Obi-Wan's eyes flicked to me for a second before resuming his watch on the road, but he did smile very slightly. "You were what Master Qui-Gon calls a 'grounding force.' The situation was difficult for both of us, we were very angry at what we saw. In those times, he likes to draw our focus to a grounding force which reminds us not to give in to our anger and let the Dark Side fill us with power."

"So I was a distraction, but on purpose?"

"In a manner of speaking. Knowing you were there and we couldn't let harm come to you, we had something to focus on besides how angry we were at the treatment those poor animals were receiving." The Padawan's hand fluttered against my shoulder for a second. "There is a very fine line between a righteous anger and the Dark Side. You kept us from crossing it."

I smiled modestly into the darkness. "Whatever I can do to help. You two were a sight, though. You know I love to watch you in action."

"I noticed you didn't do so badly yourself."

"Maybe I am ready for that fighting-stick after all."

We made it safely to our quarters without being accosted once, or even seeing a single being out on the streets. I retreated into the refresher with a fresh set of clothing for bed, making annoyed noise about the fact my pants legs were still wet and now dirty, while Obi-Wan set up for his call to the Resks. When I came out, he had linked his comlink to another piece of equipment borrowed from the colony and was just transmitting the signal. It took a short time, but then I heard across the room, Holden Resk's distinct, "Yes?"

"Doctor Resk? It's Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Ah, hello, Jedi Kenobi. Well, this is a surprise. I hadn't expected to hear from you so soon."

Obi-Wan smiled to himself, glancing at me as I flopped onto the bed and watched him. "I didn't wake you, did I? It must be very early in the morning where you are."

"About an hour before dawn," came the reply. "No, you didn't wake me. It's customary for someone in the zoological field to be up at this time. Prime observation of our subjects, you know." He paused, but when Obi-Wan only chuckled, he continued, "What can I do for you?"

"Master Qui-Gon and I are in need of your assistance, either advised or in person. We've run into an unusual problem."

I didn't want to hear the evening's events re-hashed, so I flipped over the blanket and climbed under, turning to face the wall and try to get some sleep. It was two hours past midnight here, and I was exhausted. Obi-Wan considerately switched on the silencer of his comlink and continued to hold session with the scientist as quietly as he could. I fell asleep listening to the peaceful murmur of his throaty voice making arrangements for one of the Resks to come to the colony and give us a hand.

When I finally dragged myself to wakefulness some hours later, thanks to the sun rising and piercing the clouds, I rolled over to find that Obi-Wan had gotten up and left, but Qui-Gon had returned sometime in the night and was fast asleep on the next cot over. I lay there for a while enjoying the view, for he was just as beautiful in repose as awake. Loose strands of his hair fell across his cheek, and his long eyelashes fluttered slightly - perhaps he was dreaming. But, there was something I had to do, and when I came back from the refresher, Qui-Gon was awake and sitting up, pulling back his hair. I let the sensation of an admiring thrill ripple up my spine and through the Force to him as my eyes cascaded over his bare chest and trim stomach. He shot me a smile in response and welcomed me with, "Good morning."

"How'd everything go last night? After we came back?"

"As smoothly as can be expected," he replied plainly. "Burssk led me to some friends of his who felt the same as he about the mour-fighting, and they volunteered to stand guard over our prisoners until we can transport them to Takra." He looked toward the empty bed and nodded. "I assume Obi-Wan is, at this moment, meeting Holden Resk."

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, probably. I fell asleep, I didn't hear any of the plans they made."

We wasted no time getting dressed and clearing our things out of the room, heading for the landing area just as two familiar figures were making their way in our direction. "Master Qui-Gon," Holden Resk called out from a distance, his grin plain to see.

"Doctor," the Master acknowledged, halting and waiting. "I regret that this reunion comes under such terrible circumstances."

"Yes, Obi-Wan filled me in on the details," Holden said gravely as we met. "Where are they now?"

"A short distance beyond the far side of the colony. If you give us a moment to return to our shuttle, I will lead you there."

Burssk was still in the dingy room full of cages when we eventually got there, and shook his head at the Jedi as they came in. "I have bad news," he said mournfully. "I kept the wounded one alive through the night, but it will probably not recover. It is suffering, and I think the other mour know it. They've been restless."

Qui-Gon introduced the scientist and the Hodran to each other, and added, "Let Doctor Resk have a look, but I fear you may be right. I can sense its suffering."

I looked anxiously at him. "They're not berating you with their impressions again, are they?"

He shook his head slightly. "No, I'm all right."

Holden muttered under his breath from where he crouched on the floor beside the limp body of the wounded mour. "No, there's nothing we can do. It's going to die. Better that we end its suffering rather than let it linger in pain for days." He glared up at Qui-Gon. "You'd better not let me see the beasts who did this."

"That seems to be a pervading sentiment," the Master coolly agreed.

"Let me take a look at the others before we try to load them on the shuttle. I should make sure they're all right."

Burssk followed right behind Holden as he went to the cages, frowning at the animals flinching from his presence. "You're going to take them to their homes?"

"Some of them might be from the preserve where we're studying mour behavior," Resk informed him. "The rest, well...they'd be better off released in the preserve than near here. They'll either fall in with existing packs or find their own territory, and won't be recaptured." He glanced back at the Jedi. "Could one of you help me? Communicate to them, somehow, that I won't hurt them so I can take a closer look?"

Obi-Wan moved to help without a word, crouching down in front of the cages and dropping into a smooth, calm state in order to bring the Force to bear on the mour. Qui-Gon, meanwhile, knelt beside the wounded animal and gently stroked its fur. It rolled its eyes incoherently but showed no sign of understanding. "It's so sad," I murmured.

