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"You hardly ever smile these days, Qui-Gon." Tahl tugged on his sleeve, urging him to stop.
Qui-Gon halted in the entrance of the great auditorium, as tunic-clad beings - Padawans, Knights, Masters - flowed around the two young Jedi. He looked down into his friend's serious soft eyes and sighed. His mind worked to shift gears, away from a lecture on the vagaries and nuances of Republic politics, that included a disturbing footnote about the increasing power of the Trade Federation. They were soon to be granted a seat in the Senate. Qui-Gon frowned and pushed aside nameless anxieties to focus on Tahl's comment.
Seeing her standing there, waiting so patiently for an answer, even though she knew his thoughts had wandered, made him want to smile. He just couldn't seem to inch past desire to action.
Qui-Gon grabbed her elbow and steered her through the crowd, toward an empty conversation circle in the soaring atrium. They sank down on thickly cushioned seats, almost hidden from view by the plants grouped around the four chairs.
Perched across from Tahl, Qui-Gon felt his face molding into newly-familiar grim lines. He tried to insert some levity into his tone. "What days are you talking about, Tahl? The days since I turned sixteen, and hopefully, matured a little bit? Or maybe you mean all those days I've lived without Sullustan pudding in the cafeteria? Force help me, I miss the old cook." He shook his head sadly.
Tahl exhaled an indignant puff of air. "You know perfectly well I meant since ... since ..."
Qui-Gon arched one eyebrow. "Since Hakola and I rescued Remi? Since I took a walk on the Dark Side?"
Tahl hung her head and nodded. Qui-Gon closed his eyes, regretting his sudden harshness. He opened them to find Tahl staring at him, eyes shimmering with compassion. He pursed his lips. Pity, more likely. But Tahl's voice was tender. "I want to help you, Qui-Gon. But I don't know what to do."
Tears pricked the tall Padawan's eyes. He looked away to see Hakola Doy slipping into the circle. He jumped up, a smile on his face. What a life-saver. The golden-skinned Padawan arched his white eyebrows high, seemingly taken aback by Qui-Gon's warm welcome.
"Hey, Hakola. Good to see you. What can I do for you?" Qui-Gon landed a friendly slap on Hakola's upper arm, drawing an assessing look from the young man.
"There's lots you can do for me, Jinn. Seeing as you owe me so much." Hakola smirked. "But for now, I will settle for an introduction."
"You've never met ...? Funny, I thought you had." Qui-Gon seized on the opportunity to lighten the mood. He swept into a deep courtly bow. "Allow me. Hakola, may I present my dear and long-time friend, Tahl. No last name. She neither knows, nor desires to know, her parentage. A Jedi to the core." Qui-Gon pulled a scowling Tahl to her feet. "Tahl, may I present the second-best dueler in the Temple and rescuer of errant Padawans, Hakola Doy. Of long and distinguished parentage. A Jedi to the core."
Qui-Gon placed Tahl's hand in Hakola's, who smiled warmly, matching Qui-Gon's sweeping bow. "The pleasure is all mine." He touched her fingertips to his lips.
Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. Tahl snatched her hand back and glared at Qui-Gon. He gave her a wooden grin.
Hakola interrupted the exchange. "I'll catch up to you later, Jinn. Tahl. It is a joy to finally be introduced." He nodded, wheeled around and disappeared.
"What was that all about?" Tahl demanded, sweeping straight brown hair back from her face.
Qui-Gon shrugged. "He wanted to meet you." He waggled his eyebrows. "He likes you, Tahl. You could do worse, you know. He's a decent guy. Even has hair." Qui-Gon brushed regretful fingertips over his freshly-mowed fuzz.
He was amazed to see Tahl start to fume as she gaped at him. Her mouth clamped shut and her nostrils flared. What was her problem? Were those tears hanging on her eyelashes? Nah. Couldn't be.
Tahl finally found her voice. "You ... you ... insufferable male!"
She hit her palms flat on his chest, shoving hard. Qui-Gon fell backwards, landing on a chair, his breath whooshing out of him. Tahl was already gone. Male, yes. But insufferable? What was her problem?
