Obi-Wan found Ventress standing near the corral were the dragonmounts were kept, watching as the Utai fed the animals. She turned around when she sensed him approach and he felt her quiet pleasure travel along the bond.

"Would you like to walk with me?" he asked. "We need to talk."

She nodded and stepped to his side as they moved away from the corral toward a calmer area.

"Ventress," Obi-Wan began, "I will soon have to leave here to travel back to Coruscant."

"Coruscant? Are you mad or what?" Ventress stopped walking and glared at him. "Have you forgotten what I told you? The Jedi have been outlawed. There is money over their heads and bounty hunters ready to do everything to cash in. Not to mention plenty of politicians ready to denounce you in order to be in the Emperor's good graces."

Obi-Wan let her finish the tirade, then replied. "I haven't forgotten… Asajj. May I call you so?" She nodded. "But I must go back. Master Yoda is still alive and I feel I may learn about his whereabouts on Coruscant. I need to find him and plan with him the best way to go against the Emperor."

"You want to go against Palpatine?! Now I know for sure you are really mad, Kenobi!"

"Call me Obi-Wan, Asajj. And no, I'm not mad. I'm a Jedi and it's my duty to do everything I can to free the galaxy from the Sith. You know that Palpatine is a Sith, don't you?"

Asajj nodded. "I guessed it. The dark side surrounds him and his right arm."

"Right arm?" Obi-Wan frowned.

"A man called Vader. Palpatine is using him to kill his political adversaries."

"I see," Obi-Wan folded his arms, wondering who this Vader could be. Had Sidious found another apprentice after Dooku's death? "This makes my task even more important," he finally said. "I must do my duty—or die trying."

Asajj sighed. "I know what you mean, Ke- Obi-Wan. You're a lot like me, loyal to the end, and you cannot act differently, even if your actions will most likely lead you to your death."

"You don't have to come with me, Asajj. You have already risked so much and I don't want to put you in danger."

Her eyes blazed in irritation. "Do you really think there is any chance I would let you go alone, Kenobi? You know as well as me our bond is so deep your death would most likely trigger my own. I don't want to die little by little, wasting away as my life force bleeds away from our torn bond. I want to go in a blaze of glory, and what is more glorious than helping you to destroy the Sith that have betrayed both of us?"

"Revenge leads to the dark side," Obi-Wan admonished her sternly.

She all but rolled her eyes. "So you are telling me you don't want to avenge your friends?" she smirked, her voice full of sarcasm.

"I want justice, Asajj, not revenge. It's different." Obi-Wan rubbed his stubbled chin, idly wondering how long it would take for his beard to grow again. "Asajj, I admit I would like very much to have your help in this, but I can't risk you turning again to the dark side because of your desire for revenge. I can help you to control your emotions, but you must make an effort to release your anger into the Force. I'm not strong enough to fight both the dark side in you and Darth Sidious."

Asajj looked at him in silence for a long while, and he sensed her inner turmoil as she battled her demons. Then suddenly, she went down on her knees.

"Teach me, Master," she said fiercely, looking up at him. "Complete my Jedi training. Help me to become the person you need and want me to be."

Obi-Wan swallowed hard and reached out to touch her brow with his hands. "No, Asajj, not the person I want you to be. I will teach you to become the person I know you can be." He smiled as her eyes filled with hope. "Now rise, Asajj, and never kneel again in front of me—unless I am kneeling too. All right?"

She nodded and rose to her feet, her eyes strangely luminous. She was moved to tears, but Obi-Wan thought she would adamantly deny it should he point it out to her. However, he did not plan to do it, for he too had been moved by her trust and desire to learn. In a way, she was just like an initiate that had just been chosen to become a Padawan.

Obi-Wan released his emotions into the Force to regain his balance and it was then he realized there was something he still had to do.

Opening their bond, he flooded it with gratitude. //Thank you for bringing me back, Asajj,// he told her.