The Master nodded silently. Burssk shuffled back over. "I will take it outside and..."

"No. Let me," Qui-Gon implored. Surprised, the Hodran relented and backed away. Master Qui-Gon tenderly scooped the mour into his arms, hefting it carefully as he got to his feet. It was about the size of a large dog, and probably about as heavy, but it seemed no burden to the Jedi. His eyes cast down solemnly, Qui-Gon shouldered his way out of the room and disappeared to the unpleasant task.

I found myself unexpectedly sniffling back tears. No longer needed to calm the mour, Obi-Wan came over and rubbed my back in support. When I lifted my head and met his eyes, he gingerly said, "You must have had a pet, once."

"Yeah," I breathed, amazed at his deduction. "We had a dog. Well, not had - she was still alive when I...when I left, though she's getting old. Dogs are a lot like mour, only...Gizmo was lots smaller," I grinned.

Obi-Wan grinned back and gave another reassuring rub of my shoulder. "They are great creatures. The original reason the Jedi agreed to oversee the colonization of Daramin was to protect them. It seems we haven't done our job to the fullest."

"Blame not yourselves," Burssk begged. "I should have contacted someone sooner."

"The laws protecting the mour are extremely strict," Holden added. "Everyone involved in this scheme is going to be punished seriously."

"Good," I snapped.

Holden had made a circuit of the cages, checking each animal, but stopped at one of the empty ones for a moment. His silence got our attention, as he swung the door open and reached inside. In the back of the cage was something thin and cord-like, which the scientist pulled out and held up to the revealing light. "No," he sighed.

"What is it?" asked Obi-Wan.

"Brindle's radio collar." He rubbed at a painted-on symbol with his thumb. "I recognize it, I marked it when we first put it on her so we knew which one was hers."

"Oh my gosh," I exclaimed. "They kidnapped mour from the preserve?"

"Unfortunately, it looks like Brindle was one of the victims we could not save," Obi-Wan noted.

"Dena's not going to like that. But at least we know what happened to her, now. I think I can guess what the wild mour in the preserve were concerned about, and why they came to you." Holden sighed again, grimacing. "Tragic. Just tragic. And it started out as such a nice day, too."

Being as the warehouses were still used by the quarry, there were a lot of natives around trying to work and not get in our way, but as we started the complicated task of transporting the cages to the shuttle Dr. Resk had brought, things began to get uncomfortable. I couldn't do much but stand aside and watch, which left me plenty of chances to see the Nego and Pfand who worked in the quarry scowl at us and point and mutter from a distance with their companions. A friend of Burssk's was helping, and a couple people Holden had brought from the settlement where he had gotten the shuttle, but they didn't notice the foul looks and curses being tossed our way as we utilized ground transport to get the caged mour out of this despicable place. Halfway through the difficult task Qui-Gon returned, his face still as a stone and his presence subdued. No one had to ask him what he did, and he didn't volunteer. He had taken the wounded mour out to the woods away from the road and the quarry. I surmised from the dirt on his tunic that he might have buried the body rather than leave it to scavengers.

Obi-Wan had been roaming among the cages trying to ease the rising anxiety of the mour inside, but in spite of his efforts they remained agitated, pacing or growling at the people trying to load them safely for transport. As the Master came up, his apprentice called him over. "They don't seem to want to listen to me. They are confused and frightened, and I don't know what more I can do."

"Let me try," Qui-Gon said, looking among the animals until he found the alert one who had received his thoughts the night before. He sat down beside the cage and held silent conference with it, and it likewise sat back on its haunches and fixed him with the weird attentive stare that the mour had when they were communicating telepathically. One by one the animals began to settle down, but a few still paced or pawed at the bars. Qui-Gon reached up and stopped Holden as he walked by. "I need to show them a gesture of trust. Do you think it would be safe if I let one out of its cage?"

Holden started. "What? Uh...which one?"

"This one. It is the most dominant of those here, the one keenest to communicate."

The scientist stared at it for a moment, and then jerked his head in an uneasy shrug. "I don't know how safe it would be. You are strong, Master Qui-Gon, but that mour could knock you down with one lunge and tear out your throat before you could yell for help."

"And my lightsaber can run it through before it could spring a meter," Qui-Gon retorted. "I mean to show it that it can trust us. I was more concerned about it running into the forests here and getting lost."

"Oh. I don't think it would do that at all."

That made up the Master's mind. He tugged the bolt from the pin-lock and swung the cage door open. I immediately shrank behind Obi-Wan for protection. The mour, however, was not in the mood to pounce; rather, it just padded out of the cage and dropped to the ground, taking a moment to sniff the grass and the repulsor-sled on which the cages were being stacked. The other animals pressed forward in their cages and met its eyes, and I shivered at a tingle in the Force that breathed across my skin. The Jedi became very still and relaxed, and the other folk edged behind them to watch until it was clear we were all safe. The freed mour finished its mental discussion with the others and simply sat down on the ground, waiting to see what we would do next.

Holden Resk shook his head slowly. "You lucky, lucky men," he swore at the Jedi. "You knew he wouldn't attack. I would give anything to be able to know what you know about their telepathy."

"You were not here last night when Obi-Wan and I stretched out with the Force to investigate this place," Qui-Gon said darkly. "The moment the mour sensed someone with the Force nearby, they sent their impressions directly to us. It was a staggering burden, very painful. I couldn't do anything now until I knew they were calm and would not assault us again."

Holden only muttered a sheepish, "Oh," and resumed the task of securing the sled for the journey across the colony to his shuttle. Qui-Gon meandered around the throng of people and mour, more relaxed and assertive, and the loose creature watched him without following. We finally finished and climbed up onto the craft for the ride - at least those of us who were going, all of the colonists would walk back - and Qui-Gon gestured to it in front of the mour. It haughtily ignored him, but leaped up anyway to the place the Master indicated and settled down to ride.

