So, the planet of Kelada, home of Arakyd Industries…my deepest thanks to all those who reviewed. I'll start replying on a usual basis if I can.


Qui-Gon stepped off the ship, onto the rust-coloured dust that covered the ground. Kelada was rocky and industrial – factories covered what parts of the rocky ground were flat, and twisted metal spires rose over the haze of fumes created by the droid production lines. The single sun of the system was high in the sky, casting sharp shadows across the buildings. It was noisy, too – indecipherable shouts of one worker to another were mixed amongst the clank and grinding of machines and metal. Discarded parts of droids lay scattered near the landing pad they had gained permission to use; broken, bent metal and wiring piled high.

Behind him, in the starship doorway, Qui-Gon heard Kit move behind him and step off. Kit had asked Bant to stay behind in the ship for them, and she had agreed, though Qui-Gon had seen a flicker of disappointment in her silver eyes. Kit had seen it too, placing a hand lightly on his Padawan's shoulder. Qui-Gon had noticed it wasn't an order from a Master to their apprentice, but a simple request between them. It reminded him of his own relationship with Obi-Wan.

Sharing a glance, the two Jedi Masters began to walk towards the largest (and cleanest) of the buildings, which stood before them. It used to be white, but was now covered in a thin layer of dust and permanently stained from the environment. A dirty, but visible sign above the door proclaimed it the headquarters of Arakyd Industries, and the symbol found on the droids was above it.

The wind was rough and bitter, even though the sun was warm. Bowing his hooded head against it, Qui-Gon put his hands in his sleeves and kept walking, Kit in perfect stride beside him. What would they find here? Was it a dead end – could the droid markings have been a ruse? The thought occurred to Qui-Gon with worrying obviousness. It was something he hadn't considered.

The doors slid open silently, granting the Jedi access to a reception area. It was almost bare – a desk and a few couches, a half-dead plant occupying the room – and the receptionist behind the desk looked up immediately as the door opened and Qui-Gon and Kit removed their hoods. She was a young Cathar, a cat-like race, who were humanoid but covered in fine fur, with pointed ears and a sharp bone structure. She smiled, showing them pointed teeth.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" Her eyes swept down them and took in their recognisable garments. "Jedi Masters, I should say."

"I'm Qui-Gon Jinn, this is my companion Kit Fisto. We want to talk with whomever is in charge of custom droid design." Qui-Gon replied, watching as the receptionist looked down and consulted something, a datapad, next to her.

"Our head designer is Druss Macavity. One moment." She activated a personal commlink next to her, and within a few seconds a figure – Druss Macavity, presumably – had answered her. "Some visitors to see you, sir."

"Send them in, Diantha." The hologram vanished.

Diantha pressed a button on the desk and a turbolift arrived quickly in its alcove by the desk. "Second floor, Master Jinn, Master Fisto. Macavity's name is on the door."

Thanking her, Qui-Gon and Kit boarded the turbolift, following her instructions. They reached the second floor and found Macavity's office with ease. Sharing a glace, Kit knocked softly on the door. There was moment of silence, before a voice called out and they were admitted entry.

Druss Macavity was a young human man, his long, dark blonde hair tied up and his green eyes bright and intelligent. He came out from behind his desk to greet them – he was average height, shorter than both the Jedi, and strangely thin. "Jedi? I'm honoured – Druss Macavity. What brings you to our humble planet?"

"We're Masters Fisto and Jinn," Kit said, indicating himself and Qui-Gon. "We want to talk to you about some of your droids…"

"Have you ever seen these droids before?" Qui-Gon showed the designer a miniature hologram of one of the droids that had attacked him and Obi-Wan. He had made it before leaving Jernosi, and the small picture showed a detailed three-dimensional image, clear and easy to see. Macavity's eyes lit up as he looked at it.

"Those! My Axa-13s. They were works of art, they really were…what do you want to know?" he asked suddenly, his eyes flicking from the hologram to the serious-faced Qui-Gon.

"We want to know who they were commissioned by, what they were for, and where they were delivered to." Qui-Gon's disappointment rose as Macavity began to shake his head before he had even finished speaking.

"That's confidential information, I'm sorry, Master Jinn. I can't give it out." He looked stricken. "I'd like to help, but the information is kept private. You must understand, we make droids for everyone – anyone – and many are on the less than respectable side of society."

Kit stepped into Qui-Gon's silence smoothly. "Can you tell us nothing? We will not force you. But any information you have you must give us."

Something in Kit's voice made Macavity pale slightly. "Why…what's happened? What did they do? Did they malfunction? I told Jess those droids needed top-grade parts, but he kept talking about money-"

"They didn't malfunction," Kit interrupted him.

"I was attacked by them," Qui-Gon said quietly, causing Macavity to stare openly at him. "On Jernosi. My apprentice too – he is now missing, and the droids are the only lead I have."

Macavity could see the hurt in his eyes. He sighed, knowing he was beaten. This was beyond the sort of rogues who came I wanting contact information about buyers simply for revenge. "So it's Jedi business, right? What do you want to know?"

Qui-Gon smiled slightly at him, grateful. "Who asked for them?"

Macavity shrugged. "Never saw his face, always wore a hood. It's not uncommon with some of our clients. From his gait, I'd say he was athletic, mid thirties maybe. He was human, of that I'm pretty sure."

Qui-Gon was silent for a moment, in thought. "What about when the order first came in? Was there anything, any description or indication for what the droids would be used for?"

At this, Macavity brightened. "Purpose? Yeah, of course. Said they were for bodyguard work. Oh, and a little patrolling, I think it was."

