"You did a good thing, Obi-Wan," his Master complimented him. "That snowdrift needed to be cleared away if they were doing to get the antigrav sled out of there."

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan shook out his arms and then pulled on his robe, which he had left in the room while working outside. "How soon will we be ready?"

"In an hour or two, I think." Qui-Gon stepped over to me and smiled down. "How are you?"

"Fine," I shrugged. "How's it coming?"

"Slowly," the Master sighed, "but it will be for the best. The snowstorm has blown over, everyone is digging out. We have a short window in which to get over the border before the militia on both sides are able to move freely again, and I think we will make it." He folded his arms into his sleeves and regained his faint smile. "Someone will be taking us close to the border and letting us off. We will have to do much more walking than last time, unfortunately."

I frowned up at him. "No speeders? Hey...whatever happened to the speeder bikes?"

Qui-Gon glanced at Obi-Wan, and they both looked grim. "They weren't there when Gotach sent someone for them. Stolen, perhaps. Or destroyed."

"Oh." I hoped whoever had loaned them to the Jedis' need had been reimbursed. "So you're hiking over this time."

"Yes. But we will be right where we need to be. We should be able to overtake Niall by this evening, if we get a good start." He dropped to one knee beside my chair. "I won't record plans this time, I will just tell you. We are heading for an outpost just on the other side of the border, a place where Niall had been many times during his mission and has been using as one of his hiding places. I will do my best to get a message over the border if we need help, but I expect we will go in and not return until we've taken care of Niall one way or another."

I nodded at him. "Okay. I got it. Be careful." Qui-Gon smiled in assurance, and I squirmed at how that particular smile made me feel. I was both delighted and scared, and twisted my hands nervously in my lap. "It didn't take long for the Tharin to find out you were in their country last time. Take care you don't get discovered again. I won't be coming to your rescue this time."

Qui-Gon nearly chuckled at that, but his face sobered instead. "Yes, our cover was blown rather quickly before. I took every precaution I could, I'm not sure how they were able to find us so quickly."

I recalled something I had heard whispered back and forth while on Salji. "Do you think there's a spy, maybe?"

"A spy?" The Master looked strangely at me, pondering the idea.

"Colin and Master Adi have been talking about spies a lot," Obi-Wan offered. "Master Adi thinks she has been followed or covered since her arrival here."

"It could be," Qui-Gon said, his voice low. "Then, I will limit knowledge of our trip. Tell no one," he warned me, one finger raised, "and I will make sure no one else but Adi and Colin knows. If we are discovered again, I will have an easier time tracking down our spy...if there is one."

He rose and gathered his robe around him, sweeping elegantly out of the room. Obi-Wan glanced after him, then smiled softly at me before following his Master away. I pried myself out of the chair and hobbled to the door, but didn't try to master the stairs just yet. Leaning against the wall and looking down, I could see them passing back and forth at the bottom of the stairs, and heard the door more than once. Adi came and stood at the bottom of the stairs, where Qui-Gon met her to tell her to do whatever she could to cover up the fact that he and Obi-Wan had gone. No one was to know, not even Colin's housemates and co-workers. I heard Adi's agreement and her information on their transport. Rather than leave openly from the yard behind the house, their transport would dock inside the garage - or hangar, as they called it - next door. That way, they could take off without anyone knowing that there were passengers aboard the snowspeeder. Qui-Gon seemed content with the preparations, glancing up the stairwell to where I stood before informing his colleague, "There is one thing we must do first. Have our pilot meet us back here, Obi-Wan and I will be out for a while but I want to leave in about an hour."

"An hour it is, then," Adi nodded. "Colin's at work, you should be gone before he gets back. Just in case his lips are the loose ones," she smiled.

"Colin is not the one I don't trust." Adi moved past him, then, and I heard the door. Qui-Gon glanced up at me again with his usual faint smile. "We will be back shortly."

"All right," I relented, watching him leave my limited window of sight and hearing the door. A tense silence fell on the empty house, and after standing there for a moment listening, making sure no one else was around, I limped back into our bedroom and sat down to write.

Time crawled by, minutes feeling like hours, while I waited for the Jedi to get back. I guessed that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would get back first, since I wasn't sure where Adi had to go to meet the pilot. An unnamed pilot, I noticed. Poor Mowchie was off the hook this time, and he would probably be grateful to know it. A thought crossed my mind: they wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to me, would they? No, I decided, Qui-Gon's not like that. If nothing else, he would want to make sure I would be all right. My knee was feeling better, but the constant talk of Niall and impending battle lowered my spirits. I had left the door to the room open so I could hear when someone came back, though the quiet whir of the doors was hard to hear where I was. Sitting with my head tilted back on the chair, my writing pad still blank except for a line or two about how worried I was for the Jedi, I thought I heard that very whir. Someone was back. I lifted my head and set my pad aside, listening for a moment. Sure enough, the tread of boots on the floor drifted faintly to me. I heaved myself out of the chair and took a moment to steady my knee before hobbling lamely into the hallway, wanting to greet whichever Jedi had come home so I wouldn't feel so alone. I paused at the top of the stairs, trying to decide what would be the best way to tackle them, but before I could start a figure passed the stairwell, and I froze.