The breakup of the mour-fighting ring had pretty much sealed our repulsion from the colony. If we were unwelcome before, it was nothing compared to the open hostility shown us now. The quarrymen didn't get in our way but they watched us with contempt as we drove the cargo away, and sour glares followed us all the way up the street to the landing pad. The big freighter and the runabouts had taken off sometime during the night, possibly fearing they were next, but a few thick-bodied Nego and remaining off-worlders lurked a little too near the landing site for Jedi comfort. I overheard Master order Padawan to inspect our shuttle for sabotage before preparing for flight. Some of the lurkers drifted toward us as we supervised Holden's loading of the mour onto his own shuttle, which took even longer than getting them on the sled because now they completely lost comprehension of why this stranger was taking possession of them. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both soothed the prickling edges of primal fear, and the one mour roaming freely contributed, but it was some time before every last one was loaded and secured. That loose animal must not have been imprisoned long, for it was not yet starving and retained its weight and strength where its fellow captives had begun to wear thin. It brushed past me once, and I would swear that no grizzly bear could have been more powerful, though it was gentle as it passed. It suddenly stopped and went stiff, directing its stare toward the road. I looked, and realized the colonists were getting very, very close, and they didn't look friendly. One of them stood aggressively in front of the rest, arms loose and thrust sort of outward from his body like he was preparing to charge or draw a blaster - a pose not too dissimilar from the one Qui-Gon had used the night before to protect me from the mours' telepathy. "Master," I nervously begged.

Qui-Gon turned and looked, and glared at the encroaching colonists. "For your sake I suggest you stay right there. One of the mour is loose, and I don't think I can stop it if it feels threatened enough to attack."

"If you set that thing on us, we'll make sure they hear of it in Takra," the foremost snarled. "That's just the sort of thing they need to hear and the Jedi will be kicked off Daramin for good. Threatening colonists with wild animals."

The Master's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he said nothing more. The loose mour was the last to get on board, and then Holden dismissed his friends to get ready to take off while he said goodbye. "Well, as unfortunate as this was, it was good to see you again."

"And you. Please, keep us updated on their progress. Let us know that they're safe," Qui-Gon requested.

"Of course. I'll send reports to Takra as often as I can. Oh," Resk added as he turned to board, "if you would, let Burssk know that if he needs to get away from here, I'd gladly have him on staff at the research station. Maybe some others in the nearby settlements can volunteer to guard the preserve borders with him."

"I will do that." Qui-Gon stepped back and drew me and Obi-Wan with him, as the shuttle revved up and took off slowly. Once we were alone, I noticed that the colonists had backed off some but were still standing around in tense little clumps. Qui-Gon noticed also. "Obi-Wan, if the ship is safe to fly, get it started. Stacey, you stay here, inside. I will be right back with our cargo for the prison in Takra."

"We're leaving now?" I wondered. Everything of ours was on board, but the suddenness was strange.

"There's no reason to stay here a moment longer. I have what we came for, and any further investigation puts us at risk." His eyes flicked toward the knots of angry colonists. "Sooner or later their hostility will overcome their fear of our power."

I watched him stalk away toward the buildings, not pausing or flinching as he blustered through scattering packs of colonists who let him go but then closed in behind him. "Obi-Wan..."

"He will be all right. If there's trouble, he will call me," the apprentice assured as he made a circuit of the shuttle. "Please, you must get on board. We can handle ourselves but I don't think you should risk danger this time."

"I'm with you there." I ducked onboard the shuttle and quickly removed my bag to the cockpit where I would be sitting with the Jedi, assuming the tiny, cramped hold would be full of surly prisoners.

Obi-Wan's inspection didn't take long outside, and he came inside to perform a pre-flight check of the instruments that would reveal if anything was damaged. By the time he finished, we could see through the windscreen that Qui-Gon had come through unscathed with his booty, and no one followed except Burssk. They secured the captives in the hold, and Qui-Gon left Burssk on guard before coming up and waiting to hear the results of the inspection. "Everything looks in order," Obi-Wan reported. "We have more than enough fuel to make it to Takra." His eyes met his Master's concernedly. "Any trouble?"

"None," Qui-Gon replied in a hushed voice. "Some struggling on the part of our new passengers, but loyalties seem divided in the colony. There were a number of people milling about as if to interfere, yelling various insults, but a sufficient number of our friends took the time to yell back, leaving me plenty of room to walk straight through." His eyes darkened to match the tone of his voice. "I heard some things that gave me pause. Many of the ill-favored colonists were saying 'Once you're gone,' and 'When the Jedi are no longer in control.' Not in the sense of us flying back to Takra, but in the Jedi presence being ended on Daramin."

"That's not to happen for at least another twenty or thirty years, is it, Master?" Obi-Wan frowned.

"At least." Qui-Gon looked out the windscreen, his brows furrowed with discomfort and thought. "Whatever they meant, it is at least clear that they do not think very highly of us."

"The guilty never think highly of the authorities," Obi-Wan noted as he slid into the pilot's chair and warmed up the engines.

Master Qui-Gon eased himself into the one free chair and settled back, no longer needing to be on his guard completely. I was daunted by the presence of bound prisoners behind us somewhere, but I trusted that Qui-Gon had secured them tight enough that they couldn't get free and take over the shuttle between here and Takra. Curling up in my chair with the harness buckled firmly over my chest, I decided to keep the in-flight conversation light. "That mour you let out of the cage. He almost started acting like your pet for a bit there."

