Prologue

The planet shone like a jewel in the blanket of space. The bright green surface revealed the lush presence of vegetation, complimented by deep blue patches of water, spreading across the planet in the form of many lakes, seas, and rivers.

It startled the eyes, such colour amongst the blackness around it, an image of hope, filled with promise.

 "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Obi-Wan Kenobi remained unmoving, showing no outward sign of the shock that raced through his veins at the invasion of the voice. A split second passed, in which he mentally collected himself, and then he smiled, turning to the figure beside him.

"Yes," he agreed softly. "It is."

They had been travelling together for seven days, and still he found he could not get used to the other's presence. It was like a smell that permeated his senses, rendering him useless no matter how hard he tried to fight it. It seemed to fill his very soul with light, as if the Force itself was residing in his heart.

The ship began its slow descent toward the planet surface, and Obi-Wan directed his attention to his agitated mind, closing his eyes in brief meditation to calm his thoughts. He concentrated on deep, even breaths, drawing focus from the living planet around him. He could feel the energy from the trees, grass, creatures, and people flowing through the air, soothing his presence.

"Obi-Wan."

He opened his eyes slowly, allowing his mind to adjust to the intrusion of light, carefully keeping his focus as he looked up at his Master.

"It is time."

Obi-Wan nodded and stood, slipping the straps of his black survival pack over his shoulders as he followed Qui-Gon to the exit of the ship, and the landing strip beyond.

The Jedi Master moved with perfect ease, his tall frame commanding, his greying hair flowing over his shoulders. He had been Obi-Wan's master for many years now, and the bond they shared was as close as that of a father and his son.

Qui-Gon turned to survey his apprentice through sharp, blue eyes and Obi-Wan met his gaze, an unspoken message passing between them.

Are you ready?

Of course, Master.

Qui-Gon smiled slightly, and turned to the creature waiting to welcome them to Seratina. The Seratiniuns were known for their pale, almost translucent skin, giving them a slightly eiree appearance. They were Humanoid in shape, but each hand held seven fingers, and their ears, clearly visible through fine, silvery hair, were pointed at the ends. The Seratiniun before them introduced himself as Cahn, placing his hands on their shoulders, and pressing his cool cheek against each of theirs in the Seratiniun way of greeting.

"I am Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Qui-Gon had stepped forward, but hesitated a second as he glanced at the pair beside him, before continuing. "This is Jedi Knight Shara Estaan and her apprentice, Leyana Raeimi."

Obi-Wan tried not to turn as Qui-Gon said her name, but his gaze flickered to her figure, barely a metre from his own.

Concentrate he told himself sternly.

"We are happy to receive you on our planet," said Cahn, his voice low and soft, a soothing sound. "We are very concerned about these threats, and the safety of our people."

Obi-Wan ran over the facts of the mission in his mind, determined not to let her presence distract him.

The people of Seratina had for centuries been the victims of a fatal disease that struck their planet annually, leaving death and destruction in its wake. For so long the cause of this disease had been a mystery, and the people lived in fear of the month in which the sun would be at its hottest, and the disease would ravage the citizens. The skin of every Seratiniun contained a pale bluish-purple pigment which not only gave colour, but formed a sort of barrier under their skin, protecting them from the heat of the planet's sun. Because of this, Seratiniun scientists had ruled out the possibility that the increase of the suns's rays in the particular month of the disease was the cause. 

However, after years of unsuccessful research there had finally been a breakthrough when it was discovered that the particular temperature of heat in this one month caused the pigment to weaken, and let in rays that were fatal to a Seratiniun's body. Any higher or lower, the pigment was fine. It was just one particular temperature.

Unfortunately, temperatures on Seratina were unusually stable and throughout a month regular, with little or no changes, meaning there was no relief from the heat during this time.

Scientists had discovered a way to strengthen the pigment without changing the natural levels, enabling Serantiniuns to take a medicine for just one month, making the difference to their lives.

The medicine was not completely finished and still needed to be tested, but the scientists were unwilling to use it on their people, incase it had dangerous side effects.

It had been proposed to test the substance on Teeltas, a common animal on the planet whose skin also held the protective pigment, but the team of scientists working on the medicine had received several terrorist attacks from an anonymous animal rights group, determined on sabotaging the scientists' plan. The ruler of the planet had requested Jedi assistance to supervise the testing of the Teeltas, which would take place during the next week.

To Obi-Wan it seemed like a straightforward mission, but Yoda had insisted two Jedi teams would be needed. The small Jedi master was renowned for his wisdom, and although Obi-Wan didn't disagree with his insight, he sometimes had to admit he wondered exactly where it was coming from. All they had to do was oversee some simple tests.

What could go wrong?