Truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and therefore must be treated with great caution.
J. K. Rowling

Qui-Gon, Padme, and Jar-Jar were treated to a good meal. Ben sent Anakin to show Padme his room, and Shmi decided to fix the vaporator. Qui-Gon saw an excellent opportunity to get some real answers.

"Who are you?" Ben looked up reflexively.

"My name is Ben," he said. "Old Ben, Black Ben. Whichever adjective you prefer."

"I don't mean your name. Who are you? Who trained you in the Force? Did you ever have a student? Tell me about yourself."

"There is no need for you to know," said Ben, pronouncing each word carefully. Qui-Gon could feel the irritation prickling from the edges of his signature.

"Oh, but I think there is. I think you're hiding something."

"I am hiding many things. Most of them wouldn't mean much to you, at any rate, so there is no need to divulge them."

"I want to know who exactly you are and why you have Anakin and Ms. Skywalker under your roof."

"I bought them from a Hutt." Qui-Gon's chair clattered to the floor.

"They're your slaves." His voice was low and dangerous. Ben was remarkably calm.

"As long as they are technically owned by me they are under my protection. They won't be captured and sold again or killed by some gangster. I have made sure that Anakin and Shmi never feel as though they belong to me." Qui-Gon picked up his chair and sat down again, a bit embarrassed.

"Oh." Ben looked not quite into his eyes.

"You have a learner, don't you? A padawan?" Qui-Gon started.

"How did you-" Ben smiled.

"I am a hard man to keep secrets from." Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes, and then shrugged.

"Yes, I have a padawan, though he'll be ready for the trials soon."

"So you think he's ready?" Qui-Gon snorted.

"He's been ready for years. I've only been holding him back because… well, my last padawan didn't…"

"He fell." Qui-Gon flinched. "You're worried your current padawan will do the same."

"No, Obi-Wan would never fall. He's already a better Jedi than I'll ever be. I just… I'm aware that I haven't always been the best master for him. I don't want to give him up just yet." Ben looked away.

"You love him."

"Is that so wrong?" said Qui-Gon defensively. "He's the best padawan any master could hope to have, and I'm aware that he deserves far better than me. But once he is a Knight… I won't be able to watch over him anymore. He'd risk his life for a mission, and I don't want him to die. I protect him now-"

"But what about when you're gone?" Ben muttered. He looked at Qui-Gon squarely, his face actively trying to hide some emotion. "I would like to meet him."

"Obi-Wan?"

"Yes. You've made me curious, Master Jinn." Qui-Gon nodded. The Force was singing to him, telling him that the meeting had to happen.