Qui-Gon smirked in my direction. "A very large and dangerous pet."

"I don't know. You two made a good team," I teased. "How did you know it wouldn't attack us?"

"I didn't. Not entirely, though I trusted that its willingness to communicate meant it understood at least that we were not out to harm it. I couldn't say for sure," the Master mused, "but I think I managed to win its respect last night. Perhaps when I stepped in front of you."

I shrugged my shoulders, not comprehending. "Why should that make any difference?"

"Doctor Resk warned me before going into the preserve, how I should not present myself to a mour if we saw one. They understand body language as well as mental impressions, and to stand alert with one's body tense and arms outspread is a very aggressive pose to show to a mour."

I blinked in astonishment at him, gaping. When at last I found my voice again, I scolded, "And you did it anyway?"

Qui-Gon smiled keenly at my distress. "I believe the mour understood that when I stood before you in that way, as if I was going to fight them, I was protecting a mate. None of them wanted to tussle with a protective mate, so they backed off." He looked away, still smiling. "At least, that is my theory. I couldn't say for sure if that was what they thought. But, they did cease their telepathic assault."

At that moment I noticed Obi-Wan's shoulders, hunched over the console, tense, and his head turn just slightly to regard his Master out of the corner of his eyes. Something about that made me desire to change the subject. "So Burssk is coming with us?"

"Yes. From Takra he can decide where he would like to settle. I told him that things may have changed in the many years he's been in this remote colony, there could well be a place to his liking - if he doesn't want to work at the preserve." Qui-Gon's eyes returned to me, twinkling brightly. "I think he just might do that."

*****

I couldn't have been happier to see the house in Takra again, especially the shower and the big, comfy bed in my room. For once I didn't bother thinking about what the Jedi had to do, I just shut myself upstairs to get clean and warm and dry and then took an hour-long nap sprawled on the blankets. Something at the edges of my senses woke me at last, and I groggily lifted my head to find Obi-Wan perched on the corner of the bed, his hand slipping away from where it had been combing through the hair at my temple. "Hmm?" I queried, blinking at the brightness of the afternoon light.

"I came to see if you were hungry," Obi-Wan answered with amusement.

"Hungry?" I moistened my lips as best I could with the icky post-nap film in my mouth. "How long was I out? I didn't know it was that late."

"It's not, actually. Master Qui-Gon suggested we eat early, as he's called certain members of the Common Council to meet here this evening."

"Oh." I hauled myself into a sitting position and rubbed my face while Obi-Wan looked on, still amused, smiling in his sleek, subtle way. "Um, yeah. Give me a sec."

He did, waiting patiently by the doorway while I ran a brush through my hair and straightened out my wrinkled clothing. "What'd you do with Burssk?" I continued.

"He insisted on staying in a boarding-room in town until he decides what to do," the Padawan replied casually. "He said it was part of his culture, though we did invite him to lodge here temporarily."

"I assume everything else is taken care of?"

Obi-Wan chuckled as I came up to him and poked him in the arm. "Yes. Quite."

The early dinner was uneventful and I retreated afterward to the second-floor balcony, intent on taking in the last of the summer sunshine and the onset of a warm, splendid evening now that we were back in a temperate part of the planet. I fully expected that I would be alone, as soon as I heard the sounds below of visitors arriving and voices in conference, but that suited me fine after the adventures of the past week or two. I had a lot of catching-up to do in my journaling anyway. I wrote until it was too dark to see, and then just sat enjoying the singing of sindi beetles (as long as they were far away) and the indigo stain of nightfall creeping gradually over the sky, until I felt a strong, directed nudge of the Force in my mind. Sitting up, I noticed that the muted hubbub downstairs had died away. I went inside and down to the first level, finding only two Jedi in the sitting room. "Okay," I burst out as I entered, "who did the summoning me with the Force thing?"

Qui-Gon snorted. "That was I. I see you got the message."

He was slumped in a chair near the windows, looking tired. Obi-Wan sat on the couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his face in his hands, and a deep frown on his young face that made him look like he was trying to calculate pi to the hundredth decimal place in his head. "Yeah," I answered Qui-Gon. "What, was that easier than coming up to call me in?"

I only got a raised eyebrow in reply. "That took far less effort than it used to," the Master noted tangentially. "How have your senses been developing?"

"You know, I honestly haven't been thinking about them. But I have noticed some things are starting to come natural to me. But that thing you suspected once?" I dropped onto the other end of the couch from Obi-Wan. "About being tied to your proximity? It's definitely true. I've been taking the last few weeks for granted Force-wise because I've been with you for a lot longer period of time than in the previous month or so on Coruscant. It's so nice to have it there, not having to work for just a faint feeling of it."

Qui-Gon looked surprised by that, and nodded his acceptance. "Then we should not take this time for granted. I should work with you if we have the chance."

Obi-Wan still hadn't moved from his pensive slouch; I looked curiously from him to his Master. "What did I miss?"

Qui-Gon sighed long. "The conference did not go as well as I had hoped."

"The Councilors were not very receptive to our suggestions," Obi-Wan added, murmuring through his fingertips.

"Your confrontational manner did not help much," the Master scolded him.

My eyes widened as I looked back to Obi-Wan for confirmation. "I'm sorry, Master, but I sensed their evasiveness," the Padawan said defensively, sitting up. "Nothing is going to change in that colony. Give them a week, perhaps less, and smugglers will again be landing there with impunity. They're not going to do anything about it."

"The militia is prepared to send a small force there."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "They won't. Their orders must come from Takra, and that will not happen, Master. You know this to be true."

Qui-Gon sighed again, even more heavily. "We can't make them, Obi-Wan. We must trust that the Common Council will listen to what we had to say."