I nearly mistook him for Qui-Gon again, but at such close range the skin tone and horns were too obvious. Pressing myself back against the wall, I cringed and held my breath, hoping desperately that he hadn't seen me. I could hear the heavy footsteps slowly padding through the downstairs rooms, but he didn't come up or hurry at all, so I figured I was momentarily safe. My heart pounded against my chest, and I clenched my hands at my sides, trying not to make any noise. I slowly edged back towards the bedroom one step at a time, lifting and placing my feet gently. It helped that I was only wearing socks, no boots, as I liked to do around the cold house. I felt the edge of the door against my back, and darted through it into the bedroom on my tiptoes, breathing fearful words to myself in a desperate whisper. Niall is here! Oh my gosh, Niall. Oh my gosh. What do I do?

I suddenly heard the pounding steps coming up the stairs. Clapping my hands over my mouth, I looked wildly around the room for a place to hide. Someone had drawn the curtain over the bed alcove after we got up that morning, so I limped as fast as I could over to it and threw myself inside, cowering behind the thick, opaque curtain and holding my breath again. The footsteps roamed around upstairs for a bit, sounding like they were first in the Goeben family's bedroom, then checking the other rooms. At last they came into the guest room, and I closed my eyes and cringed into a little ball, hiding my head in my hands. Oh, please don't let him look in here. Please make him go away. Oh please oh please oh please...

Robes rustled, and steps came softly in, shuffling as he paused to look. There was an infinite pause, a silence which nearly gave me a heart attack, but I held my breath and remained as still as I could. The footsteps started up again, but they were getting fainter, going out of the room and then back down the stairs. I let out my held breath with a huge sigh and peeked around the curtain to be sure. The room was deserted, thankfully, but the door was still open. I couldn't hear anything more from downstairs, but I was sure he was still in the house somewhere. I crawled to the edge of the alcove, trying to decide what to do, and spotted my comlink laying in one of the recesses in the alcove wall where I had put it the night before. I was torn. I could call Qui-Gon easily, but I wasn't sure I could do it quietly. It was either risk bringing Niall storming back in to discover my presence, or leave the Master to deal with him when they got back. Then I realized - that was exactly what Niall was here for! He had to be here for Qui-Gon. I reached out and grabbed the comlink, making sure I switched on the silencer before activating it.

"Yes, Stacey?" Qui-Gon calmly responded to my call.

"Master!" I hissed into the voice pickup. "You have to come back. Niall is here!"

"What?"

I hid behind the curtain, trying to raise my secretive whisper enough for him to hear clearly. "Niall is here!" I repeated, enunciating each word. "In the house. I heard the door, I looked, it wasn't you - it was him! He must be looking for you!"

"Stay where you are," the Master's voice urgently warned. "Are you somewhere safe?"

"I'm in our room, in the bed. He looked in here but he didn't find me."

"We're coming. Stay hidden!" The channel closed, and I likewise switched off my comlink and tucked it in my pocket. I didn't know what they would do upon returning home with a rogue Jedi lying in wait for them, but I didn't want to be involved in it. Trying to stay hidden in such an obvious place was scary enough.

Straining to listen, I could hear the footsteps roaming around downstairs again, and a clunk of something being moved or pushed aside. I sat up sharply. What was he doing? My fear was being overcome by a need to help, to be a part of my own rescue, as I was never one for sitting tight and waiting out trouble. After all, I reasoned to myself, instead of hiding in the basement I chase tornados. I have to find out what Niall's doing. If he's waiting right behind the door to ambush Qui-Gon, Master will never have a chance! I can call Qui-Gon and let him know where Niall is in the house. Sliding out of the alcove, I tiptoed across the room and hesitated, listening, before slinking into the hallway and peering around the corner into the stairwell. No movement, no Chagrian Jedi in sight. If I went any further, I stood a very good chance of being found, because there were no more places to hide, but my sense of doing something important and needing to help Qui-Gon drowned out the voices of both fear and reason. Taking each step one at a time, for the sake of stealth as well as my sore knee, I inched down the stairs and paused on the last step. I could hear movement to the right, in the direction of the house's front door and the connecting walkway to the garage. Being very careful, I edged my head past the protection of the wall and peeked. I couldn't see him, but I could hear Niall in one of the rooms off the side of the hall, around the corner from the main door and within sight of the corridor that led to the back door which we had been using all week. I waited for a while, but he stayed there, so I guessed he was hiding there and made my way back up the stairs, taking twice as long because my knee was not willing to climb upwards. At the top of the stairs I took out my comlink and buzzed Qui-Gon again, but this time he did not respond. I tried several times to raise him, but he wasn't answering. Now I was definitely scared, and pressed myself up against the wall, squeezing my eyes shut and praying for help to arrive.

I heard the electronic purr of a door and held absolutely still, listening for the sound of lightsabers powering up or blasters or anything that indicated a battle. There was nothing, though, except for light footfalls creeping cautiously into the house. My heart thudded louder than any sounds from downstairs, but I forced myself to stay where I was and not rush out to aid whoever had come in. Then there was a thunk, a cry, and the slam of something hitting the floor, followed by the swish of an igniting lightsaber.

