Stillness greeted me as I left my room and navigated through the cabin to the front room, where I found Obi-Wan putting away some of the supplies Je Nel Ves had brought us. It looked like I missed breakfast. "Well," the Padawan brightly remarked without turning as I entered the room, "a late riser today. Is this the way you do things in the Temple when we're gone?"

He finally turned around and gave me a teasing smile. I just smiled back, still feeling too much peace and bliss to be ruffled. "If you wanted me up any earlier, you could have woken me. It's not like you haven't done it before. What time is it, anyway?"

"It's not all that late, actually. Ninth hour and thirty, standard time. Would you like something to eat?"

"Yeah. What you got?"

Obi-Wan was perfectly willing to drag everything back out and cook me something extravagant, but I settled for toast made from the last piece of home-baked bread and a piece of fruit. Most of the foodstuff was packaged, ration-type meals, but someone up at the weather station had thrown in a few fresh items that were either grown locally or recently imported, for variety. The fleshy fruit was huge, nearly softball-sized, and had a tangy, lemony taste when I bit into it. Obi-Wan finished his chore and sat down with me, folding his arms on the table. When I had the chance I asked him, "What's the plan for today?"

He looked away, toward a window, and sighed. "Nothing, now that the rain set in. I had suggested a hike and Master Qui-Gon wanted to spar, but we'll do neither in the wet. It looks to be an all-day event."

"So, sit around here and stare at each other." I grinned. "Cool. Sounds like a good enough plan to me. Where is he, anyway?"

Obi-Wan gestured with a toss of his head. "Out on the porch, watching it rain."

A swell of excitement returned to me as I pictured the Master, quiet and contemplative, thinking perhaps of other things besides rainfall. I must have absently broadcast it, for Obi-Wan gave me a strange look all of a sudden. I reined in my thrill and shrugged. "It's funny. I like to do that too. Especially if there's thunder - ooo, I hope we get some today!"

"We could always inquire at the station," Obi-Wan said casually, offering me another teasing smile. I mimicked it and returned to my breakfast, wanting to finish it quickly so I could go join Master Qui-Gon out on the porch. After a bit, Obi-Wan remembered something else he needed to do and excused himself. I nibbled away the last bit of fruit from the core and cleared away the dishes in a hurry, desperate to see Qui-Gon again and hoping he would banish the resurfacing fears with just a glance.

The world outside had gone green in the rain, every leaf and fern shining in the gloom, dark pillars of wet-barked tree trunks hiding among the foliage. The air was cool and heavy with moisture. I took a breath and let it out slowly, content with this world and everything in it. Though he didn't need to, Qui-Gon looked up from where he sat on the bench to see who was there. When my eyes met his, his smile could have made a million suns - or just my heart - go supernova. "There you are," he said in a soft rumble.

"Morning," I responded, feeling suddenly very shy.

"I trust you slept well?" the rumble continued.

"Mmm...very." I felt, then, a tickle of the Force in my mind, and realized it was coming from him. Letting it through, I sensed the warmth of affection seeping all through my consciousness, seeking safe places to hide. It took a moment to stir up my own ability, which I then stretched forward to him to find him completely open, prepared to take anything I threw his way. My unasked questions were quietly soothed away as I felt his happiness, his joy and desire, and again that sense of gratitude I had glimpsed in the afterglow of the kiss. Then I realized I was staring, and shook my head with a self-depreciating grin. "You know, I had this dream last night. I think you were there."

Qui-Gon's eyes were merry. "That wasn't a dream."

I gave an exaggerated sigh of delight. "Good. Because I would have been real disappointed to wake up and find out it never happened."

The Master cocked his head and scrutinized me. "Are you still afraid? You have nothing to fear. I will not take back what I put forward last night."

"I'm sorry," I groaned, looking away. "I'm still new to this."

His hand came off the arm of the bench and extended toward me. "Come, then, and sit with me. It's the perfect day for it."

I let my shy smile creep back into view. "It is a good day to just sit and watch it rain." Expecting him to withdraw it, I slowly eased my hand into his.

Qui-Gon placed one booted foot up on the bench, resting it against the high back of the seat, and pulled at my hand until I sat down in the space formed by his actions, between his legs. He pulled me gently back until I was lying against him, my back to his chest, and then wrapped his arms around me so that I was covered by the sheltering warmth of his robe sleeves. Humming contentedly, I snuggled into his body and smiled as his arms formed a protective cocoon, laying my head on his shoulder and finding a nice spot on his neck against which I could rest my temple. The Master responded by hugging me even closer and then relaxing, his head bowing over mine so he could kiss the top of my head. We both sighed heavily, and he let his head tilt back against the back of the bench. I gazed out beyond us at the green landscape and told myself this was the most exquisite place to be sitting.

The rain was falling steadily outside the shelter of the porch, and a constant bubbling sound filled the air as the water dripped from the eaves and splashed into tiny puddles scooped out of the pebbly sand around the edge of the porch. Beyond that sound was a softer one, the whisper of raindrops on broad, green leaves, perhaps the most gentle and romantic sound in the universe. The continual chatter of the rainwater tumbling from the eaves into the puddles awoke a childhood memory in my mind, of my mom's flower garden and the window in the living room by which I used to sit when I played, and that very sound as it rained and the runoff made puddles among the gravel in the garden. The memory dwelled on my mind for a while, and I found myself biting back tears because of it. Qui-Gon stirred and lifted his head to look down at me. "What are you thinking about?" he murmured quietly.

"Nothing," I modestly answered, shivering with chill as the wind decided to blow just then.

His arms tightened around me, the warmth of his body and his robe immediately chasing away the cold. "I sensed a change in your mood. You are...remembering something?"