"You're not going to supercede them?" I asked.

"I wish to reserve that right for absolute emergencies," Qui-Gon grumbled. "Nothing short of civil war or invasion from without will persuade me to invoke that privilege."

"Nevertheless," Obi-Wan argued, "I think we should be prepared to do so. We've threatened the Executor with the possibility and you even hinted at it to Vaile this evening. If we're too timid to follow through, they will start to think they have the advantage over the Jedi." His frown darkened. "Master, I have a suspicious feeling that they already think they do. They feel the Jedi are hindering their development plans."

Qui-Gon raised one eyebrow coolly. "In a sense, we are. We always have."

"That's not what I mean. The sense is more immediate, but not personal. It has nothing to do with us, but I get the feeling they see us as representative of a problem."

The Master shook his head as he pushed himself out of his chair. "I'm not sure I agree with you, Obi-Wan."

"At least consider the possibility," Obi-Wan insisted.

I let my hand sneak over and rest on his knee, and it had the intended effect - the apprentice took a deep breath and relaxed somewhat, sitting back. Qui-Gon stood before us. "Very well, I will consider it. But, let's leave the matter for this evening." He looked at me. "Would anyone be interested in taking a walk?"

"Sure," I beamed. "It's a gorgeous night."

"Indeed. And I'm quite curious to see what you and Obi-Wan see in the stars."

I shot Obi-Wan a grin that evoked his bashful smile, and hopped up. "If you can see the stars. There's a lot more streetlights in Takra. The other night at the militia compound we could see the Eye of the Thranta!"

"The what?" Qui-Gon looked to Obi-Wan.

"The spiral galaxy said to be nearest to our own," the Padawan explained.

"It was so cool. But, even if we can't see it from here, a walk would be great. Come on, Obi-Wan."

A nice, simple walk along the well-lit, civilized streets of Takra was just what I needed, along with the company of two tall, powerful Jedi seeking to put aside the burden of duty for just a few hours. Walking between them, I broke the silence every once in a while with a cheery comment or observation, but for the most part we said nothing, content to just enjoy the deep, refreshing night air and the close presence of each other. When we got back I was tired-out enough to crawl right into bed and fall into a pleasantly undisturbed sleep, taking only the warmth of two separate hugs with me.

In the morning, Master Qui-Gon surprised me with news that he and Obi-Wan needed to make a pair of short journeys, separately, that might take a few hours or a day. There were regional authorities in the towns all around Takra that he wanted to get information from, now that the whiff of suspicion Obi-Wan had voiced was swirling around them. He admitted over breakfast that some things about the discussion with the Common Council members the night before did not seem right, but he was not as quick as his Padawan to identify a reason or source. "Do you think you will mind being alone here for the day, possibly through tomorrow?" he asked me.

"Um...sure," I reluctantly said. "I mean...I don't mind. CQ's on patrol, right? I should be fine."

"Hopefully you will not be bored," the Master said kindly. "You have your comlink, so if anything happens, call either one of us. We will not be together, but whoever is closest may return if you need us. And of course, there is a police station next door."

Disappointed, I nonetheless relented, as in truth being a tag-along was not nearly as exciting nor as useful as I had hoped. In some places it amounted only to more boredom, while in others, it was dangerous. A day or two by myself in the city couldn't have been any more or less boring, and it was certainly less dangerous. I asked permission to take a walk around the neighborhood, to see the sights in the daylight, and received it on the condition that I carry my comlink with me at all times, and maybe walk with my fighting stick. I laughed off the latter advice as Qui-Gon being far too protective of me, but agreed to the comlink. He left first, catching a ride to a township not far from Takra, and shortly after, Obi-Wan departed for a settlement on the far side of the mountain ridge that protected the capital's eastern side. The silence in their absence was peaceful, but sad. I missed them already.

For the better part of the day I made an effort to be outdoors, either walking or poking around in the garden, because the weather was optimal. I spent some time on the balcony, until sindi beetles started dropping out of the tree and landing with dull thuds onto the balcony. After that I figured sitting by the wide-open windows of the sitting room was good enough. The security droid CQ kept whirring in and out of whatever room I occupied, as if he didn't completely expect me to be safe alone in the house, but I wasn't annoyed. Having CQ around made me feel like I belonged there, like the world within the house was mine as much as my own home on Earth, so long as he - well, it - kept the world without from invading. Compared to where I had been in the last week, and the last few days especially, a little boredom and alone-time felt great.

Obi-Wan was the first to return, around dinnertime. He had contacted me en route, so I made sure dinner for two was ready when he came in, sweeping authoritatively through the main entrance and nearly upsetting CQ, who couldn't get out of the way fast enough. We had a delightful, private dinner, unencumbered by work since I didn't ask details of his trip and he didn't provide any, apart from saying that the town he visited was on the shore of a little lake that filled him with the desire to go swimming since it was such a nice day. A call came in from Qui-Gon while we chatted, saying he was still working but was trying to finish so as to return to Takra that night instead of staying overnight in the settlement and returning in the morning. Hearing that Obi-Wan was back and in a good mood gave the Master incentive not to hurry, but he still insisted he would try to get back to Takra that night.

The Padawan and I whiled away the hours in the sitting room, as I was intent on making him forget about work for just one evening and he seemed intent on letting me. I sprawled in Qui-Gon's favorite chair with a throw-pillow snuggled in my lap, while Obi-Wan sat back on the couch facing me so we could chat, and chat we did. He teased me about my cooking, even though it had gone perfectly well, and from there we delved into experiences, past histories, and pretty soon had each other laughing from a succession of humorous tales designed to out-do one another's litany of stupid things we've done. "No!" I scoffed at him when he told me he once had accidentally led a starship crew to believe he was going to hijack their ship and crash it into a moon on a suicide mission, resulting in their sabotaging the hyperdrive and abandoning ship, leaving him drifting all alone with no means to call for help. "How do you 'accidentally' get a whole crew to fall for something like that?"

