Qui Gon and Leila watched as Xanatos left the small cramped administration building on the outskirts of Bandor. It was dusk.
Leila tensed.
Qui Gon touched her arm. "Not yet. This is my fight." He waited until Xanatos had crossed the yard. Then he moved from the shadows into his path.
Xanatos stopped. There was no surprise on his face. He wouldn't allow himself to show it, not even in a deserted yard at near dark when his oldest enemy appeared out of nowhere.
Leila stepped out behind him.
"If you have plans for Bandomeer, you should know I am here to stop you," Qui Gon said.
"Where is he?" asked Leila.
Xanatos ignored her. He flung one side of his cloak behind him. His hand rested causally on the hilt of his lightsaber. Xanatos had broken a solemn rule by leaving the Jedi and retaining it. He patted it. "Yes, I still have it."
"You don't deserve it. You shame it," said Qui Gon.
A flush spread over Xanatos' face. Qui Gon's comment had hit its mark. Then he relaxed, smiling. "I see you are still a hard man, Qui Gon. Once that bothered me. Now it amuses me." He took a step to side, keeping Leila in his sights. "We were friends at the end, more than Master and apprentice."
"Yes," said Qui Gon, tracking him, moving with him. "We were."
Leila moved with them as well, a black shadow with glittering eyes. She longed to throttle Xanatos within an inch of his life, then make him tell her where Obi Wan was.
"All the more reason for you to betray me. To you, friendship is nothing," said Xanatos. "You enjoyed my suffering."
"The betray was yours. As was the enjoyment of suffering. That is what you discovered on Telos. Yoda had already seen it. and that is why he knew you would fail."
"Yoda!" Xanatos spat out the word. "That knee-high troll!"
Leila stiffened. She drew her lightsaber wordlessly and ignited it. She would defend her Master.
Qui Gon's eyes flickered as he saw the blade ignite. He knew he had lost the ability to order Leila back. Xanatos had spoke against her Master. And she was free to intervene at any moment.
"He thinks he has power. He hasn't dreamed a tenth of the power I know!"
"You know?" Qui Gon asked mildly. "How do you know such power, Xanatos? A mid-level manager of a corporation, sent to do the board's bidding?"
"I do no one's bidding but my own."
Leila was waiting for the right moment.
"Is that why you're here?" asked Qui Gon. "Is Bandomeer a test of your abilities?"
"I don't take tests," snapped Xanatos.
"You do now," said Leila. She flipped right over his head, the Force carrying her high. She landed in between her Father and Xanatos, facing Xanatos. Her black robes swirled and brushed against Qui Gon's hand.
He stepped back.
Their lightsabers met and sizzled. Xanatos's skill had grown since he had left the Temple.
Qui Gon watched them.
Both of them where gracefully as they fought. Neither of them fought defensively but pushed each other to the breaking point. Leila slipped into Vaapad and Xanatos was forced to step back.
Qui Gon watched them closely, keep his eyes on Leila. Darkness flooded from her, surprising Qui Gon. But she was holding it and balancing it carefully, just as Mace had taught her.
Suddenly Xanatos kicked out with a foot but Leila kept into the air and Xanatos missed. He almost fell but regained his balance. But not fast enough. He managed to twist out of the way of the purple blade but it still hit his shoulder. That was enough for him. He whirled the other side of his cape behind his shoulder. A second lightsaber was suddenly in his hand.
Qui Gon was startled.
But the sight of Obi Wan's lightsaber brought more anger on Leila, fueling the fire. She spun around as Xanatos charged at her and brought her elbow smashing into his nose. With her other hand, she grabbed the lightsaber from his hand.
Then she turned, and for the first time in her life, ran.
Qui Gon began backing away and then he ran after her.
Leila cursed angrily as she ran through the mine yard at top speed.
They both heard Xanatos' voice rise from the mist behind them. "Run cowards! But you'll never escape me!"
"We'll see about that next time," Leila called over her shoulder.
The trip to Telos should have been uneventful. But it hadn't been, remembered Qui Gon. But their ship had been attacked by pirates. And the captain, who had teased Xanatos unmercifully, had discovered the cloaking device had been sabotaged. He blamed Xanatos but he had sworn he had nothing to do with it. And Qui Gon had believed him. Why would he risk pirates attacking a ship he was on? The captain had been captured and Xanatos had led Qui Gon to the escape pod. He had already programmed the coordinates for Telos. When Qui Gon had asked him why he had taken such a precaution, he had smiled and said he always made sure he had a back door.
Qui Gon frowned as he remembered that time.
Leila bounded out of the transport while it was still moving and ran toward the Enrichment Dome.
A Meerian came running out to meet them. "I am RonTha."
"Do you have news for me?" asked Leila impatiently.
"Yes. I was in the orchard that night when…"
"Yes, yes," said Leila. "Where did they go?"
"They went to the sea landing."
"How do you know this?" asked Qui Gon.
"I followed them."
"Did they say anything?" asked Leila.
"Anything out of the ordinary?"
"Well…one of them said something to Obi Wan. But he was still unconscious."
"What?" asked Leila.
"He said he would see Obi Wan in five years. If he survived."
Leila frowned. "Five years?"
"Five years," repeated Qui Gon. He looked at Leila. "The deep-sea mines."
Leila turned to RonTha. "Get me a boat!" Her tone of voice left no room for argument.