Sighing, I told him about my memory, about the garden and the corner of the living room and the nearly identical sound of rain dripping from the eaves of the roof that I was hearing now. "...and, I guess, I'm finally starting to realize how far from home I am," I concluded, my face contorting as I fought off the tears.

A sad sigh whispered from Qui-Gon, and he almost groaned as he bent his head over me again and rested his cheek against my head. "It sounds like a lovely home," he encouraged. "You don't talk about it much."

"I haven't been back home very often in my adult years," I confessed, "mostly in the winter when the holidays are. But...it hurts more, now. Because before, home was never very far away, and all I had to do was get in my car and drive a couple hours, if I wanted to go there. But, now..." I gazed at the hazy, muted scenery awash in light rain, the intense shade of green and the dark shadows beneath the trees, as I composed my thoughts. "...I mean, it's not there," I whispered falteringly. "I can't go there. I can't even hop in a ship and go back to Earth, it's just not...there. I can go anywhere I want in the galaxy, but I can't go home." And now the tears came without stopping.

"Shhh." Qui-Gon's hands slid up my arms and cuddled me even closer yet, and I felt him kiss the top of my head again. I heaved a couple of sobs and then tried to take a deep breath, turning my head and pressing my face into his tunics to squelch the tears. He waited until I calmed a little before lifting one hand and touching my cheek. "I know it must be hard," he said softly, and I could feel the way his voice rumbled in his chest beneath me. "I didn't have a home, or a family, like you did. But I know what it feels like to long for something you had once and cannot have again."

Sniffling, I lifted my head and looked up at him. "Whatever happened to concentrating on the moment?"

The Master gave a short chuckle. "I never said I was successful at always being in the moment." Smiling, he smoothed his hand over my head to encourage me to lie back down, to rest against him as I had before, which I did. "I wish I could tell you, one way or another, whether you will ever see your home again," he continued, his voice tender and strong at the same time, the very essence of his Masterly self. "The hardest part must be the uncertainty of it all, I imagine. But, I have no answers. All I can tell you is to concentrate on the moment..." He chuckled again. "...which may not be what you want to hear, but it is the only thing you can do." He lapsed into a contemplative silence, in which the babbling of the rain off the eaves grew louder, and the soothing rustle of the wind in the trees impressed itself on us. I took a breath of the damp air to quiet my emotions, able to smell the tingly scents of flowers and the dim, green smell of the wet soil. Qui-Gon suddenly spoke. "And...I would hope that in the meantime, you might come to consider a new place home."

Touched, I bit down a fresh rush of sentimental tears and clutched at the strong arms enfolding me into the Jedi Master's chest. "I don't like Coruscant much, but as long as you and Obi-Wan are with me, I'll be home," I murmured. I felt his body expand with a deep breath, but he said nothing else, content to let it be. I felt completely safe there in his arms, and laid back against him to watch it rain for a while longer. It did look to be an all-day thing, though I could see nothing of the overcast sky from beneath the roof of the porch and the tree branches. Several minutes of deep, meditative silence had gone by when I chose to speak again, barely above a whisper. "Actually...I've been thinking of Earth a lot lately. Daramin is really similar to it. Especially the last couple days."

"It's like this?" Qui-Gon wondered, lifting his eyes to the falling rain.

"A lot like this. Least, where I lived it was." I heard the analog door beside us creak, and looked up. Obi-Wan had started to push it open, but paused halfway, and his eyes were on his Master and me. "Hey, Obi," I said softly.

"Am I interrupting something?" he said thickly.

"Not at all. Please, come join us," Qui-Gon replied.

"I was just telling Qui-Gon how much like Earth Daramin is turning out to be," I went on. Obi-Wan finally swung the door open and stepped out onto the porch, taking a deep breath just as I had. His attention was firmly fixed on the landscape. I added, "I hadn't seen much of it when you asked me in Takra, but now that I have, I'm really fascinated at how alike to my homeworld this is."

Obi-Wan didn't respond right away, but even I could tell by his tight body language that he was upset. I tried to reach him with the Force and was met with a wall. Qui-Gon stirred a little, and the air around us went unexpectedly still and tense. Obi-Wan's head drooped after a moment, and once he had let out a sigh, the tension evaporated. He turned to face us at last and perched himself on the railing of the porch. "Are you glad you came, then?" he asked of me, intent on continuing the conversation I tried to start.

"Yeah. Really glad," I said honestly. "I'm never going to get to show you two what Earth is like, but at least places like this give a good enough impression."

Obi-Wan gentled his voice. "But it also makes you homesick."

I glanced away, seeking the comfort of the rain. "Very observant, young Padawan."

"As long as Obi-Wan and I are with you, you are home," Qui-Gon reminded me, though the reminder seemed to be less for my benefit and more for his apprentice's.

"Now that you've found a world similar to it, is there anything about Earth you truly miss and expect to never see again?" Obi-Wan pressed, his curiosity overcoming whatever had been bothering him.

I had to think about that one. "Well...I was going to say chocolate, but about a month ago Te Haruth delivered me some of those Alderaanian chocolates you were talking about once, and...oh yeah," I grinned. "Best chocolate I've ever had."

"Always thinking with your stomach," the Padawan said dryly.

"It's true, though - that's probably what I'll miss the most. My favorite foods. Don't get me wrong, I like trying new things, and this galaxy is full of all kinds of ethnic foods I can experiment with. But, I'm sure every now and then I'll get a craving for a burger from some fast-food place, and you just don't have those. And if you have something here that's better than Italian food, well...maybe then I'll feel a little bit better about missing that." I shot Obi-Wan a knowing look. "And I miss my music, too. Again, I like experiencing new things, but the old familiar comfort of an Echoing Green CD is gone forever."