"To this day, I'm not sure," he honestly shrugged, grinning. I must not have looked convinced. "Really! It wasn't my fault, I didn't know what they thought until they left ship."

"You're sure this wasn't a bad prank gone horribly wrong?"

"I was seventeen, I no longer pulled pranks."

"Yeah, right." I wanted to get something to drink, so I got up and took my pillow with me, and on the way to the door soundly thwapped him across the back of the head with it, adding, "You expect me to believe that?"

Obi-Wan whipped around, astonished. I grinned wickedly at the offended look on his face, which quickly evaporated into a grin of his own as he leaped off the couch. With a yelp, I flung the pillow over my shoulder and bolted out of the room, shrieking with glee all the way down the hall toward the staircase. I could hear the pounding of his boots right behind me, and squealed as he nearly overtook me before I could get up the stairs. However, CQ whizzed out of nowhere and flung itself between us, beeping and clicking in alarm and nearly overturning Obi-Wan. He had to stop and assure the droid that this was not an attack and it should get out of the way, so I used the diversion to dash up the stairs, laughing my fool head off. Not two paces along the upstairs corridor and he caught me, having raced up the stairs and leaped out to seize me around the waist. Still yelping and laughing, I tried to get free, but the harder I pulled, the tighter he held me, until I was firmly wrapped in his arms and pressed hard against his chest. His panting breath was hot on my neck. "All right," I gasped, leaning back into him, "now that you've got me, what are you going to do with me? Try to tickle me?"

"Ooh, now there's an idea," Obi-Wan laughed, his breath whiffing against my ear.

"Nuh-uh. I'm not ticklish anywhere, it won't work." With the last word I tried struggling again, but to no avail. His arms were strong, but gentle.

"Nowhere? Hmm. Well, I'm sure I can think of something," Obi-Wan purred as he regained his breath.

"No!" I squealed, sure that "something" would likely involve my embarrassment or inconvenience. "Let me go!"

He chuckled again, deeper and more throaty. "It looks like you're missing a paddle."

I ceased struggling and stood there, confused. "What?"

"Isn't that the phrase...?"

Realization hit me, and I crumbled into hysterical laughter. "No! It's 'up a crick without a paddle!'" For several minutes I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe, even though the arms pinning me tightly to Obi-Wan's chest didn't let go. "Geez, Obi-Wan, if you're gonna pick up my slang, at least use it right!" I kept giggling, and after a moment his powerful hold dissolved into laughter as well. "Oh man. That was too good," I complimented, hanging limply in his arms. "Missing a paddle. Ha! And for the record, no, I'm not."

"What do you mean?" the Padawan challenged. "You can't get away from me, no matter how hard you try." His forearms tightened to prove it.

I tilted my head back and shot him a look from the corner of my eye. "Maybe I want to be in this position."

I felt his breath catch in his throat, and even though he maintained his droll grin I knew I had flustered him. I had him right where I wanted him. We stood there for a few moments, still panting, until he gave a bright chuckle and twirled me gracefully out of his clutches. "Just for that, I won't give you the satisfaction of knowing what I was going to do."

"Obi!" I scolded. The problem with Jedi is, you can't tell when they're bluffing.

A brilliant smile remained on Obi-Wan's sensuous lips. "As much fun as it is to foil your pathetic attempts at trying to dominate me, you and I ought to get some rest." He had a hold of my hand yet, but let go as our fight came to an abrupt end. Knowing that the fun was over, we both relaxed into normal stances. "I don't know if Master Qui-Gon will be back tonight or tomorrow, but when he returns I have no doubt we will need to prepare to leave again. We have important things to do." He started into his room, but glanced impishly over his shoulder. "Even though you're wide awake. I'll bet you slept all day while we were gone."

"I did not!" Snorting in contempt, I chased after him, flopping onto his bed while he carefully removed his lightsaber from his belt and moved to take off the belt. That was all I got, though, as my warnings once upon a time about modesty had not fallen on deaf ears. Obi-Wan faced me with his arms crossed, fully expecting me to turn this into another battle of wills. I bounced on his bed. "I don't get it. Half the places we've been to are all nice and have comfy couches and these nice big beds, and the other half we can't get anything but a hard cot or sleep couch."

"Beggars have no choice in the blessing," he said aloofly, and although it sounded familiar I didn't call him on slaughtering yet another Earth cliché. That one had to originate here. "We may be assigned to work on this planet, but we are still at the mercy of the residents for hospitality. In some places they don't have such luxurious items. Or don't care," he added admittingly, shrugging. The glint of humor returned to his eyes and lips. "You're not tired, are you?"

"Not one bit," I grinned.

His eyes shyly averted to one side. "Maybe you would like to keep me company, then?" He met my gaze again, bravely. "Unless you have important work to do on your journal and wish for solitude."

I could feel my cheeks burning, but I wasn't about to let him get the better of me. "No solitude. I...sure."

"Then give me a few minutes to get ready, would you?"

"All right!" I groaned in exasperation, prying myself off the bed and making my way to the door. "I'll be right back, I gotta change too." I whipped around in the doorway and stared at him. "You're not going to lock the door behind me the minute I leave?"

"No," Obi-Wan chuckled, glancing my way. "Trust me."

