As Qui-gon was packing the last of his supplies, the chime on his door sounded.

"Come in." Qui-gon turned and smiled when he saw his friend and colleague, Jonas Ki. "I'm about ready," he said, closing the case. "Have a seat."

The other man nodded absently as he entered the room, but remained standing, clearly lost in thought. Finally, he looked at Qui-gon, his expression grave. "Do you know where your Padawan is, Qui-gon?"

The larger man shrugged. "He said that he was going to the Archives, to read up on Echothalia. I warned him not to be up too late, but..."

"That's where Kali is too," Jonas interrupted. "Have you noticed anything about their recent behavior towards each other?"

Qui-gon shook his head. "Nothing alarming," he said cautiously.

Jonas sighed and ran his hand through his white-blond hair. "It might just be me...but I sense something growing between them that is more than a friendship."

"They've known each other for a long time," Qui-gon pointed out. "It is expected that their bond will be strong."

"This is more than that, Qui-gon," Jonas replied, shaking his head. "I can sense it with Kali, at least. Her thoughts dwell on Obi-wan, constantly. And they are growing more...familiar in their mannerisms."

Qui-gon was silent for a moment, thinking over Obi-wan's behavior the last few weeks. He recalled the concert, earlier that day, when Obi-wan had acted almost...shy to hug his friend after her performance. "Do you think that they are involved in a romantic relationship?" he said at last.

"I can hardly say," Jonas replied. "But if it hasn't happened yet, then I feel very strongly that it is going to happen, unless we put a stop to it."

"Agreed," Qui-gon said, nodding. "I think it is a more serious matter than they realize." And Obi-wan should know better, he thought, remembering his own grief over the loss of his beloved Tahl. He was right there with me through all of that; I cannot believe that he'd want to embark on such a journey of his own. "We'll have to be vigilant during the course of this mission, my friend," Qui-gon added. "What kind of transport do we have?"

"An E class, I believe," Jonas replied. "Why?"

"See if you can't get a J class instead," Qui-gon said. "They're smaller."

Jonas smiled. "Easier to keep an eye on things?"

"Indeed. We'll have to bunk together, except for Kali, but that should make it difficult for them to find any time alone together. Just in case things have progressed to that point."

"Excellent idea," he said with a nod to Qui-gon. "Even if it weren't against the Code, she's much too young for such a...diversion. Hopefully we can keep them apart. We should try and talk to them and discover the extent of the situation. It's probably just a passing fancy, anyway."

Qui-gon put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We can only hope, Jonas."

"Kind of small, isn't it?" Kalinda said as the two teams approached the ship.

"It will get us where we need to go," Jonas replied evenly, not meeting Qui-gon's eyes.

Since the Jedi were going to take turns piloting the vessel, there was no need for a pilot, and soon they were joining the queue to exit the planet's atmosphere, with Obi-wan and Kalinda at the helm for the first part of the journey.

"Well, Kalinda," Jonas said, leaning against the door to the cockpit. "Since you're the lone feminine presence, it looks like you'll be getting your own room. The rest of us will have to share."

She grinned at him. "Fine with me." To Obi-wan she said, "I recommend earplugs-he snores."

"You have no idea," Obi-wan muttered, glancing at Qui-gon, who gave him a stern look. The Padawans chuckled to one another, and their Masters exchanged amused glances.

"What did you learn at the Archives last night, Kali?" Jonas said as Obi-wan maneuvered the vessel towards the one of the hyperlanes that coalesced above Coruscant.

"Echothalia is a pretty interesting place," she said, her voice taking on a rhythmic lilt. "The planet is almost completely covered with water-only about ten percent of it is land mass-with most of that being taken up with the main city of Jerlach. The inhabitants are semi-aquatic humanoids, who live primarily in underwater caverns that they have altered to suit their needs, using a form of hydrostatic field technology that creates large pockets of atmosphere.

"It used to have one ruler, a president, but about a century ago the last presidential elections were opposed by the two warring factions. The elections were stalled, then halted altogether as they fought for power," she continued. "Finally, the mayor of the main city of Jerlach-a woman named Hestra-managed to renew the practice of free and just elections, which pretty much ended the civil war and has brought about relative peace. If it weren't for all of the bombings," she added as an afterthought. "However, tensions are starting to run high again, and the current Prime Minister is faltering under the pressure."

"Typical," Obi-wan sighed. "This will be fun."

"Actually, I'm excited to see this place," Kalinda countered, turning to him. "From the images I saw, it's going to be breathtaking, and the food is rumored to be top-notch. That should get your attention, anyway."

As if on queue, his stomach let out a growl, and they both laughed. Having breached the atmosphere of Coruscant, Obi-wan checked the coordinates and entered them, watching in satisfaction as the stars seemed to tunnel around them when the ship slipped into hyperspace. He cast her another look, an eyebrow raised. "How do you know about the food, anyway?"