"Your culture is fascinating," Qui-Gon said to me. "What you've told to us paints an odd picture, of a people so consumed with speed and ease for their daily lives, wanting things bigger and faster right now, with absolutely no concern for the future. And yet, they have no understanding of what it is to exist in the moment."

"I don't know that people have no concern for the future," I speculated. "It is pretty selective, though. Social consciousness is more desirable than an understanding of yourself and the people around you. People are more apt to be concerned about a concept than about how their actions affect others."

"What fascinates me is the level of technology you speak of," Obi-Wan interjected. "Your people are concerned, as Master Qui-Gon said, with obtaining things faster, and instantaneous gratification, but they still have yet to discover hyperspace, repulsor fields, or so many other things which they could certainly exploit to their full advantage."

I chuckled at that. "Yeah, you know? I've always wondered why, of all the science fiction toys we've managed to dream up, they still haven't gotten to work on repulsorlifts and hyperspace. We'd save tons of money on oil and road construction, and probably the environment, if everyone drove speeders." I glanced from one to the other, having to twist my head to catch Qui-Gon's eyes. "But me being here makes everything suddenly...different. I mean...if the Star Wars story is real, or was, who's to say which other stories were also real? And that means hyperspace does exist, and anti-gravity fields..."

"It is still a mystery to me how such detailed and complete knowledge of our galaxy and its workings made its way to yours," Qui-Gon mused as I trailed off, thinking about transporters. "Have you any thought about that?"

"Hmm? Uh...no, I don't. Although..." Having attempted once to describe movies to the Jedi and getting the feeling that they didn't quite grasp the concept, I hesitated sharing my thought. Qui-Gon wanted to know, though. "...I have sort of noticed that, so far, anything I saw in the movies was completely accurate. I mean, we're still well in advance of those specific stories, but the details are right so far. The Jedi, the Senate, planets, alien species, so on and so forth. But the books...those are proving to have less reliability. Sort of right, but in parts very wrong. My friends and I used to put forth the crazy theory that George Lucas somehow tapped into the Force and channeled the whole story, but anyone who came after him trying to play in his universe could only get so much right - the rest they had to make up. I don't know." The conclusion hit me, and it looked very weird from here. "Maybe our theory wasn't too far from the truth."

"Maybe in a thousand years, someone will invent a means of crossing intergalactic space," Obi-Wan suggested, though his dry tone implied that he was being completely facetious, "and they will bring records of our ancient history to Earth for someone to uncover. Of course, since your world has no interstellar travel, they would have to sneak their way onto the planet without anyone noticing."

Immediately, visions of UFOs and the X-Files flitted to mind and I burst out laughing.

We talked long into the afternoon, winding around myriad subjects as varied as native zoology, musical theory, and sex, while the rain continued to fall steadily and the sandy fringe below the eaves of the porch became a deep moat with all the runoff. Obi-Wan even brought lunch onto the porch, and we picnicked together, sitting side-by-side on the high-backed bench while a cool, wet wind blew into our faces. After a while the rain subsided, though it was still too wet to think of doing anything like hiking or sparring, so we stayed right there and kept talking. The well-traveled Jedi had a million stories, and had I lived with them for fifty years and listened to a story a day, I still wouldn't have heard them all. Qui-Gon was in the middle of an amusing tale of some mischief he had gotten into while a Padawan learner when his voice was drowned out by the roar of a ship's engines. Something very large and powerful passed low overhead, making all three of us lift our heads in startled wonder. I was doing my best not to freak out every time I saw a ship, so I flippantly commented, "Hmm. Ship coming in to land?"

Qui-Gon's face had hardened, and he was sitting up straight on the edge of the bench. "This is not an official landing zone," he said curtly. "Only low-atmosphere shuttles bringing supplies are permitted to land near High Point Base."

"And that was no low-orbit shuttle," Obi-Wan added, just as seriously.

I began to feel some of their apprehension. "What was it, then?"

The Jedi looked at each other, and both got to their feet at the same time. "We will have to find out," the Master replied.

All three of us hurried indoors, though I had nothing to do or to be afraid of. Obi-Wan went to the main door and stepped outside to see if anyone else had noticed the unusual ship. Qui-Gon attempted to raise the weather station by comlink, but he couldn't get through. As Obi-Wan came back inside, his Master informed him, "Something is jamming the signal."

Obi-Wan's blue eyes burned intensely. "You're sure it was a jam?"

"Quite sure, Obi-Wan. I would venture a guess that anyone attempting to send a signal anywhere to or from the Base is being jammed."

"That's not good," I noted.

"No, it isn't," Qui-Gon agreed.

"Should we check it out, Master?" his apprentice offered.

Qui-Gon nodded sharply. "Stacey -"

"I know," I sighed. "I'll stay here where it's safe."

"No. I want you to come with us."

Both Obi-Wan and I said "What?" at the same time.

The Master looked between us. "Whoever it is may not immediately recognize us as Jedi if we have her along."

"If they're jamming signals, Master, they're probably not a friendly party," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"No, most likely not. But we may be able to get close and investigate without starting a firefight." He swiveled his gaze to me. "Can you stay quiet and obey orders?"

"Yes, Master," I said emphatically.

"Good. Let's go."

