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Kileinnie walked down the hallways from the Senator's office, grumbling under her breath. "I do love my job; I do love my job; I do, I do, I

DO love my job...!"

"Problems, Killy?"

"AUGH!" The young woman yelled and jumped slightly, swinging around to find Qui-Gon standing behind her. She huffed out a breath and ran a hand through her hair, pulling it back. "Don't do that to me!" she snapped.

"Do what?" he inquired politely.

"Sneak up on me! Can't you Jedi ever walk like normal people do?!" Even as she said them, she knew the words weren't fair, and she grimaced in self-disgust.

The Jedi Master quirked an eyebrow at her. "We are normal people; we merely have different differences than non-Force sensitive people." He gave her a quick once-over. "However, I don't think that's what's bothering you right now. Long day?"

"Frustrating one. Sorry about snapping at you. Forgive me?" She gave him a pleading stare and a wide grin.

"Obi-Wan has been giving you innocence lessons, hasn't he?" Jinn asked, grinning wryly. "It's too much of a coincidence that you both pull the same expression when apologizing for some understandable, mild misdemeanor."

"What makes you think I haven't learned how to weasel out of things on my own?" she sassed, an endearingly arrogant grin on her face. "I am a trained politician, after all."

Qui-Gon laughed and said, "No offense, but I cannot argue with that. That looks heavy; allow me?" He held out his hand for her briefcase. When she hesitated, looking unsure, he prodded her. "What is it?"

"You're a Jedi Master; I can't just use you as my personal baggage handler!"

"You're not. I'm offering to help carry what looks to be a heavy load after a long and obviously exasperating day."

She debated it, then felt a twinge in her shoulder. Taking it as a sign of encouragement of some kind, she handed over the briefcase with a tiny grin. "Since it's your idea, go right ahead. Thanks."

"No problem."

She began leading the way back to her rooms and he followed along quietly, his long legs easily matching her unconsciously quick stride. "Anything interesting going on?" he asked.

"The usual. Politicians going about their daily political lives, picking fights, badgering, sniping, trying to line their own pockets, and when all that gets done, getting down to it and agreeing on the items on the agenda." She shook her head. "I think I'm insane."

"Perhaps not insane, but I do wonder why you seem to harbor such resentment of your fellow political leaders."

"They just seem to be fighting the hardest for what personally benefits them the most, instead of doing what they can to make things nice and comfortable for everyone. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who is even trying to be part of the People's government anymore."

"It may seem that way, Killy, but may I make a suggestion?" he said quietly.

"Go ahead; I'll take all the help I can get at this point."

"That's what we're here for," he stated, then continued. "True, it does seem that many of them are working merely to line their own pockets. Some of them probably are. On the other hand, take a look at it from this direction: They are not merely politicians, but businessmen and women as well. After all, you own factories of some sort, don't you?"

She blinked. "Um, yes. We work with the Co-op to help the farmers get their crops in and weighed and so on. We also provide the mills that process the stuff they send in, like wool for spinning, and the like. What's your point?"

"My point is that business people usually work to gain better advantages for their businesses. They don't lose sight of everyone else, but their own priorities tend to come first. That's the nature of humans in general, politicians and business leaders specifically. The idea of a gung-ho leader who works hard to put the people first is truly an attractive and noble one, but slightly unrealistic."

Kileinnie walked silently, pondering this. "Yeah ... I guess that's true. So, what do you suggest, then? I don't know if I can do it all on my own."

"Find others among your peers who share some of your goals. Not all of them, but spread them out. You will be the focal point for your goals while your peers help you in the areas that they can, but in effect, you will help them by scratching their backs at the same time they scratch yours for you."

She stared up at him, amazed, then laughed. "You should consider running for a political office yourself."

"Against Jedi policy, sorry," he said easily. "I'm quite happy being a diplomat and a mediator as required."

"What about warrior?"

"I don't like to fight."

"But you do it anyway."

"True. Just because I can doesn't mean I want to, however. Subtle difference, but it's there."

"I get it, I get it. So what do you enjoy doing the most?" she asked, curious.

"As a Jedi, or in general?" he queried.

"Both."

"Hmm. As a Jedi, I think I prefer being a diplomat. Being a mediator means that I'm smack in the middle of some fight or another, and it usually turns into a physical one. In general, there are many things I enjoy. Swimming, meditating, spending some relaxing time with my friends. I also like to draw, although Obi-Wan constantly teases me that I'm giving my Alderaanian lute skills a run for their money, the scamp. I'm really not that bad. I enjoy teaching, and especially reading. I confess to having a passion for real, paper-printed, hand-held books."

"Really? What interests you?"

"Anything. I'll read about anything. Fiction and non-fiction, bibliographies and documentaries, intrigues and history. I especially like history, but I'm fond of science fiction, too." He smiled as they approached her rooms.

"I would have thought you see enough weirdness in your life to want to get away from it all," she teased.

"No, that would be the intrigues and murder mysteries category," he answered without missing a beat.

She chuckled, then palmed open her door. She took the briefcase back when he handed it to her and said, "Thank you, Qui-Gon. I feel better than I did earlier. And you've given me a few things to think about."

"All to the good, then. As I mentioned, we are here to make this transition time easier for you."

Kileinnie dimmed a bit at that, but then smiled again. "In that case, I don't suppose you could ask Obi-Wan to meet me at the gym in about forty-five minutes?"

"I would, if I didn't have him studying something new. It requires the Force, meditational patience, and as much seriousness as he can muster."

Qui-Gon grinned then. "I suspect this is going to take him a while."

"Riiiiiiiiiight," she laughed. "Well, then, I'll dig up my own fun. When you see him again, tell him I said he can use me to vent if he needs to; a chance to return the favor, you know."

"I'll pass the message along. Good day, Killy. Page me on the comlink if you require anything else." With a respectful bow, Qui-Gon said goodbye, turned, and strode off down the hallway gracefully.

She watched his tall, broad form move away and grinned to herself. "Yow," she muttered, then sighed and entered her rooms.

"Sarah! Ben's here, and the rest of 'em! Come on out!" Brian Kenobi called out to his wife.

The pretty middle-aged woman came out of the house a moment later, wiping her hands on a spare towel. Pausing atop the front steps of her home, she turned and shouted loudly, "Felicia! Owen! Your brother's here!" Then she hurried down to stand beside her husband. A moment later, the two younger Kenobi siblings came racing around the corner of the house, having taken the time to quickly dip their hands into a bucket of water and rinse the dust and dirt off their faces, hands, and arms.

A wide grin on his face, Obi-Wan brought the landspeeder to a halt and nimbly hopped over the side. Qui-Gon climbed out of the backseat and assisted Faye Norste out and then helped Kileinnie out of the front where she'd been sitting next to Obi-Wan. The older man grinned as Obi-Wan paused and raised an eyebrow at him, a subtle 'Are you coming?' signal, and then they all walked up to the waiting family.

Sarah hugged her oldest child enthusiastically, then let him loose so that his father could bear hug him, then slap him on the back companionably. Owen affectionately punched his older brother in the shoulder, grinning broadly, and Felicia let out a happy squeal and wrapped her arms around Obi-Wan's neck, hanging from him like a living ornament. Obi-Wan laughed and hefted his sister up for a huge hug, then dumped her back on the ground. "Hello, hello, family! It's good to see you all."

"It's so good to see you, too, son," Sarah replied with a happy grin. "Why, look at you! I think you've grown some since we saw you last year!"

Obi-Wan shook his head with a grin. "Unfortunately, no, Mom; I'm still a shrimp. I've filled out muscle-wise, but I'm not going to get any taller."

"Which is fine, Padawan," Qui-Gon replied, stepping in smoothly. He smiled when his young lover cast him a teasing glance. "You know as well as I do that how tall you are has nothing to do with how you impact on other people. Think of Master Yoda."

"Master, I do care about and respect him a great deal, but if I'm away from the Temple for any length of time, I tend to use that time to enjoy listening to non-impeded syntax," Obi-Wan shot back.

Reaching out, Qui-Gon ruffled his student's hair. "Scamp," he muttered. "You should know better than to pick on a revered Jedi Master."

Ducking away from his master's affectionate touch, Obi-Wan straightened, and then grinned. "I am not picking on you. And I wouldn't dare pick on Master Yoda, either."

"Why not?" Owen wanted to know.

"He's about a foot tall, Owen."

"So?"

"Short people are related to grenades: small and dangerous. I tend not to provoke explosive situations," Obi-Wan quipped.

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. "That was bad, Obi-Wan. Really, really bad."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied with a barely respectful smirk, then grinned at his waiting family. "Mother, Dad, Owen and Felicia, this is my Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Master, the Kenobi family from which I hatched."

"Hatched?" all four Kenobis' echoed, and Obi-Wan snickered, glancing away.

Brian stepped forward, shaking his head with an exasperated grin. He held out his hand to his son's teacher and said, "Welcome to our home, Master Jinn. Any friend of my son's, as they say. I would love to know what you teach at that Temple, though, to give him such a sarcastic sense of humor."

Qui-Gon grinned and accepted Brian's hand, shaking firmly. "It wasn't any of our doing; I thought perhaps he'd inherited it from one of you?" Turning, he shook Sarah's hand, adding a touch of charm to his smile.

Qui-Gon, don't charm my mother! he heard over the training bond.

Why not? I charm all the others, he replied.

Yeah, others. This is my MOM you're doing it to. At least keep the charm to a respectful degree, hmm?

What do you mean, 'respectful'? I'm always respectful!

No flirting.

Oh, NOW your sense of humor deserts you.

Qui-Gon...

Calm down, my love, and trust me, the older man replied, even as he greeted the younger Kenobi son and then said hello to the daughter.

Felicia stared up at him with wide, adoring, wonder-struck eyes. Shyly, she held out her hand. "Hello, Master Jinn," she said softly. "Welcome to our home."

Taking her hand, he gently shook it and said with a warm smile, "Hello, Felicia. You can call me Qui, if you want to. Thank you for the welcome."

Unable to say more, she merely nodded and dropped her gaze.

Obi-Wan watched with an amused look dancing in his gray-blue eyes. What was that you said a year ago about her infatuation disappearing?

Cut me some slack, Obi-Wan. It's been barely a year and now it has to happen all over again, now that she's met me in person.