She shrugged. "It's common knowledge, Obi-wan."

"It's not common knowledge if you stay up all night studying the Archives," he pointed out. "Why do you need to know all that? It doesn't exactly pertain to the mission."

"All knowledge is worth having," she replied slyly, arching her eyebrow at him.

"Kalinda," Jonas said suddenly. "I think that we should meditate on the mission ahead. Qui-gon and Obi-wan can handle things up here, for now." He placed his hand on her shoulder and she nodded, rising to follow him out of the cockpit.

When they had left, Qui-gon took a seat beside his Padawan, and they watched the stars stream past the viewscreen. Obi-wan felt that he would never grow tired of looking at the stars, and he spoke this feeling to Qui-gon, who echoed the sentiment.

"The galaxy is a vast and marvelous place," the older Jedi reflected. "There are infinite things to discover and to learn."

"You sound like Kali," Obi-wan said with a smile. "She's always going on about all that. When she's not burying herself in the Archives, that is."

Qui-gon was quiet for a moment before he broached the subject. "You seem pleased that the Council selected us to go on this mission with Jonas and Kalinda."

Obi-wan shrugged. "I've known her a long time, Master. We work well together, and Master Ki is a skilled negotiator; I'm anxious to see him in action."

"Obi-wan, I need to ask you a question," Qui-gon said suddenly. He felt Obi-wan tense beside him and chose his next words very carefully. "I don't want to mince words, but I do need you to be honest with me."

"I am always honest with you, Master," Obi-wan said cautiously.

Qui-gon nodded. "I know, and I appreciate that. However, it has come to my attention that there is a growing...bond between you and Kalinda. Have you felt this?"

Obi-wan nodded slowly, but made no response. Qui-gon continued. "It is no crime to be friends with a fellow Jedi, as you know, but there is a certain degree of danger if that friendship strays into an attraction. In addition to being expelled from the Order, a Jedi can loose all sight of what's important in the glow of an infatuation, and terrible things can result from that."

After a pause, Obi-wan looked at his master, his expression thoughtful. "Are you referring to what happened between you and Tahl, Master?"

Qui-gon swallowed thickly at the mention of her name, but nodded. "I was blinded by my love, by my attachment to her; everything else fell away, and I would have thrown away my whole life just to get revenge for her death." He smiled sadly at his apprentice. "That is not a fate I want for you, Obi-wan."

"I care for Kali very much," Obi-wan said after a moment. "But my commitment to the Order comes first, as does hers. We don't want to jeopardize that."

Sighing heavily, Qui-gon leaned back in his chair. "I'm glad to hear it."

"You don't really want to meditate now, do you?" Kalinda said as she and Jonas settled down at the seating cushions in the galley. "You hate to meditate in hyperspace-it makes you ill."

He smiled at her. "Meditation is an integral part of a Jedi's life, Kalinda."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, master."

"But since you mention it," he said, looking at her. "I don't feel like meditating now. Let's talk instead."

This is drifting into dangerous territory, she thought, nodding. "Okay. About anything in particular?"

"Obi-wan."

Her stomach dropped a little. "What about him?"

"You care for him, don't you?"

"Well, he's my oldest and best friend," she replied. "Of course I care for him. You care for Qui-gon, don't you?"

"Not the way that you care for Obi-wan, and he cares for you." Though his voice was even, she could tell that he was not pleased.

"I think that you're over-thinking it," she said suddenly, feeling heat rush to her cheeks.

"I think you're not thinking enough," he replied. "I know you, Kali. I can tell that you think about him, constantly, and that the way you care for him is more than for a friend." He put his hand over hers, and looked at her. "I just want you to be careful," he added. "You are young yet, for all of the knowledge that you've garnered, and...well, that is a road that I am reluctant to see you travel down."

She was silent for a moment, shaking her head. "But you..."

"I've made my choices," he replied, his eyes fixed on hers. "And I don't regret anything that I've done. But you are still so young; there will be enough choices for you to make, without this one."

"I don't believe this conversation," she said, rising from the table. Seeing his expression, she added. "I'm not about to forfeit my place in the Jedi Order, so you can know that, at least. As for the rest, well...I can't change how I feel, Master. I thought that you, of all people, would understand that." With that, she slipped out of the room.

The next day passed in uneasy silence. Kalinda buried herself in the datapads that she'd brought, or strummed the small dulcimer that she traveled with, while Obi-wan and Qui-gon spent most of the time playing dejarik. Jonas meditated. At one point, when Qui-gon rose to go to the restroom, Kali looked up from her dulcimer, still strumming, and caught Obi-wan's eye. He raised his brow inquisitively, and she rolled her eyes towards Jonas, whose back was to them. Obi-wan shrugged, and nodded towards the direction that Qui-gon had gone, shaking his head slightly. Kalinda gave him a sly grin, and glanced over at the door to her cabin, raising her eyebrows. After a moment, Obi-wan nodded slightly, and looked back down at the dejarik board, a grin on his face. Qui-gon re-entered the room several moments later, and the game resumed.

