Thank you all sooo much for your excellent reviews, they truly mean a lot to me! I am honored to have you all read my story, and I hope to continue to meet your wishes. Sorry for such a long wait. Here it is. :)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Looking around, Qui-gon moved through the crowd, his Padawan close behind. The ambassador was running late, and Qui-gon was getting edgy. He sensed that Obi-wan was also tensed, with good reason. The place nearly glowed with danger.
Suddenly he saw an escort coming through the crowds. Putting himself closer to his Padawan, he waited until the escort stopped. The escort consisted of two young seemingly human men, though Qui-gon knew that in fact they were far from human. The two nodded to him, and parted to give him a view of two young seemingly human women. He suddenly found his eyes caught by that of the ambassador, who was one of the young women. It was her....
"It is good to see you again, Knight Jinn," Atrus said softly, smiling sadly at him.
He pulled himself out of his shock and bowed.
"It is a pleasure to see you as well, Ambassador Jagaar," he said, and nearly winced at saying her title, when he had once said her name.
She nodded, "Shall we leave this place? I have urgent business with the Jedi Council."
"Of course," He said, gesturing that she should follow Obi-wan.
Obi-wan took the lead, his hand near his concealed lightsaber. The escort males moved to her sides, and the other woman to her back. And Qui-gon took the rear of the procession.
As they moved toward the exit, Qui-gon tried to keep his mind away from her. But his heart wouldn't let him forget. Old feelings surged in him, stronger then they had been in years. But he had to push past those feelings, and think of her as what she was. She was the ambassador of the Jagaar, a race of guardians. She was here to alert the Council of something, and his duty was to protect her, not an old friend, or a distant love, no, but as the ambassador. He had to keep that in mind, though it hurt his heart to think so of her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Good it is to again see you, Lady Atrus," Yoda said.
They had arrived without incident, though the four non Jedi in the group had been tense the whole time, and were still tense as they stood in the middle of the Council chambers.
"Thank you, Master. But I fear it will not be so well after I deliver my message to you," Atrus sighed, "But perhaps I should explain my escort to you before I continue. This, of course, is my brother Atreas."
Atreas bowed deeply, the hard ice look in his eyes never leaving as he looked over the Council. Qui-gon remembered him well, and wondered what could have changed the happy, intelligent man Atreas had been, into this cold creature that now stood before him.
"My betroth, John. He is of great importance to this matter, but I shall come to that," she paused as John also bowed, "And my sister, and my replacement if anything should happen to me here, Laramie."
Qui-gon felt his heart twist when she had spoke of her betroth. She had told him she could not love; yet here stood testament to her lies! But perhaps it was a forced courtship? He could not be certain, but sadly he hoped it was, for it hurt him deeply to think she could not simply confess she could love, she just couldn't love him.
Then his eyes were drawn to the woman at Atrus's side. She was rather plain looking to her radiant sister, but there was an appeal to her. She had long brown hair, so very different from Atrus's reddish gold color, and it curled slightly. Her eyes were sharp hazel, not penetrating as Atrus's emerald eyes were, but still bright with intelligence.
He turned his attention from her, and back to Atrus, who had begun to speak again.
"I have come to do two things. One, is to tell you of the threat that is growing, even as I speak. For an enemy in my galaxy has come ever nearer to this one, and we fear he may already be working his way inwards, using his influence to gather support. He seeks something as he comes here, something that we cannot protect in my galaxy. Which brings me to the other thing, I wish to plea for protection of my betroth, and my sister. My betroth is the one that our enemy seeks, though I cannot tell why, not yet anyways. My sister must be protected, in case something goes wrong. I plea to the Council to see this done, then I shall discuss further what threatens this galaxy," she said, making known her demands in a soft, pained voice.
"Then we shall see to your request, Lady Atrus," Mace Windu said, then looked to Qui-gon.
"Master Jinn, Padawan Kenobi, stepped forward," he gestured.
Qui-gon moved forward, and bowed, Obi-wan echoing him.
"Would you accept this mission?" Mace asked.
Qui-gon tried to keep the shock from his face, and he noticed Atrus hide a look of slightly disapproval. They wanted him to guard her betroth's life? But of course they didn't know his feelings for her. Could he trust himself to actually do it?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Looking around, Qui-gon moved through the crowd, his Padawan close behind. The ambassador was running late, and Qui-gon was getting edgy. He sensed that Obi-wan was also tensed, with good reason. The place nearly glowed with danger.
Suddenly he saw an escort coming through the crowds. Putting himself closer to his Padawan, he waited until the escort stopped. The escort consisted of two young seemingly human men, though Qui-gon knew that in fact they were far from human. The two nodded to him, and parted to give him a view of two young seemingly human women. He suddenly found his eyes caught by that of the ambassador, who was one of the young women. It was her....
"It is good to see you again, Knight Jinn," Atrus said softly, smiling sadly at him.
He pulled himself out of his shock and bowed.
"It is a pleasure to see you as well, Ambassador Jagaar," he said, and nearly winced at saying her title, when he had once said her name.
She nodded, "Shall we leave this place? I have urgent business with the Jedi Council."
"Of course," He said, gesturing that she should follow Obi-wan.
Obi-wan took the lead, his hand near his concealed lightsaber. The escort males moved to her sides, and the other woman to her back. And Qui-gon took the rear of the procession.
As they moved toward the exit, Qui-gon tried to keep his mind away from her. But his heart wouldn't let him forget. Old feelings surged in him, stronger then they had been in years. But he had to push past those feelings, and think of her as what she was. She was the ambassador of the Jagaar, a race of guardians. She was here to alert the Council of something, and his duty was to protect her, not an old friend, or a distant love, no, but as the ambassador. He had to keep that in mind, though it hurt his heart to think so of her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Good it is to again see you, Lady Atrus," Yoda said.
They had arrived without incident, though the four non Jedi in the group had been tense the whole time, and were still tense as they stood in the middle of the Council chambers.
"Thank you, Master. But I fear it will not be so well after I deliver my message to you," Atrus sighed, "But perhaps I should explain my escort to you before I continue. This, of course, is my brother Atreas."
Atreas bowed deeply, the hard ice look in his eyes never leaving as he looked over the Council. Qui-gon remembered him well, and wondered what could have changed the happy, intelligent man Atreas had been, into this cold creature that now stood before him.
"My betroth, John. He is of great importance to this matter, but I shall come to that," she paused as John also bowed, "And my sister, and my replacement if anything should happen to me here, Laramie."
Qui-gon felt his heart twist when she had spoke of her betroth. She had told him she could not love; yet here stood testament to her lies! But perhaps it was a forced courtship? He could not be certain, but sadly he hoped it was, for it hurt him deeply to think she could not simply confess she could love, she just couldn't love him.
Then his eyes were drawn to the woman at Atrus's side. She was rather plain looking to her radiant sister, but there was an appeal to her. She had long brown hair, so very different from Atrus's reddish gold color, and it curled slightly. Her eyes were sharp hazel, not penetrating as Atrus's emerald eyes were, but still bright with intelligence.
He turned his attention from her, and back to Atrus, who had begun to speak again.
"I have come to do two things. One, is to tell you of the threat that is growing, even as I speak. For an enemy in my galaxy has come ever nearer to this one, and we fear he may already be working his way inwards, using his influence to gather support. He seeks something as he comes here, something that we cannot protect in my galaxy. Which brings me to the other thing, I wish to plea for protection of my betroth, and my sister. My betroth is the one that our enemy seeks, though I cannot tell why, not yet anyways. My sister must be protected, in case something goes wrong. I plea to the Council to see this done, then I shall discuss further what threatens this galaxy," she said, making known her demands in a soft, pained voice.
"Then we shall see to your request, Lady Atrus," Mace Windu said, then looked to Qui-gon.
"Master Jinn, Padawan Kenobi, stepped forward," he gestured.
Qui-gon moved forward, and bowed, Obi-wan echoing him.
"Would you accept this mission?" Mace asked.
Qui-gon tried to keep the shock from his face, and he noticed Atrus hide a look of slightly disapproval. They wanted him to guard her betroth's life? But of course they didn't know his feelings for her. Could he trust himself to actually do it?