You DO seem to be making a habit of attracting Kenobis to your exceedingly charming person, Obi-Wan noted.

So? It got me what I wanted, namely, you. This last was added with a subtle Force caress that made the younger man shiver slightly.

Tease. I'll get you later for that.

Oh, goody. I've always fancied a career as your chew toy.

Obi-Wan coughed to hide his sudden laughter, then grinned at his family and turned to pull Kileinnie forward. "Folks, this is Kileinnie Turrow."

"Oh, yes, our new upcoming Senator," Sarah said, then smiled at the girl. Reaching out, she put her hand on Kileinnie's shoulder and said, "Welcome to our home, Kileinnie. I hope you enjoy your visit with us, even if it will be only a few days."

"Darn straight," Brian agreed. "We'll introduce you to the critters. You'll probably learn more about livestock up close and personal than you ever wanted to know!"

Kileinnie laughed and said, "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Kenobi. I'm already enjoying myself immensely."

"Just Brian and Sarah, dear," the Kenobi mother replied, smiling.

"Ah. Okay! This is Faye Norste. She's the senatorial aide, and one of my closest friends. I'd be lost without this walking miracle!" Kileinnie said, pulling Faye forward into the introductions.

The three of them shook hands and Faye smiled brightly. "Thank you so much for letting us visit you. Kileinnie's needed some time off and fresh air so she can be rested up for the real hard work!"

Kileinnie groaned. "Thanks for the reminder!"

"Anytime, Killy," Faye teased.

Felicia grinned up at Kileinnie. "We have Riders. Wanna see 'em?"

"You do? Sure! I haven't been on a Rider in months!" Killy replied. She grinned over her shoulder at Obi-Wan and shrugged when the twelve-year-old girl grabbed her hand and began pulling her off in the direction of the Rider shed.

"Hey, bro, come on! I was in the middle of feeding the animals; you can help me with the rest of it!" Owen said, pulling on his brother's arm.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Owen, do you ever do any of the feeding on your own?"

"Well, yeah! Why do you think I'm so happy to have you here to help me out?" Owen sassed back.

"I had to ask," the older boy muttered, then glanced at his parents and master.

"Run along, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, grinning. "I'll bring the baggage in and chat with your parents for a while. It'll give me a chance to tell a few embarrassing stories about you."

"Oh, for ... on second thought, maybe I should stay with you," the padawan groused.

"What for? I'll tell them anyway," Jinn teased. "At least this way, we can avoid you spontaneously combusting, at least from embarrassment."

"How else could you get that to happen?" Obi-Wan grumbled.

"Oh, I don't know," Qui-Gon replied vaguely. Through the training bond, he sent an incredibly graphic image. Then he had to struggle not to give himself away when the image was sent back, edited, and twice as flammable. His expression serene, he growled, Brat. You're toast when I get hold of you.

The young man gave him a smile and replied, I thought YOU were MY chew toy.

I've changed my mind, Mr. Smarty. Now get going before I mind whammy everyone into ignoring our presence long enough for an enthusiastic roll in the hay. Switching to verbal, he gestured a shooing motion. "Go along with you, scamp."

With a mock long-suffering sigh, Obi-Wan bowed low to him, grinned at his parents, and then followed as his brother led the way to the waiting chores.

They watched the brothers go, and then Qui-Gon smiled at Obi-Wan's parents and said, "Excuse me while I go get the bags."

"Qui-Gon, do you want any help?" Faye called after the Jedi Master.

"Thank you, no, Faye. You all go along, I'll catch up in a minute," he called back, heading to the speeder.

"Well, come in, Faye. Would you like anything to drink?" Sarah asked.

"Some cold tea would be lovely, thank you, Sarah," Faye replied with a grateful smile. "It's rather hot today."

"It is, just a bit. Brian, what can I get you, sweetie?"

The large man smiled and wrapped one arm around his wife's waist and the other around Faye's shoulders and began leading the way toward the house. "I'm all set, honey. Got a pretty woman on each arm, what more do I need?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and tapped at her husband's hand with an admonishing smile. "Go on with you, Brian! Teasing Faye like that."

Faye laughed. "Don't worry about it, Sarah. My husband pulls the same kind of stunt, occasionally."

"Really? I didn't know you were married; usually I can spot married folks right off..."

Qui-Gon overheard that statement as he caught up to the small group and winced. Uh-oh. Obi-Wan and I are going to have to be careful here. Intuition of that nature combined with a mother's radar is a powerful thing, and not to be taken lightly.

He followed them all into the house and soon the four of them were seated around the kitchen table, drinks in hand. Qui-Gon sipped at his chilled tea, enjoying the relaxation time.

"So, Qui-Gon, how did Ben end up with the name 'Obi-Wan' in the Temple, anyway?" Brian asked from where he sat with his arm around his wife, sipping at his coffee.

"I was curious as well when I learned his name was Ben Kenobi, so I asked him about a year or so after I took him on as apprentice," Qui-Gon said, smiling. "Turns out that there was another boy by the name of Ben in the creche, so the Creche Master called your son 'Obi-Wan,' which translated from Ben in her native language, and the other child remained Ben. It was a good choice."

They nodded and from then on, the talk stayed on the offspring; Obi-Wan, Owen, Felicia, and Faye's children. When asked a little later if Qui-Gon had any children of his own, he took a sip of tea before replying.

"Obi-Wan became my 'child' when he became my padawan," he said quietly. "And all the children in the classes that I sometime teach at the Temple are 'mine' in a sense. But no, I do not have any that were created from my body."

"Oh, I'm sorry for you," Sarah said softly.

He smiled at her. "Don't be; my life has been quite enriched enough simply by having Obi-Wan in it. I don't regret not having any biological offspring of my own."

She smiled at him and the talk continued from there. Soon, he had the Kenobi parents and Faye laughing hard as he regaled them with a tale of the time Obi-Wan first rode a Taun-Taun.

Later that evening, after the chores had been done and they had all sat down to a simple, if tasty and large meal, they all congregated in the family room. Obi-Wan, Kileinnie, Owen and Felicia sat on the floor around a low table, playing a board game while the older adults watched, calling out encouragement and teasing.

Eventually...

"Hey, no way! Bro, you cheated!" Owen accused with a grin, flinging a couch pillow at his older brother.

Obi-Wan deftly knocked it aside. "I did not, runt! If you were any good at this, you'd..."

"That tears it!" Owen shouted gleefully, and dove for his brother, knocking the older sibling ass over teakettle across the floor.

Qui-Gon sat in his chair with a wide grin on his face, echoed by the parents sitting around him. Obi-Wan and Owen wrestled around like pups while Felicia and Kileinnie shouted at them. Finally, Kileinnie turned to the younger girl and said, "They're not listening to us; what do you say, should we join in and show them how to do it right?"

That got the guys' attention. Two sandy-haired, tousled heads peered around and gazed steadily at the two girls, who grinned at each other.

Qui-Gon exchanged glances with the others, then simply curled his legs up underneath him. He didn't want to get caught in what was about to happen.

"Sounds great, but..." Felicia responded with a grin.

"But, what?"

"But I always get to pick on Owen."

"Tell me about it," the middle sibling muttered, causing Obi-Wan to snicker.

"And I don't know Owen well enough to feel comfortable about wiping the floor with him just yet," Kileinnie mused thoughtfully.

Dark-gray eyes widened, then narrowed at the older girl. "In your dreams, powder-puff!" he snapped.

She ignored him, and then grinned at Felicia. "Guess we'll all just have to gang up on Obi."

Qui-Gon's grin deepened, his dark blue eyes sparkling with delighted mischief as he gazed at his young lover.

Obi-Wan's eyes opened wide as he gazed at his siblings and Kileinnie. He stared at his master and quickly deduced that no help would come from that quarter. He gave a tiny, sickly grin. "Hahahahaaaaa-yyyeah," he sighed. Then in one fast motion, he disentangled himself from his brother and got to his feet. A moment later, he went bolting through the house, the others hot on his heels as he raced for the front door, letting himself out.

"Shut the door!" Brian called after the fleeing ruckus. A moment later, Felicia's hand reached back through the doorway and pulled the door shut with a bang.

One glance and the remaining adults cracked up where they sat.

Qui-Gon snuggled into the blankets and pillows he had spread out on the floor. He and Obi-Wan were sharing his student's old room, but the bed was not large enough to accommodate his long frame, so he had easily taken the floor as a suitable sleeping area. He was given extra blankets and pillows, and he was quite comfortable in his soft nest.

"Qui-Gon?" came the soft, hesitant voice from the bed above him and he felt strong, lean fingers ghosting over his cheek, moving back to trail through his hair. Smiling, he rolled over as he reached up and caught Obi-Wan's fingers. He kissed the tips lightly as he gazed up into watchful gray-blue eyes. He nudged Obi-Wan's mental shields via their training bond to let the younger man know he wished private communication.

What is it? Obi-Wan asked from his end of the bond. Are you feeling alright?

I'm perfectly fine, my love, Qui-Gon replied, nipping gently on the fingertips still within reach.

Then why aren't we...

Making love? Because I overheard your mother say to Faye that she can usually spot married couples right away. While you and I are not "married", per se, we are still romantically involved. Combine that with the fact that mothers always seem to know everything, plus yours is excited this evening at having all these visitors, her own son among them...

I get your point, love, Obi-Wan said quietly, sighing softly as he rested his head on his arm, freeing his fingers in order to tenderly stroke Qui-Gon's features.

Qui-Gon smiled, humming quietly and happily up at his lover. Don't despair, my Obi-Wan; we'll find a way to make love tomorrow, or the day after. It's not as if I can go that long without being near crazy for want of you, anyway, and you know it.

Obi-Wan grinned at that, then brought his fingers up to his mouth, kissed them, then pressed his fingers to his lover's mouth, feeling the older man respond tenderly. I'm glad to know that, my love. Sleep well, my Qui-Gon.

Same to you, my heart, the older man replied, gave his young lover's hand a final squeeze, then snuggled back down into his blankets. He listened to Obi-Wan doing the same in his bed, then closed his eyes. He was almost asleep when he heard a soft whisper.

"I love you."

Smiling, Qui-Gon rumbled softly, "I love you, too," and then let sleep claim him. His dreams were sweet indeed.

