Chapter Twenty-One

Cian walked into the office of the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and was startled to see Valorum was not alone. She had assumed when his aide had given her permission to enter, he was free. She hesitated for a moment, but then Valorum, who was sitting behind his desk, saw her at the door and waved her in.

"Senator Palpatine, you remember Cian Nyal?"

Cian looked over as the tall man with the proud face rose from the chair in front of Valorum's desk.

"Yes, Chancellor. We met at the reception for the Quilekian delegation," Palpatine replied.

"Cian is the Republic's newest diplomatic representative, Senator."

Palpatine took Cian's hand and kissed it.

"Congratulations, Mistress Nyal. The Republic is most fortunate to have such a charming and beautiful ambassador."

"Thank you. Forgive me for intruding, Senator, but I thought the Chancellor was alone."

"That's quite all right. I was just leaving." He glanced over at Valorum. "I'll have my draft of the bill regarding sanctions against the Trade Federation for your perusal next week if that is satisfactory with you, Chancellor."

Valorum nodded. "That will be more than satisfactory."

Palpatine turned back towards Cian. He gave her a deep and courtly bow then, with a sweep of his dark blue robes, quickly left the Chancellor's office. The door slid closed behind him.

"I'm sorry, Finis, your aide said you were free, and, well," Cian glanced at her wristchrono, "I am a little early."

Valorum took Cian's elbow and led her to the plush couch against the wall of his office.

"That's quite all right, Cian. Senator Palaptine had just stopped by to inform me Senators Joaja and Sukhip are going to hold a press conference this afternoon."

"Oh?" Cian said, her eyebrow raised as she sat on the couch. "Is there something wrong?"

"Another round of accusations regarding corruption in my administration," Valorum said as he sat next to her. "The esteemed senators claim to have uncovered evidence that some of my appointees in the Bureau of Interstellar Trade have been accepting bribes." He sighed heavily and looked over at the window of his office. "Sometimes, I wonder if I will ever see the end of this."

Cian gazed at his aristocratic profile. There weren't many to whom Valorum would have confessed such a thing, but he and Cian were very close. When her parents had died, it was Valorum who had taken her into his household and raised her. He was surrogate father, mentor, and friend. She reached over and took his hand.

"Don't worry, Finis. All these allegations will soon be seen for the baseless lies they are."

"Thank you, Cian," he said, giving her a small smile. "But enough talk of politics. How did your dinner go last night?"

"Wonderful," Cian replied. "Well, actually, Obi-Wan and Aalea both got a little tipsy." She smiled.

"Aalea? Oh, yes, now I remember. Qui-Gon introduced her to me some years back. The little Jedi with the most extraordinary eyes. Quite a striking-looking child as I recall."

"Well, not so little anymore. She's eighteen now. And even more striking."

"Hmmm. And Qui-Gon?"

"What about him?" Cian asked. She knew what he was waiting to hear. He wanted to know how she had dealt with seeing Qui-Gon again after so many years. Valorum was the only person to whom Cian had unburdened her heart regarding her feelings for the Jedi Master.

She sighed as she looked beyond him at the breathtaking view out his wall-sized window of Coruscant; the transparisteel and smoked duracrete towers which stretched to the horizon, the dozens of lanes of floating skycars. Billions of sentient beings lived within its towering spires and murky depths and yet, out of all that bustling multitude, the thought of only one could set her heart to racing.

"Come now, Cian," Valorum said as he patted her hand. "You would not have arrived early unless you wanted to talk."

"What do you want me to say, Finis? That I still care for him? Then yes, I'll say it. I still care for him."

"And?" he prompted her.

"And what? He's Qui-Gon Jinn. Jedi Master. Devoted to the Jedi Order and to the Force. What I want..." Cian paused, then she shrugged. "What I want doesn't matter."

"And what do you want?"

"To love and be loved," she said smiling sadly. "Isn't that what most people want? Isn't that what I'll have with Jeffron?"

"I'm not a philosopher, Cian. Therefore I can not say what most people want, but I do wonder if marrying a man you do not love is the way to achieve your heart's desire."

Cian looked over at Valorum, her eyes wide.

