Part 1- Infiltration
"Well, this is a surprise. Obi-Wan Kenobi, who hasn't said hello to me for five years suddenly decides to drop by and tells me he's a Padawan now for- how long?" Marla Kint asked in a decidedly un-nine-year-old voice. Obi-Wan grinned sheepishly.
"Three years. I'm sorry I didn't visit you for such a long time. I've just been really occupied with Qui-Gon." Marla grinned. She was a blonde-haired, purple-eyed humanoid from Perut, a planet on the Outer Rim. She was also one of Obi-Wan's closest friends. In his Temple days, he had been a guardian to her, protecting her from the bullies at the Temple.
"I know. I was just teasing you, Obi." She hugged him, throwing her slender arms around him. He returned the gesture. He could have almost wrapped his arms around her twice. At first, her slight form startled him, but then he remembered that all Perutians remained quite thin until their late twenties.
"Speaking of your Master, where is he? I've never had the pleasure of meeting him."
"Oh, he's meeting with the Council and Tahl. I'm not sure what they're meeting about, though."
"I'm sure it's nothing serious. So how was your last mission?"
"Boring, if you ask me. We were doing surveillance on this Radical who calls himself the Ramming Stone."
"I've never heard of him. What's he so radical about?" Marla asked. Obi-Wan burst out laughing.
"You misunderstood. His political party is called the Radicals. They're against the Senate's use of Jedi Knights as mediators and Guardians of the Peace. Actually, come to think of it, they're against the Senate, the Jedi and the Force."
"They sound terrible," Marla commented, suppressing a shiver. Force haters? She could hardly imagine hating the Force, or hating anybody!
"They're just mislead. They don't trust us Jedi because we have something they don't have. The same goes for the Senate. Jedi have the Force, and the Senate has power."
"What exactly were you monitoring?"
"Ramming Stone's speeches. He's a very charismatic man. We're afraid that he might use his charisma to start a rebellion. He hates the Jedi very much. However, so far he has not indicated any active hostility. So far, he hasn't violated any laws. It's highly doubtful he'll take any action."
"Good," Marla said, relieved. "Let's change the subject. You want to go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?"
"You know me too well, little one," Obi-Wan said smiling.
"Yes, I do," she replied, trotting towards the lift tube. Obi-Wan walked a little more slowly, caught up in thought.
He could see her five years ago, at age four. She would smile at him brilliantly, take her hand and whisper into his ear, "I love you, Obi." He remembered he would smile back, lean down, and kiss her forehead. Then they would skip, hand in hand, towards the lift tube for dinner. She was like a sister too him.
And now she is all grown up, he thought. Her little golden pigtails were now long tresses and her hand was only slightly smaller than his Learner braid. He faltered as he remembered how her hand was so tiny that it could hardly wrap around his lightsaber.
"Come on, Obi, I would like to have that meal today," she teased.
"All right, all right, I'm coming. You know what they say, patience is a virtue."
"Not if they're making creamed ice. If I wait, it will melt."
"Well, in that case," he laughed, sprinting to the lift tube. "You know, I think this is going to be a good week," he told her as the lift tubes slid shut.
***
Qui-Gon and Tahl stood before the Jedi Council for the first time in several weeks. Qui-Gon had come back from a surveillance mission and Tahl had returned from an undercover mission from New Apsolon. Both missions had been successful but Tahl's mission had revealed something to both Jedi. They were in love with each other. A vision of each other during their missions had shown them their true feelings for each other. And now they stood before the Council, asking what no one had ever asked before.
"Marriage!" Mace exclaimed, startling Qui-Gon. "Out of the question! It is against the Jedi Code."
"Where in the Code does it outlaw marriage? It outlaws attachment, yes. But it encourages unconditional love, which is the love Tahl and I share," Qui- Gon stated firmly, glancing at Tahl. She smiled back. "What do you say, Master Yoda, am I correct?"
"Humph! Interpreting the Code to your liking you are! However, I sense love in both of you, I do. Strong, it is. Bound together by the Force you are. Meant to be, your marriage I believe it is. I say marriage is only right. My blessing, I give you."
"Mine also," Adi Gallia said, nodding her regal head.
"And mine," echoed Plo Koon. And so went the procedures around the entire room. All the Council members agreed with Yoda. Finally, there was only one Master left. Mace Windu.