"Is everything going according to plan?"

"They're all settled in. The young Jedi spends the morning helping his siblings with chores. Kileinnie will probably help as well. The others putter about, taking care of whatever else needs doing. Tomorrow is the last day. It should be easy to arrange to get the younger Jedi, his siblings, and the girl to go off on a picnic in the hills. You can make your grab then."

"What about witnesses?"

"What do you think?"

"See to it."

"You got it, boss."

"I've got a wonderful suggestion!" Faye exclaimed at breakfast on the last morning of their vacation. "There are some lovely hills around here. Would it be safe for the young ones to go up there and have a picnic today?"

Sarah and Brian glanced at each other, then grinned. "Yes, it's perfectly safe," Sarah said, looking at each of the young ones in question. "Owen and Felicia know some prime scenic spots. We can put together the basket and they can take Ben and Killy up. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great!" Kileinnie said, grinning. "A perfect way to end this visit, even if I don't want it to."

Brian smiled at the young girl sitting next to his daughter. "We've enjoyed having you out here, girl. Anytime you want to come back, just give us a call to let us know you're coming."

"No problem, Brian," she replied. She glanced over at Obi-Wan. "Is this alright with you? Or did you have other plans?"

"Me? Nope. Besides, it means I'll get out of having to help feed the animals for one morning!" Obi-Wan teased.

"That could always be fixed, you know," Qui-Gon said, raising an eyebrow, chuckling when his student blushed and shook his head with a sheepish grin. It brought to mind the memory of how flushed Obi-Wan had looked yesterday evening, during dusk, when Qui-Gon had cornered him in the hayloft and made hot, heavy love to him.

"So, great! We'll get the morning house chores done while Mom fixes up the basket, and then we can take off," Owen said, grinning. "I know the perfect spot, too. Fel, what say we take 'em to Hawk View?"

"Perfect!" the Kenobi sister said, smiling widely. She turned wide, shining eyes on her brother and Kileinnie. "You'll love it! It's a spot up in the hills where there's this natural plateau that gradually slopes into an overhang further down. If you sit in the right place, you can look out over the countryside for miles!"

"That does sound perfect," Killy agreed, and Obi-Wan nodded.

Moments later, breakfast was finished and the young adults tidied up the house while Qui-Gon helped Brian with the feeding. Faye helped Sarah with the dishes and then helped pack the basket. Finally, they got the younger people out of the house and on their way.

The two mothers watched them disappear and Sarah grinned at the other woman. "Faye, this was a really good idea. Thanks for suggesting it."

"Oh, it wasn't even my suggestion to start with, really," Faye replied as the two women went around the house to help with the feeding. "One of the lower aides in the office called with an update on office happenings yesterday and made the suggestion. I was surprised, actually."

"Surprised with what?" Qui-Gon asked as he hefted a large bin to help pour the last of the feed out of that one into a bin that was only half-full.

"Oh, that one of the aides, Jarrett - you remember we discussed him, Qui-Gon? - called last night with a report on the office and he mentioned the picnic outing. It was surprising, to say the least."

"Yes, surprising," he agreed, suddenly troubled. This Jarrett was someone who had been questioning Kileinnie's right to take the Senate seat after her father's death ever since it had been decided she would do so. And now suddenly he was giving great ideas on how to help her have fun?

Now, hold on, Qui-Gon, he told himself. Give the man the benefit of the doubt. He probably meant it exactly as it was intended: a fun outing to relax Kileinnie. On the other hand, relax her for WHAT is a good question to ask. Best not to jump to conclusions right now. Wait and see what happens.

However, even as he put himself into the chore of feeding the animals, he traded one quick glance with Faye, and realized that the woman had been thinking along the same lines as himself.

It didn't make him feel any better.

"Oh, wow," Kileinnie breathed as she looked out over the beautiful vista. "Fel, you and Owen were right. This is paradise."

The overhanging branches and leaves of surrounding trees shaded the small group, providing them with cool comfort to watch the sun-dappled countryside below them. The area was warm, with a slight chill to the breeze, and Kileinnie knew that she would remember this fun for years to come whenever she started feeling too cramped and bogged down in her position as Senator.

Obi-Wan walked up to stand next to his friend and he grinned. "I agree. This is great, you two. Perfect choice. How'd you find it?"

Owen shrugged. "I was up here hunting squirrels one day. I came back a few times and Fel followed me on one of the trips. So I had to let her tag along with me. But she's kept the secret from the rest of the local kids pretty well. It's no big deal, really."

"I'll have you know, Owen, that I can do lots of things really well," Felicia sniffed, then grinned at her oldest brother and new friend. "Come on, let's eat! It was a three hour hike, and I'm starved again."

"You said it, girl!" Kileinnie laughed, and they spread out the blanket and the food and began to chow down as Obi-Wan told stories of his life at the Temple and Kileinnie told about life as a Senator's daughter and as an upcoming Senator herself. Owen and Felicia replied with their own stories about life on the farm and how school was going. The four of them enjoyed themselves immensely.

A few hours later, Obi-Wan and Kileinnie stood at the top of the slope, admiring the view as Owen and Felicia packed up the basket behind them. For some reason, Obi-Wan had a nagging feeling at the base of his neck that was irking him. It was a bad feeling and he found his hackles rising slightly.

Kileinnie looked up from a comment on how much fun she'd had this weekend, and how much she enjoyed his family, to see him frowning. Knowing that he wouldn't be upset without a reason, and that he was Jedi, she quickly calmed and asked in all seriousness, "What is it?"

He twitched his shoulders, uneasy. "I don't know," he murmured. "I have a bad feeling about this; like something's about to happen."

"It's not an earthquake or something, is it? We should be safe up here," she replied quietly.

"I don't know, Killy," he snapped, just as quietly. "I won't know exactly what it is until it happens. It-" His eyes went wide. "Oh, shit."

Obi-Wan whipped around, Jedi training and reflexes kicking into overdrive. He pushed Kileinnie aside even as he pulled out his lightsaber, shouting, "Owen! Fel! Get dow--!"

His words were cut off with a sharp blast as three blaster bolts slammed into the dirt close by, another two aiming for him as his siblings yelled and ducked to the side behind trees for cover. His lightsaber blurred as it moved to deflect the bolts, but the three that slammed into the ground in front of him knocked him and Kileinnie off their feet.

The young woman flattened herself to the ground behind the meager shelter she'd found after rolling a couple of feet. She blinked the dirt and grit out of her eyes and took a quick, assessing look around. Good, there were Owen and Felicia, keeping quiet and under cover, so that left-

Her heart froze in her chest and her eyes widened. "OBI!" she yelled as she watched her friend roll to the edge of the overhang and then tumble over.

Obi-Wan let out a grunt as he caught hold of a protrusion under the lip of the overhang and held on with all his strength. I've heard of rock and roll, he thought to himself, his teeth gritting, but this is a bit much.

Quickly running through his list of options, he decided that the first thing he needed to do was call for help. Concentrating, gathering Force and focusing on the training bond, he sent, Master, we're under attack. Come to us. That out of the way, he then gathered the Force and let it spread throughout his body, making a spectacular leap back up onto the top of the overhang.

"The Jedi's still alive! Take him out! Double-tap!" shouted a harsh male voice. "Find the other farm brats and neutralize them, too!"

The Jedi apprentice reacted on instinct, his training coming to the fore. His lightsaber up and out again, he deflected bolts back at the attackers, most of them hidden behind trees or boulders. Gritting his teeth, Obi-Wan narrowed his focus to send the bolts back towards the blasters they came from, not merely in that general direction. Enraged and painful cries carried through the air, letting him know that there were now some severely singed hands and melted weapons. Obi-Wan took the brief opportunity of lessening blaster fire to quickly scan for the rest of his little group.

There. Fifty yards to the right, hidden behind that rock pile on the other side of the hill was Kileinnie. Still channeling the Force, he bolted towards her with heightened speed, his image little more than a blur to the mercenaries.

Turrow gaped up at the Jedi as he appeared beside her. Shaking her head, she muttered, "Wha-? What did you...?"

"Never mind that right now," he told her in tight, clipped tones. "Have you seen my brother and sister?"

"They're hiding on the other side of the overhang. I motioned for them to stay put before I ducked over here. Hopefully they're still there," she replied.

"Well, we're not," gasped a young male voice, and the Jedi and Senator-to-be whirled to find Owen and Felicia running up the small incline towards them. A moment later, the younger Kenobi siblings fell to their knees beside Kileinnie, gasping for breath. Obi-Wan was livid. Taking a deep breath, he centered on the emotion, then let it go into the Force before he glared at his brother and said, "Are you insane? How did you get over here without being shot?"

Owen gave him an affronted look. "We know this area real good, Ben. We used a back trail and snuck around here to join you. Those losers never even noticed," he added, jerking his thumb towards the location of the would-be assassins.

Felicia had other things on her mind. Eyes wide, she reached out a hand toward her adored oldest brother. "Ben, you're hurt!" she gasped.

Obi-Wan looked down. Sure enough, blood spattered his tunic and trousers, surrounding a burnt hole through his clothing, just before his right hipbone on his lower abdomen. Through the hole could be seen charred and torn flesh. Well, that explains the burnt feeling, he thought to himself, then put it out of his mind. Taking his sister's hand, he smiled at her gently. "Fel, don't worry about it, okay? I'm a Jedi; this isn't bothering me."

"But, Ben..." she whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Fel, honey, it really is okay. Believe me, sister-sibling?" he cajoled, ruffling her hair and grinning.

Smiling, she nodded back at him, then sobered. "So, what do we do now? I vote that we leave. We can sneak away, easy."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "We can't. I've already called Master Qui-Gon for help; he's on his way."

"And I want to try to discover what their orders were," Kileinnie growled, her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Well, we'll find out the hard way in a few minutes," the Jedi replied, his own eyes narrowed in concentration. "I can feel them moving towards us, searching."

"Then we need to fade out and find a better spot," Owen declared. He grinned and pointed to the large trees they were sheltering behind. "Let's get upwardly mobile."