//You are welcome, Ke- Obi-Wan. And now, let's stop being so disgustingly emotional and let's plan what to do next.//

"Yes, you are right. There is much to do before we can leave for Coruscant. Let's resume our walk and I will tell you more of what I would like to do…"

-----

Asajj watched with rapt attention as Obi-Wan executed a series of katas. The movements were as graceful as a dance, but it was a dance that could turn deadly at any moment.

He had been exercising for the past ten days and the results were in front of her eyes: his legs and arms had recovered their muscle tone and his stamina had increased. Doctor Yram had been surprised by such quick recovery, and Obi-Wan had explained to her that the Force was helping him.

Asajj sensed the Force whirl around Obi-Wan just now, gathered and ready for his command and she understood for the first time how really powerful the Jedi master was.

In the past, when they had been enemies, Asajj had known Obi-Wan was powerful, but she had considered him weak because he never gave in to his anger. Because he was compassionate and preferred to negotiate rather than fighting. Because he was not as flashy and instinctive a fighter as Skywalker or herself were. Only now she realized how much stronger one had to be to keep all that power under control.

"Would you like to join me?" Obi-Wan suddenly asked.

Asajj did not even stop to think. She nodded and stood up from the rock she had been sitting on and walked to his side.

"Did your master teach you katas?"

"Yes, he did—but I haven't practiced in years. I thought they were…" Asajj hesitated, something that happened only with Obi-Wan. "I thought they were a waste of time."

Obi-Wan did not look at her as if she were an idiot but smiled slightly. "I remember thinking the same a long time ago."

"But I guess you changed your mind…"

"Yes. I have always been more attuned with the Unifying Force than with the Living Force, but I discovered that practicing katas helped me to remedy this weakness of mine. They also help me to think, like a sort of moving meditation."

"What were you thinking about now?"

"About our next moves."

Asajj's eyes sparkled with interest. "Care to tell me?"

"Of course. I will tell you everything as we exercise. Do you remember the first kata your master must have taught you?" Obi-Wan executed it and she nodded upon seeing it, remembering the moves.

Asajj repeated the exercise as he watched, feeling clumsy and graceless, but Obi-Wan made no comments.

"And the second?" Again he demonstrated the moves and she imitated him. "Good. Now let's perform them one after the other, in cycles, as we talk."

Asajj nodded and started moving, trying to coordinate her movements with his. Soon she and Obi-Wan fell in step with each other and she felt quite pleased by it, even if she was aware the moves were very simple.

She was called back from her musings when Obi-Wan started talking. "I have meditated a lot and I think we should try to contact Bail Organa, Alderaan Viceroy and Senator. I have worked with him during the war and I know we can trust him. He has always opposed Palpatine and had good relations with the entire Council. Also I discovered, reading the reports, that his ship left Coruscant without warning the night the Jedi Temple was attacked and I sense there is a connection between the two events. I wouldn't be surprised if he knows were Master Yoda is hiding."

"If he is still alive," Asajj grumbled.

"He is, I checked. According to the Senate news reports, he is currently on Alderaan, because his wife isn't feeling well."

"When do we leave?" she asked.

Obi-Wan interrupted his exercise. "Listen, Asajj, you don't have to come with me. From what I read on the holonet we could be directed straight into a trap. You have already done so much for me; I don't want to endanger you. I promise I will close and sever the bond should the situation turn desperate. You won't die because of its severance."

Asajj almost bristled, "You can be quite dense when you want, Kenobi. I've already told you: I will come with you. There is nothing you can say that will make me change my mind. You need help and back up, and I will give them to you." She crossed her arms and stared at him, belligerently.

Obi-Wan looked at her seriously and nodded. "I'm glad you will come with me, Asajj, but I felt bound to offer to let you stay behind."

She shook her head, but her voice was amused when she exclaimed, "You and your blasted honour…" She stared at him, now deadly serious. "Don't ever change, Obi-Wan. The galaxy would be a better place if there were more people like you."

Then, before either of them could think too much about what she had said, she hastened to add, "So, you were telling me when we are going to leave for Alderaan…"