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Between the Darkness and the Light

by MrsHamill (thamill@cox.net)

Pairing: Q/O
Rating: NC-17
Archive: MA and my site, Mom's Kitchen at www.squidge.org/~foxsden
Category: AR; action/adventure; drama; first time
Warnings: Gratuitous overuse of adverbs
Summary: In a Temple gone power mad, who will stand up to see that justice is done? A Space Opera in the Classic Lucas Tradition (well, except for the sex), right down to the fine Corinthian leather seats.
Disclaimer: What, you think I own these guys? Do I even look like George Lucas? If this is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as random coincidence. No such thing as too much lubricant. (Thank you, Mark Morford.)
Notes: Welcome to the fic that nearly ate my life. Another plot bunny from Escapade, this one was all done by yours truly, and trust me, I did NOT intend it to be this massive! Those of you familiar with Babylon Five may remember the title from a B5 episode; the plagiarism is entirely intentional. Thank-yous, heartfelt and sincere: To Susan, for letting me borrow Chiyari (see? I didn't even hurt him!). To Christi, the shameless bunny pimping pain in the ass muse of the weird creative consultant who probably still hasn't read the whole (revised) thing but who gave me the title. To Majilique, for her beta work, for being a sounding board, for nagging and unflagging support and 'cos I love her. To Claude, easily one of the best and definitely the most patient beta on the East coast, who did an utterly fantastic job for absolutely zero pay. And to Camille, who batted cleanup -- always a messy job at best, and with MY fic, disgusting -- and who did a superlative job at it, right down to the last comma. Any mistakes left in this sucker -- well, it ain't the fault of those master betas *snerk*, it means I tweaked and just got too damn tired to care, so I'm sorry already. :-)

Most men have a good side and a bad
most men walk a line
between the darkness and the light
but for me the line is blurred
I am the darkness given power by the light
doing evil to set the wrongs right

I do what must be done
what mortals can not do
and whether my destination is heaven or hell
I do it all for love
I do it all for you

-- Darkness and Light by Stephen Hall

PART ONE: Qui-Gon

The shrieking and cursing was loud and arresting, and it turned heads all over the Temple. However, once everyone saw it was merely three Seekers dragging a pregnant woman between them, most shrugged and turned away.

Master Qui-Gon Jinn happened to be crossing the Great Hall at that time and frowned when he saw the quartet. One of the Seekers, a very young, newly-knighted young man, looked familiar, and Qui-Gon signaled him. "Knight... Chun, am I right?"

"Yes, Master Jinn," Chun replied, nodding to the tall master, pausing briefly as the other two men struggled with their captive.

"What's going on here, Knight?" Qui-Gon asked, indicating the struggling woman with a frown.

"Her child tested positive for Force sensitivity, Master," Chun began, but the woman's screams overrode his voice.

"Help me!" she shrieked, twisting in the arms of the other two seekers to turn pleading eyes on Qui-Gon. Her protruding belly should have made it difficult for her to move, but she seemed remarkably lithe. "Please! I beg of you!"

Qui-Gon glanced at her with a frown. "Why isn't she sedated? You're creating quite a ruckus."

"She's in the last trimester, Master," Chun replied, moving quickly to help his cohorts. His voice rose to be heard over the woman. "It would be dangerous for the fetus. If you'll excuse us..."

"Of course," Qui-Gon murmured, but the quartet was already moving away, the still-struggling woman screaming invectives at the top of her voice aimed at Qui-Gon, her captors, and the Jedi in general. Still frowning, Qui-Gon looked after them as they disappeared into one of the lifts along the wall. After a moment, he forced himself to move towards the staircase.

"Qui-Gon?" A voice made him turn to see a friend, Mace Windu, walking towards him. "What was all that about?"

"Seekers bringing in another child," Qui-Gon replied. "Well, a woman pregnant with one. She was creating quite a commotion; I don't know why she wasn't under a suggestion."

"Oh, yes, I'd heard they just returned from Alderaan," Windu replied. "If you're on your way to the Council Chamber, I'll walk with you."

"Certainly. From Alderaan?" The two men walked to the broad staircase and began ascending as they chatted. "I thought we'd been banned from Alderaan by the Organas?"

"We're Jedi, Qui-Gon," Mace replied. Qui-Gon blinked at what he thought was a slightly bitter tone in Mace's voice. They reached the balcony overlooking the Great Hall and turned toward the Council Chambers. "There's no place that can ban us -- not for long anyway." They walked in silence for a moment before Windu continued, "And Alderaan is known to be a breeding ground for Force-sensitives, so it's a good place for us to Seek."

"Yes, Alderaan is generally an excellent place for Seeking," said a voice behind them.

Qui-Gon turned with a half-smile and a half-bow to the tall, white-haired man who was fast approaching behind them. "Master," he said. "I expected you in the Council Chamber."

"Padawan," said Master Dooku, acknowledging Qui-Gon. "I was delayed. Mace," he continued, nodding to the other master. "Why are we discussing Alderaan?"

"Seekers brought in a pregnant woman just now," Qui-Gon explained. "They were causing a scene in the Great Hall. Mace tells me they had just returned from Alderaan."

"Yes, that's why I was delayed," Dooku said, waving them through the doors of the Council's antechamber. "They did not do as well as I'd hoped on this run, only bringing in thirty-nine Force-sensitives." Dooku sighed. "And many of them are adults, totally unsuitable for our needs. Not, of course, that we won't try," he added brightly, clapping the two men on the shoulder.

The three of them proceeded into the Council's conference room, where most of the Council members were already gathered. As Dooku took his place at the head of the table, the rest took their seats. Qui-Gon, not being a member of the Council but having been summoned for this session, sat down on one of the extra chairs, behind Mace Windu.

Dooku was an arresting figure in his sky-blue Jedi robes crowned by a shock of white hair. He wore a neat goatee -- as opposed to his former padawan's full beard -- and carried himself well. Despite his age, he was still a formidable fighter. He was, however, hardly the eldest on the Council and as he looked out over those at the table, he acknowledged most of them by eye contact, if not by nodding.

"As both Mace and Qui-Gon just noticed," Dooku started without preamble, "the Seekers dispatched last month have newly returned from Alderaan. They unfortunately did not do as well as usual on trips to Alderaan and have brought only a handful of Force-sensitives back to the Temple. I've already received the standard letter of protest from the Organa family to the Senate." He smirked as the other members of the Council chuckled. "I intend to ignore it, of course, as always. They have left the Senate, so they no longer have rights within the Republic. I would like a couple of volunteers to oversee the testing of the candidates brought in. Depa? Would you and Ki handle that, please?"

Nodding, they made notations on their datapads. "Good. The Seekers also reported more news of this troublesome so-called rebellion against the Jedi, which, coming from Alderaan, doesn't surprise me in the least. While that planet has always been a prime source of Force-sensitives, it has also been a thorn in our side since the Sith War. I don't doubt that we're going to have to do something about the Organas, I believe, some time very soon. It is worth discussing, at least.

"I've also received a petition from a family here on Coruscant, about someone named Tholin? Sorin Tholin?" He frowned at his datapad. "Does that name ring any bells with anyone?"

Mace was staring at his datapad. "Yes, actually," he said. "It was a boy the Seekers brought in about a year ago. He was a bit too old for the standard indoctrination, unfortunately, and was sent into the Force."

"Ah," Dooku said, and his face took on a semblance of sadness. "I shall sadly inform the family of his passing, then. I hate losing candidates."

"Actually," Mace continued, clearing his throat, "I've been meaning to put that forward for discussion. I really don't think six months is long enough for some of these older children. The Seekers aren't returning candidates at the rate they used to, and the visions say that we're going to need every one we can get." He glanced around the table. "I think a longer indoctrination time merits some discussion."

"This is something that's been discussed in the past," Ki-Adi Mundi said with a frown. "Six months should be sufficient time to see if a child is malleable enough for our needs."

"I think Mace has a good point though," Depa Billaba said in her soft voice. "We certainly aren't getting the same number of new candidates at a young enough age any more -- we're barely getting any, in fact. Perhaps a modification in the indoctrination would be in order."

"I fail to see where modification of perfectly good practices would help anything," Even Piell said. "Either they are good enough for the Jedi or they aren't. We certainly cannot countenance rogues running loose and possibly turning into Sith."

"Of course not," Windu replied sharply. "And that is hardly what I am suggesting. With what few candidates we're getting, we may end up with a glut of older children or young adults who need longer indoctrination, or modified indoctrination. Perhaps it is time to examine our automatic deletion after six months, and instead, focus on a longer period to see if it's feasible."

Both Mundi and Piell began a heated rebuttal, but were overridden by Dooku's mild voice. "Council Member Windu has a point, and has raised it in the proper fashion. Council Member Billaba has, to all intents and purposes, seconded it. It is a subject which can be opened for discussion, certainly. And perhaps even tested. Mace, please work with Depa and Ki on this latest batch from Alderaan -- several of them are far older than we like to get. If you would like to have one or two for extended testing, I see no harm in that." He looked around the table calmly, and several of the Council members nodded. "Keep me apprised of your findings, please; I'll require daily status reports.

"The candidate situation may improve with my next bit of news," Dooku continued. "The Hutts have agreed to begin testing in their slave pens for Force sensitivity, and giving the Jedi right of first refusal." There was a murmur around the table, and several Council members frowned. "I know, it is hardly politic to be working so closely with the Hutts, especially since the Republic's stance on slavery is quite clear. However, even with the Jedi in control of the Senate, we can hardly stamp out slavery altogether. That is a long and involved process. At least this way, we'll be able to save those who are Force-sensitive from living squalid lives as slaves."

Looking around the table, Dooku said, "I'll need a new sub-committee formed to oversee this testing and to make sure we are not being swindled by the Hutts." He smiled brightly. "It would hardly do for the Jedi to end up paying three times the price of a standard slave because that slave is Force sensitive. Please let me know if you are interested in being on the sub-committee, by private mail."

Dooku glanced down at his datapad. "Now, on to the reason why I called Master Jinn to this session. It seems that an old friend of his has dropped in to Coruscant." He looked across the room to Qui-Gon, who frowned. "Xanatos Chiyari has been spotted in the lower city, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon had to forcibly restrain himself from leaping to his feet. "Your permission to leave the Temple, Master," he bit out, as his hand tightened on his lightsaber.

"Denied, of course," Dooku replied. "Qui-Gon, I know how you feel about your former apprentice, but you will have to let the Seekers do their work. I knew you'd find out about this sooner or later, and hoped to head off the exact reaction we just saw."

"Xanatos is my responsibility, Master," Qui-Gon nearly snarled. He took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to calm himself. "I have the best chance at finding him. I know where to look."

"So do the Seekers," Dooku replied. His level gaze on Qui-Gon was bland. "Chiyari Enterprises is an important supplier of goods to the Republic, and Telos still welcomes Jedi presence. Indeed, the Senate representative from Telos is on several Senatorial sub-committees with me. They take no official stance on their former favored son, aside from the fact that the Governor General, his father, has disowned him." Leaning forward, Dooku pinned Qui-Gon with his intense stare. "Nonetheless, it would hardly be wise to have him the subject of a witch hunt. You will let the Seekers carry out their official duties, Qui-Gon." His eyes swept the table. "That goes for the rest of you as well. Xanatos Chiyari has been an embarrassment to the Jedi, and he will be brought to justice. Am I clear?"

Apparently what he saw pleased him, for he nodded and smiled slightly. "If anyone has anything else to bring up, please do so now." There was silence at the table. After a moment, he stood and said, "Good. We each have a heavy schedule, so I won't keep you. The Temple is Mother."

"The Temple is Father," the Council members replied in unison as they too stood and began to work their way out.

Qui-Gon stepped against the flow and made his way to Dooku, touching the man's sleeve when he was close enough. "Master? A word, please."

"Qui-Gon, you're not going to change my mind," Dooku said, smiling at his former apprentice.

"I realize that," Qui-Gon said, his voice testy. "However, I would like you to reconsider to the extent that I could just go out and meet some of my contacts. You know I have an extensive net of contacts in the Lower City and some of them will only talk to me."

"I don't like it, Qui-Gon," Dooku said, walking slowly to the door. Qui-Gon kept up with him. "You have a tendency to act rashly where your apprentice is concerned."

"Former apprentice," Qui-Gon ground out. "And if I swear... swear on Yoda's name... that I will turn in any information I glean to the Seekers, will that suffice?"

Stopping just outside the door of the conference room, Dooku took Qui-Gon's shoulder. They were very nearly of a height -- two of the tallest humans in the Temple. "You really must learn to release these frustrations over Xanatos into the Force, Qui-Gon," he said gently. "But yes, that will suffice. Please, be careful. The Order cannot afford to lose you."

"I understand, my master," Qui-Gon said, bowing deeply. "And I thank you."

"I only hope I am not making a mistake," Dooku murmured as Qui-Gon turned to go. Qui-Gon didn't answer him, pretending not to have heard.

Stopping first in the library, Qui-Gon brushed past the statue of Yoda that graced the entrance. The top of the slightly-larger-than-life-size image was burnished from thousands of hands rubbing it over the years, as it had become something of a good luck charm to rub Yoda's head before a test or other endeavor. He knew the inscription on the plaque as well as he knew his own name: "Master Yoda, the Greatest of the Jedi. Lost to us during the Sith War. There is no death, there is the Force." It had been nearly fifteen years, and Qui-Gon still bitterly missed the little green master.

The research that Qui-Gon needed to do took only a few moments. After that, he headed to his quarters with a datacrystal and a resolve to get out of the Temple that night, knowing that even had he not had Dooku's agreement, he would have gone. Somehow. There were always ways to leave the Temple, even without permission.

Throughout the remainder of his afternoon, Qui-Gon performed his normal duties with a distracted air, his mind settling on his upcoming excursion out of the Temple. He knew he had civilian clothes available, and knew he'd have to wear them, but worried how he would get in and out of the Temple unnoticed with them on. Luckily for him, he was a master, and rated a private sleeping and storage room. Most of the Temple residents now resided in a barracks-like arrangement, and the apartments he remembered sharing with his padawan had been converted to either storage or classrooms.

He was quiet in the dining hall, eating his dinner at a corner table while he went over some lesson plans for a class in astronavigation he was required to take -- a refresher course preparatory to teaching it. A shadow made him look up to realize Mace Windu was hovering over him. "Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Of course not," Qui-Gon replied, shifting his tray on the small table. "I'm not much company, though. I'm a bit preoccupied," he warned with a smile.

"I imagine so," Windu replied, serious to Qui-Gon's weak jibe. "You're going out tonight?"

"Yes," Qui-Gon replied, frowning at his friend. Windu didn't look well at all. "Are you all right?"

"A little tired," Windu admitted, picking at his dinner. "I spent the afternoon at the Healers' with Depa and Ki, looking over the new candidates."

"Ah." Qui-Gon cocked his head slightly. "Any of them good?"

"No." Windu shoved a forkful of vegetables into his mouth and began chewing deliberately, obviously not enjoying it. "Most of them are in their teens; there's not one that's under ten. Except for the baby, which has yet to be born."

"Has the woman calmed down any?" Qui-Gon asked curiously, studying his friend from the corner of his eyes.

"Well, of course, now that they've put a Force suggestion on her. They'll keep her Force-sedated until her time, then take the baby." With a snort, Windu dropped his fork and took a sip of his drink. "She's got ten or eleven weeks left. The baby has a very high midi-chlorian count, according to the amniocentesis. It could be the only candidate this quarter if none of the others pan out, and I'm afraid they won't." He rested his head in his hands. "More souls to join the Force."

Qui-Gon swallowed. "You need a vacation, Mace," Qui-Gon said softly, giving his friend a concerned look. "You should ask the Council for some time off, go visit somewhere quiet and peaceful."

"And who will do my work in the meantime?" Windu all but slammed his fists on the table and glared at Qui-Gon. "I don't have time to rest, Qui-Gon. I certainly wish I did. But you as well as I that there's too much to do around here, especially for someone on the Council. The Senate matters alone are enough for ten Jedi every day."

"I'm sorry," Qui-Gon murmured. "I didn't realize..."

"I don't know how you managed to keep off the Council, I really don't, but I envy you," Windu said earnestly, quietly.

"I'm too irascible," Qui-Gon said wryly. "And it's not like I don't do enough on behalf of the Council anyway. Dooku has me running from pillar to post around here, generally, between teaching and missions." He gave Windu a sympathetic look. "Don't envy me until you've taken on my schedule for a quarter."

"I know, I know," Windu replied, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. "It's just... Oh, to Sith hells with it. I don't know what my problem is."

"Everyone's on edge, since Alderaan and Kashyyyk withdrew from the Senate," Qui-Gon said. "And now that no one can leave the Temple without an armed guard... I think it bothers some of the younger knights and older padawans that Coruscant is no longer safe for them. I can't say as I blame them, either."

Windu shrugged. "Things change. Maybe once things settle down again... maybe after we've put down this ridiculous rebellion against us, we can go back to normal."

"I'm sure we will," Qui-Gon said, smiling. "You and I, we've been there before. I don't have to remind you how chaotic it was fifteen years ago. We recovered from that--"

"Did we?" Qui-Gon frowned. Had he really heard Mace say that? Windu had his eyes closed and his head bowed. As Qui-Gon watched him, frowning, his head came back up. "Just ignore me, Qui-Gon," Windu said. "I'm feeling down. I think I'll skip dinner and meditate instead. Be careful hunting."

"I will," Qui-Gon replied, frowning after his friend as Windu left the commissary.

He was in a reflective mood as he returned to his cramped room to change. The civilian clothing was packed away deeply inside the closet that functioned as a catch-all, and it took him some time to dig it out. He was glad, however, that his thoroughly organized ways meant that they had been cleaned and mended before being packed away.