Obi-Wan regarded the interlocking branches above their heads. The trees formed a canopy, and would likely hide his siblings and Kileinnie fairly well if they remained as silent as possible, as well as provide enough cover for them if they stayed deep in the greenery. Meanwhile, he could easily move around and defend himself against twenty assailants. Providing that the other half of the mercenary team he sensed waiting hidden down the trail didn't come up to reinforce their comrades. Then things would get difficult, especially considering that he didn't have enough time to heal himself from the wound he'd gained, which was still sluggishly seeping blood.

He nodded shortly. "Good. I'll put you three up there, and you stay in there, quiet and out of sight. Owen, if I feel either you or Felicia sneaking off to do something stupid, I will personally use a lightwhip on you. Kileinnie, I'm going to trust that you know better."

The young woman opened her mouth, indignant, then thought better of it and closed her mouth. There wasn't time to be insulted right now; she could do that later. She nodded acceptance.

Quickly, Obi-Wan wrapped Force around the three younger people and sent them up into the tree branches. Even as they moved to hide themselves better, he flattened himself lower to the ground and against the rocks and began to sidle quietly past the mercenaries he could feel moving past him. He rolled behind some trees and out of sight just as one of the attackers jumped over the rock pile and landed where they had all been kneeling only moments earlier.

Not knowing how long he'd have before he'd be fighting again, Obi-Wan quickly pulled out his comlink. "Kileinnie?" he whispered, after chiming the girl's comlink.

Turrow answered immediately, her own tones hushed. "Here, Obi-Wan."

"Are you three alright?"

"We're fine; Owen and Felicia are right beside me and calm. We're just waiting for reinforcements."

"Good. What are the mercenaries doing?"

"One is about thirty yards away from you and he's moving closer. The rest are all spread out, moving carefully. They're going to figure out that we're either not there anymore or at least not on the ground pretty soon," she replied. She hesitated a moment, then said, "Obi, if Owen and Fel know hidden trails to get out of here, why not send them back home and away from here?"

The Jedi shook his head, stretching out with his Force sense and his ears in order to monitor the mercenary's approach. "No, it's too dangerous."

"What makes you say that?"

Before he could reply, blaster fire spattered from further down the trail, catching everyone's attention.

With a small smile, he shrugged and said into the comlink, "That's what. I sensed they had more than this piddly bunch waiting further back. It's standard procedure and this is a trained group. Who appear to be leaving." Narrowing his eyes, he used the Force and began flinging a sheet of small rocks at the mercenaries, keeping them right where he wanted them.

Hurry, Master, he sent, listening to the startled shouts and curses from the men below him. Things are getting tight up here.

Gritting his teeth, feeling his energy levels go down further with each extended use of his abilities, blood loss, and shock, Obi-Wan kept up his surprise attack.

Qui-Gon's face was utterly grim as he deflected blaster bolts with his lightsaber. Behind him, Brian, Sarah, and Faye were using blaster rifles and firing back at their attackers. He could feel the anger and concern pouring off the parents. He channeled his own into his defensive efforts. Ahead of him, he could feel a wave of Force and knew that Obi-Wan was still active and fighting; reaching through their bond, he discovered that his student was weakening and was injured, and that the three other young people were uninjured and relatively safe. Hang on, my Padawan, we're almost there, he sent through their bond, and got wordless acknowledgement in reply.

Gathering Force, he sent it out in a powerful wave, knocking the ambush party backward off their feet. Rushing forward, the four defenders quickly neutralized the mercenaries. Qui-Gon spared a moment to put the living ones to sleep with a Force suggestion, then led the way in a bolting run up the trail, following the beacon of his student's signature.

Obi-Wan was panting softly for breath as he let loose the latest round of Force-tossed rocks and branches and dirt. This was becoming tiresome. Everything was adding up and with no time to truly center himself after being injured and knocked with concussive force off his feet, he could only hope that reinforcements would arrive soon.

"The other Jedi disabled the rest of our strike group," the leader of the group called out. "He's on his way up here; we can't hold against two functioning Jedi. Let's get out of-"

"Stay right where you are!" thundered Qui-Gon's voice, and Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief even as he gripped his lightsaber and leaped up to join his master in the fight, surprising the mercenaries closest to him with his presence. From his siblings and Kileinnie, he could feel the relief well up in powerful surges as they realized reinforcements had arrived on their side.

"Or what, Jedi? You'll murder us all where we stand?" sneered the leader as he and his men trained their weapons on Obi-Wan and the group approaching from the trail.

"Now, clearly, you fellas know Jedi won't do that," Brian Kenobi said, a grim smile evident in his voice. "But you've got worse problems to worry about than two Jedi."

"Like what, old man?"

"Like the protective instincts of two mothers, that's what," the farmer shot back. "You've endangered their nearest and dearest; I'd worry, if I were you."

The mercenaries were looking at each other incredulously when Faye and Sarah stalked forward.

Obi-Wan smiled. "Sit back and watch, Killy and sibs," he advised his charges, not looking at them as he spoke. "You're about to see something truly awesome and frightening."

"Damn straight," snarled Faye, leveling her blaster rifle at the terrorist nearest her. "That girl may not be my own flesh and blood, but she's still under my protection."

"And the other three are my flesh and blood," Sarah growled quietly. "I suggest you all lay down your weapons now, before we up and incinerate your heads just for the pleasure of it."

"Ummmmm, Lieutenant..." one of the commandos murmured to his leader.

"I don't want to hear it," the leader growled quietly. He was in a bind, he knew. The rest of the strike force was disabled further down the trail and would not be coming to the rescue any time soon. There were five armed and ready adults facing him and his men, two of them Jedi, three of them parents, two of those severely irate mothers. He had seen mothers fight to the death and viciously on behalf of their children, so it never crossed his mind that the two women would quail at joining in a firefight. On top of that, the other Jedi, the younger one, was still standing even with a hole in his hip, putting up a fight, intent on protecting the three younger people that had been with him. Faced with these options, he made the only intelligent choice he could.

"Lay down your weapons," he called out to his men. "We're finished."

There were some startled looks from the rest of the mercenaries, and some dark grumbling, but they all did as they were told. Apparently a few of them had even realized the same things.

Using the Force, Qui-Gon collected the weapons, pulling a few hidden ones from pockets on the mercenaries, startling the men. Ignoring them, he called out, "Padawan, you may bring the others out, now."

Tree branches rustled overhead a few yards off to their right, and everyone watched as first Kileinnie, then Felicia, and then Owen levitated down to the ground. Felicia ran over to her mother and father, throwing herself into her parents' enveloping hug as Turrow moved toward Obi-Wan. The Kenobi daughter looked up at her parents and said, "Ben got hurt!"

Sure enough, Kileinnie, having met her friend half way, now walked on Obi-Wan's right, his arm around her shoulders, providing support as they moved toward the small group. The wound was very visible and decidedly nasty looking on his right hip. There were also scrapes and scratches on his face and hands that he'd gained when he'd tumbled down the rocky overhang. Owen walked on his left, ready to help provide balance if needed.

Qui-Gon walked forward to meet his apprentice. His face was a mask of stoic Jedi calm, his blue eyes shuttered as he took in his padawan's injuries. It was only in the very tiny touch to Obi-Wan's cheek and the slight emotions the younger man felt thrumming through their bond that gave the master's upset away. "Are you well enough, Padawan?"

Obi-Wan gave a slight bow, ignoring the shriek of protest from the nerves around his wound, and replied, "Yes, Master. I took a blaster shot to my right hip and some scrapes from a tumble over the cliff. Otherwise, I am fine." Neither of them mentioned his exhaustion. There was no need to say so in front of the mercenaries.

Sarah came over to check on her sons and Faye moved to pull Kileinnie into a hug. The older woman glared over her charge's shoulder at the men who stood waiting with their hands behind their heads while Brian made a call on his comlink to the local authorities. "Have you no decency, attacking children and young adults?" Faye snapped at the first man to meet her eyes.

The soldier shrugged. "We're mercenaries, lady. Guns for hire. It's not like it was personal to us."

Thoughts of grabbing up one of the guns lying nearby and taking the man's head off his shoulders swirled in her mind. A moment later, she felt a large, warm hand settle on her shoulder and she looked up to see Qui-Gon standing beside her. The large Jedi gave a tiny smile and a slight shake of his head, letting her know that she shouldn't, couldn't, and that she had been broadcasting her emotions high enough for him to pick up on. With a grimace, she subsided and turned her attention back to Kileinnie. "Are you alright, Killy? You're not hurt anywhere?"

The young woman shook her head, her face grim. "I'm fine, Faye. Obi-Wan did his best to keep us all safe. I just want to get to the bottom of this. I heard the leader order his men to kill Felicia, Owen, and Obi-Wan, but not me. That means that somebody wanted me to be taken alive."

"We have a fair idea of who it is already, me and Qui-Gon," Faye replied. "At least, as to who hired the mercenaries. But I suspect we'll find out the rest of it soon enough."

Kileinnie nodded, then turned to see how Obi-Wan was doing as they waited for the authorities to arrive.

Jarrett was sweating in cold fear as he cursed from his spot at a window. He watched as the Jedi, Norste, and Turrow piled out of a speeder, the larger Jedi carrying the smaller one in his big arms. In another speeder were an older man and woman and two teenagers he didn't recognize.

Damn it to all hells, he growled to himself as he whirled away from the window and stalked out of his office. They failed. Everyone's still alive and Turrow came back unharmed. I've got to get out of here!

The small, thin man turned a corner and came to an abrupt halt. A security squad stood before him, their surprise hidden quickly. The captain placed a hand subtly on the blaster at his hip. "Jarrett Cherime, if you would please come with us? You are under arrest."

"On what grounds?" he choked out, watching two officers come forward, one with a pair of electro-binders in her hands.

"On the grounds of attempted kidnapping and murder," the captain said, and gestured his officers forward. "I would advise you to come quietly, sir," the man said.

Jarrett stared wildly at the security people before him. For a long moment, his body tensed as though he was ready to give in to the urge to bolt. Then, common sense and defeat got the better of him and he slumped dejectedly.

As the binders were placed on his wrists, he stared at the floor, shaking his head sadly. "I knew it wouldn't work," he murmured to himself. "I knew it. I should have known better."

"Yes, sir," agreed the captain, and with no further comments, led the way to the prison cells located in the sub-basement of the building.