"How can you say such a thing, Finis? Of course I love Jeffron!"

"You may love him, but you're not in love with him."

"Now you are being a philosopher. You're playing with words."

The comlink on Valorum's desk beeped. He stood and walked over to it. A holographic image of his administrative aide Sei Taria appeared.

"Chancellor, Master Jinn is here to see you," she said.

"Thank you, Sei. Send him in please."

Valorum deactivated the link. Cian rose from the couch. Valorum walked over to her, took her hands and squeezed them.

"Cian, take some advice from an old man; be certain of what you're doing. Listen to your heart. And don't give up on love, true love. In this cold dark place we call the universe, love is the only thing which gives meaning to it all."

"I thought you weren't a philosopher, Finis," she said, one brow arching up.

He laughed. The door to Valorum's office opened and Qui-Gon strode in.

Cian drew her hands from Valorum as he walked over to greet Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon stopped before the Chancellor and bowed. Valorum inclined his head, then took the Jedi's hand in his, shaking it.

"Good to see you, Qui-Gon. Sorry I didn't have a chance to welcome you back but," and he turned and swept his hand towards his desk which was covered with datachips, "as you can see...."

"No need to apologize, Chancellor. Things have been as equally hectic at the Temple."

Valourm gestured towards Cian.

"I believe you are already acquainted with Mistress Nyal."

Qui-Gon's warm gaze swept over Cian.

"Yes, Mistress Nyal and I are well acquainted. She cooked a most delicious meal last night for my padawan's birthday."

Valorum walked Qui-Gon over to the chairs in front of his desk. Cian followed and sat in one, Qui-Gon the other. Valorum then walked around the desk and sat down.

"Then I am a very envious man, Qui-Gon," he said. "Cian's culinary gifts are well known around the Senate chambers."

Cian dimpled. Qui-Gon looked over at her and smiled.

Valorum leaned forward on his desk, his slender hands folded neatly before him.

"I asked you both here because I have an assignment for you."

Cian's heart skipped. For both of them?

"The planet of Jalat recently elected a new First Minister," Valorum continued. "He has expressed interest in establishing relations with the Republic. The Jalatans are a notoriously xenophobic people, so this is an unprecedented opportunity. He has requested that not only a Republic emissary be sent, but a representative of the Jedi Order."

Cian sat in shock. This was not what she had expected at all. A mission with Qui-Gon? She glanced over at him but, as usual, his expression was stoic.

"This is unprecedented," Qui-Gon said. "What little we do know of the Jalatans suggest they have much to offer the Republic. Do you have any other information on them?"

Valorum searched among the datachips on his desk. He picked up one and handed it to Qui-Gon.

"Everything you need to know about your mission is on that datachip."

Valorum glanced over to Cian. "Cian, I realize this is your first assignment as a member of the Diplomatic Corps. Do you have any objections to Qui-Gon accompanying you?"

"No, of course not. I am well aware of Master Jinn's expertise in matters of negotiations and diplomacy."

"Excellent!" Valorum slapped his hands on his desk and stood quickly. "You're to leave at the end of the week on the Republic Cruiser Alliance. Good luck and may the Force be with you."

Qui-Gon stood and bowed to Valorum. Cian also stood and, when she caught Valorum's eye, raised her brows at him. He looked back at her, smiling slightly.

Qui-Gon turned towards Cian.

"If you have a few moments, Cian, perhaps we should discuss what needs to be done before our departure."

"Yes, of course." She turned back to Valorum. "Good day, Finis."

"Good day," he said to her and Qui-Gon.

Cian turned and walked out of the office, Qui-Gon beside her.

Once they were in the reception area, he stopped and looked down at her.

"You are not happy about this," he said.

Cian glanced over to where Valorum's aide was sitting at her desk. Although the dark-haired woman appeared to be engrossed in whatever she was reading on her datapad, Cian did not feel comfortable talking in front of her.

"You said you wanted to talk about the mission," Cian said. "Why don't we stop by a chalashop. If you have time, that is."

"I have time." He took her arm and led her towards the building's lift. "Actually, there's something I wish to talk to you about."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Aalea."

To be continued....