Grelb had at first been afraid to venture out into the open, on account of the draigons. But they didn't seem interested in him, the Jedi or is Whiphids.

Now they where the game of seeing who could hit the Jedi's boot.

Suddenly, there was a blast of wind at Grelb's back.

The Jedi had his right foot on a tiny ledge. He reached out for a handhold above. He was precariously balanced. One shot in the foot would probably bring him down.

"Shoot already!" shouted Grelb.

Behind him, there was a strange noise. Something like an urp.

He turned and gasped.

There standing hugely at Grelb's back was a draigon. It had landed so silently, he had not heard it.

It was the first he had seen up close. The draigon had tiny silver scales over all of it's body and huge yellow eyes like those on a fish. It had no front legs, only a single huge claw on each wing. And its mouth had the strangest teeth-like enormous needles that arced down from its gums.

The huge reptile had half of one the Whiphid's in its mouth.

"AAAGH!" Grelb screamed as he slithered toward the nearest crevice.

The Whiphids all turned and began to fire at the draigon.

Qui Gon pulled himself into the small cave. He paused, clutching his sore arm. Then he turned and peered farther into the cave. The dactyl crystals had been thrown inside on the smooth floor of the cave and were giving off the dull yellowish glow.

Suddenly, he heard a shout and turned.

The Whiphids where shouting at the draigons. The blaster fire had attracted them by the score, and the draigons roared from the sky, flocking down from the cliffs. Several of the huge beats had collapsed around the Whiphids, but others were wheeling from the skies in a feeding frenzy.

Qui shook his head as he looked down and watched the struggle. He had traveled all morning without attracting the attention of a draigon. Now, by shooting their blasters, the stupid Whiphids were drawing them down in droves.

Qui Gon used the diversion to load the dactyl into the cloth sack he had brought.

Suddenly, a great shadow blocked the light to the cave. A draigon shrieked, a cry so piercing that the rock around Qui Gon trembled. He pressed himself against the side of the cave,

He had been seen.

As draigons hurtled from the skies, Grelb slithered quietly away.

The Whiphids made quite the diversion.

He slithered quickly down the side of the mountain. Behind him, the Whiphids were issuing fewer war cries and had quit firing their blasters. Grelb shivered in terror to think of what had happened to them.

It happened so suddenly, Obi Wan had no warning.

Leila began coughing. Deep racking coughs from deep within her chest. Her eyes opened and she looked at Obi Wan. There was pain there, a pain so dark it blocked all the color from her eyes.

Obi Wan gripped her. "Leila?"

Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Obi Wan felt panic rise up inside of him. He looked around but Clat'Ha was no in sight. He held Leila tightly.

She continued coughing, harder than ever now. Her whole body began to convulse. She grabbed his hand. "Obi Wan," she gasped out. "Listen to me."

Obi Wan clung to her hand. "Leila," he whispered. "You're going to be alright."

"My Father," she whispered as the cough shook her whole body. "Watch out for him.

"Leila, you're…"

"Promise me."

"But…"

"If he calls…you must help him," whispered Leila. "Please."

"I promise," whispered Obi Wan.

"No matter what happens." Leila realized her hold on his hand. "No matter…" She coughed again.

The name jumped into Obi Wan's mind. "Qui Gon."

The cave mouth was filled with the draigon, shrieking at him. Its teeth flashed closer to Qui Gon's face than he would have liked.

Suddenly, in the middle of his desperation, Qui Gon felt something his odd-a faint move in the Force. He concentrated and it grew stronger. Someone was calling him.

Obi Wan needs me! He realized. "Leila!"

Astonished, he pressed himself farther back in the cave. He needed to be cam, to think. The boy shouldn't have been able to call him. Obi Wan was not his Padawan. They were not connected.

But he had not time to wonder about the call's meaning. It was urgent and it must be obeyed. Hearing movement, Qui Gon glanced at the opening. The draigon dropped from its clumsy perch.

Long had Qui Gon followed the ways of the Force. Now he felt it beckon him. Then, it commanded. Go to Obi Wan. Go to Leila.

Qui Gon's heart pounded. But he ran three steps and leaped from the mouth of the cave, knowing that two hundred meters below, the sharp rocks stuck up like swords. Yet he trusted the Force.

He did not even fall a dozen meters. His leap carried him straight to a draigon!

He hit the beast's neck with a thud. The creature was wet and slimy. Qui Gon almost slipped off, but he clung on tightly. The sore muscles in his shoulder throbbed and burned. He managed to swing his legs up and over, so that he was riding squarely on the draigon's back.

The creature roared in terror. It had been flying up to eat the Jedi. Now it shook its neck, trying to throw him off. it shrieked again and again, then wheeled in panic and flapped its wings, drooping toward the sea.

Qui Gon clung tightly to the dactyl and leaned down. Using all the power he could muster, he whispered to the draigon. "Friend, help me. Take me down to the caves. Hurry!"

The mount flapped its wing and sped toward the caves. Qui Gon wasn't sure if he could control the beast for long, for its small mind was cruel and it was driven by a ravenous hunger.

Obi Wan carefully shifted Leila and shook off his robe. He set it underneath her head and sprang to his feet. "Clat'Ha!" he called. He ran through the cave, not letting Leila out of his sight. "Clat'Ha?"

The red headed woman appeared. "What's wrong?"

"It's Leila."