I hurried down the stairs as quietly as I could, realizing as I reached the bottom that the lightsaber might not belong to one of my Jedi friends. Big, heavy footsteps slowly traversed close to my position, but then started down the corridor towards the back door. I took a chance and peeked out, and saw a sight that made my heart sink. Obi-Wan was sprawled on the floor in the foyer, just past the door on the far side of the kitchen, not moving. I could still hear the hum of the lightsaber, down the hall to my right, but after a moment it powered down and there was silence. No footsteps came back toward the kitchen, so I gritted my teeth, closed my eyes, and dashed past the opening of the hallway to where Obi-Wan lay.

Falling to one knee beside him, I gently touched the Padawan's forehead and then searched his neck for a pulse. He was alive, and breathing shallowly, but unconscious. There was blood smeared on the floor beneath his head. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't about to be attacked from behind, and then maneuvered around so I had a view of the corridor before picking up Obi-Wan's head and cradling it. He moaned, and his eyes fluttered. "Obi-Wan?" I breathed.

"What...?" He shifted a little and opened his eyes, but winced suddenly in pain.

"Are you okay?"

"My head," he whispered, reaching up and feeling the back of it. His palm came back with a little smudge of red on it. "Ah...I'll be fine," he assured, "just..."

Footsteps again. I squelched a scream, gritting my teeth. "Run!" Obi-Wan hissed at me. "Get out of here!"

"Where do I go?" By stepping around behind Obi-Wan, I had placed him - and Niall - between me and the rest of the house. There was only one place to run: the garage. Its door was immediately beside us, Obi-Wan had fallen almost in the entranceway. I debated the wisdom of leaving him, but the steps were about to come around the corner so I scrambled to my feet and palmed the door open, running down the step and into the garage despite sharp pains in my knee. I heard a roar behind me; there was a sound of struggle and another cry from Obi-Wan, but I didn't dare look back. Hard footsteps thudded into the garage in pursuit, and this time I did scream, stumbling around boxes and containers as fast as I could. I was sure I was about to be beheaded from behind with a lightsaber.

Niall!"

I threw myself down behind some boxes, already shaking from cold and fear, but peeked up to see the huge Chagrian whirl around and ignite his saber. It glowed purple, throwing violet reflections on the frosty walls. Qui-Gon stepped over Obi-Wan and down into the garage, the hilt of his lightsaber in his right hand but not activated. A dark, stern glare hardened his face. "You are under arrest," he said quietly.

Niall backed away from him, putting distance between them. There were no vehicles in the garage at the moment, leaving a wide open space prime for confrontation. "Master Qui-Gon Jinn," Niall said, holding his lightsaber in front of him, angled upward. "So it is you who was sent after me this time."

"Power down your lightsaber and hand it to me," Qui-Gon said evenly, not about to be lured into useless banter. He stepped forward and held his left hand out as if to accept a surrendered weapon.

"No," the Chagrian growled. "You don't understand. This has been a mistake."

Qui-Gon continued to step forward, his stride slow and powerful. "Explain yourself, then."

Niall gave a little wave with his lightsaber, warning the Master to stop. He did, but remained unruffled, back straight, shoulders thrown back, face a stony mask of authority. His eyes bored into those of his adversary, waiting, holding his power in check until he heard the explanation. Niall eased his battle stance slightly. "I have been forced into this position by the people of Salji," he said defensively. "I was trying to protect them. They would have gone to open war over what I found."

"I know what you found," Qui-Gon said, his voice deep and cold. "You didn't have to kill those scientists. There is always another way."

"You have no idea what this place is truly like," the Chagrian snarled, glaring. "None of you do! The Council demanded I return and leave Salji to the whims of its people, even though my task was not complete. The Saljans were ready to kill each other rather than let each other survive on what we found, they still are. These fools don't know how to compromise. I have been here longer than any Jedi, I understand this conflict! Let me finish it!"

"I think you are finished," Master Qui-Gon told him. "Power down the lightsaber and hand it to me."

I peered around a stack of boxes, watching the two Jedi face off, one crouching in a ready defense, one standing rigid with his hand outstretched, palm up. If they moved a few steps further I could make it to the door and safely out, so I waited, watched, and hoped. Niall held still, gauging the offer before him, and then the purple blade slashed down towards the open hand. Qui-Gon moved in a flash, his green blade awakening and parrying the thrust in the blink of an eye. The Chagrian stepped back, startled, but then pressed forward swinging.

Having seen Qui-Gon battle before, I knew he could hold his own against any enemy, but a fellow Jedi was a foe to be reckoned with. I hid myself behind the boxes, my arms wrapped tight around me against the cold, entranced by the beautiful and very real fight going on before me. The green and purple blades sizzled as they clashed, and the Jedi shuffled along the floor, first one advancing, then the other, their faces grim and stoic, their movements fast and powerful. Niall was Qui-Gon's match in more than build, his swings were precise and fluid and his demeanor deadly calm. I could sense tingles of the Force, figuring them to be coming from Qui-Gon as he gathered his power for the fight, augmenting his senses and using it to remain aware of his enemy's placement even when his back was briefly turned. The brown robes swirled around their feet, snapping as the combatants whirled one way and then another, their lightsabers humming and buzzing. Neither wasted breath talking, they just fought, and I tried to take my eyes off them long enough to seek out a means of escape.

