[[Feb 2013: Made some more minor adjustments.]]

Jeeeeepers...well, it is safe to say I got DISTRACTED! By a certain Boy-Who-Lived...a while ago one of the TV channels replayed the first four movies of Harry Potter. So I watched them...and then decided to re-read all the books. I'd forgotten how much they rock my world (along with SW, of course)...but this led to HP fics...I never forgot about this, I was just...distracted.

So if you do like HP, go read my HP fics! (Especially Inner Demons, which I really love and am in the middle of) [[Feb 2013: It's also on the "get it finished" list.]]

Enough of the self-promotion - this update if for Elfpen, who PMed me and told me to get my butt in gear and update (not quite in those words, but the message was there!)

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Stepping through the doors of the Council Chamber, a pace behind Thracia, Obi-Wan could feel something was wrong – there was an anxiety, a worry, which was palpable in the air. That was unusual. The Council were famed for its impassive, calm, emotionless, all-knowing act. Something must be wrong to produce such a reaction.

Mace Windu was, as always, sitting silently and calmly in front of where they stood. He regarded them calmly, but Obi-Wan could see there was something going on behind his dark eyes. "Padawan Kenobi – it is good to see you are not one with the Force. How do you feel?" Obi-Wan could hear a shallow amusement in the Master's voice.

"Sore, Master Windu, and a little unfocused."

Mace nodded and cut the small talk. "Obi-Wan, the capture of your Master is not an isolated incident." There was something pained about his words, as he gestured behind Obi-Wan and Thracia, who both turned to look at the rest of the Council Chamber. Obi-Wan immediately noticed what was wrong; what must be causing the Council's unrest.

Two of the twelve seats were empty.

"Master Gallia and Master Koth?" Obi-Wan said in amazement, after doing a mental role-call, as he turned back to Mace and Yoda, who nodded sadly.

"Lost contact with Master Koth on his last mission, we did – most unlike him, it is. And a tale of capture, Master Gallia's Padawan tells."

Siri, Obi-Wan thought. She was in the same position as him – a lost Master. He wondered, briefly, what had happened to them. He would find and ask her later – right now, he had to keep his mind on what was going on.

Mace sighed. "There are more – Masters Shaak Ti and Luminara Unduli, as well as Master Kit Fisto's Padawan Bant Eerin, are also missing."

That hit Obi-Wan almost like a physical blow. Bant? His oldest friend at the Temple, and one of his best…her, too? What linked all these?

"As well as those who are known as missing," Ki-Adi-Mundi started softly, "there have been an increase in bounty hunter attacks on Jedi out on missions; far more lately. We feel they are all connected, but have not yet found out any answers."

"I have a lead, Masters," Thracia put in, pulling the sketch out of her pocket. "I had Governor Illaryn draw it for me – it's the symbol on the side of the ship he saw. If we put it through an Archive scan, we can trace the ship to the owners or organization, and go from there."

Mace and Yoda nodded in unison. "Pass it on to Master Fisto, you should," said Yoda, his ears twitching slightly. "Heading an investigation, with the help of Padawan Tachi, he is. Join their investigation, you should, Padawan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan nodded, relieved to be able to help in some way – he had been worried that he wasn't going to be able to become involved and would have to defy the Council, as Qui-Gon had done so many times, to find Qui-Gon himself. But working with Siri and Kit – three of them could find the missing Jedi and they would – along with the answers everyone wanted.

Thracia shifted slightly next to him. "Firstly though, Kenobi, you will heed my advice as a healer and rest. You're no good to any investigation if you pass out."

Obi-Wan nodded respectfully – he felt terrible anyway; and rest was not far from his thoughts. He was using the Force to keep the worst of the dizziness at bay, but did not know how much longer he could keep it up.

Mace steepled his fingers. "Sound advice, Master Cho-Leem. You are dismissed, Obi-Wan, and Thracia – we have another mission for you."

Obi-Wan bowed and left the room gratefully, glad to be out from under the impassive eyes of the Council. Walking slowly and a little unsteadily back to the quarters he shared with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan considered all that had, and hadn't, been said. Jedi going missing and getting captured, and the bounty hunter attacks? He remembered the Trandoshan bounty hunter's words from earlier, about credits, and sighed. There was definitely something wrong about all this. Could it all be linked? To what purpose?

Qui-Gon. Adi. Bant. Shaak Ti. Eeth Koth. Luminara Unduli. Six Jedi, all capable and powerful, and all captured…what, if anything, linked them?

Obi-Wan palmed open the apartment door. It was still and quiet inside – had it only been this morning that he and Qui-Gon had left to meet Illaryn? Qui-Gon's capture…how had he, Obi-Wan, let that happen? How could he have not fought his way to Qui-Gon's side? Why couldn't he have been taken instead? Why hadn't he been better; at fighting, at foreseeing events, at…anything that might have helped.

The apartment felt like Qui-Gon…still, memories and unhappy thoughts aside, it was home.

Obi-Wan sank onto one of the couches, running a hand through his short hair. He felt…tired, overall, and a little despairing. He was feeling worse than he had before; he had been on his feet to long; his body cried out for rest and healing. Falling unceremoniously sideways onto the soft cushions, Obi-Wan fell asleep quickly, his head cushioned by one arm.

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He could hear someone in the apartment. Qui-Gon? Had everything been a dream, after accidentally falling asleep in the apartment?

Obi-Wan could have laughed at himself. It was an immature, if vehemently wished for, notion – and his sore shoulder was a testament to reality.

He opened his eyes and sat up slowly, looking towards the kitchen where the noises were coming from. He could see two mugs on the bench, which hadn't been there when he came in, and caught a soft curse and flick of blonde hair in the soft light.

