The two Jedi were waved in without delay. The emperor almost acted as if maybe he expected them or someone.. There were refreshments, a lot of them spread out on his mammoth dining table. Tolan ushered them in the dining area and immediately insisted they sit and imbibe in some food and drink. Qui-Gon turned him down. Quin did take a cup of tea.
"Master Jinn, what brings you out so late?"
"One of the Jedi are missing. We hoped maybe you had seen him."
Tolan raised an eyebrow in mock surprise.
"Good gracious me. How would I know where he is. I have been right here all evening."
"Expecting someone?"
Vos nodded to the massive laid spread of culinary delicacies.
"Well…yes… no… I mean I do have a guest who is waiting to eat. If I can help you further?"
Tolan clearly wanted the Jedi gone now.
"We didn't necessarily think you had been out but there are so many of your men roaming the city tonight we thought maybe one them had seen him."
Tolan flushed a pink colored and both Jinn and Vos noticed it but pressed the issue of the missing Obi-Wan no more.
"As the prime protector of this planet and *my* people, I can't be too careful, now can I? Especially since talks have broken down with the people of Ceris."
Quinlan immediately took objections.
They didn't break down you, wouldn't allow them to begin. Your stubbornness to begin peace talks could cause a war out here and you don't seem to care at all."
"We have been through all this. You have till tomorrow to leave here with or without knowledge of where your apprentice is, Master Jinn. Too bad the Kenobi has wondered off. I planned to allow all of you to leave in the morning now I suppose Vos will have to go it alone without his little companion."
Vos immediately became suspicious of Tolan's sudden change of hear about keeping hostages. Jinn didn't know him well enough to wonder what he planned or if it was out of the ordinary for him to suddenly become a man of compassion.
"Now if you will excuse me I have a guest to attend too and feed. Your time would be better spent preparing for your trip and what you plan to tell Chancellor Volaroum and you revered Jedi council."
The guards for Tolan pressed right up against the two Jedi backs. They had no choice but to leave.
A quietness settled on the two as they returned to Vos' little cabin.
Upon their arrival, Xanatos had so many questions for them that the calm they had was impossible to keep.
Of course Anakin had had time to make up a reason for sounding so vicious toward Obi-Wan but Jinn was not about to fall for his tricks again. He would not allow the boy to dube him again, although he didn't say that . In fact Anakin thought he made a little head way with his plan to repair the rift between he and Qui-Gon.
Xanatos retired and Vos vowed that as soon as he rested, he planned to go out again. Qui-Gon agreed with him and both sipped on some hot coffee to wake them up . It was now quite late in the early morning hours and within five of those morning hours they would be expected to board a ship.
Qui-Gon nervously tapped his fingers on the table. He gulped his hot gulp of drink down and waited for Quinlan to finish his.
"Quinlan, in our conversation to Emperor Tolan did you mention to him *WHICH* Jedi was missing?"
Quin thought for a moment and set his cup of coffee down.
"Hummm.. No don't think so. I thought you did."
"I just said a Jedi. I did that for a reason and then allowed the answer I waited on to slip right by me. I suppose when he mentioned leaving the thought of going away again with Obi took over my mind."
" You did it for a reason. You mean you wanted to trap him, see if he knew anything? Then with your distress over Obi-Wan, it slipped your mind?"
Jinn returned the stare and nodded his agreement to what Quinlan Vos said.
"Qui-Gon, if you didn't tell him it was Obi-Wan and I didn't tell him it was, then how did he know? Emperor Tolan even mentioned his name…"
Qui-Gon already had his cloak on and was at the door. He held it opened and waited for Vos.
"EXACTLY! How did he know? Let's go back and get a answer to that very question, shall we?……………"
"Master Jinn, what brings you out so late?"
"One of the Jedi are missing. We hoped maybe you had seen him."
Tolan raised an eyebrow in mock surprise.
"Good gracious me. How would I know where he is. I have been right here all evening."
"Expecting someone?"
Vos nodded to the massive laid spread of culinary delicacies.
"Well…yes… no… I mean I do have a guest who is waiting to eat. If I can help you further?"
Tolan clearly wanted the Jedi gone now.
"We didn't necessarily think you had been out but there are so many of your men roaming the city tonight we thought maybe one them had seen him."
Tolan flushed a pink colored and both Jinn and Vos noticed it but pressed the issue of the missing Obi-Wan no more.
"As the prime protector of this planet and *my* people, I can't be too careful, now can I? Especially since talks have broken down with the people of Ceris."
Quinlan immediately took objections.
They didn't break down you, wouldn't allow them to begin. Your stubbornness to begin peace talks could cause a war out here and you don't seem to care at all."
"We have been through all this. You have till tomorrow to leave here with or without knowledge of where your apprentice is, Master Jinn. Too bad the Kenobi has wondered off. I planned to allow all of you to leave in the morning now I suppose Vos will have to go it alone without his little companion."
Vos immediately became suspicious of Tolan's sudden change of hear about keeping hostages. Jinn didn't know him well enough to wonder what he planned or if it was out of the ordinary for him to suddenly become a man of compassion.
"Now if you will excuse me I have a guest to attend too and feed. Your time would be better spent preparing for your trip and what you plan to tell Chancellor Volaroum and you revered Jedi council."
The guards for Tolan pressed right up against the two Jedi backs. They had no choice but to leave.
A quietness settled on the two as they returned to Vos' little cabin.
Upon their arrival, Xanatos had so many questions for them that the calm they had was impossible to keep.
Of course Anakin had had time to make up a reason for sounding so vicious toward Obi-Wan but Jinn was not about to fall for his tricks again. He would not allow the boy to dube him again, although he didn't say that . In fact Anakin thought he made a little head way with his plan to repair the rift between he and Qui-Gon.
Xanatos retired and Vos vowed that as soon as he rested, he planned to go out again. Qui-Gon agreed with him and both sipped on some hot coffee to wake them up . It was now quite late in the early morning hours and within five of those morning hours they would be expected to board a ship.
Qui-Gon nervously tapped his fingers on the table. He gulped his hot gulp of drink down and waited for Quinlan to finish his.
"Quinlan, in our conversation to Emperor Tolan did you mention to him *WHICH* Jedi was missing?"
Quin thought for a moment and set his cup of coffee down.
"Hummm.. No don't think so. I thought you did."
"I just said a Jedi. I did that for a reason and then allowed the answer I waited on to slip right by me. I suppose when he mentioned leaving the thought of going away again with Obi took over my mind."
" You did it for a reason. You mean you wanted to trap him, see if he knew anything? Then with your distress over Obi-Wan, it slipped your mind?"
Jinn returned the stare and nodded his agreement to what Quinlan Vos said.
"Qui-Gon, if you didn't tell him it was Obi-Wan and I didn't tell him it was, then how did he know? Emperor Tolan even mentioned his name…"
Qui-Gon already had his cloak on and was at the door. He held it opened and waited for Vos.
"EXACTLY! How did he know? Let's go back and get a answer to that very question, shall we?……………"