I playfully glared at him, but knew that when either Jedi actually asked me to trust them, they were serious. I skipped across the hall to my room, hastily shed clothes and pulled on a sleep shirt and pants, and zipped back before Obi-Wan could even begin to entertain the idea of tricking me now that I had given him the suggestion. Bare-chested and shrouded in loose sleep pants, the young apprentice was pulling the shades on the window when I came in, and smiled bashfully as I eased myself onto a seat on his bed again. "Mind you, I would like to get some sleep," he warned.

"I won't stop you," I assured lightly, drawing my knees up to my chest and hugging them. "I'm just not that tired. But I'll stay with you."

That seemed to be all he wanted from me, for upon my saying so, the hesitation left his smile and he came confidently over to close the door. The residents of Takra had indeed been very generous to the Jedi, and each room of the house had a bed much bigger than a single occupant could need. I waited, though, to know which side Obi-Wan preferred. He switched off the light and glided noiselessly back in front of me, reaching for the blanket. "You could at least try to sleep," he murmured as I scooted back and let him climb in. "Frisky or not."

"Frisky? Be careful, Obi-Wan, that word has other connotations where I come from," I teased as I crawled under the blanket on his other side.

"I'm sorry," his voice in the darkness said, more seriously. "That wasn't the connotation I intended."

"I know. Don't worry." I held off until he laid down and settled comfortably, and then curled up beside him, half-sitting, draping an arm around him. "I wouldn't let you get that far anyway."

"That's good to know," he quietly said, rustling a little and sighing before allowing himself to drift closer to me. His head fell against my side, and I cuddled him to me, finding the broad plane of his far shoulder to rest my left hand upon. With the other, I gently stroked his hair and then his cheek, tracing the lingering dimple from the smile that would not leave his face. The silence and comfort between us deepened with every breath he took, while I was content to sit beside him and run his braid through my fingers, until Obi-Wan shifted his head toward me. "Stacey?"

"Yes?"

"May I ask you something?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

"Forgive me if I have no right to intrude, but..." For a moment my heart clenched in pain, afraid he was going to ask me something about Qui-Gon. "...you said you wouldn't have let me go too far. Might I ask why?"

I let out the breath I was holding with relief. "Oh, that's right. I don't think I've told you."

"Told me what?" he murmured, his soft hair tickling the inside of my left arm as he lifted his head again.

"I have a code, of sorts, that I live by. A vow, really - to stay celibate until I marry."

There was a brief silence, and then a very wise-sounding, "Ah," came out of the darkness at my side. "That's very honorable. I know many Jedi who've undertaken a similar vow."

"Really?" I wondered, surprised.

"Oh yes. Several. Not everyone, by far," Obi-Wan added with a little chuckle, "but a fair number who determine that there ought to be other driving forces in one's life besides the need to procreate." He took a breath and settled back down, nestling his head comfortably into the crook of my arm. "Of course, there are very few chances for a Jedi, regardless of vows or beliefs, to have any sort of lifelong commitment. The Code stresses non-attachment, to rid ourselves of unnecessary distractions. Our lives are lived to the Force first, the wellbeing of the galaxy second, and all else last."

"But Ki-Adi Mundi, on the Council, is married," I pointed out, that being my only known example.

"Yes, that's true." Another silence fell between us, and Obi-Wan shifted so that his hand could find mine where it still lay on his shoulder. "And he's followed Cerean familial tradition. It's good for some Jedi to embrace their native culture, if they know anything about it. I know almost nothing about where I come from - though for humans it's different." His fingertips softly brushed back and forth across the back of my hand. "There are many worlds where humans originate. Not like Rodians only being from Rodia, or Chadra-Fan only being from Chad."

"You know," I mused, "I don't think I ever asked either you or Qui-Gon what planet you're from. I guess it never mattered."

"Does it?"

"Not really."

Obi-Wan's head shifted again. "Do you want to know?"

I thought about it for a long time, absently stroking the Padawan's cheek with the backs of my fingers. "You know...no, I don't," I realized. "Maybe it's just part of who you are that I want to remain mysterious. If I'm supposed to know, the movies will tell me when I get home." Remembering that made me snort with grim laughter. "Although, I can just see my friends now. 'You had the chance and you didn't take it? You had them right there and you could have asked them anything and you didn't ask them what planet they came from? Are you crazy?'"

Obi-Wan chuckled deep in his throat, and I managed a little laugh but it wasn't cheerful. "I'm sure," he purred, "that if you do return to your world, there are many other things you've found out about us that your friends will be all too willing to hear about instead."

"Oh, no doubt about that." I moved my wandering hand down from his cheek along his neck to his collarbone, and both of us seemed to shiver at the same time. "No doubt about that..."

We ended up staying awake talking until very late, losing all track of time and all need for sleep. The conversation rarely got any deeper than it already had, but it felt good to simply confide, to share, with Obi-Wan as a friend - and I think he felt the same, despite the small caresses we both traded. Eventually, he did fall asleep, but not until after we'd exhausted ourselves talking and he rolled over to pillow up against me, an arm wrapped around my waist. I watched him sleep, struck by the tender youth still clinging to his maturing features, the potent masculinity of his very adult body with the adorable gentleness of lips, nose, and shuttered eyes. Then I, too, fell asleep and wandered into forgettable dreams - and still Qui-Gon had not returned.

I was alone when I awoke, but since the bed beside me was still warm I surmised that Obi-Wan had not gotten up too much earlier. I snuck out of his room and over to mine, noticing that the door to Qui-Gon's room was closed, and quickly changed and freshened up in order to go hunt down breakfast. To my surprise, Qui-Gon was not locked away in his room asleep, but downstairs with his apprentice, already sitting at the little table in the dining nook off the kitchen. I gave both of them a bright greeting and reached for the tea, scolding Obi-Wan, "You didn't wake me up?"

