Book 9: The Fight For Truth

Written By: Jude Watson

The book begins with Obi-Wan and another Padawan, Siri, in a training exercise with their masters looking on. Siri and Obi-Wan do not get along well. Basically Siri doesn't play well with others, and doesn't allow Obi-Wan access to her mind which would allow them to become one through the training exercise. Finally, Obi-Wan's pride gets too much for him, and he stops trying to play by the rules and destroys the seeker droids. Because both of them refused to work in tandem they failed the exercise. Shortly after, Yoda informs Qui-Gon and Adi Gallia, of a young Jedi hopeful discovered on the "backwards" planet of Kegan. Kegan doesn't allow visitors and has isolated itself from the Galaxy. Yoda informs Qui-Gon and Adi that both of them along with their Padawans, Obi-Wan and Siri, will travel to Kegan and test the child.

When the Jedi arrive on Kegan, they are met by the Hospitality Guides, O-Rina and V-Haad. Both Qui-Gon and Adi find it odd that a planet which doesn't allow visitors has Hospitality Guides, but say nothing. The guides lead the Jedi to the home of O-Melie and V-Nen, the parents of the young child in question. When Qui-Gon first sees the young O-Yani he senses she is indeed connected to the Force, and proceeds to inform the young couple along with the Hospitality Guides about how her life would be with the Jedi. Even though the Jedi prefer only to deal with the parents of Jedi hopefuls, the the Hospitality Guides insisted on staying, the same "false" smiles on their faces. Qui-Gon and Adi both noticed that the smiles hid something, and that something was being hidden from them. According to the Guides, no Keganite was allowed to leave Kegan and they were sorry to keep the Jedi away from their important Jedi matters. They went into details to explain how the Benevolent Guides, O-Vieve and V-Tan, had special abilities to see the future and had foreseen that bad things would happen if any Kegan left the planet. Qui-Gon wanted to talk to the parents alone, and convinced the Guides to allow them to walk to quarters so they could get to see Kegan better, along with the company of the Guides and they parents of O-Yani. Qui-Gon had a plan, Obi-Wan and Siri were to sneak away while they walked and investigate Kegan, something they couldn't have done if they were transported to the quarters the Guides had set up for them on a speeder.

While in the marketplace, Qui-Gon caused a distraction, and Obi-Wan and Siri slipped away. They wandered around, and soon were discovered by a Keganite truancy officer. Since they should be in school, and not, they were subdued and taken to the Learning Circle. The Learning Circle was well-guarded and the children of Kegan were not allowed to leave or see their parents until they graduated. While in the school, Siri and Obi-Wan discovered how the students were fed false information about the galaxy at large. Siri's stubbornness got them into trouble as they were both given "marks" for their disobedience in believing everything that was told for them. They ended up having to do the dishes that first night. That night they met a fellow student, V-Davi. He snuck into the kitchen at nights, and against the rules of the Learning Circle, kept and cared for small animals he would find injured. The three became fast friends, and he agreed to help them escape.

Highlight between the *'s to if you want to learn about the ending.

*** The Guides went to look for Obi-Wan and Siri, after they disappeared, and Qui-Gon and Adi continued to try and understand what was going on. Qui-Gon convinced O-Melie and V-Nen to go back to their home. When they arrived, they discovered O-Yani had been taken. And as night came with Obi-Wan and Siri, missing, Qui-Gon really began to wonder what was going on on Kegan. It took a while for Qui-Gon to notice a constant buzzing sound above them. What he learned later was that the O-Vieve and V-Tan has sanctioned that all Keganites would be watched all the time. In the protection of a safe room, O-Melie and V-Nen explained how it became to be this way. Qui-Gon decided that it was time to take action, to find his padawan along with Siri and O-Yani. Adi did not agree with his plan to interfere in the Kegans way of life, but finally did agree to help him knock out the Central Instruction Processors that controlled the patrolling skyhoppers.

Back in the Learning Circle, Obi-Wan discovered of the something called the Relearning Center. This is where bad students were sent, and his and Siri's friend, V-Davi, was sent there because he was caught with his pets after covering up for Obi-Wan and Siri's botched plan to try escaping for the second time. Obi-Wan and Siri planned to get sent there as well to find V-Davi and save him. And they succeeded in getting enough marks to be sent, where Obi-Wan learned first hand how the Relearning Center worked. They brainwashed the children into believing that only the Greater Good mattered.

Because of Qui-Gon and Adi's disabling the CIP's controlling the skyhopper, O-Vieve and V-Tan forced them to leave the planet, and promised to send Obi-Wan and Siri back to Coruscant after they were found. Adi and Qui-Gon went along with this, and left the planet, only to sneak back to the planet, and look for their young Padawans. Landing near the Learning Circle, their search began. Obi-Wan had found V-Davi in the Relearning Center and with Siri's help went to rescue him. When they found him they learned the brainwashing technique had worked on him, but finally go through to him. While escaping they heard a noise, and soon discovered O-Yani. The rescued her and planned their escaped, they had to fight through the security guards, and when they were cornered at the exit and Obi-Wan thought to keep V-Davi and O-Yani safe he and Siri would have to give up, the ramp opened and Adi and Qui-Gon came to the rescue. Qui-Gon had heard his young Padawan call to him.

The children were returned to their parents and O-Vieve and V-Ten were voted out of office. O-Melie and V-Nen gave permission for their daughter to go to the Jedi Temple, but were not totally childless now. They took in V-Davi, since his parents had died years earlier.

Some interesting notes, the visions that O-Vieve and V-Ten had were basically of the events in the original trilogy. I'll let you all see for yourselves. ***

 

 

out of 10 's