The leader of the mercenary group hired to abduct Kileinnie Turrow and kill the people with her walked unconcernedly into the small, windowless room and sat down at the table in one of the two chairs provided. He was manacled, but he knew better than to try anything, though. Not with two Jedi on the premises, especially when the bigger one accompanied a dark-skinned man into the room.

The dark-skinned man turned out to be the Captain of the Rinjornn Senatorial Security Forces and the head of the investigation team. He met the mercenary's eyes easily, his gaze unwavering, then sat down in the chair across from the prisoner, opening a folder he'd carried in with him. The mercenary did not attempt eye contact with the Jedi Master who stood beside and slightly behind the Captain.

"Good afternoon," the investigator said politely. "My name is Captain Kerin Roberts and this is Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

The mercenary nodded his head to them in reply. "Good afternoon," he said.

Kerin eyed him assessingly, then nodded in approval. "We're going to ask you questions I'm sure you're expecting. It would be in your best interest to cooperate with us and give us truthful and full answers."

"What's in my interest?" the mercenary asked.

"Right now, you are facing not only Rinjornnan punishment for attempted kidnapping and murder, but Republic punishment as well for the attempted kidnapping of a Senator and Jedi Temple justice for the attempted murder of a Jedi. If you cooperate, your sentence, and those of your cohorts, will be far more lenient than if you choose to get stubborn about this. It's your call."

The mercenary mulled this over for a few moments, then broke into an easy grin. "Well, then, Captain, ask your questions and I'll answer them as best as I can."

A short, clipped nod and a terse "Thank you," was the reply. Roberts looked over the information in his folder and then pulled out a datapad and a recorder. He set the recorder on the table in front of them and got ready to enter information into his datapad. "Very well, then. Name, age, occupation and rank."

"My name is Devrin Kane, age 39, occupation is mercenary, and I'm known as either Lieutenant, Boss, or Leader. I'm the person in charge of a guns-for-hire group."

"What is the name of your group?"

"We don't have an official name, but we've been tagged as the Rinjornn Raiders, unofficially. We're not in any local ads, but if you ask around the South Ports and the seedier sections of town, you can usually find us. Or we'll find you," Devrin replied.

"Who hired your group?"

"Some small, skinny man. Called himself 'Cannon'. He asked around for us and I met him. He outlined where we were supposed to go, who our kidnap target was, and a bonus for eliminating any resistance surrounding that target."

"Would this be him?" Roberts pulled out a flat-pic of Jarrett Cherime and showed it to Kane. The mercenary looked it over and nodded.

"That's him. Thought it was a hell of a funny nickname to give himself, for being such a skinny runt."

"You should never underestimate your opponents on physical appearance alone," the Jedi Master spoke up, drawing Devrin's eyes to him.

The mercenary shivered subtly and looked away. His one glance into the taller, older man's eyes confirmed what he'd already suspected. That only the larger man's Jedi Code and ingrained habits and morals were keeping Devrin intact.

"At ease, Master Jinn," Kerin said quietly, and the Jedi Master bowed slightly. Then the captain looked at Kane again. "What do you know about this man?" he asked, tapping the flat-pit once.

Devrin shrugged. "Not a lot. I know he was connected with the Rinjornn Senate offices somehow; I had one of my men tail him when our meeting ended. Other than that, not much. Oh, he wasn't the only one in on this, either. My man overheard him when he placed a commcall to someone else. Someone this guy, Cannon, called 'Boss,' and it wasn't me. Told the dude on the other end of the comm that he'd hired us and that the girl would be in his possession within a few days and the other guy could come get her. That's it."

Qui-Gon traded a look with Captain Roberts. While there were no names involved just yet, Qui-Gon had reported the threat Walrin Hunter had made to Kileinnie as he'd been leaving to the captain. Both men realized that this entire setup was probably the work of the wealthy bastard.

Turning his attention back to Devrin, Roberts said, "What's your man's name, so that we may question him?"

"Calls himself Archer. Don't know what his real name is, he probably won't tell you, either. Don't get your hopes up; he's been running with me for thirteen years and I still don't know," Devrin warned.

"It's not necessary. Thank you, Mr. Kane, for cooperating. Someone will see you back to your cell in a minute," Captain Roberts said, standing up and gathering up the items he'd brought in.

Falling into old habits, Devrin stood and attempted a salute, slightly marred by the manacles he wore. Kerin raised an intrigued eyebrow, then gave a crisp nod, turned on his heel, and walked out of the room.

Qui-Gon paused for one last look at the mercenary before him, then turned and silently glided out as well.

Shivering, Devrin remained standing, not trusting his knees to stay locked if he sat down again. He knew the Jedi wouldn't do anything to him, but the knowledge that the man had the powers to do whatever he wanted to Devrin was daunting, to say the least.

"So, doing better, I see," Kileinnie said, grinning as she walked into the Infirmary to see Obi-Wan sitting up in bed and eating a meal that had been brought to him.

The young Jedi grinned and looked up from his plate as he watched his friend approach. "Yeah," he agreed, scooting over slightly to make room for her to sit on the bed. "I got out of the Bacta a few hours ago. Master Qui-Gon was there and he told me he'd be interviewing the leader of the mercenary group and that I was to sit tight and not harass anyone. As if I ever harass anyway."

"Maybe he meant you shouldn't be quite so scamp-ly," she teased, reaching over to snatch a bite of food off his plate.

Obi-Wan snorted. "Then he should have said so. I am following his orders, though, so he can't complain."

"Guess not," she agreed, staring at a med-unit on the far wall of the Infirmary.

Reaching over, Obi-Wan touched her hand. "What's up, Killy?" he asked. "You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just irritated, tired, and coming down off that adrenaline high still. Never mind the fact that now I've got this whole mess to sort out, plus we all need to sit through a court hearing and let the mercs and Jarrett stand trial for their crime. Faye told me he's been arrested and she seems to feel he's the guilty party."

"It's usually good to go with your gut feelings," the Padawan stated, then raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't think he is guilty?"

"Well, that's the hell of it. It feels like he is and like he isn't, you know?"

"You mean like there's somebody else behind all this?"

Kileinnie nodded, picking absent-mindedly at a loose thread on Obi-Wan's blanket.

"Well, we'll have to wait and see what turns up. For what it's worth, that sounds right to me," he said, patting her hand.

"I should go now," she said. "I promised Felicia that I'd show her the Atrium and then I'd take Owen down to the garage bay and show him my speeder bike. And I know they're all gonna want to stop in and see you soon."

"Thank goodness the trial will be held soon; then my family can get out of your hair," Obi-Wan teased.

"They are not in my hair," she snorted. She gave him a skewed grin. "I like your family. You must miss them an awful lot."

He sat back, staring off into space. "No, not really," he said finally. "I know it sounds hard and callous, but I was raised in the Temple. I don't really remember my early years with my family. I was so tiny and young when they gave me up to the Jedi. And I only saw them maybe five times in person while I was growing up."

"And now that you and Qui-Gon are so close..." she added.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Especially now."

"Hmmm. Well, I'd better get out of here and let you finish up on your resting. I don't want Qui-Gon to give me that menacing stare he gave the mercs if he finds out I've held you up," Kileinnie said teasingly as she stood. Then she leaned in quickly and pressed a lingering light kiss to his lips. She pulled back, smiling at his raised eyebrows and mildly shocked expression, then turned and left the Infirmary.

He was still sitting there, a bemused smile on his face when Qui-Gon walked in. He strode up to his lover's bed and looked down at him. Then, a slow smile began to spread over his handsome face.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked, point blank.

"She kissed you, didn't she?" The questioning answer was equally blunt.

"Two minutes ago, to be precise," the younger man said with a blush. He ducked his head with a blush, then glanced up when Qui-Gon's weight settled on the bed where Kileinnie had been sitting. He found his lover watching him with an amused grin and frowned. "Don't say it."

"I told you so," Qui-Gon murmured, reaching out to lift Obi-Wan's braid and let it slide through his fingers.

"I told you not to say it," the padawan sighed, rolling his eyes. Then he reached up and caught his lover's hand and held it in his. He smiled at the older man softly. "Are you okay?"

"Certainly. I only had ten years taken off my life when I felt your summons and knew you to be under attack. It's a good thing that those speeders we used to get to your parents' farm can be coaxed to high speeds. Otherwise, I'm certain it would've been twenty years off my life. Other than that, and not counting the hours of meditation I can expect on not holding grudges and being quicker to release my anger into the Force, I'm fine. I won't be able to say the same for my knees, but I'll be okay," Qui-Gon stated.

"Oh, that's good to know," Obi-Wan teased. Then he raised an eyebrow. "Hours of meditation?"

The older man nodded. "Yes. When I saw you had been injured, I was ... incredibly upset."

"I've been injured before, Master. And you were not always there to watch my back when it happened, either."

"That has little bearing on my emotions, my Obi-Wan, though I do wish that I had been at your side. But now that you are my lover as well, things are a tad different. I must work on accepting this and getting on with my life."

"Hopefully with me in it?" Obi-Wan dropped his gaze to the blanket, somewhat shy.

Jinn reached out and nudged his lover's chin up and smiled into the younger man's eyes. "There would be no point to going on, otherwise, my love," he said softly.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to tell his lover to not say such things, but it would be incredibly hypocritical of him to demand such things when he himself felt the same way. If Qui-Gon were not there by his side, why would he want to consider anything else?

The master knew what was going through his student's mind, and smiled inwardly. Taking a deep breath, he let it out, attempting to keep his emotions in check. "You know, this seems to be a good opportunity to discuss something that has been on my mind for a while now."

Kenobi raised an eyebrow, curious. "Really? What would that be, Master?"

"Obi-Wan..." Jinn paused, searching for the right words. "Have you ever considered a soul-bond?"

Obi-Wan's jaw dropped towards his chest and his eyes flared slightly. Had he heard correctly, or was the concussion playing with his head?

Qui-Gon waited, hiding his discomfort, his gaze calm and steady.

Finally, the younger man began to grin. It was slow, but it was sure, and finally, it stretched wide across his face. "Qui-Gon, did you just ask me to marry you?"

"In Jedi terms, yes, I did," the older man said, fighting to keep his voice steady.