There was no time to grab my rain jacket, so I did my best to duck out of the way of low tree branches laden with raindrops, especially the ones that caught Qui-Gon's tall head and showered drops on all of us. The ship had been heading in the direction of the valley below the ridge where the weather station sat, and after a short walk to the very end of the empty houses and sheds of the Base, the Master hunted out a trail that led around the bottom of the ridge in the general direction of the landing. The ship had landed, that much the Jedi could tell by the sound of the engines as it passed over the Base. Before long, I noticed that the path had become much easier to navigate, broader and less overgrown. Down at the very bottom of the ridge, it became so wide that even Qui-Gon could walk under the lowest branches of trees without stooping. There were wet rustlings in the underbrush, but I never saw what was making them. The day was still overcast, but the rain had stopped completely and now a chill wind was sighing through the forest, shaking water from the branches onto us and making me tuck my hands up into my tunic sleeves. Though there had been no sign of danger yet, the sense of alert caution from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan made me subconsciously start reciting the lessons Master Kinse had taught me about getting out of capture.

As we circled around the ridge, following the now very obvious path, the breeze brought to us the smell of woodsmoke and machinery. Our destination was close at hand. Qui-Gon was moving with a level of stealth incredible for someone that big, his boots making no sound on the path, his body naturally hunching and ducking to find the best cover in the underbrush. Just ahead of me, Obi-Wan gathered his robe in his fists to keep it from brushing across dead leaves and grasses. I fell back on the woodcraft I had learned as a child camping in the northern wilds and softened my steps, planting each foot toe-heel instead of heel-toe. The Master suddenly came to a halt and flung back a hand to stop the rest of us behind him. I paused literally mid-step, staring fearfully forward for more direction. After a quick glance around, Qui-Gon gestured for me and Obi-Wan to join him. When we did, I could see how deadly serious and alert the Master was, his eyes dark and his face taut with authority. He spoke to us just under his breath, making us both lean in to hear him. "This path joins another just ahead. A big path, well-traveled. The ship is probably less than a hundred meters from here." I nodded my understanding. Qui-Gon pointed at his apprentice. "Conceal your lightsaber. Act as though you're a local if we run into anyone." His finger came in my direction. "Do whatever we ask of you, and if there is trouble, get out of the way."

I nodded again, furiously. Despite my meager training, if blaster fire or anything erupted, I knew I would only leap behind the nearest solid object and cover my head, and just wait for it to blow over. Fortunately, I was in good hands and figured that these two would quickly mop up any trouble.

Qui-Gon looked ahead once more, and then stole quietly onto the main path, which was indeed very broad - enough for a landspeeder to go through. Obi-Wan kept a hand on my shoulder as he pressed me forward, keeping me between the two of them. Ahead, the Master was walking a little more normally, but still made no sound as he slowly made his way toward sounds that should not have been in that forest. There was a zapping sound, a lot of gruff voices speaking at least two languages, and various clunks and rattles. Master Qui-Gon hesitated only briefly, glancing over his shoulder and giving Obi-Wan a single nod before starting ahead into a clearing. The Padawan suddenly slung an arm around me, wrapping it around my waist. I looked sharply at him and nearly retorted that it was hardly the time for this now when he whispered in my ear, "Just follow my lead, all right?" I frowned, but nodded my consent. He added, "Say nothing. Master Qui-Gon will do the talking."

I was utterly confused, but I trusted these two with my life, and so did as Obi-Wan directed, walking along with him clinging to my side as the trees parted and revealed a sight that made my jaw drop. A landing strip had been cut out of the trees on this side of the ridge, and no one in the Base or coming in on a shuttle would have seen it there. In the middle of the clearing sat a huge, bulky ship, its shape and conformation eerily alike to a Corellian freighter like the Millennium Falcon. It could have very well been the famous ship's predecessor. It was blackened on the underside and looked every bit a hunk of junk, especially with the rough-looking collection of crewmen lounging around it. They had started an unnecessarily large campfire and were using some of their cargo boxes for seats. Still more cargo had been unloaded and a couple men were stacking it on the far side of the clearing. I say men, but really, not a one was human. Several were leathery-faced creatures, broad in the shoulder and unkind in the eyes, but among them were two Grans, a four-armed Quermian, and a Rodian in a blue and white jacket. Two of the leathery creatures were standing guard at the ship's ramp, but it was one of the Grans who spotted us first and muttered something that made all the others stop what they were doing and look in our direction. I did my best not to look scared, though this bunch appeared to be trouble waiting to happen - the long rifles in the hands of the guards and the blasters on everyone else proved it. Qui-Gon's posture had relaxed, and though he had his hands inside his robe sleeves, he was walking slowly and with less stiffness to his spine, almost lolling along as he kept his eyes roving over the hull of the ship. Obi-Wan pulled me even closer and positioned me in front of him, casting both arms around me like a jealous lover. The Rodian, seated on a cargo crate near the campfire, sat up a little so the blaster holster at his side was clearly visible, and said something first in one language and then in Basic: "Is there something we can do for you?"

Qui-Gon just kept looking up at the freighter, nodding patiently to himself. "Nice ship," he commented at last, his voice smooth and dry. "What would you say," he added to Obi-Wan, turning slightly toward us, "type-seven, Starburst class?"

"Type five," Obi-Wan lazily corrected him, pulling me to a stop and making every effort to look like I was his girlfriend. "But retrofitted with type-seven energy shields, and if I'm not mistaken, the armor around the cockpit is straight off a Galaxy-class Republic cruiser."

"That's right," the Rodian said, sounding a little astonished. The Quermian set aside the three datapads it had been consulting and peered at us.

"It must have taken a lot of re-wiring to get the energy shields to interface with the type-five control computer," Obi-Wan offhandedly remarked. "Unless you could afford to upgrade everything but the hull to a type-seven."

One of the Grans laughed harshly. "Why upgrade? Parts from a 327 Nubian's shield array work fine to bypass the interface."