Hakola reappeared as quickly as Tahl had disappeared. He sat on the chair beside Qui-Gon and turned to face the Padawan.
"Thanks, Jinn. For the introduction."
"What do you want now, Doy?" Qui-Gon shook his head. "I think you just got me in trouble with Tahl. But - blast it - I don't know what I said."
"You're fairly smart. You'll figure it out some day."
Qui-Gon studied the other Padawan's veiled look with more than a hint of confusion. He sighed and waited for Hakola to speak.
After a moment, Hakola blurted, "I'd like your help, Jinn."
"My help. My help?" Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "You hardly even speak to me. Why the sudden change of heart?"
Hakola returned an open gaze. "Because there's no one I'd rather have at my back."
"Even after I ..." Qui-Gon shuddered. Even now, three months after it had happened, just the memory of the Dark Side's touch could make his stomach roil. A moment that had sliced a wound deep in his soul, carved its vile touch into his bones. Tahl wanted to know how to help. What could he tell her when he didn't know, himself, how to begin the healing? Thankfully, his Master's confidence was a soothing balm. Most days it was enough.
"Look, Jinn. I've seen the way you carry yourself these days. I don't ever want to know the details, but that day changed you. Matured you, maybe. Anyway, I trust you. Okay?" Hakola leaned back. "With my life, if it comes to that."
Qui-Gon knew the usually unyielding Padawan was making himself vulnerable to him. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. "What's up?"
The tall Padawan heard relief in Hakola's sigh. "I need to find Master Eit."
"He's missing?" Qui-Gon quirked one eyebrow.
"I haven't heard from him in two days."
"Two days is hardly orbit-changing."
"You don't understand, Jinn. My Master is very regular about such things. Very regular."
"Military precision type regular?"
Hakola nodded. "You could set your chrono to the nanosecond by his regimen."
"In that case, I take it back. Maybe you do need to worry." Qui-Gon paused. "Have you gone to the Jedi Council about this?"
"No."
"And, obviously, you don't want to. Why not?"
"We're Padawans, Jinn. They would mutter some platitude and send a real Jedi to find him."
"So?"
"He's my Master," Hakola hissed softly.
Qui-Gon fell quiet as he focused inwards. He felt a familiar nudge and nodded. "You're right, Doy. Even on my worst day, I'd give anything to please Master Yoda. Do anything for him." He trapped the golden stare with his own. "You realize, of course, what this means." He arched his eyebrows. "Even though we won't be asking them, we will be disobeying the Council. We could be throwing ourselves into deep water without a re-breather."
Hakola's mouth quirked. "Launching ourselves from an escape pod with no oxygen?"
A smile - a genuine smile - touched the deep blue eyes. "You catch on quick."
"What about you? With Master Yoda, I mean?"
Qui-Gon shrugged. "I'll leave him a message. I'm sure he'll pass it on to the Council."
Qui-Gon slumped into the co-pilot's chair and watched Hakola's fingers fly over the controls. A light began to flash and Hakola clamped his hand onto the lever, easing it back and catapulting them into hyperspace.
Turning to stare at the kaleidoscopic display beyond the viewscreen, Qui-Gon muttered, "I cannot believe I let you talk me into this, Doy."
"You agreed to come, Jinn. No one forced you." Hakola turned in his chair.
"That was before I knew that stealing a Republic ship was part of the plan. What were you thinking? Coruscant is probably messaging our holos to every security force in the galaxy. We'll be wanted men long before we revert to realspace."
"That's rich, Jinn," Hakola said with a sneer. "This from the Padawan voted most likely to be hauled up on insubordination charges and expelled from the Jedi Order. When did you suddenly decide to sprout a conscience?"
Qui-Gon frowned. "I've always had a conscience. That's what made me go along with your spaced out idea in the first place. I always let the Living Force be my guide."
"Even when it guides you to defy your Master?"
A sigh hissed from between the tall Padawan's lips. "Even, apparently, when it hooks me up with brain-dead nerfs like you. Which reminds me ... do you even know where we're going? You've avoided that subject with gusto."
