"Time will not change anything, either," Qui-Gon interrupted, his voice smooth and controlled. "In truth, you can do nothing to either make her stay or go. Her life is her own, she's not under our authority."

"But you are." Windu paced impatiently, his eyes on both of us like an eagle's hunting gaze. "We could forbid you from having anything to do with her."

"What good would that do, for any of us?" Qui-Gon let his hands fall to his sides and threw back his shoulders, as if to physically defy the challenge brought to him. "The chancellor has asked us to go back and try to locate the ship, and our attackers. We don't know that Stacey doesn't have anything to do with that, we don't even know why she came here, to us. It wasn't so we could have a debate about how this affects Jedi code. I want her with me, and she wants to go."

"I definitely want to go," I spoke up, not wanting to leave my defense to the Master alone. "I don't want to sit around here while you debate my existence. You have more important things to concern yourself with than me."

Without acknowledging whether or not this was true, Mace Windu stopped in front of me and sighed heavily. "I suppose you feel attached to Master Qui-Gon, somehow." He shifted his dark eyes to Qui-Gon. "And even if we did order you to leave her behind, you would go against our wishes."

Qui-Gon said nothing, but fought back a knowing smile. He sure would.

Mace Windu turned away from us and crossed to the window. We were in his personal chamber or office, holding session with him alone, as the whole Council was scattered throughout the Temple on their various errands. We hadn't heard anything from them, yet, but Qui-Gon wasn't about to let that prevent us from continuing the mission he and Obi-Wan had begun. "Do whatever you think is right," the dark-skinned Master relented, "but know that you do it without the Council's recommendation. If you get yourself or her killed, the responsibility is yours alone."

"I accept that." Master Qui-Gon bowed and turned to leave, giving Obi-Wan - who stood by the door, uninvolved - an amused little smile. I offered the other Master no such respect as I followed the two Jedi out, and he didn't seem to care whether I did or not. Once outside the office, Qui-Gon quickened his pace with long strides. "The transport is already waiting. We have just enough time to grab our things and go." He glanced at Obi-Wan striding beside him. "We've been given a small shuttle, no crew. It will be up to you to pilot it."

"Yes, Master," the Padawan said obediently.

"And it looks like you are along for the ride," he added to me. "Heed everything I say. I will look out for your safety, but I don't want to put you into a situation where you could be a liability. Expect to be left behind if we're forced into trouble."

"Yes, Qui-Gon."

The transport took us a mile above the city to a docking platform floating effortlessly in the middle of criss-crossing lines of traffic on the wing, where a small, streamlined ship was docked and under guard. From a distance I could see the distinct red color of the outer hull, meaning it was meant to be seen as an unarmed diplomatic ship. No officials were there, but a few Republic guards in their royal blue helmets and cloaks stood around it to ensure that only the proper passengers would board the craft. The one standing at the base of the loading ramp bowed stiffly to Qui-Gon as we marched past and withdrew, signaling the rest of his troops to back away from the ship as it prepared for launch. I stepped cautiously up the ramp and ducked as I entered the main hold, thinking to myself how plain the interior was for a Senate-owned shuttle. It reminded me somewhat of a Winnebago, with beige walls and floor and blocky, ill-designed furniture and features. The resemblance ended in the cockpit, however, where the banks of instrument panels curved elegantly as they followed the contour of the ship's bow. There were three seats exactly, two behind the controls and one near the door, which is the one I took prior to takeoff. Obi-Wan fell into the captain's chair and deftly flipped switches and tapped buttons, coaxing the shuttle's engines to ignite and thrum eagerly. Qui-Gon settled into the third chair. "Head away from the planet at cruising speed," he advised his apprentice. "Senate shuttles are never hasty."

"I know." Obi-Wan did not look at his Master as he worked, easing the ship off the platform and into one of the streams of fast-moving traffic, heading for the nearest jump point to escape low-orbit and head into space. "Did you speak with the Rodian senators?"