The tight black pants felt odd, but meant that his regulation-issue boots looked fine. A soft white shirt which wrapped around and tied hid many things -- including two throwing knives and a couple of credsticks that weren't exactly listed to anyone, and the long, black leather coat had a hidden pocket specifically designed for his lightsaber. He also had a blaster which went on one hip -- unfortunate that it was completely discharged, but it looked convincing enough. After a moment's thought, he threw his Jedi cloak on over the whole ensemble and, raising the hood, left his quarters.

He walked through the Temple through various mostly-deserted hallways until he came to a small side door that was rarely used. However, it, too, was guarded, as there was no way in or out of the Temple that was not well-guarded in these days of turmoil. Qui-Gon nodded to the knights on guard and lowered his hood. "Master Jinn. I'm going out."

"You have permission from High Council Member Dooku," one of the knights said quietly. "Come back in this way or through one of the other low gates. The protesters have covered all the public entrances."

"Thank you," Qui-Gon replied. "I'll keep that in mind."

As the knight opened the door for him, he murmured, "The Temple is Mother."

"The Temple is Father," Qui-Gon returned in a preoccupied voice as he slipped out of the Temple.

His cloak helped him blend into the darkness outside the Temple wall, which was a good thing. He heard the protesters long before he saw them, and was able to stash his cloak behind a convenient planter before stepping cautiously out into the main square.

It was filled with people, many of whom carried hand-made signs which bore serious invectives aimed at the Jedi. Some were chanting, some were sitting vigil, some were merely screaming mindlessly at a tightly-shuttered Temple wall. From his corner, Qui-Gon could see the Temple security forces watching through well-shielded windows. He slipped carefully around the noisiest of the groups and walked quickly to the nearest public terminal to hail a skycab.

He had to change transports twice, since higher-level skycabs would only go so far into the lower levels. Finally, though, he stood before his destination: a seedy diner on the edge of the northeastern industrial zone.

The place was busy with the last of the dinner crowd, and Qui-Gon was able to enter unnoticed and take a seat at one end of the diner's long counter. It wasn't long before a waitbot appeared before him. "What'll it be, hon?" it asked.

"I want to talk to Dex," Qui-Gon said quietly. "Tell him it's an old friend seeking an old friend."

The bot reared back and looked at him hard for a moment, then turned away without a word. A few minutes later, after a loud but incoherent conversation in the back room, the cook emerged, glared at Qui-Gon, then stalked over to him. "What the hell are you doing here, Jinn?" he growled, sotto voce.

Qui-Gon spread his hands innocently. "Just visiting an old friend, Dex; is that a crime?"

Dex, a four-armed Besalisk, glared at Qui-Gon. One of his hands restlessly swiped at the counter with a cloth while the other three fidgeted -- hiking up his pants, fishing in a pocket of his grimy apron, fiddling with the condiments on display -- and his eyes went from staring at Qui-Gon to watching the crowd in the diner. "It is for the likes of you," he finally snarled. "We don't hold with your type down here no more, Jinn. I don't know what you think you're doing--"

"You know perfectly well what I'm doing here," Qui-Gon interrupted him in a low, intense voice. "And you're going to give me the information I want. Or do you want your clientele to know just who you consort with?"

Bracing himself on the counter with two of his arms, Dex's other two arms darted across and grabbed Qui-Gon by the lapels of his black coat. "Don't you threaten me, you baby-killing, mind-wiping, son-of-a-mynock," he said, his voice just as harsh and intense as Qui-Gon's. "I can have the local militia down here on your ass so fast you'd think you were in a wormhole. And don't think for a pico that they wouldn't like to get their blasters trained on a Jedi."

Qui-Gon met his stare for a moment, then raised his hands and pried Dex's paw-like hands off his coat. "It goes both ways, Dex," he said quietly, adjusting his coat with a shrug of his shoulders and sliding one hand into his pocket. "You know who I'm after. I'll find him, one way or another, and if I find out you've seen him, it'll be your generous ass in a sling, not mine. I'll see to that." He patted one of Dex's fists, which was clenched on the edge of the bar so hard the plasteel looked stressed. "Have a nice night, Dex," he said with a smile, before standing and sauntering to the door. He heard Dex muttering behind him, but ignored it.

A little over two hours later, after a dizzyingly fast trek through the seamier side of the industrial zone and the lower levels, Qui-Gon stood frozen outside a nondescript door in a dark, empty level nearly halfway around the planet from the Temple. He melted into the shadows for a good, long moment while he opened his senses to the Force and tasted the eddies carefully, searching for anyone, anything that was not as he expected it.

He had been doing that off and on for the entire time he'd been traveling: changing transports, slideways and bikesters; melting into crowded clubs and making unnoticed exits; visiting an incredibly varied array of contacts, most of whom wouldn't talk to him. Now, he knew he was where he needed to be, and every fiber of his Force sense told him that all systems were go, despite the fact that he could sense no one in the building behind him.

With a subtle tendril of Force, he slipped the lock on the door and eased through it to pitch blackness beyond. The door closed behind him silently, and Qui-Gon stood motionless, still wide-open to the Force.

A movement he didn't know was there and his lightsaber was in his hand, lit, and blocking a deep yellow blade that appeared to come from nowhere. In the hissing, crackling light of the mingled green and yellow blades, Qui-Gon saw a familiar, sharp-featured face framed by long, black hair.

"You're still pretty quick, old man," Xanatos said, his eyes narrowing. "Think you can take me?"

"I'll show you old man," Qui-Gon replied levelly, staring back into deep, blue eyes so much like his own.

Simultaneously, the 'sabers were extinguished and their four arms pulled their two bodies tightly together, squeezing hard as if to never let go. "Gods, Master, where have you been?" Xanatos gasped, his voice thick. "I thought you'd never get here."

"Xan, oh, my padawan," Qui-Gon choked, rocking the man in his arms gently even as his arms held on tightly. "It's been so long..." They both held on, wordlessly, in the dark, until Qui-Gon said quietly, "I came as soon as Dex told me where to look, but I had to be careful. I won't risk your life, Padawan, I can't..."

"You're not risking me, you're not risking anything," Xanatos whispered. "Lights, thirty percent," he called over Qui-Gon's shoulder, and the large, open room came into dim view.

Reluctantly, they pulled apart enough to look at each other more carefully. "Your hair..." Qui-Gon said wondrously, letting the long, black locks flow though his fingers.

"You think I'd keep that damn padawan cut when I didn't have to?" Xan replied with a grin, wiping at moisture under his eyes. "You... you look so thin, and tired. It's been hard, hasn't it?"

"Let's not talk about it yet," Qui-Gon replied, hugging Xanatos to him once more. Something rough under his cheek made him frown and look more closely at Xanatos' hair, to find... "Your braid. You kept it."

"My master never cut it," Xanatos replied softly, touching the place where it was pinned up deeply into his hair.

It was Qui-Gon's turn to wipe the tears from his face. "You would have long been a knight by now..." he started, but Xanatos interrupted him.

"Serving in a Temple gone mad? I don't think so," he said. "I'm just sorry, so damn sorry, that I had to leave you behind."

"Someone had to stay," Qui-Gon said, swallowing hard. "You were right, my wise padawan, you were right all along."

"Of course I was," Xanatos said with a watery smile. "I had the best master for a teacher. I'm always right." He reached out to touch Qui-Gon's face gently. "Oh, I've missed you, Master, so much. So very much."

"Eight years," Qui-Gon murmured, unable to look away from Xanatos, from the padawan he'd had to all but forget. "You're so much older now."

"You'll always be younger than me, Master," Xanatos said, with a sincere smile that Qui-Gon echoed, remembering their old joke. "Come on. Let's spar before we have to get serious."

"Spar?" Qui-Gon blinked at his apprentice as Xanatos stepped away from him and re-ignited his blade. "We can't, they'll feel the Force eddies..."

"No, they won't," Xanatos said, grinning widely. "Feel, Master. Access the Force. Tell me what's different."

Confused, Qui-Gon did his best to center himself and access the Force. It came to his call readily, but muffled, somehow, as if... as if... "That's strange," he said, frowning. "It almost feels like... I don't know..."

"You can sense me, and one other?" Xanatos' face was nearly gleeful as he spoke. "But you couldn't sense us from outside, right?"

Qui-Gon blinked. "No, you're right. I couldn't. Xan..."

"It's like a one-way mirror," Xanatos said. "It's an ore discovered by one of the miners under my father's employ. Alderaani scientists combined it with the metal we use to make Force collars, and figured out that if the metal alloy was properly installed in, say, a room, it would shield Force users inside while letting them access the Force completely, even from outside the walls. This whole building is shielded with it." Dousing his 'saber, he walked to the wall and knocked on it. "Took us a little while, but surprisingly less than you'd think. And you had no idea it was here, did you?"

"None," Qui-Gon said, his voice wondrous. "How... Xan, this is..."

"Fabulous, isn't it?" Xanatos said, laughing. "It took us over three years to perfect it, but now... The Organa's palace on Alderaan is partially shielded, as are a couple dozen refuges on Alderaan, out in the wilderness. We've got this place, and we'll try for another couple before we leave... I've got plenty stored in the freighter. And Crion's place, on Telos, it's shielded as well, and we're working on more safe houses there."

"That's why the Seekers have been coming up empty-handed," Qui-Gon said, blinking. "You're shielding them!"

Laughing outright and putting Qui-Gon near tears of joy over hearing that laugh finally after so long, Xanatos said, "Yes!" triumphantly. He ran to Qui-Gon and embraced him again, hard. Qui-Gon surprised them both by lifting and twirling Xanatos around.

"We've got a chance, haven't we, Xan?" Qui-Gon said, after he calmed down a bit. "We've actually got a chance!"

"Oh no you don't," Xanatos said, and grabbed Qui-Gon's coat. "Get this moldy thing off you, and come spar before we have to talk. It's been too long since I kicked your butt, old man!"

"You're welcome to try, my young apprentice," Qui-Gon returned, feeling lighter than he had felt in years... over eight years, to be precise. "But you just might be surprised..."

He shed his coat in a corner and quickly limbered up, aware that Xanatos -- Xanatos! -- was echoing him. Then he ignited his 'saber, dialed it down to training strength, and they began to dance.

It didn't take long for them to fall into the old rhythms. As always, Qui-Gon was sturdy like a broadsword, Xanatos was still lithe like a rapier, much as they had been eight years before. Soon, they were grinning fiercely at each other as their pace increased, then increased again. Xanatos surprised him by using some aerials -- I didn't teach him those! Qui-Gon thought to himself in pleasure and satisfaction -- and Qui-Gon managed to sneak in some new moves he had designed himself over eight long, lonely years.

Before long, they were bathed in sweat and laughing in sheer delight. Then movement out of the corner of his eye drew Qui-Gon's attention and he stopped suddenly, allowing Xanatos to get in the 'killing' stroke. A boy... no, a young man, a beautiful, oddly familiar young man was leaning against an inner door watching them with an expression of almost feral desire. Xanatos powered down his saber and used his shirt to wipe his face. "Gotcha, Master," he panted, and Qui-Gon, just as breathless but incapable of looking away from the young man in the doorway, chuckled.

Noting where Qui-Gon was looking, Xanatos grabbed Qui-Gon's arm and dragged him over. "Someone I've been looking forward to introducing you to, Master. You could almost say he's my very own padawan -- but not from that rotten, corrupt place you're forced to live in."

Qui-Gon looked at Xanatos in surprise. "Your padawan? Really?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, this is my master, the one I've talked incessantly about for all these years, Qui-Gon Jinn. Master, meet... well, I guess I can't say my padawan, can I? But he's close enough." Qui-Gon barely registered the sadness in Xanatos' voice. "I found him on Alderaan, helped him elude the Seekers; we've been together for more than five years now. Isn't that right, Obi-Wan?"

The young man, Obi-Wan, chuckled dryly. "You know I'm never going to call you master, Xan," he said, looking with distrust at Qui-Gon.

PART TWO: Obi-Wan

At the tender age of twenty standard years, Obi-Wan Kenobi had already lived a hard and almost brutal life.

Born on Alderaan, he was still an infant when the Sith War broke out and Jedi began to die all over the Republic worlds. Mercifully spared from the plague that had spread virtually everywhere, his family -- both he and his mother had high midi-chlorian counts -- had to go on the run when he was eight to avoid the new Jedi Temple Seekers, who were using increasingly brutal tactics to get to Force-sensitives and bring them under Temple control. It was no longer considered an honor to be chosen by the Jedi, not since it had been discovered that those deemed 'unfit' to be Jedi were put to death.

Fortunately for Obi-Wan, his family had connections, and the Organa family was willing to help them. By the time Xanatos found him, he was a surly teenager who had a very healthy hatred of the Jedi built up and was taking increasing risks at being caught by the Seekers in order to act out that hatred and defiance. Xanatos was just what he needed to teach him discipline, balance and the tenets of the true Jedi way.

Xanatos had given him adventure as well as an education, taking him from world to world while working on ways to subvert the parody the Jedi Temple had become. They rescued as many of the children and pregnant women taken by the Seekers as they could, organized resistance and helped set up hidden shelters, where people who had been identified as having high midi-chlorian counts could go to avoid the Jedi.

They lived under the gun, on the run constantly, helped under the table by Xanatos' father, the Organas, the Wookiee Ruling Council on Kashyyyk, and other Jedi who felt like they did and feared the might of an increasingly powerful Jedi Temple. Under that erratic lifestyle, Obi-Wan thrived.

But Obi-Wan's hatred of the Jedi never waned, and even though he knew that Xanatos' master was still officially a Jedi, he found it difficult to reconcile the reverence Xanatos felt towards Qui-Gon Jinn with the actual man himself. Drawn by the joyful music of the Force calling him to the room where Xanatos and Jinn were sparring, he watched from the door wanting with all his being to be able to move like that, while simultaneously feeling jealousy and distrust towards the man who not only sparred brilliantly with Xanatos, but had actually taught him.

When Jinn caught sight of him and froze, Obi-Wan was also caught -- by the deep blue gaze that pinned him to the wall with its intensity. Not even the fact that Xanatos 'won' their match could shake Obi-Wan's angry fascination with the tall man Xanatos was now dragging towards him. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, this is my master, the one I've talked incessantly about for all these years, Qui-Gon Jinn. Master, meet... well, I guess I can't say my padawan, can I? But he's close enough." Obi-Wan was startled by the sadness he heard in Xanatos' voice. "I found him on Alderaan, helped him elude the Seekers," Xanatos continued even as he got his breath back. "We've been together for more than five years now. Isn't that right, Obi-Wan?"

"You know I'm never going to call you master, Xan," Obi-Wan said with a little chuckle. Despite the fact that he hardly trusted Jinn, it was difficult to take his eyes off the man.

"That's all right," Xanatos said with a smile. "We'll never stand on ceremony. We can't, anyway. But some day..." Xanatos turned to Jinn. "I keep promising myself and Obi-Wan that some day, we'll have the Temple back, and the Jedi will once again be like they were. Some day." Smiling wistfully, Xanatos continued. "Thanks, Obi-Wan," Xanatos continued more normally, "I might not have won if you hadn't distracted him."

"Bollocks," Jinn murmured. He was still staring at Obi-Wan, making Obi-Wan feel distinctly uncomfortable. "You just about had me pinned, Xan." With obviously reluctance, Jinn turned a crooked smile on Xanatos and looked so sad that Obi-Wan found it hard to continue disliking him. "And that day will come, Xan," he said. "It's a day I can't wait for. Tell me you have other good news besides this wonderful shielding?"

Obi-Wan finally managed to tear his gaze away from Jinn and looked at the floor, hoping his face didn't reflect the odd embarrassment he felt. This man, this Qui-Gon Jinn -- this Jedi, he forced himself to remember -- made him feel uncomfortable in ways he didn't like to think about. He had briefly shaken the hand Jinn proffered and tried to concentrate on Xanatos, who looked so much better, so much happier suddenly -- Obi-Wan simply couldn't believe it was due to Jinn's presence.

"Oh, some," Xanatos said with a wink to Obi-Wan. "Come on. Let's get a snack and we'll talk. I know... I know you can't stay all night."

"No, I should get back to the Temple before daybreak," Jinn agreed heavily, following them into the next room of the building, which Obi-Wan and Xanatos had converted from an old warehouse. "Though you've made me sufficiently scruffy by that exercise session you put me through that I won't have any trouble convincing my lovely master of my work this night."

Xanatos waved Jinn to a seat at their little dining table, while he began to brew tea in their tiny kitchen area. "Fetch some of those sandwiches we saved, would you Obi-Wan?" he asked. "Tell me how you're doing, Master. Are you able to hide well enough?"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Jinn said in a bitter voice, sitting heavily at their table. Obi-Wan saw Xanatos wince and bite his lower lip hard at Jinn's words. "I have to watch while they 'put down' children, Xanatos. I have to sit by and calmly agree with Dooku while he makes deals with the Hutts to buy Force-sensitive slaves. Just today, those monstrous Seekers of his dragged a pregnant woman into the Temple, kicking and screaming, because her unborn baby tested high in midi-chlorians. I have to... I have to... damn and... and...!" Jinn hit the table hard with his fists, his face suffused with rage and pain.

Xanatos turned and rushed to Jinn's side, knelt and took one of Jinn's hands, soothing it out of a fist. Jinn's other hand was pressed against his face and his shoulders were shaking... he was crying? Obi-Wan stood in shock, his hands full of wrapped sandwiches, as he watched Xanatos comfort his former master. "I'm so sorry, Master, so sorry," Xanatos was murmuring, over and over, and his voice was thick and bitter. "This never should have... you never should have had to..."