That night, Kalinda lay awake on her bunk, staring at the blackness of space that lay beyond her window. She glanced at the time. Soon, I hope, she thought, images of Obi-wan flickering in her mind. As if on queue, there was a faint tap at her door, and she was beside it in an instant. "Yes?"

"It's me," Obi-wan's voice was barely a whisper.

Kali opened the door and he slipped in quietly, embracing her the moment that the door closed. They studied each other for a moment, grinning, before going to sit next to one another on the small bunk. "How'd you get away?"

He rolled his eyes. "Dinner didn't agree with me so well; I've been spending a lot of time in the restroom this evening."

"Devious," she giggled. They leaned forward and kissed. Kalinda felt all of her apprehension melting away as he embraced her, as they grew lost in each other. She felt wholly and utterly right, as though she was made to kiss him, and he her. I feel like, if we could see it, the Force would be glowing all around us. She thought that he felt it too, for his hands sought her hair, her face, her back, her hips, his kisses grew more insistent, and she felt her own body responding in kind. Finally, she let out a soft moan and he pulled back, listening intently.

"What?" she said, her voice breathless.

He paused, then shook his head. "Nothing. I thought that I heard something at the door." He smiled at her and her heart skipped a beat. "Where were we?"

Just as they were about to kiss again, there was a quiet knock at Kali's door. She and Obi-wan exchanged resigned glances, before she cleared her throat. "Yes?"

"I'm looking for Obi-wan," Qui-gon's voice was pleasant and conversational. "Have you seen him? I think he might need medical attention-he's been in the bathroom for quite a while."

"But Master-"

"No, Kalinda," Jonas' voice was firm. "I tried to give you privacy, and you proved that you cannot handle the responsibility. You both have acted shamefully, to be frank."

"Did you think that we wouldn't figure it out?" Qui-gon said to Obi-wan, who flushed, but resolutely met his master's eyes. "If you had spent that much time on the toilet, you'd be short a few meters of intestinal tract, my very young apprentice."

"Yes, Master," Obi-wan said, his voice quiet. Qui-gon almost felt sorry for him, he looked so miserable.

Jonas paced back and forth before them, his arms crossed. "I don't know what else to do with you two," he said. "Going back isn't an option; so we'll just have to continue on. But I swear on all that is holy, you will not touch her again, Obi-wan."

"Master, I'm just as much to blame as Obi-wan," Kalinda said. "It takes two to tango."

"I never want to hear you say that again," Jonas said, pinching his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"Jonas," Qui-gon said, rising to place a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Perhaps we should assign them to stay at the helm for the rest of our journey. I think that they can keep their attention on the steering of the ship while we have a game of dejarik?"

Obi-wan and Kalinda gave each other a relieved look before slipping out of the room silently. Jonas took a deep breath, and lowered his hand. He looked at Qui-gon, and shook his head. "What are we going to do?"

Qui-gon said nothing, activating the dejarik table instead, and motioning his friend to have a seat across from him. After a moment, Jonas did so, albeit reluctantly. As they arranged the pieces, Qui-gon glanced over at him. "I feel that you need to be more careful, Jonas. You walk a difficult line with her."

Jonas sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. "I know. But...it's challenging. And she's grown up so fast. I still think of her as a little girl, I suppose."

"Despite all of that," Qui-gon continued. "You're a Jedi, as she will be one day. Our path is often a difficult one." His expression softened. "I, too, look at Obi-wan sometimes, and wonder what happened to the gangly boy that I met three years ago."

"But it's different with Obi-wan."

Qui-gon shook his head. "You cannot think of it like that, Jonas. The consequences are too severe. You must think of her only as your Padawan learner. It's as much for her sake, as it is for yours."

Jonas stared at the board. "She knows."

"How long has she known?"

"For a few years," the blond man replied. He met Qui-gon's questioning look. "I took her to see her mother, who was very ill. I thought that it was important for Kali to see her, at least once." He paused. "She looks just like Kamala."

Qui-gon made no response for a while, before he let out a sigh and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know...I probably would have done the same. But it will be that much harder for her, in the end."

Jonas shook his head. "She was so calm about it, when she found out-she told me later that a part of her had always known the truth. And she knows what will happen if the Council discovers that truth."

"That is a heavy burden for her," Qui-gon said gently. "I'm glad that she has your strength."

"She'll need it," Jonas replied, glancing at the door to the cockpit. "But it was her mother who was the strong one."