"Not yet. I will contact their leaders once we reach deep space," Qui-Gon said, ready at last to lay out his plans for us. "The request for assistance came from the planet, through their senators. I will ask them why they requested a Jedi presence, and if they have any suspicions as to who might take one of their ships."

"Space pirates, perhaps?" Obi-Wan suggested. I grinned at the way the words sounded in his soft, accented voice. Then again, the phrase "space pirates" is funny coming from anyone.

"Couldn't be. They wouldn't use battle droids. No, I think someone with a measure of intelligence and craft is behind this."

I remembered something someone had told me about battle droids, where they were constructed and for whom, but before I could ask Qui-Gon about it, he turned to me with a relaxed smile. "Battle droids are a relatively new technology, but I have seen them and fought against them a number of times," he answered my question. "Not many can afford to build a battle system, only governments and alliances with the resources to waste on such a force. They're relatively easy to knock out, except that they come in large numbers and can overwhelm a smaller force."

"What about the control ship?" I wondered. "Don't they operate from a central control?"

The Jedi Master frowned, as if he hadn't thought of that. "You're right, they do," he murmured. "Either the controls were aboard the Rodian ship, or there was another ship nearby."

"Rodian ships can't be configured to carry a droid control system," Obi-Wan noted, his eyes still on the screens and the viewports. "Not without a lot of time and effort. If the Rodians are so sure their ship was stolen or manipulated, the controls couldn't have been on board that ship."

Qui-Gon mused over that information for a while, and I could feel the tension that came from his mind working. He had no particular reaction to it, though, at least not that I could sense in my pathetic attempt at being Jedi. "It seems we have a complicated little mystery on our hands," he said at last, with a nodding glance at me before turning to watch Obi-Wan's handling of the ship. Outside the viewports, over their shoulders, I could see that we were heading steadily away from Coruscant's silvery surface, being passed by faster ships which rocked our little craft's frame a bit with their wake. The horizon was turning gradually from blue to hazy gray and then to black as we skimmed out of the last reaches of atmosphere and started to pull out of the planet's gravity. Not being used to this sort of travel, I sank back in my seat and gripped the edge of it, just a bit terrified of the feeling of leaving the ground for an indefinite period of time. I had flown in planes before without reaction, but this was drastically different. Fortunately, the ship's artificial gravity kept me from sliding out of the seat or flying further into the cockpit - down was still in the direction of the floor. Once we were in the void of space, however, completely free of the planet's gravitational pull and flying slowly into the deep blackness, I began to feel more normal about space travel. The purr of the engines could be felt throughout the ship, a comforting sensation, like the smooth sound of a car's tires on the road. Qui-Gon read the panels and was satisfied. "We're far enough out," he said to Obi-Wan, "increase our speed and make for the hyperspace jump point where our transport left from. I want to follow our original flight plan to those same coordinates. Will you be all right if I leave you alone?"

"Without so much as a droid to keep me company?" Obi-Wan complained as he looked up at his Master, who had risen to stand beside him. His young face bore an honest smile. "I'll be fine."

"Good." Qui-Gon patted his shoulder and started toward the doorway which led to the rest of the ship, giving a toss of his head as he passed me to invite me along. We went into the rear of the hold, which held a lounge and a communicator. "I know you don't want to be left out," the Master said as he eased into the seat in front of the communicator, "but there's little I can give you to do. You won't be holding a weapon, that's for sure. But, I suppose it's good to have another mind along to think up a plan. Watch closely, now. I'll want to know what you think of this." Without further preface, he sent a signal through the communicator and sat waiting patiently for a reply. In a minute or two, the holographic pad of the communicator erupted with the globular blue head and thin shoulders of a Rodian, the kind of alien my mind labeled "Greedo" at first sight. "I'm Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. I'm calling on behalf of the Chancellor," Qui-Gon told the hologram in a crisp, no-nonsense tone. "Will you put me through to your governor?"

The alien muttered something in its own language, which I could not understand but Qui-Gon evidently could. Then, its image disappeared. "What did he say?" I asked.