Jinn scrubbed his face with his hand, then turned abruptly to Xanatos. "Don't say that, Xan," he said harshly. "You and I both know there was no other way. You couldn't have managed under Dooku's regime, and I would never have been able to do the things you've done." He leaned down and pressed his forehead to Xanatos' and when he continued, his voice was an embittered whisper. "It's been the knowledge that you're safe and free that has allowed me to stay alive and sane all these years, Xan. I manage... but I'm getting close to the end of my rope."

"I can tell," Xanatos said quietly in reply. They stayed as they were for a moment, until Obi-Wan put the sandwiches on the table and the kettle sang, then Xanatos rose and went to get the tea on. Obi-Wan saw him wipe tears off his face and felt another shock go through him -- the normally stoic and acerbic Xanatos was crying?

Jinn was sitting with his head down, breathing deeply, and Obi-Wan could tell he was using one of the same techniques that he'd been taught to calm himself. Looking through the Force sense he was just learning to control, Obi-Wan saw Jinn's aura shining like a star behind a cloud -- pure and whole, but muffled.

As if he could sense what Obi-Wan was doing, Jinn looked up and once again pinned him with his gaze. In those deep blue eyes, Obi-Wan could see the man's pain and fury as clearly as he could see his resignation and hope, and once again found himself wondering. Xanatos returning to the table broke their tableau, and Obi-Wan sat suddenly. "I don't understand," he said, accepting a cup of tea from Xanatos. "What did you mean, this wasn't how it should have been, Xan?"

Xanatos studied him for a long moment before speaking, and Obi-Wan was surprised that Jinn didn't speak up in the meantime. He didn't look like a man who was used to waiting for anyone.

"I suppose it's time I told you the whole thing," Xanatos began slowly, pushing one of the sandwiches at Jinn. "I don't really know why I've never told you, anyway -- I guess it just never came up." He hesitated a bit, and Obi-Wan felt an odd sort of thrill or feeling of trepidation go through him -- he'd finally know everything and he wasn't sure he was ready to know. "After the war, when Dooku began taking over everything and corrupting what the Jedi were all about, Qui-Gon and I fought. He was ready to call out Dooku -- he was ready to tear the man in half for the atrocities he was perpetrating. Those damn Seeker trips, all the illegal search and seizures... Palpatine was dead, the contagion stopped, things should have gone back to normal. But then Dooku grabbed power with both hands and appeared to be willing to do just about anything to hold it."

"Several of the Council members, along with Yoda, had died in the war," Jinn picked up the thread softly, studying the sandwich he had unwrapped. "Sith hells, we lost over a thousand between Palpatine's mercenaries and the plague. The newer Council members were willing to side with Dooku, since he had appointed them. And a few of the older ones were willing to back him unilaterally also." Jinn glanced up at both of them briefly, before turning his eyes back down. "Fear has a wonderful way of making horrible things seem necessary."

"It only took what, three or four years to figure out which way the wind was blowing," Xanatos said, taking up the story again. "We decided to wait, though, because... well, neither of us could believe that Dooku would continue. We both figured that there would be enough of a public outcry, that he'd be overruled, censured. But it -- it just never happened." Xanatos sighed and drank some of his tea. "Dooku became ever more entrenched and the atrocities just kept coming and coming. Finally, Qui-Gon'd had enough. We were on a mission, to Vronex. I was about twenty-one, just shy of my trials. We saw..."

Xanatos trailed off and swallowed. Jinn spoke up, his voice harsh. "We saw Dooku's Seekers 'put down' a 'rebellion'... a group of tribesmen from the inner bush refusing to part with their children for the Temple. They massacred them. Every last bloody one of them. I was livid. If Xan hadn't stopped me, I would have ripped those poor excuses for knights limb from limb."

"And become exactly what Dooku was!" Xanatos said sharply, and Obi-Wan could tell this was an old and familiar argument between them. Jinn just shook his head sharply and took a sip of tea. After a moment, Xanatos continued. "I knew then that things weren't going to change from within," he said. "One of us had to go outside the Temple, organize a real rebellion, get help from non-Jedi to get rid of Dooku: both in the Temple and in the Senate. The hard part, of course, was that by then, anyone who left the Temple, who disagreed with Dooku and his policies, was given 'the mercy.' We had to figure out a way to leave without putting any suspicion on the one that stayed while simultaneously keeping the one who left safe from the Temple's Seekers."

"I wanted to leave," Jinn murmured sadly, and Obi-Wan gaped at him. "I couldn't stand it. The Force around my former master had become so corrupted, so dark, I could barely take being with him. Xan wanted to stay, he was so close to his trials... But..."

"But it made more sense for Qui-Gon to stay," Xanatos said, when Qui-Gon obviously couldn't speak any more. "He was Dooku's former padawan, he could dissemble and hide so much better within the Force than I could. And I had Crion, and contacts on Alderaan... It just made better sense for me to go." He smiled bitterly at Obi-Wan. "We argued about it for days, taking one side and then the other. But in the end..." he sighed. "In the end, I left, and Qui-Gon had to stay. He's had to deal with that two-faced monster for the last eight years, with no one to back him up. No one to support him."

"I knew you were there," Jinn whispered, and reached for Xanatos' hand. "I knew."

They were quiet at the small table for several minutes, as master and padawan silently comforted each other and Obi-Wan tried to understand and put into perspective what he had been told. Finally, Xanatos cleared his throat. "Eat, Master. You look like you could use it."

Jinn snorted. "Still mothering me, Xan?" he said softly, and both of them chuckled.

"Always," Xanatos replied. "Let me tell you the other good news we have, let me try to cheer you -- hell, both of us! -- up. The shielding has only been our first step. So many things fell into place once we had that."

"I can imagine," Jinn said with a half-smile, lifting the sandwich. "I can't believe how much you appear to have accomplished in eight years. You've been busy. I wish we'd had more than furtive little notes dropped with Dex over the years."

"Same here... though it helped to know you were alive and well," Xanatos replied with a little smile. "You're right, you know. It's because of the shielding -- and because of me and Obi-Wan that those bloody Seekers are finding it hard to grab anyone these days." Xanatos winked at Obi-Wan, who rolled his eyes. This was a side of Xanatos he'd never seen before -- this near-giddiness in someone he knew as quiet, aloof and caustic -- and he really didn't know how to behave towards him. "Mostly what they get now are the gang members who are too stupid or too angry to stay out of their way. While I begrudge anyone taken, there's little I can do about that."

"And it's hardly your fault that they're stupid enough to be taken," Obi-Wan said with a frown. "I wish you'd stop blaming yourself."

Xanatos brushed off his concern with a wave of his hand. "I know, I know, Obi, trust me, I do. It just hurts to see anyone taken by what the Temple has become." He swallowed.

"Anyway, the support of the Wookiees on Kashyyyk and the Organas were really key to our work. And Bail, the younger son of the house Organa -- you know the name? He's involved in a very public feud with his father right now over their withdrawal from the Senate. His own idea -- the bloody-minded little sneak. He's as sharp as a tack, and having him on our side is something that can't be measured. We figure if necessary, he can go back to the Senate as the 'true' representative from Alderaan and gather information for us."

Obi-Wan was nodding as Xanatos spoke. "If anyone can do it, it's Bail. He's got the most convoluted mind I've ever met."

"Obi-Wan's a bit prejudiced when it comes to Bail Organa," Xanatos said with a mischievous smile.

"I am not!" Obi-Wan protested, then flushed when he realized Xanatos was teasing him. "You like Bail as much as I do," he said, then grinned. "You just wish you'd thought of it first."

Xanatos laughed at that, and Obi-Wan noticed immediately how Jinn's face lit up at the sound. He frowned and looked down, once again at a loss on how to act, how to behave. It was difficult to put aside his feelings for Xanatos, which he thought ran deeper than what a mere padawan might feel for his master. But Xanatos' relationship with Jinn was so different than how he had pictured it, he felt as if he were floundering, unable to understand the behavior. And Jinn himself was so different, so much warmer and vibrant than he had envisioned...

He sipped his tea and wrenched his mind back to the conversation. "...to be ready. We are, now. All we need is a big move, and I think I know what to do. We've got to yank Dooku's support right out from under him, and between my plan and what we've been doing all along, I think it might work."

Jinn swallowed and took a sip of tea, while frowning at Xanatos. "What do you mean, Xan?"

"We've been limiting the Temple's supply of initiates from outside, yes?" Jinn nodded slowly. "That means there can't be a very large number of youngsters ready to be taken as padawans. All we need to do, then, is get those youngsters away, and Dooku's Temple will collapse from beneath. There will be no new Jedi without them, and we can keep him from finding the kids, or more kids to take their place." Xanatos smirked. "Not to mention that we've got other plans for those children."

"Take the children?" Jinn asked, his tone incredulous. While Xanatos had outlined his plan, Jinn's mouth had dropped open and he had fallen back against the back of his chair. "How? Xani, you're talking about the most heavily guarded place..."

"Don't call me Xani," Xanatos said, that mischievous smile back on his face, and Jinn barked out a laugh, seemingly despite himself. "It's easy, Master. We don't break in to take them, we wait until they come to us." When Jinn just looked confused, Xanatos finally broke down and said, "The yearly trip to Dantooine. All the initiates and younger padawans... they all want to go, it's a holiday for them."

"But, Xan," Jinn said, the frown back on his face, "the trip's been canceled these last five years, since the riots began. How..."

"That's where you come in," Xanatos said firmly. "You've got to convince them to reinstate the trip. Just this once. I'll do the rest. I've got contacts all over the Pilot's Guild -- there's not a ship on Coruscant that leaves that I don't know who's on it, what the cargo is, and who paid off who to get it there." Xanatos leaned across the table and touched Jinn's hand. "You get those kids on a ship, Master, and I'll see to it they never have to go back to that horrible place."

Jinn looked absolutely speechless, and Obi-Wan smirked. Leave it to Xanatos... when he had broached this plan to Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan's reaction had been much the same. There was no way in hell that the Temple would let go of their most precious commodity, and Obi-Wan knew it -- it was virtually impossible. They'd end up storming the Temple, using violence against the false Jedi, and Obi-Wan, at least, was happy with that idea.

"I don't know -- I don't know if I can do it, Xan..." Jinn said, obviously lost in thought. "Although... I just said to Mace Windu that he needed a vacation. Many of the Council Members do. This hasn't been exactly the calmest of years for them." He grinned at Xanatos, who grinned back. "Maybe -- maybe if I get one of the others to actually put the idea forward... Jocasta might do it, or maybe Depa..."

"However you do it, just do it, Qui-Gon," Xanatos said earnestly. "We can maybe come up with another plan, but this has the best chance, the absolute best chance. My wise master once taught me all about digging in and undermining from within. I trust his words."

"You might be putting too much trust in them, Padawan," Jinn said sadly. "I'm not much of anything at the moment but an overworked, overstressed former Jedi." He smiled slightly as Xanatos' hand on his arm tightened. "But I'll try. You won't need me to send you a message about it?"

"If you can get out here again, please do so," Xanatos said with a wistful smile. "I -- I've missed you. But I know how hard it is to get out of the Temple now. My contacts keep me informed."

"You're probably better informed than the newsfeeds," Jinn said, admiration in his voice. "But you're right, I might not get out here again. It was difficult this time. As it is, I'm going to have to convince Dooku that my lousy, back-stabbing, traitorous padawan just was nowhere to be found tonight."

"Back-stabbing and traitorous, huh?" Xanatos said, rubbing his chin. His eyes sparkled.

"Better that than what Dex had to call me," Jinn growled. "I don't like being called a baby-killer."

"He called you what?" Xanatos said sharply.

"Calm down, Xan, you know that's what he had to do," Jinn said with a sigh. "He didn't mean me, he meant Dooku. But whatever he says has to sound good for the listeners. Which is a good reason why you are never to visit him there."

Subsiding with a grumble and a frown, Xanatos crossed his arms over his chest. "Nevertheless, some day we'll have to have a talk with young Dex. You'd better finish up," he continued quickly, cutting off whatever Jinn was about to say. "It's getting late, and I don't want you with even a whiff of scandal around you."

"Trying to get rid of me already, Padawan?" Jinn said with a smile.

While it was probably meant in jest, Xanatos took it seriously -- he acted as if the question had rocked him down to his core. "Gods, no, Master," he said quietly. "I can't believe that it's been..." He sighed. "I wish... I..." He seemed to be struggling for words. Finally, he just stared at the table and mumbled, "It would just be better if you stayed here, left that awful place that's giving you so much pain. We can figure something else out."

For a second time, Obi-Wan gaped, this time at Xanatos. He couldn't believe that Xanatos was offering to give up his plan, the plan he talked about incessantly, the plan that he claimed was 'Force blessed.' Jinn's expression was resigned and unhappy. "Like what?" he demanded gently. "Call him out? Storm the Temple? Xan, don't do this. I know what I need to do. The Force is quite insistent about my need to stay there, and it doesn't matter that I don't like it. I obey the Force." Jinn picked up Xanatos' hand and squeezed it between his own. "But I'll be back. We'll make this work. And... I'm still looking forward to cutting that braid."

Xanatos looked as unhappy as Obi-Wan had ever seen him, conflicted and unsettled. "Xanatos, you can't give up now," Obi-Wan blurted. "We've been waiting for this. And you said the Force had guided you."

Jinn smiled encouragingly at Obi-Wan, and helplessly Obi-Wan returned the smile. The man was so magnetic and he felt drawn to him like iron filings. "Listen to your padawan, Padawan," Jinn said, turning back to Xanatos. His smile turned wry. "I've found they often are the wisest beings around you." He patted Xanatos' hand. "The Force doesn't lie, Xan. If it told you this was the course to take, everything will work out."

"You think? Considering that the Force has allowed Dooku to... oh, to hell with it." Abruptly, Xanatos stood from the table and took his cup to the small sink. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his back to them. "It's been a long eight years for me too."

Jinn swallowed and looked down again. Obi-Wan looked between the two of them, dismayed over their behavior. Once again he was stymied. They simply were not acting as he had expected them, especially Xanatos, and he felt as if the rug had been ripped out from under him. He stood, frowning between them. "I'll... I'll clean up in here, Xan," he said hesitantly. "There isn't much."

"And I do need to go, unfortunately," Jinn said. He stood and Obi-Wan blinked -- the man was so tall it was incredible. "Xani?"

"I'll walk you out," Xanatos said, turning and heading briskly for the door.

Jinn followed, after giving Obi-Wan a sad smile. "It was wonderful to meet you, Obi-Wan," Jinn said. "I wish we could have spent more time together." He walked to the door after Xanatos, but paused briefly before going through. He looked back, his expression enigmatic. "Take good care of him," he said softly, and Obi-Wan just nodded. "May the Force be with you."

"With you too," Obi-Wan murmured after Jinn's retreating back. After a moment, he finished putting away their snack and cleaned up the tea makings, then put more water on to heat. If he knew Xanatos, and he did, the man would want more tea when he came back.

He was sitting at the table nursing his own cup, Xanatos' cup across from him, fixed properly, when Xanatos came back in the room. He looked terrible, and Obi-Wan struggled to find something appropriate to say. Finally, he settled for, "I've made tea for you. Sit down and drink it before it gets cold."

Without a word, Xanatos sat at their table and picked up his cup. He took a sip, then a large gulp, then wrapped his hands around the cup and pressed it to his forehead. They sat in silence for a long while, each wrapped in thought, before Xanatos finally spoke. His voice was raw. "You're awfully quiet, Obi," he said.

Obi-Wan swallowed. Not looking directly at Xanatos, he said, "I'm... not entirely sure what to say." He bit his lip and glanced up. Xanatos was studying him through sad eyes. "It wasn't... he wasn't what I expected. Not quite, anyway." Xanatos didn't say anything, and Obi-Wan looked back down. "I wanted to hate him, you know. He's still... he's still one of them."

"No he's not," Xanatos said, his voice abrupt and hard. "He never was. Qui-Gon Jinn... he's a good man, Obi-Wan. A gentle, caring man who's had to live under that demon..."

Xanatos trailed off and Obi-Wan didn't say anything for a long time. "You've said that, you've told me that," he finally said, finishing his tea. He made no move to get up. "I... I couldn't believe you, before. But he's... he's different. Different than I expected."

Standing, Xanatos fetched the teapot and poured them both fresh cups. "How so?" he finally said, and his voice sounded almost normal.

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said. "Different... like you're different around him. You are, you know. I didn't know how to behave for a while there. You acted so..."

"That's how I truly am," Xanatos murmured into his cup. "How you've seen me... that's not me, Obi-Wan. Before he left, Qui-Gon said he felt like he had a split personality, like he was two people and he couldn't let himself be the person he really was. That's me too."

Obi-Wan looked up to see Xanatos' sad gaze on him again. "I'm sorry that you've never had the chance to see me, Obi-Wan," Xanatos continued, gently. "Maybe... maybe I'm not like that unless I'm around him. It's been so long... The struggle has been so hard..."

"Why didn't you tell him about the others?" Obi-Wan asked, changing the subject slightly and still trying to reconcile his feelings for both Xanatos and Qui-Gon. Jinn.

"I don't know." Xanatos said slowly, tracing a small puddle on the table with his finger. "Maybe because I'm worried about his situation at the Temple. I couldn't stand it if something happened to him, but..."

"But he might be better off not knowing certain things... to hide better," Obi-Wan finished, tentatively, and Xanatos nodded shortly, agreeing. Biting his lip, Obi-Wan wondered how to ask the real question that was nagging him from the back of his head. He couldn't think of any way to broach it delicately, so finally, he just asked, his voice small. "I... Xan, I have to ask... were you and he..." He looked up to see Xanatos looking at the table, which gave him some measure of courage. "Were you and he... lovers?"