I crept to the end of the row of boxes and paused, trying to mentally measure the distance from my position to the door where I could see Obi-Wan still laying, his eyes closed. He was unconscious again, I guessed, swallowing the stabbing fear in my chest. His lightsaber lay close to his hand, as if he had taken it out to try and defend himself against Niall and then dropped it for some reason. The sound of lightsabers filled the garage, echoing off the walls, and I glanced back towards the din of battle. Qui-Gon was on the defensive, blocking every strike with methodical patience, while Niall pressed him to the limits of his agility. The Master was able to fend off the flurry of fast opposing swings and then backed off, holding his lightsaber up in his customary stance, his weight on his back foot. Niall paused, glaring, and then spun himself in a tight circle to power his next move. Qui-Gon blocked it, but barely, and it threw his balance off for just a moment. He recovered in time, but had to circle around so that he was now standing with his back to the garage doors, almost facing me directly. I didn't know if he could see me hiding, but surely he knew of my presence. Niall leaped in to press his attack, getting close enough to drop one hand from his saber and take a swing at his adversary. Qui-Gon ducked it and threw himself to his left, rolling neatly out of the way and back to his feet, bringing up his blade into his favored stance again. Yet again Niall attacked, his strikes fast and heavy, backing the Master toward the far wall. Qui-Gon slipped out of the trap in time, as I watched boxes stacked along the wall suddenly topple down where he had been, under influence of the Force. He drew back into the center of the garage, poising his blade and waiting. He refused to attack, he only moved in defense of himself. Niall followed him, mirroring his actions, keeping close and limiting the Master's range of movement. Their blades flashed and parried, searing and humming, and I was dazzled by the speed and strength of their fight. There was no way I was going to make it to the door now, I had to hunker down and hope that either the fight ended or they moved out of the garage, though the only open door was blocked by Obi-Wan's limp body.

As I anxiously watched the fight, Niall pressed in as close as he dared, the lightsaber blades screaming as they tangled. The huge Chagrian used his weight and pushed forward, pushing his saber against his enemy's and forcing him backwards into the wall. Qui-Gon resisted as best he could, but little by little Niall wore him down and suddenly the Master's back was against the wall, his blade and Niall's just inches from his face. He gritted his teeth and pushed back, unable to let go of his lightsaber long enough to strike or push Niall off of him. My heart was about ready to explode right out of my chest, but I kept watching, wishing I could do something. In that instant I saw a twitch of movement out of the corner of my eye. Obi-Wan was stirring.

His hand slid along the floor, away from his lightsaber, as if he didn't see it there in front of him. He clutched his hands to his head, and I felt a ripple in the Force. Pain. It was then I became aware that because of the fight, because of where I was and who I was, the Force was active and alive in my mind. I didn't need to reach for it, it was already there. The merest touch shuddered its whole presence like an earthquake, making it easy to sense Obi-Wan's pain, Qui-Gon's fatigue and firm resolve, and the electricity of movement among all of us. Qui-Gon had shaken off Niall at last, but he had been cornered and stood simply defending himself against a determined foe who would not be taken in. I stared hard at them, wishing Obi-Wan was in some kind of shape to help out his Master, because the two of them made such a formidable fighting pair. I threw my gaze at the lightsaber laying on the floor of the hallway, begging its owner get up and do something, and the silver hilt twitched independently. Startled, I stared at it, wondering if I could do what I was thinking of doing. There was no time to debate with myself, I took a completely ridiculous chance and flung my hand toward the door, willing it to come to me. The lightsaber flew off the floor and tumbled end over end into the room, but missed me completely and clattered onto the floor about an arm's length away. I lunged out from my hiding place and snatched it up, powering it on and holding it up exactly as I had seen Qui-Gon do a million times.

Niall saw the movement and spun in place, his eyes widening when he saw the blue lightsaber leap to life behind him. After a moment, the surprise became narrow-eyed anger. "You!" he hissed, baring wicked-looking teeth.

I just stood there with the lightsaber humming in my hands, unsure exactly what I was going to do with it but not letting him see my confusion. Just as I feared, he stepped forward to meet my attack, but before I had to do anything, Qui-Gon sprang from his place with his lightsaber at the ready. Niall turned just in time to parry the strike, and the two of them were once again fiercely engaged while I backed out of the way, too startled and excited to shut off the lightsaber and run. I saw Niall giving me glances every once in a while, as if waiting for me to make my move, while trying to fend off the Master, who had gone on the offensive. I stayed out of his reach, doing nothing more than waving the saber and backing off. I felt Qui-Gon's mind press against mine, then, and the Force wrap around me in a tight embrace. Without my permission my hands moved and swung the lightsaber, and Niall snarled as he had to leap out of the way of both blue and green blades. The Master's sense touched mine, holding it, and I abandoned myself to his lead. In my head I understood that he wanted me to get out of the way, but remain close enough to pose a threat. I did so, and every time I moved Qui-Gon moved in reaction, always leaving Niall no chance to pursue me but likewise no way to ignore my presence. At one point the Chagrian's saber whirled toward my head and I found myself instinctively blocking it, though the force of the blow knocked me off my feet. He was incredibly strong! I thumped to the floor, the lightsaber falling from my hand and automatically powering down. Fortunately, there was nothing standing between me and the door, so I grabbed the hilt and hurled myself into the house, collapsing beside Obi-Wan.