"She said she would see if the governor was available," he replied, amused that I had made such a simple mistake. The holographic pad sparked to life again, this time with a full figure seated in a straight-backed chair. The alien had the same look as its receptionist, but was dressed in fine clothing that spoke of elevated position. Qui-Gon faced the image with a calm, expectant look. "To whom am I speaking?"

"I am Eedan, Under-Secretary to the governor," the image croaked, speaking a stilted but otherwise flawless Basic in its raspy voice. "The governor has been detained in a conference. May I be of service, Master Jedi?"

"I was sent by Supreme Chancellor Valorum to assist you in a matter which your senators deemed important," Qui-Gon informed the secretary. "Unfortunately, we were delayed when our ship was attacked."

"Yes, I heard about that," the Rodian said evenly. It didn't seem flustered. "Are you on your way to us now?"

"Not at the moment. First we are attempting to locate the ship which attacked ours. Have you received any word from it?"

"None."

"If I may ask, Under-Secretary..." Qui-Gon was choosing his words carefully. "What is the reason the Jedi were asked to go to your planet? We were never told."

Eedan twitched a little, looked off to its side, and then back at its own communicator. "It would be best if that were not discussed over a comm channel."

"I must know. Without it, I have no motive for the attack."

The Rodian held up a hand to ask Qui-Gon to wait, while it leaned over its shoulder and muttered something to someone who was just outside the visual range of the holographic projector. After a moment, it spoke again. "Very well, if you must know. Elections for the representative to the Senate are being held within the week here. Our leading candidate, the current senator, has the governor's support, but very recently he has received threats against him, demanding he drop out of the race. The other candidates claim no responsibility. We wanted a Jedi presence for the elections to make sure that the senator is not killed when he returns to oversee the end of his campaign, and to deter any violence against any of the candidates."

The Master nodded slowly. "I see. How many days remain before the election?"

"Five."

"My apprentice and I will be there in time. You have my word."

Eedan looked relieved. "Accept our gratitude, Master Jedi. We had withdrawn our request for your help, but your offer is willingly accepted. We will be waiting eagerly for your arrival. What sort of ship are you flying?"

"A Republic shuttle. Expect us within a couple of days, after we investigate the disappearance of the ships from the rendezvous. The site of the attack is not far from your system."

"Your time is precious, we will not ask you to waste it," the Under-Secretary said humbly. "Come when you can. I will inform the governor of this conversation, and assure him that the senator will be well-protected when he arrives." The Rodian lifted a hand, and the transmission ended.

Qui-Gon closed down the comm channel and swiveled his chair to face me. "What did you think?"

"He seemed sincere," I observed. "I don't know much about Rodians, but I would think he's got a real problem, there."

"They do have a problem," the Master agreed. "Rodian elections are never uneventful. That's why they don't have them very often. I've never personally attended one, but I know other Jedi Knights who have had cause to be stationed on the planet around election time." He got up and paced around the cabin, pressing a fist to his lips as he thought. "Trusting this under-secretary at his word, the Rodian ship was presumably on its way to escort our transport to their system so that we could be there to assist. Such an escort is not unusual, especially when the matter is political at heart. If the party making the threats against the senator got wind of our imminent arrival, they might want to shoot us down." Still pacing, he grew silent and pensive as he mulled over the possibilities.

I watched him pace, my own mind starting to work on the problem. "But, that's what happened anyway. When you got to the rendezvous point, the ship was there, but it was filled with a battle force instead of an escort."

"Right. We had no idea what we would find when we got there, as we were unaware of the nature of the request. I assumed it would be a delegation, who would tell us the reason they had called us."

"Are the Rodians the sort of...um, people, who would use battle droids?"

Qui-Gon's pacing halted. "No," he answered, turning towards me. "They have their own army. The government could afford it, but they're not the type to want it. A political opponent...probably couldn't afford it, however." His brow creased with a deep frown, his blue-gray eyes narrowing. "We cannot eliminate the senator's unknown enemy, we don't know if they're Rodian or otherwise. But, we can eliminate the Rodians themselves from suspicion. The governor and the senator. They're not involved in this, except perhaps as victims."