Obi-Wan shrugged, a movement I could feel entirely as he was hanging all over me. It brought parts of him into very close contact...and then I felt the lightsaber in the middle of my back. He was using me to conceal it from these spacers. "Nubians are fine ships in their own rights, but the parts are far less reliable than good old Corellian-built junk."

All of the creatures laughed at that, and even Qui-Gon managed a cool grin. "Truer words never spoken," the Gran complimented. "You know a lot about ships for someone so young. What's your story, kid?"

The Padawan shrugged again. "I like ships. I'm something of a pilot myself - have been since I was ten."

The Rodian scoffed at that. Some of the leathery-skinned creatures started crowding around, eyeing Qui-Gon as he kept prowling around the ship looking at it and the cargo, his hands still inside his sleeves. The Rodian appeared to be the captain, as everyone else gravitated toward him. He fixed his globular black eyes on me and Obi-Wan. "How long have you been in the space lanes, then?"

"Oh, as long as I can remember," Obi-Wan said. I couldn't see his face, so I didn't know what he was doing, but I decided to lean back against him and fawn over him as he made up whatever story he could. "I grew up on ships, one after another."

The other Gran appeared a lot more suspicious than his crewmates, he kept fingering the blaster strapped to his leg. "Odd," he suddenly decided to say, "I'm familiar with most of the pirates who make stopovers at High Point, but I've never seen humans before."

Pirates. Oh man...they're pirates. I started to go rigid, but Obi-Wan's arms squeezed me with just enough reassurance to calm me down. Qui-Gon made his way to his apprentice's right side, opposite me. "Perhaps we've just missed each other every time," the Master aloofly suggested. "What, there are no human pirates?"

"None as curious as you," the Gran gurgled threateningly.

Qui-Gon's arms fell to his sides, the movement automatically sweeping his robe aside to expose the lightsaber on his belt. Alien eyes widened, and the jaws of the Grans dropped as all conversation among the pirates ceased. The guards started to hoist their blaster rifles, but Obi-Wan let go of me and stepped around me, revealing his lightsaber as well. I hid behind him, but glared purposefully in the hopes that they'd assume I had a weapon too.

The Jedi assumed their shroud of authority, backs straight, eyes narrowed, hands at their sides within striking distance of the lightsabers. The Quermian overcame his surprise first and began yammering at the Rodian, slapping him across the head with two of his four hands. The Rodian shoved him backwards off the crate and leaped to his feet. Blasters were out in force and pointed at us. The Rodian snapped something harsh in his own language, to which Qui-Gon coolly replied, "We said nothing that wasn't true. You can hardly blame us if you failed to recognize Jedi."

I jumped as one of the Grans shot at him, but faster than the eye could follow, the lightsaber came off the belt and the green blade sizzled to life, deflecting the shot back at its origin with such precision that the Gran had to duck or it would have seriously wounded him. About half the crew took a step backward. Qui-Gon wasted no more words. "I demand to know what your business is here at High Point, and why your ship is jamming transmissions."

"No," the Rodian countered with a nervous laugh.

The Force suddenly swelled around us, and out of the corner of my eye I saw the hand come up. "You will tell me your business here."

Though I could see no change to the Rodian's countenance, he burbled flatly, "We are making a stopover for supplies. Just like any other pirate in the system."

The Quermian struggled to his stubby feet and slapped his captain again, shrieking in some language I'd never heard before. Qui-Gon's hand moved subtly, and I watched in astonishment as the Quermian toppled over backwards again, this time under the power of no hand's push. "What is the setup, here?" the Master pressed, bringing the Force to bear again.

"It's been going on for years. We come, we drop cargo for other smugglers to pick up, we pick up our own. The people of High Point provide us with supplies and keep silent."

The mind trick may have worked on the Rodian captain, but the others were not its focus and so chose that point to intervene. One Gran clouted the Rodian with his blaster, and the captain crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The other Gran leveled his sidearm and shot frantically at the Jedi, whose lightsabers were alive and buzzing with deflected shots. I heeded the orders given me and backed away, sidling toward a cargo crate and throwing myself flat on the ground behind it, covering my head with my arms and squeezing my eyes closed. For about a minute I cringed there, flinching at every shot, but they rapidly diminished amidst the zing of deflection and the thud of bodies hitting the ground. Then, silence. Obi-Wan's boots appeared in my sight, so I looked up and found him holding out a hand to help me up. I let him, peering around him to see what had happened. The entire crew of the pirate ship was sprawled on the ground, some of them moaning, some unconscious. Qui-Gon had collected an impressive arsenal from them and threw it all into a cargo crate. The Rodian was just coming around, but the Jedi Master stepped over him before he could move. "You have a choice," Qui-Gon said darkly. "You may board your ship and leave, forsaking all your cargo, if you vow not to land here again. Or, you may surrender to us and be taken to Takra to face charges of smuggling, interfering with communications, and landing an unauthorized ship in a prohibited area. If you leave, you will never be able to return, for we will inform the militia in Takra to patrol this region of the planet and have the station's entire compliment replaced."

"And ships in this sector will be advised to look out for a refitted type-five freighter bearing the identification Lone Draigon," Obi-Wan interjected.

The Rodian's bug-eyes glared at both of them for a moment before he snarled under his breath, "Board the ship."

The sole conscious Gran started to protest, but the Rodian favored him with a blistering scream in their shared language. The Gran slunk off, dragging his partner toward the boarding ramp. One by one, those still standing managed to get their wounded on board, while the Rodian got to his feet and glared. In a low, hollow mutter, he said something long and apparently unkind to Master Qui-Gon, who didn't flinch at all. Seeing that his crew was on board, he backed slowly toward the docking ramp. Then I heard Qui-Gon murmur, "You did take out the gun port, right?"

