Qui-Gon inspected the Colt. It was a clean cut, and he was confident it could be welded back together if need be.
What he really wanted to do was to destroy it. Hold his saber down upon it until it melted into some unrecognizable mass. He wouldn't do it here, though. The smoke would cause the alarm go off.
Qui-Gon placed the pieces inside his cloak. He was desperate now to leave. He had been here too long.
The Padawan out front gave a panicked, "Sir!" as Qui-Gon stalked out without signing out his name. He hoped the Padawan didn't care much about protocol and leave it be, but Qui-Gon wasn't about to take that chance.
Qui-Gon paused before exiting the doors. He felt a familiar presence on the other side.
He jerked his head back to the vaults, eyes wandering, thinking of an alternate escape route. The vaults held none, unless he wanted to cut through the ceiling with his saber.
He wouldn't have enough time.
Qui-Gon briefly touched his saber and allowed the doors to open.
"Master Matoko is dead," Krin said to him, sounding angry instead of sympathetic. "She died of her injuries this morning."
"I am sorry to hear that," In some ways, Qui-Gon was. Matoko was on the Council for nearly ten years; it was hard to forget her service to the Jedi Order.
Krin got closer to Qui-Gon, sneering up at him. "Your Padawan is dangerous. I know you believe you are protecting him, but he is a threat to every person on this planet."
"The only threat I see here is you," Qui-Gon hissed. "You used a planet emergency to further your own paranoia, and it was your foolishness that got Matoko killed. I will not give up Obi-Wan to you."
"You swore your allegiance to the Council."
"I swore my allegiance to the Republic, not you."
Krin had no answer that. Instead, his eyes flickered over to the doors of the security vaults. "What were you doing in there?"
"None of your business."
"Actually, sir," the Padawan at the front desk spoke up hesitantly. "According to the computer, Master Jinn took something without confirming authorization of its departure."
Krin glared at the taller Master. He jerked his fingers and the pieces of the Colt came flying out of Qui-Gon's cloak, landing into Krin's hands.
It's not something Krin was expecting, judging by the expression on his face. He stared down at the two halves, clearly confused by what it is. "Is this a blaster?" He said more to himself as he clumsily connected the two sliced pieces together, metal scratching softly as he did.
Qui-Gon didn't have to look to sense the hidden Knights just around the corner. All they needed was a hint of malice coming from the Master Jedi before they would spring into action, cutting him down. Qui-Gon was confident he could take them on. He had to remind himself he was in the Temple full of confident Jedi who would not stand idly by as one rogue Master resisted arrest.
"Young Padawan," Krin said to the still awaiting boy by the desk. "Bring up the file on this object. What is it?"
"Uh," Tap-tap-tap. "Category: weapon. Origin: Human. Donated by: Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Description: Rumored to have immense, destructive power. Tests: Inconclusive."
Krin stared at Qui-Gon hard. "You were stealing a weapon from the Temple? Is this what this is?" Surprisingly, Krin was not talking about the Colt. Instead, he pulled out a small drawstring pouch from the pocket of his cloak and showed it to Qui-Gon.
The presence of the pouch is thick and pulsing, steady as a heartbeat. Qui-Gon has never seen it before, but Castiel's touch was all over it. "I found seven of these scattered across the Temple's edge. Did you place them there?"
No, but now Qui-Gon knew Castiel had. The pouches were placed there for a reason- protection, perhaps? Either way, he was not going to open his mouth and tell Krin that.
The old Master had enough. "Arrest him," he said, turning his back. Qui-Gon did not resist the Knights as they confiscated his saber and placed him in bonds. Instead, he watched quietly as Krin walked away, Colt in hand.