"So you think the Rodian ship that met you was probably stolen?" I chanced.

"That is only one possibility." Qui-Gon sighed hard, and sank into a chair near me. "There is much we don't know yet. But this situation becomes more sinister by the minute."

"What do you expect to find at the rendezvous coordinates?"

He shook his head slowly. His bearded face was solemn, drawn with the effort of thought. "I don't know," he said after a long silence. "Likely, nothing. But it's as good a place to start as any."

*****

From within the ship, the slice of space visible through the wide portals looked like every other slice of space we had traveled through. All around us, the blackest black closed in like an ominous wall with random specks of distant stars dusted across its surface. "Well," Obi-Wan began, "here we are. This is where our ships were last seen."

"No debris, nothing," Qui-Gon noticed. "Do you remember which direction they were headed?"

Obi-Wan thought about it, his blue eyes vacant for a moment, and then moved the craft in a slow spin to port. "This way," he said with grim confidence. "But I wouldn't risk a jump into hyperspace without knowing a destination."

"Run a scan, see what systems are within a few parsecs of this heading." Qui-Gon settled into his seat and fixed the glowing screens with a frown. "I don't like this. These coordinates are far enough out from any commonly-used shipping lane that a meeting between ships would be considered secretive. Whoever set the coordinates did not want anyone else knowing we were meeting."

"You said something like that when we arrived the first time," his apprentice noted, glancing at him with an intense look. "The question that remains is, did the Rodians set these coordinates, or did the ship communicate them after our attackers gained control of it?"

"They came en route," Qui-Gon replied darkly. "From the ship. The captain notified me when we got them."

"All the better to hit and run, and leave everyone wondering where you disappeared to," I remarked. I stood just behind them, watching the same screens as they, though I could not understand the symbols and constantly swirling digital gauges. "They had to have known about the Rodians' request, though. Took advantage of it."

"That's exactly what they did," Qui-Gon agreed forcefully. His eyes flashed a vivid blue with certainty. "Assuming they had succeeded, it would take a couple days before anyone realized we had not arrived in the Rodian system, and by then it would be too late to track down our last known coordinates. The three of us are the only ones who would know where it all took place..." His gruff voice trailed off, as his gaze wandered out the viewports to the silent void of space beyond. I didn't know what he was thinking, and when I tried to reach out with my mind, all I got was a deep sense of foreboding. Not knowing how to proceed bothered him, but he tried not to show it. After a moment of absent thought, he turned his gaze back to Obi-Wan. "Well?"

"The sensors on this ship are limited," the apprentice answered, "but as far as I can tell, there are no major systems within a reasonable distance. If you continue on this heading long enough, though, you'll begin approaching the Outer Rim territories. Smaller systems under Republic control, like Naboo and Tollen, and then the Outer Rim - Tatooine, and the like. Rough spots."

My heart thrilled momentarily to hear familiar names. Qui-Gon must have felt it, because he turned toward me with a curious look. "You're familiar with the Outer Rim?"

"Just Naboo and Tatooine," I said modestly. "I've...heard of them."

To my fortune, he let it go. "Outer Rim planets breed the kind of terrorist that might try something like assassinating a senator, but no one from there would have a conceivable motive. I don't think we'll need to head out that way."

Obi-Wan studied the readouts. "Then, the only inhabitable place lying along this heading is a single planet orbiting the star Antes. It's not a very hospitable place, according to the sensors, but a ship could land there."

"How far?"

"Twenty light-years. A mere skip through hyperspace."

Qui-Gon nodded in satisfaction. "Set a course."

"Yes Master."

Before Obi-Wan's hand even touched the navigation controls, a sensor began to beep alarmingly. Both Jedi shot it a quick look, but just as the Master began to say, "Proximity sensor..." the shuttle rocked with an explosion. I was pitched to the floor, while the two of them grabbed for the console to hang on while the little craft tilted horribly to the left. Obi-Wan snatched at the controls and corrected the pitch, hunting for an answer among the flashing viewscreens. "A ship just came out of hyperspace, almost on top of us," he yelped. "They fired on us, as soon as they came out!"

