"Whoa, wait up," said Moss to Hooka. "Explain this life debt business again." The two of them were sitting in Moss' room. It was large, like everything else in the Palace. Trando had summoned a red metallic protocol droid like he promised, and Moss and Hooka were having their first understandable conversation.

Hooka roared and the red protocol droid said, "He owes you a life debt for helping him escape the Empire and for breaking him out of slavery."

"But he helped me too," said Moss. "Doesn't that cancel each other out?"

Hooka shook his head and rumbled deep in his throat and then belted out a loud roar. The protocol droid turned towards Moss and said, "No, you see you helped him escape years of pain and torture. Whereas the Empire would have killed you right away. Why would the Empire kill you?" The last question wasn't from Hooka; it was from the curious protocol droid.

"I broke him out of jail. Weren't you listening?" spat Moss. They couldn't risk being found out because a curious protocol droid had some how fallen into the hands of the Empire. "Ok, I give up. You owe me a life debt." A smile crept onto Hooka's face. "So, what exactly is a life debt?"

Hooka explained to the protocol droid and then it told Moss. "I see. So you have to stick around until you die?" Hooka shook his head. "Until I die?" Hooka nodded. "So what happens if you die before I do?"

Hooka told the protocol droid. "Someone else will take over from his family."

"Oh, so it is like a group effort to keep me alive so your children and grand children can do the same thing," said Moss. "But isn't that like slavery?"

Hooka growled and the protocol relayed the message, "Slavery is something a being is forced to do. This is something Hooka chooses to do."

Moss thought for a bit. "But aren't you, in a way, forced to do because of tradition?"

Hooka growled. "Seeing that you didn't know about a life debt, he could have not brought it up."

Moss laughed. "Well, I guess you will be my bodyguard or something like that for the rest of my life. I guess I should get used to it." There was a knock at the door. "Come in," called Moss. The door slid open and Trando walked in. "Ah, Trando, we are done with the droid for now."

"You should leave him in your room," said Trando. "You might need him later and I don't want to keep getting you a new one every time, no offense."

"None taken," said Moss. "So why are you here?"

"Can't an old friend come to visit?" joked Trando. "I am just kidding. The real reason is that the Queen and some of the political officials, at least the ones who share the same views as her, and a select few Jedi are going to have a meeting soon. Queen Apailana requests that the new Jedi who have come should attend a meeting just to know what is going on. You're the only new Jedi in four months, so you will be the only Jedi besides the three she trusts the most."

"I am honored," said Moss standing up. "Who are the other three Jedi?"

"Me, Zaerqawi, a Rodian Jedi, I don't remember him from the Temple though, and Dirk Graeber, a Twi'lek Jedi. The meeting starts soon, we should get going."

"Ok, is it okay if Hooka comes along?" asked Moss, keeping in mind about the life debt. Although Moss didn't know how this meeting could endanger his life.

"I wouldn't, just in case," said Trando.

"You heard him, Hooka. Stay here until I get back," said Moss. Hooka growled. Moss and Trando left the room and walked to the Throne Room. The magnificent and almost ancient architecture of the Palace cloaked modern improvements such as the turbolifts Trando and Moss used to get to the Throne Room.

When they arrived Queen Apailana was seated at her desk, in front of a large window that showed a beautiful sunset, her handmaidens behind her. Governor Bibble and some other people were having a quiet conversation in one corner and in the middle of the circle of seats was a dark green Rodian with large white round eyes having a conversation with a blue Twi'lek. Moss assumed that they were the other Jedi. Queen Apailana looked up from her desk. "Now we can start," she said.

Everyone sat in their seat. Captain Panaka came out from behind a pillar and stood by the governor's chair. Trando and the other Jedi sat down, leaving nothing for Moss to sit on. "You will stand behind my chair," said Trando.

Once everyone was situated, the meeting began. "It has come to my attention, that there are rumors spreading about me harboring fugitive Jedi," announced Queen Apailana.

Governor Bibble gasped. "The Empire will, without a doubt, look into these rumors. And when they do, they will try to kill them and possibly you."

"A battle with the Empire will surely get you killed, my lady," said a dark haired women seated in the circle. "There has to be some other way."

"A battle with the Empire is inevitable," said the queen strongly. "At—," Queen Apailana was cut off by Dirk Graeber.

"Your highness, please forgive me for interrupting, but if we are going to have a chance of winning this battle, we will need help," said the Twi'lek Jedi.

"The Gungans," said Governor Bibble. "What about the Gungans? They will be more than willing to help us."

"I don't anticipate bringing the Gungans into this," said the queen. "They are not the ones protecting Jedi. I am. As I was saying before—," Queen Apailana was cut off by Governor Bibble.

"The Gungans will revert back to their beliefs that the Naboo are arrogant slime, if we don't bring them into this," said Sio Bibble. "We will jeopardize our pact with them."

"I know that, Governor," said Queen Apailana, Moss could sense in her voice, that her patience were running out. "I, or someone else will tell them about the situation when it is over. But as I was saying before, if the battle's turning out to be one can't win, I will flee from Theed, and so will the Jedi. There is still a chance they can remain secret."

"Not if you flee the capitol," said Trando with a laugh.

Queen Apailana looked at him. "I will, of course, hold meetings with Imperial officials to explain my bazaar behavior." She looked at Captain Panaka. "Do you think that your forces can hold off stormtroopers until I can get to the Palace's hangar?"

"We should be able too," reassured the captain.

"Excellent." The queen paused for a moment. "If you haven't noticed, we have another Jedi refugee. He came to us this afternoon. His name is Moss Plot'ki. I look forward to hearing about your days in hiding, Moss, and how you came to end up on Naboo." She paused and looked at the holos on her desk. "Well, this meeting is over. You can leave now," said Queen Apailana.

Everyone got up and murmurs started to echo in the room, as the politicians started to talk about the meeting. Trando got up and said, "Well, I guess you can go back to your room and get your Wookiee and meet me for dinner." Moss nodded. "Oh yah, one other thing. About an hour after dinner, I want you to meet me in a room. I will tell you which one at dinner, but I want to know what you learned when you were in exile."

"Ok, I will," said Moss. "I have nothing else to do."

Trando walked off and Moss was about to leave when Zaerqawi, the Rodian Jedi, came up to him. "How are you?" he asked, trying to speak clear Basic. It was obvious that he had just learned it.

"Fine, thank you," responded Moss.

"Listen, after breakfast tomorrow, would you like to come to my room and learn a few more tricks, with the Force? I will tell you which room at breakfast," said Zaerqawi.

"Oh, sure. I am meeting with Trando after dinner, so his would work out great," said Moss.

"Great, see you then." Zaerqawi walked off and Moss went to his room.