Hakola swiveled the chair back to watch the spiraling lines of light. "Oh, I know where."
"I don't like the sound of that." Qui-Gon felt the hairs on his arms rising. "Do you have any idea, at all, what we're heading into?"
Hakola shook his head.
"Do you know why your Master went on this mission?"
Another negative shake.
"What about the how, Doy?" Exasperation tinged Qui-Gon's voice. When Hakola turned to face him with a puzzled expression, he continued, "You know. How are we going to survive walking into a situation totally blind?" The Padawan's fist thumped down on the armrest. "I can't believe it. I don't know how often Master Yoda has lectured me on knowing the situation. Thinking before I act. And here I am, once again, stepping into the line of fire without even knowing who's pulling the trigger. Do I have a bullseye painted on my forehead? A sign on my back that says 'aim here'?"
"Well, you are a hard target to miss."
"Very funny, Doy. You'd better start talking before I hijack this ship and turn it around." Crossing his arms, Qui-Gon leveled a harsh glare at the other Padawan.
Hakola popped to his feet and slipped out of Qui-Gon's long reach. "Let's go to the cabin. Get comfortable."
"Fine." Qui-Gon slid out of his chair. "Hopefully, you at least stole a ship that has plenty of supplies. I'm starving."
A look of chagrin stole across the older Padawan's face and quickly disappeared. Following Hakola aft, Qui-Gon rolled his eyes and pressed his hand against a quietly rumbling stomach.
Much to Qui-Gon's satisfaction, the larder proved to be more than half full. Plenty enough food for their mission. He hoped. He wiped a bowl of stew clean with a chunk of flatbread and pushed it toward the center of the round table, stretching out his long legs while he waited for Hakola to begin. Master Yoda suddenly intruded on his thoughts. He shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. Hakola met his impatient gaze.
"We're heading to the Circarpous System." Hakola ran golden fingers through curly white locks.
Qui-Gon closed his eyes to imagine the Star Room. "What's that? A day, maybe two, past Corellia? It's a fairly big system, isn't it?"
"Yes. 14 planets. We're heading to Circarpous V. Locals call it Mimban."
"And you have no clue as to why Master Eit was sent there?"
"Not exactly." Hakola deflected a daggered look. "There's a cluster of colonies on the planet. Not enough population to get their own Senate seat."
"Isn't there a Senator-at-large for such cases?"
"Yes. But he isn't from Mimban, itself." Hakola steepled his fingers. "The Senator hasn't heard from the planet in months. Communications are totally blacked out."
Qui-Gon ran the back of his hand along the thickening fuzz on his jaw. Puzzlement clung to his thoughts. "So the Council sends out your Master to find out what's going on. But I don't get it. Why wouldn't he take you? Sounds like a pretty routine mission."
Hakola leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "That's what I don't know, Jinn. For some reason, Master Eit felt it wiser to leave me behind. But he sure didn't feel the need to fill me in on why."
"Great. Reassure me some more, why don't you." Qui-Gon laced his fingers behind his head and contemplated his fellow Padawan with a wry look. "We've stolen a ship to head into an undoubtedly dangerous situation. Sounds like more fun than wrestling kryat dragons."
"Look, Jinn ..."
Suddenly, Qui-Gon sat up straight and pointed at the other Padawan. "No. You look, Doy." Qui-Gon paused to enjoy the startled look on Hakola's face, then quirked one eyebrow. "Maybe I like kryat wrestling." He sat back again. "I just don't like being a thief."
Shrugging his shoulders, Hakola half smiled. "It's not that bad. We just, um, borrowed the ship. Master Eit's name is on the release order. Not ours. It's not likely anyone is looking for us." He paused. "Besides, we are going to return it."
"Well, then. That makes everything just fine, doesn't it?" Qui-Gon sighed and quietly added, "From your point of view."
"Hey. Your focus determines your reality."
"So let's focus on getting in, finding your Master, and getting out. In one piece, okay?"