"Contact them," Qui-Gon demanded, leaping out of his chair to help me up. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," I said, rubbing my left shoulder where it had broken my fall. Another blast just missed us, exploding to the right of the craft, soundless in the airless void of space. "Who's shooting at us?"

"Republic shuttle to unknown ship, identify yourself!" Obi-Wan commanded as he manned the comm channel. "We are a Senate cruiser on a diplomatic mission. Cease fire immediately!"

The only answer was another shot, and another explosion-which hit the rear of the ship. The engines protested with a roar. Identification would have to come through the sensors, which were overloaded trying to diagnose problems with our ship. "It's a Headhunter," Obi-Wan informed us. "Armed to the teeth."

"We have no weapons," Qui-Gon lamented sternly. "The shields won't hold against a ship like that, they're made to fight."

"I have an idea." Obi-Wan yanked on the steering stick, whirling the shuttle in a tight circle and sending it straight at the oncoming battleship. I could see it through the viewports: long, sleek, bristling with armaments and shield generators. Bright blasts of energy lanced from it, most zinging around us harmlessly as our ship's sudden movement saved it from being tracked by the weapons guidance systems. I threw myself into the chair at the rear of the cockpit, wanting to yell, "What are you doing?" but restraining myself. Obi-Wan was a blur of movement, snapping buttons on and off, watching screens, glaring at the ship in front of us as our thrusters carried us rapidly toward it. I could feel the excitement and furor from him, as he flew into action with battle-hardened precision. "Hang on," he warned, waiting until we had come within a few hundred yards of the attacking ship before throwing a lever. The thrusters responded with a burst that carried us instantly past the Headhunter, flying so close to its underside that its guns had to break off, unable to target. As we rocketed past, a final burst of blaster fire scorched the back end of our ship, and an audible explosion evoked a sinking feeling in my heart. We were hit. "We're hit," Obi-Wan said, echoing my thoughts. "Shields are gone. There's a coolant leak..."

"Stay on course," Qui-Gon ordered, his voice pinched with agitation. He got up and disappeared into the hold, while I stayed right where I was. His absence and Obi-Wan's tense silence made me afraid, waiting and listening for some horrible sound like the ship being ripped apart and our lives coming to a tragic end. But nothing else happened, we kept flying, and the Headhunter stopped shooting. The Master came quickly back. "We're damaged, but we should hold until we can get to safety," he reported, much more calm than when he had left. His hand fell unexpectedly on my shoulder. "Don't be afraid," he added. "The hyperdrive is fine. We'll get out of here."

"I don't want to head for that rogue planet, not with a Headhunter on our tail," Obi-Wan said warningly.

"Make for the Rodian system," Qui-Gon offered.

The apprentice glanced back at him with a cool smile. "Course was already laid in, Master."

"Good. Good work, Obi-Wan."

I let out a huge sigh. "That was not fun. Who were they?"

"I couldn't say," Qui-Gon answered, his face darkening. "The only ones who knew our flight plan were the Council, and..."

"The Rodian secretary," I finished for him. "You even told him what kind of ship we were in."

Qui-Gon fairly seethed with indignation. "Someone did not want us to reach Rodia. I reserve my judgement for when I have the facts, but..." He looked down at me, smiling grimly. "...it does not bode well for the under-secretary at this point."

The shuttle lurched into hyperspace at that moment, groaning and complaining but making it nonetheless. Obi-Wan announced that we should make our destination in record time, cutting across widely-unused space in a direct line to the distant planetary system. The Headhunter had begun to follow us, but after we entered hyperspace, there was no trace of it. I withdrew to my seat at the back of the cockpit and remained silent for most of the journey, reluctant to intrude on the thoughts of the two Jedi who had their hands full trying to keep the ship together long enough to make it to civilization. I had nothing to offer them at this point, talking would have been a distraction. I merely sat and watched, flexing my mind with the newfound power of the Force that had been given to me like a gift. I couldn't sense much of anything, just strong emotions at certain times from the Jedi, or glimpses of what they were thinking about. Like me, they thought in images, rather than words, but even those were few and faint, as my capability of using the Force was limited. Most of the time, Qui-Gon remained a strong, silent fortress, retreating deep into his mind for the purpose of contemplation. After several hours of getting used to what it felt like to sense the Force, I doubted I would ever lift objects or do anything really neat. Being able to be a part of the Jedi pair was enough, though.

