him to go make sure Bant was dead. He ran, and I followed.'
'Did you attack him from behind?'
'No, he turned and came at me. We fought. We ended up near the fountain.'
'Show me this fountain.'
Obi-Wan led the way down the winding paths to the thundering waterfall and deep green pool.
'The waterfall was not operating at the time, since theTemplesystems had been shut down,' he explained. 'But there was water in the pool. I saw Bant chained to the bottom. Her eyes were closed. She was alive, but barely. We fought all the way up that hill,' Obi-Wan said, pointing to the rocky slope. 'When we got to the top, I realized that in a few seconds all the water systems would be reactivated in theTemple. They had been shut down because of a bug Xanatos had planted in the system. I drove Bruck into the dry waterfall bed. My plan was that when the water came back on, Bruck's lightsaber would short out. That would disarm him, and I could then free Bant.'
'And leave your enemy standing?' Vox Chun asked. 'That does not sound like a Jedi warrior.'
'On the contrary,' Qui-Gon broke in. 'We avoid death at all cost. To disarm our opponent is our first objective.'
Vox Chun shrugged, as if Qui-Gon had just spouted empty words. 'Obviously, this plan did not work out,' he said evenly to Obi-Wan.
'His lightsaber did short out,' Obi-Wan said. 'He was knee-deep in water. He scrambled to get his footing nearer the bank, where the rocks are. He picked them up and began to throw them at me. In his struggle to get the rocks, he went too close to the edge of the waterfall. The rocks are very slippery there.' Obi-Wan paused. His throat felt dry. 'The current was pushing him. He lost his balance. I reached out a hand… it was too late. He fell below and hit his head. I ran down. I checked his vital signs, but he was already dead. He died as soon as he hit, I am sure. He did not… suffer.'
'So that is your story,' Vox Chun said.
'It is the truth,' Obi-Wan said quietly.
'We are leaving now.' Vox turned to go. Kad and Sano Sauro followed. Then Sano Sauro turned back and fixed his dark, opaque gaze on Obi-Wan.
'In your opinion, did Bruck Chun really intend to kill Bant?' he asked softly.
'Xanatos ordered him to,' Obi-Wan replied.
'That does not answer my question. Did Bruck intend to kill Bant?'
'I believe he did.'
'You believe or you know?'
'I… believe.'
'What do you know? Did he take any action to kill Bant?'
'He didn't have to! She was chained underwater!'
'A Mon Calamari underwater is not so unusual.'
'She was almost out of her store of oxygen.'
'You know this? Or is this something you believe?'
'I know it. She told me so after I rescued her.'
Sauro nodded thoughtfully. 'How do you know that Bruck would not have dived down and saved herhimself, if more time had gone by?'
Obi-Wan stared at him. How could he know the answer to that question? He didn't think Bruck would have saved Bant. But that was what he believed. He didn't know.
Sauro waited, but when Obi-Wan said nothing, he gave his first smile. It made Obi-Wan shiver.
He turned back to Vox Chun. 'I'm ready.'
'There is one last thing,' Qui-Gon said. 'The Jedi would like to present you with this, with our sorrow. Bruck was one of us, and we mourn him.'
He reached into his tunic and withdrew the hilt of Bruck's lightsaber. The crystals had been removed, but the hilt still bore the markings Bruck had carved. Qui-Gon bowed and presented it to Vox Chun.
Vox Chun shoved it in his tunic pocket without looking at it. Then he turned and walked off without saying good-bye. Kad Chun and Sano Sauro followed.
With a glance, Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan that he would show the visitors out. Obi-Wan could remain.