Kenobi sobered slowly, thinking about how best to answer. Finally, he took his lover's hand in his own and brought the larger man's hand up so that he could kiss the knuckles slowly and gently. He smiled softly as he looked into the dark blue eyes that he loved so very much. "Qui-Gon, I would be more than honored to become your soulmate. However..."

"However?" Qui-Gon prompted, admonishing his heart to beat slower.

"I ... I'm still your Padawan as well as your lover. As such, that means that there's not a whole lot of equality in our relationship."

"Yes, I'm aware of that."

"Well ... I hope you won't be too upset by this, but I would prefer to wait until after I've reached Knighthood before we soul-bond. For right now, being Padawan and lover is good enough. If I became your soulmate as well, then I would be constantly fighting with myself, and possibly with you, on which of your orders to obey or not. And being my soulmate, wouldn't you find it uncomfortable to actually order me around?"

Qui-Gon's smile was tiny, but it was there. "Yes, I would."

"So, there. I love you, Qui-Gon. I love you more than anything. But first, I want to be your Knight before I become your soulmate. It will make things easier on us all the way around," Obi-Wan finished.

The smile grew wider. He turned his hand so that he could stroke his young lover's cheek gently. "When did you get to be so smart, my love?" he asked quietly.

That sassy smile that Qui-Gon knew and loved was in place a moment later, a sardonic eyebrow raised. "Why are you implying that I wasn't, beforehand?" came the prompt remark.

Qui-Gon laughed and leaned forward, brushing a light kiss over the younger man's mouth. "I love it when you make sense, love, as well as a convincing argument. You are right, of course; being soulmates would put a bit of a strain on our relationship right now. But, if I may be so bold and hopeful, I can consider us engaged for the time being?"

"Yes, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan replied, smiling. "I'm yours until the day you tell me to leave."

"Then I guess we should get used to the idea of being stuck with each other for a long, long time," came the teasing reply, along with a deeper kiss.

Obi-Wan let out a shaky sigh, his mouth parting as he tilted his chin for his lover's kiss.

The older man indulged them both for a few brief moments, then pulled back, smiling gently. "Not now, Obi-Wan," he said quietly. "I can't continue, or I'll keep going, and that would be hard to explain to the Infirmary staff."

The younger man laughed lightly, then ran a fingertip lightly down a beard-covered cheek. "Go on with you, then. I do hope you'll have suitable entertainment in mind when I'm allowed to come back to our quarters later this evening, though."

An eyebrow went up. "Oh, and you may count on it, scamp. I find I have a powerful urge to feel your life-force surging for me, reassuring me that you are still with me."

The two men grinned at one another and then with another light kiss, Qui-Gon left the Infirmary.

Obi-Wan sat in his bed with a smile and a moment later, a medic walked by.

"Is every guest you receive while you're here going to kiss you before they go?" the man asked, then turned and walked off, grinning to himself.

The Padawan blushed bright red, closing his eyes. Great mother of stars.

Jarrett blinked and sat up straighter on his bunk when he heard a faint electronic beep come from outside his cell door. It whooshed open to admit two security guards. They stood to one side each of the door and one of them nodded at him. "Come along, Mr. Cherime. You're wanted for questioning."

Sighing, the skinny, unassuming-looking man got to his feet. As binders were placed on his wrists, he said to no one in particular, "I was wondering when they'd get around to it."

The guards said nothing as they escorted him out of his cell to the windowless interrogation room.

Captain Roberts looked at the man before him with a barely concealed air of contempt. His pale orange eyes were slitted shards of ice. He'd known Cherime well, worked with the man for years. To find out a traitor was so well hidden among them was a hard blow to his professional pride and it affronted him on a personal level to find that the traitor was a man who, while not a friend precisely, was at least an acquaintance he'd been on good terms with.

Not anymore, Kerin thought to himself, then steeled himself to get down to business. The Jedi Master was not part of this interrogation, so it was only the Captain and Jarrett in the room. "Good morning, Mr. Cherime," he said pleasantly, if coldly. Objective, he reminded himself. Keep it objective, at least until he's convicted.

Jarrett mumbled something that might have been a greeting, but didn't look up from gazing at his hands, still bound, which rested on the table before him.

"Mr. Cherime, you are under arrest for your involvement in the attempted kidnapping of Kileinnie Turrow, future Senator, and the attempted murders of Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, his brother, Owen Kenobi, and their sister, Felicia Kenobi. Do you deny this? Wish to speak to a lawyer? I'm surprised you haven't asked for one by now."

That got a bit of a response. A tiny sneer, and the mumbled words, "What's the point? You already know I was behind it..."

"Thank you for admitting it, instead of lying and trying to weasel out of it. At least you have that much common sense, if not morals," Captain Roberts growled. He watched Jarrett's thin shoulders hunch under the whiplash of his words, sighed silently, and continued. "So why don't you tell me what you thought you were doing?"

When Jarrett stayed silent, even though he went pale, Kerin lost his patience, which was already stretched thin enough. Slamming the palm of his hands down on the table, causing Jarrett to flinch hard, the Captain of the Security Forces stood and leaned closer, his smooth face livid. "Answer me, dammit! You are a traitor to the Rinjornn government by your own admission. Or were you hoping that this person will have enough influence to get your sentence reduced so that you can easily be let loose from jail?"

The skinny man looked up finally, his eyes wide and slightly belligerent and Kerin had to fight back a triumphant grin. Instead, with cold satisfaction, he said, "Everything you say is being recorded, Mr. Cherime. Everything the others have said has been recorded. This will be used in the trial. Your best option is to cooperate. Now, Who. Was. It?"

Swallowing hard, Jarrett looked back down at his hands. "Walrin Hunter," he said finally. "He ... chatted with a lot of us, but apparently no one else took him up on his offer."

"And what offer was that?"

"Hunter can turn on charm real easily and skillfully. Make a body think he actually gives a damn or understands you, classic politician style. He charmed me into admitting that I've been unhappy being low man on the totem pole for so many years. I mean, ten years in that office and I haven't advanced past my current aide status, which is just barely above secretarial! I deserved to be promoted! A lot more than Norste; if Kilenu Turrow and Faye Norste weren't such close friends, I'd have been top aide!" Jarrett fumed. "Anyway, I admitted this to Hunter. And so he quietly offered that if Kileinnie were out of the picture somehow, he could then become Senator, and I'd have the position I'd always wanted as his top aide."

"And then, once he was established, you could somehow share his power by blackmailing him?"

Jarrett shook his head. "No. I don't want to be Senator, or even Acting Senator. It's too much in the public eye and too much responsibility and decision making. I know my limits, Captain. Top aide, I can handle; Senator, I can't."

"Bullshit. Top aide works under the same load as the Senator. It's just easier for you to get away with stuff behind the scenes," Kerin stated bluntly. "So, you think you're better than Faye Norste as top aide? And that she got her position through favoritism? Think again, Jarrett. She had to work her way up through the ranks by busting her ass, just like anyone else. She got where she was through hard work and determination, not as a butt-kissing weasel. It says so in her records. She was working in civil service before Turrow ever took office and she took the position of top aide before he took his position as Senator. I can tell you she wouldn't have resorted to kidnapping and murder to get ahead, either. Now, what about this plan to turn Kileinnie over to Hunter?"

Jarrett actually went scarlet at that. "He, ah, he wanted her."

Kerin's pale orange eyes narrowed even further, if that were possible and his jaw clenched. "Explain that clearly."

The former aide lifted his head again and glared at the Captain. "Walrin Hunter gave me orders to have Kileinnie Turrow kidnapped and then handed over to him so he could 'learn her some manners,' as he put it. What his actual plans were regarding her, I don't know, but you're an intelligent man, Captain Roberts. I'm sure you can figure it out. Besides, it's not as if this sort of thing isn't unheard of."

Kerin closed his eyes briefly in order to get a tighter rein on his temper. When he opened them again, the fury in his orange eyes caused Jarrett to tremble. "'This sort of thing' is a crime, Jarrett Cherime. A despicable crime and one that is not very well tolerated on Rinjornn. You know that as well as I do. How could you have lived with yourself, turning a seventeen-year-old young woman over to a man old enough to be her grandfather for that?"

Jarrett glared at him. "I could have handled it. If not, I wouldn't have thrown in with him and would have reported him, now, wouldn't I?"

"Point taken, Mr. Cherime, if inexcusable. Do you have anything further to add?"

"No, Captain Roberts. I did what I did because I wanted a higher position of authority. I have told you that Walrin Hunter charmed me into joining him on this crazy plan. I also admit to finding the mercenaries to perform the abduction and murders, and that I gave Faye Norste the suggestion to send the kids on a remote picnic where they could be ambushed. That's it."

"Thank you. This interrogation session is over. Wait here to be escorted back to your cell," Kerin said coldly, gathered up his information folder and recorder and left the room.

Jarrett slumped back in his chair, trembling slightly. He stared at his hands, even when they blurred from bitter tears. When the guards opened the door, he got up wordlessly and let them take him back to his cell.

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn watched his apprentice, Obi-Wan, from the doorway of their quarters that led out into the small, informal garden. The younger man had returned from the Infirmary yesterday evening. Qui-Gon had let him sleep late the next morning - actually, he ordered his padawan to do so - and they had a leisurely breakfast, then meditated together. They went for a stroll in the formal gardens, met with Captain Roberts when the man came looking for them to inform them of the results of Jarrett's questioning, and then had come back to their quarters so Obi-Wan could rest a bit more before beginning his katas.

Now the young man swept smoothly through his routine, no visible imperfections in his performance. Still, Qui-Gon watched him intently, looking for even the slightest hint that his apprentice was still too sore for his chosen high intensity level kata. There was a faint sense of exhaustion seeping through their training bond, but that was not uncommon with his chosen workout.

The door to their quarters chimed and Jinn silently withdrew from his chosen spot and glided to the door. He opened it to find the Kenobi family waiting in the hallway expectantly. A grin stole across his face, matched by the others and he stepped back. "Come in, come in. Obi-Wan is training in the garden, but I can call him back in for a visit," he said warmly.

"No, that's alright. Let the boy train," Brian said, chuckling slightly. "In fact, if we can, can we watch without interrupting him? He's never shown off his Jedi stuff and we've never asked him to."

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. "My padawan? Not show off? Amazing."