The main planet of the Rodian system was lush and green with rainforest and swampland, a shining emerald in the velvet crush of space. We flew swiftly down through the atmosphere to the day side of the planet, while someone on the surface directed us where to land once reaching the capital, Equator City. The city rose out of the equatorial swamps like a horn on a beast, constructed mostly of solid stone and steel, and that for functionality rather than elegance. Tall, blocky squares stood shoulder-to-shoulder along the bustling streets. The sky above was busy with flight traffic, though Obi-Wan expertly guided the crippled shuttle through it toward the landing fields and spaceport. When we stepped down the lowered ramp, we found the under-secretary, the governor, and a small escort of armed guards waiting to greet us. Qui-Gon bowed as he customarily did before authority. "Thank you for coming to our aid," the governor said immediately. "We are grateful the Jedi are willing to involve themselves in this matter."

"The Jedi are always willing to help," Qui-Gon acknowledged, introducing himself, his apprentice, and me. The governor responded with introductions in kind, though the Master and I had already seen the under-secretary in holographic form. "I need someone to repair our ship," Qui-Gon continued as we walked away from the landing pad, toward a large, sleek landspeeder. "We were attacked on our way here."

"Again?" the governor cried, perplexed. "That is very unfortunate. I will see to it your ship is put back in order. Eedan, have someone get to work right away."

"Yes, your Grace," the under-secretary conceded.

"We were not expecting you so soon. The senator and his party are scheduled to arrive in three days," the governor went on. "We anticipate little action until then, but we have been continually receiving threats nonetheless. Until he gets here, you are free to use every resource at your disposal to ensure his safety."

Qui-Gon was practiced in seeing through the swelling words of diplomats. "You want us to find out who is making these threats, and detain them, if possible."

"If you could." The governor looked at him, blinking those large, black eyes characteristic of Rodians, but his facial expression did not change. I doubted it could. "You will be housed in my own estate. This speeder will take us there."

All discussion of the matter ended as we climbed on board the hovering speeder and were whisked through the crumbling streets toward a large, squarish mansion perched on a cliff overlooking the city. The Rodians seemed torn between the old and the new, neglecting their ancient architecture while building stoic, uninteresting modern buildings full of the latest technology. The city wasn't completely urban, though. Hints of the swamp and the jungle from which it arose long ago clung to the landscape in the form of writhing vines and small, enclosed pools of stagnant water where lily-pad-like plants floated. The air was thick with humidity, but not as tropical as I expected of an equatorial climate, rather like a spring day just before rain. I sat in between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, clutching the large bag that held a change of clothing for all three of us. I felt a little like a servant, as I was the one left holding the luggage, but it would work out for the best. A servant would not arouse much suspicion among the locals, so I would probably be able to come and go with relative ease. Not that I planned on exploring, oh no - if I went anywhere, I would certainly be in the company of the Jedi. I may not be afraid, nor helpless, but I know when I'm unarmed and among strangers.

The governor's estate was like the rest of Equator City, overcome with modernization that nearly obliterated all traces of traditional architecture. Our quarters were made in the western wing, where they gave us what amounted to a suite to ourselves - three sleeping rooms, a washroom, and an enormous sitting room with large transparisteel windows looking out on the garden outside and the city below the cliff. Any other governor's estate would feature an ornate fireplace in the sitting room, surrounded by plush chairs, but this one had nothing like that, only screens for viewing digital or holographic entertainment and a communicator on a private channel. The latter was something Qui-Gon had requested in advance. "If I need to contact anyone off-planet, I don't need every Rodian in the place to know," he explained as he checked the security of the channel. "The less intrusion from them, the better."

