Notes: Well, not much new here… oh, yeah, 'cept for a few added lines to the Rivers bit, and a changed ending. My sister and I came up with a new mission to replace the old Jedi Fellowship one. Incidentally, Kyna Brytes is based on her ^^ I hope you enjoy the new stuff.

As Aquel Faemir lay down to sleep on her small cot in her Temple room, she allowed a small sigh of satisfaction at how the day had turned out. She had an apprentice, a wonderful being with a thirst for knowledge and a witty sense of humor, and everything seemed to be going her way. The Council had told them that the mission they were going to embark on was no longer necessary, which made Aquel feel better – she had a sense that something else would come up very soon.

The only thing bothering the Knight was this mission Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had been sent on. True, it was a simple thing – play ambassador to the Trade Federation and use the influence of the Jedi to make peace. She couldn't even see any danger in it. However, she had deep misgivings about where this mission would lead – she knew something would go awry, and Qui-Gon would be placed in grave danger. It never failed. He always came out alive, of course, but even she admitted that he was getting older. Every time the calls became just a bit closer, the margin of success a little narrower…

That was another thing playing on her mind. She and Qui-Gon were aging, and as much as they hated to think about it, time was running out for them. Every day Aquel cursed the Sith Trinity and its rule against love, and she was sure Qui-Gon did as well. It wasn't that either of them was so firmly enmeshed in Council doctrine that they couldn't break the rules, but they did understand where love would lead them, and also understood that they couldn't risk the consequences. Love would take them over and control them in a sense, and though neither thought of it as a particularly malevolent force, they knew that it would change their lives in very important - and perhaps harmful - ways. A lovestruck Qui-Gon probably wouldn't prove a very good mentor for Obi-Wan, and Aquel had enough on her mind as it was.

Though the pair had vowed never to overtly show their feelings, they couldn't deny them. Every time Aquel looked into his eyes, she could see that Qui-Gon loved her as much as she loved him, and that it hurt him that he couldn't show it. They had never gone beyond a chaste kiss to the cheek – though sometimes that lingered a bit longer than necessary, and Obi-Wan was getting suspicious. There were times, however, that Aquel could almost feel the desire vibrating on the Force strings… but neither gave in. Oh, there had been times when it had come close…

~Flashback~

Aquel was quite excited for the Naboo Festival of Rivers, a holy day that occurred only once every twenty years. She had only been at the Festival once in her life, when she was five, and then she hadn't really understood it. In keeping with Festival tradition that required a close friend to join in the celebration, Aquel had invited Qui-Gon Jinn to come with her. The thirty-year-old Knight had been Aquel's most trusted associate since she was old enough to remember, and perhaps now something more… but that was something the twenty-five-year-old newly-made Knight couldn't afford to think about. The dark side, she had been told, lurked in such feelings.

The long-awaited Festival of Rivers was especially spectacular that year. Every Naboo native who could get to the planet did, and the hotels were booked. Luckily, Qui-Gon and Aquel got a room in a special government hostel reserved for visiting dignitaries and Jedi knights. Unfortunately, there was only one bed… but Qui-Gon had politely offered to sleep on the couch. A rather embarrassed Aquel had not argued with him.

As it turned out, they didn't use the room for much else other than sleeping – their three days there were spent enjoying the festivities. Typical to his nature, Qui-Gon made friends with many of the native residents, including a few Gungans. The aquatic beings weren't overly friendly to the Naboo people, but during the Festival honoring the life-giving rivers of the planet, all racial tensions evaporated.

On the third and final evening of their stay, Aquel and Qui-Gon hiked down to a secluded water source near the city Aquel had been born in. The small, swift-flowing river curved through fields and small, thick groups of trees, blessing miles of land with its sweet, nutrient-rich waters. Aquel felt a special bond with this river, as most Naboo residents did with some body of water or other, and had come back to it to conclude the Festival celebrations.

"So, you're telling me the holiest rite of this festival only involves swimming in a river?" Qui-Gon asked as they walked down towards the bank. A myriad of stars lit up the night, illuminated Aquel's beaming smile.

"Immersing yourself in the river of your birthplace is supposed to cleans your soul and purify your body," Aquel replied softly, almost reverently. "Some have come to this festival as murderers, the worst scum in the galaxy, but come away converted… of course, those are only tales," she added quickly, "but we all have our little odd beliefs, right?"