Looking back, I saw that Qui-Gon had withdrawn, and was pacing warily with his blade poised. Niall faced him, panting, but did not strike either. "End this foolishness," the Master demanded sternly. "Give yourself up, face the consequences. We need not prolong this."

"I took down Taal Arvis Oe," Niall spat, "I can take you too."

Qui-Gon remained where he was, so it took the Chagrian to start the fight again, but now Qui-Gon was swinging fiercely, a hard glare on his bearded face. Every move was efficient and quick, aiming for vital points, neck, chest, limbs. Niall was growling, using every trick he knew of to block the strikes that were coming hard and fast now. I felt the Force surge as it was drawn in, and Obi-Wan forced himself to his feet, leaning on the wall for support. "Obi!" I gasped at him.

"Stay here," he warned, taking the lightsaber from my hand and shrugging out of his robe. He was going to go fight!

"No, don't do it!" I pleaded. "You're hurt, Obi! Let Qui-Gon handle it."

As if in agreement, both of us felt the Force sweep in our direction at a glance from Master Qui-Gon. Niall paid it no mind, he had enough to deal with already. Obi-Wan remained standing, but waited, watching. Qui-Gon was fighting with unheard-of precision, and for a moment I imagined I was watching the Duel of the Fates all over again. Unlike the movie, however, I did not anticipate the blow seconds before it came. Niall overreached himself to parry a particularly ferocious swing, and launched himself futilely at Qui-Gon. The Master swung upwards, and the green blade sliced across the Chagrian's torso.

I shrieked and covered my eyes with my hands, not wanting to see any more. There was a heavy thud, and then sudden silence as both lightsabers extinguished. Obi-Wan slid down the wall beside me and his arm came around me, turning me away. In the silence I could hear Qui-Gon breathing heavily, but nothing else for a time. At last his footsteps crossed the garage floor and climbed the one step into the hallway, and I felt his hands on my shoulders. "Come. It's all right," he murmured.

I let him prod me to my feet. "Obi-Wan's hurt," I pointed out.

Qui-Gon turned immediately to him. "Padawan?"

Obi-Wan reached up for Qui-Gon's hand, which lifted him to his feet. "I...I think I need to sit down, Master."

The Master gently guided both of us out of the crowded foyer and into the kitchen, having us both sit at the table. I noticed my hands were shaking as they rested on the table before me. Obi-Wan sat forward with his elbows on the table, his hands supporting his head, while Qui-Gon stepped behind him and looked him over. "It's not bad," he diagnosed. "What did he hit you with?"

"His lightsaber, I think," the Padawan answered, gasping as Qui-Gon placed his hand over the cut on the back of his head and pressed down on it. "I'm just a bit dizzy, Master."

"Then sit here for a while, rest yourself," his Master encouraged, removing his hand as Obi-Wan raised his own to put pressure on the wound. "When the bleeding stops I will clean and bind it for you."

"Yes Master." Obi-Wan glanced across at me and managed a weak smile. "That was a good move."

"I did it," I whispered back to him. "I moved the lightsaber."

Qui-Gon retrieved his comlink from his belt and called for Adi. "Cancel the plans to cross the border," he bluntly told her.

"What?" we all heard her question. "Why?"

"There has been an...incident. Niall came looking for us. He's dead."

Silence greeted his announcement. After a while Adi came back with a curt, "I will be right there," and closed the channel.

I looked up at Qui-Gon. He stood with his head bowed, his breathing returning to normal and the Force beginning to finally ease into a restive state around us. There was a light sheen of sweat on his forehead and neck. He roused himself and met my gaze, and then moved around the table to me, keeping his eyes locked on mine. "Why didn't you stay where it was safe?" he wondered in alarm.

"I don't know," I whimpered, afraid of his anger. But he just perched himself on the bench beside me, taking my hands in his and staring at me. I looked away. "I don't know why I came down, I just did. I heard a...a struggle, and when I peeked out I saw Obi-Wan was in trouble."

Qui-Gon sighed heavily. "You should have stayed hidden," he said strongly.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Another sigh, and then his hand alighted on my head, directing me to look up at him. "It's all right. You did what you thought was right - and you saved me yet again." He smiled wanly down at me, but I could see the pain in his eyes. He wasn't angry, but he did harbor other feelings, none of them remotely happy. "How do you feel?"

I mustered a little smile. "I'm okay. My knee hurts, but otherwise I'm fine."