"They will want to know how our investigation progresses," Obi-Wan reminded. "We'll have to make ourselves very visible."

"I'm aware of that."

"What about me?" I wondered, dropping into a chair. "I'm going to be spending a lot of time hanging around here, aren't I?"

"You probably won't find anything more interesting anywhere else," Qui-Gon said dryly. "Unless you aim to go drinking in the cantinas, that is."

I grinned at his jesting. "Of course not."

"Get used to it," Obi-Wan said, his blue eyes sparkling with a smile. "Missions like this one involve a lot of sitting around and doing nothing. Even for us - especially for us. When something happens, it happens quickly, but we often find ourselves waiting a long time for it to happen."

Qui-Gon snapped off the communicator and came back to where we were sitting around the circular table which dominated the center of the room, reaching beneath his robe and taking something off his belt. "Here, take this. Carry it with you wherever you go, don't lose it and don't forget it." He handed me a palm-sized device, which I recognized instantly, though he explained regardless, "it's a comlink. I don't want you to be without a means of contacting us."

"All right." I briefly examined the device before tucking it into the sash that wound around my waist, holding the tunic together.

"I want to get all the information about these threats being made against the senator before another moment passes," the Jedi Master continued, turning and heading for the door. "Keep yourselves out of trouble until I return."

"You don't need me to accompany you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I should be fine," Qui-Gon replied, not even looking over his shoulder. "I will share everything with you when I return."

The door hummed shut, and I looked across the table at the apprentice. "Looks like it's you and me again," I said.

"Are you hungry?" he wondered. "I could use something to eat."

"Sure."

"I'll summon whoever's supposed to see to our needs." He got up and stepped over to the intercom, separate from the communicator, which could send a message anywhere in the estate. Just before he pressed the button, though, Obi-Wan turned and smiled at me. "Oh, and as a word of warning...Rodians serve everything with a bowl of green fruit. They look good, but don't eat them. They don't agree with human physiology."

"So noted," I said with a cautious grin in return.

"The rest of the mission will be agony if you do."

We had eaten most of a very hearty meal by the time Qui-Gon returned, though there was plenty left over for him - including that bowl of green, fleshy fruit, which sat undisturbed in the middle of the table. He sat down and helped himself before getting around to sharing what information he had gone to get, wanting to enjoy the dinner and the company of friends before indulging in work. I gathered, then, that the threats were not worth worrying greatly about, if he was so calm and found it easy to relax. We talked and laughed a long time, while the overcast sky outside dimmed with the setting of the sun and a little rain fell, obscuring the majestic view with shimmering silver curtains. I was treated to stories of their exploits, most of which were humorous in some way or another, and Master and Padawan seemed to take a delight in trying to embarrass each other in front of me. One story involved the queen of a small, independent planetary system over which the Republic and the newly-formed (at the time) Trade Federation were vying for an alliance. Obi-Wan was sixteen, he said, and their mission was to properly represent the Republic until the chancellor could get time away to present his offer in person. The queen, however, was instantly captivated by Qui-Gon, and followed his every move for the week they were there. "He would walk into the room," the Padawan said with mischievous glee, "and she would immediately come over to him, take him by the arm, and act just as if the whole universe revolved around him. It was all I could do to keep from laughing," he chuckled.

I looked to Qui-Gon. He endured the teasing with a calm, patient smile, resting his elbows on the table and casually toying with his half-empty glass. "Oh yeah?" I challenged.

"She would sigh, and giggle, and hang on his every word," Obi-Wan continued, shifting his glance to his Master's face to see if he could evoke a reaction. "Master Qui-Gon did nothing to encourage her, he even started to avoid her whenever he could - which was hard, because he was there specifically to hold counsel with her about the trade offer - and she never got the hint. I still remember..." He effected a female lilt as he quoted the queen: "'Master Jedi, you are so very wise. Oh, Master Jedi, would that I had someone of your stature in my court, I would love to have you advising me. My dear Jedi Master, would you care to dine with me this evening? Your apprentice does not have to come.' Oh, she was nothing but obvious. Even her own court and cabinet saw it, but honor and decorum prevented them from saying anything."