Qui-Gon smiled. "I think it's perfectly reasonable. Why should a river not cleanse in both the spiritual and physical sense of the word? So… how cold is this river?"

"Only as cold as you allow yourself to think it," Aquel giggled, tossing her heavy Jedi robe to Qui-Gon. "Just imagine it's a nice, warm bath. Don't think about ice cubes, glaciers, Hoth…"

"Oh, thanks," Qui-Gon said dryly, placing his robe and Aquel's down on a rock. He straightened up to make another joke, but quickly covered his eyes when he saw that Aquel had stripped down to next to nothing. She was obviously not wearing any bathing gear under her tunic and leggings. "Uh, Aquel… what exactly are you doing?"

"You don't honestly expect to be cleansed while clothed, do you?" Aquel asked, raising an eyebrow. "Every part of you must be touched by the river for this to work, Qui." With that she pulled off her tunic and tossed it to him. "Catch!"

"But Aquel- oh dear," he muttered, blushing bright red. He hoped the darkness hid the color of his face. "I'm not a Naboo resident – do I really have to join you?"

"Oh come on, Qui," Aquel pouted. "This is what I brought you here for!"

"The Council would not approve!" he protested, dropping the tunic.

"Since when has that ever stopped you?"

"Since it involved skinny-dipping in a freezing river, in the middle of the night-" Qui-Gon was about to finish with something about attractive naked females, but stopped short. His sputtering, pointless arguments were drowned out by a small splash as Aquel slipped into the river.

"Qui-Gon Jinn, if you don't get into this river right now, I'm going to get out and drag you in!"

"No! That really won't be necessary! I'm coming!" Qui-Gon thought a moment, then called in a voice that did nothing to hide his embarrassment, "Could you turn around? Please?"

"Honestly, Qui! It's not like I haven't seen a naked man before. But, if you insist…"

Qui-Gon was about to ask where in the Force she had seen other naked men, but decided he probably wouldn't like the answer. Instead, he turned away from the river and, with his eyes still tightly shut, removed his many layers of Jedi clothing. Even though they were miles from anyone else, he had never felt quite so vulnerable. As he neatly folded his clothing in a pile, he suddenly had second thoughts and considered running, until he felt the slight tug of some invisible force at his ankles.

"Aquel! That's not fair!" he cried.

"I don't trust you."

"Why are you so adamant that I join you in this insanity??"

"Because you're too uptight! You need cleansing, if only because you've never swum in a freezing river in the middle of the night before. Come on, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

"It's a once-ever-twenty-years experience!"

"I brought you here because I wanted to share this with you, Qui. Why are you protesting so much?"

Qui-Gon seriously thought about answering her question, but decided against it. Instead he let out a massive sigh and turned around, groping his way towards the river. He had gone perhaps five feet when he tripped over a root and fell headlong into the water. The ice-cold liquid bit into his skin like acid, and as he surfaced he let out a tremendous yell. "Dear god, it's cold!"

"Only as cold as you let yourself think," Aquel reminded him as she swam slow, lazy circles.

"Exactly how long do we have to stay in here?" he asked, his teeth chattering. The bank was so close, just a few strokes would bring him there…

"Don't worry, Qui. A few more minutes and you won't even feel cold. We're waiting for the concluding rites of this festival, which should occur soon."

"What are we looking for?" In receiving the shock of cold from the river, Qui-Gon had opened his eyes. He kept them carefully averted from Aquel as he scanned the riverbanks.

"Oh believe me, you'll know when you see it," she replied. "Anyway, while we wait, care to race to the opposite bank?"

Qui-Gon backed water slightly, edging away from Aquel and trying to be as casual about it as possible. "I'm not very good at swimming."

"Well, neither am I."

"Dooku gave you extensive lessons in the art of swimming, if I remember correctly."

"That was only to improve my stamina, and I've forgotten everything he taught me."

"Really? Somehow I don't believe you."

"Trust me, Qui-Gon. I can't swim."

"You're going to torment me until I agree, aren't you?"

"Of course."

Qui-Gon sighed again. Now that he was actually in the water, the situation didn't seem so bad. He was no longer so fixated on avoiding looking at Aquel. "All right, to the opposite bank…"

"What d'you think, a diving start?" she asked.

"That would involve getting out onto the bank, wouldn't it?"

"Just think, the cold air freezing your skin would make the river seem warm!"