His hand fell away, though he continued to gaze at me. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

I gazed past Obi-Wan to the door of the garage, now closed, and shuddered, but said nothing more. Qui-Gon got up, going back around to see to Obi-Wan. I watched him, sensing that his emotions were wound up in a knot inside him despite his attempts to look calm and in control. Obi-Wan growled in pain as his Master resumed the pressure on the back of his head, so I reached across the table and took his hand, squeezing it gently. He mustered a pale smile in response. "I tried to stop him from coming after you," the apprentice said. "He just knocked me out again."

"It's a good thing Master Qui-Gon came in when he did," I noted. The Master glanced at me, smiled a tight, pained smile, and returned to his work.

After that, the Goeben house was full of people all afternoon. Authority-type people, a couple of militia members, Colin, Adi, and some random Revin who were somehow a part of cleaning up the loose ends. I hid upstairs in the guest bedroom, keeping Obi-Wan company while he rested. The cut on the back of his head wasn't very bad at all, but two blows had given him a bit of a headache, so he took his Master's advice and laid in bed until his head stopped swimming. I didn't want to get in the way or witness what was going on, so I stayed with him, idly rubbing his back to help him feel better. Qui-Gon had gotten the cut bound up with the marvelous glue-like binding agent from the household first aid kit, but then all the people showed up, so the rest of the care was left to me while they went about doing something with Niall. Once the young Padawan stopped grumbling about how much his head hurt, he submitted to my presence and let me take care of him. I got a towel and wet it, and used it to sponge the blood from his hair and the back of his neck where he couldn't reach it himself. "Thank you," he finally said, as he lay sprawled on his right side with his face turned away from me.

"Are you feeling any better?" I wondered, setting aside the damp towel and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Some. Ah...thank you." I could see him smile, a dimple perking into his cheek. "That feels much better. I don't care what Master Adi says, it's good to have you around."

Seeing his approval, I kept it up, though his comment rang an alarm in the back of my mind. "Oh?" I said as flippantly as I could. "Why, what did Master Adi say?"

"Oh..." Obi-Wan stammered, "well, I...I overheard her say something to Master Qui-Gon the other night. It's really not my place to go around repeating something I overheard. I don't want to start any rumors."

I frowned to myself. "Come on, Obi-Wan. If it's about me, I want to know. I don't want Adi going back and telling the Jedi Council anything that might cause them to..." I paused, trying to find the right words. "...separate me from you."

The Padawan rolled over and looked at me over his shoulder. "Master Adi wouldn't do that." He looked uncertain, though, and blinked up at me in concern. After a moment, he laid his head back down on the pillow, lowering his eyes in acquiescence. "She told Master Qui-Gon not to lead you on. In the general sense," he quickly clarified. "She's concerned that if he's not careful, he'll lead you to an expectation he can't fulfill, such as having you along on every mission we take from now on."

I sighed and resumed massaging Obi-Wan's neck. "I don't expect that at all. I know I can't go on your missions, and after this I don't think I want to. I mean," I immediately explained when Obi-Wan glanced over his shoulder again, "I like being with you two. I feel very safe, like I belong. Everything about this place is interesting, but foreign to me, when you get right down to it. I would feel out of place without you. But," I admitted, more to myself, "it's not good for you to have me on missions. I get in the way."

"I wouldn't call what you did today being in the way," Obi-Wan countered. "Not at all."

"Well," I chuckled, "if you can prove to the Jedi Council that I seem to always be there at the right time, like your guardian angel or something, maybe you can get them to let you keep me on."

Obi-Wan chuckled a little to himself, and then gave me a curious look. "What is a guardian angel? I've heard of angels, they're creatures from the Iego system..."

I threw my head back, laughing. I knew that! "Not the same thing, trust me. On my world, a guardian angel is a...a spirit, sent to watch over someone and make sure harm doesn't come to them. More myth than anything, really," I shrugged, "though I can say there's been a time or two I really felt like God sent someone to watch out for me, keep me safe."

I wasn't looking at Obi-Wan, as I reminisced and recalled my home, but I suddenly became aware of his hand resting on top of mine, caressing gently with his thumb. "That must be why you're here," he said softly. "You're a guardian angel for me and Master Qui-Gon."

I looked down at him and laughed lightly. "I am not. I was being silly."

He smiled back, complete with dimples. "I wasn't. Well, not entirely. I meant what I said - I am glad you're here. And not just because you give good massages."

He kept caressing the back of my hand, even though his gaze drifted away and he settled back into the pillow with a pained sigh. I decided not to move, and just enjoy this moment. "What's going to happen now? The mission's over, I guess. Back to Coruscant?"

"Yes, I think so," Obi-Wan replied. "I'm sure one of the first things Master Qui-Gon will do is contact the Jedi Council and inform them of what happened. This is a serious thing, you know." He glanced backwards again, his blue eyes deep and solemn. "A Jedi has been killed. The Council needs to hear of it. I expect Master Qui-Gon will contact the Temple by this evening, no later."

I nodded my understanding, my mind racing with questions. I had witnessed the entire fight - would they ask for my testimony? Would Qui-Gon get in trouble for this? Probably not, since Adi had given him permission if the situation warranted it. I had witnessed that, too. Obi-Wan was right. This was a big thing, and not likely to be forgotten for a long time. I knew I would never be able to forget it.

