In the quiet guest chambers given to him by Derhi Loki, Qui-Gon meditated. Sat cross-legged, in typical Jedi fashion, on the polished marble floor, he could feel the first rays of moonlight that were beaming through the large window onto his face. Even though his eyes were closed, the light blue of the Devaronian moon was so bright that the colour danced on his eyelids. Upon his arrival at the government building in Issa, which lay only an hour and a half from the border, he had been treated with the utmost respect, as was customary, but the longer the Jedi master spent in the company of the western Devaronians, the more he came to think that something was being hidden from him. He had no evidence on which to base this, but during his meditation he had come to focus on a niggling doubt in the back of his mind.

He opened his eyes and sighed heavily. The room felt extremely empty: 'well, it was prepared for two after all,' he thought. He did not know where to start, where to begin his search for peace….and Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon rose from the floor and walked out of the room. He found himself in an expansive, gleaming corridor which was deserted, save for the occasional leafy, potted plant next to every window. As the master strode down the corridor, heading for nowhere in particular, he felt ripples of…some disturbing emotion…flowing through the Force. 'Something is definitely not right, but what?' Qui-Gon stopped to gaze out onto the sparkling city that surrounded the government building, his arms resting on the window-sill. Issa certainly oozed wealth and prosperity. It was like a precious jewel, nestled into an intricately decorated crown. He leaned against the window, his forehead touching the cool glass; tiny droplets of condensation formed against his skin.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" came a soft voice behind him.

Qui-Gon, unusually distracted by his thoughts, turned to face the speaker. In front of him was young female of no more than twenty. Her pale yellow skin, typical of a female Devaronian, seemed to sparkle under the moon rays. She was dressed in a simple but elegant, pale lilac dress. "Yes, it is," he replied.

"I have always thought Issa to be more magnificent at night; it is when the city truly sparkles. However, I should imagine a well travelled Jedi like you must have seen far more exotic and more exciting locations."

Qui-Gon chuckled.

The female extended a hand, "Jalla Kon." The master shook the offered hand, "Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Welcome to western Devaron, although I am not sure that your stay has been entirely pleasurable from what I have heard. Have you heard any news on the disappearance of your young friend?"

After a short pause, Qui-Gon answered: "No, not yet." He paused again, the politicians he had encountered so far had seemingly been distinctly untrustworthy ('and that is saying something'). However, Qui-Gon could feel Jalla's pure, untainted energy. She was confident and obviously powerful despite her young age (just how influential he was yet to discover) but there was something about the way she stood, her arms by her side, her head held high, that told him she was not like the others. "The situation is delicate but I am doing my best to find a solution."

'Sufficiently diplomatic and vague with the suggestion that I have absolutely no idea where to start.'

Jalla laughed softly. "For all your subtle dislike of politicians, the Jedi do seem to share the ability to say nothing while implying everything!"

"What makes you think that?"

"Haven't the peace-loving, tolerant Jedi always had to deal with stubborn leaders and selfish Senators? You are very careful of how you deal with them but surely you must feel that there is a distinct lack of altruism in the Senate, and indeed the galaxy, these days? "

"The Jedi keep the peace; we do not involve ourselves in Senate shenanigans."

'But the galaxy is changing. The Republic is changing.' Qui-Gon shrugged off such thoughts. How many times had he told Obi-Wan to focus on the ever changing present? It would not do to make a hypocrite of himself, even if the whereabouts of his apprentice were unkown.

Jalla seemed to study him for a moment, her beige eyes sensing his sudden change in mood. Taking a quick glance behind her she said in a hushed tone: "meet me by the main entrance to this building at sunrise tomorrow." And with that, she strode off down the hall, not looking back, not saying goodbye.

Their meeting had been extremely brief but had left a lasting impression on the Jedi master. He was intrigued. 'Who is that young woman? ' he pondered. A thousand questions filled his head. The Force told him to trust her, to meet with her again – that she could be his only chance at finding Obi-Wan and bringing peace to Devaron, and who was he to miss that sort of an opportunity?

