One of the Jedi Temple's services was their scryers. For a small fee, anyone could ask the scryers to analyze anything brought before them. Logically, Obi-Wan took the strangely shaped dart to them for their service. Scryers' chambers were spartan, consisting only of a round room of stark white stone, a single stone chair opposite the doorway, and a mirror topped pedestal for the object to sit upon.

"Hello, Master Kenobi," an old scryer said as Obi-Wan entered her chamber. "Have you brought me something?"

"Yes, Master Tal, I have this." He pulled out the silver dart.

"Please, place it before me."

Obi-Wan set the dart in the middle of the pedestal and stepped back.

"What is it you wish to know?"

"I am hoping to find out where it came from and who made it."

"This is part of your investigation?"

Obi-Wan nodded.

"Then I shall do my best," said Master Tal. She picked up the dart and carefully examined it, turning it over in her hands. After some time, she placed it back on the pedestal, put her hands on her knees, and closed her eyes. For several minutes, she was silent as she meditated deeply.

She opened her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, Master Kenobi, but despite everything, I'm afraid I can't help you. The shape is unlike any weapon recorded in the Archives. The most I can tell you is it's made from a steel alloy, and that its maker was highly skilled."

"Thank you, Master Tal."

Obi-Wan racked his brain as he left, trying to figure out his next step. Suddenly, an idea clicked in his mind. He knew exactly who could help him.

In the market district, there was a tavern that Obi-Wan liked to frequent. It wasn't particularly flashy or well-known, but it did have good food, good drinks, and great hospitality. The owner was one Dexter Jettster, an aging Besalisk who decided to settle down in Coruscant after a long life of travelling the world. Dexter held a wealth of knowledge about the more eclectic sides of cultures, and it was because of this that Obi-Wan visited him for assistance in his investigation.

Obi-Wan opened the door to Dexter's tavern, causing a little bell to chime. The tables inside were for the most part empty, not unusual for that time of day.

Upon hearing the door chime, the serving wench looked up from wiping off the bar. She smiled at Obi-Wan before turning her head towards the kitchen. "Dex! Obi-Wan's here!"

Obi-Wan sat himself at one of the many tables. The serving wench walked over to him. "He'll be right with you, dear. Can I get you your usual?"

"Yes, please. But only half, it's still a bit early."

She gave him a wink and headed back to the bar. Obi-Wan looked around the room, taking in the many shelves of trinkets Dex had collected in his travels.

The floorboards creaked as a scaly, four-armed ogre came from the kitchen. "Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan stood and held out his arms as the ogre approached him doing the same. "Hello, Dex," Obi-Wan said with a smile.

They gave one another a friendly hug, Dex using only three of his four arms. The last one he used to hike up his sagging pants. After breaking off the hug, the two friends sat at the worn table, facing one another.

Dex looked at Obi-Wan. "You have that look about you. Is there something you need?"

"You can tell me..." He reached into his pouch and pulled out the dart that had killed Zam. He placed it on the table between them. "...what this is."

"Wow," said Dex, picking up the dart in one of his huge hands. "Whaddya know, I haven't seen one of these in years. Not since I was prospecting near the World's Edge." He rolled it around between his fingers, taking care not to touch the point.

"Can you tell me where it came from?" The serving wench placed a half filled flagon in front of Obi-Wan. "Thank you."

"This comes from the artificers of Kamino. This is one of their saber darts."

"Do you have any idea why the Jedi scryers couldn't identify it?" Obi-Wan took a big swig from his flagon.

"They were probably focusing on its odd shape or the metal, not the decorations. Look, see the cutouts in the flights? That's what gives it away." Dex placed the dart back on the table. "I'm surprised the Jedi didn't think to look at that aspect. You all more than anyone should know the difference between knowledge and wisdom."

Obi-Wan picked the dart up and looked at the cuts. "Kamino, you said? I'm not familiar with it. Is it a part of the Republic?"

"No, no. It's an island chain near the World's Edge. It's a short ways south of the Rishi Maze. I'd say about, uh, an hour's flight, tops. It should be easy to find, even for those scryers of yours."

Obi-Wan and Dex chuckled and Obi-Wan took another swig.

Dex continued. "These Kaminoans, they keep to themselves. They're artificers, damn good ones, too, but their specialty is homunculi."

"Homunculi... Are the Kaminoans friendly?"

"Well, now, that depends."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what, Dex?"

"On how good your manners are... On how deep your..." He chuckled. "Coin purse is."

Obi-Wan finished off his flagon and thanked his friend. He had much to ponder on his way back to the Jedi Archives.

The Jedi Archives were an enormous multi-levelled room with row after row of towering bookshelves. Scrolls, tomes, parchments, charts, and codices, if it was capable of containing knowledge, it could be found in the Archives. One of the treasures it held was the most complete and detailed map of the world, set into a large round section of floor. This map was the one over which Obi-Wan pored, looking for the islands of Kamino.

Obi-Wan scoured the map for some time, but he had no luck. He tapped one of the bells that called over an archivist. Master Jocasta Nu, the head archivist walked over to him not long afterwards.

She smiled. "Did you call for assistance?"

Obi-Wan looked away from the bust of Master Dooku he had been inspecting. "Yes. Yes, I did."

Master Jocasta looked at the bust. "He has such a stern face, doesn't he? He was one of the most brilliant Jedi I've been fortunate enough to know."

"I never understood why he left the Order."