I laughed out loud, it was that funny, but kept an eye on the Master. He still said nothing, didn't even blush, but wore that enigmatic half-smile that implied he was not ruffled. "Are you kidding?" I questioned him. "She was just throwing herself at you?"

"I have been through many adventures in my lifetime as a Jedi," Qui-Gon said loftily, "but never have I been so thwarted as by that woman. I couldn't fight her, I couldn't argue logic against her. I could only avoid her as best I could and refuse her every offer." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I hoped my refusal of her advances did not cause her to refuse the chancellor's offer."

"Did it?"

"I don't know," he answered. "She refused, but whether because of me or because the Trade Federation presented a better offer, I will never know, because as soon as the chancellor arrived I left."

"I've never seen him so hasty to leave a planet," Obi-Wan added with a snicker.

I looked back to Qui-Gon. "Why didn't you just mind-trick her or something?"

He sighed comically. "There are some things which resist even a Jedi's power."

A comment like that sparked all sorts of curious questions in my mind, none of which I had the courage to ask. But, for the first time, Qui-Gon made me regret being a part of the Force, and open to his mind. "No, I did not want to pursue anything with her," he said in direct answer to one unasked question, a little sternly. "There was no desire at all. I would rather risk angering her than give in for a moment of passing pleasure."

"I'm sorry, Master Qui-Gon," I said humbly. "It was a spontaneous thought, I wouldn't doubt you to be more honorable than that."

"It's all right," he assured, becoming peaceful and amused again. "You can't control that. I know you meant nothing by it, just be mindful. But...you do understand, even if I had wanted to, I would not have been allowed to place myself in a compromising position with the queen of a disputed system. No matter what she wanted, and she certainly made her wants clear. A Jedi does not use his rank nor his powers to stoop to that level. I haven't had to worry about a problem like that for years, and I hope I never will again," Qui-Gon said concludingly. A smirk brightened his rugged face. "And now, Padawan, would you like me to tell Stacey stories of your own struggles with the female gender?"

Obi-Wan's grin faded. "Please, Master, don't. You know too much about me."

"That didn't stop you from telling my story."

"All right," I broke in. "Not that this isn't fascinating, but there's more important things we need to talk about, here." Much as I actually wanted to hear more tales of Obi-Wan, I knew they had reached their fill of story-telling, and the Master's mind was burdened with more serious matters.

Qui-Gon nodded slowly, unfolding his hands and leaning back into his chair. "Yes, I've let it rest long enough. In short, the governor informed me that since it became clear that the seated senator would win re-election, about a month ago, death threats have been made to his home office, his office on Coruscant, and to the governor's staff. Specifically, the threats have been transmitted, not spoken, left where someone could easily find them either in a communication or physically on the premises. The most recent one was received today, not long before we landed, here at the governor's estate. There has been no way to trace comm signals, they may have been timed to be delivered well after the sender originally made them. None of the senator's opponents, nor any opposition party or fringe group has laid claim to making them. No name is signed, and no reason has ever been given for the threats, simply that if he is elected again, he and his family will die."

He concluded his statement and fell silent, but neither I nor Obi-Wan had cause to speak in reply. They were thinking, and I...well, I tried to think, but I had neither the perspective nor the necessity to try and solve this puzzle. I had puzzles of my own, which would lie dormant while this mission proceeded. "Is there anything we can do at the moment?" Obi-Wan asked, breaking the tense silence.

"Nothing that I can think of," Qui-Gon replied quietly. "We may pass this night without trouble, I think. The governor has invited us to a reception he is holding, an early party for the senator's expected victory, but we're free to refuse."

"I'm fine with staying in," I said. "We've had a long day."

"I agree, Master," Obi-Wan added. "I would rather we didn't go."

Qui-Gon smiled warmly. He didn't have to say anything, I knew he was relieved by our consensus. "Then stay in, we shall. The investigation can begin in the morning."