"I figured you couldn't sleep last night, so I would let you have more time this morning," he explained, a blush creeping into his cheeks. He didn't let Qui-Gon's eyes meet his. Clearing his throat, Obi-Wan returned to what he had been saying before I came in. "Actually, Master, the regent was very open and welcoming. He let me look around, and answered as much as he could - he was sorry he couldn't provide more information."

Qui-Gon gave me a brief glance and smile as I settled into a chair to his left. "That's all right, it sounds like what you could get from him was enough. I would rather he was willing to speak with us but had no information, than if he had plenty to say but no inclination to say it." He reached for one of the green fruits set out on a plate for breakfast. "Did he say anything about the reasoning behind your visit?"

"He was a little surprised," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "But then he said something very interesting. He said, 'Daramin has grown now so big that it has too many crannies and corners; one cannot reasonably expect that the Jedi ought to know what is happening in all of them.'" The Padawan frowned pensively. "I know he didn't mean it as a criticism, quite the opposite, but...remarks such as his make me wonder if people on this planet share a common knowledge that is being kept hidden from us."

His Master looked at him while idly twisting the stem off the fruit. "Did he give the impression he was implying something beneath his words?"

Obi-Wan shook his head slightly. "No, not at all. He was honest."

Qui-Gon nodded his acceptance of the report and asked nothing more, his eyes lowering and distantly mapping the surface of the table while he turned the green-skinned fruit over in his hands, no closer to eating it. I grabbed one myself, polished it on my tunic sleeve, and bit into it. "Did you get in last night or this morning?" I asked the Master.

"This morning," he replied absently. "They kindly put me up for the night so I wouldn't have to rush back."

"That's good," I said cheerily. "That's nice of them. Doesn't sound like it made your work any easier, though."

"No, unfortunately." Qui-Gon's eyes remained downcast, and conflicted. "It seems we have a number of choices on which direction to go from here. Or, we may stay in Takra, to further investigate our vague suspicions, and continue to beat our heads against the wall that is the Common Council and the Executor's Board." He gazed plaintively at his apprentice. "How do you see it?"

Obi-Wan sat forward, his face knotted with serious thought. "I see only two choices, Master. We can either continue to hunt the reasons we seem thwarted in doing what we're called here to do, or we can continue to simply do that duty, and trust that if reasons are to be found, they will come of their own accord." His blue eyes shifted to his Master's unsettled face. "And my opinion is that we should do the latter. I know you had some intentions for the last part of the mission. I think we should follow through with them."

Qui-Gon arched one eyebrow. "But...?"

Obi-Wan sighed shortly. "Don't misunderstand me. I think we should move on, but my heart has a sense of misgiving. There is a stone unturned here, so to speak, but I couldn't begin to tell you what it is or how we go about finding it."

"I agree," Qui-Gon said. "We shall prepare to leave for a final round of visits - there is little more than three weeks left in the mission. We don't have to solve all of Daramin's problems, but we can leave enough of a foundation for the next team to work on. If by the end of the twelfth week we at least have a name or place for that 'misgiving,' I should consider us very well off."

As much as I didn't want to get underfoot when they were working, I followed the Jedi into the offices and other rooms of the house, curious to know where we were headed next. Obi-Wan was in and out of the main office for a while, so I sat down near Qui-Gon while he began to formulate a flight plan. A map of Daramin lay among the copies of papers on the desk, so I picked it up and scrutinized it, trying to guess by the little dots where I had been on the planet. The only thing I could clearly discern was the equatorial region of one large continent where the Be'a'lai made their territory. Finding Ba'nom on the map, I snorted a little to myself. "Funny," I remarked into the silence of the office, "after everything that's happened, the Be'a'lai are the only ones who haven't given us any trouble. Sure, they were cryptic and not very helpful, but at least they didn't give anyone any 'bad feelings' about Daramin."

Qui-Gon looked up sharply from the datapad in front of him. "The Be'a'lai?"

I nodded and gestured toward Obi-Wan, who was in the room at the time. "Like earlier. Obi-Wan said the regent he met didn't seem to be implying anything behind his words, but he's practically the only one. The Be'a'lai were good at that. But in the end, they're the only ones who've been cooperative and friendly to you guys. It's weird."

"Master," Obi-Wan immediately broke in, "have you spoken at all with the Be'a'lai representative on the Common Council?"

"No, I haven't," the Master replied, turning his attention back to the datapad. Then it hit him, and he practically did a double-take. "Excuse me." He dropped the pad and left the room.

I grinned at Obi-Wan. "Good call."

"I should rather think you deserve the credit for that one," he modestly demurred. "Of all the people we've consulted, I can't believe neither of us thought to speak with him. After all, when we were in Ba'nom, that was all the other officials could talk about - finally having representation."

Qui-Gon was gone for several minutes, and without being told I knew he had gone to privately contact the Be'a'lai representative and discuss whatever matters he could. He returned as abruptly as he had left, his shoulders thrown back and stern cloak of authority resumed. "We're returning to Ba'nom," he said point-blank.

Obi-Wan straightened up from trying to organize the desk. "What?"

"The representative had some very interesting information. However, I need to return to Ba'nom to speak to certain people in person." Qui-Gon looked to me as Obi-Wan murmured agreement. "Get your things as soon as you can. I expect not to return to Takra for quite some time, so take everything you could possibly need."

"Should I just take it all?" I wondered as I set aside the map and got up.

"No, we will come back at least once before the end of the mission. But, I intend to finish the rounds of our flight plan after leaving Ba'nom, so prepare accordingly." His sternness was eclipsed by a sudden smirk. "And don't forget that nice skirt you picked up in Dindee."

On to part 48

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