Xanatos shook his head and sipped his tea. "Oh, Obi," he said, sighing. "I've told you before, I just don't slant that way. He does, on occasion... and if I had, well, then maybe. I don't know." Xanatos smiled sadly at Obi-Wan, who swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. "I do love him, I love him dearly. He's been more of a father to me than Crion ever was. And I know he loves me, too." After a moment, Xanatos added wryly, "I have enough problem with fems, I don't need to be after both genders. And it's not like I have time for either anyway."

Obi-Wan refused to be turned from the subject, though. "It just looked like... you were so close."

"We always have been," Xanatos agreed. "And he's always been one to touch... it's a blessing, really. When I was small and had fears or worries, it seemed like just a touch from him would ease me. Gods, how I've missed him." He scrubbed at his face with both hands. "Maybe that's why I didn't tell him about Adi and the rest: I didn't want to get his hopes up too high and then dash them, if this doesn't work. I want to... to support him I guess, to give him the joy he's always given me, in everything, from our relationship to my training. And how wonderful it would be if he could take over your training. You might actually be able to get somewhere then."

"I've gotten somewhere with you," Obi-Wan protested mildly. "I don't need another teacher."

"Yes, you do," Xanatos disagreed. "Trust me on this. And Qui-Gon is the best teacher in the galaxy. I saw your face when we were sparring. He'd be the one to teach you that. I can't even give you the means to make your own lightsaber -- training with sticks isn't the same, you know."

Obi-Wan couldn't stand the bitter note in Xanatos' words. "That doesn't matter," he insisted. "You've said it yourself, a Jedi is more than a lightsaber." But in his heart, Obi-Wan knew he yearned for his own 'saber, and knew that Xanatos knew he did, too. "Besides. You're my teacher. I don't even know if I like him."

"I think you like him more than you're letting on," Xanatos said, a faint grin on his face. "I saw you watching him. He's a compelling and passionate man, Obi-Wan, you'd best watch your heart."

"Oh, please," Obi-Wan said, grateful for the lightening of the mood. "He's an old man, and hardly my type."

"He's not old," Xanatos protested. "He's not even fifteen years my senior."

"And that puts him at more than double my age," Obi-Wan shot back. "He's an old man, Xan." An old man with the most beautiful eyes, Obi-Wan added to himself and then had to fight a blush.

"I think you're reaching for reasons to dislike him," Xanatos said, clearly suppressing a grin. Then it faded, and he once again looked down. "But it doesn't matter. We'll probably not get a chance to see him again this trip." Suddenly, that sad look was back on his face, and Obi-Wan just couldn't stand it.

"I don't know," he said, blinking in sudden thought. The idea of Qui-Gon Jinn returning... it felt right somehow. "I don't know about that. We might."

"It would be lovely, but I'm not holding my breath," Xanatos said with a sigh. "Come on, we'd best make a night of it. We've got a few other properties to see in the morning."

They cleaned up the rest of the room and shut things off, setting alarms and making sure the building was secure, enveloped in a companionable silence. Xanatos gripped Obi-Wan's shoulder before retiring to his own room. He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead, just smiled, turned and closed the door after him.

It took Obi-Wan a long time to fall asleep that night. He replayed the encounter with Jinn over and over in his head, and realized that Xanatos was right; he was fascinated by the tall, handsome master. He didn't know how or why, however, and the more he tried to figure it out, the more confused he became.

Obi-Wan had fallen in love with Xanatos shortly after Xanatos had taken him under his wing. His first fumbling overtures were met with gentle surprise and resigned, sincere regret, as Xanatos carefully told him he was flattered, but not interested -- not in that way. If he had been harshly rejected, Obi-Wan may not have been able to stay; as it was, he realized how much Xanatos cared for him, and further realized he could continue to love Xanatos -- just as a brother, not as a lover.

And he did love Xanatos. He cared about the man, and tried to make sure he ate and rested and did all the other little things that Xanatos sometimes forgot about when engrossed in his work. Suddenly, Obi-Wan realized that was exactly what Xanatos had done for Jinn; he had cared for him, taken care of him... 'mothered' him was how Jinn had put it, and Xanatos had laughed and agreed. All those little touches and obvious, gentle caring did denote just filial affection -- or perhaps fatherly affection, as Xanatos put it -- and not that other kind of love, the kind of love that still nagged at Obi-Wan sometimes, deep in the night. Putting aside his slight, definitely inappropriate jealousy was easy then, as Obi-Wan made that realization.

But realizing that those deep blue eyes -- so like, yet unlike Xanatos' -- were going to haunt him for a long while to come did nothing at all for his peace of mind.

PART THREE: Qui-Gon

It was getting on towards dawn by the time Qui-Gon made it back to the Temple. The protesters were still there, of course -- not that much of a surprise on a twenty-eight-hour planet like Coruscant -- and he skirted them as carefully as he had at the beginning of his evening.

His cloak was where he had left it, and before donning it, he centered himself and relaxed, forcing the hated persona back over his soul much as his cloak covered his body. It was hard to pull it back on -- both things -- after finally being free for the first time in eight years, but it was something he knew he had to do. The Force sang quietly to him, reassuring him and bathing him in calm, something he deeply appreciated.

It was a different knight on duty at the door, but one who recognized him and let him in readily enough. It wasn't hard to feign disgust on top of his exhaustion, and Qui-Gon let both emotions precede him down the deserted hall as he made his way to his small quarters.

He hadn't closed the door behind him for more than a moment before it opened again. "Qui-Gon," Dooku said. "I'm glad you're back. I was beginning to worry."

"Well, you needn't have," Qui-Gon said bitterly, throwing his 'saber on the bed with unnecessary force. "It wasn't like I was in any danger from that lot out there. The only one that might have tested me was nowhere to be found." He scrubbed at his face. "Are you certain he was seen, Master? I couldn't find any real evidence of it, and believe me, I looked."

Dooku crossed his arms and leaned back against the door. His face was utterly bland. "Obviously, I don't have the contacts you have in the lower city," he said, "but the rumor came from a very reliable source. Can you feel anything through your training bond with him?"

Qui-Gon gave him a glare. "No, it's shut down and no, I won't re-open it," he said. "After the last blast I got from him when I tried it, I think I know better now. Especially when I'm outside the Temple and vulnerable." He sank down on the bed with a sigh. "I swear I've been halfway around the planet this night. Either his shielding is much better than it was, or he's not here. I'd like to go out again tomorrow to--"

"No," Dooku interrupted him. "Look at yourself, Qui-Gon. You're exhausted. Going out again tomorrow night would only leave you open to danger if he actually is on-planet." Dooku put his hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. "Rest, my padawan. I'll see what I can find out from my feeble contacts, and if you still want to try again in two nights, we'll discuss it. Were you able to find anything else of interest to us? Any Force-sensitives?"

"To be honest, Master, I wasn't really looking," Qui-Gon said, his voice tired. "The rumors are just as they always are of late: the Jedi are monsters, the Republic is falling, as is the sky and all the stars. Nothing changes."

"No, nothing changes," Dooku agreed. "Get some rest, Qui-Gon. Meditate. You feel as if you could use it. Come and have tea with me tomorrow -- well, later today -- and we'll talk more."

"Thank you, Master," Qui-Gon said, smiling briefly. "Rest does sound very good at this point. Good night."

"Good night, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon watched Dooku leave his quarters, then sighed. He stripped, showered, and was in bed with the lights off in record time -- all the while keeping his mind carefully blank. But before he fell asleep, he realized one thing was bleeding through the shielding around his heart that he thought was airtight: a pair of beautiful, blue-green eyes framed by coppery hair. Obi-Wan Kenobi, he thought, bemused; then he carefully, firmly, tucked the name behind those shields.

Obi-Wan's eyes, however, refused to go, and haunted the few dreams he allowed himself.

Qui-Gon skipped morning meal but made it a point to come to the cafeteria for mid-meal. As he had hoped, he found Mace Windu eating alone in a corner of the room, and he took his tray over to join the Councilor. "May I join you?" he asked, as Windu looked up.

"Of course," Mace replied, shifting his tray back to make room. "So... you survived your sortie?"

Sighing, Qui-Gon replied, "Yes, survived it, certainly. Success, however, eluded me."

Mace grimaced. "Sorry, Qui-Gon," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know how it feels to miss success on something you've been working on." He sighed.

"Things not going well with the new candidates?" Qui-Gon guessed shrewdly.

"Not going well... let's just say that's an understatement," Mace said, and his voice was sour and angry. "I have no idea why the Seekers brought these children in. Twelve of them don't even meet the standard intelligence quotient -- they're developmentally retarded. The others are a combination of sociopaths, criminals, thugs and..." his voice trailed off and he closed his eyes, slumping in his chair. "There's nothing for me to work with there. Nothing at all."

"I'm sorry, Mace," Qui-Gon said, sincerely unhappy for his friend. "We just don't seem to be getting any good candidates lately. And most of the initiates are older too, aren't they?"

"Yes," Mace replied, rubbing his eyes. "A good half of them are nearly ready to be taken as padawans."

Qui-Gon winced slightly. "It's too damn bad we no longer do the Dantooine trip with them," he said, shaking his head sadly. "You need a vacation... hell, they probably need a vacation. Remember how much fun that trip was for us?"

Mace slowly smiled and his eyes cleared. "Oh, my. It's been a while since I've thought of that. Remember how the two of us got lost in that forest when we went?"

"Us?" Qui-Gon said, raising his eyebrows. "Speak for yourself. I was never lost. I knew exactly where we were."

"Sure you did," Mace scoffed. "And the reason you waited for the masters to find us was that you were tired of walking."

Qui-Gon laughed. "Of course!" he replied. "But I have a better memory of my last trip, as a senior padawan."

"Oh, gods," Mace said. "The one where Dooku put you in charge of the most fractious initiates? And they talked you into exploring the cave complex..."

"It's tradition that every initiate get lost at least once in those caves," Qui-Gon said with a grin. "And I was pretty glad to lose them, let me tell you. Those children were a menace to society."

"Then it was a suitable punishment for you," Mace retorted. "Face it, Qui-Gon, you were a hell-raiser as a padawan."

"I was not!" Qui-Gon said indignantly. "As a padawan, I'll have you know I was a properly behaved, studious, genteel--"

"Qui-Gon Jinn, you lie like the rug in the Great Hall," a new voice said from behind them. Qui-Gon turned to see Jocasta Nu standing near their table, a tray in her hand. "May I join you two young pups?" she asked.

"Of course, Jo," Mace said with a smile.

She pulled a chair over and, with a sigh, settled herself and her ornate robes upon it. "Whatever were you discussing that had Jinn telling such tall tales?"

"Hey!" Qui-Gon said, looking between the two of them. "I think I've been insulted."

"If you only think you've been insulted then you're thicker than I thought," Jocasta said in her customary sharp tone.

Mace chuckled. "We were reminiscing about the Dantooine trip," he told the elderly Councilwoman. "You know, Qui-Gon, it really is too bad the children won't experience that."

"It's been, what, over five years since we've gone?" Jocasta said. "Some of the initiates were brought in since then, weren't they?"

"Yes," Mace said heavily. "And Qui-Gon was just saying how we probably all need a vacation."

"I think that's a foregone conclusion," Jocasta snapped. "We all do need a vacation. Perhaps it's time to start that tradition up again."

"Oh, I don't know, Jo," Qui-Gon said, frowning. "It's too risky. The Jedi are not exactly the most beloved people in the Republic at the moment."

"We don't have to advertise it," Jocasta said. "I think I'll suggest that to Master Dooku this afternoon. There are plenty of ways to get off this planet quietly, so that no one need know. It would do the children good to get away from all this... this miasma of anger and fear we're swimming in."

"That's a good way of putting it," Mace said, and his voice was morose again. "Even the air feels heavy, loaded with tension. It's making everyone short-tempered and discomfited, and there really isn't anything we can do about it."

"It's too soon," Qui-Gon objected. "I say it's too dangerous. We need to wait a couple more years, see if things calm down..."

"If we wait for that, we'll be waiting until entropy takes the universe," Jocasta said acerbically. "There will never be a good time, Qui-Gon. I think Dooku knows that."

Still frowning, Qui-Gon picked at his lunch, aware that the other two were doing the same. Finally, Mace pushed his chair back and sighed. "I need to get back to work," he said. "If you're serious about bringing that up to Dooku, Jo," he added, "you've got my support. It can't be healthy for the children to be living like this. Dantooine is the ideal place to decompress and relax. Surely we can provide enough security to keep them safe."

"I still don't like it," Qui-Gon said stubbornly. "I'm sorry now I ever raised the idea."

"I'm not," Jocasta said. "Quit being an old woman about it, Jinn. That's my job."

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes as Mace chuckled. "Let's meet to spar later this afternoon, if we can spare the time," Mace told Qui-Gon. "We could both use it. I doubt an hour or so away from work will stop the world spinning."

"I'll com you," Qui-Gon said, and Mace nodded to both of them as he moved off.

"Are you meeting Dooku for tea this afternoon?" Jocasta asked. "He told me he had invited you."

"Yes," Qui-Gon replied, finishing his lunch. "Will I see you there as well?"

"You will," she said, raising one elegant eyebrow.

"Good," Qui-Gon said, rising from his seat and lifting his tray. "I've got classes I need to see to, but I'll see you at tea. Maybe I can dissuade you from this silly idea then."

"Not a chance in hell," Jocasta replied cheerfully.

Qui-Gon scowled at her but she merely smiled.

"Thank you, I think I needed that," Mace panted, using the sleeve of his tunic to wipe the sweat from his face. He powered down his dark purple 'saber and bowed formally to Qui-Gon. "Well fought."

"You're out of shape," Qui-Gon said, also panting. "You used to be able to kick my butt around the salle pretty handily."

"I know, I know," Mace replied. He walked to the edge of the salle and lifted a towel and a bottle of water from the bench. "Here." He tossed another bottle to Qui-Gon, who caught it with a smile.

"Thanks. Perhaps we ought to meet regularly, try to keep each other in shape." Qui-Gon grabbed another towel from the stack on the bench and wrapped it around his neck, blotting at his hair.

"Oh, like I have time for that," Mace said with a sigh. "But it's a nice thought." They both began walking in tight circles, cooling down gradually. "I heard you had a rather interesting tea," Mace said.

Qui-Gon shot him a look, but Mace's face was shining with innocence. "I think everyone in this Temple has gone mad except me. It's a dangerous proposition, Mace. I don't like it."

"It'll be fine, Qui-Gon. You'll see. We'll do it in secret and no one has to know a thing about it. I doubt they'll even tell the children until the day they leave." Mace smiled wistfully. "What a great idea -- getting off this bloody planet. Personally, I think Dooku ought to pick up and move the whole Temple to Dantooine. Or some place maybe even more remote. Let the damn Republic go to hell by itself."

Qui-Gon stopped dead and stared at Mace. "What?" Mace said with a frown. "You think I'm not tired of this shit yet? Listening to those damn protesters screaming outside the gates twenty-eight hours a day?" He shook his head and studied the floor.

"You should volunteer to go with the children, Mace," Qui-Gon said softly. "I was right... you need a vacation. Badly."

"Maybe I will," Mace replied, also softly, as they turned toward the showers. "So tell me, what did Jocasta have to do to convince Dooku to reinstate the trip?"

"Very little, actually," Qui-Gon said with a frown. "I can't believe Jocasta picked up on the idea and ran with it so fast. Damn the woman, she's like a force of nature."

"You know she's always said the Force tells her where to go and that's why she steamrolls over everything in her path," Mace replied. They had reached the locker room and Mace began to strip in front of the locker he had chosen. "She must have thought it was a good idea. Well, that's what she said, anyway."

"It's not," Qui-Gon said, as he pulled off his sopping wet tunic. "It's bloody dangerous, Mace. This isn't the senior padawans or the knights we're talking about here -- it's the Temple's children. They're our most precious commodity, and that Dooku seems to be willing to risk them on this crazy venture makes me... well, crazy."

"It's not that much of a risk, Qui-Gon," Mace insisted. "If you're so worried, why don't you volunteer to go along with them as a guard?"

"Because I have bigger ships to fly here on Coruscant," Qui-Gon growled. He stepped into the stall next to Mace and started the water.

"Ah," Mace said, a not-unsympathetic sound. "You planning on going out again tonight?" he asked.

"No," Qui-Gon replied shortly. "Orders from on high, skip at least one night." Satisfied his hair was wet enough, he began soaping it. "But if all of you idiots are going to carry out this insane plan, then Force knows I'm going to go tomorrow. If he's anywhere to be found, I'll find him. I'll stay out until I do, if necessary."

Qui-Gon opened his eyes from rinsing his hair to find Mace staring at him, compassion in his dark eyes. "You're becoming obsessed, Qui," he said as quietly as he could over the rush of water. "Xanatos--"

"I don't want Xanatos Chiyari within ten parsecs of this Temple, Mace," Qui-Gon said, firmly and sincerely. "And I'll do whatever I have to in order to see to it he stays at least that far away."

Mace simply shook his head and finished his shower. Qui-Gon, having significantly more hair than bald Mace, took longer, but was still done before Mace was completely dressed. He wrapped a towel around his hips and used another on his hair as he returned to the locker area. Mace was sitting on a bench, partially dressed, watching him with concern. Qui-Gon ignored it, and began pulling clean clothes out of his locker. "I don't know what happened between you and him..." Mace began, his voice tentative.

"No, you don't," Qui-Gon interrupted harshly. At Mace's grimace, he continued, less forcefully. "I'm sorry. But no, you don't know. I'm dealing with it, Mace, I'm dealing with it as best I can."