"You may be right…" Qui-Gon paddled to the closer bank and hauled himself on shore, shaking his hair dry like a dog. Aquel followed shortly. It was then that Qui-Gon realized his mistake in leaving the river: the spell that had kept him from thinking about her was broken, and he hadn't even attempted to avoid the sight of her as she came out of the water. To make matters worse, the moon came out from behind a cloud and illuminated her sky-clad form.

When she sensed the tensing of his muscles behind her, Aquel looked up. She was about to ask what he looked so thunderstruck about when she felt what he was thinking, through the grace of the Force Strings. Suddenly she was aware of her own thoughts, once covered by the river's spell, and they half frightened her. Her senses seemed to sharpen, and suddenly she could hear his breathing and rapid heartbeat, see his muscles tensed beneath his skin, and she could smell him. It was the smell that was the strangest thing to her. She had never noticed the smell of another being before. Qui-Gon smelled faintly of grass and damp stones, though where he could have picked up that scent, Aquel didn't know. These three sensory inputs, along with the all-encompassing Force that allowed her to sense his thoughts and feelings, made her realize just how much she wanted him, and how much he wanted her in return…

The two would have surely broken at least one Council law that night had it not been for the final miracle of the Rivers. The sky seemed to catch fire as millions of tiny, brightly sparkling meteorites hurtled towards Naboo's surface. They covered the sky in a wave, closely following the massive, blue-flaming tail of a comet that burned its way across space like a dying star. Aquel and Qui-Gon stared up, spellbound by the spectacle, their hands entwined. Though the small rocks were trailing tails of flame, they seemed to take the form of a great waterfall from the heavens, bathing everything in their ethereal glow. All over Naboo eyes were turned skyward to the same sight…

Though the entire meteor shower lasted only five minutes, to the watchers it was like an eternity. When the last wave of stones had burnt up in Naboo's atmosphere, Aquel and Qui-Gon broke out of their dream-like trance. They looked to each other and a mutual recognition passed between them. It was Aquel who voiced the thought aloud.

"We can't be together… the Council laws all have their reasons."

Qui-Gon nodded slowly in agreement. "We would risk much if the Council ever knew… both repercussions from the Council and unalterable effects in our own lives."

"And yet we cannot deny the feelings within us," Aquel noted softly, squeezing Qui-Gon's hand a little tighter.

"They must be kept secret."

Aquel nodded, almost regretfully. "They will…"

And so both Jedi gathered up their respective robes and clothed themselves, and when they returned to the Temple the next day neither spoke of what had passed between them.

Neither of them would forget it, though.

~-~-~-

Aquel's portent of a coming mission proved true, once again. Mace Windu smiled wryly as he thought of what an excellent addition she would make to the council – with her gift for seeing, she could predict many confrontations and therefore help the council avoid them altogether. It wasn't that master Yoda wasn't gifted, but… getting any straight information from the little Master was like getting a cash donation from a Hutt. And getting Aquel to join the Council was like getting a Tauntaun to behave.

Mace straightened up in his seat and fixed Aquel with his piercing gaze, the sort of look that could freeze a lesser creature in its tracks. Aquel stared back boldly, but not disrespectfully – she wasn't one to make a show of cowering obedience. Anyway, Mace thought, that sort of thing was for the palaces of crimelords, not for the Temple. "You say you were warned of this in a dream?" he asked, pulling himself from his inner musings.

"I did," Aquel replied. "Last night, or should I say this morning, I had another nightmare. I saw a child crying in pain, and a hideous lizard-monster covered in strange tattoos…. I also heard the name 'Kyna'. Does that name mean anything to you?"

Mace frowned for a moment, his brow wrinkled. "Kyna Brytes… she's a Padawan, a human girl of about 14 years."

"Who's her master?"

"He's an older Jedi, a Mon Calamari by the name of Hssif Arcues."

"And have they been on any recent missions?"

Mace looked up at Aquel, slightly irritated. He felt like he was being interrogated. "They did, to quell an uprising on the planet… Ryysh, I believe."

"Ryysh…" Aquel tilted her head, drawing stored knowledge from her memory. "It's inhabited by the predatory Raaptyr, isn't it? Qui-Gon and I once went on a mission there, and barely escaped with our lives. If an elderly Jedi and his young apprentice ventured there…" Aquel frowned suddenly. "They're in grave danger, Mace. I'd like to see if I can get them out of it."