"Not true, Dad," Owen said. "Ben taught me some defense moves when he came home for the holidays last year."

"Ah, but have you seen him go through a training kata? Especially with his saber?" Jinn asked with a smile.

Owen shook his head, mimicked by Felicia.

"Then we shall have to remedy that." Turning his attention inwards, he sent along their bond, Love, your family is here for a visit. They would like to see you train if it wouldn't be a bother to you.

Of course not. Bring them out to the garden, please?

Coming, love.

Obi-Wan grinned at his family as Qui-Gon led them out into the garden. "Hi, family," he said comfortably.

"Hi, Ben!" "Hey, bro.!" Felicia and Owen called out.

"Hi, son," Brian said, grinning widely at his oldest child.

"Hello, dear," Sarah said, smiling gently. "How are you feeling?"

"In fine form, Mom. Settle down and I'll begin a training kata for you," the oldest Kenobi child said.

Brian raised his eyebrows. "Now, how'd you know we wanted to watch?" He turned a friendly accusing glance on the Jedi Master. "Qui-Gon, how did you snitch?"

"Why, Brian Kenobi, what makes you think I had anything to do with it?" Jinn returned, playing innocent.

"Because of that mind thing you share with Ben?" Owen guessed.

"You know about our training bond?"

He nodded as Felicia said, "Ben told us about it last time he was here. It sounds weird and neat all at the same time, to be able to feel and talk to each other using your heads."

Qui-Gon quirked a smile at the young girl. "It is, at that." Turning, he said, "Padawan, which kata do you choose to perform?"

"Third level, Master," Obi-Wan replied. Smiling slightly, he sent, Flashy enough to give them something to marvel over and praise me for, yet not enough to tax me any further.

Qui-Gon frowned very, very slightly. You're not feeling well, Obi-Wan?

Merely tired, my love. Don't worry. You know as well as I do that a healing trance later tonight will take care of the last of it.

Very well. Audibly, Qui-Gon inclined his head and said, "Begin, Padawan."

Obi-Wan saluted his master and audience with his saber, then took up a position a safe distance away from the group. Smoothly, he went into a series of motions; stretching, twisting, and whirling, his movements precise and graceful. His saber hummed as it moved through the air, a blue blur of potentially deadly power.

His family watched in awe, pride, and a little fear as he moved faster and faster. Qui-Gon smiled approvingly as his student and lover went effortlessly through his routine. Then he blinked and glanced down when he felt a slight weight rest against his leg. He'd noted with some amusement that Felicia had chosen to sit next to where he stood and now the young girl, in her relaxation and ease of watching her brother, had let her head tilt to rest against his leg.

Suddenly, in his mind, he heard a laugh. So, she'll grow out of it? Obi-Wan's mental voice teased, even as he executed an aerial somersault.

Oh, hush and pay attention to your kata. You know full well that you're the only Kenobi I want, Qui-Gon answered somewhat peevishly.

Yes, Master, the younger man answered silkily, then spun through the final moves of his routine, coming to rest before his family and bowing low to them all. He straightened up, panting, to their applause. He grinned at them, then looked to his master.

Nodding approval, Qui-Gon smiled and said, "Well done, Padawan. You're more tired from your exertions than I like due to your injuries, but you still did very well. Now, clean up and then come visit with your family."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said, bowed to him, and then disappeared into their quarters to use the sonic and get into clean clothes. As he was getting dressed, Qui-Gon asked him to prepare drinks for them all.

When he came out into the garden again, freshly dressed, he was carrying a tray laden with beverages. He handed his mother and sister iced teas, his father coffee, his brother a cold carbonated juice drink, and his master hot tea. He himself had a flavored water that he particularly liked.

"So, when is the trial likely to be set?" Brian asked, sipping on his coffee.

"As soon as the warrant for Hunter's arrest is delivered to him and Security takes him into custody. The trial will be two days after that," Qui-Gon replied.

"When will that happen?" Felicia wanted to know.

"The warrant will be delivered tomorrow, so we're looking at the end of the week."

"Oh, good. But why can't we go home in the meantime?" Sarah asked.

"For your own safety. We're not certain how far Hunter is willing to take this, so it's better for you to stay here, as well as convenient for when the trial takes place," Qui-Gon said quietly.

Sarah reached out reflexively to touch her nearest child, her face worried. "He wouldn't really ... would he?"

"Look at what he's tried already, Mom," Obi-Wan said.

The woman nodded and then she smiled brightly at her oldest son and said, "That was a very impressive display, sweetheart. I'm glad you're doing so well in your training. Qui-Gon has assured us that you are a very good student and that he's proud to be your Master."

Obi-Wan glanced over at his master and smiled slyly. "You know, Master, that's the second time I've heard about you talking about me behind my back."

"I'm entitled to some bragging rights, my Padawan. You are an exemplary student. I simply refuse to cultivate in you an overblown ego that might lead to the Dark Side," Qui-Gon admonished.

"Oh, well, as long as you are proud of me, I suppose I can live with it," the younger man teased.

"Scamp," the Master muttered, reaching over to slide his hand through his young lover's spiky hair, not quite caressing him as he ruffled the soft hair.

Sarah said nothing, merely watched this display. She sipped at her tea as she mused on it silently.

The talk progressed to other things for a little while longer. Later, Qui-Gon got up and excused himself, collecting their empty cups and taking them into the kitchen. He had put them in the cleaner when he felt another person in the tiny kitchenette with him. Turning, he found Sarah regarding him with a soft expression. "Yes, Sarah?" he asked quietly.

"There is something special between you and my son, isn't there?" she asked.

He blinked slowly and finally pretended obtuseness. "Well, yes, Sarah.

Obi-Wan and I are a close team, very good friends. We-"

"That isn't what I meant, Master Jinn, and you know it," she admonished lightly. She smiled slightly and said, "He is your lover, isn't he?"

Qui-Gon sighed, then regarded her closely. "You don't seem upset about it," he finally stated.

"I'm not. Ben is obviously very happy with how his life is currently proceeding. I can't complain about it, even if I wanted to." She grinned at him. "It comforts me to know that he will have someone who clearly loves him dearly always there for him. But, if I may ask, you do plan on making it permanent?"

Qui-Gon chuckled. "I asked him to soul-bond with me while he was in the Infirmary. In typical Obi-Wan style, he made me very proud of him when he asked me to wait until he has been knighted. He wants to wait so that I can claim a successful training and so that there is more of a balance to our relationship, more equality. He does love me, very much so, but he seems to want the best of both worlds. Who am I to argue with that?"

Sarah laughed. "That's my son. Do you know, even as a toddler, he was always going out of his way to make certain things were set up just right for his plans? It was very odd in a boy his age."

"It's the Jedi in him that makes it so, I wager," the Master replied, grinning. "Now, are there any other personal questions I may answer to set you at ease?"

"When will he be knighted?"

"Not for a few years, yet; he still needs much work in the Living Force, although his in-born weapons sense is astronomically incredible. There is still more to teach him, but he should learn quickly and readily. Don't worry, Sarah, you shall all be invited to our Bonding ceremony when it happens."

"Alright, Qui-Gon. I'll just have to be satisfied with that, then," she said.

"Shall we return to the others, then?" he gestured.

Sarah Kenobi nodded and they went back out to the waiting Kenobis.

Walrin Hunter was livid. He had been arrested two days ago, despite his protests, regarding the attempted kidnapping of young Turrow and the murder of her Jedi protector and his siblings. He'd been told that statements implicated him, though he denied any involvement, claiming innocence. Now, he huffed into the large courtroom in the city of Drinjan, angrily taking his place at one of the tables where his guards led him to.

Kileinnie, Faye Norste, the Kenobi family, Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan were waiting calmly at another table opposite. As they all waited, Jarrett Cherime, Devrin Kane, and the mercenary known as Archer were brought out to wait at Hunter's table.

Not looking at the skinny man who sat next to him, the large older man said quietly to him, "You can forget about ever getting that position as my aide now, Cherime. Of all the stupid-"

"Oh, cram it, Hunter," Jarrett sighed tiredly. "If you think you're going to buy or weasel your way out of this one, you've got another think coming. You're going down the tubes, same as the rest of us."

"We'll see about that, you little worm," Walrin hissed, then shut up as a Judge walked into the room and took his place at the bench that sat at the head of the courtroom, tall and imposing.

The medium-height man was plain-looking, with gray, curly hair cut short and a thick mustache. His face was stern and lined, though not heavily. His dark eyes scanned the defendants and plaintiffs alike, nothing on his face giving him away. He wore a simple black robe with a standing blue collar.

"All rise," the bailiff called out. Everyone in the courtroom did so, falling silent, and the bailiff said, "His Honor, Orin Gray, is presiding."

Judge Gray nodded to his courtroom. "Be seated," he said, then sat down himself as everyone else did. Opening the folder on his desk, scanning over the information of the case. Finally, he looked up and said, "Who is speaking for the Prosecution?"

"I am, Your Honor," Captain Kerin Roberts said, standing up from his seat at the Plaintiffs' table.

The judge nodded then glanced icily at the other table. "And who is speaking for the Defendants?"

Jarrett stood up and said quietly, "No one official has been appointed as our speaker, Your Honor. We'll speak for ourselves."

The man nodded again and Jarrett sat down. Looking out over the courtroom, he then turned his attention to Walrin Hunter. "You, sir, have been quite vocal in your protestations of innocence. Come up here and tell us all about it. Just remember, you're going to be under oath, so if it's found that you lied while under it, you're going to get double a load when the book gets thrown at you."

Hunter stood with a huff and made his way to the stand beside the Judge's bench. He sat, took oath, then pointed a stern finger at the plaintiffs and roared, "They're damn liars!"

The court exploded in loud murmurs, some calling out derision at Hunter.

The Kenobis all looked murderous, but between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, the Jedi managed to calm them down. Kileinnie glared daggers at Hunter, but said nothing.

"Mr. Hunter, one more outburst like that and I will hold you in contempt of this court. Restrain yourself from any other examples, and calmly explain what you mean," the judge ordered sternly.

Hunter nodded his agreement then visibly composed himself. Finally, in a loud, clear voice, he said, "Your Honor, I have been wrongfully accused.

