Chapter 4

When Qui-Gon had told Vandalyn that he wanted her to observe the discussion, he had failed to mention how much shouting there would be. It started on the first day and had not abated. It was now five hours into day three and Vandalyn's head was pounding. At this rate, it did not appear that Master Jinn's hope for a resolution by the end of the week would materialize. The Doma-tasan was split between two candidates: Bruva Tag and Ressem Ud. For the past hour their most vocal proponents had been shouting across the table at each other. In the midst of it, Qui-Gon seemed unruffled, but Vandalyn had noticed increasing discomfort in the rest of the group.

"And so you see, Master Jedi," said Bruva Dal, "why Bruva Tag should be declared our lawful ruler. Judge now! Cast your vote." As he spoke, the spiny ridge that transected his skull flared up a little and darkened in color.

"Bruva Tag will lead us to ruin," snapped Ressem Sa. "Ressem Ud is my brother and I know he would rule this world justly and for the people, not for his own gain. The vote will be for Ud not for Tag!"

"Ressem Ud knows nothing of rule," retorted Dal. "He purchased his position on the Doma-tasan, and we all know it. He is unfit to rule and buys his support; he does not earn it." A wave of irritated hissing circled the room, and Ressem Ud clenched his fists, furious at the accusation.

Qui-Gon stood up slowly and raised his hands for silence. "Enough," he said. For a moment they ignored him. Undisturbed, Qui-Gon drew upon a tiny portion of the Force and Vandalyn sensed him focus it. When he spoke again, there was significant emphasis behind his words despite the fact that he barely raised his voice.

"That's enough!" The room was silent in an instant, and all eyes turned to Qui-Gon.

"You have a decision, Master Jedi?" asked Bruva Tag, his eagerness palpable.

"As I informed the Doma-tasan when I arrived, a reasonable amount of days would be allocated for debate over this issue to allow all members to offer different ideas and ways to resolve this without my direct involvement with the vote. You have squandered three of them shouting and accomplished nothing."

There was an angry murmur in the room that set Vandalyn on edge. The Doma-tasan was not accustomed to being scolded.

"We will resume tomorrow at the regular gathering time. Padawan, come with me." Vandalyn rose gracefully and followed him quietly out of the room. The muttered, unflattering comments uttered by Bruva Dal and Ressem Sa as they left went ignored, but not unheard. They walked in silence back to their quarters. Without asking, Vandalyn started to prepare supper. She and Qui-Gon had fallen into an unspoken pattern of alternating the days when they each prepared meals.

"It will take a little time for our meal to cook. I find today's meeting has left me unsettled," said Vandalyn. "I think I will meditate for a short while before eating."

"Of course." Qui-Gon sounded distracted as well, but that did not surprise Vandalyn. She walked out to the garden and found a comfortable place to sit on the flat stones. They were specially designed to retain the heat of the sun and so they remained quite warm even after the sun had set. The sky was a deep blue-black and a few of the day's thin, wispy clouds could still be seen although the sun had disappeared an hour before.

Vandalyn sat down, cross-legged on the smooth, warm stones and arranged her robe around her so that there were no uncomfortable folds or lumps. She folded her hands in her lap and took three deep breaths as she tried to clear her mind and center her thoughts. She was not successful. When the quiet of meditation eluded her, Vandalyn allowed her thoughts to wander, hoping they would settle upon an object or an idea she could focus on, and from there delve into a deeper solitude.

Unbidden, Qui-Gon's face appeared in Vandalyn's mind's eye. Her shoulders dropped almost imperceptibly as she relaxed and her breathing deepened. In her mind, she pictured Qui-Gon in front of the Doma-tasan, his voice firm, his shoulders square, and the keen intellect she so admired clear in his sharp gaze. I must admit, he is an impressive man… The thought was warm, colored by something – a feeling – she couldn't name for a moment. Then she flinched. It was… attraction.

Vandalyn jumped up. Attracted? To Master Jinn? The arguments of the day have unsettled me and I am misreading my feelings. She hurried back into the room, and Qui-Gon did not miss the consternation on her face. He waited for her to speak.

"Master? I find I am having some difficulty focusing. May I join you in a meditation?"

"Of course. It is not a bad thing to ask for aid from time to time, padawan," he said, sensing Vandalyn felt as if she had failed because she could not focus. "Each Jedi has moments where our thoughts and our focus are disturbed…" Such as I have found my thoughts lately, he thought to himself.

"Thank you, Master."

"Before we begin, have some food. Our meal has finished cooking. I think you find it will be easier to focus when your stomach is not pinched with hunger." Qui-Gon handed her a bowl. It was filled with a steaming mix of sittya, a rice-like grain native to Dunal, and several different vegetables. As they ate, Vandalyn raised her eyes and looked across the table at Qui-Gon. His hair was lightly dusted with gray, even his beard, and as she looked at him, Vandalyn couldn't help but smile – he was, after all, an impressive man.

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Hello, I thought I would move my comments to the end so as not to interrupt the flow of the read for everyone. As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well. I know sometimes you can feel something about someone and not realize it… then, there is that moment when you put a name to what you're feeling. After that, it becomes easier to accept what you feel rather than deny it (I know I, at least, have experienced that). I tried to convey that at the end with Vandalyn's sudden understanding that she felt an attraction to Qui-Gon. My hope is that I was not TOO subtle about it… As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments.