Disclaimer and such are in the first chapter.

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Obi-Wan pushed the door open.

"What are you doing here?" he blurted out, surprised.

"I am sorry", Namira said. "Did I wake you?"

Obi-Wan was hard pressed to not snap at her. He took a deep breath and released his anger at her untimely intrusion into the Force.

"No, you didn't." What in the Force could bring her here at this hour? Obi-Wan wondered. "Come in, please."

She smiled shyly and walked inside. He motioned for her to sit, and she sat onto the couch. He sat on a chair across from her and looked at her expectantly, trying hard to not let his irritation show on his face. Surely there was a reason for her to come.

"I-I just needed to talk to someone," she started uncertainly.

He looked at her more closely. Her nervousness was evident on her face.

"Well, you can talk to me. What's bothering you?"

She fidgeted with her sleeve. "I am scared," she confessed.

"Why?" It looked like he was about to learn the reason for the Jedi presence here.

"Something bad is going on. I don't know what."

"I see." He was disappointed. This simply was his day to be close yet not get what he wanted.

"And it scares me. I wasn't supposed to be on this dispute, you know, but my father insisted on my presence. And now uncle Tarnos is hiding something from me. He is afraid, I can see. But he doesn't tell me what it is."

"Maybe you can guess what it could be." Obi-Wan switched in his investigation mode.

"I think he is afraid of Arones, of what they could do."

"Is it the reason for us to be here?" Perhaps he'll get the answer he wanted nevertheless.

"I don't know for sure. Uncle Tarnos didn't tell me that either. I'm sorry." She looked at him apologetically.

"Don't be, it's not your fault." He was about to add something else, but never got a chance to do so.

"Am I interrupting something?" The head, which undoubtedly belonged to Kamon, dived into the room from the balcony. The rest of him followed in suit. Obi-Wan looked at the other's disheveled countenance and thought: This is the one who has no trouble sleeping.

"Has someone died?" Kamon asked mockingly, looking at their grim faces.

"Not yet," Obi-Wan replied, feeling the tension begin to dissipate. "But you might earn the privilege to be the first."

Namira's gaze wandered from one boy to the other. Then a tiny smile appeared on her full lips. Obi-Wan was suddenly grateful that Kamon chose that moment to drop by. Kamon could make almost anyone laugh.

Soon the tension was all but forgotten. Kamon was telling dozens of jokes and Obi-Wan couldn't help but wonder where the other Padawan got them all from.

"A Master and a Padawan walk along the streets of Coruscant, talking about the Force. The Master is telling his Padawan that it is possible to affect weak-minded with the Force. He says—

"I'll show you the example. See that balcony? A man will throw out a holovid."

And stared pointedly at the balcony. A man came and threw out a comm unit. The Master was surprised and looked once again. A man came and threw out a protocol droid. Then he pleaded to the Master,

"I don't have a holovid! I don't!"

Kamon's only answer was the thunderous laughter.

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The briefing started the next day. It was being held in a large hall situated on the top floor of the same building representatives and Jedi had stayed at. The never-setting sun cast its rays through the high glass ceiling making the thought of artificial illumination of the hall sound ridiculous. The center of the hall was occupied by a large round table. Representatives of the arguing parties took their places so that the head representatives faced each other, separated only by the table. Their numerous assistants scurried around them, carrying different items and creating that vanity which tires the observer. In the middle of this chaos the two men sat staring at each other across the table. They both were heavy-built. But, while Imata was the light-skinned blond with gray eyes his counterpart had tanned skin and hazel eyes. Their expressions matched as though someone had placed a mirror instead of one of the men.

The Jedi had been the first to arrive and now sat at their side of the table quietly observing. They picked their position so that to be able to see both parties and not to seem to side with any of them. They carefully kept the image of independent and calm observers.

Obi-Wan took mental notes while watching. Tarnos Imata is nervous. He's afraid but tries to hide it under heavy scrutiny of his opponent. Arones is self-assured, thinks he has nothing to worry about. I wonder what makes him this confident?

//I guess we will have to find it out on our own, my Padawan. For it doesn't look like he's going to enlighten us on the matter. // Qui-Gon commented. He already had the pleasure to hear Namira's story this morning. It was retold to him after Qui-Gon had asked what was it so funny his Padawan found in his room in the middle of the night. For the deafening laughter was really hard to ignore.

//But how are we supposed to find it out if all we do is sit here and watch them burn each other with their stares?// Obi-Wan was tired of sitting like this, surrounded by dozens of assistants rushing about and making too much noise. Though all the Jedi sat close to each other they could not converse in all this bustle. In order to do so they would have to shout over the noise.

//Patience, Obi-Wan. Watch him closely, perhaps he'll betray himself. Pay attention to his every move, even the slightest.//

I know one person that will pay a very close attention to one of the representatives. Thought Obi-Wan mischievously, glancing at Kamon who indeed kept his gaze, and apparently his thoughts, on a certain young woman. This act, however, didn't seem to be one-sided. Namira, too, kept throwing glances his way.

Obi-Wan nudged the other Padawan to get his attention. Kamon tore his gaze from Namira reluctantly and turned to Obi-Wan. For a few seconds he tried to say something but it was impossible to hear anything over the noise. At last he abandoned his attempts to make himself heard and resorted to the bond he and Obi-Wan shared as friends for a long time.

//What's the matter?// he asked, letting his annoyance seep through the bond.

//Oh, it's nothing. It just seems that you forgot that there are other representatives of House Imata, as well as Arones, present.// Obi-Wan sent a mental smirk along with this.

//I thought while you are keeping your intense gaze on Arones and Master Jinn keeps his attention on both Arones and Imata I should look after Namira in case something happens. Otherwise she stays unprotected. We can't let something happen to her either, can we?// Kamon was not to be thrown off balance so easily.

Something made Obi-Wan turn his head and look at the door across the hall. His gaze fell upon the woman who had just entered the hall, and he froze, mesmerized. For she was more than beautiful. Her tall slim figure was stressed by a black business-suit she wore. Her chestnut with red streaks hair were held up in a tight bun. Her gray-green eyes swept over the entire room. Then her gaze returned to the Jedi and lingered on them for a moment longer. Obi-Wan felt something akin to electroshock go through him. Her gaze shifted to Arones as she approached him.

Obi-Wan followed her with his eyes. Though she stood close to the man he was supposed to watch after, she was the only one the young Padawan could see. He was startled out of his near trance by the mental voice of his Master.

//Did you see that?// Qui-Gon's voice was measured as though he was asking if Obi-Wan had a good-night sleep.

//Umm… See what, Master?// the Padawan hoped his blush was not too evident.

//Obi-Wan, were you paying attention at all?// the Master's voice became stern but stayed calm. Obi-Wan gave his mentor a sidelong glance but Qui-Gon wasn't looking at him.

//I-I saw that woman enter and…// he realized how stupid of him was to let himself be distracted like that. //I'm sorry, Master.//

//We'll discuss it after the briefing.//

Obi-Wan sighed and returned to watching over Arones. He noticed that the nameless woman now sat next to Arones and was talking to him rather animatedly. The young Padawan was charmed by the way sunlight reflected from her hair, how it made her smooth skin glow… With an effort Obi-Wan remembered where he was and what he was supposed to do instead of staring and drooling over an unknown woman. He forcefully drag his gaze from her onto her neighbour. The man seemed to be listening to her intently. Perhaps she was his advisor.

Fortunately all this absurdity soon was over. The assistants and employees stopped rushing about and took their places. The noise gradually died away. The briefing began.

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