Not only by those people over there-" he gestured again at the prosecution table, "-but by those criminals over there as well!" He pointed over to the table where Jarrett and the mercenaries sat. "I have been accused of arranging kidnapping and murder and I tell you and all these fine citizens here now, I didn't do it!" he finished with an angry huff.

"Thank you, Mr. Hunter, that'll be all." When the large man had left the stand, the judge looked over to the prosecution. "Captain Roberts, your witness."

"Thank you, Your Honor. Your Honor, I call Jedi Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi to the stand," Kerin said, and Obi-Wan stood up with quiet dignity, his robes falling gracefully around him, and made his way to the stand. The young man took oath and then waited expectantly.

Judge Gray looked the young apprentice over critically, as aware as anyone in his position could be that Jedi could not and would not lie, especially in a situation like this. Nor would they use their formidable powers to bend things their way when called upon to tell the truth. Sighing quietly, he read the information again, then looked over to find Obi-Wan staring at him silently, waiting with calm patience that was eerie in a man so young. "Very well, then. Padawan Kenobi, would you please tell the court what happened when you were attacked?"

"Yes, Your Honor," the young Jedi replied, and proceeded to tell the tale of going on a picnic with the young Senator-to-be and his siblings, being attacked and subsequently injured, the arrival of his Master and parents and Faye Norste. The mercenaries had been questioned before they were all brought back to the city to await trial and they had implicated Jarrett Cherime as the man who had hired them.

"Thank you, Padawan Kenobi," Judge Gray replied, and gestured for him to step down.

"Wait just a minute!" Hunter thundered. "Don't we get the right to cross-examine this boy?"

"Boy?" Gray replied with mild surprise. "Padawan Kenobi doesn't look like a boy to me. And what could you possibly ask him that could point the evidence away from you?"

Walrin gaped at that and his mouth opened and closed a few times. The Judge sighed and again gestured for Obi-Wan to step down. The padawan did so with another smile and serenely went to take his seat next to his master.

From then on came the other witnesses, each telling what they had gone through and knew and then the members of the defense were called to the stand. Neither Devrin Kane nor Jarrett Cherime attempted to lie or obfuscate their way out of their current trouble. They were up front and to the point, admitting to what they had done and why and who had hired whom. With each confession, Hunter got angrier, more scared, and more bright red in the face than he had been previously.

Orin Gray reviewed the case and the information given him. Finally, he took a deep breath and called out, "Devrin Kane and Jarrett Cherime, stand before the bench!"

The two men did so; Kane calmly, Cherime dejectedly. Gray looked down upon them and waited for a long moment, then began. "Devrin Kane, each of your men has already been sentenced to five years in the Sarcean system ore mines. You will get an additional two years added onto that sentence. Jarrett Cherime, you will join the mercenaries in the mines for eight years. All of you are forbidden from returning to Rinjornn for the remainder of your lives. Dismissed!"

Everyone was silent as the two prisoners were led away. Finally, the Judge thundered, "Walrin Hunter, front and center!"

The fat old man got up and stood before the bench, a lot of his bluster gone and fear beginning to take its place.

"As for you, Walrin Hunter ... records were made of each of your remarks and meetings with Miss Turrow. Each episode of your harassment of her has been reported. With this information, and the unfaltering confessions and evidence brought against you, it is my judgement that you are guilty without a doubt at masterminding the scheme to kidnap Kileinnie Turrow for unlawful purposes and the instigator of a plan to murder two children and a Jedi of the Republic Order. I hereby sentence you to be taken to the distant planet of Zanac, where you will-"

"No!!" Hunter bellowed. He knew what happened to prisoners on Zanac; humanoid bodies were too costly to maintain, so their brains were removed and encased in durable metal bodies that sustained the organic matter enough to continue their sentences. "No, I can't; I won't!"

With that, he turned and lunged for the nearest two guards, surprising them with a burst of speed no one had believed him capable of. He kicked one guard in the groin and the man went down with a pained cry; he wrenched the sidearm away from the other guard and slugged her hard even though she attempted to defend herself and take him down. Whirling, his mind encased in a raging haze, he aimed blindly for Kileinnie, intent on taking her with him-

And his body jolted backwards when a simple, clean shot speared through the center of his forehead. He slammed into the wall behind him and slowly slid down, his eyes wide and blank in their frozen surprise.

Everyone glanced at Captain Roberts, who stonily replaced his weapon in his holster. He glanced at the people behind him, meeting the calm and knowing gazes of the Jedi, then up at the Judge. "Your Honor...?"

Orin Gray sighed and rubbed at his head. "Well, that certainly takes care of that. Ruling is: self-defense. All charges dropped. Case and court dismissed."

The attitude of the people in the courtroom was subdued as everyone silently filed out of the room.

"Obi-Wan, may I talk with you privately for a moment?"

The Jedi apprentice looked to his left to see Kileinnie standing beside him, looking hopeful and nervous at the same time and smiled slightly. "Of course, Killy. Where to...?"

"The garden, if you please." The young Senator-to-be turned away and led the way to the balcony doors and out into the cool, moonlit night.

Watching them go, Qui-Gon smiled slightly to himself. He had a fairly good idea of what was about to happen and he was going to keep his nose out of it. But as soon as he and Obi-Wan retired for the evening from this celebratory reception, a particular Jedi Master was damned well going to mark some territory on a certain Padawan of his acquaintance.

Outside, the two young people strolled along in silence, admiring the hushed coolness of the softly illuminated garden. It was a welcome respite from the heated confines of the ballroom, where Rinjornnans had gathered and mingled together to celebrate the fact that their upcoming Senator was okay and would soon be elected to the Republic seat.

Judging them to be deep enough and shielded from prying eyes, she stopped and turned to face Obi-Wan, admiring the way the moonlight gilded the strong, handsome face. "Wow," she breathed softly. "You're a really good-looking man, Obi-Wan."

Raising an eyebrow, the Jedi smiled softly and replied, "You're quite lovely yourself, Killy."

They were silent for a moment longer, just gazing up at the full, pale moon. Then she turned to her friend. "You know what's really strange?"

"No; what?"

"Hunter's death isn't as satisfying as I thought it would be. I mean, I'm glad he's not going to be causing trouble anymore, but ... it's just really strange. I would have been satisfied with him going to Zanac; but he got himself killed instead. Why do I feel kind of guilty and yet not guilty about that?"

"I don't know, Killy; I can't answer that one for you. What I do know is that you're a good woman and one who doesn't wish bad things on anyone permanently. Also, you've known Hunter for a long time; even as much of a jerk as he was, it's going to be weird that he's gone. But as for acceptance of what has happened, that's up to you. I would suggest meditation, but I have the feeling you'd rather kiss a Hutt on the lips than do that."

Turrow laughed and lightly socked Obi-Wan on the shoulder. "Maybe, maybe not," she teased. "I'm a little more open to the idea now, after having hung around you guys for a while."

They were silent again and then she once again turned to the young man.

"Obi-Wan..."

"Yes, Killy?" Obi-Wan invited.

She bit her lip gently, then asked hesitantly, "Would you kiss me? Just once, just so I can at least know that much of you. I know Qui-Gon has your heart, but ... just once, so I know what it's like...."

Obi-Wan turned to fully face the young woman, regarding the open expression on the beautiful face. There was hope there in those pretty gray eyes. Hope and fear of rejection, fear of losing a friend, and desire as well. Mixed with a poignant, underlying sadness that melted Obi-Wan's heart. Reaching out, he gently brushed his fingertips down her face and moved slowly closer. He watched Kileinnie's eyes widen, shocked at the fact that she apparently was going to get her wish, pleasure at it, and nervousness. She opened her mouth to say something, but Obi-Wan stopped her with a finger across sensuous lips.

"Hush, Kileinnie. Say nothing; simply feel, live in the moment. I shall give you a kiss to remember me by, my friend; one that I shall remember as well," Obi-Wan said softly.

And he did.

Cupping the beautiful young woman's face gently in his palms, Kenobi leaned forward and slowly, gently, thoroughly tasted her mouth in a tender kiss that spoke of caring and affection. His tongue lightly traced those lips, then slipped inside to slowly stroke every inch of the inside of the young woman's mouth. Kileinnie moaned and curled her tongue heatedly around Obi-Wan's and then whimpered when the young Jedi gently sucked on it. She trembled, hard, and found strong, comforting arms wrapping around her, holding her close to the young, virile body of the Jedi Padawan. Eventually, the kiss trickled away to gentle nips of hers lips and strokes of Obi-Wan's tongue. When it was done at last, and Kileinnie was breathing hard, she pulled away and bent her head to rest it on her friend's broad, sturdy shoulder, blinking away tears from the heartfelt sweetness of the kiss.

"Thank you," she finally whispered, hoping he would understand all she meant by those two simple words.

"I know," Obi-Wan whispered back, soothingly stroking the auburn-brown curls that his cheek nestled on.

Long moments later, the two of them pulled apart and smiled at each other, Kileinnie a trifle self-consciously. Without a word - none needing to be said - they turned and went back to the ballroom.

Obi-Wan found Qui-Gon waiting for him off in a quiet corner. He slowed his steps when the older man turned fully to face him and those dark blue eyes drilled into his own gray-blue orbs.

He knows, Kenobi realized. He knows precisely what I did out there with Kileinnie....

And his heart swelled to the point of bursting when a brilliant, warm smile slowly stretched across that gorgeous, beloved face and those strong arms opened wide, waiting eagerly for Obi-Wan to fill them with himself.

Grinning, Obi-Wan stepped forward and inserted himself against his lover's body and purred softly as he was wrapped up and held close in that loving, comforting embrace. "Thank you for understanding," he said softly.

"Always, my Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon murmured quietly as he held his lover close to him. "Just as you understand me." He waited a moment, then added, "However, I would very much like to go back to our quarters now and prove to you that you are, indeed, mine."

"Possessive, my Qui-Gon?" the younger man replied with a grin. "How un-Jedi of you. I never would have guessed."

"Scamp," Jinn muttered, and bent to take his lover's mouth in a short, singeing kiss before breaking away and turning to begin the short trip back to their quarters.

Their various friends and family watched them slip out of the room quietly and smiled to themselves. Master and Padawan were together and all was right in the universe.

At least, for the moment.

FINITO! (finally, right? i know, i know, took me long enough....)