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Obi-Wan had lost all feeling in his abdomen. However, the male carrying him had been true to his word: the numb sensation that had taken hold of his body was wearing off; he found he could flex his fingers and wriggle his toes. Slowly but surely he could feel the pulsing of blood around his body as his limbs were returned to him. 'Well, that's a bonus! A numb abdomen for the rest of my body – could be worse. At least I'm still alive: always a plus.' He had been in worse situations during his four years as Qui-Gon's padawan, he reasoned. During the three to fours (he did not know for sure for he did not know how long he had been unconscious for) Obi-Wan had pondered on what course of action to take. Any attempt to escape would inevitably result in him getting lost, and anyway his lightsaber had been taken from him. 'Staying would not only allow me to find out exactly who these people are but also what they hope to accomplish by holding me. At least I can turn my capture into something useful...but how to contact Master Qui-Gon?' He could still not reach his master through the bond.

The young apprentice was worried. He was completely alone with a group of strangers on a planet he had only just arrived on. 'What these people intend to do with me, Force knows!' Perhaps if he could engage one of them in conversation he might learn something, although his master was far better at communicating with others.

Now, as night fell, the jungle adopted a more sinister air. Obi-Wan could feel a thousand eyes on him, predators deciding whether he was worth an attack. Slumped over the shoulder of a stranger, he felt incredibly exposed. The blue moonlight cast threatening shadows through the trees. The whispering sound of nocturnal creatures moving made an alert Obi-Wan tense. Using the Force he searched every hole, every shrub for a potential attack.

"Do you feel that you are able to walk?" The male carrying him had obviously felt the young Jedi tense.

"You trust me?"

"I am sure that you have no doubt realised by now that any attempt to leave the safety of this group would result in serious injury, or quite possibly death. The jungle is not safe at night. If any danger were to present itself the ability to use your own legs would be an invaluable advantage."

'He doesn't speak much does he?' Obi-Wan thought. "I can walk," he replied simply. Within seconds his feet came into contact with the jungle floor; his legs buckled slightly from ill-use. A pair of large hands quickly reached out to support him. "Thank you," he said gratefully. Looking up he saw that the group of nine had stopped; three were watching him cautiously, the others scanning the jungle for danger.

"We had best keep moving. I apologise, we will not be stopping to rest. It is too dangerous. Please keep up." And with that, the group continued their journey.

Inwardly Obi-Wan groaned. He still had no idea who these people were, apart from which side of the border they came from, where they were headed or what they hoped to achieve. He wished Qui-Gon was with him: he would know what to do. Obi-Wan reached for the Force, trying to find his centre of calm, but his head buzzed with questions. He reached for the river stone that was nestled in his tunic and glowing against his heart – his only connection to his master. He noted out of the corner of his eye that a female walking to his left was watching him intently, as if expecting him to bring out some hidden lethal weapon. Slowly he pulled out the stone and, in an exaggerated motion for the female's benefit, opened his right hand so that the stone lay in his palm. The female quickly relaxed and continued scanning the jungle. Obi-Wan gently stroked the force-sensitive rock. The Force swirled around him, enhancing his senses. He could feel everything. The jungle was truly alive. The sudden, intense experience left him slightly breathless and he quickly pocketed the rock. The female to his left looked at him quizzically. Obi-Wan smiled reassuringly, tilting his head forward slightly. Surprisingly, she returned his gesture with a small smile. 'So they can show emotion!' Obi-Wan quickly admonished himself for such a thought – it was not appropriate Jedi behaviour to pre-judge.

The moment was ruined by an incredibly loud, inhuman screech. All of Obi-Wan's senses were on alert. 'I have a bad feeling about this.' A sudden rush of air nearly blew him of his feet.

"RUN!"