The two had been at odds for a while now. Once Mace and Qui-Gon had been blessed with a strong bond. But then Xanatos had come along, nearly ruining Qui-Gon's life forever. Xanatos, however, did succeed in hurting Qui-Gon very badly, and had ruined his Master's relationship with Mace. After Xanatos left, Qui-Gon had pushed everyone away, even Tahl. But the most heated confrontations Qui-Gon had with someone was with Mace.
"Qui, stop feeling sorry for yourself! Your acting like a three-year-old!"
"You leave me alone, Mace, or I swear by the Force, I'll kill you!"
"Which Side?"
"Don't say that, Mace. Don't ever say that again."
"Well if the boot fits."
The conversation had ended in a fight. Neither man won, and both lost something: friendship. Mace had been hurt deeply, and never spoke to Qui- Gon as a friend again. Qui-Gon, too, was hurt, but found that he could not bring up the subject and apologize to his old friend.
"Mace." Tahl implored, her eyes begging. Make peace with him. Mace cleared his throat.
"You have my blessing also," he said quietly, staring at Tahl only, as if saying to Qui-Gon he was doing it strictly for Tahl. But at that moment, Qui-Gon could care less who Mace was doing it for. They had received the entire Council's blessing. Tahl and Qui-Gon could marry!
***
Healer Apprentice Pio Hep was experiencing one of those lazy days. His Master, Winna Di Uni, had not needed his assistance at all and he had been given the whole day off. Perhaps Winna had thought the Telosian would use the time to meditate on the Healing Arts. But Pio had other things in mind. He had slept almost all day.
Guess I might as well go into meditation, Pio thought sighing. He wouldn't want Winna getting mad. Suddenly, a thin wire wrapped around his neck, pressing hard against his windpipe. Someone behind him was choking him to death. Pio tried to struggle tried to call his Master, but a syringe entered his neck and a liquid poured in.
Poison. Pio thought weakly before darkness overcame him.
***
Talon Wessel was a Clawdite. Talon was an assassin. And Talon had just infiltrated the Jedi Temple.
He activated his comlink. "This is Columbi 1. I'm in. Come through ventilation shaft 15. You'd better recognize me."
"Copy that. Ramming Stone, out."
"Well, this is a surprise. Obi-Wan Kenobi, who hasn't said hello to me for five years suddenly decides to drop by and tells me he's a Padawan now for- how long?" Marla Kint asked in a decidedly un-nine-year-old voice. Obi-Wan grinned sheepishly.
"Three years. I'm sorry I didn't visit you for such a long time. I've just been really occupied with Qui-Gon." Marla grinned. She was a blonde-haired, purple-eyed humanoid from Perut, a planet on the Outer Rim. She was also one of Obi-Wan's closest friends. In his Temple days, he had been a guardian to her, protecting her from the bullies at the Temple.
"I know. I was just teasing you, Obi." She hugged him, throwing her slender arms around him. He returned the gesture. He could have almost wrapped his arms around her twice. At first, her slight form startled him, but then he remembered that all Perutians remained quite thin until their late twenties.
"Speaking of your Master, where is he? I've never had the pleasure of meeting him."
"Oh, he's meeting with the Council and Tahl. I'm not sure what they're meeting about, though."
"I'm sure it's nothing serious. So how was your last mission?"
"Boring, if you ask me. We were doing surveillance on this Radical who calls himself the Ramming Stone."
"I've never heard of him. What's he so radical about?" Marla asked. Obi-Wan burst out laughing.
"You misunderstood. His political party is called the Radicals. They're against the Senate's use of Jedi Knights as mediators and Guardians of the Peace. Actually, come to think of it, they're against the Senate, the Jedi and the Force."
"They sound terrible," Marla commented, suppressing a shiver. Force haters? She could hardly imagine hating the Force, or hating anybody!
"They're just mislead. They don't trust us Jedi because we have something they don't have. The same goes for the Senate. Jedi have the Force, and the Senate has power."
"What exactly were you monitoring?"
"Ramming Stone's speeches. He's a very charismatic man. We're afraid that he might use his charisma to start a rebellion. He hates the Jedi very much. However, so far he has not indicated any active hostility. So far, he hasn't violated any laws. It's highly doubtful he'll take any action."
"Good," Marla said, relieved. "Let's change the subject. You want to go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?"
"You know me too well, little one," Obi-Wan said smiling.