*****

Everything seemed to glow blue as I trudged behind the Jedi through the streets of Droste. It was evening, and the day had disappeared behind thick, stubborn clouds, leaving the landscape awash in dim, plush twilight. The snow had been tamped down along the center of each street, to facilitate movement of anything other than repulsorlift craft, but my boots still sank into an inch or two of powder. I limped along between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, just a step behind them both, while all of us followed Adi Gallia into the southern areas of the city. Apparently, the only available communicator that would support off-planet transmissions was there, in the headquarters of the Revin militia High Command. I wasn't entirely surprised when Qui-Gon asked me to come along, I figured there was a good chance my witness would be called for. Still, I hoped I could sit quietly and watch while the Jedi Masters did all the work, because any time I got dragged into official Jedi business, someone wasn't happy about it.

High Command was aware of our appointment, so we were ushered straight into the communications offices without so much as a word of acknowledgement. Members of the militia in their ivory coats and thick boots passed back and forth all around us, but no one even looked at us as they went by. I wasn't sure if they didn't care or if they were intimidated by the Jedi. Adi had a brief conversation with one of the men handling the comm office, but our need to make a transmission to Coruscant was already well known and it was only a minute or two before we were shown into a smallish room with an interesting collection of technological bits. It looked like a computer had exploded and splashed knobs, buttons, and beacons all over the wall. Adi stepped to the far side of the room, in a quieter corner with less mechanical mayhem surrounding it, and began entering coordinates into a console. Qui-Gon laid a hand on my shoulder and looked down at me. "You and Obi-Wan stand over there, where you can see. If I need either of you, I will call you over."

I glanced at the side wall he indicated and agreed, "Okay."

Obi-Wan tugged gently at my arm, getting me to follow him. He was still feeling a bit woozy, but otherwise all right, so he was more than content to stand out of the way unless needed. I leaned up against the wall and glanced at him. "Have you ever seen this before?" he wondered.

"Seen what?"

"Long-range transmissions."

I looked past him to where Qui-Gon and Adi were setting up. They stood side-by-side in the center of an illuminated ring on the floor, and were looking straight ahead of them at apparently nothing. It took a moment for recollection to seep into my mind. "Ooh, is it holographic?"

"Yes, exactly," Obi-Wan nodded. "But be careful not to distract them. The Council will want to hear their report for themselves."

The circle on the floor increased its illumination, then, and at the same time, the space in front of the two Jedi Masters was suddenly occupied by the wavering blue image of Mace Windu, seated in a chair with a solemn, expectant look on his face. At his feet stood Master Yoda, leaning on his stick. "Masters," Adi greeted them as if they were really there, bowing.

"Master Adi, Master Qui-Gon," Mace said coolly, nodding at each one. "We have been waiting for a report from you for several days."

"Things have been extraordinarily busy," Adi explained, keeping her calm wrapped around her like her robe. She stood erect with her head tilted wisely forward, and it was even more evident than usual just how tall she was. Qui-Gon had no more than a few inches on her. He also stood in a relaxed, composed manner, with his hands tucked in his sleeves like usual, but kept silent while Adi briefly detailed what had been happening recently, including the shelling of Droste. "But," she finally said, "we called for you tonight for a very important reason."

"Oh?" Yoda hummed. His voice, like Mace's, sounded hollow over the transmission channel, which crackled with occasional static. "Has this to do with the mission, then?"

"Not my mission," Adi replied, turning her gaze to Qui-Gon.

The Master spoke up immediately. "Niall Oberanu is dead, Masters."

Yoda's eyes widened. I saw Mace start, though he tried to compose himself quickly. "How?" Mace asked. "Who killed him?"

Qui-Gon bowed his head briefly. "I did." The two councilors stared hard at him, waiting for further explanation. Qui-Gon told them of the battle, prefacing his tale by making it clear that Niall had evaded their detection in order to sneak into Droste and track them down, intending to ambush and kill Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan before they had a chance to apprehend him. That said, it was easier for him to inform the Jedi Council members that the attack had taken place inside the home where we were staying, and that I had played a part in it. However, he noticeably left out the part about me and the lightsaber. Neither he nor his Padawan had talked about their actions since it happened, so I was hearing some details for the first time as I watched him tell the story to his superiors in curt, short sentences. He and Obi-Wan had split up to cover both entrances to the house, Obi-Wan the front and himself the back. When he sensed Obi-Wan come to harm, he made his way inside as quickly as possible, and chased Niall through the entryway into the garage. There, as I had seen, they did battle. "I had no choice but to kill him, in the end," Qui-Gon said, his voice thick and quiet. "It became obvious he would not yield, and chose to make it a fight to the death. Once I realized what I would have to do, it was over shortly."

Mace and Yoda sat for a while without responding, and the diminutive Master bowed his green head in regret. "You had no choice?" Master Windu finally repeated.

Qui-Gon shook his head slowly. As he raised his eyes to the Masters, he figured more needed to be said. "His intention was not to escape me, but to kill me and Obi-Wan. I regret that I was forced to kill him in order to save myself and my companions."

Mace shifted his piercing gaze to Adi. "You saw this?"

"I did not, Master," she replied evenly.

