Chapter 1: Surprises and Missions

"Why isn' she here yet, Master? Wasn't Master Tahl supposed to have dinner with us today?"

14 (almost 15) years old Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice was full of surprise, and in the typical teenager's way his else well modulated voice broke into more high pitched tunes mid-way in the question, something which never failed to make him embarrassed when it happened.

His Master, friend and mentor, possibly in the opposite order, Qui-Gon Jinn chuckled: "She will come. Tahl never fails to turn up to an appointment, but you have a valid point - she's also very precise. Maybe she's lost her way again."

The Master/Padawan team of Jinn/Kenobi had spent the last 6 months trying to repair their faltering companionship after Obi-Wan's fateful decision about leaving the Jedi Order on Melida/Daan. It had taken them huge efforts and some intensive mediating from Tahl Uvain to begin feeling comfortable in each others company again but finally they had succeeded and Obi-Wan's probation time in the order had come to an end. Today the Council had informed that the Order accepted him as a full fledged padawan again. To celebrate Obi-Wan's reintroduction to the Jedi they had agreed to have dinner with Tahl and Obi-Wan was really looking forward to it. His road from initiate to padawan had been quite bumpy and he really appreciated the support, and sometimes ironic comments, from his Master's old friend. Somehow he suspected that she had something to do with the fact that Qui-Gon had turned up at Melida/Daan just in time to help calming the hostilities on the war exhausted planet.

"Master Tahl never loses her way now," Obi-Wan interjected, and Qui-Gon nodded thoughtfully. His old friend could find her way to most places inside the Temple with a blindfold over her eyes, which strictly spoken was not a necessity after her loss of sight during her mission to Melida/Daan more than a year ago.

"It is peculiar," he agreed. "She ensured me that she would join us to celebrate, well…to celebrate that we are on the active duty list again."

He realized his mistake almost too late. Uttering the words: "…that you have been allowed into the order again" would have been cruel, and made Obi-Wan totally embarrassed.

Fortunately he was saved from the mistake as Tahl entered the refectory and proceeded towards the counter with safe steps, seemingly aware of all the hindrances in front of her. Her ability of using the Force to navigate among both living beings and dead things as furniture had been honed to perfection through the last months of intensive training. A small initiate was following in her wake. Bant Eerin had been her good helper during her first weeks adapting to the blindness and they could still be seen together quite often. Obviously the two women enjoyed each other's company as Bant's shy and calm presence complemented Tahl's more self-confident personality.

The two picked up their trays of food and set course directly towards the Jinn/Kenobi table.

"Do sit down," Qui-Gon greeted them. "We have been waiting for you."

"I'm sorry," Tahl answered, and her facial expression appeared to come very close to a smirk. "We were upheld by the council."

"The Council?" Qui-Gon was nothing but surprised. "Why in all the galaxy did the council delay you at this time of the day?"

The two women smiled towards each other.

Obi-Wan was the first to notice.

"Bant?" he exclaimed, "you have some silka beads behind your right ear. Does that mean that…?"

The soft blush on Bant's salmon red skin said it all.

"So it does," Tahl interjected, saving her rather shy companion from doing the explanation. "Bant has granted me the honor of becoming my Padawan. The council has just given us their approval and it took some time to find the right silka beads before we came here."

"It is I that am honored, Master," Bant said shyly.

"Oh! I'm so happy for you, Bant," Obi-Wan burst out, "you couldn't get a better master than Master Tahl."

"And I couldn't get a better padawan," Tahl assured. "In the beginning I wasn't sure that I would be able to take an apprentice. It might be too difficult with my, well, limitations, but Bant has helped me so much and we have so much fun together that I decided to grab her before anyone else did."

"Ah, my congratulations to both of you," Qui-Gon said, "I'm sure you will make an excellent team. So, this will be a double celebration then. Obi-Wan and I have just been assigned a new mission."

"What kind of mission?" Tahl wanted to know, "not something overly dangerous, I hope."

"So far we don't know the details," Qui-Gon answered. "We are requested to meet the Council at eight hour tomorrow to get the details, but I got the impression that it's more of a routine thing this time. Oh, well, we've had our fair share of dangerous missions already so a more quiet one won't do any harm I guess."

Obi-Wan looked a bit less enthusiastic, but said nothing. For his (almost) 15 years old mind "quiet" easily seemed to have the same meaning as "boring".

The quartet worked their way through the, for once, well tasting dinner in the refectory and decided to fulfill the celebration by finishing the meal with some dessert, to Obi-Wan's silent pleasure. Nowadays he always felt a bit hungry, but he tried to limit himself to the more nourishing meals despite the fact that he had a soft spot for sweet desserts and cakes.

"Teenagers can beat a hungry akk dog any time," was his Master's laconic comment to the presence of an eternally empty cooling unit.

Finally the last piece of the meal had been eaten and Tahl rose from the table.

"Very well," she said," thanks for a pleasant dinner. We would have liked to stay but we have to find the Master of Depot and get some new gear for Bant. I swear that the Padawan bedroom in my apartment haven't been cleaned for a decade and she will definitely need some new blankets. I wish you a interesting mission tomorrow."

Qui-Gon sighed, "There's an old curse saying 'May you live in interesting times!' Let's hope the mission won't be too interesting this time."

Obi-Wan's farewell was even more informal.

"Bant!" he said loudly as soon as they had left the refectory.

Bant turned.

"Be careful with the pile of…'things' you get from Master Chacl in the depot. I know from experience that when he's finished complaining about all the stuff he has to find, the pile will be rather high - and you're not overly tall…"

A giggle from Bant was the last thing he heard, before the new Master/Padawan pair disappeared down to the depot.

….

The following morning Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon entered the antechamber in front of the council chamber at eight hour precisely. They were let in almost immediately and found their way into the circle formed by the present Council Members' chairs.

They bowed in unison.

Master Yoda was the first to great them: "Good to see you it is. Ready for a new assignment you are, hmm? "

"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon confirmed.

"Good, good, a quite simple mission we have found for you since you haven't been out on active duty for a while."

Neither of the pair answered. They just bowed lightly.

"In two days from now some new senators will have a meeting with the Trade Federation in Prak City on Prakith. It is not very far from Coruscant and we do not expect anything to happen but since it's situated in the deep core we know that it's a rough space to navigate in, so the Senate has requested a Jedi to accompany the Senators during the flight. As soon as you're on ground you will have no duties before the meeting is over and you're escorting the Senators back home again. You are leaving tomorrow morning and can expect to be back home again within a week or so."

The two Jedi in the center of the circle bowed again.

"We will meet the senators in the interplanetary spaceport tomorrow morning," Qui-Gon confirmed.