Chapter 7

There is no emotion, there is peace; there is no ignorance, there is knowledge; there is no passion, there is serenity; there is no death, there is the Force. Peace over anger; Honor over hate; Strength over fear.

Qui-Gon numbly watched as the woman set fire to his apprentice until all that was left of the child's body was ash. The woman then walked away, cackling at the destruction that she had caused. And then Qui-Gon did something he hadn't done in awhile, he laughed. He laughed out of pure joy. For a moment, he actually believed that the message was true. For one horrified second he had truly thought that he had lost another apprentice.

"How stupid do these people think I am?" Qui-Gon asked himself. The tape was obviously a fake for multiple reasons. Firstly, Obi-Wan's birthday stone was found placed neatly next to the tape, but the stone had been lost and haphazardly dropped during the fight. There was no evidence that the woman had moved the rock. Then there was the snow. The impressions made in the snow could verify, or what Qui-Gon was hoping for, disprove the tape. Had Obi-Wan fallen to the ground, his body would have left an impression in the snow. Qui-Gon searched the area; there were no impressions and no pile of ash and no bones. Had the bounty hunter set Obi-Wan on fire, there would have been evidence left on the snow. Plus, on the tape, that horrible woman had stabbed his apprentice with his own lightsaber, but the tape showed that blood had trickled out of the wound. That just wasn't possible. Lightsabers cauterize wounds. Even if by some remote chance that the wound had actually bled then a red puddle would still be left on the snow. There were some red splotches here and there, meaning the boy had been injured, but there was no place in the entire area that had a big enough red patch to prove the incident on the tape. Qui-Gon was one hundred percent positive of the fact, he had checked the place twice just to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

I will never again curse snow. It can be quite useful and thank the Force that his kidnappers are stupid. Qui-Gon breathed a sigh of relief. Obi-Wan was not dead, missing, yes, but dead, no. The kidnappers just wanted Qui-Gon to believe that his Padawan was dead, but with the intuitive insight of Arthenia, they could not fool the Jedi Master. Had Arthenia not sent the snow…Qui-Gon shuddered at the implications of what that would mean, but now there was hope. He would find his apprentice and when he did, the people responsible for his disappearance would pay, but first he had to make sure they didn't leave the planet. He still had a chance.

Ambassador Gentink sat staring forlornly out a small crack in the boarded up window at the hideout. Was this cold white stuff a portent to evil? What was it the Jedi called it? Snow? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Out of all the bad things that could have happened during his reign as Ambassador why did a natural disaster have to occur? Natural, who was he kidding. Snow was not natural for this tropical paradise. If Gentink believed in Gods, he would have said that they were angry with him. He could seriously loose the next election based on the occurrences that took place today. Two missing Jedi, one just a child really, and a devastating storm did not bode well for his future in politics. Gentink was forlornly considering his possibilities when one haggard and exhausted Jedi burst through the doors and quickly ran over to the depressed Ambassador. Before Gentink could inquire on his whereabouts or on the teenager, though, Qui-Gon spoke.

"I need you to ground all flights." The Jedi Master rasped out still breathing heavily from running to the hideout.

"What?"

"I need you to ground all flights, temporarily." Qui-Gon stated more firmly.

"Why?"

"Can you do it?"

"Yes, I can do it, but why?"

"Please, my apprentice has been kidnapped. I don't believe that they have left the planet yet. Please, can you stop any ship from leaving that doesn't have express permission?"

"Yes, I can. Laira contact General Horace." Gentink commanded one of his servants.

"Where is the ship Dei'ma." An angry and disgruntled Helena asked her accomplice. It had taken far too long to defeat the young apprentice. For a wounded teenager, the apprentice had put up one tough fight. The bounty hunter barely had enough time to set the false tape before the boy's Master showed up. She was just speeding off in her cruiser when a frantic Jedi came bursting into the area. It had been close, too close for her comfort. All Helena wanted to do was get off the planet in one piece and get her reward.

Dei'ma had stuffed the boy into a box on wheels and was currently pulling the boy behind them like luggage, to divert suspicion. They had to land at a terminal. It was that or get shot down and the two bounty hunters valued their lives way too much to suddenly risk it. Trying desperately not to gain any unwarranted attention the two criminals casually walked towards their ship, when they were suddenly stopped by a Trintonomian guard.

"Papers, please."

"Papers?"

"Ahh, foreigners. All flights have been grounded. You must have green permission slips that come directly from the government to leave the planet."

"Perhaps I can persuade you."

"I do not except bribes." Damn, Helena thought to herself. The Jedi had not fallen for her ruse. Fate was not on their side. Knowing there was no way that they could possibly get permission, Helena violently kicked the side of her ship.They would have to stay on the planet till the flight ban was lifted. This Jedi apprentice was proving to be more trouble than he was worth. Helena and Dei'ma fled the terminal in hopes to return some day soon, believing that Qui-Gon would give up on the search in a couple of days. Both, however, underestimated the depth of Qui-Gon's determination.