Something on the side of the ship, which looked like it had been unceremoniously fed a lightsaber blade, sputtered and sparked even as the captain dashed up the closing ramp. "Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said with a calm smile.

With their weapons disabled and cargo under control of two Jedi, the Lone Draigon had no choice but to take off, which they did with a roar that would have split my eardrums had I not clapped my hands over my ears. When they were good and gone, Qui-Gon turned to his apprentice. "Stay here and guard the cargo. If you can hide some of it in the trees, so much the better. I don't want them coming back for it. Stacey, come with me."

He started off at a brisk pace, and I dashed along at his heels. We were taking the broad path back, presumably to find out where it led. "I want you to go straight to the house and stay there," he said over his shoulder. "I need to go to the station and confront Wik Laren. I will send Obi-Wan along as soon as I can, but I don't know how long it will take to bring those supplies into the Base. I don't know if that ship is foolish enough to remain in orbit to continue to jam our transmissions," he added as I finally caught up with him and came alongside him, "but there is a chance we may be out of contact for a short time."

"Okay," I assented.

"I mean it," Qui-Gon pressed. "Stay inside. And don't let anyone in but myself and Obi-Wan. I don't know what the reaction in the Base will be when they find out we chased off pirates that had an arrangement with them."

"I know, I've got it. Don't worry, Master, I'll be okay."

He glanced at me, and after a few steps his face softened a little. "Good. You did well back there. You got under cover right away and didn't show fear. I'm very proud of you."

The path started to climb up the bluff, and I could see peeks of it between the trees snaking all the way up to the station. This might be Master Qui-Gon's destination, but it would be the long way home for me. That was fine with me - at this point, having just been through a near-attack, I didn't want to leave his side until I knew it was safe. "I can't believe you mind-tricked that Rodian," I said just to break the silence.

"There was no time for a proper interrogation," Qui-Gon said. "They were going for their blasters."

"Oh, I'm not criticizing you," I assured. "I just never get tired of seeing the mind trick so up close and personal." A grin widened across my face. "That was pretty cool."

*****

I hid out in the cabin for at least an hour, maybe more, before Obi-Wan returned to keep me company. Qui-Gon would be out much longer. The Padawan let me know that the people who helped him carry the cargo boxes all the way back to the Base for safe-keeping did not seem upset that the pirates had been discovered and driven away, but he confessed he didn't speak with them much about it and therefore wasn't sure what the overall reaction would be. Communications were not being jammed anymore, but all the same, we didn't hear a word from Qui-Gon until he came back several hours later, not at all in a good mood. I managed to work out an explanation from him over dinner. "This has been going on for over a decade," he grumbled. "It took some careful diplomacy, but Wik Laren finally confessed that he has been stealing supplies from the Base and giving them to pirates in exchange for them leaving the station in one piece. The rest of the staff is frightened," he continued in a less gruff manner, thinking of the people, "and rightfully so, for the pirates have been known to kill indiscriminately if not given what they want. Laren claimed to be doing it for the safety of High Point Base, but there is more to it. Maintaining communications silence and belligering the entire population of the base into going along with it and giving no hint to anyone for ten years..."

"Ten years?" I repeated incredulously. "That's a darn long time to keep this hidden!"

"Exactly my point," Qui-Gon said heavily. "There is certainly more I could get out of him, but this is neither the time nor the place. I have placed him on suspension and left Je Nel Ves in charge of the station until further notice. When we leave here, we must go directly to Takra and see to it that Laren is apprehended, and something is done to keep the pirates from returning."

"Will we be leaving tomorrow, then, Master?" Obi-Wan wondered.

Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, the shuttle will not be back for us until the following day, so we will stay here as planned. I would like to get a little rest out of this break, after all."

That was all he would say about our little adventure, and steered the conversation toward lighter matters the rest of the night. The rain had passed and the night was cool and dry, so we sat on the porch for a while listening to insects in the trees before just crawling off to bed. The following day was ours to do what we wanted, so Obi-Wan got his hike - now that we knew where all the trails were - and Master got his sparring session in the backyard. I couldn't see anyone from the Base peeking in on the ferocious lightsaber battles, but if they had, no doubt they would have gotten the impression that these two Jedi were prepared to back up the claims they had made to pirates and to the station, as far as promising that pirates would not hold High Point Base under fear and threat any longer. The two of them certainly made no secret of their high-intensity match, taking advantage of the outdoor setting to practice around the trees and all over the wide, park-like space between the cabins and the forest's edge. Master Qui-Gon also wanted to see what I had learned from Master Kinse, but there wasn't a whole lot I could do just yet. Mastering forms took a lot longer than just a handful of sessions. I gave it a shot, though; Obi-Wan cleverly pointed out what I had said about never sparring against Qui-Gon before, so as a result, I got to practice my first official form on him. I almost got knocked on my backside.

It was almost heartbreaking to have to leave the lovely scenery of High Point Base the next morning, I had gotten rather attached to the pleasant forests and calm weather in such a short time. But, I hauled all my things into the shuttle and returned with the Jedi to Takra, finding out along the way that it would only be a one-night stay there before getting back out to the settlements. They had six more weeks of the mission left, and if the surprise attack was any indication, there was a lot of work to be done. Wik Laren, a slightly pudgy Pfand, was with us on the shuttle, but he sat in front by the pilot and said very little. He was technically a prisoner, and was going to Takra to face serious reprimand and possibly charges unless he could prove his only motivation for cooperating with the pirates was fear. However, Qui-Gon said something about having records that made things look very bad for Laren.