"I know," Mace said quietly. Seeing the compassion in his friend's eyes, Qui-Gon sighed. "I'm just concerned for you. I hate seeing you hurt, and it seems that just the mention of your former apprentice's name does that now."

"Yes, I know," Qui-Gon said. He tugged on his underwear and tunic, then sat to blot his hair. "Perhaps you're right, and it's just the atmosphere of this place that's getting to me too. It's getting harder and harder to meditate for me--"

"Me as well," Mace interrupted, and Qui-Gon blinked at him.

"Really?" Searching through his pack, he found his wide-toothed comb and began using it on his hair while he mulled over Mace's revelation. "I thought it was just me; I thought it was just my inability to release my anger into the Force that was preventing it."

"I think you and I are not the only ones, Qui," Mace said. "Jocasta had the right of it--" something in the utility belt draped across the bench in front of him began to beep and he pulled out his datapad-- "it's like a heavy blanket, or an ocean drowning us." He glanced at his pad and swore. "I'm late for a meeting, as usual. I've got to hurry."

They dressed in silence, but before Mace dashed out, he squeezed Qui-Gon's arm. "If you do go out tomorrow, make sure you check over your 'saber. When we locked blades a couple of times, I thought I felt a wobble. The casing for your crystals could be cracked."

"Thanks," Qui-Gon said. He gripped Mace's arm briefly, trying to convey more than his thanks, but Mace hurried away.

The casing was indeed cracked with micro-fissures, and the next morning, before his daily round of classes and meetings, Qui-Gon found himself down in the bowels of the Temple, looking for lightsaber parts. The heavily-shielded level where the crystals were shelved had always been a bustling area, but it was eerily empty, making Qui-Gon feel odd. He finally found one of the masters on duty, an elderly Rodian, in the tool supply area, watching a Coruscant newsfeed on a monitor.

"Where is everyone?" Qui-Gon asked the man, who grimaced.

"This is it, most days now," he replied. "We don't got enough Jedi in-Temple any more to make this place busy. What can I do for you?"

"I need another casing, and a couple of my tools are pretty much ruined, could I get a second tool kit?"

"Sure," the Rodian said. "What kind of casing?"

Qui-Gon pulled out his 'saber and displayed the problem, and the two of them commiserated over it for a while. The Rodian seemed to be bored and welcomed Qui-Gon's company, but due to his commitments, Qui-Gon couldn't stay to chat.

"This should do you," the elderly master said, handing over a casing and a set of tools. "Be sure to file them points down carefully. You also might want to check the whole thing over; looks like it's got a bit of mileage on it, and more could be wrong."

"That's a good idea, thanks," Qui-Gon said, nodding as he placed his items in a carry-all. "Maybe I'll take a quick look under the microscope before I get to my meeting -- they can always wait for me."

"That's the ticket!" the Rodian laughed. As Qui-Gon walked away, he was settling back into his chair.

It was quite easy to take the necessary pieces and add them to his sack, as well as grab a few crystals. He wasn't sure how many he should take until he reached for the rack -- then watched in bemusement as the Force pushed him over to a couple of duranium sapphires. He settled his hands on them and blinked, then smiled crookedly at the feeling of rightness that pervaded him.

He tucked them into his carry-all with the rest of the goods, and left with a lighter heart.

"I'm going out again tonight," Qui-Gon said flatly.

"Qui-Gon," Dooku began, but Qui-Gon interrupted him.

"Master, if you're going through with this insane plan of sending the children to Dantooine, then it becomes all the more important to find out if Xanatos is on this planet," Qui-Gon said forcefully. "I told Mace yesterday, and I'll say it again today, I don't want Xanatos Chiyari within ten parsecs of this Temple. And if there's any chance he's on Coruscant -- now, of all times -- then I'm going to find him."

A sub-committee meeting had just broken up, and the two of them were alone, face-to-face across the wide meeting table. Qui-Gon folded his arms across his chest and glared at Dooku, whose face wore an expression of resigned puzzlement. "Qui-Gon, your obsession with your former padawan is going to bring you to grief," Dooku said. His elegant and compelling voice was mild and carried just a hint of worry. "You said it yourself that you couldn't feel him at all when you went out the other night."

"The situation has changed," Qui-Gon said firmly. "You just decided to send the entire complement of Temple children -- all the initiates and younger padawans -- to Dantooine in three days--"

"The sooner, the better," Dooku interrupted him gently. "We'll have the element of surprise, and, as Jocasta said, we don't have to advertise the trip."

"But what about on the way back? What if the Organas or one of the less scrupulous groups decides to destroy the transport because they think the Jedi are an abomination?"

"If this trip draws out some of our enemies, then so be it," Dooku said firmly. "I don't intend to leave them defenseless, Qui-Gon. In fact, I think I'm going to insist on your accompanying them."

"What?" Qui-Gon couldn't decide which appalled him more, the fact that Dooku seemed to be willing to let the children be bait for his trap or that he would want Qui-Gon to go with them. "I've got commitments here at the Temple."

"They can be reassigned. Padawan, something tells me you need this trip as badly as Mace Windu does. I can set you in charge of the most irritating of the initiates if it would help..."

Leaning forward and bracing his fists on the table, Qui-Gon glared at Dooku. "This isn't a joke, Dooku."

"And I'm not treating it as such, Qui-Gon," Dooku replied. His face hardened and his voice deepened, and Qui-Gon felt a shiver go down his spine. "This is deadly serious. The Jedi are in a tenuous position at the moment -- you of all people know that. We must consolidate and regroup our holdings, as well as carry on normally. Not responding to those that directly threaten us makes us look weak and vulnerable. We cannot afford that, not now."

"The strength of the Jedi lies not in strength of arms," Qui-Gon said. "Your own master said that."

"Don't throw Yoda's words back in my face, Padawan," Dooku said softly. "My tolerance extends only so far. These are different times, and the Jedi must adapt, or die. I am not willing to let the Order become extinct because of a philosophy as ancient as the being who spouted it."

Qui-Gon rocked back on his heels. "Do you mean to turn the Jedi into a military order then?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Perhaps," Dooku replied. "The ancient texts from the first Sith War were clear -- that's what we were. Regardless, complacency is as much our enemy as those so-called protesters out there. I will not fall into the trap our ancestors did, Qui-Gon; that is why every Force-sensitive must be brought to the Temple, rather than risk them being Turned to the Dark Side." He leaned his fists on the table and stared hard at the other man. "Do you understand, Qui-Gon?" he demanded.

Qui-Gon studied the man who used to be his master. The face was the same, the eyes, that glorious, deep voice -- all the same. So when had he changed so much that Qui-Gon couldn't even recognize him? "Yes," Qui-Gon said, nodding finally. Dooku's gaze held his, and Qui-Gon knew his sincerity shone in his eyes. "Yes, I think I do." Slowly Dooku nodded and leaned back upright. "However, that just proves my point, as far as I'm concerned. I am going out tonight to look for Chiyari."

Dooku sighed and shook his head. "All right. One night, Qui-Gon, that's all I'll give you. I would prefer you take a guard, but I suppose that's out of the question."

"Absolutely," Qui-Gon replied seriously. "I'll be fine. And if he's on Coruscant, I'll find out tonight."

"I hope so," Dooku said, turning and heading for the door. Qui-Gon followed him. "Because tonight is the last night you'll have."

Xanatos looked at Qui-Gon in shock. "It's too easy," he whispered.

"I know," Qui-Gon replied. "I know."

Qui-Gon left the Temple earlier that evening than he had before, but it took him much longer to arrive at Xanatos' hideout. Dooku had stepped up the Seeker patrols, and it seemed that every way Qui-Gon turned, there were Jedi or riots against the Jedi. Coruscant was becoming a very dangerous place, and the first thing Qui-Gon said to Xanatos was, "You and Obi-Wan have to leave."

Obi-Wan wasn't there, which unsettled Qui-Gon for some reason he couldn't name. Xanatos reassured him that the boy would be back soon, but Qui-Gon felt he wouldn't be happy until they were all together.

Xanatos was thrilled and surprised to see him again, but it didn't take long for the story of Dooku's plans to come out. Now they sat across the table from each other again, both lost in their own thoughts, aware that events were moving inexorably towards a confrontation -- the outcome of which was hardly a foregone conclusion.

"I still cannot believe he's willing to sacrifice our children," Qui-Gon said, nursing his tea.

"I can," Xanatos said. "He's a monster. All Dooku cares about is power."

"Xan, he was never like that..."

"Obviously, he is now!" Xanatos shook his head wearily. "I'm sorry, Master. I remember him too, when I was younger. He was different then."

"Something happened... I just don't know what."

"Yoda died," Xanatos said sadly, and met Qui-Gon's eyes. "That's what happened. None of this would have happened if Palpatine hadn't killed Yoda. You know that."

"Yes," Qui-Gon agreed sadly.

They sat in silence for a long time. "Three days, huh?" Xanatos finally said. "It's not like I can't do it... we've got our plans laid. It's just..." A buzzing noise made both of them jump. "That'll be Obi, I think... I've got several proximity alarms set. Let me check."

It was indeed Obi-Wan, and he was breathless. "There are patrols out everywhere, and the entire lower level..." he trailed off when he saw Qui-Gon and gulped.

"Qui-Gon told me," Xanatos said. "You weren't followed, were you?"

Obi-Wan glared at Xanatos. "Oh, please. But it's getting a little too hot out there."

"I told Xanatos that you need to leave, both of you," Qui-Gon said, nearly incapable of taking his eyes off Obi-Wan. "Dooku has decided to send the children to Dantooine in three days."

"All of them?" Obi-Wan gaped between them. "How many are there?"

"One hundred seventy-two," Qui-Gon said heavily. He followed Xanatos back to their kitchen area. "One hundred thirty-nine initiates, and the rest young padawans. He's got a modified cruise ship that he's planning on using, and I'm sure there's going to be fighters flanking it, but I didn't dare try to find out more."

"That's fine," Xanatos said. "Sit down, Obi. Did you eat?"

"No, and I'm starved," Obi-Wan said. When both Xanatos and Qui-Gon chuckled, he looked between them, frowning. "What?"

"I could tell you stories about how hard it was to keep Xanatos' belly filled when he was your age," Qui-Gon said, smiling at Xanatos.

"Obi-Wan is a little older than I was during that growth spurt," Xanatos said wryly. He put a sandwich before Obi-Wan who tucked in. "Was there anything at the drop-off point?"

"No," Obi-Wan replied, his mouth full. "I couldn't get to Dex, either."

"That's all right. We're going to have to leave Coruscant by tomorrow very early, anyway," Xanatos said, sitting back down and sipping his tea. With a grimace he stood again, and fetched the pot to the table.

"I'd rather you leave tonight," Qui-Gon said, shaking his head when Xanatos offered to warm his tea. "It's not safe here anymore."

"It's not safe anywhere, Master," Xanatos said with a sigh. "We'll be fine. I have bolt-holes all over this area -- you should take one that lets out in an alley half a klick from here when you leave, in fact. It's shielded all the way."

"Good," Qui-Gon said approvingly. "But I'll feel better when I know you're off-planet."

"We'll have to leave by tomorrow," Obi-Wan said, after swallowing, "if we're going to get those children. How did that happen?"

"It was far too easy," Qui-Gon told him with a sigh. "I mentioned it to a couple of people, and the next thing I knew, Dooku was planning on sending all of them." He glanced at Xanatos. "He's willing to sacrifice the children in order to draw you -- well, not you specifically, but whoever is behind the rebellion -- out. He doesn't care that they could be killed."

"He doesn't?" Obi-Wan looked between them. "Not at all? That's..."

"I know, Obi-Wan," Xanatos said bleakly. "Now, we have no choice. We have to get them away from Dooku."

"I don't know how you're going to do it," Qui-Gon said. "Or where you're going to put them if you're successful. He's insisting I go along, as well as Mace, and a group of some of the best fighters in the Temple. Then he'll have an escort, I'm sure, as well as..."

"There are things I didn't have time to tell you during your last visit, Master," Xanatos interrupted him gently. "There are more of us, you know, it's not just--"

"Wait," Qui-Gon said, raising his hand and closing his eyes. "Wait. I think I know what you're going to tell me, and... Xan, I don't want to know." He re-opened his eyes and looked at Xanatos, then at Obi-Wan, and swallowed. "What I don't know, I can't tell."

"No," Xanatos whispered. His face went chalk-white and his eyes were stricken. "He knows. You think he knows! That's it, that tears it, you're not going back there."

"Xan..."

"You're not! I won't allow it! If he knows--"

"I don't know that he knows!" Qui-Gon said, raising his voice to drown out Xanatos. "He shouldn't know, he shouldn't suspect anything. But I don't know that for a certainty." Qui-Gon reached out and grabbed Xanatos' arm. "I... I think he just suspects everyone; he's paranoid, Xan, and I think he's not quite sane anymore. But on the off chance... I don't want to know how you're going to do it, Xanatos. Just do it. Please."

"I can't lose you again, Master," Xanatos whispered, and Qui-Gon stumbled to his feet and around the table to draw his padawan up into a reassuring hug. He was aware that Obi-Wan's eyes were on them, and he wished he could provide the same comfort to the younger man as he was to the older -- he could feel the distress rolling off Obi-Wan in waves. He settled for hugging Xanatos tightly and looking at Obi-Wan over Xanatos' shoulder.

Once again, he was caught in Obi-Wan's blue-green regard, mesmerized by the young man Xanatos had found. It was almost as if they had a link between them, some sort of nascent bond, although he had no idea how that could have happened. Trying to send as much comfort to Obi-Wan as he could, Qui-Gon said, "You're not going to lose me, not either of you. I'm going to be around for a long time, driving you both crazy. Trust me, Xanatos. I'm too old and crotchety to be caught in Dooku's net."

Slowly, Xanatos' arms loosened around him, and he let his padawan draw away slightly. "Besides, it's not safe to let your plans be known to too many people," Qui-Gon continued, swallowing against the lump in his throat. "I would become a liability in that case."

"Never," Xanatos whispered.

"He's right, Xan," Obi-Wan said seriously. Even though Xanatos turned to him with a frown, Obi-Wan's eyes never left Qui-Gon's face. "He's just become one of the ones we have to rescue, that's all. Him, and anyone else on the transport who is willing to leave Dooku."

"And there may be several of them," Qui-Gon murmured. "Don't give me any more information than you need to, either of you. I'd prefer it to be a surprise."

Xanatos snorted at that and turned away. Qui-Gon let him go, knowing that his padawan was still overwhelmed and a bit embarrassed over his display of need -- Xanatos was ever like that, needy and sometimes even clingy, but hating himself for it. It had taken a long time for Qui-Gon to convince Xanatos that he didn't mind being needed, and that needing wasn't an inherently bad thing, or something to be ashamed about.

Wanting to change the subject, Qui-Gon cleared his throat. "By the way, I brought something for Obi-Wan, Xan. I hope you don't mind."

"Brought something?" Obi-Wan said, looking between them. Xanatos turned back to Qui-Gon with a puzzled frown.

Qui-Gon fetched his carry-all from where it dangled on the back of his chair, under his coat. "I know how hard it must be to get parts, let alone crystal these days," Qui-Gon said, carefully emptying his pack on the table. "Xanatos will have to help you, Obi-Wan, but... well, every Jedi needs a lightsaber."

"Oh, gods," Obi-Wan breathed, looking down at the parts strewn across the table.

"And these," Qui-Gon added, taking a small case with the sapphires out of a pocket in his pants. "The Force guided me to them. I hope they're all right."

Qui-Gon didn't know what expression Xanatos wore; all he could see was the grateful worship shining in Obi-Wan's eyes.

PART FOUR: Xanatos

He wasn't sure how he felt about Qui-Gon bringing the parts for a lightsaber to Obi-Wan... it gave Xanatos an odd feeling. On the one hand, he was Obi-Wan's nominal master and should have been able to provide him with the things he needed. On the other, Xanatos knew that he just wasn't ready for a real padawan. He was little more than a padawan himself in many ways, and a life on the run was not conducive to a real teaching relationship.

There was no denying, however, that the gift sealed Obi-Wan's feelings for Qui-Gon Jinn. Instead of grudging acceptance, Obi-Wan was suddenly Qui-Gon's biggest supporter, soaking up his every word, and watching him with outright reverence.

It was almost annoying. But more than it was annoying, it was amusing to watch Obi-Wan, fascinated despite himself, trying to stay aloof around Qui-Gon -- and failing.

Qui-Gon stayed a few more hours, talking and reminiscing -- not really planning -- and that was good. But Xanatos couldn't shake the gibbering terror in the back of his brain that insisted Qui-Gon was in danger. When Qui-Gon left, he made sure to escort him out through one of the bolt-holes. Xanatos still felt ridiculous over his moment of dread and need -- the thought of again losing what had just re-entered his life gave him a panicky feeling that gnawed at his gut -- even though he knew Qui-Gon didn't hold it against him. He had been on his own for so long, making his own way in the galaxy, he'd actually forgotten how wonderful it was to rely on someone else, if only for a little while.

They walked in silence along the low, damp tunnel which ran under several housing blocks and led to a blind alley. The whole thing was shielded, but they could feel the high level of tension running throughout the entire lower city. Reaching the door, Xanatos stopped Qui-Gon, trying to say something, anything, but no words would come.

Qui-Gon finally just enfolded Xanatos in his strong arms and hugged him tightly. "My padawan," he murmured, and Xanatos again found himself near tears.

"I meant what I said," Xanatos finally managed to choke out. "I won't lose you again. Once was enough."

"You're not going to lose me," Qui-Gon said into Xanatos' ear. "I'm not going to lose you either. I am going to cut that braid, Xan. Your trials have lasted eight years, and they're going to be over soon, Knight Chiyari. My knight."