"Well, one might say he was always a bit out of step with the Council's decisions, much like Master Qui-Gon was."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. Both very individual thinkers. Idealists, if you will. In the end, though, I think he lost faith in the Republic. He disappeared for nine or ten years before recently reemerging as the Count of Serenno and head of the Separatist movement." She let out an amused huff. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you didn't call me over for a history lesson. Is there a problem, Master Kenobi?"

"Eh, yes, I'm looking for a chain of islands called Kamino. It isn't on the floor map or the ocean current charts."

"Kamino... I can't say I've heard of it before. Are you sure you have the correct location?"

Obi-Wan led her to the floor map and pointed to a section of open ocean. "According to my information, it should be right around here, just south of the Rishi Maze."

Master Nu smiled apologetically. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm afraid the islands you're looking for don't exist."

"Perhaps the charts for the region are incomplete?"

"That region has been thoroughly mapped for several centuries. If it doesn't appear in our records, it doesn't exist." In a different section of the Archives, someone rang a bell requesting assistance. "Pardon me, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan stared at the map. Dex had misremembered the occasional small detail before, but he had never been wrong about anything like this. He stroked his beard in thought, looking closely at the ocean current chart and a regional map. After a few more minutes, he folded them up and took them with him.

In a Hyperion stream, the refugee ship had just passed the halfway point to Naboo. Over the last twenty or so minutes, the mess had been open for the passengers to have lunch. Anakin and Padmé had almost finished their meals and Artu stood in line to try and get refills for their drinks.

One of the servers spotted him. "Hey, you! We don't serve automata! Get out of the line!"

Artu did as instructed, but not without first making rude beeps and chirps at the server. He returned to Anakin's and Padmé's table.

Padmé patted him on his domed head as she took back the nearly empty mugs he held. "Oh, well. Thank you for trying, Artu." She turned back to Anakin. "It must be difficult to have sworn your life to the Jedi. You can't visit where you like or do the things you like."

Anakin nodded. "Or be with the ones I love."

Padmé cocked her head quizzically. "I thought Jedi weren't allowed to love."

Anakin idly poked a piece of meat with his fork. "Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. But compassion, which I think of as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life. You could say that we are encouraged to love." He looked into Padmé's eyes before catching himself.

"You've changed so much, Ani."

"You haven't changed a bit," he said with a smile. "You're exactly the way I remember you in my dreams."

Padmé shifted awkwardly.

Anakin blushed. "That... Sounded better in my head..."

Obi-Wan hurried through the Jedi Temple. He was certain Kamino existed, but for it not to appear in the Archives was perplexing. He needed the wisdom of another Jedi master.

Yoda was in one of the classrooms, teaching Jedi younglings Lightblade techniques. This particular assignment had them wearing hoods and blocking strikes by sensing the movements of their opponents. The Lightblades they used were meant for practice. Instead of cutting, these blades merely caused a stinging sensation on impact.

"Reach out, sense the Force around you... Use your feelings, you must..." Upon Obi-Wan entering the room, Yoda tapped his cane on the floor. "Younglings! A visitor, we have."

The younglings retracted their blades and removed their hoods. They greeted him in that particular, almost monotone way that children do. "Hello, Master Obi-Wan."

"Hello," Obi-Wan said to them before addressing Yoda. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Master."

"What help can I be, Obi-Wan? Hmm?"

"I'm looking for a chain of islands an old friend told me about. I trust him, but the islands don't appear on the Archive map or in any of our charts."

Yoda turned to the younglings. "Hmm, lost some islands, Master Obi-Wan has. How embarrassing."

The children giggled.

Obi-Wan unfolded the charts on Yoda's short desk.

"Gather around children," Yoda instructed. "Clear your minds, and Obi-Wan's wayward islands, we will find."

"It ought to be... here." Obi-Wan pointed to a spot on the current chart. "But it isn't. The ocean currents seem to go around this area, but there isn't anything on any of our maps."

"Hmm. The ocean's silhouette remains, but the islands, disappeared, they have. How can this be?" Yoda looked around at the assembled younglings. "Anyone?"

After a few seconds one of them spoke. "Master? Because someone erased it from our records?"

Yoda chuckled. "Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is. The Padawan is right." He looked up at Obi-Wan. "Go to the center of this silhouette and find your islands, you will."

Obi-Wan folded up the charts and thanked the younglings. He and Yoda then walked towards the door.

"Expunged, this information must have been."

"But Master Yoda, who could have done that? Not just to the charts but the floor map as well? That's carved from solid stone." Obi-Wan's face read of great concern.

"Dangerous and disturbing, this puzzle is. Only a Jedi master could have the necessary skill. But who and why, harder to answer. Meditate on this, I will."

Anakin was exhausted, having been awake for the last day and a half. After he and Padmé had returned to their cabin, he laid down for a nap while Padmé read one of the books she had brought. At first, Anakin slept calmly, but after about an hour, he began groaning as if he was in pain.

"Mom... Nooo..."

Padmé shook him. "Anakin? Anakin, wake up!"

He sat upright with a jolt and a gasp. "What? What's going on?"

"You seemed to be having a nightmare."

Anakin took several deep breaths to calm himself. "Yeah," he said softly.

"You... Were dreaming about your mother, weren't you?"

He took another deep breath. "I left Tattooine so long ago... My... I can hardly remember her face anymore." He looked at his hands. "I don't want to lose that."

Padmé placed a hand on him, hoping it would be reassuring.

"Recently," he continued, "I've been seeing her in my dreams... Dreams that honestly scare me." He looked back up at Padmé. "I'm worried about her."