"What about the delivery? Were they picked up from here or sent off planet?"

"Off planet. Don't know where, but it'll probably be in the records." Macavity brought up some files, the display a holographic panel above his desk. His fingers flew over the keyboard, and soon he grinned in triumph. "Here it is."

He had brought up the records for the original droid order. Qui-Gon and Kit moved around the desk so they could read them – who it was for, droid purposes, price, time, dates, delivery specifics…"Dromund Kaas," read Kit quietly. He looked over at Qui-Gon, who was staring at the screen blankly. Kit knew the connotations of the name. The planet of Dromund Kaas was known to both of them from early history lessons at the Temple – it was renowned as a planet of great darkness, reportedly with an old Sith academy built on it.

"Huh," Macavity muttered, scanning the report. "That's right. He asked for no insignia on the droids – probably to keep them from being traced…not like it helped. The boys down in assembly can't help but sign their work. Was it hidden?"

"It was," Qui-Gon replied. "Hidden on the primary core casing, very small and light."

Macavity gave them a copy of the report. Qui-Gon took it with a quiet world of thanks, tucking the datasheet away in his tunic. Information recovered, they got up to leave. Macavity saw them down to the front door, saying quietly as he did so, "I see it as such a waste. Those droids were art, the engineers worked something amazing on them. To have them used for such purposes…I mean, as I said many of out clients are under the radar; they usually want firepower and that's about it…" he trailed off.

"Good luck to you both." He murmured quietly as the two Jedi put their hoods up and stepped into the wind. The door closed and he was lost from view.

Walking back towards the landing pad, Qui-Gon was silent. Kit could sense something was worrying Qui-Gon, but couldn't place it. If Obi-Wan was on Dromund Kaas, then that was a worry, but for some reason, Kit thought it was something different.

Something on that report had chilled Qui-Gon to the bone. Surely it was just a coincidence, and meant nothing in the long run…Qui-Gon was thankfully drawn from his thoughts as Kit faltered slightly in his pace. "Bant's got an incoming message from Coruscant." He began to jog smoothly back to the ship, Qui-Gon following behind him at a slower pace, consumed in thought.

Bant was talking to the holographic version of the Jedi Council. She bowed respectfully to both Kit and Qui-Gon when they entered, and both the Masters greeted the Council. They enquired as to how the search for Obi-Wan was progressing, and Kit and Qui-Gon filled them – and Bant – in on the information that had been gathered thanks to Arakyd Industries and Macavity.

"Go to Droumind Kaas you will?" Yoda asked, his ears twitching.

"Yes, Master. If we do not find Obi-Wan there, at least we have another lead."

Mace Windu pressed his fingers together. "Dromund Kaas. Known Dark Side history, in the regions of old Sith Space. That, and the fact that you have sensed darkness in Obi-Wan's mind, makes it a definite possibility. But tread carefully – there is much darkness there."

"Yes, Master. Of course."

Yoda turned, shifting slightly so he was facing Kit. "Master Fisto. An urgent request we have had for you and your apprentice. Need you to report to Aquaris, we do."

Resigned, and biting back a curse, Kit bowed. "Yes, Masters." Beside him, Bant held her tongue, even though her Master felt her disappointed change in mood. She wanted to find her friend – who could blame her?

"Qui-Gon – Master Tholme and Quinlan Vos are nearby, on Zeltros. They will meet with you on Kelada and aid you in your search for Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon bowed to Mace in reply. At least he was getting help. Granted, Tholme wasn't the person he would have chosen had he the choice, but he and Quinlan would be helpful, and Quinlan was a old friend of Obi-Wan's…Qui-Gon, on the other hand, hadn't seen Tholme some time.

Kit and Bant were given details about their mission, before the Council's communication ended, and the three Jedi shared a look. "I don't want to go," Bant said quietly. Before her Master could reply, she added, "I know I have no choice and it is our duty, and I will follow you, Master. But I wish there was more I could do for Obi-Wan…"

She looked down at the floor as Kit squeezed her shoulder. "Your loyalty is admirable."

"I'll find him, Bant." Qui-Gon said softly. It sounded, to Qui-Gon, almost like a promise to himself as well as Bant.

She smiled weakly. "I know you will."

The console beeped. Another incoming message. Kit activated the channel.

"Master Jinn, it had been too long."

Qui-Gon couldn't help smiling. "Indeed it has, Master Tholme."

The scarred Jedi Master grinned back, slightly. "We're about an hour from Kelada, Quinlan and I."

"Lock on to our signal, come down to the same landing platform."

With a nod, Tholme vanished. Kit and Bant left the cockpit to gather their belongings – they were to take the ship Tholme and Quinlan were coming in on. Qui-Gon was left alone, and he brought out the report from Arakyd.

As soon as he had seen it, it had chilled him to the bone. The name of the client who commissioned, helped design and bought the droids.

Crion.

Crion. It had been the name of Qui-Gon's former Padawan's father, a figure from the past who had fallen into greed and lust for power; corruption. Qui-Gon had killed him, and Crion's son, Qui-Gon's Padawan, Xanatos, had fallen to the Dark Side. He had already been travelling down the dark path, but his father's death drove him over the edge.

Could it be pure coincidence? Or was this something from the past, back to haunt him? Xanatos? No, Xanatos had died, leapt into an acidic pool on Telos IV. He was dead.

He was dead.


So, we get to meet Quinlan and Tholme next chapter. I love those two – legends, the both of them. Anyways, hope this chapter was interesting – we are getting into the good stuff now…

Reviews make me happy!