There was a lump in Xanatos' throat which felt as large as the Temple, and it kept him from saying what he wanted to say. But Qui-Gon pulled back and in the faint light of the torch they carried, Xanatos could see everything he wanted to say reflected back to him in Qui-Gon's deep blue eyes. "I love you, Padawan," Qui-Gon said, his voice rough. "Please, take care of yourself, and Obi-Wan too. Don't let him slice his fingers off with his 'saber."

Chuckling painfully, Xanatos said, "I won't. And we'll see you again. Soon. I swear it."

Qui-Gon's eyes were bright and his jaw was working. Finally, though, all he said was "Force be with you, Xani."

"And with you too, Master," Xanatos replied in a whisper. Then Qui-Gon turned and carefully, silently, left the tunnel and Xanatos behind.

Leaving the planet ended up being something of an adventure -- well, according to Obi-Wan. To Xanatos, it was a hair-raising, nail-biting time, fraught with tension and the possibility of discovery. But they had friends in low places -- as Obi-Wan laughingly put it -- who managed to see them through. Their contacts in the Pilot's Guild helped cover their tracks from the safe-house to the port, and the by-now rather large underground resistance movement made sure to stir up trouble as far away from their launch location as possible.

Along with help in getting off Coruscant, the Guild was able to provide them with a datacrystal containing the specs on the ship Dooku would undoubtedly use for the trip to Dantooine. There were only a couple of ships available to him on Coruscant that were large enough to transport that many people in one trip -- both of them cruise liners, one of which had been owned by the Senate and used by the Supreme Chancellor. Since Dooku had virtually taken over that position, it made sense that he would be using that ship, the Starwind.

Coded messages, sent out shortly after Qui-Gon left, ensured that friends and co-conspirators were waiting at the rendezvous point, a day and a half from Coruscant. They met aboard the large and spacious cruiser from Kashyyyk that Obi-Wan called the 'grunt-whine' because few of them spoke Wookiee well enough to pronounce it correctly.

As they cycled through the airlock, they were hit by a squealing guided missile. "Obi! Xan!"

"Siri!" Obi-Wan hugged the pretty, blonde-haired girl back enthusiastically. "Am I glad to see you. Look!"

During the trip Obi-Wan had been working on his 'saber, and had managed to construct the case properly. Siri's grin got bigger as she looked at it. "That's great, Obi-Wan! How did you get that if you couldn't get into the Temple? Master! Come see, Obi-Wan's finally got his 'saber!"

"Well, not yet. I still need to put the crystal in the casing, and I don't have a power supply yet, but Xan said he'd show me how," Obi-Wan said.

Xanatos looked up to smile at Adi Gallia, who was making her stately way towards them. "Hello, Xanatos, Obi-Wan," she said with a gentle smile. To Xanatos, she always looked like a Council member, even when not at the Temple; she was tall and regal, and her chocolate skin almost seemed to glow.

"Master Gallia," Xanatos replied with a slight bow. Despite her frequent requests to call her Adi, Xanatos generally felt too much in awe of the former Councilwoman to do so. Though he did try, especially when there was no one else around.

"That looks like good work, Obi-Wan," Adi said, looking at the casing with approval. "Do you have the crystal too?"

"Yes, ma'am," Obi-Wan replied, showing her the sapphires. "Master Qui-Gon brought it all for me while we were on Coruscant." Obi-Wan's cheeks were stained with red when he remembered Qui-Gon's gift, and Xanatos was amused to see Siri notice and playfully elbow the young man in the ribs.

Adi blinked and looked between Xanatos and Obi-Wan. "You saw him? How is he?"

Xanatos felt his heart was probably in his eyes at her question, but he couldn't help it. "Tired," he replied, then sighed in frustration. Adi smiled at him, silently commiserating with his anguish. Xanatos nodded, then took a deep breath. "We don't have much time," he continued. "Dooku is moving the children in a little over a day. We'll have maybe six hours' warning, if that."

"We're ready," Siri said firmly, with a glance to her master. Xanatos had to smile; Siri and Obi-Wan were age-mates -- Siri younger than Obi-Wan -- and it had done both of them good to be together since Adi had come over to their side, bringing her padawan with her.

"Good. Let's get going then." Xanatos followed Adi and Siri down the hall to the conference room, which was filled with others in their conspiracy. The ones he couldn't tell Qui-Gon about, Xanatos thought sadly.

Both Eeth Koth and Saesee Tiin looked up when the quartet came into the room, nodding a welcome to Xanatos. Adi had brought them in just over three years ago, after she had joined the group herself. Bail Organa came around the table with his father, Faden Organa, close behind. Seeing them again made Xanatos smile; he greeted them with enthusiasm. The two men didn't even look related; Faden was short and round where Bail was tall and lean, and florid where Bail was swarthy. Xanatos looked around and counted five other Jedi -- true Jedi -- knights, which was about all that could be gathered on such short notice, as well as several other non-Jedi Wookiees and Alderaani, and a few Bothans.

"Welcome back!" Bail said with his normal enthusiasm. Bail was about halfway between Xanatos and Obi-Wan in age, but sometimes acted much younger. He shook Xanatos' hand hard and gave Obi-Wan a hug. "Did you get to see him?"

"Yes, he found us," Xanatos replied, smiling at the cheeky young royal. "Thanks to the timely leak of information to Dooku. Thank you for that, Bail."

Bail waved his hand. "It was nothing," he said with a grin.

"Yes, it was something," Xanatos insisted. "And now, we're going to need your devious mind even more, if we're going to save the children."

"Well, what's the story then, Xan?" Bail said, perching on the edge of the table.

"Dooku is going to send the children to Dantooine aboard the Starwind in less than two days," Xanatos began. He was surprised when the murmur of voices instantly ceased so everyone could listen to him. "We're about ninety percent certain of the ship -- there are only two available on Coruscant at the moment that are large enough to move that many people. We should have their flight plan the moment they leave, from our friends in the Pilot's Guild. There are only a few ways to Dantooine, and I doubt he'll make a stop. Plus, Qui-Gon will be aboard, and he'll open our training bond enough so that I should be able to get a good fix."

Xanatos took a deep breath. "We know he'll have escorts for the ship, but we don't know how many. He's expecting us to make a move, so we'll have to be quick, and take it early on in the run, especially since it's only a three-day trip to Dantooine."

"Are you certain he's expecting trouble, Xanatos?" Eeth Koth asked quietly.

"Yes," Xanatos replied heavily. "I'm afraid so. Qui-Gon says... well, there's no way to sugar-coat this. Apparently, Dooku is willing to use the children as bait to lure us out."

"What?" That came from the normally quiet and reserved Adi, and Xanatos smiled grimly. Several others in the room were expressing their shock and outrage as well.

"That was my reaction, too," Xanatos said over the babble. "But it's undeniable. If he weren't, he never would have allowed them to leave the Temple -- it's simply too dangerous."

"What do you suggest?" Bail asked, once the room settled. He looked terribly business-like and totally unlike himself, Xanatos realized. The gravity of the situation was apparently even affecting the normally buoyant and upbeat prince of the house Organa.

"We've discussed a number of ideas in the past, but I think simple is the way to go here," Xanatos said. "An EM pulse to knock them out of hyperspace -- which will knock the escort out too. Enough fighters to engage the escort. A base ship, which will not engage, to fire the EM pulse, and to monitor and jam their transmissions. Then... this is my own idea, actually." He cleared his throat and realized everyone in the room was waiting for him to continue speaking. When had he become their de facto leader?

"I'm afraid that he might try something with the liner carrying the children," he finally continued. To the baffled expressions around him, he tried to explain. "What I'd like to do is have two limpet ships attach to the liner, one on either side, to release the sleeping gas -- we've discussed this before, when we came up with the plan. I think, however, that each of those two ships should have a shield generator on board, just in case."

"You can't be suggesting..." Bail started, a horrified look on his face.

"He'll have the ship destroyed rather than have it taken," Saesee Tiin said in a bleak voice. "Blame it on the rebels, and perhaps gain sympathy over it."

One of the Wookiees wailed in anguish, and Xanatos remembered she was one whose child had been taken by Dooku and killed. One of the Alderaani went to her, along with some of her own people. Xanatos looked down, swallowing back a lump of emotion. A touch on his arm made him look up to see Obi-Wan, looking at him with concern. "It's all right," Xanatos said, patting Obi-Wan's hand.

"As soon as Qui-Gon told me that Dooku was insisting he accompany the children, I thought that might be his scheme. We have to figure it into our plans, just in case. Whether or not it materializes is beside the point. Does everyone agree?" The agreement -- from faces angry, sad, frustrated or hopeless -- was unanimous. "Good," Xanatos said. "We'd better get moving then. We need to do a lot of things in a short amount of time."

They had been waiting for this moment for years, Xanatos reflected. Now that it was finally here, he simply couldn't shake the feeling of unreality.

He was crammed into what would be a good-sized ship if it weren't for the huge amount of extra equipment they carried. The shield generator alone took up half the ship, and the limpet's burrowing gear close to another half. Obi-Wan was piloting, nominally -- there wasn't much to do at the moment as they hung at a specific point in space. Their calculations, based on when the Starwind had left Coruscant and its trajectory towards Dantooine, meant that the EM pulse, which they were heavily shielded against, would go off momentarily, hopefully dumping several ships out of hyperspace directly ahead of them. Members of the Alderaani Space Guard were monitoring hyperspace from the base ship to the best of their ability, and would give them ten seconds' warning before firing the pulse. Xanatos wiped his hands on his pants again, gratefully aware of the strengthening training bond in his head.

"They're close," he told Obi-Wan, just as the warning came.

They could almost feel the pulse through their blast shields; the shockwave hit them seconds later, buffeting their craft. Obi-Wan easily kept them stable, and they waited tensely. When the excited voices broke radio silence, it almost made him jump.

"The targets have emerged! There are six, repeat, six escort ships. Begin jamming now! Limpets go! The liner has no, repeat, no shielding!" Obi-Wan didn't wait for the radio transmission to end before he was moving, darting the small vessel towards the huge target, easily avoiding the blasts directed at them. On the far side of the Starwind, Xanatos knew that Siri and Adi were doing the same, while all around them a silent space battle erupted. The House Organa had sent six fighter craft, and the Wookiees another five, so the escort ships were tremendously outnumbered.

But they were Jedi. Despite the fact that the 'rebels' were in the right, they were still fighting Jedi, and Xanatos knew they only had moments before trouble could hit.

Obi-Wan moved like a speed demon and within seconds, they were literally crashing, nose-first, into the liner's hull. Xanatos started the burrowers, while Obi-Wan configured and started up the shield generators. They continued to listen with half an ear to their headsets while the battle raged on beyond them.

In his head, Xanatos began a countdown: twenty-five seconds since they had hit and attached to the liner. They had calculated that they had, at best, five minutes to finish the job and still give themselves room for safety, in case reinforcements showed up.

A beep indicated they were through, another indicated that Siri and Adi had also made contact and the shielding was complete around the liner. The sleep gas began to infiltrate the liner as soon as the hull was breached, but they were already wearing their face masks. Within another few seconds, the hole in the hull was wide enough for them to get through, and they wasted no time in going.

They emerged in what appeared to be a service corridor. Obi-Wan ignited a gas canister and threw it into one of the air vents in passing. A droid came rolling around the corner, and Xanatos took it out with a pulse from his blaster, which was set to stun. They didn't want to kill anyone, not if they could help it.

Turning onto a main corridor, they took half a second to orient themselves to the memorized layout of the ship, then began running forward. Fifty-five seconds. The ship was luxuriously appointed, with thick carpet lining the companionway -- which was good, as there were several people lying on it at present, out cold. Xanatos took a few moments to lob another sleep gas canister into a vent, then followed Obi-Wan forward.

The sound of blasters and a lightsaber alerted them before they reached the next junction. Slowing, they found that they were coming up from behind on a battle -- Siri and Adi were pinned down by two Temple Seekers wearing gas masks. Unfortunately for the Seekers, they didn't feel Xanatos' and Obi-Wan's presence until it was too late -- and Xanatos allowed himself a moment of wry victory that a mere blaster bolt could take out a Jedi knight.

One minute, thirty seconds.

Nodding to Adi, Xanatos let her take point while he watched the rear for any other problems. The ship was so big, it took them almost a full minute to run down the corridors and climb to the proper deck level before they could reach the control room -- which was locked. Xanatos again guarded the rear while Adi used her 'saber to gain access to the control room. Siri lobbed a gas canister through a gap Adi made before opening the door all the way, and they stormed in taking high and low.

Two minutes, thirty-five seconds.

Everyone in the cockpit was out. While Xanatos and Adi grabbed them and hauled them into the corridor, Siri and Obi-Wan took their chairs and began scanning the systems. As they had suspected, the shielding was disabled; they counted at least two homing devices, and a continuous stream of audio and video being sent back to Coruscant -- at no doubt ruinous expense.

A shuddering concussion rocked the ship, while a simultaneous voice in their headsets yelled, "Dear gods! They're firing at the liner!"

Three minutes, fifteen seconds. It took the escort less time than Xanatos had anticipated to begin trying to destroy the ship.

Obi-Wan and Siri were working feverishly at the shielding, trying to re-enable it. After a couple more concussions -- Xanatos knew their shield generators wouldn't take more than a few direct hits -- Siri suddenly slumped in relief. "Got it. Shields at full. Disabling the homing devices now."

"Programming the new jump coordinates," Obi-Wan responded.

Three minutes, fifty-five seconds. Not a moment too soon.

Adi took a seat at the security console, deactivating any droids that were listed. Xanatos hovered behind her, watching the door for human intervention, both his blaster and his lightsaber ready for trouble and his Force-sense wide open.

"Shit!" Siri suddenly yelled. "Sorry, Master, but I can't disable audio," she said, her voice frustrated and very rapid. "Video is dead, both homing devices are dead, there's no other broadband link between here and Coruscant that I can find except audio and I can't..."

"It's all right, Padawan," Adi said, her voice both soothing and distracted. "We'll make do with no sound. Sit here and finish disabling the droids. Obi-Wan, is the jump programmed?"

"Yes, Master Adi," Obi-Wan replied, distracted. "Ready to jump to the coordinates."

"Don't say anything, use hand signs or write on paper," Xanatos said. "There's no reason to give them any more information than they already have. I'm going back to check for problems and find the passengers. Make the jump, Obi."

"Jumping now." The stars beyond the viewport shuddered, twisted, then streaked as the liner smoothly made the jump to hyperspace.

The last thing Xanatos heard through his radio was, "They're away; break contact break contact -- retreat!"

Four minutes, thirty-five seconds.

Plenty of time to spare.

Because they couldn't be certain that they had found and disabled all homing devices, they still behaved as if they were under the gun. Their rendezvous and pick-up point was in an asteroid field orbiting a red giant star, a few hours by hyperspace from their present location and nowhere near the trajectory to either Coruscant or Alderaan, their final destination. Siri and Adi had done a good job disabling the droid security, and they found no more awake passengers.

By the time they reached the rendezvous, they had secured all the knights and masters, except for Qui-Gon, and had moved them and the children to a central point near the cargo bay airlock. They left their masks on since the gas hadn't completely dispersed. While Obi-Wan and Siri ran scans over the rest of the ship to make sure they had not missed any living bodies, Xanatos and Adi finished lining everyone up and giving them tranquilizers sufficient to keep them out until they were well on the way to Alderaan.

With an hour to go until pick-up, Xanatos pulled Qui-Gon aside and put a mask over his face to clear the gas from his lungs and to wake him up. He lifted Qui-Gon and braced him against his chest while he waited for his Master to wake, nodding to Adi when she smiled at him from her perch overlooking the slumbering children, knights and masters.

It didn't take long for Qui-Gon to struggle awake, blinking his eyes rapidly as the effects of the gas slowly left his system. "Padawan?" he mumbled from behind the mask.

Xanatos shook his head hard, motioning for Qui-Gon's attention. He pointed to his ear, then drew a line across his throat with his finger. Qui-Gon frowned, so Xanatos then pointed to his eyes and gave the thumbs-up. Sudden comprehension dawned, and Qui-Gon grinned behind his mask, then nodded. He shifted as though to stand, and Xanatos had to brace him -- he would feel the effects of the gas for a while yet.

As Qui-Gon looked over their handiwork he nodded in approval, and the eyes he turned to Xanatos were awed and proud. The Seekers and everyone from the few older padawans up were trussed up carefully. The children were lined up in ranks, waiting to be moved. When he caught sight of Adi Gallia, Qui-Gon froze, his eyes grew big, then he quickly moved across the room to embrace her.

Opening his mouth as if to speak, he caught himself and shut it again, looking frustrated. Adi laughed silently and patted his chest, miming later, later.

Looking back at Xanatos, Qui-Gon motioned, how long?

Xanatos glanced at the chrono on the wall and mimed less than an hour back. Qui-Gon nodded and then looked between him and Adi, frowning.

The man was as transparent as glass, Xanatos thought. He was at least as taken with Obi-Wan as Obi-Wan was with him, and it was hilarious to watch. Grinning, he tugged Qui-Gon out of the cargo bay and up to the control room, where Obi-Wan and Siri were finishing up their scans and still checking for homing devices. When he saw them in the door, Obi-Wan leapt to his feet and ran to Qui-Gon, hugging him tightly.

Qui-Gon hugged him back, grinning ear to ear. In one hand, Obi-Wan held a slate on which dozens of scribbles were crossed out. He motioned to Siri with it, then wrote on it, Master Qui-Gon, this is Siri Tachi, Master Adi's padawan.