But you gave Qui-Gon permission, I seethed inwardly toward her. I heard it!

"Did anyone see it?" Mace persisted.

"Obi-Wan and Stacey both witnessed it," Qui-Gon said without hesitating.

Mace didn't seem disposed to taking my word for it, but he pressed the tips of his fingers together before him and nodded once. "That will be noted in the records, then," he offered. "This is hard news, Qui-Gon. One Jedi forced to kill another."

"It is no easier for me to bear it," Qui-Gon murmured.

"You say this happened this afternoon? How is Obi-Wan now?"

"He is fine. He is a little disoriented, but does not have a concussion. He will recover quickly." I saw Master Qui-Gon's eyes dart in our direction briefly, and wondered if the two Masters on Coruscant had seen their holographic Qui-Gon do the same.

"And the girl?"

"Also fine. She was not injured."

Yoda peered up at him. "More, is there, to this story?"

Qui-Gon hesitated a moment, but then shook his head. "Nothing of immediate importance, my Master. It can be saved for after I return to Coruscant." Both of the Councilors nodded and seemed about to return to Adi, but Qui-Gon had one more thing. "What do you wish me to do with the body?"

Mace frowned a little. "Dispose of it, in whatever means the Saljans have for that sort of thing."

Master Qui-Gon stiffened noticeably. "You don't want me to bring him back to Coruscant for a proper funeral?"

"Niall was a traitor, Qui-Gon," Master Windu reminded with a bit of irritation. "If you brought him back here, it would do nothing but stir up trouble. No one wants to be reminded of his fall. He doesn't deserve the funeral of a Jedi Knight."

Qui-Gon became positively rigid. I opened my mind just enough to be able to sense the outrage pouring off him. "Niall Oberanu served the Republic and the Jedi Order for almost fifty years before his failure here on Salji," he informed Mace. "That record of service and loyalty should be honored, even if his last few months of life were a dishonor to it."

"Dispose of it, Master Windu said," Yoda broke in, peering up at Qui-Gon again. "Give him no honor, he did not say."

Qui-Gon held Yoda's gaze for a moment, and then lowered his eyes humbly. "I will give him a proper funeral here, then," he declared openly. "Even if no one else will do it, I will honor the great Jedi Knight who fell here. Alone, if I have to."

Master Windu looked like he was trying not to roll his eyes. I despised him even more for that. Yoda, however, nodded in agreement. "If do it you must, then no one will stop you," he sighed. "Completed your mission is, Master Qui-Gon. Return you shall."

Qui-Gon nodded. "We are ready to leave as soon as transport is available."

"Masters," Adi interrupted, "I request that you contact the pilot who has been serving this effort all along and send him to come pick us up. We will wait here in Droste, and as soon as he arrives we will all return to Coruscant."

The two Jedi Councilors straightened up sharply again. "Why are you leaving Salji, Master Adi?" Mace wondered, disturbed.

Adi did not lower her eyes, but she did sigh remorsefully. "I have been unable to establish a cease fire. I am too close to the conflict, almost ready to take sides. My objectivity has been compromised. I suggest you dispatch a team of Jedi peacekeepers to take my place. In the meantime, I will make one last effort to salvage peace here, since it will take a few days for the ship to arrive. I will then brief the team when they land on what needs to be done. But, my intervention here has come to an end. I will return with Master Qui-Gon and his apprentice to the Temple and resume my usual duties."

Both Yoda and Mace nodded ponderously. "A proper decision that is, Master Adi," Yoda complimented. "Foolish it would be to remain, if true this is."

"We will await your arrival," Mace added.

A few more things, less important in nature, were discussed between the Masters and the transmission was ended. As soon as the illuminated ring around the holograph pad powered down, Qui-Gon let out a huge sigh and bowed his head wearily. "That went much better than I thought it would," Adi said flippantly. "I was expecting a serious line of questioning about your actions."

"Did you?" Qui-Gon looked at her, a frown on his bearded face. "Is there any reason you thought that might happen?"

"One Jedi being forced to kill another in the line of duty is a rare and disturbing event. I thought Mace might have had more to say about it. Master Yoda, however, has probably been through this before. No matter." Adi continued in her flippant tone, prattling all the way to the door about what she needed to do and how quickly she hoped to be bound for Coruscant depending on Cam's preparedness. I couldn't sense her, but I could instinctively tell she was nervous or under stress or something. Adi was not in the habit of being chattery.

Obi-Wan and I fell in step behind Master Qui-Gon, who stayed behind Adi hardly listening to her. "Is everything all right, Master?" his Padawan wondered.

It took Qui-Gon a moment to respond. He strode in silence before glancing at Obi-Wan just over his shoulder. "I have preparations to make, now. But we will wait until morning, I think. We have time before the ship arrives," he added, his voice trailing off as he faced forward again.

I glanced at Obi-Wan and shared his uneasy glance. Even though the mission was over, the trouble past, things were no closer to being resolved than they were before this day dawned. Gasping at the blast of cold air that greeted us as we exited the building, I placed a steadying hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder and concentrated on not slipping on the ice beneath the snow. A sharp, cold wind was howling, making me long all the more for our warm bed.

On to part 25

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