Mace shook his head. "If it's such a dangerous planet, why would you want to risk a trip there? You're only one knight…"

"Yes, but I'm a very experienced one, I know my way around the planet, and my apprentice is an amazingly skilled duelist. I think we can handle ourselves." Aquel smiled lightly. "Unless you'd rather take the mission… oh, but that would mean leaving your precious council…"

Mace scowled. "That's enough of that, miss Faemir."

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" Aquel asked, feigning shock. "I would think you, above all people, would respect your elders-"

"I said, that will be enough," Mace replied, standing up abruptly. He wasn't angry - he was too well trained and stoic for that - but she was trying what little patience he had left. "I would think you would have the sense to respect those of higher rank than you. I know I'm in no position to castigate you, but is that any reason to flout your position?" Mace fixed her with a piercing stare, but she merely shrugged, not ashamed in the least.

"You know I was only jesting, Mace. Settle down." Her face suddenly became serious, and she lowered her head slightly. "Time grows short for the young Padawan. Will you grant me permission to travel to Ryysh?"

Mace sighed, his stiff form relaxing slightly. He should have known better than to let Aquel get under his skin like that. "You have the Council's blessing in this. Report back frequently with your status. I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for a lost cause."

"Oh, concerned for my welfare are you?" Aquel asked, a hint of a grin creeping onto her face. "Don't worry. I won't get myself or my Padawan killed. I swear it by the Force."

"Then go, and see if you can rescue Padawan Brytes." Mace smiles for a fraction of a second. "Force knows, if anyone can save her, you can. May the Force be with you."

~-~-~-

Kal'Take Chanre was nervous. Her master hadn't mentioned anything about their coming mission, and the sustained silence was unnerving to the young Kyri. What was Aquel thinking? Had Kal displeased her already? Had she found out about the low Midichlorien count? Kal'Take didn't think she could bear it if her Master was upset at her, or worse, decided to get rid of her and replace her with a more talented pupil. Kal'Take had never been ashamed of her weaknesses before, but they hadn't ever really been a problem for her… if they betrayed her now, all of her work with the Sabers would be for naught. If Aquel dropped her now, she'd be sent out of the Temple to some menial, physical job somewhere far away from Coruscant. At that point she'd have little left to sustain her. What good were sabers to a farmer? Better to end her life than suffer in sorrow…

But a Jedi wasn't supposed to dwell on thoughts like those. A Jedi was supposed to hope, to look to the bright side. What good would moping do? It was possible Aquel was just naturally quiet. Then again, everything Kal had ever heard about the pale-faced Master contradicted that point. Maybe she should just ask and get it out in the open. It was better than waiting, anyway.

"Master?" Kal began tentatively, "Are you… upset with me?"

Aquel turned to her in surprise, but the expression was unreadable to Kal. The young Kyri dropped her head in shame, certain that Aquel would pronounce her disgust at any moment. Instead, only puzzlement showed on the Master's face.

"Upset with you? Why should I be?" she asked, stopping abruptly and turning to face her shame-faced young pupil. A thousand reasons flitted across her mind: had Kal'Take committed some crime she didn't know about? Should she be upset with the Kyri?

"Well, I thought… I mean…" Kal fumbled with words for a moment, then blurted out, "You must know I'm the weakest pupil in the temple. I've got the lowest Midichlorien count of any apprentice in a century. I thought maybe you wouldn't want to train me because I'm so weak…" The words caught in her throat and she bowed her head even further, shame and disappointment bringing a deep blush to the skin around her eyes and beak.

Instead of the expected harsh words, though, Kal heard only bell-like laughter from her Master. Was she being laughed at now? "Oh, my dear Kal… do you really think that should matter to me?" Aquel asked.

"I… I don't know," Kal replied in a shaky voice.

Aquel sighed slightly and lifted her pupil's face to stare into her own. "Tell me Kal, do I look disappointed? Midichloriens mean nothing to me. What matters is what's inside. Someone in your position has two options: They can give up and sulk about their weaknesses, or they can refuse to give in and fight them. You're the fighting sort, and that's worth twenty-thousand Midichloriens." She smiled gently and folded her arms into her sleeves. "Now, will you get this silly notion of disappointment out of your head? The only way you could ever anger me would be to give up on yourself."

Kal'Take looked down at the floor again, but this time in deep gratitude. "Thank you Master Faemir," she said softly. She couldn't think of any other words to express her gratitude and relief, but she supposed the look on her face was enough. "Thank you."

A/N: Woo!! From here on out, I get to type my hand-written new stuff!! SWEET!!