Siri's eyes were huge and awed, but Qui-Gon merely smiled and bowed to the padawan, who bowed back, returning his smile tentatively. Obi-Wan was scribbling on the slate, and after a moment, handed it to Xanatos. Still can't kill audio, Xanatos read. Think we got all other homers.

Xanatos gave Obi-Wan a big smile and thumbs-up, then took the slate from him. Come back minute we're out of h-space he wrote. Set all other jumps now for auto.

With a grin, Obi-Wan showed Siri what Xanatos had written, and a bark of laughter escaped her before she slapped her hand over her mask-covered mouth. Obi-Wan wrote, already done, you won me my bet!

Dissolving into silent laughter, Xanatos playfully cuffed Obi-Wan on the side of his head. Obi-Wan ducked the blow and, still grinning, handed Xanatos a piece of paper. On it was written, in large letters, AUDIO HOT, DO NOT SPEAK! Xanatos stared at it in puzzlement for a moment before it hit him -- for the rendezvous ship! He rolled his eyes and nodded, then indicated the two of them, pointing to the sign. Siri held up their own copy, for the video portion of the radio contact, and he nodded and gave them thumbs-up again.

Want to show you my 'saber Obi-Wan wrote on the slate, then handed it to Qui-Gon, who smiled hugely and hugged Obi-Wan hard. Soon he wrote back. Xanatos looked on at their display and rolled his eyes at Siri, who was looking a bit puzzled.

Since everything seemed to be completely under control in the control room, Xanatos and Qui-Gon went back down to the cargo bay to await their arrival at the rendezvous point -- Qui-Gon with obvious reluctance.

It wasn't much longer. An Alderaani ship -- piloted by Bail Organa himself -- awaited them at the asteroid field, and quickly extended an airlock tether to the cargo bay doors, as had been pre-arranged. When the Alderaani and Wookiee helpers came through, Xanatos was waiting with the sign he got from Obi-Wan, but they grinned and indicated they already knew.

There were plenty of hands to help, and in little time, everyone was moved over to the Alderaani ship. The umbilical was released, and Obi-Wan sent the signal which would send the Starwind back into hyperspace and on to Dantooine. It was a relief to begin talking again.

"Did you have any problems with the flight plan?" Xanatos asked Obi-Wan. Behind him, he could hear Adi and Qui-Gon talking a mile a minute, sounding much like a couple of padawans again.

"Nope," Obi-Wan replied, his voice cocky. "We've got everything, Xan, and we're home free."

"Do not say that until we're on Alderaan and in the new Temple," Xanatos warned him, frowning. "The first thing I taught you was if anything can go wrong, it will."

"Yes, I know," Obi-Wan said, nodding and rolling his eyes. "You also taught me to trust in the Force but always cut the cards. I'm careful, Xan. Siri backed me up on everything, and we double-checked each other. We should be fine."

Xanatos smiled. "I know you're careful, Obi," he said, putting his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder and squeezing gently. He took a deep breath. "And I'm very, very proud of your work on this trip."

"Obi-Wan behaved as well as a senior padawan on this venture, Xanatos," Adi Gallia suddenly said, and Obi-Wan turned wide, shocked eyes on her. "I would think that as soon as he gets caught up on his other studies -- including finishing his lightsaber -- he won't have a problem passing his Trials. Perhaps three or four years, if he works at it."

"Really?" Obi-Wan gasped, looking from one master to the other, then to a hugely-grinning Siri.

"If you're still interested in becoming a Jedi," Xanatos said, shaking Obi-Wan gently by the shoulder he still held.

"Still interested? Of course I'm still interested! I can't believe this! Really?! I could really be a Jedi?!"

Siri laughed and hugged Obi-Wan, who appeared to be in a complete state of shock. Xanatos motioned for Qui-Gon, and pulled him aside. "Master," he said, sotto voce, "She's right, but I'm not the right one to train him. Would you finish his training? Would you take him as your padawan?"

"Xan, are you sure?" Qui-Gon asked. Though his brow was furrowed, his eyes held an eagerness Xanatos couldn't miss.

"Of course I am," Xanatos replied, a bit testily. He grimaced an apology. "It's just... well, I'm not ready for a padawan. Hells, I'm still a padawan myself. And even a blind man could see the link the two of you have already. He'd get the training he deserves, while I..."

"If I have anything to say about it -- and I do -- you won't be a padawan much longer, Xan," Qui-Gon said firmly. It was Xanatos' turn to blink in shock at that. But before he could speak again, Qui-Gon continued. "Let's talk about it again later, all right? I'm not unwilling, and yes," Qui-Gon flushed slightly, and Xanatos grinned to see it, "we do have... something, some kind of bond between us. But there's no reason to make hasty decisions here. Let's all get to..." Qui-Gon trailed off and glanced up over Xanatos' shoulder. "Eeth?"

"Qui-Gon, old friend," Xanatos heard Eeth Koth say from behind him, and he smiled happily to see yet another reunion. If he had his way, there would be many of those over the coming months.

PART FIVE: Mace

Mace Windu drifted awake slowly. He was very comfortable and aware of a low, melodious humming coming from somewhere near him. The sound reminded him of something... no, someone... but he couldn't quite place who...

Still more than half-asleep, Mace realized that he wasn't in his own bed at the Temple -- he felt a faint but discernable vibration. Oh yes, he realized, the ship... he was on the Starwind, bound for Dantooine with all the children from the...

They'd been attacked! Sudden memory flooded him as he remembered the electromagnetic pulse that had rocked the ship, throwing them out of hyperspace and into the path of something which struck and latched onto the ship with a huge, shuddering clang... the sound of children screaming...

With a gasp, Mace's eyes flew open. The low humming stopped and a voice he hadn't heard in over four years called his name. "Mace? Are you awake? Look at me, my friend."

Mace's eyes slowly adjusted to the light in the room and he managed to focus on the dark-skinned figure leaning over him. He frowned as his brain told him who it was... "Adi?" It was impossible. "Adi? You're dead..."

She smiled. "Rumors of my demise have been a bit presumptive," she said. She picked up a comlink and spoke into it. "He's awake," was all she said before putting it down and picking up a glass of water. "Here. Sip slowly. You're going to feel more than a little disoriented between the gas and the tranquilizers."

Sipping obediently through the straw, Mace sighed as the cool liquid bathed his dry mouth and throat. "Where are we?" he said, looking around curiously. "Not the Starwind..."

"No," Adi agreed. "You're on The City of Keles bound for Alderaan."

A door behind her slid open and another face came into view. "Qui-Gon?"

"Good morning, Mace," Qui-Gon said, smiling gently. "Glad to see you're finally back among us."

"What the hell happened?" Mace said, trying to shift and sit up. It was then that he noticed he was secured to the bed. "What...?"

"Just stay down and try to relax," Adi said. "We've got some things to tell you, and we need to know how you're going to take it." She pressed a button he couldn't see and the head of the bed lifted him so that he was no longer completely flat.

The door opened again and another figure came into view. This one was less familiar, and Mace took a few moments to put a name to the face he saw... "Xanatos Chiyari?"

"Hello, Master Windu," Xanatos said softly. Qui-Gon half turned and gave his ex-padawan a smile. "Sorry to be ganging up on you like this, sir, but we don't have a lot of time."

"What the hell is going on here?" Mace demanded, becoming angry. "I want some answers, right now."

"And you're going to get them," Qui-Gon said. "Now, hush and let us explain. Xanatos and Adi, along with a few other old friends that you'll meet later, managed to save the children off the Starwind. We're now in the process of bringing them to a new Temple. One that is not controlled by Dooku and his cutthroats. In a nutshell," Qui-Gon finished with a wry smile, "we're the rebellion, Mace."

Aware that his jaw was hanging open yet not able to control his muscles enough to close it, Mace looked from one to the other. "You're not joking," he finally choked out.

"No," Adi confirmed. "We're not. I've been with Xanatos for over three years now. I happened to run into him on Telos almost four years ago, and he convinced me that his cause was just. So I faked my death, and that of my padawan, and joined him." Adi looked seriously at Mace. "We're not anti-Jedi, Mace, you know this. We're anti-Dooku. We object to his policies and to the fact that he's running the Temple in a manner not acceptable to any of us. And since he will not accept any ideas that go against his policies..." She spread her hands helplessly.

"He's running the Temple, and the Jedi, into the ground," Qui-Gon growled. "I could not stand by and watch him kill yet another innocent, Mace. When Xanatos asked for my help with this plan of his to kidnap--"

"Rescue," Xanatos interjected, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Qui-Gon fought back a smile. "Rescue the children, I jumped at the chance."

"That's why... When you... But you..." Mace was utterly and completely flummoxed, a situation that was wholly unfamiliar to him. He kept looking between them -- to his friend Qui-Gon, whom he now realized he didn't know at all; to his dear friend Adi, thought dead all these years; to the man he thought was a renegade and criminal.

Qui-Gon chuckled. "Sorry to overwhelm you like this, my friend. If there were another way... but we're only a few hours out of Alderaan and the new Temple Xan and Adi -- and those others -- have set up. We need to know..."

When Qui-Gon trailed off and gave him a serious look, Mace realized what they were asking, and why he was restrained. They were going to do it... they were actually going to bring the Jedi back to the way they were, before Dooku and his pogrom, when Yoda was still on the Council, and the Jedi wouldn't kidnap pregnant women or kill children because they could not be indoctrinated properly to the Temple way of life...

Suddenly, Mace found himself feeling something he hadn't felt in years, not since he was a young padawan himself. His iron control faltered, and one lone tear managed to seep out of his eye and trail down his face. "Oh, sweet Force, finally," he gasped, as the durasteel chains loosened from around his heart.

He was still wobbly enough that reclining on the bed in the infirmary didn't feel like a luxury, and it had the added benefit of helping him hide his extreme astonishment and depth of feeling. It simply would not do to have Mace Windu reduced to tears merely at the sight of old friends he'd long thought dead, or at the thought of the Jedi now having a future. He had a reputation to uphold, after all.

No one seemed to mind coming to him anyway, which was fine. He ate a breakfast supplied by Siri Tachi -- another one he thought dead -- and a truly gorgeous young man who seemed to be a padawan, though his red-gold hair was shoulder-length and caught in a loose tail. While he ate, Mace received a stream of well-wishers and visitors; Jedi after Jedi resurrected for his benefit. By the time he'd finished his breakfast, however, the crowd was reduced to just those formerly on the Council and Qui-Gon -- who seemed to be far too entertained at Mace's discomfiture for his own good.

"I nearly killed Xan when I met him on Telos," Adi was saying, explaining how she had come to be part of the rebellion. "After all, he was a renegade and a deserter from the Jedi. Luckily for him, Obi-Wan trusted me enough not to kill an innocent, and stepped between my 'saber and Xanatos." Mace felt a shudder go through Qui-Gon, who was sitting on the bed with him, and looked at his friend curiously. "That gave Xan enough time to plead with me for understanding, and to explain what had really happened. He's quite a persuasive young man, Qui-Gon; you did a fine job with him."

"Who is Obi-Wan?" Mace asked.

"The young man with Siri who served you your breakfast this morning while you were laying about being a sloth," Qui-Gon explained lightly. Mace frowned at him.

"If anything, Obi is Xan's padawan," Eeth said, holding back a smile. "Unofficially, of course, since Xan still wears his braid."

"And I thank you for that opening, Eeth," Qui-Gon said quickly. "Xanatos has proven himself in Trials which have lasted for eight years. I think it's time to convey the title of knight upon him, don't you?"

"Leave it to you to bring up such things at this time," Mace replied grumpily. "We hardly have the full Council here."

"And we won't," Adi said implacably. "We are the Council now, for all intents and purposes. And I agree with Qui-Gon."

"What about Jo?" Mace asked. "I know she was on the ship with me, and she's on the Council too. Have you talked to her?"

Everyone looked away, and Mace frowned. "What?" he asked. What was he missing here?

"I'd like you to talk with her," Adi said. "She... she won't talk to me, Mace. Nor to Qui-Gon. I'm not sure she's not been tainted by whatever has changed Dooku so much."

"There's definite darkness around her," Saesee said quietly.

"Not Jocasta, surely," Mace said, dismayed.

"Talk to her, my friend," Qui-Gon said quietly. "See if you can persuade her."

Troubled, Mace nodded. "Where is she?"

She was in another room, a private room that had been fitted with a Force shield of some kind and was locked and guarded. There were several such rooms along the corridor Mace was led to, and he found out later that they all held knights and masters who had been aboard the Starwind and who refused to give up their loyalty to Dooku. Their fate was undecided, though Mace understood that Xanatos -- Xanatos?! -- insisted they not be harmed in any way, at least until after their arrival at Alderaan.

It seemed the boy had grown up well after all -- not that he would let Qui-Gon know he realized that. The man had a swelled enough head as it was.

When he was let into her room by the guard on duty, Jocasta was standing at the small window watching the stars blur by. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she didn't look very welcoming at all. "Jo?"

"Hello, Mace," she replied. Her voice was at least as cold as the space outside her window. "Have those miserable liars sent you in to try to talk to me?"

"Jo, how can you say that?" Mace asked. He stayed just inside the door, as he didn't feel welcome at all. "They're your friends, I'm your friend--"

"They are turncoats and liars and filthy renegades!" she said, at some volume. Finally she turned around and Mace was appalled by the look on her face -- it was twisted up into a mask of utter loathing. "And if you believe the bantha shit they're espousing, then you are no better than they are!"

Mace could almost feel his heart breaking, though he kept it behind tight shields and kept his face neutral. Jocasta Nu had long been a friend and someone he looked up to, someone he admired for her uncompromising stance in the ways of the Light -- much as Qui-Gon was, though Qui-Gon's habits sometime drove Mace to distraction. But this... this was not the Jocasta Nu he remembered.

"So, you believe that Dooku's way is the only way, and that there are no other paths to the Light for a Jedi?" he asked, truly, if sadly, curious.

"That has nothing to do with it," she snapped.

"It has everything to do with it," Mace disagreed mildly. "This has nothing to do with us as Jedi, but everything to do with how we feel about Dooku and his pogrom. He's taken it too far, Jo, much too far. I don't have any idea how I managed to hold out as long as I did."

She sneered at him. "Ah, I see. You've thrown in your lot with those idiots. Fine. You always were a little weak-willed."

Mace just stared at her. "Jocasta Nu, I used to think you were unshakable in the Light. How you can stand there and support a monster who was more than willing to murder almost two hundred children, I do not know." When he saw her frown slightly, he snatched at the opening. "You didn't know that, did you? That he had given orders to the fighter escort to destroy the liner if they were attacked? Qui-Gon and I found out that the shielding on the Starwind had been disabled within an hour after we lifted off -- to make the job easier, I suppose. It's a damn good thing that those 'liars, turncoats and renegades' were prepared to take any measures necessary to support and protect our children, because Dooku was more than willing to do the opposite!"

"You're lying," Jocasta said, but her eyes held enough doubt that Mace felt a small flutter of hope that his friend was still there -- somewhere.

"Have I ever lied to you? All right, aside from the time when I tried to claim I didn't take that copy of the Ashaeti Scrolls out of the library." As he had hoped, Jocasta snorted and had to suppress a small smile at that. "I'm not lying, Jo," he said softly, sincerely. "Give them a chance to convince you. We're all of the Light here. All one in the Force. You have one of the strongest connections to the Force that I've ever seen. I can't believe that you could doubt their sincerity."

"It's not their sincerity I doubt," Jocasta whispered after a long moment's silence. She clutched her arms around herself again and turned back to the window. "Even the best of intentions can lead one to the Dark Side, Mace."

"It is not them falling to the Dark Side, Jocasta Nu," Mace replied, putting a little iron in his voice. "And I think if you meditate on it, you'll come to see that."

"And if I don't?" Jocasta said, her voice acidic. "What then?"

"Then you don't," Mace replied, absolutely certain of that position. "Unlike Dooku, I -- we -- believe there can be two sides to a story -- and that one of them doesn't have to be Dark."

Jocasta turned at his words, her eyes wide as she stared at him. But she didn't say anything, and after a time, went back to watching the stars streak by.

Wishing she would turn back toward him but knowing she wouldn't, Mace finally turned and left.

Alderaan was a beautiful world, quite living up to its reputation as 'The Jewel of the Republic' in many ways. A temperate planet, with land masses and oceans in equal measure, a stable population ruled benevolently by the House Organa for generations, and the only planet in the Republic with a literacy rate approaching one hundred percent. Alderaani as a whole were intelligent, empathic and even poetic, given their beautiful artwork.

The ship The City of Keles put down in a tropical wilderness area of Alderaan, very near the equator on the South Meral continent. It was there that Mace received one of the major shocks of his life -- for a complete and functioning Jedi Temple was there, built into, around and under a low mountain.

When Qui-Gon had told him they were heading towards an 'alternate Temple', he had suspected a crude setup somewhere in Boreas, the largest city on Alderaan and home to the Organas. He was definitely not expecting a beautiful place of waterfalls, gardens and spacious rooms, and his expression must have betrayed his astonishment. Faden, the current Organa ranking elder, debarked just behind him and chuckled. "Bit of a surprise, isn't it?" he asked.

Mace turned to his friend Faden and blinked. "How...?" he asked, inarticulately.

"We didn't do all of it," Faden said, steering him away from the large landing platform towards what looked like a beautiful, formal garden. "A great-great-great ancestor of mine -- who was quite mad -- started it centuries ago. It was meant to be a bunker to protect him against the monsters of his id." Faden snorted in mirth. "Every now and then, one of his descendants came out here and built a little more, making it more into a retreat than a hiding place. When Xanatos came to us with the audacious idea of a whole new Temple, well, Bail immediately thought of this place." Glancing over his shoulder to ensure no one was around, Faden added, "I believe he'd been using the place for his assignations. I'm going to have to take that boy in hand soon, Mace."