While I went upstairs and lolled around my room, finding a nice place to store my birthday gifts so I wouldn't have to lug them everywhere for another six weeks, Qui-Gon attempted to get a hold of just about any official in Takra who could speak to him on the subject of High Point and had the authority to do something about it. When I came downstairs, I heard him remark to Obi-Wan, "...three members of the Common Council, including Vaile, and that Pfand who is heading up the Senatorial committee."

"Trora?"

"Yes, that was the one."

"And none of them would speak to you about it?"

"Every one said they were not the one in charge of such matters. I have half a mind to go to the Executor himself."

"Perhaps you should, Master." Obi-Wan glanced my way as I entered the study, where he and his Master were conversing over the darkened communicator, but kept on with his thoughts. "He may find the disposal of Wik Laren beneath his station, but he would know to whom to delegate that responsibility. And I would think that protecting High Point Base or any region of Daramin from pirates would be within his power."

Qui-Gon nodded slowly. "I think you may be right, Obi-Wan. Very well, I will do that right now."

Obi-Wan nodded silent agreement and moved away from the communicator as Qui-Gon sat down and put through a transmission. Coming over to me, he smiled wryly. "Have you found everything to your satisfaction, my lady?"

I wrinkled up my nose and made a mocking grin. "No, there's no chocolates on my pillow."

"Well, that's not my problem." Qui-Gon glanced at us, so Obi-Wan quickly maneuvered me back out of the room so his Master could speak privately without interruption.

"What did you do with Wik Laren?" I wondered of the apprentice as he guided me up the hall to the sitting room.

"I escorted him to the law enforcement offices next door," Obi-Wan replied smoothly, "where he will be seen to if they decide to bring charges, or escorted if not."

I looked up into his face with a serious air. "Do you think that that was what the Be'a'lai were trying to warn us about?"

"What, the pirates?" He thought about it for a moment, his young face growing sober. "No, I think not. The Be'a'lai keep little to no contact with that region of the planet, I doubt they would know about it. Certainly, if the law in Takra didn't know pirates were conducting unauthorized raids on High Point Base, the Be'a'lai clear on the other side of the planet wouldn't have known."

I slumped onto the couch, my mind still working to assimilate the information. "That means there's something just as serious going on that we don't know about."

"If the Be'a'lai are to be believed." Obi-Wan sat down beside me and gave me an intelligent look. "It could be any of a million things they were hinting at, and perhaps the real secret isn't so serious after all."

"Well, we'll have to keep an eye out anyway," I reminded him.

Qui-Gon joined us shortly after with the news that the Executor himself, the highest officer in the fledgling government of Daramin, would be visiting the Jedi residence sometime later that evening to talk about what happened at the Base. Though they liked to put on airs, the officials on Daramin were still of a low enough station that they weren't above making house calls, since in the end they were still just the masters of a whole lot of colonists. I pottered around the house the rest of the day, waiting, because I wanted to see what would happen. Qui-Gon would at least be forthcoming with more information about the mess in High Point, and I wanted to hear everything. Fortunately for us, the Executor didn't make us wait very long. Only a lone advisor/bodyguard accompanied him down to our quarters, and he stayed outside while the Executor came in to visit. Anyone watching wouldn't have suspected the serious business about to take place, it was the middle of the afternoon and the Executor apparently didn't expect to stay long. I made sure I was quietly seated in an unobtrusive corner of the sitting room, writing in my journal, when Qui-Gon politely showed the official into the room and offered a seat. The tall man with the swept-back features and red skin of the Pfand shook his head slightly to decline. "I'm not sure what could have happened in the past few days that you require such urgent audience with me, Master Jedi."

Qui-Gon glided around him and took up a position standing near the windows. "As I mentioned when I contacted you, we were visiting High Point Base when pirates made an unauthorized landing in the area." He went on to tell the full story, glossing over my presence completely since it wasn't really important. The Executor listened patiently, his face gradually growing more serious but never quite reaching surprise nor outrage at what he heard. That is, until Qui-Gon began to speak of what needed to be done. "I contacted you because no other official in Takra would commit to handling the problem. Something must be done to prevent such an incident from ever happening again."

"Of course, I agree," the Executor said. "What are your suggestions?"

"First of all, the militia must be more proactive in patrolling the sparsely-inhabited regions of Daramin. I took the liberty of calling in a brigade from the nearest settlement to High Point, to occupy the Base so the next ship to attempt a landing there will not get far. However, long-term solutions are needed, and quickly, before things escalate to open attacks."

"Pirate attacks have all but ceased since the colonies passed their first twenty years," the Executor commented. "The Jedi were quite successful in stopping the violence and making it clear that Daramin is off-limits to smuggling runs and secret hideaways."

"But the presence of civilization has made it that much more lucrative for refueling stops," the Master pointed out. "That is how the arrangement in High Point was able to go on for so long without being reported. Between fear of attack and provisions exchanged for service, the settlers were persuaded to keep quiet about the landings. In order to stop this from happening again, you will need to replace the entire staff of High Point Base."

"That's a rather extreme measure..."

"I have already had the administrator taken into custody for his part in the deal."

The Executor gaped. "Wik Laren is the best administrator that station has ever had!"

"Wik Laren embezzled supplies from the government for a decade by claiming there were more people living at High Point than actually were," Qui-Gon curtly corrected him. "He gave not only the surplus to the pirates but the staples that were meant for those at the station, leaving them with almost nothing. The residents of High Point have had to turn to hunting, fishing, and gathering berries to provide for themselves." His eyes flashed blue with indignance. "Wik Laren is currently being held next door pending charges. I left High Point Base in the hands of one Je Nel Ves, who is capable, but I feel strongly that the best option is to completely change the staff for ones who can be trusted not to make deals with pirates."