"Third drawer down on the left for the chai mix," Obi-Wan called, leaning his head back into the cushions and staring at the ceiling, brushing away the last shadows of sleep from his mind.

There was a startled gasp. "Force, I didn't realise you were awake…ah, here it is," said Siri Tachii, as she straightened and quickly made the two drinks. She picked them both up and passed one to Obi-Wan, who took it gratefully, before sitting on the couch opposite to him. "How are you feeling?"

Obi-Wan took a sip of the hot drink before answering, letting the warmth fill him and wake him further. "Better. More focused than before. Shoulder's stiff, but it'll be fine. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here on Master Fisto's askance. Don't you know you should be careful sleeping after getting head trauma? You could slip into a coma or something." She gave him her familiar mischievous grin.

"Don't sound so hopeful…Kit Fisto? Where is he?"

Siri frowned, thinking. "In the Archives, searching for a match to Illaryn's design, I think. Speaking of which, I've been told you're going to help us?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, I am."

Siri looked down at the mug in her hands. "We're in the same position, aren't we?" she said quietly, her tone revealing her worry. "Our Masters both missing…and there's nothing we can do but help Kit."

"We'll find them, Siri," Obi-Wan said consolingly, willing himself to believe his own words. "That design's a solid lead. What happened with you and Adi?"

She was silent for a moment before answering. "We were helping to negotiate a peace treaty in the Mid Rim, a usual mission, and easily done. We had it completed and were about to leave, to come back to Coruscant…" she paused, lost in memory. "Adi had one last finalisation to take care of and she said I wasn't needed. She was ambushed on the way back – I felt it through the Force, tried to get to her, but she stopped responding and I couldn't find her. I should have gone with her, I should have…I saw a group of scum – some kind of scum – running with her unconscious body and followed them; but their ship took off before I could get to her."

She fell into silence again, for a few moments, before picking up her story again. "I contacted the Temple – they said to come back and report. Kit's been working for a few days already, determined to find Bant – but this is the first really solid lead we've had. What about you and Qui-Gon?"

Obi-Wan smiled sadly. "I was left for dead, mid way through the fight."

Siri arched a sarcastic eyebrow. "Impressive."

Obi-Wan went on to tell her of the initial mission and the fight that went on – it was the first time he had really thought about it since it happened and so tried to recall every detail he could. It seemed so long ago, but in reality was only a few hours.

"That is quite a story," said a quiet voice from the doorway. Both Padawans looked up in surprise, for neither had heard the Nautolan Jedi enter. Kit Fisto was leaning on the wall next to the doorway, watching them both, his trademark relaxed smile on his face. "I hope you do not mind our intrusion of your quarters, Obi-Wan – it just seemed easier because we – that is, Siri and I – knew you would probably be asleep here, recovering from your injuries."

"It's no trouble, Master Fisto – and I was asleep, until a little while ago. Did you find anything in the Archives?"

Sitting down, Kit nodded, placing a file on the table between them. "The symbol Governor Illaryn remembered and drew for us is the symbol of House Salaktori, the most prominent of the Bounty Hunter Guild houses."

Siri cocked her head to the side slightly. "So it definitely was bounty hunters?"

"So it would seem." Kit rested his chin in his hand in thought. "They're easily traceable; we know their headquarters are on Resht VII. We can find answers there…or, at least some."

"Master Fisto…" Obi-Wan hesitated before finishing, not knowing if he was stepping across a line. "If I may ask, what happened to Bant?"

The Nautolan Jedi smiled sadly. "She was running an errand. When she was attacked, I went to help her – the cowards who attacked her piled on me to delay me, not capture me, while they sedated her and took her away…" He lapsed into silence, which lengthened before he quietly spoke again. "They were from Crimson Nova, from what I could recognise, but I don't know which chapter. I haven't been able to find out anything useful."

"What about the Council?" Asked Obi-Wan. "What have they asked of us?"

It was Siri who answered, shrugging as she did so. "Answers. Leads. Find the Jedi, get them out, bring them back."

"And we start with a visit to Resht VII. It's in the Inner Rim – we leave tomorrow." Kit stood, picking up the file on House Salaktori. "Good night and good rest to the both of you – the Council will wish to speak with us in the morning, I'll see you then." He bowed to them both and left, all done with his trademark smile.

Siri watched him go, before standing herself. "You should probably get an early night – and rest that shoulder. I don't want to have to bail you out if we need to fight."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes melodramatically at her, before bidding her good night and leaning back on the cushions, now alone in the apartment. It suddenly felt so big when he was the only one here.

He considered meditating for a while, bringing himself back in tune with the Force, but simply felt too tired. Obi-Wan stood, heading to his own private quarters and lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

His gaze moved to the model fighter that hung in one corner. Force knows why he still had that; he had made it when he was about thirteen. He never had gotten around to taking it down – but in his heart he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Where was Qui-Gon now? Who, exactly, had taken him, and why? Was he okay? Was he being – Force forbid – tortured, or kept in darkness, or alone and in need of help? Had he been initially taken alive and was to be killed? Or was it something more sinister? Obi-Wan could only remember too well the time Qui-Gon was captured by the mad scientist Jenna Zan Arbour…

But who had put a bounty on Jedi – and on live Jedi at that? What was going on, on some random planet in the galaxy? How was everything connected?

Who was behind it all?

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What? I think Jedi drink Chai lattes. I know Mace drinks back coffee (with cream). That was in a random story in a Star Wars Tales comic. But I think Jedi should drink Chai…it would explain a few things, as Chai is the ultimate good in the universe. [[Feb 2013: This is still my headcanon.]]

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