"I feel a little guilty about leaving Taun We behind," admitted Anakin as he put the ship on autopilot and turned to his friends.

"You'd feel even guiltier if we took her and she died," retorted Qui-Gon icily. "We know what this man's capable of."

"I hope she's not too mad," continued his Padawan, ignoring him.

"She barely spoke to us after you made her stay behind," agreed Obi-Wan, turning to Qui-Gon.

"I made her stay behind? If I remember correctly, you two were all for it, you just didn't want to tell her!"

"I'm surprised you did," retorted Anakin. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" He put his hand to Qui-Gon's forehead, and the tall Knight pushed it away, laughing. The three Jedi returned to their usual, lighthearted state, the solemn mood forgotten.

"What's that?" asked Obi-Wan, pointing to the sensors. Still grinning, his companions looked at the screen. A ship was approaching them, slowing down as it got closer.

"Darth Maul's ship?" asked Anakin, his hands straying to the ship's weapons. But Qui-Gon shook his head.

"Too small. It looks like…" he paused, as if unsure of his accuracy, but Obi-Wan finished the sentence for him.

"It's Taun We's ship!"

Anakin smiled. "Looks like someone's more stubborn than we give her credit for."

Qui-Gon hit the comm. button, and called into it, "Taun We?"

"It's me, Qui," answered the Kamioan's voice. "How're you doing?"

"Fine," muttered Qui-Gon, looking a little confused, and then returned to his normal train of thought. "What are you doing here?"

"Following you. I should think that's obvious. Oh, and I brought some friends who also wanted to come along."

"Who?" asked Obi-Wan, exchanging glances with Anakin.

"Obi! Qui! Little Ani! Hello, boyos!" cried a voice suddenly.

"Jar Jar?" asked Qui-Gon incredulously. "Why did you want to come?"

"He says it's to protect me," answered a woman's voice. "But I think he was just bored."

"Pa- Senator Amidala?" asked Anakin, even more confused than his master.

"And me!" cried a third voice.

"Boba?" moaned Obi-Wan.

"Three out of three for the Jedi," put in Taun We. "Every guess was correct. Mind if we come aboard?"

"No," said Obi-Wan.

"Yes," said Qui-Gon at the same time. "In case you have forgotten, Taun We, you are not coming."

"However, as I already have come, and I do have a ship to follow you in, it seems irrelevant as to whether you want me to come or not. I already came."

"Yes, but…"

"And by the way, I did not bring Boba, in case you were wondering. He stowed away on our ship. He knew we were going to leave without being told. He's smarter than some people."

"Hey, it's not our fault," snapped Anakin. "We're used to people following orders. New concept for you?"

"Actually, no. But, in case you forget, I'm Kamioan. I neither belong to the Jedi Order, nor to the Republic. You don't have any authority over me, so I can come whether you order me to or not."

"But…" Qui-Gon was running out of arguments.

"We'll follow you either way, so you might as well spare yourself a dispute and let us come," put in Padmé.

"Yeah!" added Boba.

"I thought that was my line," muttered Obi-Wan. Again, nobody heard him.

"I'm sorry, Taun We, but you are not coming," retorted Qui-Gon. "So why don't you just take these people home and…"

"Sorry, Qui. I'm coming. I'm already here, and I'm going the rest of the way with you whether you like it or not. I'm coming; I came, live with it."

"You might as well let her on, Master," whispered Anakin. "I don't think she'll go away, and if she's with us, we have a better chance of protecting them."

Qui-Gon glared at him, but when Obi-Wan added, "he's right. You're not going to win either way, might as well let them on," he knew he was outnumbered.

"Alright, you can come," he muttered. "But you'd better stay out of trouble, because I won't be responsible for your stupidity."

"Of course you won't," teased Taun We, knowing Qui-Gon too well to accept that. "You'll just abandon us as soon as we get into the smallest bit of trouble."

"That's right," retorted Qui-Gon, joking now. "I'll dump you on the ice mines of Hoth."

"Or in a Tuskan Raider's slave camp on Tatooine," added Taun We. "No offense, Anakin."

"None taken."

"Or in the oceans of Kamino during a storm. It gets pretty bad there," put in Boba.

"We were there during a storm," answered Anakin.

"No you weren't. That was a nice day by Kamioan standards."

"Or in the mostest worstest place on the mostest worstest planet!" cried Jar Jar.

"Or in the middle of a meeting of the Senate," put in Padmé.

"No, even I couldn't be that cruel," responded Qui-Gon. "That kind of torture is inhuman."

"And yet, for some reason, I voluntarily go into every day. I must be insane."

"We all are, Senator. We all are."

Well, with Jar Jar, Boba, Taun We, the Jedi, and Padmé, they'll probably defeat Darth Maul by driving him crazy. All we need is little Anakin and they'll be unstoppable. Thank you, Ellenlome and Alley Parker for reviewing. Please review, speaking of which.