The Executor sighed through his nose, looking vexed but compliant as he nodded. "Very well. What else do you suggest?"

Obi-Wan entered the room then, but silently made his way around the two of them to stand near his Master for support, giving me a flash of a smile on the way. Qui-Gon glanced briefly at him to acknowledge him before going on. "Station managers with strong ethics will not stop pirates alone. The militia must be active planet-wide, patrolling and making a show of force."

"The militia is less than you expect of it, Master Jinn," the Pfand grumbled. "We're still training pilots, but for now the air support is minimal. Ground troops are all we have, and even they could not be considered well-trained enough to go after pirates."

"Can they at least handle weapons and look intimidating?" Obi-Wan broke in.

The Executor completely missed his sarcasm. "I suppose they could. Do you expect that to be enough against pirates?"

"Pirates are not as fierce as their reputation," Qui-Gon said. "Most of them, anyway. Just because they call themselves by the name doesn't mean they're a formidable sort."

The Executor shook his head slightly. "I'm not sure how much military support will help, Master Jinn. It's a stopgap measure at best. Hardly a long-term solution."

The Master's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "A few weeks ago you mentioned to me that there was a plan forming in the Common Council to provide Daramin with a sensor net to track ships entering and leaving the system. What is its status now?"

The Executor's face took on a pained look, like he was about to waffle. "It...is still being debated in Council. It is working through normal legal channels until it reaches me for approval."

Qui-Gon stared piercingly at him. "You must accelerate the process and have this plan approved before the next team arrives on Daramin. In light of the events at High Point Base..."

"That was just one landing at one Base," the Executor argued. "Hardly indicative of an epidemic!"

Qui-Gon stood still for the space of a breath, as if silently affronted at the interruption. "For every one ship that is caught, there are dozens that make it away safely without being detected. Ships passed through High Point for ten years - I have the records. This planet was being used by generations of pirates, smugglers, and Hutt crime lords long before the Homeworld Alliance had its eye on it, and it has always been the position of the Jedi that old habits die hard. A sensor net and constant, vigilant patrols of the system will deter most of them. The militia may have to deal with the rest."

"You don't know what you are asking."

The Master's eyes went cold. "As long as the Jedi Order maintains this post, it is within my authority to supercede the Common Council and the Executor and establish policies that are deemed necessary for the safety of the planet." He let the glower fade from his face and took a breath. "I don't wish to do it, but if I have to, I will. And, I will see to it that the Jedi provide technicians and manpower to get the system installed quickly, using the existing weather satellites if necessary. No doubt they will want to train pilots for patrol, as well."

The Executor drew himself up in challenge. "Without proof of immediate threat, we cannot authorize such an incredibly expensive plan. Daramin is still small, we still have a long way to go."

Qui-Gon's presence seemed to shrink slightly, from forceful to merely stern. "You underestimate the severity of this problem, Executor. The supplies these pirates are demanding and possibly even stealing are costing just as much as a sensor net would. You are losing money and also putting the people of Daramin at risk by ignoring this problem. Pirates have killed settlers at High Point Base. I wonder how many more deaths and how much more monetary loss I will discover when I investigate other isolated colonies."

For once, the Executor's sulky features took on a look of humility. "I understand your point, Master Jedi," he said calmly. "I will bring that up when I address the Common Council. However, more hard information would be helpful. If you do find any other evidence that pirates are landing on Daramin in remote locations, I expect you will pass it along to me immediately."

"Of course," Qui-Gon said with a nod. "Among our other duties as overseers, we will be investigating this problem thoroughly. Perhaps the time frame I suggested was a little urgent, but I do recommend that you encourage the sensor net plan into being quickly and not delay. Meanwhile, I expect something will be done about High Point Base?"

"I will put someone on it," the Executor curtly answered, bristling just a little. "For the time, Je Nel Ves will do fine in command, I expect. Is there anything else you've uncovered in your travels that you wish to inform me?"

"No, that should be it," the Master said with a glance at Obi-Wan, who made no move to add anything. "Thank you for your time, Executor. I wish only to help your people thrive, and to keep them safe from outside threats."

"And we on Daramin appreciate that," the Executor said, a little sharply, as he bowed his head and showed himself out.

Master Qui-Gon waited until we all could hear the glide of the main door before turning to his apprentice. "Did you sense anything strange about his reaction?"

"I hardly needed to sense anything, Master," Obi-Wan replied with a smirk. "He was clearly unhappy with your suggestion of superceding him and implementing the sensor net yourself."

"Even I saw that," I offered, glancing over my journal at them.

"That didn't surprise me. I would expect anyone would have that same reaction. But I sensed something deeper, something he deliberately kept hidden. It was not pleasant, whatever it was."

"I sensed that also, Master, from the moment you mentioned calling out the militia."

I put my journal down and made to face the Jedi. "Is that true? You have the authority to go over the heads of the local government?"

"If and when we deem it necessary, yes," Qui-Gon replied. "It's not something I would ever do except in a case of extreme emergency, and this hardly qualifies. But it is in the treaty, the Jedi Order was given such authority in the event whoever was governing Daramin didn't know what to do."

"I see." Inwardly, I wondered exactly what the two Jedi had sensed in the Executor's reaction that went deeper than the resentment I saw on his face. Granted, I had to agree with Qui-Gon that even I would be upset if someone came in and went over my head, no matter whether they were allowed to or not. But, was the Executor really hiding something else?

On to part 44

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