Mace chuckled; it had been good to know Faden would be around. The two men were of an age and shared many likes and dislikes, for all they were completely opposite in temperament and looks. "Don't bother, Faden. He's far more devious than you, and you know it."

Shaking his head in sad agreement, Faden led him deeper into the totally astonishing campus.

There were Jedi at the new Temple -- far more Jedi than Mace could have imagined. Many of the ones he thought lost over the last ten or so years were here, as well as some he didn't recognize -- perhaps they had been adjunct to a different Temple? He made a mental note to find out from Adi or Eeth later, and continued strolling. The garden that fronted the main entrance was exquisite.

A loud commotion from behind him heralded the release of the initiates rescued from the Starwind. The children hadn't been outside -- really outside -- in five years, and once their initial shock wore off, they began to tentatively make some noise. When that wasn't met with the usual censure, they seemed to all realize at once that all bets were off, and really cut loose. Mace had to smile at the enthusiasm displayed -- one hundred thirty-nine Force-sensitive initiates could really make themselves noticed. The thirty-three padawans were not joining them, however, and were all frozen together in a clump near the bottom of the ship's ramp.

Faden saw Mace's frown and must have inferred what he was thinking. "Xanatos and Obi-Wan already have some ideas to help them adjust," he said, nodding to the padawans. "They've already been taken, yes? The little ones... they'll have a lot less to unlearn."

"Yes, you're right," Mace said sadly. Then he glanced at Faden. "Xanatos has ideas, eh? That name seems to be on everyone's tongue lately."

"That young man is the Jedi's finest asset," Faden said soberly. "And if you don't see that yet, Mace, then you're blind."

Mace stopped and looked at his friend in surprise, but Faden seemed perfectly serious. "Aren't you a bit prejudiced there, old friend?"

"Not at all," Faden said calmly. "Anyone who can organize all of this -- who can bring in disaffected Jedi with ease and who can calm nay-sayers so articulately -- hell, Mace, if he weren't already a Jedi, I'd be hiring him out from under you as an heir."

Looking at Faden askance, Mace said, "Bail might have something to say about that."

"No, I don't think he would, actually," Faden said, further surprising Mace. "He's one of Xan's biggest supporters."

Mace was saved from replying to that astonishing statement by running into Qui-Gon, who was with Eeth and Adi. It made him feel much better to realize that Qui-Gon looked as shell-shocked as he most certainly did. "I take it you didn't know about this either, Qui?" he asked, holding his grin in.

"No," Qui-Gon said in an awed voice. "I told Xanatos not to tell me, actually, under the theory that what I didn't know, I couldn't tell."

"Wise decision," Mace said approvingly. A trio of initiates shot by them, laughing and screaming, and Mace smiled. "They're all right running around unsupervised?" he asked the group at large.

"Oh, yes," Adi said. "There's Force shielding around anything dangerous, or anything outside of the immediate environs -- to keep animals out as well as to keep little ones in," she explained. "We thought it might be a good idea to let them burn off some excess energy now, before we ask them to calm down and become proper little Jedi again."

The inside of the building -- which appeared to actually be set into the mountain -- turned out to be just as beautiful as the outside. There were still areas that were roped off and being worked on, but the large front hall was complete and exquisitely appointed. "This is a little...uh..." Mace looked around and tried to find a tactful word.

"Ostentatious?" Faden asked, laughingly taking the wind from his sails. "Trust me, it's a lot better now than it was. Come along this way, I want to show you the Council Chamber."

Qui-Gon shared an incredulous look with Mace, but they both followed the portly man up a broad staircase and down an equally broad corridor. They were trailed by the other ex-members of the Council, who, to the last of them, all had mysterious smiles on their faces. The corridor ended at two huge doors which were standing ajar. Faden pushed them open and ushered them into a large, round room that looked to be straight from a fantasy novel.

In many ways, it resembled the Council Chamber in the Temple on Coruscant -- there were lovely tile insets in the floor, handsome and comfortable-looking chairs spaced at regular intervals around it, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking what was apparently the other side of the mountain from the front door.

The magnificent waterfall, which must have originated above the room on the mountain somewhere, thundered silently just beyond the windows, falling into a deep, blue pool half a klick below.

There may have been several dozen Jedi at this alternate Temple, but they were far outnumbered by the influx of initiates. That meant that everyone had to pitch in to get the children settled in the new creche, to get them fed, comforted, bathed and bedded down for the night. Mace cheerfully took his turn with the little ones -- the youngest was about five standard, and the oldest not quite ten -- and realized how good it felt to actually be doing something, something that he enjoyed and which didn't make him feel dirty. Literally dirty, yes -- he had a large stain of some kind of purple vegetable on his tunic from a slight accident in the cafeteria -- but that definitely beat the stain that had been growing on his soul.

By the end of the day, he realized he hadn't seen any of the rescued padawans, and asked after their whereabouts. He was directed to a sheltered garden he hadn't seen yet, just off the half-finished classrooms. There he found the padawans, still in a clump, attempting to meditate with Siri Tachi and that young man, Obi-Wan, leading them.

From the emotions careening around the garden, they were obviously having a tough time of it. One of them, a girl he recognized because he knew her master, saw him and leapt to her feet, running to him. He caught her gently and knelt before her. "Easy there; it's Bay, isn't it? Padawan Bay Derone?"

"Master Windu," the padawan sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his tunics. "I'm so frightened! Where's my master? I don't know what to do!"

"It's all right, Padawan," he soothed, patting her back gently. "Your master is perfectly fine, he's just back on Coruscant. With luck, we'll have him out here soon too. There's nothing to worry about."

"But... but... this isn't where we were supposed to go," she wailed, refusing to show her face. "And I heard some of the knights say... say that Master Dooku is bad, that he's a Sith, and... and..."

"Now, where did you hear that?" Mace gently but firmly pulled the girl out of his tunics so that he could look in her face. "You should know better than to listen to such gossip. You're not a young, silly initiate anymore; you're a padawan." He used his thumbs to gently wipe the tears from her face. "I know this is difficult for you, Bay. It's difficult for all of us. But it will get better. And now, instead of being cooped up in the Temple, you've got most of a whole world to explore. And initiates to take care of too. We could really use your help."

"But this isn't the Temple!" she said, sniffling. "Who will be my mother and father now? This isn't the right place!"

"Your mother and father are who they always were, Bay," Mace said firmly, aware that the other padawans were sending them covert looks, listening to his answers. "The people who gave birth to you. The Jedi are your family, just as we've always been, but the Temple is not your parent. Nothing has changed, really. The Force is, just as it has always been, right? But it's stronger here... can you feel how much stronger and cleaner the Force is here? How much easier it is to find it?"

"Obi and Siri were trying to help us," she said, indicating the other two young people who were also listening. "But... I was so scared..."

"That's a natural reaction to a new situation," Mace said, nodding. "You must release your fears to the Force, Bay. Let the Force have them, because you don't need them. Close your eyes. Go on," he encouraged her, and reluctantly, she did so. "Now. Concentrate. I know Master Groone has been proud of your progress at finding your center -- find it now. Ground and center, Padawan." He looked up from her concentrating face to those of the other padawans, some of whom nodded. "That's right. Let the Force flow through you and around you. Feel how much clearer the air is here, how much lighter you feel inside? Let the Force have all your fear, all your anger, all your uncertainty; let it melt away; let the Light of the Force fill you back up, support you."

Slowly, very gradually, Bay's face smoothed and her breathing regulated. Siri and Obi-Wan gave sotto voce encouragement to a few other padawans who were still having problems, but little by little, the roiling emotions he felt when he entered the garden gave way to a glowing peace. His knees were beginning to protest their situation -- he wasn't used to kneeling without a mat and certainly not on rock -- when Bay opened her eyes. They were much calmer.

"There," he said, smiling in encouragement. "That's better, isn't it?"

"Oh, yes," she whispered, still breathing deeply. "The Force... it showed me Master. He's all right, and he'll be here soon. Do you know when, Master Windu?"

Mace blinked -- she had never shown a talent for prescience before, and he wasn't certain how to handle it. Settling for obfuscation, he merely said, "No, but I'm sure if the Force said soon, it will be soon. Always put your trust in the Force, Padawan."

"Thank you, Master Windu," Bay said. "You'd better get up now before your knees lock that way."

Giving her a mock-scowl -- which made her giggle, a much better sound than tears -- he chucked her under her chin. "That's enough impertinence from you, Padawan." He did, however, let her give him a hand up.

The other padawans were mostly settled as well, and he smiled to feel it. "You all look better now, and I imagine you feel better too. The initiates are done eating, so you can all go in to take their place." He grimaced down at the stain on his tunic. "Stay away from the purple stuff, unless you're a Wookiee."

There was a scattering of weak laughter at his words, but the padawans all stood and began to move to the door. Siri took the lead and took the hands of two of the younger ones as well. Obi-Wan hung back.

"Thank you, Master Windu," he said with a smile. "We weren't having much luck."

"Sometimes you just need a master, Padawan," Mace replied with a smile.

"Oh, I'm not a padawan," Obi-Wan said, and Mace caught the hint of sadness in those words. "Not yet. But soon, I hope; Master Adi said as much."

"Adi is a wise master, but, Obi-Wan, a padawan is not simply a braid," Mace said. His mood was expansive and nearly giddy, which felt wonderful. "Just as a Jedi is not merely his lightsaber. You are more than enough padawan for me, Padawan."

Obi-Wan's eyes lit up at his words, and Mace nodded to himself, satisfied. He was really coming to like this boy... who reminded him of someone, but he couldn't place who. "Thank you, sir," Obi-Wan said, and after a brief bow, followed the retreating padawans.

That young man's going to go far, Mace thought to himself. Despite having Jinn for a master.

He was halfway down the corridor before he realized with a start what he had thought, and who he had named as Obi-Wan's master.

Bay's words turned out to be prophetic indeed. Over the next ten days, dozens, then hundreds, of Jedi from all over the galaxy began pouring into the Alderaan Temple. Most of them hadn't a clue why they did, only that the Force had urged them to do so. Some were knights on assignment who simply didn't return to Coruscant but came to Alderaan instead. Some were officially adjunct to other Temples and stopped by to log in with the Alderaan Temple. Some were masters looking for their padawans -- Groone was one of the first to show up, to Bay's relief. Finally, all the padawans taken from the Starwind were reunited with their masters -- except one, a young man whose master was Even Piell, someone who remained on Coruscant.

More thrilling to the residents of the new Temple were the many Alderaani parents who brought Force-sensitive babies and youngsters to the new Temple for testing and possible adoption, proving that the reputation of the Jedi was not tarnished for good. So, although things were understandably chaotic, they were moving along briskly.

The only dark cloud on the horizon lay with those few knights who were on the Starwind and refused to turn away from Dooku. The debates over their fate were harsh and strident, and ideas ranged from 'kill them now' to 'keep them imprisoned' to 'release them, who cares?' Mace wasn't sure what his opinion was, as it seemed to change every day. And he still was uncertain why Dooku didn't merely attack them -- but was happy they were left unmolested.

Jocasta Nu was another thorn in his side. She, along with the others whose fate was still up in the air, was allowed to roam the campus of the new Temple freely, as long as they behaved themselves, since there was no way out for them. The location was extremely remote and access to all craft was strictly regulated. Mace made it a point to seek her out and speak with her as often as possible, trying to engage her in debate about Dooku. But she remained stubbornly silent, refusing to speak to anyone.

But the good things far outweighed the bad, in Mace's opinion. And one of the finest was watching the odd courtship dance taking place between Qui-Gon Jinn and the young not-quite-padawan, Obi-Wan. For courtship it surely was: there was much more than masterly pride in Qui-Gon's eyes when he looked at Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan was coming to look upon Qui-Gon with much more than just hero worship. The two of them belonged together, as far as Mace could see -- at least as master and padawan, if not more. But there was first the matter of Xanatos Chiyari to see to, and Mace had allowed himself to be persuaded.

Persuaded wasn't exactly the right term, he admitted to himself privately. He had seen how Xanatos' ideas were deferred to by even the most senior of masters; had watched while the young man negotiated truces between those who would not see each others' side in arguments. He felt the man's strong connection to the Light and the Force, something that would be obvious to a Force-blind man.

Yes, Jinn was right; it was time to knight Xanatos Chiyari. Time and past.

Private discussion among the members of the new Council -- which now included Qui-Gon, to his displeasure -- decided a time. Formal robes were out of the question, but Alderaani clothiers had been happy to supply the Temple with enough clothing that no one went without standard Jedi garb. On a bright, sunny day, a little over a week since their landing, the ceremony was set up -- as a surprise to the guest of honor.

Obi-Wan was sent to fetch Xanatos to the Council Chamber, which was packed with Jedi who knew and loved the young man. When Xanatos came into the room, he faltered, looking around with surprise and not a little trepidation.

Mace stood and boomed out, "Padawan Xanatos Chiyari." The other members of the Council deferred to him in this, for his lung power alone. "Stand forth."

Swallowing, Xanatos strode to the center of the room and stopped, at attention. He may have been worried or nervous, but it would never show in his face, Mace thought with a modicum of pride. Yes, Jinn had done well with the boy.

"Who speaks for Padawan Xanatos Chiyari?" Mace asked loudly.

Qui-Gon, his face composed and serene, stepped from his seat on the Council and turned to face Mace. "I speak for Padawan Xanatos Chiyari. I am his master, Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Padawan Xanatos Chiyari, kneel." By this time, Xanatos had obviously gained a glimmer of understanding to what was happening, and his face was a mask of shock. But he knelt, abasing himself properly before the Council and the Jedi. "Master Qui-Gon Jinn, do you affirm that Padawan Xanatos Chiyari has fulfilled his duties as a padawan of the Jedi Order?"

"I do." Good thing that Jinn's voice was steady, Mace thought wryly. He could feel the man's emotions flying all over the place.

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn, do you affirm that Padawan Xanatos Chiyari has achieved, through hard work and scholarly endeavors, the rank of Senior Padawan of the Jedi Order?"

"I do."

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn, do you affirm that Padawan Xanatos Chiyari has successfully and thoroughly completed his Trials, which passing entitles him to the rank of knight of the Jedi Order?"

"I do." Ah... was that a vocal wobble Mace heard?

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn, do you affirm that Padawan Xanatos Chiyari is strong in the Light and in the Force, capable, ready and willing to serve the Republic, the Jedi and the Force?"

"I do, most assuredly." That was not in the script, and Mace raised one eyebrow at Qui-Gon.

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn, you have declared and averred that Padawan Xanatos Chiyari is ready and able to serve the Jedi, the Republic and the Force. Padawan Xanatos Chiyari, do you swear to serve the Republic, the Jedi, the Force and the Light to the best of your ability, for the rest of your life, and though Darkness may bar your way?"

Xanatos wouldn't look up, not that Mace could blame him. "I do." His voice was strong enough, though.

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn, by leave of this Council, you may do your duty to the Republic, to the Jedi, to the Force and to your padawan." Mace held out a small, sharp knife liberated from someone's toolkit -- the original ceremonial knife was still on Coruscant, unfortunately.

Qui-Gon took the knife and walked to his apprentice, who was still kneeling, head down. Qui-Gon whispered something Mace couldn't hear, but it brought Xanatos' head up. Mace was pleased to see that while his eyes were bright, there were no tears on his face -- yet.

The braid was ridiculously long once unpinned from his hair, but Qui-Gon didn't cut it off at the base, as he would have done eight years before. Instead, he made the cut at about the same length as the rest of Xanatos' hair. "Xanatos Chiyari," Qui-Gon said, his voice steady but so rich with feeling and emotion that even Mace felt a little choked up, "by this action, I confer upon you the title of knight in the Jedi Order. May I, as your now-former master, be the first to welcome you as a brother knight in the ranks of the Jedi, and may the rest of your life be filled with the Light, as it has been to this point." One quick move, and the braid of thick, black hair lay draped over Qui-Gon's hand. "Rise, Knight Chiyari, and take your rightful place at our side."

Xanatos managed to get all the way to his feet before being engulfed in Qui-Gon's arms. The room erupted into spontaneous applause and cheering, something that was hardly decorous and definitely didn't belong in such a solemn affair, but just this once, Mace couldn't find it within himself to mind.

He eventually fought his way to Xanatos' side, and offered his hand in congratulations. "It is well-deserved, Knight Chiyari," he said. Xanatos still looked a little shell-shocked -- and Mace wondered if he should wait a couple of days before springing on the new knight that he would be serving on the Council as well. After a moment, he decided to give it at least a couple of hours.

Qui-Gon was motioning for silence, trying to get everyone's attention. "I realize it's hardly a proper thing to do so soon after knighting one's padawan," he said loudly, with a crooked smile to Xanatos, who grinned widely back, "but I'd like to lay claim to another immediately -- before someone else snatches him up. Obi-Wan?"

Yet another shocked, white face appeared in the crowd, as Siri pushed Obi-Wan up to the spot where Qui-Gon was standing with Xanatos and Mace. "May it be known here and now, that I, Qui-Gon Jinn, take Obi-Wan Kenobi as my padawan... if he is willing." The last four words were said so gently, so wistfully that Mace just had to smirk. Qui-Gon had it so bad.

"If I'm willing?" Obi-Wan's last word ended on a squeak, which made everyone chuckle. "Of course I'm willing!" Abruptly, he was enveloped by two Jedi Knights, as both Qui-Gon and Xanatos grabbed him and hugged him... all three of them laughing while tears ran down their faces.

Mace retired to his chair, supremely satisfied. Another knight -- soon to be Council member -- and another official padawan to keep Jinn busy. Life -- was good.

Then he blinked... Obi-Wan Kenobi? Where had he heard that name before?

On to part 2