"Yes, I do," she replied, trotting towards the lift tube. Obi-Wan walked a little more slowly, caught up in thought.
He could see her five years ago, at age four. She would smile at him brilliantly, take her hand and whisper into his ear, "I love you, Obi." He remembered he would smile back, lean down, and kiss her forehead. Then they would skip, hand in hand, towards the lift tube for dinner. She was like a sister too him.
And now she is all grown up, he thought. Her little golden pigtails were now long tresses and her hand was only slightly smaller than his Learner braid. He faltered as he remembered how her hand was so tiny that it could hardly wrap around his lightsaber.
"Come on, Obi, I would like to have that meal today," she teased.
"All right, all right, I'm coming. You know what they say, patience is a virtue."
"Not if they're making creamed ice. If I wait, it will melt."
"Well, in that case," he laughed, sprinting to the lift tube. "You know, I think this is going to be a good week," he told her as the lift tubes slid shut.
***
Qui-Gon and Tahl stood before the Jedi Council for the first time in several weeks. Qui-Gon had come back from a surveillance mission and Tahl had returned from an undercover mission from New Apsolon. Both missions had been successful but Tahl's mission had revealed something to both Jedi. They were in love with each other. A vision of each other during their missions had shown them their true feelings for each other. And now they stood before the Council, asking what no one had ever asked before.
"Marriage!" Mace exclaimed, startling Qui-Gon. "Out of the question! It is against the Jedi Code."
"Where in the Code does it outlaw marriage? It outlaws attachment, yes. But it encourages unconditional love, which is the love Tahl and I share," Qui- Gon stated firmly, glancing at Tahl. She smiled back. "What do you say, Master Yoda, am I correct?"
"Humph! Interpreting the Code to your liking you are! However, I sense love in both of you, I do. Strong, it is. Bound together by the Force you are. Meant to be, your marriage I believe it is. I say marriage is only right. My blessing, I give you."
"Mine also," Adi Gallia said, nodding her regal head.
"And mine," echoed Plo Koon. And so went the procedures around the entire room. All the Council members agreed with Yoda. Finally, there was only one Master left. Mace Windu.
The two had been at odds for a while now. Once Mace and Qui-Gon had been blessed with a strong bond. But then Xanatos had come along, nearly ruining Qui-Gon's life forever. Xanatos, however, did succeed in hurting Qui-Gon very badly, and had ruined his Master's relationship with Mace. After Xanatos left, Qui-Gon had pushed everyone away, even Tahl. But the most heated confrontations Qui-Gon had with someone was with Mace.
"Qui, stop feeling sorry for yourself! Your acting like a three-year-old!"
"You leave me alone, Mace, or I swear by the Force, I'll kill you!"
"Which Side?"
"Don't say that, Mace. Don't ever say that again."
"Well if the boot fits."
The conversation had ended in a fight. Neither man won, and both lost something: friendship. Mace had been hurt deeply, and never spoke to Qui- Gon as a friend again. Qui-Gon, too, was hurt, but found that he could not bring up the subject and apologize to his old friend.
"Mace." Tahl implored, her eyes begging. Make peace with him. Mace cleared his throat.
"You have my blessing also," he said quietly, staring at Tahl only, as if saying to Qui-Gon he was doing it strictly for Tahl. But at that moment, Qui-Gon could care less who Mace was doing it for. They had received the entire Council's blessing. Tahl and Qui-Gon could marry!
***
Healer Apprentice Pio Hep was experiencing one of those lazy days. His Master, Winna Di Uni, had not needed his assistance at all and he had been given the whole day off. Perhaps Winna had thought the Telosian would use the time to meditate on the Healing Arts. But Pio had other things in mind. He had slept almost all day.
Guess I might as well go into meditation, Pio thought sighing. He wouldn't want Winna getting mad. Suddenly, a thin wire wrapped around his neck, pressing hard against his windpipe. Someone behind him was choking him to death. Pio tried to struggle tried to call his Master, but a syringe entered his neck and a liquid poured in.
Poison. Pio thought weakly before darkness overcame him.
***
Talon Wessel was a Clawdite. Talon was an assassin. And Talon had just infiltrated the Jedi Temple.
He activated his comlink. "This is Columbi 1. I'm in. Come through ventilation shaft 15. You'd better recognize me."
"Copy that. Ramming Stone, out."