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Treachery At Kalla
By AllyKat
Chapter One. Dark Concerns

(Five years before The Phantom Menace)

Kahana Mato-An shifted behind her Twi'lek mistress, Sa'awni Chaska, and tried to calm her anxiety. The two of them stood in the circle of the Jedi Council, and although Kahana had been Sa'awni's Padawan for seven years, appearances before the council always made her uncomfortable. At least for now the council focused their attention on Sa'awni.

"A conflict I sense in you," Yoda said to the Twi'lek Jedi and his green eyes narrowed. "Like you not this assignment Sa'awni Chaska?"

Can anyone blame her? Kahana thought. Who wants to get stuck in the middle of a nasty argument between a planet full of angry Twi'leks and the Corporate Sector? Kahana was ready for another assignment where she could see plenty of action, but the Corporate Sector heads were too sneaky, they'd rather hire assassins to do their dirty work. Kahana felt Mace Windu's gaze glide to her and she snapped back to attention. It was not a Padawan's place to worry over an assignment. Only when she quieted her mind did Master Windu turn his attention away from her and she heaved an inward sigh of relief. The man possessed a stare like twin blaster bolts.

Sa'awni's blue lekku twitched slightly. "Master Yoda, I have neither been in contact with my people nor set foot on my home planet since infancy. They will resent Jedi involement in this, most of all from me. They do not view me as one of their own."

"Decided the council is that help moderate the ryll spice regulation talks you can," Yoda returned.

"If the negotiations break down between the Twi'leks and the Corporate Sector, the entire mid-rim could be consumed in an interplanetary war," Mace Windu interjected. He leaned forward and steepled his fingers in front of his face. "And the Trianii, backing the Twi'leks stance on this issue, will grasp any reason to resume fighting the Corporate Sector."

"I understand Master Windu," Sa'awni said, her voice smooth and unruffled, though Kahana knew otherwise. She leaned toward Sa'awni, sensing slight ripples in the Force connection she shared with her master. Sa'awni was not pleased with this assignment.

"You will leave tomorrow at dawn for the CSA controlled planet, Kalla, where the negotiations are taking place," Master Windu said.

Kahana and her mistress bowed, retreated two steps before Yoda's voice halted them.

"Request you stay, Mistress Chaska. Wait outside you will, Kahana," Yoda said.

Kahana hesitated, glanced toward her master, then bowed again and left the room. The door slid behind her, effectively cutting her off from the conversation inside. With nothing else to do but wait, Kahana tried to calm her impatience, but it won out and she paced from one end of the waiting room to the other, pausing at each end to look out the window and across the towering buildings and air traffic lanes of Galactic City.

She had better things to do than to sit and wait while the council exchanged pleasantries. Probably nothing important. Just another way to test Mistress Sa'awni's errant Padawan, Kahana thought and frowned, drumming her fingernails on the plastisteel glass. Often she felt that she would never be able to please the Jedi council.

"Hurry up and wait," she grumbled to herself and began pacing the room again and growing more impatient with each step.

* * * *

"A progress report on Kahana we will hear," Yoda requested. The Jedi master sat back, laced his fingers and exchanged a glance with Mace Windu that did not slip past Sa'awni's notice.

The Twi'lek Jedi took a breath. "Her abilities with the unifying Force are growing."

"Curious I am of her life Force abilities," Yoda said.

"They have remained... unchanged," Sa'awni admitted, though she didn't like doing so. Yoda frowned at this news and Sa'awni went on. "She is a fierce warrior. Undaunted and skilled far beyond the usual abilities of her age."

"Concerned I am still of those abilities," Yoda said. "Too young she is to deal with all they entail."

"Gyndine tested her skills," Sa'awni said, referring to the civil war she and Kahana had found themselves embroiled in during their last assignment. The mission to Gyndine was to have been a peaceful treaty signing mission but negotiations collapsed before they arrived. Their transport had been destroyed and their captain injured. "If it hadn't been for Kahana, I would be dead."

Yoda regarded her for several uncomfortable moments, then grunted. "Good for Kahana this mission to Kalla will be. Teach her to negotiate first and use force second."

And she will find it all boring and not pay attention, Sa'awni thought before she stopped herself.

"Boring it may be for the young Padawan, Mistress Chaska, but she must learn," Mace Windu broke in. "She must first think of peace and not attack."

"In Gyndine, her swift reaction saved lives. Hesitation would have killed us all." Sa'awni was quick to come to her Padawan's defense. "My gift for words could not have helped us."

"Kahana is still too quick to take aggressive action, and in other situations she may needlessly take lives," Master Windu replied, his penetrating gaze on the Jedi Mistress. "Her Force power is unbalanced."

"And bring it into balance you must," Yoda interjected, "before it is too late."

"Too late?" Sa'awni stepped forward, unable to control a flash of anger. "Too late for what? Kahana is a talented apprentice, and she is certainly the most talented that I have trained."

"Her talent is not in question," Mace Window stated, level and hard. "It is her ability to handle it judiciously that is."

"Is my ability to train her also in question?" Sa'awni had to ask.

"No! No," Yoda continued on a quieter tone. "Strong are you in the life Force, Sa'awni; a nurturing and patient Jedi you are. For Kahana, essential are these traits to learn. Go now, Sa'awni. Important this mission will be for you both. May the Force be with you," Yoda said.

"Yes, Master Yoda," Sa'awni said, inclining her head and exiting the room, yet feeling that the matter had not been resolved to her satisfaction.

Sa'awni had never defied the Jedi code, not even close. All her colleagues considered her a stellar example of a Jedi, but now she had to wonder if she would challenge all that she held sacred to protect her Padawan.

End of Chapter One

Author's note: This story has been sitting on my hard disk for about a year, I had to take it off several sites because a fanzine was going to publish it when it was complete. Well, it's complete now but I'd rather see it archived where it might find the most readership. It follows "Dark Inklings" which might be considered a prologue. It will eventually be archived and illustrated by the very talented Corynn when I get it going on my own web site.